Page:The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle (Giles).djvu/92

74 in battle won with edges of swords near Brumby. The board-walls they clove, they hewed the war-lindens,

Hamora lafan' offspring of Edward, such was their noble nature from their ancestors, that they in battle oft 'gainst every foe the land defended, hoards and homes. The foe they crushed, the Scottish people and the shipmen fated fell. The field 'dæniede' with warriors' blood, since the sun up at morning-tide, mighty planet, glided o'er grounds, God's candle bright, the eternal Lord's, till the noble creature sank to her settle. There lay many a warrior by javelins strewed, northern man over shield shot; so the Scots eke, weary, war-sad. West-Saxons onwards throughout the day, in bands, pursued the footsteps of the loathed nations. They hewed the fugitives behind, amain, with swords mill-sharp. Mercians refused not the hard hand-play to any heroes who with Anlaf, over the ocean, in the ship's bosom, this land sought felted to the fight. Five lay on the battle-stead, youthful kings, by swords in slumber laid: so seven eke of Anlaf's earls; of the army countless, shipmen and Scots. There was made flee the North-men's chieftain, by need constrained, to the ship's prow with a little band. The bark drove afloat: the king departed on the fallow flood, his life preserved. So there eke the sage came by flight to his country north, Constantine, hoary warrior. He had no cause to exult in the communion of swords. Here was his kindred band of friends o'erthrown on the folk-stead, in battle slain; and his son he left on the slaughter-place, mangled with wounds, young in the fight: he had no cause to boast,