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 blandiscione Cesarys. |
 | The Story of England |  |
De blandiscione Cesarys.
Wel couþe he paye þe couetous,& wynne þe wille of þe enuyous;
& ful wel couþe bere hym meke
When his strength was for to seke.
He wiste þat þe frenche men were fykel,
& how þey forcedem agayn hym mykel;
& his men were yuel dight,
Wery & wounded al in fight;
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Þan in bataille to ben in doute;
Þe Bretons hadden hasted hem so,
Þat tyme in dede myghte þey nought do.
Wyþ faire wordes hem to hym drow;
& gaf hem giftes & richesse ynow,—
ffor of his giftes he was ful large,
ffor schame þey moughte hym namore charge;—
& more he byhet, þan gyue he myght,
Þe Bretons to wynne wiþ force & fight.
To pore men he gaf fraunchise,
& cleymed þeym quit of þer seruise;
Þo men he hadde flemed þe contre,
To comen ageyn he gaf hem fre,
& to haue þer heritage,
& restored þeym of here damage.
Þerfore when þis grete lordynges
Seyen Cesar ofre þem swylke þynges—
Gold & syluer atter wille—
In pes þey held hem alle stille.
Mikel ys richesse of power!
ffor sone had he bated wo & wer,
Sone had he turned wrong to right,
Sone had he blent þe coueytous sight,
Sone made he frend þat er were wroþe,
Of Cesar & þe ffrankysche boþe;
ffor þo þat hym byforen hated,
Wiþ hys gyftes were alle abated;
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Þey diden hym fewte & homage,
At his conseil for to lende,
Ageyn þe Bretons ȝyf he wold wende.
Whan sire Cesar, lord & sire,
Had pesed & swaged al þer ire,
He conseilled hym wyþ an engynour,
& dide hym make a merueyllous tour
In Boloygne: “Ordre” ys þe name.
So wrought ys non bot þat same;
By-neþen hit is in strange compas;
Brod & þykke þe gynnynge was,
& euere hit nareweþ rysande on heyght,
& semeþ griller & more streight.
Selcouþe stages ar þer-ynne,
Wyndowes cast, coruen wiþ gynne.
His tresor he leyde þer inne to lok,
Onlyke þer al þat he toke;
& hym self lay in þe tour,
When he dred hym of his tresour.
Two ȝer he dwelled þer in ffraunce,
& dight hit for werre in alle chaunce;
He sente to baillifs to gadere hym fees,
& reisede his truwage of his citees.
Whan al was gadered on ylk party,
In Ordre þey leide hit in tresory.
In two ȝer he dide hym dight,
& made hym to Brutayne right,
& dide hym dighte a fflute on flode,
Sex hundred gret schipes & gode,
& seide, “ȝit wyly make assay
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“Bot ȝif y may conquere Cassibolan,
“Y preise nought elles al þat y er wan;
“Al my conqueste preise y nought,
“Bot þe Bretons to trewe be brought.”
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