University of Virginia Library

Now wol i a while of william here telle,
in what maner on þe morwe is men were araid,
deliuerli at þe dai diȝt þei were alle,
treuli in al atir þat to werre longed.
& william ful wiȝtthli as he wel couþe,
set alle his segges as þei schuld bene,
In sexe semli batailes as þei schuld bene;
al be-fore in þe frond he ferde þan him-selue.
ebrouns saundbruel so hiȝt his blonk nobul.
& as sone as þe kinges sone saw him so come,
fast he freyned at his folk what freke þat it were,
& þei seide ful sone “for soþe, it is þat kniȝt,
þat haþ wrouȝt al þis wo wel ouȝt we him hate;
alle he driues to þe deth þat his dint feles.”
þe kinges sone forsoþe ne seide þo na more,
but gart his [stede] goo and streiȝet to him rides
with his spere on feuter festened þat time.
whan william was war & wist of his come,
his men seiden sone it was þe kinges sone,
& douȝthi man & deliuer in dedes of armes.
“lat me worþ,” quaþ william “þat schal i wite sone
In feiþ þouȝh he hade fors of foure swiche oþer,
I wol fond with him fiȝt þouȝh me tide þe worse.”
he dede þen his stef stede stert a god spede,
to þe kene kinges [sone] þat was a kniȝt nobul.
so kenli þei a-cuntred at þe coupyng to-gadere,
þat þe kniȝt spere in speldes alto-schiuered.
ac williams spere was stef wittow for soþe,
& mette þat oþer man in þe midde scheld,
þat boþe him & his hors he hurles to grounde;
& neiȝ hade broke his bak so his blonk him hirt.
william þan wiȝtli be þe auentayle him hent,
to haue with his swerd swapped of his hed;
but þe segges of spayne souȝt to him ȝerne,
to haue holpen here lord hastili ȝif þei miȝt;
& williams wiȝes wiȝttli went hem a-ȝens.
þo bi-gan þat batayle on boþe sides harde,
feller saw neuer frek from adam to þis time;
sone was mani bold barn brouȝt þer to ground,
Mani scheldes schiuered & mani helmes hewen,
& many a stif stede straiȝed in þere blode.
bold burnes of bodies þere were on boþe sides,
þat fayn were forto fiȝt & to fle hated.
but william so wonder wel fauȝt þat ilke time,
þat no man þat he hit miȝth him with-stonde,
& euer kept þe kinges sone fram al his kene meyne,
þat non miȝt him winne a-wei for worse ne for beter.
& were hem lef oþer loþ william at last
keuered with þe kinges sone out of þe kene prese,
& brouȝt him out on his blonk of þat batayle sterne,
& a-signed of citesens segges i-nowe,
to kepe wel þe kinges sone til þei come to towne;
& þei were bliþe of þat bode & bisiliche fondede
fast to ferke him forþward as þei faire miȝt.
whan þe spaynols þat a-spied spakli þei him folwed,
and deden al þe duresse þat þei do miȝt.
a fersche ost hem to help hastili þer come,
þat was a-buschid þer bi-side in a brent greue.
but whan william was war & wist of here come,
Manly he demeyned him to make his men egre,
bad hem alle be bold & busiliche fiȝt,
for here fon gun feynte & felde were manye.
þe kinde confort of þe kniȝt to is folk þat he made,
were als fresch forto fiȝt as þei were on morwe.
but william say þer oþer side so fers & so breme,
þat his men miȝt nouȝt meyntene here owne,
prestli to hold party to puple þat hem folwed.
for-þi he dede hem deliuerli drawe toward towne,
& kepten wel þe kinges [sone] for cas þat miȝt falle,
for ouȝt þat here enimys euer worche miȝt.
þei keuered with clene strengþe with him to towne,
& þe segges of þe cite but þo þat slayn were.
& ȝepli ȝomen þan dede þe ȝates schette,
& wiȝttili þan went þe walles forto fende,
so þat feiþli of here fon no fors þei ne leten.