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 Igerna, Comitissa Cornubye. |
 | The Story of England |  |
326
De Igerna, Comitissa Cornubye.
Wheþer he et or drank, spak ought or nought,Igerne was euere in his þought,
Ne cam sche neuere out of his hert,
To hure was his eye euere ouer-thwert.
By his priues often [he] hure grette,
& his presentes byforn hure sette,
Often hure lout, & on hure low,
& made semblaunt of loue ynow.
Hure contenaunce was, & hure semblaunt,
Sche nought ne seyde, ne nought wold graunt;
Þe kyng of hure nought vnderstod
In contenaunce but stable & god.
What for laughynge & oþer tyhtes,
What for presentes & oþer delites,
Þe Erl perceyued & þoughte ful ȝerne
Þe kyng louede his wyf Igerne;
& þoughte no feyþ til [him] wold bere,
But he in pes his wyf myght were.
Vp þen stirt he fro þe bord—
To þe kyng ne spak he word,—
His wyf by þe hand he hent,
& calde his knyghtes, & þennes went.
Hastely þer hors were bone,
& to Cornewaille þey come sone.
Er he was redy for to wende,
Þe kyng comaunded, as he was hende,
‘Þat he schold comen to court a-geyn,
‘Or he dide vylenye til his souereyn;
‘And ȝyf he ne wolde come bleþely,
‘Waite hym wel as for his enemy.’
327
He made no force of his preyere.
When þe kyng wyste þat he wold nought
Come ageyn, as he bisought,
He manased hym wyþ [felle] herte,
& seyde he schold hit sore smerte.
ffor no manace ne wolde he byde;
Bot he ne wyste what scholde bytide.
Two casteles he hadde in Cornewaille,
Þo he warnisched wyþ vitaille;
In þe castel of Tyntagel
He dide his wyf to kepe wel;
Of defens hit hadde gret los,
Wyþ dyk & se hit ys in clos;
Who-so kepes þat [ȝate] in nede,
In oþer stede dar hym nought drede;
Þer-inne scheo was ȝemed & sperd,
& he til his oþer castel ferd;
Þider he ledde his souders,
To kepe þe kyng at sautes sers;
I þat castel was, þat he to cam,
Þe force of al his erldam.
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