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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Exe de Iulio Cesare, Romanorum Inperatore. |
 | The Story of England |  |
Exe de Iulio Cesare, Romanorum Inperatore.
In þe tyme of Gassybolan,
Iulius Cesar, a myghty man,
Þat tyme was Emperour of Rome.
Of alle knyghtes he bar þe blome,
Of alle þo þat men of herd,
ffor he conquered al þe werd;
Als he was doughti knygt, & god,
In clergie wel he hym vnderstod,
Of conseil he was man ful wys,
& of manhod he bar þe pris;
Hys gyftes he gaf largely,
He wyste to wham hit was worthi;
ffals & felon he couþe wel knowe;
Þe ouer proude, he held þem lowe.
Þe Romayns were þan of pride,
ffor þey hadde wonne on ilka side;
Þe londes oueral þem aboute,
& gauen þeym truage for doute.
When Iulyus had wonne þus þere,
ffurþer he þoughte to conquere;
Long nold he soiourne ne rest,
Tyl he had wonnen toward þe west.
Hardy Iulius, knyght war & wys,
Preysed of prowesse, of poer had pris;
He gadered hym of knyghte ȝonge,
Of alle nacions þat speke wyþ tonge,
& tok his leue at [þe] Romayns,
To wende fro þem for longe teymes;
West, he seide he wolde wende,
To wynnen to þe wordles ende.
Iulius Cesar, a myghty man,
Þat tyme was Emperour of Rome.
Of alle knyghtes he bar þe blome,
Of alle þo þat men of herd,
ffor he conquered al þe werd;
Als he was doughti knygt, & god,
In clergie wel he hym vnderstod,
Of conseil he was man ful wys,
& of manhod he bar þe pris;
Hys gyftes he gaf largely,
He wyste to wham hit was worthi;
ffals & felon he couþe wel knowe;
Þe ouer proude, he held þem lowe.
Þe Romayns were þan of pride,
ffor þey hadde wonne on ilka side;
Þe londes oueral þem aboute,
& gauen þeym truage for doute.
When Iulyus had wonne þus þere,
ffurþer he þoughte to conquere;
Long nold he soiourne ne rest,
147
Hardy Iulius, knyght war & wys,
Preysed of prowesse, of poer had pris;
He gadered hym of knyghte ȝonge,
Of alle nacions þat speke wyþ tonge,
& tok his leue at [þe] Romayns,
To wende fro þem for longe teymes;
West, he seide he wolde wende,
To wynnen to þe wordles ende.
Whan Iulyus was wel dight ynow,
He passed Burgoyne & Moungow.
ffyrst he wan al Burgoyne,
ffraunce, Nawuarre, & Gascoigne,
Peytowe, Normandye, þe lesse Bretayne;
Syþen went agayn til Alemayne;
Alle he wan hit ar he þeþen nam,
Siþen to Boloyne & to fflaundres he cam,
& al conquered vnto þe se,
Al gaf truage to Rome in fe.
Whan al was wonne, wel heldyn payd,
By þe se a day he ȝede & playd;
Toward þe se his eye gan kest,
& faste byheld toward þe west:
“What ys ȝone lond y ȝonder se,
“& what [folk] euere þer may be?”
Men hym tolde hit was a lond
þat folk of Troye first[e] fond;
Brutus highte þer firste cheftayn,
& after hym hit hatte Bretayn;
þe heires þat of hym ar comen,
In heritage þey haue hit nomen.
He passed Burgoyne & Moungow.
ffyrst he wan al Burgoyne,
ffraunce, Nawuarre, & Gascoigne,
Peytowe, Normandye, þe lesse Bretayne;
Syþen went agayn til Alemayne;
Alle he wan hit ar he þeþen nam,
Siþen to Boloyne & to fflaundres he cam,
& al conquered vnto þe se,
Al gaf truage to Rome in fe.
Whan al was wonne, wel heldyn payd,
By þe se a day he ȝede & playd;
Toward þe se his eye gan kest,
& faste byheld toward þe west:
“What ys ȝone lond y ȝonder se,
“& what [folk] euere þer may be?”
Men hym tolde hit was a lond
þat folk of Troye first[e] fond;
Brutus highte þer firste cheftayn,
& after hym hit hatte Bretayn;
þe heires þat of hym ar comen,
In heritage þey haue hit nomen.
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