 | The Metrical Chronicle of Robert of Gloucester |  |
433
Aeldred
& robbede þen toun vaste ac hor poer noþing nasÞis was as a tokne þat to comene was
Ac bi sein dunstones daye nammore þer ne com
Vor he deyde þe teþe ȝere of þe kinges kinedom
& nyn hondred ȝer & eiȝte & eiȝtety after þat god was ybore
& þe bissop seint aþelwold was ded þer biuore
& seint oswald þe bissop after þre ȝer
As in þe þritteþe ȝer þat þe king croune ber
Þe betere pays it was uor hom þe wule hii were aliue
Ac after hor daye sone þe sorwes spronge bliue
Þe king adde bi is verste wif an stalwarde sone
Þat uor is stalwardhede euere worþ in mone
Vor me ne vond non so god kniȝt ware so he wende wide
Me clupede him uor is stalwardhede Edmund yrensyde
434
Vor þat folc of denemarch sone to londe come
As a uour alf þis land þe hauene hii adde ysoȝt
So þat norþhumberlond was al to grounde ybroȝt
Kent hii destruede al so god & þe est contreye wide
Eccestre hii barnde al adoun & in þe west syde
Vr king worrede ofte aȝen as he miȝte do
Ac wreche of is broþer deþ wel harde him com to
Vor is poer was lute worþ ac he ȝef hom atten ende
Four þousend pound of sterlinges hom aȝen to wende
So þat is quene deide & of sorwe & sore
Him com in ech half euere þe leng þe more
Vor þe deneis come aȝen & in euerich ende
Him worrede her & þer þat he nuste wuder wende
He biþoȝte him wel narwe ȝif þer miȝte be eny red
Þoru wiuinge oþer þoru eny þing vor is wif was ded
435
Was mon of gret poer & of gret seygnorye
Vor emme is gode doȝter he sende ofte is sonde
To spouse hire & to make hire quene of Inglonde
Þat he miȝte þoru þe aliance eny help vndergo
To wite him fram hem of denmarch þat dud them such wo
So þat þo hii were at one þis spousing was ydo
As in þe ȝer of grace a þousend ȝer & two
& of þe kinges corouning in þe foure & twenty yere
Þo þoȝte þe king þat he adde of is fon ye lesse fere
| The Metrical Chronicle of Robert of Gloucester | |