Edmund and King Edgar and one whose praise we sing—
The good and kindly Edward who won a martyr's crown;
Then came a second Ethelred, who never won renown;
And as this king was always known just by the name "Unready,"
So his successor well was called—"Strong Edmund ever steady."
And last of all the Saxon kings decreeing England's fate
Came the Confessor Edward whom we all consider great.
And now we come to William, the Norman cruel but brave,
And who the throne of England to Norman monarchs gave,
But the royal line he founded had rulers only four,