The story of England

¶ Obsitus est Vterus Rex super collem qui vocatur Damer; et exe saluati sunt per consilium Gorleni Comitis.

Þe Bretons þat tyme myght nought sped; Bak þey turnde, þey saw ned; Þe Payens after folewed fast, & many vn-to dede cast. Line 9188 Whider to fle þey were al wyl; Þe Payens hem chased vntil an hyl, [ll. 9189-9190. The Petyt MS. leaves out this line.] ' Damer' [Daniens, Wace, ii. 13, l. 8675; Damen, Galf. Mon.] þe hil so hight. Þe Bretons tok hit þo þat nyght; Line 9192 Hey & streit, ful narow [hiie & narow full strayte. (agus en som, Wace, ii. 13, l. 8676.)] to prykke, Aboute y-busched wyþ þornes [busked with hesils.] þykke. When þe Bretons þe hil had taken, Wyþ sege þe Payens held þem waken, Line 9196 Bot hit was atte þe nyght, Þeym to saille þey ne myght; Þey logged þem stille in þe playn, [Lambeth folio 40a:2] & þe Bretons were y þe mountayn; Line 9200 Þe Payens to þer loggyng [loges.] gan lep; Wery þey were, & fulle on slep. Þe kyng had of hym self gret drede, & of his folk þat he schold [suld.] lede, Line 9204 How he scholde [suld.] a-scape þem fro; Þer weyes wer stopped þer þey schold [suld.] go. Þe Erl of Cornewaille was o þat hyl, Gorlens he highte, a man of skyl, Line 9208 Wysest he held hym of ylkon; To hym for conseil þey mente þer mon,

ffor he was man of gret queyntyse, & neuere louede no cowardyse. [ll. 9211-9212. The Petyt MS. leaves out this line.] Line 9212 He seide "for conseil ȝe com me to; " Y schal ȝow conseille, ȝyf ȝe wil so. " ¶ Mercy to God, first we schal cry, " & mende vs of al oure foly, Line 9216 " & preye Iesu our Saueour " To schulde vs fro [Wace invents this piece of piety; but puts it (ii. 15) after Geoffrey's and his advice to attack by night.] mysauentour, " & gif vs grace & powere " Ageins þe Payens þat sege vs here, Line 9220 " Þat vs often wo han vs [vs cristen wo has.] wrought, " & hym for Lord ne knowe þey nought; " Þat he to day stonde vs by, " On hys enemys to haue maystri. Line 9224 " ȝyf he wyl helpe, our Lord Ihesus, " Who may þanne ageyns vs?" To his conseille þei graunted alle, & faste on Iesu þen gon þey calle, Line 9228 & highte to make amendement, Þat tyme to schape ȝyf [scape. if.] [Petyt folio 55a:2] he þem lent. " Arme ȝow," he seyde, [vs he said now.] "pryuely, " & go we stille, wyþouten cry; Line 9232 " Þey arn a [ere on.] slepe, y am right siker; " Þey trauailled faste to gyue vs byker, " & wene nought we dur vs abate, " ffor þey desconfit vs so late; Line 9236 " Þey hope to morn atte sonne rysyng " Vs to slo, or [&.] take our kyng. " Arme vs swyþe, & go we doun, [MS. douns.] " Wyþoute any more sarmoun!" Line 9240 ¶ Þey armed þenne [þam sone.] knyght & swayn,

Pryuely com doun in to þe playn, & fond hem slepyng, [slepand.] als he sayd; Vnarmed, ilkon were þey leyd. Line 9244