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 |  |
Now haue þe Anglys þe seignurye,
Þat are þe kynde of Germenye.
Þe Saxons als, þat now are on,
Spred y þys reomes ilkon.
Ilke a kyng desired his lawe,
Of alle myghte noman seye no sawe,
So fele þer were now & now,
What þey wroughte, couþe non sey how;
But þat seynt Bede of þem alle seys,
Elles schulde non haue knowe what weys,
Ne no story forto haue writen;
But as seint Bede doþ vs to wyten
Whilk were gode, whilke were elles;
And of byschopes al so he telles,
Þat ȝe in his bokes rede;
To telle hit here hit ys no nede;
Hit were a degyse þyng,
But whan þe lond was til o kyng.
Þat are þe kynde of Germenye.
Þe Saxons als, þat now are on,
Spred y þys reomes ilkon.
Ilke a kyng desired his lawe,
Of alle myghte noman seye no sawe,
So fele þer were now & now,
What þey wroughte, couþe non sey how;
But þat seynt Bede of þem alle seys,
Elles schulde non haue knowe what weys,
Ne no story forto haue writen;
But as seint Bede doþ vs to wyten
Whilk were gode, whilke were elles;
And of byschopes al so he telles,
Þat ȝe in his bokes rede;
To telle hit here hit ys no nede;
Hit were a degyse þyng,
But whan þe lond was til o kyng.
Longe after, þus write y fond,
How a Breton chalanged þys lond:
‘Engle,’ þe story seyþ he hight,
And broughte a chaumpion for to fight,—
‘Scardynk’ highte þe chaumpioun
Þat cam wyþ Engle þe Bretoun;—
On al þe lond he sette chalange,
ffor his auncestres wolde he venge,
& take vengeaunce of þe Anglys
Þat chased þe Bretons out of þys.
Alle Anglys þys Engle dredde
ffor þe grete poer þat he ledde.
Þys Engle sente vntil þe barouns,
& alle þe kynges he made somouns,
To holde of hym al her ryght,
Or he schulde wynne hit of hem wiþ fyght,
Eyþer þorow pleyn bataille in feld,
Or wyþ chaumpion staf & scheld.
Þys Skardyng was ferly strong,
Als a geaunt gret & longe,
Þat non for drede dyrst auntre on hym,
So was he strong, mykel & grym.
ffor drede of Engle & of Skardynge,
Þey maden Engle þer chef kyng;
ffor þys Engle þys lond þus wan,
Engelond cald hit ilka man.
When Engle hadde þe lond al þorow,
He gaf to Scardyng Scardeburghe;
Toward þe northe, by þe see side,
An hauene hit is, schipes in to ryde.
fflayn highte his broþer, als seyþ þe tale
Þat Thomas made of Kendale;
Of Scarthe & fflayn, Thomas seys,
What þey were, how þey dide, what weys.
Mayster Edmond seis, as me mones,
Þat þe Engle hadde nynetene sones.
Þyse nynetene, after þe ffader deuis,
Departed þe lond in nynetene partis.
Of þo parties fond y non wryten,
But o partie þat y can wyten;
Þe nynetenþe partie was þat þynge
Þat langed to seint Edmond þe kynge:
Þis ys þat oþer skyle y fond
Why hit was called Engelond,
Als Maister Edmond þer-of seys,
& as he seys, y seye þat weys;
But of Ynge saw y neuere nought,
Neyþer in boke write ne wrought;
But lewed men þer-of speke & crye,
& meyntene al-wey vp þat lye.
How a Breton chalanged þys lond:
‘Engle,’ þe story seyþ he hight,
And broughte a chaumpion for to fight,—
‘Scardynk’ highte þe chaumpioun
Þat cam wyþ Engle þe Bretoun;—
On al þe lond he sette chalange,
ffor his auncestres wolde he venge,
& take vengeaunce of þe Anglys
Þat chased þe Bretons out of þys.
Alle Anglys þys Engle dredde
ffor þe grete poer þat he ledde.
514
& alle þe kynges he made somouns,
To holde of hym al her ryght,
Or he schulde wynne hit of hem wiþ fyght,
Eyþer þorow pleyn bataille in feld,
Or wyþ chaumpion staf & scheld.
Þys Skardyng was ferly strong,
Als a geaunt gret & longe,
Þat non for drede dyrst auntre on hym,
So was he strong, mykel & grym.
ffor drede of Engle & of Skardynge,
Þey maden Engle þer chef kyng;
ffor þys Engle þys lond þus wan,
Engelond cald hit ilka man.
When Engle hadde þe lond al þorow,
He gaf to Scardyng Scardeburghe;
Toward þe northe, by þe see side,
An hauene hit is, schipes in to ryde.
fflayn highte his broþer, als seyþ þe tale
Þat Thomas made of Kendale;
Of Scarthe & fflayn, Thomas seys,
What þey were, how þey dide, what weys.
Mayster Edmond seis, as me mones,
Þat þe Engle hadde nynetene sones.
Þyse nynetene, after þe ffader deuis,
Departed þe lond in nynetene partis.
Of þo parties fond y non wryten,
But o partie þat y can wyten;
Þe nynetenþe partie was þat þynge
Þat langed to seint Edmond þe kynge:
Þis ys þat oþer skyle y fond
Why hit was called Engelond,
515
& as he seys, y seye þat weys;
But of Ynge saw y neuere nought,
Neyþer in boke write ne wrought;
But lewed men þer-of speke & crye,
& meyntene al-wey vp þat lye.
| The Story of England | |