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 sapiencia & prudencia Arwygary. |
 | The Story of England |  |
De sapiencia & prudencia Arwygary.
Arwygarus, his owen broþer,
Parseyued þat er any oþer,
& þoughte hit were gret folye
Þere to grede or for to crie.
He tok þe kynges conisaunce,
ffor non scholde perseyue þat chaunce,
An bad his priues euer-ylkon,
“Nought so hardy make no mon;
“ffor wyst our folk we were þus trayscht,
“Hit scholde make þem alle abayscht;
“Wyste þe Romayns þys chaunce wore,
“Hit scholde enforce hem wel þe more.
“ȝyf we were bold, now be we baldere,
“& y schal vndertake þys were.”
He was wel armed, & on his stede
Toward þe bataille he gan hym spede.
Waster non þat wolde hym feyne
Whan þey sey þe kynges seigne.
So wel he bar hym, & so auster,
Þey wende hit were kyng Wyder.
Þan myghte men se knyghtes stoute,
Þat perced þorow þe Romayns Route;
Þe Romayns ne moughte to-gedere holde,
So were þe bretons egre & bolde;
Syre Claudius wyþ his partie
To þe water fledde wyþ his meynye;
Þat myghte nought to þe water fle,
Vntil a wode þen fledde he.
Hamoun, þat þe host al ledde,
To þer schypes faste he fledde;
He spirde after þer enperour,
Whider-ward he made his retour;
Men ynowe til hym gon seye,
Þat to þe water he tok hys weye.
Þe kynges broþer Arwygare,
Whider Hamon fledde, he was wel war.
Atte water Hamon doun lyght,
Intil a bot Hamon had tyght;
Byforn cam Arwygar atte bot;
Sire Hamones hed þer of he smot.
ffor Hamon lefte þere his heued,
Þe name of hym þer ys bileued;
& for þencheson of þulke Hamoun,
ffor hym þe calde þe toun Hamptoun:
ffor swylke chaunces þat han bytid,
Ar names of tounes cald & kyd.
Parseyued þat er any oþer,
& þoughte hit were gret folye
Þere to grede or for to crie.
He tok þe kynges conisaunce,
ffor non scholde perseyue þat chaunce,
An bad his priues euer-ylkon,
“Nought so hardy make no mon;
“ffor wyst our folk we were þus trayscht,
“Hit scholde make þem alle abayscht;
“Wyste þe Romayns þys chaunce wore,
“Hit scholde enforce hem wel þe more.
“ȝyf we were bold, now be we baldere,
“& y schal vndertake þys were.”
He was wel armed, & on his stede
Toward þe bataille he gan hym spede.
Waster non þat wolde hym feyne
Whan þey sey þe kynges seigne.
So wel he bar hym, & so auster,
Þey wende hit were kyng Wyder.
Þan myghte men se knyghtes stoute,
Þat perced þorow þe Romayns Route;
Þe Romayns ne moughte to-gedere holde,
So were þe bretons egre & bolde;
Syre Claudius wyþ his partie
193
Þat myghte nought to þe water fle,
Vntil a wode þen fledde he.
Hamoun, þat þe host al ledde,
To þer schypes faste he fledde;
He spirde after þer enperour,
Whider-ward he made his retour;
Men ynowe til hym gon seye,
Þat to þe water he tok hys weye.
Þe kynges broþer Arwygare,
Whider Hamon fledde, he was wel war.
Atte water Hamon doun lyght,
Intil a bot Hamon had tyght;
Byforn cam Arwygar atte bot;
Sire Hamones hed þer of he smot.
ffor Hamon lefte þere his heued,
Þe name of hym þer ys bileued;
& for þencheson of þulke Hamoun,
ffor hym þe calde þe toun Hamptoun:
ffor swylke chaunces þat han bytid,
Ar names of tounes cald & kyd.
Whan he was fled, þenperour,
& Hamon slayn atte retour,
& alle wer dryuen to þat cost,
Þe kyng to Wynchestre lad his host.
When Arwygar þiderward nam,
Claudius ef[t] to londe cam,
& com a-geyn to Porchestre,
& brak þe walles, & brente þe estre:
Al he brente, vp & doun,
& chaced men out of þe toun.
Byforen hit was a god cite;
Syn cam hit neuere to þat bounte.
When he had destruyed þus Porchestre,
Syþen he wente to Wynchestre;
Þer-inne he seged Arwygare,
& alle þat euere wyþ hym ware.
Gode engyns dide he make,
Þe walles to breke, houses to schake.
Arwygar heldyt a vylte,
So seged in a toun to be,
& seide ‘he wolde nought þrynne lye,
‘To wham-euere happede þe maistrie;
‘Eyþer wold he wynne or lese los,
‘Er he scholde more be halde inclos.’
He went out in-to þe feld,
& alle his knyghtes wyþ spere & scheld;
He batailled hem vnto þe fight,
Wyþ archers gode, wel adight;
Þe mene folk alle y fere
Were wysly set in god manere.
Bytwyxte þe partys was þer bot lyte
Þat þey ne scholde to-gedere smyte.
& Hamon slayn atte retour,
& alle wer dryuen to þat cost,
Þe kyng to Wynchestre lad his host.
When Arwygar þiderward nam,
Claudius ef[t] to londe cam,
& com a-geyn to Porchestre,
& brak þe walles, & brente þe estre:
Al he brente, vp & doun,
& chaced men out of þe toun.
194
Syn cam hit neuere to þat bounte.
When he had destruyed þus Porchestre,
Syþen he wente to Wynchestre;
Þer-inne he seged Arwygare,
& alle þat euere wyþ hym ware.
Gode engyns dide he make,
Þe walles to breke, houses to schake.
Arwygar heldyt a vylte,
So seged in a toun to be,
& seide ‘he wolde nought þrynne lye,
‘To wham-euere happede þe maistrie;
‘Eyþer wold he wynne or lese los,
‘Er he scholde more be halde inclos.’
He went out in-to þe feld,
& alle his knyghtes wyþ spere & scheld;
He batailled hem vnto þe fight,
Wyþ archers gode, wel adight;
Þe mene folk alle y fere
Were wysly set in god manere.
Bytwyxte þe partys was þer bot lyte
Þat þey ne scholde to-gedere smyte.
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