skip to content

englesaxe

Early Middle English for today

full menu

the Peterborough Chronicle second continuation 1140

in a normalised Early Middle English (East Midland dialect c 1200)

view original text

1140

On this year wolde the king Stephne taken Rodbert erl of Glowe`cestere the kinges sune Henri_es; ak he_ ne mihte for he_ warth it war. Thear`after in the lencten the_sterede the sunne and the day abu_ten no_n`ti_d dayes, tha_ men eaten, that me lihtede candeles to_ eten bi_; and that was xiii kalend Aprilis: wearen men swi_the of`wundered. Thear`after forth`fe_rde Willelm arce`biscop of Cantwar`biriy; and the king makede The_d`ba_ld arce`biscop, the was abbot in the Bek. Thear`after we_x swi_the micel werre be`twix the king and Rand`wulf erl of Cestere noht forthi_ that he_ ne yaf him al that he_ cu_the asken him, alse he_ dide alle o_there; ak eafere the ma_re he_ yaf hem, the werse hi_ wearen him. The erl he_ld Lincol a`yeanes the king and be`nam him al that he_ a_hte to_ hafen. And the king fo_r thider and be`sat him and his bro_ther Willelm de Romare in the castel. And the erl stal u_t and fe_rde after Rodbert erl of Glowe`cestere and brohte him thider mid micel ferd, and fuhten swi_the on Candel`masse`day a`yeanes here la_ferd, and na_men him - for his men him swiken and flugen - and ledden him to_ Bristowe and diden thear in prisun and in feteres. Tha_ was al Engle`land stired ma_re than ear was; and al ifel was in lande. Thear`after com the kinges dohter Henri_es the hafde be_n emperice in Alamanie and nu_ was contesse in Aniou; and com to_ Lundene, and the Lundenisce folk hire wolde taken, and sce_ fleah and for`leas thear micel.

Thear`after the biscop of Win`cestere Henri_ the kinges bro_ther Stephnes spak with Rodbert erl and with the emperice and swo_r hem a_thes that he_ neafere ma_ mid the king his bro_ther wolde ha_lden. And cursede alle the men the mid him he_lden. And sayde hem that he_ wolde yefen hem up Win`cestere. And dide hem cumen thider. Tha_ hi_ thear inne wearen, tha_ com the kinges cwe_n mid al hire strengthe. And besat hem, that thear was inne micel hunger. Tha_ hi_ ne leng ne mihten tholen, tha_ stealen hi_ u_t and flugen. And hi_ wurthen war withu_ten and folgeden hem. And na_men Rodbert erl of Glowe`cestere. And ledden him to Rowe`cestere. And diden him thear in prisun. And the emperice fleah into_ a_n minstere. Tha_ fe_rden the wi_se men be`twix the kinges fre_nd and the erles fre_nd. And sahtlede swa_ that me sculde leaten u_t the king of prisun for the erl. And the erl for the king. And swa_ diden. Sithen thear`after sahtleden the king and Randolf erl at Stanford. And a_thes swo_ren and tre_wthes fasten that he_r nowther sculde be`swi_ken o_ther. And it ne for`sto_d na_ht. For the king him sithen nam in Ham`tun thurh wicke read. And dide him in prisun. And eft`so_ne he_ le_t him u_t thurh werse read, to_ that fore`warde that he_ swo_r on ha_liydo_m and yi_seles fa_nd and that he_ alle his casteles sculde yefen up. Sume he_ yaf up, and sume ne yaf he_ noht. And dide thanne werse than he_ he_r sculde. Tha_ was Engle`land swi_the to_`dealed. Sume he_lden mid the king. And sume mid the emperice. For tha_ the king was in prisun tha_ we_nden the erles and the ri_ce men that he_ neafere ma_re sculde cumen u_t. And sahtleden with the emperice. And brohten hire into_ Oxenford. And yeafen hire the burh. Tha_ the king was u_te tha_ he_rde that sayen. And to_k his ferd and be`sat hire in the tu_r. And me le_t hire du_ne on niht of the tu_r mid ra_pes. And stal u_t. And sce_ fleah and ye_de on fo_te to_ Walingford. Thear`after sce_ fe_rde ofer sea. And hi_ of Normandi_ wenden alle fra_ the king to_ the erl of Aniou, sume here thankes and sume here un`thankes. For he_ be`sat hem til hi_ a`yeafen up here casteles. And hi_ na_n help ne hafden of the kinge. Tha_ fe_rde Eustace the kinges sune to France and nam the kinges suster of France to_ wi_fe. We_nede to_ beyeten Normandi_ thear thurh. Ak he_ spedde li_tel. And be go_de rihte for he_ was an ifel man. For hwear swa_ he_ com he_ dide ma_re ifel thanne go_d. He_ reafede the landes and leyde micele ye_ldes on. He_ brohte his wi_f to Engle`land. And dide hire in the castel on Cantwar`biriy. Go_d wim`man sce_ was. Ak sce_ hafde li_tel bliss mid him. And Cri_st ne wolde that he_ sculde la_nge ri_csen. And warth dead and his mo_der be_yen. And the erl of Aniou warth dead. And his sune Henri_ to_k to_ the ri_ce. And the cwe_n of France to_`dealde fra_ the king. And sce_ com to the yunge erl Henri_. And he_ to_k hire to wi_fe and al Peitou mid hire. Tha_ fe_rde he_ mid micel ferd into_ Engle`land. And wan casteles. And the king fe_rde a`yeanes him mid micel ma_re ferd. And thoh`hwethere fuhten hi_ noht. Ak fe_rden the arce`biscop and the wi_se men be`twix hem. And makede that saht that the king sculde be_n la_ferd and king hwi_le he_ lifede. And after his day weare Henri_ king. And he_ he_lde him for fader and he_ him for sune. And sib and saht sculde be_n be`twix hem. And on al Engle`land. This and the o_there fore`wardes that hi_ makeden, swo_ren to ha_lden the king and the erl and the biscop and the erles and ri_ce men alle. Tha_ was the erl under`fangen at Win`cestere and at Lundene mid micel wurthscipe. And alle diden him man`readen. And swo_ren the pais to ha_lden. And hit warth so_ne swi_the go_d pais, swa_ that neafere was he_r. Tha_ was the king strengere thanne he_ eafere he_r was. And the erl fe_rde ofer sea. And al folk him lufede for he_ dide go_d iustise and makede pais.