The story of England

De infortuniis Saxonum.

Hys sone hadde þer-wyþ enuye, & sey his ffader meyntende folye; Line 7704 He spied þe Saxoyns, [sessons.] whar þey ware, & chased hem as hound doþ þe [þam als hunde dos.] hare; His folk was god, hym-self doughti, & meyntende wel his party. Line 7708 Baldely bolded on hym þe Bretons Ageyns his fader & þe Saxons; [sessons.] [De exilis Saxonum.] ffoure tymes þey bataille nomen, & euere þe Saxoyns [sessons.] were ouer-comen; Line 7712 Þe firste bataille was vpon Derewent, Þer were þe Saxons [sessons.] alle y-schent; Þat oþer at Berforde, att a brok, [Breford at a broke. (Epifor, Wace, l. 7273; Episford, Galf. Mon.)] Þer þe Saxons eft bataille tok, [þer eftsons bataile þei toke.] Line 7716 Þer was Hors & manye anoþer Ageyn Catyger, Vortymeres broþer; Gretly þey ȝernde ilk oþer tasayle, & boþe were slayn at þat bataille. Line 7720 Þe þridde tyme in Kent, at an hauen; To þer schipes þer [as. P. transposes the next two lines.] þey were drawen; Þer wer þey so harde byset, Þey fledde to þe yle of Tanet; Line 7724 ffro byȝonde Humber, vnto þat ylde, Was no Saxon [sessons.] so bold ne wylde, Þat he ne dide hym þyder chace,

ffor in ffortiger [for all þe kyng.] þey fond no grace. Line 7728 Þe Bretons folewed þem & slowe; Þo þat ascaped, to þe hil [Ilde.] þey drowe. I þe yle þey assailled þem þer-ynne Wiþ botes, as þey myghte þem [to þam.] wynne; Line 7732 By þe se syde on þem þey carf; [Lambeth folio 34a:1] O þe oþer syde for hunger þey starf. Þan sey Saxons [þe sessons sauh.] on ilk syde wo, & þoughte best [þare best it.] were to wende þer-fro; Line 7736 Þey sente her sonde to ffortyger, ' Þat he wolde so sende to [wild praie sir.] Vortymer, ' To gyue hem leue a-wey to wende ' Wyþouten slaughter, [scaþe. P. leaves out the next two lines.] as he was hende; Line 7740 ' ffor þey ne leften nyght ne day ' Þem tasaille wyþ strong afray: ' His trewes, þer-fore, fond vs [In þis treus leue.] [Petyt folio 46b:1] to gete.' Þen drowe þe Saxons [þe sessons drouh þam.] alle to a fflete, Line 7744 & dight þer schipes, & sette vp sayl, Left wyf & childre, & oþer porayl: [childe & oþer apparaille.] On þis manere a-wey þey scaped, Ouer se til oþer land þeym [Into þer awen lond þam.] raped. Line 7748