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 |  |
Þen sey Moddred he was in clos,
& byseged wiþ his fos;
He þoughte þat ȝyf he so longe lay,
Wel schulde he nought wynne a-way,
Þat nedly taken schuld he be,
& maugre hym ȝelde þe cite.
Among his men he made a cry,
& bad hem alle arme hem redy;
Wyþ hym to fighte leuere he wylde
Þan, his vnþankes, to þem ȝelde.
His men in bataille gan þem renge,
& wente right out hym for to venge;
Þe parties sone to-gydere ran,
& lorn was þere þen many a man.
Moddredes partie ȝede al doun,
ffor his folk had no fuisoun;
Hit was no wonder he hadde no grace,
ffor traitour scholde nought spede in place.
He sey his side no tyme ne spedde;
ffor his misdede þe kyng he dredde;
Hym self he þoughte algate to saue,
Siþen he ne mighte no grace haue;
His priues alle til hym he tok,
Þo þat Arthur alle fursok,
Þo þat Moddred hadde forþ brought,
Þat neuere louede Arthur nought;
Priuely wyþ hem he fledde a-wey,
& lefte þer al his oþer conrey.
To Souþhaumptone he tok þe sty,
& huyred hym schipes al redy,
& swyþe anon þey gonne forþ saille;
ffor drede he fledde til Cornewaille.
Þo þat Moddred byhinde hym left,
Alle were þey slayn, þer lyues reft,
& wan þe toun of þem ilkon;
But wo was hym Moddred was gon.
Sire Vrienes sone, Iwene he hight,
Gentil of blod, and ful god knyght;
Agusel cosyn was sire Iweyn,
Þe reme of Scotland he gan to cleym,
He left hit til Iweyn in herytage,
& Iweyn made Arthur homage.
Iweyn had laught gret honour,
Ageyn Moddred he stod in stour,
& dide & seyde Moddred gret schonde,
Þe while Arthur was out of londe.
& byseged wiþ his fos;
He þoughte þat ȝyf he so longe lay,
Wel schulde he nought wynne a-way,
Þat nedly taken schuld he be,
& maugre hym ȝelde þe cite.
Among his men he made a cry,
& bad hem alle arme hem redy;
Wyþ hym to fighte leuere he wylde
Þan, his vnþankes, to þem ȝelde.
His men in bataille gan þem renge,
& wente right out hym for to venge;
Þe parties sone to-gydere ran,
& lorn was þere þen many a man.
Moddredes partie ȝede al doun,
ffor his folk had no fuisoun;
492
ffor traitour scholde nought spede in place.
He sey his side no tyme ne spedde;
ffor his misdede þe kyng he dredde;
Hym self he þoughte algate to saue,
Siþen he ne mighte no grace haue;
His priues alle til hym he tok,
Þo þat Arthur alle fursok,
Þo þat Moddred hadde forþ brought,
Þat neuere louede Arthur nought;
Priuely wyþ hem he fledde a-wey,
& lefte þer al his oþer conrey.
To Souþhaumptone he tok þe sty,
& huyred hym schipes al redy,
& swyþe anon þey gonne forþ saille;
ffor drede he fledde til Cornewaille.
Þo þat Moddred byhinde hym left,
Alle were þey slayn, þer lyues reft,
& wan þe toun of þem ilkon;
But wo was hym Moddred was gon.
Sire Vrienes sone, Iwene he hight,
Gentil of blod, and ful god knyght;
Agusel cosyn was sire Iweyn,
Þe reme of Scotland he gan to cleym,
He left hit til Iweyn in herytage,
& Iweyn made Arthur homage.
Iweyn had laught gret honour,
Ageyn Moddred he stod in stour,
& dide & seyde Moddred gret schonde,
Þe while Arthur was out of londe.
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