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 |
 |
|
Gargustius Rex. |
 | The Story of England |  |
Gargustius Rex.
After þe kynges tyme Ryual,
Gargustius his sone had al;
After þis Cargustius,
Regned his sone Cycyllius;
& after þe kyng Cycilly,
Was Lago kyng, his cosyn ney;
After Lago was Kynmar kyng,
Cysillies sone, & had þe þynge.
After Kynmare regned þan
Hys sone, þat highte Garbodian.
Garbodyan had two sones,
fful enemys, þat ȝit men mones;
Þe eldest he hight sire fferreus,
Þat oþer men calde Porreus;
Might þer neuere pes be þeym bytwene
In non acord, bot euere tene.
Þe while þer fader was on lyue,
ffor þe royalme gon þey to stryue;
Al þus þey ferde wiþ gret enuye,
Whilk scholde haue þe seignurie.
Porrex was ȝongest, & most felon,
His þought was ay vpon treson
Where-þorow he moughte his broþer slo.
Þat oþer herd þat, dide hym to go
fforþ in to ffraunce, for doute of gyle.
Þe king Syward he serued a while,
& gadered þer god party;
Wiþ schipes com ouer baldely,
& til his broþer gaf bataille,
And deyde sone, hit myght nought vaille,
Bot at þe firste was he slayn,
& al his folk, knyght & swayn.
Iudon, þer moder, herde wel how
Þat þe ton þat oþe[r] slow;
Scheo louede mykel þe slayn broþer,
& dedlyk hated sche þat oþer;
ffor als vnkyndely as þey wrought,
Þerfore vnkyndenesse sche þought.
A nyght hure sone to bedde was gon,
On hym com his moder Iudon;
Ilk of hure maydones, a knyf she bar,
Porrex þrote a two sche schar,
And on peces hym al to-hewe;
Swylk a vengaunce noman knewe:
Longe was spoken of þis chaunce,
Of Iudon & of hure vengaunce.
Gargustius his sone had al;
After þis Cargustius,
Regned his sone Cycyllius;
& after þe kyng Cycilly,
Was Lago kyng, his cosyn ney;
After Lago was Kynmar kyng,
Cysillies sone, & had þe þynge.
After Kynmare regned þan
Hys sone, þat highte Garbodian.
Garbodyan had two sones,
fful enemys, þat ȝit men mones;
Þe eldest he hight sire fferreus,
Þat oþer men calde Porreus;
Might þer neuere pes be þeym bytwene
In non acord, bot euere tene.
95
ffor þe royalme gon þey to stryue;
Al þus þey ferde wiþ gret enuye,
Whilk scholde haue þe seignurie.
Porrex was ȝongest, & most felon,
His þought was ay vpon treson
Where-þorow he moughte his broþer slo.
Þat oþer herd þat, dide hym to go
fforþ in to ffraunce, for doute of gyle.
Þe king Syward he serued a while,
& gadered þer god party;
Wiþ schipes com ouer baldely,
& til his broþer gaf bataille,
And deyde sone, hit myght nought vaille,
Bot at þe firste was he slayn,
& al his folk, knyght & swayn.
Iudon, þer moder, herde wel how
Þat þe ton þat oþe[r] slow;
Scheo louede mykel þe slayn broþer,
& dedlyk hated sche þat oþer;
ffor als vnkyndely as þey wrought,
Þerfore vnkyndenesse sche þought.
A nyght hure sone to bedde was gon,
On hym com his moder Iudon;
Ilk of hure maydones, a knyf she bar,
Porrex þrote a two sche schar,
And on peces hym al to-hewe;
Swylk a vengaunce noman knewe:
Longe was spoken of þis chaunce,
96
When þyse breþer þus werre bygon,
Eyr of blod was þer non
Þat oughte haue þe heritage,
Was þer non left of ryght lynage;
Bot to ffyue kynges þey lefte þe lond,
Þat fourty wynter þe werre fond;
Ilk of þem þat most was of myght,
Bynam þat oþer of his right;
Mesure ne lawe, ne held no man,
Bot whoso myghte, of oþer wan;
Þat rycchest were, most bar þem stout,
In loue ne in lawe wold non of hem lout.
Eyr of blod was þer non
Þat oughte haue þe heritage,
Was þer non left of ryght lynage;
Bot to ffyue kynges þey lefte þe lond,
Þat fourty wynter þe werre fond;
Ilk of þem þat most was of myght,
Bynam þat oþer of his right;
Mesure ne lawe, ne held no man,
Bot whoso myghte, of oþer wan;
Þat rycchest were, most bar þem stout,
In loue ne in lawe wold non of hem lout.
| The Story of England | |