Tabula

¶Of kynge Wyllyam 〈…〉〈…〉 was kynge Wyllyam 〈◊〉〈◊〉 sone / that 〈…〉〈…〉 & houses of Relygon for to make the newe forest.

ANd after this Wyllyam bestar∣de 〈◊〉〈◊〉 his sous William the 〈◊〉〈◊〉 And this Wyllyam was a won∣der counteryous man to god & holy chir¦che / and lete amende & make the towne of Cordeis / that the Pay••ens had de∣stroyed. This kyng Wellyam destroyed holy chirche & theyr possessyous. in what parte he myght them fynde. And therfo∣re there was soo moche debate bytwene hym & the Archebysshop of Caunterbu∣ry Ancelmus. For by cause that he repre¦nyd hym of his wyckednesse / that he de∣stroyed Holy chirche. And for that cause the kyng bare to hym grete wrath. And so he exyled hym out of this londe / and the Archbysshop wente to the courte of Rome / & there dwelled with the pope / And this kyng made the newe forest / & caste downe & destroyed .xxvi. townes / & lxxx. houses of Relygyon / all for to ma∣ke his forest lenger & broder. And beca∣me wond gladde & proude of his wood & of his forest. And nourysshed the wyl∣de beestes that were within / that it was meruaylle for to wyte / so that men cal∣led hym keper of woodes & of pastures. And the more lenger that he lyued / the more wyched he became both to god & to all holy chirche & to all his men. ¶And this kynge lete make the grete halle of Westmstre. So vpon a daye in y^• Wyt∣sontyde he helde therin his fyrst feest / & he loked hym aboute and sayd / that the halle was to lytell by y^• half deale. And at the laste he became so•• contraryous / that all thynge y^• pleased god / dysplea∣sed hym / & alle thynge that god loued / he hated deedly. ¶And so it befell / that he dremyd vpon a nyght a lytell or that he deyed / that he was lete blood / & bled•• a grete quantyte of blood / & a streme of blood lepte on hygh towarde heuen mo∣re than a hondred fad••m / and the clere∣nesse of the daye was torned vnto nyght and darknesse of the fytmament also / ¶ And whan that he awoke he had gre¦te drede / so that he not wyst what for to doo. And tolde his dreme to men of his coūseyll & sayd / that he had grete drede / & supposyd that to hym was some mys∣chaūce to come. ¶And y^• second nyght before a monke dremyd of the houshol∣de / that the kynge wente in to a chu••••he with moche people / and he was pr••wde that he despysed all the people that we∣re with hym / & that he toke the 〈◊〉〈◊〉 of the Crucefixe / & shamefully 〈…〉〈…〉 his teeth. And the Cruciu•••• 〈…〉〈…〉 all that he dyde. But yet 〈…〉〈…〉 & as a wood man rente of the 〈…〉〈…〉 the Crucefixe / & cast it vnder his 〈◊〉〈◊〉 defoylled it / and ch••ewe if all a 〈◊〉〈◊〉 And a grete fyre came out of the Cru••••∣fixe mouthe. Of whiche 〈…〉〈…〉 man had grete meruaylle and 〈◊〉〈◊〉 ¶The good man that had dremed 〈◊〉〈◊〉 straūge dreme / tolde it to a knyght that was moost pryue with the kynge of 〈◊〉〈◊〉 men / & the knyght was called Hamon∣des. ¶Soone the monke & he tolde the dremes to the kyng & sayd. That it shol¦de betokenen other thynge than ••eed▪ And neuertheles y^• kyng laughed 〈◊〉〈◊〉 ••••••twyes or thryts / and lytel sette 〈…〉〈…〉 thought that he wolde goo & haute and playe in the forest. And men 〈◊〉〈◊〉 hym that he sholde not go that 〈…〉〈…〉 no maner thynge ne come in the weed / so that he abode at home before meete. But anone as he had eten no man hym myght lette / but he wolde goo vnto the wood for to haue his dysporte. ¶And so it befell that one of his knyghtes that hyght Walter Tytell wolde haue sho•• to an harte / and his arowe glentyd vp∣on a braunche and thorugh mysauenc••••∣re smote the kynge to the herte. And soo he felle downe deed to the groūde with∣out ony worde spekynge / and soo ended his lyf dayes. And it was no meruayll / 〈◊〉〈◊〉

daye that he deyed he had lete to seeue the Archebysshopryche of Caūter¦bury / and .xij. abbayes also / & euermore dyde greate destruccyon to holy chirche / thrugh ••••nfull takynge & axynges / for no man durst withstande that he wolde haue done. And of his lewdenes he wol¦de neuer withdrawe / nother to amende his lyfe. And therfore god wolde suffre hȳ no lenger to regne in his wyckednes And he had be kyng .xiij. yere and .vi. we¦kes / & lyeth at Westmestre