Ilk þat þer myght*. [Ilkon þer mot. (The next line, after l. 4723, is left out in De Lincy's Wace, i. 224, without notice by the editor.)] fle, þey fledde;

Þat best myght renne, best he*. [þam.] spedde;

Bettere was fle, þan worse abide,*. [es fle þan foly bide.]

ffor socour þer cam on none*. [whan socour comes on no.] syde.

Vntil a hey hil þey drowe hem to,*. [þei fleih.]

Bettere wistey nought what for to do;*. [he wist no bettere þat þan deih.]

& er þey myghte þat heye hil take,

Many a croune men myght se crake.

Whan þey hadde þe hil al nomen,

Þeym þoughte þey were til castel comen;

Non of þe*. [nomore.] Romayns durst com hem ney,

Bot held þem fro þe hil a drey.*. [nehi . . . . . drehi.]

Þe hil was strong*. [round.] busked aboute, [Lambeth folio 22b:1]

Þat þe Bretons of Cesar hadde no*. [had of no man.] doute;

ffor eche man tok a tre to stal,

As tristi as*. [trostere þan.] a castel wal.

Cesa[r] byheld to þe hilles*. [of þe hill þe.] heyght,

Þat wyþ non assaut ne wyþ no sleight

Mighte he wynne þat forcelet;

Þerfore a sege abute hit set, Page  179

Þat þey ne myghte no-wer*. [noure.] aboute,

Bot þorow hym, haue issue*. [þorh þam all passe.] oute.

He dide sette in wardes*. [stedes.] seers,

Knyghte to wachem,*. [waite.] & squiers;

& also he dide hewe trees,

Þe styes to stoppe, & þe entres,

& furgat nought ful lyghtly

How þey had chased hym wyþ maistri;

& ofte þey telde in þer auys*. [vys.] [Petyt folio 31a:1]

How þey bifore had chased hem twys:

" Now schal y ȝelde hit, ȝif þat y may,

" Er ȝe departe fro me away!"

Alas, hit schold euer so*. [suld so gate.] bytyde,

So bolde Bretons myght non abide!

ffor þey had chased twyes þat man

Þat al þe werld þorow bataille wan;

& ȝit þey stode stifly, ilkon,

Whan þey wiste socur of*. [of socour.] non,

ȝit suffrede þei nought for to be nome

Of hym þat þey had er ouercome;

But Dame ffortune had turned her whel

Donward til wo, þat er was wel;

ffor þo þat abouen were wond*. [vp were wont.] to be,

Donward þeym now turneþ sche.