¶Whan the sarasyns entred into Syri.

IN the yere of the incarnaci¦on of our lorde .vi.C. and xxxii. yeres / the euyllsede of Ma¦homet cam into y^e realme of Sy∣ri· And fyrst they toke frō the gre∣kes handes then oble citie of Da∣mas & after they ocupyed all y^e re∣alme of Sirie. After they came & be seged the cytye of Antyoche. Whan themperour Eracles men were come to a playne that is na∣med Pofferit the sarasyns came and met theym / and thrre began a great batayle that lasted longe / but at the ende the sarasyns had the victory. And so many mē wer slayne in the same batayle / that y^e bones yet be sene in y^e felde / of the whiche thynge the grekes y^t kept the citie of Antioch were so a fray¦ed in so moche that they delyuerd the lande into the sarasyns hand{is} by appoyntmētes. Than the ene∣mys of the holy faythe ocupyed / Cylice / Capadoce / Lyconie / and Page  [unnumbered] other ryche landes / wherof they rose in so great pride that they ap¦parellyd galeys and shippes and went to Constantynople / & fyrste they aryued in Cipres / and there they toke a cytie that was called Constance / & there was the graue of saynt Barnabe y^e apostle / and whan they had taken all y^e ryches of the sayd cytie / they brake y^e wal¦les downe to the foundacion / and neuer syth the sayd citie was inha¦byted. And than they departed & came to the yle of Rhodes & toke it / with other dyuers yles of the Rhomayns landes / and brought prysoners without nombre. And after they went to Constātinople and layd therto sege bothe by see & by lande / in great fere wer the cy∣tizens in somoche that they cryed our lorde mercy / wherof it fortu∣ned god that is mercyfull sende a great tempest of wynd & rayne in that somer. That all the galeis of the sarasyns were broken and the enemis almoost all drowned / and than the sarasyns retorned with∣out doinge any other thynge.