The Story of England by Robert Manning of Brunne, A.D. 1338. Edited from mss. at Lambeth Palace and the Inner Temple, by Frederick J. Furnivall |
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De Rege Coele, Patre Sancte Elene. |
 | The Story of England |  |
De Rege Coele, Patre Sancte Elene.
In Colchestre waster a lordyng,Of wham þe toun hadde gynnynge;
S[i]re Coel his name hight,
Of noble lynage, a man of myght;
He werreyed on Asclipedot,
ffor he had born hym as a sot,
& suffred to mykel Maximian,
Þat he þorow þe lond so ran,
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Þer-fore were þe Bretons wo.
ffor Asclipedot bar hym nought wel,
Þer-fore corouned þei sire Coel.
When Maximien was gon to Rome,
On Asclipedot toke þey dome;
Sire Coel hym in bataille slow,
ffor he fro Maximien hym yuel wyþdrow.
Þis Coel hadde a doughter fair,
Of clergie [sc]he couþe, & was his ayr;
Sone ne doughter had he namo
Þat þe heritage myghte to go,
Scheo was to hure fader ferly dere;
He dide maistres hure for to lere,
Þat scheo moughte bettere þe lond ȝeme,
& lord to take, as hure wolde byseme;
Þys ilke mayden highte Eleyne,
A ful god woman, & a certeyne.
Þe Romayns herde, & were fayn,
Þat Asclipedot was so slayn;
Þey sente hider a man of pris,
Constancius, þat was noble & wys;
Al Spayne he had wonnen to Rome,
Þorow truage al at her dome;
Was noman þanne of his bounte,
Þat men wiste, so mikel as he.
Þys Constant þat þus wan Spayne,
He aryued her in Brutaigne.
Choel, þat wiste his comyng,
He dredde Costant ouer alle þyng;
Coel sent til hym messegers,
& seide ‘he wolde on faire maners
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‘& redyly his truage ȝelde.’
Costant seide he wolde skyl,
& consented til his wyl;
Þe Romayns seyde þey were aboue,
& fayn þey were of pees & loue.
Was hit nought a monþe long,
Sire Coel tok an yuel strong;
Eyghte dayes lay he, & namo,
& deide, & wente þer we schal go.
Constant saw þys ilke Eleyne,—
Þis lond was al of hure demayne,—
Saw þat scheo was ferly wys,
And of beute bar þe prys;
Hym þoughte he myghte wel be byset
To wedde þat mayde, & bate baret.
Þen was he kyng, & scheo quene.
A knaue child com þer hem bytwene;
Constantyn was his name ytold;
& when he was enleuen ȝer old,
His fader fel in a seknesse,
Þat to þe deþ hit made hym stresse.
When Constant had y-mad his fyn,
In Euerwyk toun þey byried hym
fful ryaliche wiþ gret honur,
ffor he was a worþy emperour.
When þenterement was done,
Constantyn his sone þey coronede sone;
& þe more he wax in age,
Þe bettere loued hym ys baronage;
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ffor he was large, & gaf ynow;
ȝif his fader were of bounte,
ȝit was þe sone wel more þan he.
Þis Constantyn was man of queyntise,
Þer-wyþ he was a noble iustise;
In his ȝouthe he was als wys
As elder were y þer moste pris.
ffor his moder, he loued Bretons;
ffor his ffader, of Rome al þe barons;
Of þyse two kyndes he was born,
And of þe noblest men byforn.
| The Story of England | |