The story of England

¶ De Rege Octauo. [This heading is two lines lower in the MS.]

I þe wardeyns tyme [this wardeyns.] þat Constantyn tok Þe Bretons for to lok, Line 6248

Line 6248 Com Octauus, an erl of Walys, & sesed þys lond, boþe dounes & dales. Þy[s] erl of Walys [þis Octauus.] was man of myght, In Bretayne he cleymed ryght; Line 6252 Wardeyns & schirreues he slow, Baillifs, bedeles, dide schame ynow. Bot Constantyn to Rome was went, Til gretter nedes he gaf his tent; Line 6256 He ne myghte þenne on none wyse Hyder come to make iustise; He sende [sent.] [Petyt folio 37b:2] hider sire Traherne, Þe lond to kepe & to gouerne. Line 6260 Two legions wiþ hym he ladde, [P. omits these lines.] Toward Bretayne þey hem spedde; [P. omits these lines.] At an hauen þat þey fond, Sire Traherne tok þys [þe.] lond. Line 6264 To Wynchestre [Porcestre, Wace, l. 5866, who makes another march on Winches|ter, l. 5870. R. Brunne follows Geoffrey.] wente þis [sir.] Trahere, Two dayes he soiourned þere, & to hym he dide hem [to him þe toun he did.] ȝelde; By þer willes þey ne wolde; Line 6268 Maugre þeires, þey ȝolde þe [ȝald þat.] estre. Syþen he ȝede [ȝode.] to Wynchestre; Sire Octauus wiþ many a scheld Was byforn hym in þe feld, Line 6272 & gaf til hym bataille stout. Þe Romayns ofte perced þe rout; [Romeyns perced þorghoute.] Octauus grettere force hadde, So þat þe Romayns route to-schadde, [alto schad.] Line 6276 & dide hem to þe hauene fle, Vntil þer schipes on þe se.

Þey sette vp sail heye on mast, Toward þe northe þey seyled fast; Line 6280 In Scotlond aryued, [he ryued in Scotland.] & logged his ost, & pylede & robbed [robbed & reft.] at ilka cost. Til Octauus sone com tydand Þat Trahern robbed in Scotland. Line 6284 Octauus gadered host ay whare, & hyed hym faste þat he were þare; Oft he seyde wyþ grete pryde Þat Trahern schold nought dur abide; Line 6288 Bot his ouerwenyng [ouerhope.] gan faille; Trahern stod, & bod [stode vnto.] bataille, & dide Octauus for to fle; In to Norweye ouer þe se. Line 6292 Octauus þenne fledde for ferd; He spak vntil þe [kinge] Comperd, [vnto kyng Comperde.] ffor help & socour he preyde [socour for.] ȝerne, To wynne þe lond of sire Traherne. Line 6296 Pryuely he sent to þis lond ageyn, [Lambeth folio 27b:2] To þo þat were til hym certeyn, Þat þey scholde fonde on alle wyse To sle Traherne wiþ som queyntise. Line 6300 Þat tyme spedde Traherne wel ynow; [Rex Tra|hernus.] ¶ Ageyn to þe southe Traherne drow, & dide hym coroune kyng to be, & regned wiþ solempnete. Line 6304 A day to [of.] [Petyt folio 38a:1] Londone he scholde out ryde; His ffomen a-spied wel what tyde; Enbusched þeym by þat strete Þer þey hoped þe kyng to mete. Line 6308 Sire Traherne of non hym dredde, Þer-fore no folk wyþ hym ne ledde;

At a passage as he went, Þey breken of þeyr enbuschement; [put þam of þer bussement.] Line 6312 Þo þat hym hated for Octauus Slowen [slouh.] þer sire Trahernus. ffor Octauus þey sende [sent.] þer sonde, & sesed hym eft in to þe londe, Line 6316 & corouned hym als he was er; & alle þat comen wyþ Traher, Euerilkon he [þei.] dide þem slo; Ascaped non bot wyþ wo; Line 6320 Syþen in pes þe lond gan welde, & longe lyuede til gret [to right gode.] elde.