University of Virginia Library

Now william on his sterne stede now stifli forþ rides,
so serreli þurth þe cite al him-self one,
þat eche weiȝh was a-wondred þat seiȝ wiþ eiȝen,
so coraious a contenaunce þat kud kniȝt hadde.
william prestili priked þer þe puple was sembled,
& alle þe solempne segges þat þe cite ȝemed,
bold barounes & kniȝtes & oþer segges nobul.
& whan þei were war of william wilfulli alle,
þe komynge of þe kuntenaunce of þe kniȝt nobul
þei bi-helden hertly & hadden gret ioye,
þa so manli a man wold mele in here side.
þe nobul blonk þat him bar a[s] bliue þei knewe,
but witterli what he was wist non of alle.
william streiȝt went hem to & wiȝtli saide,
“leue lordes, for goddes loue lestenes my sawe!
it semeth þat ȝe ar segges selkouþely nobul,
& bold burnes to abide in batayles harde,
& wel armed ȝe arn at alle maner poyntes.
whi lete ȝe foulli ȝour fon for-barre ȝou her-inne,
& do ȝou alle þe duresse þat þei deuise konne,
& ȝe do no defence þat despyt to wreke,
but couwardli as caitifs couren here in meuwe?
Men, for ȝoure manchipe na more þat suffreþ,
but wendeþ ouȝt wiȝtli & wiþ ȝour fon meteþ,
haueþ reward to ȝour riȝt & redli chul ȝe spede;
& ȝe wite þei do wrong þe worse schul þei happe.
ȝif ȝe manli wiþ hem mete þe maistry worþ oure,
þeiȝh þei be fiue so fele as we in-fere alle.
& ȝe þat wilne to wynne worchipe in armes,
folweþ me, for in feiþ þe ferst wil i bene,
þat smertli schal smite þe alderfirst dint”:—
& ȝerne opened þe ȝates & ȝepli out rides.
whan þe bold kniȝtes hade herde þat burnes wordes,
& sey him so fersli forþ fare so bi-fore hem alle,
þei wist he was a wiȝt man & wold nouȝt faile
but þat he schuld hem help þei hoped for soþe.
& foure hundred fers men folwed him after,
of koraious kniȝtes & oþer kud kempes,
þat for to liuen or deyen litel hem rouȝt.
& whan william was war wiche a route sewede,
he was gainli glad no gom þurt him blame,
& a-bod til þe burnes a-boute him were come.
þe spaynolnes hem hade a-spiede & spakli gun ride,
wiþ gret bobaunce & bost blowand here trompes;
for þei seiȝ so fewe out of þe cite come
aȝens hem þre .M̄. þei ne tok non hede
to reule hem of non array but riȝt, for gret pride,
eche burn bi-fore oþer on his blonk prikede,
to asayle þe segges þat fro þe cite come.
william seide to his whieȝs wittili for soþe,
“Lordinges & leue frendes listenes to my sawes!
þeȝh ȝe be ferd of ȝour fon fleþ neuer þe sunner;
þe bolder ouȝt we be þei ben out of araie.
stonde we stifli to-gader stifly in defens,
& ne leses no lond lordinges, god for-bede!
eche lud þenk on his lemman & for hire loue so fiȝt,
to winne worchip þer-wiþ in worlde for euer-more.
& in feiþ, þeiȝh eft as fele of our fomen were,
deliuerli þurth ȝour dedes schul þei deie sone.”
kniȝtes wiþ sire william kauȝt [þanne] god hert,
& realiche were a-raiȝed in a litel while,
In a ful styf strengþe to stonde to fiȝt.
þer kom a kniȝt to-fore þe companye of spayne,
a stif man & a stern þat was þe kinges stiward,
& cheueteyn was chose þat eschel to lede.
& for boldnesse of his bodi be-fore alle he went,
armed at alle poyntes on a nobul stede.
william was wiȝtly whar of his come,
& gamli to his gomes gan for to seie,
“bi crist, ȝond kniȝt þat komeþ here armed,
dredeþ litel oure dedes what-euer he do þink.
but bi god þat me gaf þe gost & þe soule,
I wol fonde be þe first in feld him to mete;
but our on titly tumbel trowe me neuer after.”
spacli boute speche his spere þanne he hente,
& euen to þat stiward dede his stede renne,
& manli as miȝti men eiþer mette oþer,
& spacli þe oþeres spere in speldes þan wente.
ac williams was strong inow wittow forsoþe,
& he so sternli þe stiward þat ilk time hitte,
þurth þe bold bodi he bar him to þe erþe,
as ded as dornayl te deme þe soþe.
“I-wis,” þenne seide william “i wot wel to wisse,
þow dost vs neuer after no duresse in armes!”
ac spacly þe spaynoles speiȝed he was slayne,
þei were [wode] of here witt wittow for soþe,
hastili hent vp his bodi & to here tentes bere,
þat it were nouȝt in þat fiȝt wit here horse troden.
& as bliue boldli þe burnes of spayne,
þouȝt manli make wreche here lorlde to queme,
for swiche a lorld of lederes ne liued nouȝt, þei held,
non so douȝti of dedus þer-for his deth a-wreke
þei þouȝt þroli þat time what bi-falle after.