CHAPTER XIX.
Aftyr that, about whyt-sontyde, hastoyl, that was some tyme maystre of deuylyn,—as man that fayn was about for to awreke hys old tene,—come wyt men of northwey & of þe north ylondes, with ful grett folk, yn furty grett shyppes, & arryued yn þe hauen of amlyffy, with har̛ lodes-man̛, that hete Ioℏn the Wood. Thay wenten out of har̛ shyppes, men well I-wepned, sum with longe swerdes, some with Iren pletes & round sheldes well I-bound about with Iren, swerdes & speres & axys ynowe, & comen̛ well ordeynly for̛ to assaylle the toun on the eest half. Miles de Cogan, keper̛ of þe Cyte, kyndly stalwardly, & hardy, wyth wel chosen̛ folke, went out ayeyns ham, and yaf ham fyght; bot strong̛ hyt was, to hold fyght ayayn so many with so fewe: than̛ had he I-lost some of hys men̛; & O knyghtes theygℏ was I-cut with þe kappe of hys haubergeon̛ wytht a dynt of a dennysℏ ax. nede he most turne yn̛ ayeyne at þe yate, tyll that Rychard̛ de Cogan, Myles brother̛, wythe few men, that whylle stylly went out at the south yate, & sharply becryed ham behynd, & smote vpon ham. throgh that, þat he come so fersly vpon ham, thay wer̛ so afrygh, that thay wyst nat on̛ whych syde thay shold kepe the fyght: yn a lytell whyl thay war̛ dyssconfyte, & toke ham to flyght toward har̛ shyppes. these other̛ come ham betwene, & slowe ful many: ther̛ was Joℏn the Wood I-slayn, & ful mych folk wyth hym, throght Walter de Redlesford, that ful stalwarth was yn the fyght. Hascoyl was I-take fro the shyppe ther̛ he was to I-flow, & I-broght alyues yn-to the Cyte, & hys lyf I-graunted for raunceon̛; bot as he stode yn court to-for̛ Myles, he put forth lyddyrly a prout word & seyd, "wyt lytell power̛ we comen now, & thys nas bot assaye of our myght; bot yf I lyue, ar̛ hyt be lange to, shal come other̛ so mych as þese." Whan thys was I-hard̛—for yn̛ the mannys tonge hys oft lyf & deth, & me seyth eke, 'Tong̛ breketh bon̛, thegh hym-self ne hawe none'—Myles bad that