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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| De falsitate fratrum. |
 | The Story of England |  |
De falsitate fratrum.
Perodour & Iugenes,
Þey parted al þis lond, & ches:
Iugenes tok, as hym þought best,
By northen Humber, Est & West.
Perodour hadde þat oþer partie,
& in a þrowe al þe seignurye;
ffor Iugenes lyued bot seuen ȝer,
Wythouten heyr, quyt & cler.
Þey parted al þis lond, & ches:
Iugenes tok, as hym þought best,
By northen Humber, Est & West.
Perodour hadde þat oþer partie,
& in a þrowe al þe seignurye;
ffor Iugenes lyued bot seuen ȝer,
Wythouten heyr, quyt & cler.
Perodour gan hit þenne vnderfonge;
Bot he reioysed hit nought longe,
ffor þe ffeuerynges deþ hym tok;
Wyþ synne hit wan, wiþ sorewe hit fursok.
Bot he reioysed hit nought longe,
ffor þe ffeuerynges deþ hym tok;
Wyþ synne hit wan, wiþ sorewe hit fursok.
Þen brought þey forthe sire Elydour,
& corouned hym wyþ honur.
When he had take þe coroun,
He dide þat tyme þe folk somoun
To se þe skaþes his breþere had don,
& amended hem al so son.
Of folyes was he god iustice,
He refte nere man his fraunchise;
He gaf ensample of alle wysdam,
Þat helden þe lond, or after hym cam;
Large of herte, of wylle fre,
He hight Elydour of pyte;
In al his tyme hit was hende,
In alle godnesse his lyf gan ende;
In Aldeburghe castel was he leyd,
‘Klud’ þat tyme þe name was seyd.
& corouned hym wyþ honur.
When he had take þe coroun,
He dide þat tyme þe folk somoun
To se þe skaþes his breþere had don,
& amended hem al so son.
Of folyes was he god iustice,
He refte nere man his fraunchise;
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Þat helden þe lond, or after hym cam;
Large of herte, of wylle fre,
He hight Elydour of pyte;
In al his tyme hit was hende,
In alle godnesse his lyf gan ende;
In Aldeburghe castel was he leyd,
‘Klud’ þat tyme þe name was seyd.
After Elydour of pite,
His cosyn hadde þe regalte,
Þe eldest sone of Gorbodian,
Syþen Argailes sone, þat hight Morgan.
Þys Morgan was god & meke,
His gode wyl was nought to seke;
He was god lord wyþouten ylle,
And alle hym louede wyþ gode wylle.
After Morgan, Argailles sone,
His cosyn hadde þe regalte,
Þe eldest sone of Gorbodian,
Syþen Argailes sone, þat hight Morgan.
Þys Morgan was god & meke,
His gode wyl was nought to seke;
He was god lord wyþouten ylle,
And alle hym louede wyþ gode wylle.
After Morgan, Argailles sone,
Ermaneus hadde þe regyone.
Eumaneus was Morganes broþer,
Bot his maners were alle oþer,
He couþe hym neuere ffrendes gete;
Tyl al he hadde ire & hate,
& alle hated hym right sore,
ffor he dide ylle to alle þat wore;
Ilkon þey found hym vengaunce ful,
Wyþ schrewes he dide hem many yl pul.
Six wynter he regned in his lyf,
In felonye & in stryf:
Alle þe comune seide right þus,
“We haten hym, so doþ he vs.”
Þer-opon conseillede þey,
& dryue hym out of þe lond awey;
Þus þey reftym þe kynedam,
& noman wyste whe[re] he bycam.
Þenne made þey a parlement,
Eumaneus was Morganes broþer,
Bot his maners were alle oþer,
He couþe hym neuere ffrendes gete;
Tyl al he hadde ire & hate,
& alle hated hym right sore,
ffor he dide ylle to alle þat wore;
Ilkon þey found hym vengaunce ful,
Wyþ schrewes he dide hem many yl pul.
