University of Virginia Library

Henricus

Þo was sir simond is fader at hereforde iwis
Mid mani god man of engelond & al so of walis
He wende him out of hereford mid vair ost inou
& toward keningwurþe aȝen is sone he drou
& was hor beire porpos to biclosi hor fon
As wo seiþ in eiþer half & to ssende hom echon
So þat sir simon þe olde com þe monendai iwis
To a toun biside wircetre þat kemeseie ihote is
Þe tiwesday to euesham he wende þe morweninge
& þere he let him & is folc prestes massen singe
& þoȝte to wende norþward is sone vor to mete
Ac þe king nolde a vot bote he dinede oþer ete
& sir simon þe ȝonge & is ost at alcestre were
& nolde þanne wende a vot ar hii dinede þere
Þulke to diners deluol were alas
Vor mani was þe gode bodi þat þer þoru islawe was
Sir edward & is poer sone come þo ride
To þe norþhalf of þe toun bataile uor to abide
Þo sir simon it iwuste & hii þat wiþ him were
Sone hii lete hom armi & hor baners arere
Þe bissop water of wurcetre asoiled hom alle þere
& prechede hom þat hii adde of deþ þe lasse fere
Þen wei euene to hor fon a godes half hii nome
& wende þat sir simo[nd] þe ȝonge aȝen hom c[ome]
Þo hii come in to þe feld & sir simond isei
Sir edwardes ost & oþere al so nei
He avisede þe ost suiþe wel & þoru godes grace
He hopede winne a day þe maistrie of þe place
Þo sei he þer biside as he bihuld aboute
Þe erles baner of gloucetre & him mid al is route
As him vor to close in þe oþer half ywis
Ouȝ he sede redi folk & wel iwar is þis
& more conne of bataile þan hii couþe biuore
Vr soules he sede abbe god vor vr bodies beþ hore
Sir henri he sede to is sone þis haþ imad þi prute
Were þi broþer icome hope we miȝte ȝute
Hii bitoke lif & soule to godes grace echon
& in to bataile smite vaste among hor fon
& as gode kniȝtes to grounde slowe anon
Þat hor fon flowe sone þicke manion
Sir warin of bassingbourne þo he þis isei
Biuore he gan prikie & to grede an hei
Aȝen traitors aȝen & habbeþ in ower þoȝt
Hou villiche at lewes ȝe were to grounde ibroȝt
Turneþ aȝen & þencheþ þat þut power al oure is
& we ssolle as vor noȝt ouercome vr fon iwis
Þo was þe bataile strong in eiþer side alas
Ac atten ende was bineþe þulke þat feblore was
& sir simond was aslawe & is folk al to grounde
More murþre ȝare nas in so lute stounde
Vor þere was werst simond de mountfort aslawe alas
& sir henri is sone þat so gentil kniȝt was
& sir hue þe despencer þe noble iustise
& sir peris de mountfort þat stronge were & wise
Sir willam de verous & sir Rauf basset also
Sir [John] de sein ion sir Ion diue þerto
Sir [William] trossel sir gileberd of eisnesfelde
& mani god bodi were aslawe þere in þulke felde
& among alle oþere mest reuþe it was ido
Þat sir simon þe olde man de membred was so
Vor sir willam mautrauers þonk nabbe he non
Carf him of fet & honde & is limes manion
& þat mest pite was hii ne bileuede nouȝt þis
Þat is priue membres hii ne corue of iwis
& is heued hii smiten of & to wigemor it sende
To dam Maud þe mortimer þat wel foule it ssende
& of al þat me him bilimede hii ne bledde noȝt me sede
& þe harde here was is lich þe nexte wede
Suich was þe morþre of einesham uor bataile non it nas
& þerwiþ Iesu crist wel vuele ipaied was
As he ssewede bi tokninge grisliche & gode
As it vel of him sulue þo he deide on þe rode
Þat þoru al þe middelerd derkhede þer was inou
Al so þe wule þe godemen at euesham me slou
As in þe norþwest a derk weder þer aros
So demliche suart inou þat mani man agros
& ouer caste it þoȝte al þut lond þat me miȝte vnneþe ise
Grisloker weder þan it was ne miȝte anerþe be