The Brut, or The chronicles of England. Edited from Ms. Raw. B171, Bodleian Library, &c., by Friedrich W. D. Brie, with introduction, notes, and glossary ...

How þis lande was longe wiþouten a kyng; and how þe Britons chosen a kyng. ¶ Capitulo ¶ Quadragesimo. ¶ Quinto.

This kyng Lucie hade none heire of his body bigeten, þat was afterwarde grete harme and sorwe to þe lande; ffor, after þis kyng Lucies deth, none of þe grete lordes of þe lande wolde suffren an-oþere to bene kyng, but leuede in werre and debate amonges ham l. ȝere wiþoute kyng. but þo it bifel aftirwarde þat a grete Prince come fro Rome into þis lande þat me callede Seuerey; nouȝt forto werr, but forto saue þe ryght of Rome. ¶ But noþeles, he nade nouȝt duellede half ȝere in þis lande, þat þe Britons ne quellede him. when þo of Rome wiste þat Seuerey was so slayn, þai sent anoþere grete lorde into þis lande, þat me callede Allec, þat was a stronge man, and a myȝty of body, and duellede in þis lande Longe tyme, and dede miche sorwe to þe Britons, so þat after, for pure malice, þai chosen ham a kyng amonges ham, þat me callede Astlepades, and assemblede a grete host of þe Britouns, and went to London to seche Allec; and þere þai founde [MS Rawlinson B 171 16a] him, and quellede him and alle his felawes þat

were wiþ him, but one of his felawes, þat me clepede Waloun, defendet him fersly, and fauȝt longe with þe Britouns, but at þe laste he was descomfitede; and þe Britons token him, and bounde him Hondes and feete, and caste him into a water; wher-fore þat water afterwarde was clepede euermore Walbroke. ¶ Þo regnede þis Astlepades in quiete, til one of his erles þat me callede Coel, made a faire toune aȝeynes þe kynges wille, and lete calle þe toune Colchestre after his name, wherfore þe kyng was ful wroth, and þouȝt destroie þe erle, and bigan to werre vppon him, and brouȝt grete power, and ȝaf bataile to þe erl. and þe erl defendede him fersly with his power, and slough þe kyng him-self in þat bataile; and þo was Coel cronede, and made kyng of þis land. ¶ þis Coel regnede and gouernede þe lande wel and nobly, for he was a noble man, and wel bilouede amonges þe Britons. ¶ When þo of Rome herde þat Astlepades was slayne, þai were wonder glade, and sent anoþere grete prince of Romayns, þat me callede Constance; and he come to þe Kyng Coil forto chalange þe truage þat was wont to bene paiede to Rome; and þe kyng ansuerede wel and worþely, and saide þat he wolde paye to Rome al þat ryȝt and resoun wolde, wiþ godewil; and so þai accordede þo wiþ goode wil, and wiþouten eny contak; and boþe þai duellede togeder in loue. ¶ The Kyng Coel ȝaf his douȝter Elyne to Constance, forto haue here for his spouse, þat was boþe faire, wise, and gode, and wel lettrede: and þis Constance spousede here þere with michel honour. and it bifelle sone afterwarde, þat þis kyng Coel [MS Rawlinson B 171 16b] deide in the ȝere of his regne xiij, & Lith at Colchestre enterede.