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As they returned homewards, they met with three caricks of Genoa, of the which one hauing the wind with hir, meant to haue ouerthrowne the ship wherein the lord Thomas of Lancaster was aboord: but by the good foresight of the master of the ship that ruled the sterne, suddenlie turning the same, the violent swaie of that huge vessell comming so vpon them, was auoided; but yet the caricke stroke off the nose of the English ship, and brused hir on the side.
The empresse armie put to flight. Wil. Malm. Robert earle of Glocester taken prisoner. Matth. The empresse was glad to faine hir selfe dead, and so to be conueied in a coch as a dead corps vnto Glocester. Hir brother Robert with manie other of the Nobles that staied behind, till she and other might get out of danger, were taken prisoners.
In this enterprise she put hir owne person in great aduenture: for a great multitude of Danes that were withdrawen into Darbie, valiantlie defended the gates and entries, in so much that they slue foure of hir chiefe men of warre, which were named wardens of hir person, euen fast by hir at the verie entrie of the gates.
Hir mightie tall personage, comelie shape, seuere countenance, and sharpe voice, with hir long and yellow tresses of heare reaching downe to hir thighes, hir braue and gorgeous apparell also caused the people to haue hir in great reuerence.
Accounts vary exceedingly as to the number of the slain, some authorities giving as many as 20,000, others no more than 2,700. "Many faire ladie lose hir lord that day, And many gode bodie slayn at Leans lay. The nombre none wrote, for tell them might no man. But He that alle wote, and alle thing ses and can."
The quéene wife to king Stephan in this meane while lay much at S. Augustines in Canturburie, bicause of hastening forward the building of Feuersham abbeie, which she and hir husband had begonne from the verie foundation. And bicause the moonkes of S. Augustine might not celebrate diuine seruice, she called thither commonlie the moonks of Christes church to say seruice before hir.
Herevpon taking occasion, she clad hir selfe and all hir companie in white apparell, that a far off they might not be discerned from the snow; and so by negligence of the watch that kept ward but slenderlie, by reason of the excéeding cold weather, she and hir partakers secretlie in the night issued out of the towne, and passing ouer the Thames, came to Walingford, where she was receiued into the castell by those that had the same in kéeping to hir vse: of whom Brian the sonne to the erle of Glocester was the chiefe.
'Youth, with thee my heart is fledde, Come back to the 'golden Hedde! Wilt not? yet this token keepe Of hir who doeth thy goeing weepe. Gyf the world prove harsh and cold, Come back to 'the Hedde of gold." "The little dove!" purred Denys. "The great owl! To go and risk her good name thus. However, thank Heaven she has played this prank with an honest lad that will ne'er expose her folly.
The same in English. "Emma in name onelie queene to hir sons Edward and Alfred sendeth motherlie greeting. For incessantlie he goeth from towne to towne, from citie to citie, and maketh the lords his friends by rewards, threats, and praiers, but they had rather haue one of you to reigne ouer them, than to be kept vnder the rule of this man that now gouerneth them.
And on the seuenteenthe of August next following, at Hampton court, he presented the same to the queen's maiestie, in the head of a ring of gold, couered with a christall; and presented therewith an excellent spectacle by him deuised, for the easier reading thereof: wherewith hir maiestie read all that was written therein with great admiration, and commended the same to the lords of the councell, and the ambassadors, and did weare the same manie times vpon hir finger."
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