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 |  |
Of Gurmound ȝede þe word ful wyde,
Þat alle landes he wolde þorow ryde;
Payen he was, þey herde wel telle,
Cristen men to struye & quelle.
When þey herde of hym þus speke,
Þey hoped þan he scholde þem wreke;
Wyþ þe Bretons þei made al pes,
Þe whiles messegers þey ches,
& sente til Gurmound ouer þe se,
& hette ‘to holde of hym þer fe
‘Wyþ þy he wolde come to Bretaigne,
‘& gyue hit þem, & be cheftaigne,
‘& be hym self lord & kynge,
‘Wyþy þey helde of hym þeir þynge,
‘Þat leuede on his owen lawe,
‘& brynge þe Cristene alle of dawe:
“ffor ȝe ar Payen, & so ar we;
“O lawe we wolde þat al schuld be,
“& swylk a kyng wolde we haue
“Þat þe Payen lay might saue.”
ffaste hym bisoughte, & þus þey hym het,
So þat Gurmound mad redy his flet,
& seide ‘he wolde auenture his chaunce,
‘Hys Payen lay for to auaunce.’
To schipe he wente at a tyde,
O Northumberland he gan ryde.
Gurmound acorded wiþ þe Saxons,
‘To voide þe lond of alle þe Bretons,
‘& gyue hit þe Saxons in fe ageyn.’
Of þys made þey foreward certeyn,
& þat þey schulde gyue hym truwage,
& þer-til swore, & gaf hostage.
Þat alle landes he wolde þorow ryde;
Payen he was, þey herde wel telle,
Cristen men to struye & quelle.
When þey herde of hym þus speke,
Þey hoped þan he scholde þem wreke;
Wyþ þe Bretons þei made al pes,
Þe whiles messegers þey ches,
& sente til Gurmound ouer þe se,
& hette ‘to holde of hym þer fe
‘Wyþ þy he wolde come to Bretaigne,
‘& gyue hit þem, & be cheftaigne,
‘& be hym self lord & kynge,
‘Wyþy þey helde of hym þeir þynge,
‘Þat leuede on his owen lawe,
‘& brynge þe Cristene alle of dawe:
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“O lawe we wolde þat al schuld be,
“& swylk a kyng wolde we haue
“Þat þe Payen lay might saue.”
ffaste hym bisoughte, & þus þey hym het,
So þat Gurmound mad redy his flet,
& seide ‘he wolde auenture his chaunce,
‘Hys Payen lay for to auaunce.’
To schipe he wente at a tyde,
O Northumberland he gan ryde.
Gurmound acorded wiþ þe Saxons,
‘To voide þe lond of alle þe Bretons,
‘& gyue hit þe Saxons in fe ageyn.’
Of þys made þey foreward certeyn,
& þat þey schulde gyue hym truwage,
& þer-til swore, & gaf hostage.
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