edmōd Irōsid
[ B] ¶Edmond yronsyd eldist son to Egelredus ••y his furst wyf Ethelgina and kanutus son to swanus began to rule the Englyssmen the yere of cryst .M.xvi. for some lordis toke part with Edmond and some with kanutus but Edmond beyng at London was Crownyd kyng / sone after these .ii. Pryn∣cis met in dorsetshyre where betwene them was a grete battell but kanutus was compellyd to fle the fyld / & after that they fought a nother battell in worsetorshyre so sore that non coud tell who had the better but other for werines & for lak of day they depardyd from other & on the next morow fought agayn but thē kanutus was cōpellyd to forsake ye fyld / after this they met in Marcia & ther fought a¦gayn wher Edmond as some sey by ye treasō of Edrycus whom he before had reseyuyd to his grace had the wors Thus oft tymys thes .ii. pryncis fought to geder / but vppon a season when the hostys were nygh ioynyng & at a certeyn tyme of a trews a knyght of the parte of Edmond stod vppon an hygh place & seyd these wordis / dayly we dye & none hath the victory & when the knyghtis be ded on eyther part than the dukys compellyd by nede shall accord or elles they must fyght alone / & this kyng¦dome ys now as suffycyent for .ii. men / that some tyme suffycyd for .vii. / And yf the couetouse of lordshyp of these twayn be so grete that nother can be content to take a part & lyf by the other / n••r ye one vnder the other then let them fyght alone that wyll be lordys alone yf all men fyght stell at ye last all men shall be slayn & non laft to be vnder theyr lord ship nor abel to defend the kyng that shalbe / a¦gayne strange enemys & nacions / These wordis were so well alowyd by both the hostis & the pryncis [ B]