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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Iam Romany tymorati sunt. |
 | The Story of England |  |
Iam Romany tymorati sunt.
Þenne were þe Romayn[s] al a-baischt,
& al was schent þat or was trayst;
Þey wende Arthur & al his ost
Had folewed þem in þat cost;
Þe Peyteuyns faste þeym assailled,
& þe Bretons nought ne failled,
Þe ton quiked þe toþer to lyue,
Þe Romayns to greue, fast gon þey stryue,
Þe Romayns in haste turnde & fledde,
Þey hadde no clos, but oueral spredde;
To þer logges þer þey hem busched,
Þey fledde, & þer wer al to-lusched.
But Ewander þat slow Borel,
& ffyue hundred wyþ sire Catel,
Were alle slayn & don in hold,
Wyþouten lordes þat more were told.
Þat þey wold haue, al þey hadden,
Prysons y-nowe alle þey ladden;
Þer þe bataille was, þey turnde ageyn,
& tryde þe Bretons fro ilk Romeyn.
To seke Borel his men had hast,
Þey fond hym sone, ȝeldyng þe gast.
Þe wounded men to saue þey sought,
& þe slayn to erþe þey brought.
Þe firste prisons þat Arthur sent,
Þo þat were charged, to Parys went;
Þe oþere prisons þat þey last hent,
Of þeym til Arthur þey made present,
& telde þem wel of þeyr deseit,
How þeir hap was ner ouer-streit,
& how Vtred was þer socour,
& grately meyntende þem in stour,
& bed hem boldely to bataille wende;
Of þemperour gat þey þe fairere ende.
& al was schent þat or was trayst;
Þey wende Arthur & al his ost
Had folewed þem in þat cost;
Þe Peyteuyns faste þeym assailled,
& þe Bretons nought ne failled,
460
Þe Romayns to greue, fast gon þey stryue,
Þe Romayns in haste turnde & fledde,
Þey hadde no clos, but oueral spredde;
To þer logges þer þey hem busched,
Þey fledde, & þer wer al to-lusched.
But Ewander þat slow Borel,
& ffyue hundred wyþ sire Catel,
Were alle slayn & don in hold,
Wyþouten lordes þat more were told.
Þat þey wold haue, al þey hadden,
Prysons y-nowe alle þey ladden;
Þer þe bataille was, þey turnde ageyn,
& tryde þe Bretons fro ilk Romeyn.
To seke Borel his men had hast,
Þey fond hym sone, ȝeldyng þe gast.
Þe wounded men to saue þey sought,
& þe slayn to erþe þey brought.
Þe firste prisons þat Arthur sent,
Þo þat were charged, to Parys went;
Þe oþere prisons þat þey last hent,
Of þeym til Arthur þey made present,
& telde þem wel of þeyr deseit,
How þeir hap was ner ouer-streit,
& how Vtred was þer socour,
& grately meyntende þem in stour,
& bed hem boldely to bataille wende;
Of þemperour gat þey þe fairere ende.
Þemperour herde þe Bretons sped
Þorow þe help of sire Vtred,
& þat sire Ewander was slayn,
& þe oþere y-do to payn;
Grace til hym wold non bytide,
But euere mys happed on his syde;
Þer-fore mykel he was dismayed,
Þat werre was gonne, he was nought payed;
Al þe day he studied & þought
Wheþer he wylde werre forþ or nought;
To take þe bataille mykel he dredde,
ffor he no tyme byfore ne spedde;
Of þys to conseille he nyste at wham,
Or leue al til anoþer cam;
ȝyf he left til anoþer wore,
Þen shulde hym schame þat he com þore;
Þus he þoughte to do or lete,
ffor drede of Arthur þat was so grete.
But þis conseil had he of som,
Þat he schulde remue til Oston,
& passe by Langres þe contre,
Þat nyght to reste in þat cite.
At þe morn he gan to ride,
& cam to Langres y þe euen tyde.
Þorow þe help of sire Vtred,
461
& þe oþere y-do to payn;
Grace til hym wold non bytide,
But euere mys happed on his syde;
Þer-fore mykel he was dismayed,
Þat werre was gonne, he was nought payed;
Al þe day he studied & þought
Wheþer he wylde werre forþ or nought;
To take þe bataille mykel he dredde,
ffor he no tyme byfore ne spedde;
Of þys to conseille he nyste at wham,
Or leue al til anoþer cam;
ȝyf he left til anoþer wore,
Þen shulde hym schame þat he com þore;
Þus he þoughte to do or lete,
ffor drede of Arthur þat was so grete.
But þis conseil had he of som,
Þat he schulde remue til Oston,
& passe by Langres þe contre,
Þat nyght to reste in þat cite.
At þe morn he gan to ride,
& cam to Langres y þe euen tyde.
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