Diuerse rare things happened also at the
same time, which I passe ouer. But the king hearing hereof, did nothing
regard those which were so bold as to tell him that they were euident
significations of some vengeance to follow therevpon. [Sidenote: A
dreame. _Matth. West._ _Wil. Malm._] The king also himselfe on a night
as he slept & dreamed, thought that the veines of his armes were broken,
and that the blood issued out in great abundance. Likewise, he was told
by Robert Fitz Hammon, that a moonke should dreame in his sleepe, how he
saw the king gnaw the image of Christ crucified, with his teeth, and
that as he was about to bite awaie the legs of the same image, Christ
with his feet should spurne him downe to the ground, insomuch that as he
lay on the earth, there came out of his mouth a flame of fire, and such
abundance of smoke, that the aire was darkened therewith. But the king
made a iest of these and the like tales; "He is a right moonke (saith
he) and to haue a peece of monie, he dreameth such things, giue him
therefore an hundred shillings, and bid him dreame of better fortune to
our person." Neuerthelesse, the king was somewhat mooued herewith in the
end, and doubted whether he should go into the new forest to hunt on
Lammas day (as he had purposed) or no, bicause his freends councelled
him not to trie the truth of dreames to his owne losse and hinderance.
Wherevpon he forbare to go foorth before dinner, but when he had dined
and made himselfe merrie with receiuing more drinke than commonlie he
vsed to doo, abroad he got him into the forest with a small traine:
[Sidenote: Sir Walter Tirel.
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