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 |
The Story of England | ||
When þe kyng saw þem set,
Alle þat were til conseil fet,
Þe kyng þoughte a þrowe, þen lifte his hed,
When þei hadde þer ianglyng leued:
“Barouns,” he seide, “þat ben now here,
“ȝe are my felawes, me ful dere;
“When y lese, ȝe haue part þer-ynne,
“& felawes ȝe are when þat y wynne;
“When wo or werre haþ me comen,
“ȝour part wyþ me haue ȝe nomen,
“As felawes in prosperite
“& felawes in aduersete;
“ffor wheþer y haue wonne or loren,
“ȝour hap wyþ me haue ȝe forþ boren;
“Þorow ȝoure help & god auys
“Hauy wonnen mikel pris;
“By water, by londe, haue y ȝow led,
“Þorow ȝow in nede haue y wel sped;
“Euere y haue founde ȝow trewe,
“& euere ȝour conseil god & newe;
“Alle þe londes þat y haue wonne,
“Wyþoute ȝow was nought bygonne.
“Þe Romayns, as ȝe haue herd
“By þys lettre þat here ys sperd,
“Me & ȝow þey manace fast,
“Wyþ grete wordes þey wene me gast.
“ȝyf God wil helpe me & ȝow;
“Þeir þret schal nought be for þer prow;
“Of vs gete þey neuere nought,
“But ȝif hit be ouer dere abought.
“Þey haue gret power, & ar ful riche,
“Þer nis no power to þeires liche,
“Þer-fore we moste bifore purueye
“What we wil do, what we wil seye,
“& auenauntly & resonable,
“& þat we seye, hold hit stable.
“A þyng for þought þat men wil rede,
“Hit is þe bettere mayntened at nede;
“An arewe þat ys schoten, ȝe se,
“Eyþer bihoues hit men fendit or fle;
“Þat same weys byhoues vs do.
“Þyse Romayns han yschoten vs to;
“Now conseille we, & keuere vs raþe,
“So þat her schetyng do vs no scaþe.
“Trewe þey aske, so haue þey had;
“Þat ys bihinde, send þem þey bad,
“Of þis lond & oþere mo;
“& ffraunce wil þey nought furgo.
Alle þat were til conseil fet,
Þe kyng þoughte a þrowe, þen lifte his hed,
When þei hadde þer ianglyng leued:
“Barouns,” he seide, “þat ben now here,
“ȝe are my felawes, me ful dere;
“When y lese, ȝe haue part þer-ynne,
“& felawes ȝe are when þat y wynne;
“When wo or werre haþ me comen,
“ȝour part wyþ me haue ȝe nomen,
“As felawes in prosperite
“& felawes in aduersete;
“ffor wheþer y haue wonne or loren,
“ȝour hap wyþ me haue ȝe forþ boren;
“Þorow ȝoure help & god auys
“Hauy wonnen mikel pris;
“By water, by londe, haue y ȝow led,
“Þorow ȝow in nede haue y wel sped;
“Euere y haue founde ȝow trewe,
“& euere ȝour conseil god & newe;
“Alle þe londes þat y haue wonne,
“Wyþoute ȝow was nought bygonne.
“Þe Romayns, as ȝe haue herd
“By þys lettre þat here ys sperd,
“Me & ȝow þey manace fast,
“Wyþ grete wordes þey wene me gast.
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“Þeir þret schal nought be for þer prow;
“Of vs gete þey neuere nought,
“But ȝif hit be ouer dere abought.
“Þey haue gret power, & ar ful riche,
“Þer nis no power to þeires liche,
“Þer-fore we moste bifore purueye
“What we wil do, what we wil seye,
“& auenauntly & resonable,
“& þat we seye, hold hit stable.
“A þyng for þought þat men wil rede,
“Hit is þe bettere mayntened at nede;
“An arewe þat ys schoten, ȝe se,
“Eyþer bihoues hit men fendit or fle;
“Þat same weys byhoues vs do.
“Þyse Romayns han yschoten vs to;
“Now conseille we, & keuere vs raþe,
“So þat her schetyng do vs no scaþe.
“Trewe þey aske, so haue þey had;
“Þat ys bihinde, send þem þey bad,
“Of þis lond & oþere mo;
“& ffraunce wil þey nought furgo.
The Story of England | ||