Willyam agayne ymade his bowe-ends
meet,
And hie in ayre the arrowe
wynged his waie,
Descendyng like a shafte of
thunder sleete,
Lyke thunder rattling at the
noon of daie,
Onne Algars sheelde the arrowe
dyd assaie, 285
There throghe dyd peerse,
and stycke into his groine;
In grypynge torments on the
feelde he laie,
Tille welcome dethe came in
and clos’d his eyne;
Distort with peyne he laie
upon the borne,
Lyke sturdie elms by stormes in uncothe
wrythynges torne. 290
Alrick his brother, when hee
this perceevd,
He drewe his swerde, his lefte
hande helde a speere,
Towards the duke he turnd
his prauncyng steede,
And to the Godde of heaven
he sent a prayre;
Then sent his lethale javlyn
in the ayre, 295
On Hue de Beaumontes backe
the javelyn came,
Thro his redde armour to hys
harte it tare,
He felle and thondred on the
place of fame;
Next with his swerde he ’sayld
the Seiur de Roe,
And braste his sylver helme, so furyous
was the blowe. 300
But Willyam, who had seen
hys prowesse great,
And feered muche how farre
his bronde might goe,
Tooke a strong arblaster,
and bigge with fate
From twangynge iron sente
the fleetynge floe.
As Alric hoistes hys arme
for dedlie blowe, 305
Which, han it came, had been
Du Roees laste,
The swyfte-wyngd messenger
from Willyams bowe
Quite throwe his arme into
his syde ypaste;
His eyne shotte fyre, lyke
blazyng starre at nyghte,
He grypd his swerde, and felle upon the
place of fyghte. 310
O Alfwolde, saie, how shalle
I synge of thee
Or telle how manie dyd benethe
thee falle;
Not Haroldes self more Normanne
knyghtes did slee,
Not Haroldes self did for
more praises call;
How shall a penne like myne
then shew it all? 315
Lyke thee their leader, eche
Bristowyanne foughte;
Lyke thee, their blaze must
be canonical,
Fore theie, like thee, that
daie bewrecke yroughte:
Did thirtie Normannes fall
upon the grounde,
Full half a score from thee and theie
receive their fatale wounde. 320
First Fytz Chivelloys felt
thie direful force;
Nete did hys helde out brazen
sheelde availe;
Eftsoones throwe that thie
drivynge speare did peerce
Nor was ytte stopped by his
coate of mayle;
Into his breaste it quicklie
did assayle; 325
Out ran the bloude, like hygra
of the tyde;
With purple stayned all hys
adventayle;
In scarlet was his cuishe
of sylver dyde:
Upon the bloudie carnage house
he laie,
Whylst hys longe sheelde dyd gleem with
the sun’s rysing ray. 330