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 |
 |
|
Hic primo Brutus intrauit Albion cum suo nauigio
apud Toteneys. |
 | The Story of England |  |
Hic primo Brutus intrauit Albion cum suo nauigio apud Toteneys.
Al holyke com þer flote
In Dertemuthe, at o schote;
þat ys þe Ilde þat dame Dyane
Hyght Brutus & his kynde alane.
Out of þe schip þey com tyl land
Wiþ mykel ioye, y vnderstand,
When þey wyste þat þey were set
To wone þer Diane had þem het,
In þat Ilde of Albyon,
& þenked þer godes euerilkon.
þat ylke tyme was nought late,—
fful longe hit ys, as seyþ þe date,—
þat tyme þat Brutes aryued her,
A þousand & two hunded ȝer,
So mykel was hit byforn
Er Iesu was of Marye born.
In þat tyme wer here non hauntes
Of no men bot of geauntes.
(Geaunt ys more þan man;
So seys þe bok, for y ne can;
Lyke men þey ar in flesche & bon;
In my tyme saw y neuere non.
Of membres haue þey liknes
þe lymes alle þat in man ys.)
Twenty geauntz were in þys lond;
Of on þe name wryten y fond,
Gogmagog, þus was told;
ffor he was strong, gret, & bold,
Gogmagog þus men hym calle;
Þey seyden he was most of alle.
Þe Troiens, when þey þe geauntz sawe,
Wyþ þer bowes at þeym gon drawe,
& also wyþ dart & spere.
þe geauntz couþe hem nought were;
Vp to þe hilles fro þem þey wend,
& left þe Troiens þe pleyn lond.
In Dertemuthe, at o schote;
þat ys þe Ilde þat dame Dyane
Hyght Brutus & his kynde alane.
Out of þe schip þey com tyl land
Wiþ mykel ioye, y vnderstand,
When þey wyste þat þey were set
To wone þer Diane had þem het,
In þat Ilde of Albyon,
& þenked þer godes euerilkon.
þat ylke tyme was nought late,—
fful longe hit ys, as seyþ þe date,—
þat tyme þat Brutes aryued her,
A þousand & two hunded ȝer,
63
Er Iesu was of Marye born.
In þat tyme wer here non hauntes
Of no men bot of geauntes.
(Geaunt ys more þan man;
So seys þe bok, for y ne can;
Lyke men þey ar in flesche & bon;
In my tyme saw y neuere non.
Of membres haue þey liknes
þe lymes alle þat in man ys.)
Twenty geauntz were in þys lond;
Of on þe name wryten y fond,
Gogmagog, þus was told;
ffor he was strong, gret, & bold,
Gogmagog þus men hym calle;
Þey seyden he was most of alle.
Þe Troiens, when þey þe geauntz sawe,
Wyþ þer bowes at þeym gon drawe,
& also wyþ dart & spere.
þe geauntz couþe hem nought were;
Vp to þe hilles fro þem þey wend,
& left þe Troiens þe pleyn lond.
A day þe Troiens made þer feste
After þe manere of þer geste,
Wyþ caroles, trompes, & pypyng,
ffor ioie of þer newe wonyng.
Whan þey had karoled alder best,
& ilkon schold han go to rest,
So come þe geauntz þat ylke nyght,
& on þe Troiens smyte doun ryght.
fformest was sire Gogmagog,
He was most, þat foule froge;
Þey faught wyþ trees þat þey vp drowe,—
Y can nought seye whilk þey slow,—
Oþer wepen had þey non,
Bot smyten wiþ tres or casten ston.
When þey had fought, & went to fle,
In to þe hilles a-gayn to be,
Þan were þe Troiens þeym bifore,
& gaf þem woundes depe & sore,
& slowe þem þe moste part
Wiþ spere & bowe, swerd & dart.
Gogmagog, þe Troiens tok;
þan saide Brutus ‘þat þey schold lok
‘Wheþer he wer strenger, or Cornyus.’
A place to pleye, ordeyned Brutus,—
Corineus was wel of þat graunt—
ffor to wrastle wyþ þat geaunt;
On a clyf faste by þe se
Þe wrastlyng was ordeyned to be;
Alle þey ȝede, ȝonge & elde,
Þat wrastlyng to byhelde.
After þe manere of þer geste,
Wyþ caroles, trompes, & pypyng,
ffor ioie of þer newe wonyng.
Whan þey had karoled alder best,
& ilkon schold han go to rest,
So come þe geauntz þat ylke nyght,
& on þe Troiens smyte doun ryght.
64
He was most, þat foule froge;
Þey faught wyþ trees þat þey vp drowe,—
Y can nought seye whilk þey slow,—
Oþer wepen had þey non,
Bot smyten wiþ tres or casten ston.
When þey had fought, & went to fle,
In to þe hilles a-gayn to be,
Þan were þe Troiens þeym bifore,
& gaf þem woundes depe & sore,
& slowe þem þe moste part
Wiþ spere & bowe, swerd & dart.
Gogmagog, þe Troiens tok;
þan saide Brutus ‘þat þey schold lok
‘Wheþer he wer strenger, or Cornyus.’
A place to pleye, ordeyned Brutus,—
Corineus was wel of þat graunt—
ffor to wrastle wyþ þat geaunt;
On a clyf faste by þe se
Þe wrastlyng was ordeyned to be;
Alle þey ȝede, ȝonge & elde,
Þat wrastlyng to byhelde.
| The Story of England | |