þei said he did inouh, þe erle alle vplift,
þe kyng forgaf his wraþe, resceyued his gift. [Narratio de vita Sancti Ed|wardi, de comiteGod|wino quali|ter strangu|latus fuit propter fal|sum jura|mentum.]
¶ In Saynt Edwarde's life it sais, he was forsuorn.
Bifor Edward himself he strangled & was lorn.
& I salle telle þat tale, or I ferrer go,
How falsnes brewes bale with him, and many mo.
In S. Edward tyme þe erle suld with him ete,
A seruitour þer was, þat serued at þe mete,
He stombled at a chance, & felle on his kne,
þorgh þe toþer schank he ros, & serued in his degre.
"A ha!" said þe erle, "had þat schank ne bien,
"þou had liggen þer stille, þe risen suld non haf sene.
"God wote, said þe king, so is it with me nouh,
"& I had my broþer Alfred, þat þou slouh,
"þof I had stombled þorgh myn vnmayn,
"He suld haf bien my schank, & reised me agayn.
"þan hopes þou," said þe erle, "þat for me was he dede.
"I praye God if it wer so I strangle of þis brede.
& putte a morselle in his mouth with þat ilk worde,
Bifor þe kyng & þam alle he strangled at þe borde.
þe kyng biheld him a stound, & sauh no repentance,
He bad drawe away þat hound, God has taken vengeance.
WHAN Harknout & þe erle wer at an assent,
þorgh alle his lond þe kyng his sonde sent,
Forto reise þe treuage, þat on þe lond was sette,
Pader & Thurston to þat office were fette.
þe folk of Wircestre ageyn þe treuage spak,
Bituex þam & þe messengers broþefulle wordes brak.
