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 |  |
22
“Þou schalt don at myn auys:
“Puruey þe,” scheo seide, “veir & grys,
“ffaire iueles, & pourpre & bys;
“Do dight a schip wiþ sail & ore
“Ryght as þou a marchaund wore;
“Of alle queyntise þat þou may se,
“Haue vn-to þy schip wyþ þe;
“Do make þerinne a fol fair bed,
“Wiþ cloþes of gold hit be al spred;
“Þy schip wiþoute be fol fair dight,
“Lykynge to þat lauedy sight.
“Þerinne to Grece schalt þou wende;
“In an hauene schalt þou lende
“Þer þe kynge ys, & þe Quene;
“& whan scheo haþ þe schip al sene,
“Scheo schal ȝerne on alle wyse
“ffor to se þy marchaundise;
“Bot loke þou schewe non of þo,
“Bot scheo wile in to þy schip go;
“& whan scheo heres þat tydynge,
“Scheo schal praie ful faste þe kynge
“To gyue hire leue to se þy ware,
“To bye þerof þat so riche are.
“Loke þou schewe noman nought
“Til þat sche first be hider brought,
“ffor out of wyt wommen ȝernes
“Þat men forbedes hure, & wernes.
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“By þe hand redy þou hure kyp,
“& curteysly þat scheo be led,
“& set hure faire opon þy bed;
“Do cortine hit al aboute
“Þat scheo se nought wyþynne ne wyþoute,
“& whan scheo ys on þy bed set,
“Loke wel þat þy schip be get;
“Lat non come vnder þy telde
“Mo þan þou may lightly welde;
“Loke þy schip be vnfest,
“& þy folk be al prest;
“And what þynge þat sche wil craue,
“Do hit hure redy for to haue,
“Þat scheo tende to no þynge elles
“Bot til þat ware þat þou hure selles.
“Whan redy ys þyn apparail,
“Lat þy men haue vp þe sayl,
“& loke þou be to myle or þre
“Ar scheo wite wyþynne þe se;
“& do þenne þat lady to wyte
“How þy iueles wyl hure syte.”
Parys dide as Venus kende,
& dighte þe schip,—wel he wende,—
Wyþ alle queintyse þat was gay,
& aryued vp þer þe kinge lay.
Menlaus highte þe kynge;
He sente to wyte what maner þynge
Was in þe schip for to selle.
“Riche iueles,” þey gan him telle,
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“Out of þe schip gete ought to se.”
Þat herde telle þe quene Heleyne.
Nyght & day sche dide hire peyne,
Of þe kynge to haue grauntyse
To se þat ylke marchaundyse.
What wyþ wel oþer wyþ wo,
Leue scheo gat þyder to go.
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