Six wynter he regned in his lyf,
In felonye & in stryf:
Alle þe comune seide right þus,
“We haten hym, so doþ he vs.”
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& dryue hym out of þe lond awey;
Þus þey reftym þe kynedam,
& noman wyste whe[re] he bycam.
& chosen a kyng þorow alle assent,
[þe comon of þe region]
Iugeneus sone, sire Yualon.
Yualon gaf hym to trauaille,
Al to gode þat myghte auaille;
He dide make many estres,
And lykned muche his gode auncestres;
Bot his lyf lasted no stounde,
Ouer sone had deþ cast hym to grounde.
When Yualo had mad his endyng,
Perodours his sone þey chose kyng.
After Perodours sone deces,
Was Elydours sone Gerunces;
After Gerunces was Catillus;
After Catillus was Coyllus;
Þenne was Porrex; & þenne Cheryn,
He þat was a drynkere of wyn;
Ouer mykel drynke he ches;
Hys ȝoughte al þer-inne he les,
In drynke & in dronkenesse,
Dide he neuere oþer prowesse.
By his wyf had he þre sones,
& alle were kynges (þe story mones)
Ilkon were after oþer:
ffulgenius was þe eldest broþer;
Eldadus, & Androcheus,
Þis oþer breþere men caldem þus;
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Alle made þey sone þer endyng.
Androcheus sone highte Vryan,
He regned a ȝer, & deide þan,
After Vrian, Elyud men ches;
He hadde his tyme þe lond yn pes.
After Elyud, Endacius;
After þan, Doten; syþen Gurguttus;
Syþen was Merian, fayr in chere,
He couþe of wode & of ryuere;
In alle manere venurye,
Hym lyked best swylke maystrie.
Ladies bed hym of loue ynow,
Bot to non of hem wolde his loue bow,
Bot onlyke til his owen wyf;
So ended Merian his lyf.
After Meryan was Bleludo
His sone, & couthe of wode also;
Large he was, & gaf bleþely,
He spared to non þat was worþy;
Alle men hym loued, for he was fre,
Erl, baron, & knyght, & oþer meyne.
After þys noble Bleludo
Cam Capes,—hys name was so;—
After Capes, Oeneus;
After Oeneus cam Sysillius;
After Sysilly com Glegabret,
A syngere of þe beste get;
Of song & of mynstrecye
Alle men gaf hym þe maystrie;
Þe note he couþe of alle layes,
Of mynstrecye al þer assayes;
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Þat þe people [saide] in his tyme
He was þe best of ffythelers,
Of iogelours & of sangesters,
ffor he was euere glad & gamen,
ffele in seruise held he samen.
Of ioye & song was his spel;
Was he neyþer irous ne fel,
Bot led his lyf in melodye
Ynto þe tyme þat he schold deye.
After hym was Archyuaul,
Pesable he was,—God haue ys saul!—
After hym was his sone Eldol;
Hit seys he hadde a folted pol,
ffor he was euere lecherous,
Of women ouer coueytous.
A gentil womman, where he myght fynde,
Were scheo neuere so noble of kynde,
Wheþer scheo were wedded or nought,
His lecherie he wolde haue y-wrought;
& for þencheson of his folye,
Men hated hym, as was worthie.
After Eldolf, þys folted fon,
Cam his sone hight Redyon.
Redyon hadde þe kynedam,
& after Redyon, Redryk cam;
Syþen was ffamour, & kyng Myssel;
And after hym com kyng Pyrchel:
Pyrchel had fair heued wiþ her,
Þorow gift of kynde þat was er;
Som what was hit fair out of kynde,
Þat ȝut of his her write men fynde.
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Syþen, his sone Elignellus.
Þys Elygnellus, fol wys was he,
Man of mesure wel auyse;
After hym regned his sone Ely
ffully to-gidere ȝeres fourty;
A noble man was he, & a wys;
ffaire he deyd, & at Castre lys.
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