Here begynneth a shorte and abreue table on the Cronycles ...

¶How Stephen y^t was kyng Henryes sys¦ters sone / was made kynge of Englonde.

AFter thys kynge Henry that was the fyrste / was made kynge his neuewes syster sone. Stephen erle of Bolonye. For a∣none

as he herde the tydynges of hys vncles deth / thēne he passed the see and came in to En¦glonde thrught counseyll & strength of many grete lordes in Englonde / ayenst the othe that they had made to Maude the Empresse / toke the reame / & he lete crowne Stephen kyng of the londe. ¶And the Archebysshop wyllyam of Caunterbury / that fyrste made the othe of feaute to Maude the Empresse / sette the crow¦ne vpon Stephens heed and hym anoynetd. And bysshop roger of Salysbury mayntened the kynges parte in as moche as he myghte. ¶The fyrste yere y^e kynge Stephen began to regne / he assembled a grete hoste and went to warre Scotlonde / for to haue warred vppon the kynge of Scotlonde. But he came ayenst hym in peas and in good manere and to hym trusted. But he made to hym none homage / for as moche as he had made vnto thempresse Maude. ¶And in the fourth yere of his regne Maude the Empresse came in to Englonde & tho began debate bytwene kynge Stephē & Maude thempresse. This Maude went vnto the cyte of Nicholl / & the kyng her besyged lon¦ge tyme and myght not spede / so well the cyte was kept & defended. And tho y^t were within y^e cyte / meruaylously scaped a way wythout ony maner of harme. And tho toke y^e kyng the cyte / and dwelled therin tyl Candelmasse And tho came the barons that helde wyth the Em¦presse. That is for to saye / the erle Radulphe of Chestre the erle Robert of Glocestre. Hugh Bygot. Robert of Morley / and these brought wtth them a stronge power & faught wyth the kyng / and yaue hym a grete bataylle In y^e whi¦che bataylle kyng Stephen was taken / & sette in pryson in the castell of Brytowe.