the Peterborough Chronicle second continuation 1137-8

1137

This yeare fo_r the king Stephne ofer sea to_ Normandi_ and thear was under`fangen forthi_ that hi_ we_nden that he_ sculde be_n al`swilc alse the eam was, and for he_ hadde ye_t his tresor. Ak he_ to_`dealde it and skater`ed sotli_ce. Micel hadde Henri_ king gadered gold and silfer. And na_ go_d ne dide man for his sa_wele thear`of. Tha_ the king Stephne to_ Engle`lande com, tha_ makede he_ his gadering at Oxene`ford. And thear he_ nam the biscop Roger of Sere`biriy and Alexander biscop of Lincol and the Canceler Roger hise nefes, and dide alle in prisun, til hi_ yeafen up here casteles. Tha_ the swikes underyeaten that he_ mi_lde man was and softe and go_d. And na_ iustise ne dide. Tha_ diden hi_ alle wunder. Hi_ hadden him man`readen maked and a_thes swo_ren, ak hi_ na_n tre_wth ne he_lden. Alle hi_ wearen for`sworen and here tre_wthes for`loren. For eafric ri_ce man his casteles makede and a`yeanes him he_lden. And fillden the land ful of casteles. Hi_ swenceden swi_the the wrecce men of the land mid castel`werkes tha_ the casteles wearen maked tha_ fillden hi_ mid de_feles and ifele men. Tha_ na_men hi_ tha_ men the hi_ we_nden that a_niy go_d hafden, ba_the be nihtes and be dayes, carlmen and wim`men. And diden hem in prisun after gold and silfer. And pi_neden hem - un`tellend`lice pi_ning. For ne wearen neafere na_n martirs swa_ pi_ned alse hi_ wearen. Me hengede up bi_ the fe_t and hi_ smokeden hem, mid fu_l smoke. Me hengede bi_ the thumbes, other bi_ the heafed, and hi_ he_ngen _brinyes on here fe_t. Me dide cnotted strenges abu_ten here heafed, and writhen to_ that it ye_de to_ the harnes. Hi_ diden hem in cwarterne thear naddres and snakes and paddes wearen inne, and dreapen hem swa_. Sume hi_ diden in crucethur - that is in a_n ceste that was scort and narew and un`de_p - and dide scarpe sta_nes thear`inne. And threngde the man thear`inne, that him breaken alle the limes. In maniy of the casteles wearen lo_f and gri_n, that wearen rakente_yes that twa_ other thre_ men hadden y`no_h to_ beren a_ne. That was swa_ maked, that is - fastned to_ a_n beam. And diden a_n scarp i_ren abu_ten the mannes throte and his hals, that he_ ne mihte no`hwider`wardes, ne sitten ne liyen ne sle_pen, ak beren al that i_ren. Maniy thu_send hi_ dreapen mid hunger. I_ ne can ne i_ ne may tellen alle the wunder ne alle the pi_nes that hi_ diden to_ wrecce men on this land. And that lastede tha_ xix wintere hwi_le Stephne was king and eafere it was werse and werse. Hi_ leyden ye_ldes on the tu_nes eafere umb hwi_le and clepeden it tenserie. Tha_ the wrecce men ne hadden na_n ma_re to_ yefen. Tha_ reafeden hi_ and brennden alle the tu_nes, that wel thu_ mihtest faren al a dayes fare sculdest thu_ neafere fi_nden man in tu_ne sittende, ne land tiled. Tha_ was corn de_re and fleasc and ce_se and butere, for na_n ne was on the land. Wrecce men sturfen of hunger. Sume ye_den on almesse the wearen sum hwi_le ri_ce men. Sume flugen u_t of lande. Was neafere ye_t ma_re wrecceha_d on land. Ne neafere heathen men werse ne diden than hi_ diden. For ofer siden ne for`bearen hi_ nowther circe ne circe`yard, ak na_men al the go_d that thear`inne was. And brennden sithen the circe and al to_`gadere. Ne hi_ ne for`bearen biscopes land ne abbotes ne pre_stes, ak reafeden munekes and clerkes, and eafric man o_ther the hi_ ofer`mihten. Yif twa_ men other thre_ co_men ri_dende to_ a_n tu_n, al the tu_nscipe flugen for hem; we_nden that hi_ wearen reaferes. The biscopes and leared men hem curseden eafere, ak was hem na_ht thear`of , for hi_ wearen alle for`cursed and for`sworen and for`loren. Hwear swa_ me tilede, the erthe ne bar na_n corn, for the land was al for`do_n mid swilce de_des. And hi_ sayden openli_ce that Cri_st sle_p, and his halgen. Swilc and ma_re than we_ cunnen sayen. We_ tholeden xix wintere for u_re sinnes.

On al this ifele ti_me he_ld Martin abbot his abbot`ri_ce xx wintere and half year and viii dayes, mid micel swink; and fa_nd the munekes and the gestes al that hem be`ho_fed and he_ld micel carited in the hu_s, and thoh`hwethere wrohte on the circe and sette thear`to_ landes and rentes, and go_ded it swi_the, and le_t it re_fen and brohte hem into_ the ne_we minstere on Sancte Petres masse`day mid micel wurthscipe that was anno ab incarnatione Domini Millesimo cxl, a combustione loci xxiii. And he_ fo_r to_ Rome, and thear was wel under`fangen fram the Pa_pe Eugenie; and beyat thear privilegies, a_n of alle the landes of the abbot`ri_ce, and a_n o_ther of the landes the liyen to_ the circe`wi_ke; and, yif he_ leng moste lifen, alse he_ minte to_ do_n of the horder`wi_ke. And he_ beyat in landes that ri_ce men hafden mid strengthe. Of Willelm Malduit the he_ld Roking`ham the castel, he_ wan Coting`ham and Eastun, and of Hugo of Waltervile he_ wan Hirtling`biriy and Sta_ne`wey and lx solidos of Aldewingle ealc year. And he_ makede maniye munekes and plantede wi_n`yard, and makede maniy werkes, and wende the tu_n betere than it ear was, and was go_d munek and go_d man, and forthi_ him lufeden God and go_de men.

Nu_ we_ willen sayen sum`deal hwat be`lamp on Stephnes kinges ti_me. On his ti_me, the Iu_de_es of Norwic bohten a_n Cri_sten ci_ld be`foren Eastren, and pi_neden him alle the ilke pi_ning that u_re Drihten was pi_ned, and on La_ng Fri_y`day him on ro_de he_ngen for u_re Drihtenes lufe, and sithen birieden him; we_nden that it sculde be_n for`holen. Ak u_re Drihten at`e_wede that he_ was ha_liy martir, and the munekes him na_men and be`birieden him he_hli_ce in the minstere, and he_ makede thurh u_re Drihten wunderlice and maniy`fa_ldlice miracles. And hatte he_ Sanct Willelm.

1138

On this year com Dauid king of Skot`lande mid orme_te ferd to_ this land; wolde winnen this land. And him com to_`yeanes Willelm erl of Albamar the the king hafde be`taht Eforwic, and the o_ther eafest men mid feawe men and fuhten with hem; and fle_mden the king at the Standard and slo_gen swi_the micel of his genge.