Tabula

¶How the kynge of Northumberlonde Osbryght forlaye the wyf of Buerne Bocarde thrugh strength / & after this Buerne conquered the kynge with po∣wer and strength.

ANd thus it befell in the same ty∣me / that there was a kynge in Northumberlonde that was called Os∣bryght / and soiourned at Yorke. ¶And this kynge wente hym vppon 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 Buerne / and the good man of that pla¦ce was gone that tyme to the set. ¶For oftentymes there he was wonte to spye theues and robbers / that oftentymes we¦re wonte to come in to the londe / to rob∣be / brenne / and slee. The lady that was Buernes wyf was a wonder fayre wo∣man. ¶And the kynge came vnto her whan that her husbonde 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 had eten / he toke the lady by the hande and ladde her in to a chambre and sayd. He wolde speke with her a counseyll. And all the folke he made voyde fro the chambre / saue oonly the lady and he. But the la∣dy wyst not wherfore he it dyde tyll that he had done all his wyll. And whan he had done this dede / he tormed agayne to Yorke. And the lady he lefte there sort wepynge for the dede that the kynge to her hadde done. ¶And whan her lorde was come home and sawe her wepe and suche sorowe and mornynge make / he axed of her what she hadde done / and why she made suche sorowe. ¶S••re she sayd / subtylly and falsely the kyng Os∣bryght hath do me shame and vylanye ayenst my wyll. And tolde hym all the truthe how the kynge had forlayne her with sh••ngth / wherfore she sayd she had leuer to be deed than to lyue. ¶Fayre lo∣ue be styll sayd he / for ayenst strengthe feblenesse is lytell worthe / and therfore of me shalt thou neuer the lesse be loued and namely for thou haste tolde me the truthe. And yf almyghty god graunt to me my lyf I shall the auenge. ¶This Buerne was a grete man and a myghty lorde / and was well beloued & grete fren∣des

had. And lete sende for the grettest lordes of the loude / & to them made his complaynt of the despyte that the kyn∣ge to hym had done and sayd / he wolde be auenged how so euer it were. And all his frendes coūseylled hym that he shol¦de goo vnto Yorke there that the kynge was hym to defye. And Buerne tooke his mayne & came to the kynge. Whan the kynge hym sawe / he called hym cur∣tously Buerne by name. And Buerne hym answered & to hȳ sayd. Syt I you defye / and yelde vp feautees homages & londes / & as moche as I haue holden of you / and fro this tyme forwarde I wyll neuer of the no thynge holde. And so he departed fro the kynge without more speche or ony abydynge / and toke leue of his frendes & wente in to Denmarke / and playned to the kynge Godern / and tolde hym of the despyte of y^t the kynge Osbryght to hym had done of his wyf. and prayed hym of socour & helpe hym for to auenge ¶Whan kyng Godern of Denmark and the danys had herde the complaynt of this Buerne / & the prayer that he badde / they were ryght wonder gladde in theyr hertes / for as moche as they myght fynde a cause for to go in to Englonde for to warre vpon Englesshe¦men / and for to auenge Buerne of the despyte that the kynge Osbryght hadde done vnto his wyf. And for as moche as Buerne was sybbe vnto the kynge of Denmark / anone they lete ordeyne a grete hoste of men & lete ordeyne theym shyppes / and as moche as theym neded for to haue to that vyage. And whan all the hoste was redy / the kynge made his two brethern chyef capytayns / that we∣re noble knyghtes of body and also bol¦de. That one was called Hunga / & that other Hubba.