Harold
[ B] ¶Harold the son of yerle Goodwyn & last kyng of saxōs begā his reyn ouer Englond the yere of cryst .M.lxvi. and sone after he had take vppon hym as kyng one Harold harefager son of kanutus kynge of Norway & denmark cam with .iii.C. shyppis & enteryd in to the north contrey & claymyd the land after the deth of Edward / but the lordis of the coūtrey arose & gaue them batteyll / but the danys had the victory / and therfore Harold kyng of Englōd preparyd toward them in all hast and gaue them a strong batteyll & had the vyctory and slew harold harefager wyth hys own handys where a gret nomber of Englyshmen were slayn / but many mo of the danys were slayn and many takyn prysoners And after thys vyctory harold the kyng of englond waxyd so prowd and for couetouse wold not deuyde the prayes that he took to hys knyghtys that had well deseruyd it / but kepte it to hym self that he therby lost the fauour of many of his knyghtys & people / ¶Sone after this Duke wyllm̄ of Normandy sēt to harold and warnyd him of his couenaūt{is} brokyn / whych was to haue kept the lād to his vse after the deth of Edward / But because that the dougter of Duke willm̄ that was promysyd to harold was dede harold thought hym the more dyschargyd and seyd that sych a nyse couenaūt owghte not to be holdyn of a nothers land wythout consent of the lordys of the land and also because he was therto somewhat cōpellyd / wherfore Duke wyllm with the assent of the lord{is} of Normandy gedyrd a great people / and also wyth the assent of the pope Alexander which cōfyrmid hym in takyng hys viage and sent a baner to hym wyllyng hym to bere it in hys owne shyp / & so cam ouer wyth a great people and lādyd at hastyng{is} in Sussex / For .iii. causys Duke wyllm enteryd thys land to subdew harold / One was because it was to hym geuyn by kyng Edward the Confessour / the secōd was to take wrech for the cruell murdur of his neuew Alfryde broder to kyng Edward & slayn by yerle Goodwyn whych dede he ascrybyd cheefly to harold / the .iii. was to reuenge the wrong doon to Robert archebyshop of canterbury which was exylyd by the meanis & labor of harold in the tyme of kyng Edward the confessour wherfore duke wyllyam send to kyng harold that he shold leue the kyngdome to hym / or ellis to surrēder it to hym and to take it agayn of hym beryng hym tribute / or ells to trye the quarell hym self with duke wyllyam in hys owne {per}sō / but kīg harold refusyd al these iii. offers & seyd it shuld be tried be dynt of swyrdis and gederd his people and Ioynyd battell with ye Normayns in a place where now standeth ye Abbay of batteyl In the bygynnyng of whych fyght ye englyshmē kept them in good aray lyke to vēquysh the normās wherfore duke wyllyā causyd his mē to giff bak as though they fled wherby the Englishmen folowyd and brake theyre aray & ye normans cāf yersly vppon them & in conclusyon had the vyctory where that kyng harold was woundyd wyth an arow in the left eye & therof incontenent dyed and so was there slayne after that he had reynyd .ix. mōthis & was buryed at walthā whych was ye last yt reynyd in Englōd of ye blood of the saxons.
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