] amongst whom was one sir Walter Tirell a
French knight, whom he had reteined in seruice with a large stipend.
This Sir Walter chanced to remaine with the king, when all the rest of
the companie was dispersed here and there, as the maner in hunting is.
Now as the sunne began to draw lowe, the king perceiuing an hart to come
alongst by him, shot at the same, and with his arrow stroke him; but not
greatlie hurting him, the beast ran awaie. The king, to mark which way
the hart tooke, and the maner of his hurt, held vp his hand: betweene
the sunne and his eies; who standing in that sort, out came another
hart, at whom as sir Walter Tirell let driue an arrow, the same by
glansing stroke the king into the brest, so that he neuer spake word,
but breaking off so much of the arrow as appeared out of his bodie, he
fell downe, and giuing onelie one grone, immediatlie died, without more
noise or moouing. [Sidenote: The king slaine.] Sir Walter running to
him, and perceiuing no speech nor sense to remaine in him, straitwaies
got to his horsse, and riding awaie, escaped and saued himselfe: for few
there were that pursued him, euerie man being amazed at the chance,
some departing one waie, and some another, euerie one for his owne
aduantage and commoditie, as the time then serued. The dead bodie of the
king was straight conueied to Winchester, and there buried the morrow
after, which was the second day of August, the yere of our Lord 1100.
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