University of Virginia Library

Whan þis tale was told to þe king of spayne,
how þe miȝti meliadus for alle men was slawe,
& bi-held how his burnes bi-gonne to flene,
& how william & his wiȝes wiȝtli hem folwed,
& duelfulli driuen doun to dethe þat þei of-toke,
also swiþe for sorwe he swonede for fere.
& whan he wiȝtli a-wok wodli he ferde,
al to-tare his a-tir þat he to-tere miȝt,
& seide after anon “alas! what to rede!
I so al mi folk fle for [þat] frekes dedes;
was neuer man vpon mold þat swiche miȝt walt;
It is sum deuel degised þat doþ al þis harm.”
bi þat saw he william winne him ful nere,
& slouȝ doun in his siȝt his segges al a-boute,
& saw it geyned no griþ to go him no nere;
as bliue with his baner he gan awei flene.
whan william was war howe he a-wei went,
prestili de-parted he þat pres & priked him after,
& ful titli him of-tok & stoutli him aschried,
bad him ȝepli him ȝeld or ȝerne he schul deie.
whan þe [king] saw him com he sede to his kniȝtes,
“defende we vs douȝtili or we deiȝen sone;
þer goþ non oþer griþ it geineþ nouȝt to flene.
& more mensk it is manliche to deie,
þan for to fle couwar[d]li for ouȝt þat mai falle.”
“certes, sire, þat [is] soþ” seide his men alle,
“þer-fore now in-dede do we what we mowe.”
þan turned þei titli aȝen & trustili gon fiȝt,
a[s] fersli as þei nade fouȝt nouȝt bi-fore.
but william & his wiȝes were so breme,
& so sturnli in þat stour stered hem þat time,
þat þei hade in a while a hundred i-slayne,
& taken of þe tidiest mo þan ten schore.
þe king saw his segges were slawe him bi-fore,
& non miȝt þe werwolf conquere in no wise,
& whas duelfulli a-drad lest he deie schuld,
& gan to fle fram þe ost as hard as he miȝt;
& hise men þat miȝt manli gon to flene.
but william perceyued what pas þe king went,
& hastili hiȝed after & him of-toke,
& keneli to him kried “sire king, ȝeld þe swiþe,
oþer þi deth is i-diȝt deliuerli riȝt here.
Meke to make a-mendis for al þi mis-gilt
þatow hast reised in þis reaume & riȝt long meyntened,
& al wrongli wrouȝt as wot al þis reaume.”