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 |  |
Wyþ alle þer schipes & al þer pres
Þey comen to þe Merkes of Erkules;
Ercules was so doughti man,
Out of Troye þider he cam
By se: als he wan by londe,
A piler of bras þer þey fonde,
Þat he dide sette for honour,
Þat he was þider conquerrour.
Þer fond þey Nykeres þat myry song,
Out of þe weye to turne hem wrong,
Or to forgete þer schip to stere,
Þorow þer song þat þey schold here.
So ar þo Nykeres faste aboute
To brynge schipmen þer hit ys doute,
To som swelw to turne or steke,
Oþer a-geyn roches to breke;
þerfore hit ys a gret peril,
Schipmen for to liste þer tyl.
Þe Trogens knewe þer song wel,
Þey lystned to þem neuere a del;
Þey had herd tellen þer byforen
How schipes had ben wyþ hem forloren.
Wyþ peyne þey passede at þat tyde,
Vpon Spayne þer fflete gan ryde,
Þer þey fond at o ryuage
Gret folk of þe Troiens lynage,
þat on of þer auncessour
ffled fro Troye out of þe stour,
Als þey dide ilk a man
Whan þey of Grece to Troye cam.
Þey comen to þe Merkes of Erkules;
Ercules was so doughti man,
Out of Troye þider he cam
By se: als he wan by londe,
A piler of bras þer þey fonde,
Þat he dide sette for honour,
Þat he was þider conquerrour.
Þer fond þey Nykeres þat myry song,
Out of þe weye to turne hem wrong,
Or to forgete þer schip to stere,
Þorow þer song þat þey schold here.
So ar þo Nykeres faste aboute
To brynge schipmen þer hit ys doute,
To som swelw to turne or steke,
Oþer a-geyn roches to breke;
þerfore hit ys a gret peril,
Schipmen for to liste þer tyl.
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Þey lystned to þem neuere a del;
Þey had herd tellen þer byforen
How schipes had ben wyþ hem forloren.
Wyþ peyne þey passede at þat tyde,
Vpon Spayne þer fflete gan ryde,
Þer þey fond at o ryuage
Gret folk of þe Troiens lynage,
þat on of þer auncessour
ffled fro Troye out of þe stour,
Als þey dide ilk a man
Whan þey of Grece to Troye cam.
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