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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| Lud Rex. |
 | The Story of England |  |
Lud Rex.
Helye had þre sones wyghte:
Þe eldest sone, Lud he highte;
Þat oþer was Cassibalan;
Þe þrydde, Nemny, a doughti man.
Lud was eldest, most of age,
Hym fel to haue þe heritage;
Knyght was he fol god in stour,
& lyberal man, & vyaundour;
Cites & casteles newe dide set;
Of þe olde mad he god recet;
He louede London̄ best of alle,
Þerfore vmb-closedit wyþ a walle;
Manye ar þe clos me se ȝit stande,
Þat Lud dude make, hym lyuande.
ffor barons & for burgeys sake,
Grete stedes til hem dide he make;
Þerfore men seye, & ȝit men may,
Þat neuere bifore vnto þat day
Made kyng byforn so fele cites,
Ne castels, ne clos, þat ȝut men ses.
Þe eldest sone, Lud he highte;
Þat oþer was Cassibalan;
Þe þrydde, Nemny, a doughti man.
Lud was eldest, most of age,
Hym fel to haue þe heritage;
Knyght was he fol god in stour,
& lyberal man, & vyaundour;
Cites & casteles newe dide set;
Of þe olde mad he god recet;
He louede London̄ best of alle,
Þerfore vmb-closedit wyþ a walle;
Manye ar þe clos me se ȝit stande,
Þat Lud dude make, hym lyuande.
ffor barons & for burgeys sake,
Grete stedes til hem dide he make;
Þerfore men seye, & ȝit men may,
Þat neuere bifore vnto þat day
Made kyng byforn so fele cites,
Ne castels, ne clos, þat ȝut men ses.
144
Tyl Luddes tyme men held þat haunt,
To calle London Trenouant;
ffor þe loue of Lud ylk del,
Þat woned þer longe, & closed hit wel,
& was of hym so gret renoun;
Kaer Lud þer fore men calde þe toun.
Þenne come oþere men were straunge;
ffor þe Lud, London dide hit chaunge,
Þenne come Saxoyns, men of Angle,
Als þey couþe on þer speche iangle,
ffor Kaer-lud caldyt Ludden,
Þat couþe þey best com on & ken;
Þenne come þe Normaunz & þe Frankisch,
Couþe nought com on to calle hit þis;
ffor London, Londres þey hit calde;
Ȝit Frensche men þat name halde.
ffor regnynge of kynges straunge,
ffor diuerse speche, langage men chaunge,
Þat han þis lond often ywonnen,
& þorow riden & þorow ronnen,
& þe names chaunget þer fore;
Som names ar lasse, & som ar more;
I hope fo tounes þat now are
Hold þer names þat first ware.
When sire Lud, þe gode kyng,
To calle London Trenouant;
ffor þe loue of Lud ylk del,
Þat woned þer longe, & closed hit wel,
& was of hym so gret renoun;
Kaer Lud þer fore men calde þe toun.
Þenne come oþere men were straunge;
ffor þe Lud, London dide hit chaunge,
Þenne come Saxoyns, men of Angle,
Als þey couþe on þer speche iangle,
ffor Kaer-lud caldyt Ludden,
Þat couþe þey best com on & ken;
Þenne come þe Normaunz & þe Frankisch,
Couþe nought com on to calle hit þis;
ffor London, Londres þey hit calde;
Ȝit Frensche men þat name halde.
ffor regnynge of kynges straunge,
ffor diuerse speche, langage men chaunge,
Þat han þis lond often ywonnen,
& þorow riden & þorow ronnen,
& þe names chaunget þer fore;
Som names ar lasse, & som ar more;
I hope fo tounes þat now are
Hold þer names þat first ware.
Was ded, & don was his endynge,
Byside his gate þey hym leyd,
Þat, for his name, Ludgate ys seyd:
He yt made, & he yt aughte,
Lodgate for hym þe name laughte.
Of Lud were left two childre ȝyng;
Lond to kepe couþe þey no þyng:
145
Þat oþer men calde Tenuacius.
Cassibolon was þer em,
Þe nexte sibbe of þat tem,
He kepte þe childre & þat lond;
Men held hym kyng, faire he þem fond;
He mayntende þe lond to ryght,
He was curteys & doughty knyght;
Þe folke he couþe wel iustise,
Of hem he hadde fair seruise.
When þe childre were of elde
Þat þey couþe lordschip welde,
In to erldomes he dide þem seyse,
Worschipfoly, al atter ayse.
Androcheus hadde, þorow assent,
Londoñ, & þe erldom of Kent;
Þat oþer broþer had þe baylle
Of þe erldom of Cornewaille.
When ilk was sesed in his erldam,
Þey were cald Erles, whare þey cam.
To whyle þe kyng & his cosyns
In loue loken ar þer lynes,
Richesse þey hadde ynow to wylle,
& of no lond dredde þey non ylle,
Ne neuere þurt hem haue drad no tyde.
Bot ouerwenyng of herte pride
Ros a discord hem bytwene,
Þat longe in þys londe was sene;
ffour hundred ȝer hit lasted, & nyne,
In þis lond þat firste pyne;
Hit bigan, as ȝe may se,
Of Cassibolon & Androche,
Þorow whilk sorewe þe Romayns wan
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Þat myghte nere be wonne byforn,
Tyl þer loue þorow pride was lorn;
Whyle þer loue to-gedere held,
Might neuere no Romayn bide þem in feld,
Þat þey ne chased, þorow force of fight,
Cesar of Rome, & al his myght.
How hit bygan bytwyxt þem bale,
Listeþ, & y schal rede þe tale.
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