Tabula

¶How Stephen that was kynge Hen∣ryes systers sone / was made kynge of Englonde.

AFter this kynge Henry that was the fyrste / was made kynge his neuewes syster sone. Stephen erle of Bo¦loyne. For anone as he herde the tydyn¦ges of his vncles deth thenne he passed the see & came in to Englonde thorugh coūseyll & strength of many grete lordes in Englonde / ayenst the othe that they had made to Maude the Empresse toke the reame / & lete crowne Stephen kyng of the londe. ¶And the Archebysshopp Wyllyam of Caūterbury that fyrst ma¦de the othe of feaute to Maude the Em¦presse / sette the crowne vpon Stephens herd & hym anoynted. And bysshop Ro∣ger of Salysbury mayntened the kyng{us} parte in as moche as he myght. ¶The fyrst yere y^• kyng Stephen began to reg¦ne / he assembled a greate hoste & wente towarde Scotlonde for to haue ••arred vpon the kynge of Scotlonde. But he

came ayenst hym in yeas & in good ma¦nere / & to hȳ trustes. But he made to hȳ noue homage / for as moche as he had{is} made vnto thempresse Maude. ¶And in y^• fourth yere of his regne Maude the Empresse came in to Englonde. And tho began debate bytwene kynge Ste∣phen & Maude thempresse. This Man¦de went vnto y^• cyte of Nicholl / & the kȳ¦ge her besyged longe tyme & myght not spede / so well the cyte was kept & defen¦ded. And tho y^• were w^tin the cyte / mer∣uaylously scaped awaye w^tout ony ma∣ner of harme. And tho toke y^• kyng the cyte / & dwelled therin tyll Candelmasse And tho came the barons y^• helde with Empresse. That is for to saye / the erle Radulphe of Chestre / the erle Robert of Glocestre. Hugh Bygot. Robert of Mor ley / & these brought with them a stronge power & faught w^t the kynge / & yaue hȳ a grete bataylle. In the whiche bataylle kyng Stephen was taken / and sette in pryson in the castell of Brystowe.