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 |  |
Saxons were manie ȝyt in þys lond,
Þorow trewage þat men þem in bond,
& when þey felde hem ought of might,
In Hengistes landes þey claymed right,
Thwancastre, Lyndesye & Kent,
Of þyse Hengist furst hadde rent,
& þat he gaf Octa his sone,—
By Scotland þer gan he wone;—
Þey chalangede hit of auncestrie,
Al þat was Hengistes partie;
Ofte þey wan hit þorow dynt,
& often hit a-geyn þey tynt;
Often þer-fore þey gaf hostages,
& also ofte made þey homages;
To þe Bretons oþ þey swor,
& often ageyn þer oþ þey for;
Neuere held þey lenger feyþ ne ryght
Þan þey sey tyme & terme of myght,—
Þat a kyng was ded or doune,
Or ȝyf a feble on hadde þe croune;—
Þenne þey ryse, on Bretons ronne,
Vmwhile þey les, vmwhile þei wonne;
ȝyf a discord were bitwixt þe Bretons,
Euere medlande were þe Saxons;
On wham-so ros contek or wo,
Þe Saxons were redy þeym to slo.
Þorow trewage þat men þem in bond,
& when þey felde hem ought of might,
In Hengistes landes þey claymed right,
Thwancastre, Lyndesye & Kent,
Of þyse Hengist furst hadde rent,
& þat he gaf Octa his sone,—
By Scotland þer gan he wone;—
Þey chalangede hit of auncestrie,
Al þat was Hengistes partie;
Ofte þey wan hit þorow dynt,
& often hit a-geyn þey tynt;
Often þer-fore þey gaf hostages,
& also ofte made þey homages;
To þe Bretons oþ þey swor,
& often ageyn þer oþ þey for;
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Þan þey sey tyme & terme of myght,—
Þat a kyng was ded or doune,
Or ȝyf a feble on hadde þe croune;—
Þenne þey ryse, on Bretons ronne,
Vmwhile þey les, vmwhile þei wonne;
ȝyf a discord were bitwixt þe Bretons,
Euere medlande were þe Saxons;
On wham-so ros contek or wo,
Þe Saxons were redy þeym to slo.
Northumberland was al þeyr home,
Þere þey wonede, þennes þey come;
Hit was gyuen þem first to bigge,
Al wast was hit wone to ligge;
But þer dwellynge mended þat contre
Wel bettere þan hit was wone to be.
Þere þey wonede, þennes þey come;
Hit was gyuen þem first to bigge,
Al wast was hit wone to ligge;
But þer dwellynge mended þat contre
Wel bettere þan hit was wone to be.
| The Story of England | |