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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Gurgoynt Rex. |
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128
Gurgoynt Rex.
After Belyn, Gurgoint his sone
Hadde þe heritage þorow resone.
Gurgoynt Beretruk, þus was his name;
Of gret godnesse he bar þe fame;
Pes to loke, & ryght to holde,
He lyknede his ffader, Belyn þe bolde.
Þat Belyn left, he heldit wel;
Noiaunce had he neuere a del,
Bot þe Daneys, þey forsok
To gyue truage þat Belyn tok.
Gurgoynt þoughte he hadde ryght þer-ynne,
His truwage he wolde al gate wynne;
His host he gadered, & schipes did come;
Þey set vp sail, & forþ þey nome.
To bataille þey samnde, boþe partys,
Bot Gurgoynt wan þer sone þe pris;
Hym self yn bataille slow þe kynge,
& tok homage of ilka lordynge;
& his truwage dide restore,
Als his fader had hit byfore.
When he had take of hem ostage,
Gurgoynt forþ went on his viage:
He passed forþ by Orkeneye;
Þritty schipes he mette in weye,
Charged wyþ folk & wyþ vitaille,
Bot þey ne wyste whider to saille;
Pantalius, þer maister hight,
Þat mayntende hem, & held to ryght.
Gurgoynt asked what men þey were,
& what þey soughte, & why come þere.
Pantalius spak ful curteysly.
“We ar men of pes, sekyng auowery,
“Wey-farende men þat wolde haue gryþ;
“We aske þe leue to speke þe wyþ.”
Þe kyng ne wolde no pes breke,
Wyþ loue he gaf hem leue to speke.
He saide, “We ar men of diuerse lynage,
“Exiled of Spayne, comen by þys ryuage,
“Ȝyf þat we any stede fond,
“On to reste, a certeyn lond.
“ffor oþer half ȝer þus haue we went;
“Hunger, þurst, cold, haþ vs schent;
“Many a cost haue we þorow sought;
“Lond on to lende, ne fond we nought;
“& we ar alle onoyed þer fore,
“ffor oure trauaille & grete lore.
“Bot, lord, ȝyf hit were ȝour wylle,
“Suffre vs to reste on þy londe stille!
“Seruise þer fore we wole þe do;
“Þy men bycome, ȝyf þou wilt so.”
Bot Gorgoynt wolde þem nought graunt
Of his to haue a remenaunt;
Nought for þy he gaf hem conseil
Toward Irlond to sette þer sayl;
& of his schipes he lente þem tweye,
To techen hem þe ryghte weye.—
Hadde þe heritage þorow resone.
Gurgoynt Beretruk, þus was his name;
Of gret godnesse he bar þe fame;
Pes to loke, & ryght to holde,
He lyknede his ffader, Belyn þe bolde.
Þat Belyn left, he heldit wel;
Noiaunce had he neuere a del,
Bot þe Daneys, þey forsok
To gyue truage þat Belyn tok.
Gurgoynt þoughte he hadde ryght þer-ynne,
His truwage he wolde al gate wynne;
His host he gadered, & schipes did come;
Þey set vp sail, & forþ þey nome.
To bataille þey samnde, boþe partys,
Bot Gurgoynt wan þer sone þe pris;
Hym self yn bataille slow þe kynge,
& tok homage of ilka lordynge;
& his truwage dide restore,
Als his fader had hit byfore.
When he had take of hem ostage,
Gurgoynt forþ went on his viage:
He passed forþ by Orkeneye;
Þritty schipes he mette in weye,
Charged wyþ folk & wyþ vitaille,
Bot þey ne wyste whider to saille;
Pantalius, þer maister hight,
Þat mayntende hem, & held to ryght.
Gurgoynt asked what men þey were,
& what þey soughte, & why come þere.
129
“We ar men of pes, sekyng auowery,
“Wey-farende men þat wolde haue gryþ;
“We aske þe leue to speke þe wyþ.”
Þe kyng ne wolde no pes breke,
Wyþ loue he gaf hem leue to speke.
He saide, “We ar men of diuerse lynage,
“Exiled of Spayne, comen by þys ryuage,
“Ȝyf þat we any stede fond,
“On to reste, a certeyn lond.
“ffor oþer half ȝer þus haue we went;
“Hunger, þurst, cold, haþ vs schent;
“Many a cost haue we þorow sought;
“Lond on to lende, ne fond we nought;
“& we ar alle onoyed þer fore,
“ffor oure trauaille & grete lore.
“Bot, lord, ȝyf hit were ȝour wylle,
“Suffre vs to reste on þy londe stille!
“Seruise þer fore we wole þe do;
“Þy men bycome, ȝyf þou wilt so.”
Bot Gorgoynt wolde þem nought graunt
Of his to haue a remenaunt;
Nought for þy he gaf hem conseil
Toward Irlond to sette þer sayl;
& of his schipes he lente þem tweye,
To techen hem þe ryghte weye.—
Irlond þat tyme was bygged no þynge
Wyþ hous ne toun, ne man wonynge.—
So longe þey sailled, þe se þorow ronne,
Þat algate to Irlond þey wonne;
Þey stryken sayl, & anker cast,
Vp to lande þey ȝede ryght fast;
Al þey founde wast & wylde.
Þey spredde hem aboute in ilkan ylde;
Sone þey maden eryed feld,
Þey logged hem, & tymber teld;
Þer folk wax faste, & fostred more,
& tyled þe lond aboute ay whore.
Wyþ hous ne toun, ne man wonynge.—
So longe þey sailled, þe se þorow ronne,
Þat algate to Irlond þey wonne;
Þey stryken sayl, & anker cast,
Vp to lande þey ȝede ryght fast;
Al þey founde wast & wylde.
130
Sone þey maden eryed feld,
Þey logged hem, & tymber teld;
Þer folk wax faste, & fostred more,
& tyled þe lond aboute ay whore.
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