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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 | The Story of England |  |
When Maximian ferde fro Bretaigne,
Of Dynotis mad he cheftayne,
To kepe þe lond til his bihoue;
ffor trewe & feyþful he dide hym proue.
Sire Karaduk, þat y spak of byforn,
Was Dynotis broþer, & ȝonge born;
Bot ded þat tyme was Karaduk;
& his sone, þat highte sire Mauryk,—
Þat ȝede to Rome in Octauus message—
Wyþ Dyanot he kepte his heritage.
A doughter had Dianot, & no ma;
Hure name was cald dame Vrsula.
Þo þat were dryuen fro Armoriche,
Þe Frensche & þey felawed o-liche,
& rysen ageyn Conan to fight;
Bot Conan meyntende wel his right;
ffor þeym ne loste he neuere nought
Whan þey on hym bataille sought.
Þen was Conan meued of skyle
Hys lond to edefie & to tyle;
& þat þey moughte þe sikerere lyue,
Wyues he þoughte hem for to gyue.
ffrensche wymen wolde þey non take,
Þat þer blod no monge scholde make,
To haue cleym þorow heritage,
Ne dowarye þorow mariage.
Vntil no blod wolde þey hem bynde,
Bot only to þer owene kynde;
Þerfore Conan sente his sonde
To Dianot, þat kepte þis londe,
“To sende hym his doughter Vrsele—
“Wiþ non oþer wolde he dele,—
“And gentil damysels vngyuen,
“Þat able to mennes companye were þryuen,—
“Squyers doughtres, & frankelayns,
“To gyue hem to knyghtes & to swayns,
“Oþer maidens comen of þralles,
“To be maried as þem falles;
“Alle þat he myghte, he schold hym sende,
“Wiþ waryson he schold þem mende.”
Dynot graunted to sende hym hyre,
& richely þen dide hure atyre;
Alle þo þat he gete myght,
Lordynges doughtres wel adight:
Of Dynotis mad he cheftayne,
To kepe þe lond til his bihoue;
ffor trewe & feyþful he dide hym proue.
Sire Karaduk, þat y spak of byforn,
Was Dynotis broþer, & ȝonge born;
Bot ded þat tyme was Karaduk;
& his sone, þat highte sire Mauryk,—
Þat ȝede to Rome in Octauus message—
Wyþ Dyanot he kepte his heritage.
A doughter had Dianot, & no ma;
Hure name was cald dame Vrsula.
Þo þat were dryuen fro Armoriche,
Þe Frensche & þey felawed o-liche,
& rysen ageyn Conan to fight;
Bot Conan meyntende wel his right;
ffor þeym ne loste he neuere nought
Whan þey on hym bataille sought.
Þen was Conan meued of skyle
Hys lond to edefie & to tyle;
& þat þey moughte þe sikerere lyue,
Wyues he þoughte hem for to gyue.
ffrensche wymen wolde þey non take,
Þat þer blod no monge scholde make,
230
Ne dowarye þorow mariage.
Vntil no blod wolde þey hem bynde,
Bot only to þer owene kynde;
Þerfore Conan sente his sonde
To Dianot, þat kepte þis londe,
“To sende hym his doughter Vrsele—
“Wiþ non oþer wolde he dele,—
“And gentil damysels vngyuen,
“Þat able to mennes companye were þryuen,—
“Squyers doughtres, & frankelayns,
“To gyue hem to knyghtes & to swayns,
“Oþer maidens comen of þralles,
“To be maried as þem falles;
“Alle þat he myghte, he schold hym sende,
“Wiþ waryson he schold þem mende.”
Dynot graunted to sende hym hyre,
& richely þen dide hure atyre;
Alle þo þat he gete myght,
Lordynges doughtres wel adight:
Enleuen þousand þey were by tale,
Of gentil blod, grete & smale;
Oþer þat were of lower kynde,
Þe auenauntest þey myghte fynde,
Sexty þousand, so many þer ware,
Redy to schipen ouer to fare,
Wel dight ilkon for þe nones.
At Londone þey schiped at ones,
& drowe þer sail heye vpon mast;
Bytaughte þem God, & seyled fast.
Of gentil blod, grete & smale;
Oþer þat were of lower kynde,
Þe auenauntest þey myghte fynde,
Sexty þousand, so many þer ware,
Redy to schipen ouer to fare,
Wel dight ilkon for þe nones.
At Londone þey schiped at ones,
& drowe þer sail heye vpon mast;
Bytaughte þem God, & seyled fast.
231
When þey were in deppest flod,
& wenden han had passage god,
Ros a tempest, rorande loude,
& reyned al doun wyþ a blak cloude.
Derk was þe skye, gret was þe reyn,
Þe wynd was wod [&] þem ageyn;
Þe sky ferd as hit scholde doun falle;
Wonder wawes agaste þem alle,
So þey arysen on ouer anoþer,
Þat þeym nauaillede mast ne roþer;
Þe wynd, þe water, so faste þey faught,
Þem to saue was non þat þought.
Þrytty schipes þer were nomo,
Þo sexti þousand to deþe ȝede þo,
Þe oþere enleuene ful fer were dryuen,
In Barbarie þey vp aryuen:
Two Sarasyns were kynges of pris,
Þat on highte Melga, þat oþer Gwanis.
Gwanis was kyng of Huneys;
Melga, of Peyghtes was kynge, hit seis.
Þyse Sarasynes wolde han leyn hem by,
Bot þey nolde of no vileny,
Leuere þem were deye wyþ drede,
Þan to lecherye þer bodies bede.
Wiþ martirdom þey dide hem deye;
At Coloyne now, men sais, þei lye.
& wenden han had passage god,
Ros a tempest, rorande loude,
& reyned al doun wyþ a blak cloude.
Derk was þe skye, gret was þe reyn,
Þe wynd was wod [&] þem ageyn;
Þe sky ferd as hit scholde doun falle;
Wonder wawes agaste þem alle,
So þey arysen on ouer anoþer,
Þat þeym nauaillede mast ne roþer;
Þe wynd, þe water, so faste þey faught,
Þem to saue was non þat þought.
Þrytty schipes þer were nomo,
Þo sexti þousand to deþe ȝede þo,
Þe oþere enleuene ful fer were dryuen,
In Barbarie þey vp aryuen:
Two Sarasyns were kynges of pris,
Þat on highte Melga, þat oþer Gwanis.
Gwanis was kyng of Huneys;
Melga, of Peyghtes was kynge, hit seis.
Þyse Sarasynes wolde han leyn hem by,
Bot þey nolde of no vileny,
Leuere þem were deye wyþ drede,
Þan to lecherye þer bodies bede.
Wiþ martirdom þey dide hem deye;
At Coloyne now, men sais, þei lye.
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