Als his dedes was, þer on þei gaf þe lawe,
For som of his trespas first þei did him drawe.
Siþen for oþer theft, þei hanged him men witen,
Siþen lete him doun eft, & his hede of snyten,
& born to London brigge fulle hie with outheys,
Biside his broþer to bigge William þe Waleys,
þat neuer had pite of Inglis man no weys,
Bot brent toun & citez, kirkes & abbeys,
Chanon, monk & frere alle passed þorgh his suerd,
Was no man so dere, to dede þei ȝede in ferd.
Blissed be þou God, þat þou in erth cam,
þi word is wele trod, I say it, bi William. [Exem|plum.]
þou said, "with suerd þat smote, with suerd suld be smyten,"
Bi þe Waleis it bote, þe vengeance ȝe may witen.
A! Jhesu, fulle of myght, þat alle þe world salle deme, [De morte Regis Ed|wardi.]
May no man lyue so right, no so wele him ȝeme,
No so stalworth be, ne so douhti of dede,
þat has powere to fle þe dede þat is to drede.
Adam first gan synne, did þat God forbede,
Alle we were him inne, whan he serued þe dede.
Siþen he & we alle com of him & Eue, [Magni & parvi, omnes & singuli, reges & principes, superbus & humi|lis, proth dolor! mors in prædam rapit omnia sillaba quædam.]
þorgh þe dede salle falle, be we neuer so leue.
þe hardy kyng Belyn þe cite of Rome wan,
& siþen Constantyn & Maximian.
Arthure wan alle France, slouh þe Emperour of Rome,
þise of suerd ne lance douted dynt no dome.
