When throughe the hollow tentes these wordes dyd sound,
Rowse from your sleepe, detratours of the age!
Was it for thys the stoute Norwegian bledde?
Awake, ye huscarles, now, or waken wyth the dead. 80
As when the shepster in the
shadie bowre
In jintle slumbers chase the
heat of daie,
Hears doublyng echoe wind
the wolfins rore,
That neare hys flocke is watchynge
for a praie,
He tremblynge for his sheep
drives dreeme awaie, 85
Gripes faste hys burled croke,
and sore adradde
Wyth fleeting strides he hastens
to the fraie,
And rage and prowess fyres
the coistrell lad;
With trustie talbots to the
battel flies,
And yell of men and dogs and wolfins tear
the skies. 90
Such was the dire confusion
of eche wite,
That rose from sleep and walsome
power of wine;
Theie thoughte the foe by
trechit yn the nyghte
Had broke theyr camp and gotten
paste the line;
Now here now there the burnysht
sheeldes and byll-spear shine; 95
Throwote the campe a wild
confusionne spredde;
Eche bracd hys armlace siker
ne desygne,
The crested helmet nodded
on the hedde;
Some caught a flughorne, and
an onsett wounde;
Kynge Harolde hearde the charge, and wondred
at the sounde. 100
Thus Leofwine; O women cas’d
in stele!
Was itte for thys Norwegia’s
stubborn sede
Throughe the black armoure
dyd the anlace fele,
And rybbes of solid brasse
were made to bleede?
Whylst yet the worlde was
wondrynge at the deede. 105
You souldiers, that shoulde
stand with byll in hand,
Get full of wine, devoid of
any rede.
Oh shame! oh dyre dishonoure
to the lande!
He sayde; and shame on everie
visage spredde,
Ne sawe the erlies face, but addawd hung
their head. 110
Thus he; rowze yee, and forme
the boddie tyghte.
The Kentysh menne in fronte,
for strenght renownd,
Next the Brystowans dare the
bloudie fyghte,
And last the numerous crewe
shall presse the grounde.
I and my king be wyth the
Kenters founde; 115
Bythric and Alfwold hedde
the Brystowe bande;
And Bertrams sonne, the man
of glorious wounde,
Lead in the rear the menged
of the lande;
And let the Londoners and
Suffers plie
Bie Herewardes memuine and the lighte
skyrts anie. 120
He saide; and as a packe of
hounds belent,
When that the trackyng of
the hare is gone,
If one perchaunce shall hit
upon the scent,
With twa redubbled fhuir the
alans run;
So styrrd the valiante Saxons
everych one; 125
Soone linked man to man the