¶How the kynge of Northumberlon∣de Osbryght forlaye the wyf of Buer¦ne Bocarde thrugh strength / and after this Buerne conquered the kyng with power and strength.
ANd thus it befell in ye same tyme / that there was a kyng in Northumberlond ••e that was called Osbryght / and soyourned atte yorke. ¶And this kynge wente hym vp∣pon a daye in to a wood hym for to / dysporte. And as he came ayen / he wente pryuely in to a good mannes house / that was called Buer∣ne / and the good man of that place was gone that tyme to the see. ¶For oftentymes there he was wonte to spye theues and robbers that oftentymes were wonte to come in to the lon¦de / to robbe / brenne / and slee. The lady that was Buernes wyfe was a wonder fayre wo∣man. ¶And the kynge came vnto her whan that herhusbode was absente / and she trusted none harme vnto the kynge / and welcomed hym with moche honour / and worthely hym serued in all thynge. ¶whan the kynge hadde eten / he tooke the lady by the honde and ••adde her in to a chambre and sayde. He wolde speke with her a counseyll. And all the folke he made voyde fro the chambre / saue only the lady and he. But the lady wyst not wherfore he it dyde / tyll that he had done alle hys wyll. And whan he hadde done this dede / He torned agayne to yorke. And the lady he lefte there sore wepyn∣ge for the dede that the kynge to her had done. ¶And whan he•• lorde was came home and sawe her wepe and suche sorowe and mornyn¦ge make / he axed of her what she hadde done / and why she made suche sorowe. ¶Syre she sayde / subtylly and falsely the kynge Osbry∣ght•• hathe doo me shame and vylanye ayeast my wyll. And tolde hym all the truthe how the kynge had ••orlayne her with strengthe / wher∣fore she sayde she hadde leuer to be deed than tolyue. ¶Fayre loue be stylle sayde he / for a∣yenst strengthe feblenesse is yltell worthe / and therfore of me shalte thou neuerthelesse belo∣ued and namely for thou hast tolde me the treu¦the. And yf almyghty god graūt to me my lyf I shall the aueng. ¶This Buerne was a gre¦te man and a myghty lorde / and was well be∣loued and grete frendes hadde. And lete sende for the grettest lordes of the londe / and to them made hes complaynte of the despyte / that the kynge to hym hadde done and sayde / he wolde be auenged how euer yt were. And all hys fren¦des counseylled hym that he sholde goo vnto yorke there that the kynge was hym to defye. And Buerne toke his mayne and came to the kynge. whan the kynge hym sawe / he called hym curtously Buerne by name. And Buer∣ne hym answerred to hym sayde. Syre I you defye / and yelde vp feautes homages and lon¦des / and as moche as I haue holden of you / & fro this tyme for warde I wyll neuer of the no¦thynge holde. And soo he departed fro the kyn¦ge without more speche or ony abydynge and tooke leue of his frendes and went in to Den∣marke / and playned to the kynge Godern / & tolde hym of the despyte of that the kynge Os∣bryght to hym hadde donne of his wyfe. And prayed hym of socour / and helpe hym for to a∣uenge. ¶whan kynge Godern of Denmarke and the danys hadde herde the complaynt of thys Buerne / and the prayer that he badde / they were ryght wonder glasde in theyr her∣tes / for as moche as they myght fynde a cause for to goo in to Englonde for to warree vpon Englesshe men / and for to aenge Buerne of the despyte that the kyng Osbryght hadde do¦ne vnto hys wyf. And for as moche as Buer∣ne was sybbe v••to the kynge of Denmarke / anone they lette ordeyne a greate hoste of men and lete ordeyne theym shyppes / and as mo∣che as theym nede for to haue to that vyage. And whan all the host was redy / the kyng ma¦de his two brethern chyef capytayns / that we¦re noble knyghtes of body & also bolde. That one was called Hunga / & that other Hubba.