I ne can, ne I ne mai, tellen alle the wunder ne alle the pines that hi diden wrecce men on this land, and that lastede tha nientiene wintre wile Stephne was king, and aevre it was werse and werse.

        Hi laeiden gaeildes on the tunes aevre umwile and clepeden it “tenserie.”  Tha the wrecce men ne hadden nan more to gyven, tha raeveden hi and brendon alle the tunes, that wel thu myhtes faren al a daeis fare, sculdest thu nevre finden man in tune sittende ne land tiled.  Tha was corn daere, and flesc and caese and butere, for nan ne waes o the land.  Wrecce men sturven of hungaer.  Sume ieden on aelmes the waren sumwile ricemen;  sume flugen ut of lande.

The Anarchy of King Stephen – The Last Peterborough Chronicler (ca. 1154)  from Middle English Literature, ed. Dunn & Byrnes.  New York:  Garland Publishing, Inc.  1990.