He dy’d and leffed wyfe and chyldren tweine,
  Whom he wyth cheryshment did dearlie love;
  In England’s court, in goode Kynge Edwarde’s regne,
  He wonne the tylte, and ware her crymson glove;
  And thence unto the place where he was borne, 145
  Together with hys welthe & better wyfe,
  To Normandie he dyd perdie returne,
  In peace and quietnesse to lead his lyfe;
    And now with sovrayn Wyllyam he came,
    To die in battel, or get welthe and fame. 150

  Then, swefte as lyghtnynge, Egelredus set
  Agaynst du Barlie of the mounten head;
  In his dere hartes bloude his longe launce was wett,
  And from his courser down he tumbled dede. 
  So have I sene a mountayne oak, that longe 155
  Has caste his shadowe to the mountayne syde,
  Brave all the wyndes, tho’ ever they so stronge,
  And view the briers belowe with self-taught pride;
    But, whan throwne downe by mightie thunder stroke,
    He’de rather bee a bryer than an oke. 160

  Then Egelred dyd in a declynie
  Hys launce uprere with all hys myghte ameine,
  And strok Fitzport upon the dexter eye,
  And at his pole the spear came out agayne. 
  Butt as he drewe it forthe, an arrowe fledde 165
  Wyth mickle myght sent from de Tracy’s bowe,
  And at hys syde the arrowe entered,
  And oute the crymson streme of bloude gan flowe;
    In purple strekes it dyd his armer staine,
    And smok’d in puddles on the dustie plaine. 170

  But Egelred, before he sunken downe,
  With all his myghte amein his spear besped,
  It hytte Bertrammil Manne upon the crowne,
  And bothe together quicklie sunken dede. 
  So have I seen a rocke o’er others hange, 175
  Who stronglie plac’d laughde at his slippry state,
  But when he falls with heaven-peercynge bange
  That he the sleeve unravels all theire fate,
    And broken onn the beech thys lesson speak,
    The stronge and firme should not defame the weake. 180

  Howel ap Jevah came from Matraval,
  Where he by chaunce han slayne a noble’s son,
  And now was come to fyghte at Harold’s call,
  And in the battel he much goode han done;
  Unto Kyng Harold he foughte mickle near, 185
  For he was yeoman of the bodie guard;
  And with a targyt and a fyghtyng spear,
  He of his boddie han kepte watch and ward;
    True as a shadow to a substant thynge,
    So true he guarded Harold hys good kynge. 190