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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Reuersio Arthury in Angliam, in Mense Aprilis. |
 | The Story of England |  |
Reuersio Arthury in Angliam, in Mense Aprilis.
When he had feffed his barouns,
& mad his priues lordes of touns,
Þe nexte April, when somer gan,
Til Ingeland wente ilka man.
When men wiste þat þey wer comen,
Ageyn Arthur faste þey nomen;
Þey made suche ioye, non myghte be more;
Hys longe dwellyng þem for-þoughte sore;
Ladyes kyste þer lordes swete,
Modres & childre for ioye gon grete,
Sones welcomed þer fadres home,
& made al murthe for þer come;
Lemmans leue ilk oþer kest,
Of more þey esed hem when þem lest;
Neueus nyftes, sistres broþer,
Ilka frend welcomede oþer;
Þey stode in ilka strete & sty,
In grete routes men passed for-by,
Þey spirde at hem ‘how þey hadde faren,
‘& whi þat þey so longe waren,
‘& how þey spedde of þeyr conquest,
‘& what þey wonne so fer est,
‘& how þey ferde in al þer wo:
“We wole namore ȝe fare vs fro.”
& þen þey teld hem al þer chaunce,
How Arthur hadde wonne ffraunce,
& of merueilles þat þey had sen,
& in what peryl þey had ben.
& mad his priues lordes of touns,
Þe nexte April, when somer gan,
Til Ingeland wente ilka man.
When men wiste þat þey wer comen,
Ageyn Arthur faste þey nomen;
Þey made suche ioye, non myghte be more;
Hys longe dwellyng þem for-þoughte sore;
Ladyes kyste þer lordes swete,
Modres & childre for ioye gon grete,
Sones welcomed þer fadres home,
& made al murthe for þer come;
Lemmans leue ilk oþer kest,
Of more þey esed hem when þem lest;
Neueus nyftes, sistres broþer,
Ilka frend welcomede oþer;
Þey stode in ilka strete & sty,
In grete routes men passed for-by,
Þey spirde at hem ‘how þey hadde faren,
‘& whi þat þey so longe waren,
‘& how þey spedde of þeyr conquest,
‘& what þey wonne so fer est,
‘& how þey ferde in al þer wo:
“We wole namore ȝe fare vs fro.”
385
How Arthur hadde wonne ffraunce,
& of merueilles þat þey had sen,
& in what peryl þey had ben.
Þe lordynges of þys lond
Þat Arthur bifore hym fond,
Riche presentes þey hym sent,
Hys longe dwellyng mykel þey ment;
& he ageyn was ful curteys,
Some gaf he hors or oþer harneys;
Gladly he gaf, & largely.
ffor to schewe his curtesy,
ffor to schewe his grete prowesse,
& do by-knowe his grete richesse,
& for to speken of his dedes
Þat alle kynges doutes & dredes,
Þey conseilled hym his lond to somoune,
At Whitsonday, to do hym coroune.
At Kerlyon in Glamorgan,
Dide somoune þyder ilka man.
Karlyoun was som tyme riche,
Rome & hit lykned y-liche;
Hit standeþ on a water men calleþ Vsk,
To Seuarne hit rennes by bank & busk;
In Vsk men myghte þider wende,
Outlandes fer þat þider wol lende;
On þat o syde ran þat ryuer,
Þat oþer side, fforest, ful of der;
Venisoun þer was ynow,
Plente of fysche in water þey drow;
Large medes wyþ gras plente,
Lond to tile, non bettere myght be.
Two kyrkes were in þe toun,
Þat tyme had þey gret renoun;
Of seint Iuly was þat on,
Þat oþer was of seint Aaron.
Seint Iuly in martirdam gan deye,
Nonnes were at his abbeye;
Seint Aaron, þer was þe byschopes se,
Þe heued kyrke of þe cyte;
Þer-of Arthur was [þe] ffoundour,
& set hit in seint Arons honour;
Þer were chanons of clergye,
& knewe þem wel in astronomye;
To knowe þe sternes, þer tente þey leyd,
& til Arthur often seyd,
Þat what þyng he was aboute,
He schulde spede wyþoute doute:
Wel was þat tyme at Kerlyoun!
But siþ þat tyme haþ hit go doun.
ffor þe plente of ffysche & flesche,
Of wode & water, hey & gres,
Of housyng, & of oþer aysement
By water & londe men broughte & sent.
Þen seide Arthur he wolde þer holde
ffeste wyþ alle his barons bolde,
& at þat selue samenynge
He seyde he wolde be corouned kynge.
Þat Arthur bifore hym fond,
Riche presentes þey hym sent,
Hys longe dwellyng mykel þey ment;
& he ageyn was ful curteys,
Some gaf he hors or oþer harneys;
Gladly he gaf, & largely.
ffor to schewe his curtesy,
ffor to schewe his grete prowesse,
& do by-knowe his grete richesse,
& for to speken of his dedes
Þat alle kynges doutes & dredes,
Þey conseilled hym his lond to somoune,
At Whitsonday, to do hym coroune.
At Kerlyon in Glamorgan,
Dide somoune þyder ilka man.
Karlyoun was som tyme riche,
Rome & hit lykned y-liche;
Hit standeþ on a water men calleþ Vsk,
To Seuarne hit rennes by bank & busk;
In Vsk men myghte þider wende,
Outlandes fer þat þider wol lende;
On þat o syde ran þat ryuer,
Þat oþer side, fforest, ful of der;
386
Plente of fysche in water þey drow;
Large medes wyþ gras plente,
Lond to tile, non bettere myght be.
Two kyrkes were in þe toun,
Þat tyme had þey gret renoun;
Of seint Iuly was þat on,
Þat oþer was of seint Aaron.
Seint Iuly in martirdam gan deye,
Nonnes were at his abbeye;
Seint Aaron, þer was þe byschopes se,
Þe heued kyrke of þe cyte;
Þer-of Arthur was [þe] ffoundour,
& set hit in seint Arons honour;
Þer were chanons of clergye,
& knewe þem wel in astronomye;
To knowe þe sternes, þer tente þey leyd,
& til Arthur often seyd,
Þat what þyng he was aboute,
He schulde spede wyþoute doute:
Wel was þat tyme at Kerlyoun!
But siþ þat tyme haþ hit go doun.
ffor þe plente of ffysche & flesche,
Of wode & water, hey & gres,
Of housyng, & of oþer aysement
By water & londe men broughte & sent.
Þen seide Arthur he wolde þer holde
ffeste wyþ alle his barons bolde,
& at þat selue samenynge
He seyde he wolde be corouned kynge.
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