Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 In the tenth moneth Egfred hauing all his pre|paration readie, sent a companie of his men of war into the Scotish borders, to fetch some bootie, where|by The truce broken. the peace might be broken. Those that were thus sent, fetched not onelie from thence a great number of cattell, but also flue diuers of the borderers that went about to rescue their beasts and cattell. Im|mediatlie herevpon were sent ambassadors from Ambassadors sent by Euge|nius vnto Egfred for restitution. Eugenius to demand restitution: but they not with|out much adoo, after certeine daies attendance, got audience, and boldlie declaring vnto Egfred their message, receiued for answer a plaine publication of warre. For he alledging how the Scots, since the truce was granted, had sundrie times fetched booties out of the confines of his dominions, and therefore had well deserued farre more damage than as yet they had receiued, wherevpon he minded not to con|tinue friendship with them that knew not how to kéepe their hands from robbing and stealing from their neighbours: so that he commanded them to declare vnto their king, that within eight daies af|ter, he should looke for open warre at the hands of Egfreds an|swer. him and other his alies.
Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 Eugenius receiuing this answer from Egfred, besought God, sith the other onelie sought to vio|late the peace, that the vengeance might light vpon his owne head, that had thus giuen the occasion. Héerewith gathering his power togither, he repai|red Eugenius gathereth an armie. into Galloway, into the which he had knowledge that his enimies would first enter. But before he could get thither, a great armie of Englishmen were come alreadie into that countrie, and had be|sieged a strong castell called Downske, the chiefest The castell of Downske be|sieged. fortresse in those daies of all Galloway. And yer Egfred might winne the same, he was constreined to raise his siege, and to march foorth to incounter with Eugenius, who hasted fast towards him. They met néere to the banks of the water of Lewis, as then being verie déepe, by reason it was raised with abundance of raine which latelie before had fallen, where they fought a verie sore and bloudie battell: for the Scots had vowed neuer to giue ground to the e|nimies, so long as anie life remained in their breasts.
Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 3 4 At the first there was no great aduantage per|ceiued on either side, the kings, according to the du|ties of valiant capteins, exhorting their people to sticke to it manfullie: but in the meane time, cer|teine bands of Egfreds part getting themselues to the side of an hill, gaue the looking on, without com|ming downe at all to aid their friends: which man|ner the residue of his people perceiuing, doubted of EEBO page image 116 some treason deuised against them, and therevpon began to shrinke backe. Egfred aduised therof, came amongst the foremost ranks of his battell, desiring the Englishmen in no wise to giue place to their e|nimies: and for that daies seruice he promised them high rewards, and all the pleasure that afterward he might be anie waies able to shew or doo them. But whilest he was thus busilie occupied in comforting & exhorting his men to fight stoutlie, he himself chan|ced King Egfred slaine. Sée more héereof in England. to be wounded in the face with an arrow so sore, that immediatlie he fell downe and died in the place. The Englishmen discouraged with this mischance, were quicklie therevpon put to flight and chased, a great number of them tooke the riuer so to escape the enimies hands, of whome the more part being pres|sed downe by weight of their armor, were drowned in the raging waues of the floud, the residue by ca|sting from them their armors and clothes, escaped by swimming ouer to the other side, but those that made their course by land, being cumbred in mires and mosses, also amongst streicts, rocks, mounteins and cliffes, were ouertaken by the Scots and slaine. Few of that number escaped awaie in safetie, so that there died in the fight and chase at the point of twentie thousand Saxons with their king the fore|said Twentie thou sand Saxons slaine. Egfred: of the Scots were slaine, besides those that were hurt and wounded, not manie aboue six thousand. By this ouerthrow the force of those Sax|ons or Englishmen of Northumberland was not onelie sore diminished, but also of such other Saxons, the which in no small number were come vnto Eg|fred, to aid him against the Scots in that iournie.