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 |  |
Þey ȝede out of þe pres a lite,
Þat non ne scholde hem se ne wite.
He asked after þe clerk Pellith:
Wiþ þat he com þer also tyt.
“Lo!” scheo seide, “wher he comeþ here!”
& telde of Pellit al þe manere.
“Haue god day,” þen saide Bryan;
“Do þyn erende as þou bygan.”
Toward Pellit he gan hym hye,
ffro hym ne lefte he neuere his eye:
Pellit among þe pouere ȝede,
Als he schulde haue bet þer nede,
To & fro euere als a fool;
& Bryan folewede him ay on hool,
And right in al þe moste pres,
Among þem alle, Pellit he ches;
His staf ful sleyly vp he warp,
& putte þe longe pyk so scharp
Ageyn þe herte, in at þe bak,
Þat he fel doun; no word ne spak;
Cried he neyþer wo ne way,
But ded he was, & þer he lay.
Brian lefte his staf right þere,
& drow o syde, as nought ne were,
& as queyntely as he might,
O drey he held hym out of sight;
Among þe pore he hidde his face,
& sleyly wroughte, & hadde fair grace.
Al þat ilke day he sculked,
Among þe pouere men he hulked;
When þe night cam, he was ful fayn,
His wey he tok to þe south a-gayn.
What day, what night, ful faste he spedde,
Þat til Oxenforde algate he redde.
Þat non ne scholde hem se ne wite.
He asked after þe clerk Pellith:
Wiþ þat he com þer also tyt.
“Lo!” scheo seide, “wher he comeþ here!”
& telde of Pellit al þe manere.
“Haue god day,” þen saide Bryan;
“Do þyn erende as þou bygan.”
Toward Pellit he gan hym hye,
ffro hym ne lefte he neuere his eye:
Pellit among þe pouere ȝede,
Als he schulde haue bet þer nede,
To & fro euere als a fool;
& Bryan folewede him ay on hool,
And right in al þe moste pres,
Among þem alle, Pellit he ches;
His staf ful sleyly vp he warp,
& putte þe longe pyk so scharp
Ageyn þe herte, in at þe bak,
Þat he fel doun; no word ne spak;
Cried he neyþer wo ne way,
But ded he was, & þer he lay.
Brian lefte his staf right þere,
& drow o syde, as nought ne were,
551
O drey he held hym out of sight;
Among þe pore he hidde his face,
& sleyly wroughte, & hadde fair grace.
Al þat ilke day he sculked,
Among þe pouere men he hulked;
When þe night cam, he was ful fayn,
His wey he tok to þe south a-gayn.
What day, what night, ful faste he spedde,
Þat til Oxenforde algate he redde.
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