That for his dedes and singularitee,
He was commended among thenemytee,
Within the lande and out, as wel was knowe,
His fame among the people hye was blowe.
¶ Whyles he was kyng he had aduersitee
With Danes oft, that on him dyd riue [arrive.] ,
Destroyed his land with great iniquitee,
The whiche ful oft with might he did out driue,
And [And many.] slewe thousandes that lost theyr lyue,
Through the [their.] warres begon of theyr outrage,
That meruayll was to sene of one lynage.
¶ And in the yere. viii. hundreth sixty and eyght,
The Danes came to Yorke and toke the towne,
Hunger and Vbba with many a wyle sleight [and sleight.] ,
Wasted the lande about both vp and downe,
And so came forth to Mars with hostes boune,
And to Westsex, whom then the kyng Alurede
Discomfited [Discomfite.] there with the host that he did lede.
¶ The [This.] Danyshe host to Redyng came againe,
Another host at London was with pride
Of Danes also [als.] , that wrought him mekyll paine;
But whyles these hoostes were parted and deuide,
[With his power Alurede gan to ryde,] [He sent after his men̄ on euery side.]
[And at Anglefeld] [At Anglishfelde.] he fought in Barkeshyre right,
Where victorie he had [maugre of theyr] [with mekyll.] might.
¶ At Redyng, [in Barkeshyre, then] [than in Wilteshire so.] he mette
An hoste full greate, where he had then agayn
The victorye, and his fooes [foes ther.] downe bette.
At Basyng also [als.] he slew theim downe certeyne,
At Asshenden [he droue them] [they droue hym.] out all playne,
And gotte the felde with all the victories,
As Flores sayeth right in his memories.
¶ And in the yere. viii. hundreth [syxty] & fourtene,
The Danishe host rode Lyndsey & Mars [Merse.] coūtre,
And home agayn as then was [it was.] wel sene: