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Eugenye. Anastase.
[ P] ¶Eugenye was nexte pope / he hylde the see .viii. yere and more.
¶Anastase was nexte pope / he hylde the see one yere. [ P]
[ B] ¶After this fylde so wonne / the Empresse thought her sure of the hole realme / but she was dis∣ceyued / for the kentysshemen toke parte with the kyng. The quene also kynge Steuyns wyfe made great labour to haue the kynge delyuered / promysynge that he shulde surtendre the lande to the Empresse / & he to go to religyon: but the Empresse & her coūsayle wolde nat graūt therto. ¶Also they of the citye of London made great labour to the Empresse / to vse saynt Edwardes lawes / and nat the lawes that the Empresse father had ordayned / whiche was more strayte & straunge to them than the other / but the Empresse and her counsayle wolde nat graunt it. For these sayd causes the Citezyns of Lōdon were discontented / & wolde haue takyn the Empresse / but she hauynge knowlege therof departed and fledde to Oxforde. And the quene with ayde of the kentysshemen her fryndes raysed a great hoost / yt the Empresse for feare fled to Gloucester / and in this whyle the erle Robert of Gloucester araysed a great people / and in a playne fylde besyde wynchester / the erle was discomfet by them of the quenes parte / & there therle was takyn prisoner / then by medacion of fryndes they agreed vpon eschaunge of prisoners.* 1.1 So that the kynge was delyuered for the erle Robert / and sone after that the kynge waxed more stronge of people / and besegyd the Empresse at Oxforde. That the Empresse was fayne to clothe her and her people in whytte apparell / and in a nyght whan the grounde was couered with Snowe / she by that meanes escaped and fledde to walyngforde / and sone after that with a small companye departed into Normandye to her husbande Geffrey Plantagenet / but yet after this Robert erle of Gloucester and the erle of Chester were so stronge of people / that the kynge was nat abyll to venquysshe them / & dyuers and many conflyctes was bytwene them / & yet at a batell at wylton bytwene them the kynge lost the fylde / and was lyke to haue ben takyn / but yet he escaped.* 1.2 In this pastyme dyed Geffrey Plantagenet / and Henry his eldyst sonne was made duke of Angeo and Normandye.
¶It was nat longe after but that Eustase sonne to kynge Steuyn with helpe of the Frenche kynge / made warre vpon this duke henry in Normandye / but he preuayled nat.* 1.3 Sone after this duke Henry came from Normandye / and with a great armye entred into Englande and wanne the castell of Maluysburye and dyd moche harme to the kynge / and at the last came into London and wanne the Towre more by polecye and fayre promyse than by strength / and after wanne walyngforde and many other stronge holdes / that the kynge had so moche warre that he wyst nat whether to go. But the kynge caused Theobalde Archebysshop of Caunterburye to make meanes to the duke for a peace. whiche at the last was concluded about the feest of Epy∣phanye / some say it was agreed that Steuyn shulde be kynge terme of his lyfe / and the duke heyre Apparant & to be kyng after his dethe. And some storyes say that the lande was deuyded bytwene them / but howe so euer the peace was concluded / trewth it is that kynge Steuyn dyed as men sayde for thought and care in the .xxv. day of Octobre nexte folowynge. The yere of Chryst .M.C.liiii. For he was in warre and trouble and in great vexacyon all the terme of his lyfe / and he is buryed at Feuersham. [ B]
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