Save mee, oh! save mee from thys royner heere! 1070
Stonde thou bie mee; nowe saie thie name & londe; Or swythyne schall mie swerde thie boddie tare.
Bothe I wylle shewe thee bie mie brondeous[116] honde.
Comme onne, and see Gyff mie strynge anlace maie bewryen whatte I bee. 1075 [_Fyghte al anenste_ Celmonde, _meynte Danes he fleath, and faleth to_ Hurra.
Oh! I forslagen[117] be! ye Danes, now kenne, I amme yatte Celmonde, seconde yn the fyghte, Who dydd, atte Watchette, so forslege youre menne; I fele myne eyne to swymme yn æterne nyghte;-- To her be kynde. [_Dieth_.
Thenne felle a wordhie knyghte. 1080 Saie, who bee you?
Gyff anenste hym you harboure soule despyte, Nowe wythe the lethal anlace take mie lyfe, Mie thankes I ever onne you wylle bestowe, From ewbryce[118] you mee pyghte, the worste of mortal woe. 1085
I wylle; ytte scalle bee foe: yee Dacyans, heere. Thys Ælla havethe been oure foe for aie. Thorrowe the battelle he dyd brondeous teare, Beyng the lyfe and head of everych fraie; From everych Dacyanne power he won the daie, 1090 Forslagen Magnus, all oure schippes ybrente; Bie hys felle arme wee now are made to straie; The speere of Dacya he ynne pieces shente; Whanne hantoned barckes unto our londe dyd comme, Ælla the gare dheie sed, & wysched hym bytter dome. 1095
Bee stylle. Botte yette he ys a foemanne goode and fayre; Whanne wee are spente, he foundethe the forloyne; The captyves chayne he tosseth ynne the ayre, Cheered the wounded bothe wythe bredde & wyne; Has hee notte untoe somme of you bynn dygne? 1100 You would have smethd onne Wedecestrian fielde, Botte hee behylte the flughorne for to cleyne, Throwynge onne hys wyde backe, hys wyder spreddynge shielde. Whanne you, as caytysned, yn fielde dyd bee, Hee oathed you to bee stylle, & strayte dydd sette you free. 1105
Scalle wee forslege[119] hys wyfe, because he's brave? Bicaus hee fyghteth for hys countryes gare? Wylle hee, who havith bynne yis Ælla's slave, Robbe hym of whatte percase he holdith deere? Or scalle we menne of mennys sprytes appere, 1110 Doeynge hym favoure for hys favoure donne, Swefte to hys pallace thys damoiselle bere, Bewrynne oure case, and to oure waie be gonne? The last you do approve; so lette ytte bee; Damoyselle, comme awaie; you safe scalle bee wythe mee. 1115