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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Lucius primus Rex Christianus. |
 | The Story of England |  |
Lucius primus Rex Christianus.
After þis gode kyng Coylus,
Regned his sone sire Lucius;
He was large & curteys,
And firste Cristen kynge, men seis.
Al þis land so fair and fre,
Þorow hym was brought to Cristiente.
Whan he herde þe lawe of Crist,
How in his name [men] were baptist,
Of his miracles men spake ryf,
& of þapostles holy lyf,
& als how God for þeym wrought
Þat to Cristendam wer brought,
He sent þe Pope Eluthere,
Bysoughte hym as his fader dere
To sende hym a man myght hym baptyze,
Of Cristes lawe lere hym þe wyse.
When þe Pope herde þat tydynge,
He þanked Iesu, heuene kynge,
Þat in his tyme he wolde so wyrche,
Brytaigne to brynge to holy chirche.
Two clerkes he sente hider to preche—
Bisschopes þe were, þe lawe to teche,—
Þat o clerk highte sire Duman,
Þat oþer men calde Bisschop ffagan,
Þyse to bisschopes baptized þe kynge
& alle his men at her comynge.
Þorow þe kyng & his grauntise
Þey ordeyned þe lawe in right assise;
Þei ordeigned ilka bischop þer se,
& Erchebischopes abouen hem to be.
In hys tyme were temples olde,
Eyght & twenty flamins men tolde,—
Þe Latyn calleþ temple ‘flamins,’—
Somme of Mahoun, & somme of Appoll[i]ns,
Somme of Dyane, somme & of Berit.—
Two arche flaminus were þey ȝit;
At Londone was þer chef flamee,
& at ȝork þat oþer se;
Þe oþere flamins in londe ware
Als þe bischopes sees now are.
Þyse temples of Maumetries
Þey turned alle fro þer eresyes,
& halewode þem to Cristes werk,
& ordeyned kirkes, prest, & clerk,
Landes, rentes, lyght & catel,
Þat to þo temples langed or fel,
& al oþer aportynaunce,
He gaf hit to þer sustenaunce:
To a dyocise langed a cite,
& ordened paroschens for to be.
To parsones & to vicaries
Was graunted grete seignuryes.
When Bretayne was Cristen al,
& þe newe lawe was brought to stal,
Ioyful was sire Lucyus,
Þat sey þe folk al turne þus.
In Cristene lawe, als he hym ches,
Þer-inne he ended in god pes;
At Gloucestre he deide, & þer [he] lys,
& his soule wente to Paradis.
Þe date of Crist, men seid þo her,
Was an hundred & fyue & fifty ȝer.
Wyþouten heyr Lucyus ys ded.
Þen couþe þe Bretons þer-of no red:
Wo was hem he hadde non heyr!
To haue a lord þey were in speyr;
[þe were bigan omang þam alle,
to whom þe seignorie suld falle.]
ffro lond to la[n]d, fro man to man,
Regned his sone sire Lucius;
He was large & curteys,
And firste Cristen kynge, men seis.
Al þis land so fair and fre,
Þorow hym was brought to Cristiente.
202
How in his name [men] were baptist,
Of his miracles men spake ryf,
& of þapostles holy lyf,
& als how God for þeym wrought
Þat to Cristendam wer brought,
He sent þe Pope Eluthere,
Bysoughte hym as his fader dere
To sende hym a man myght hym baptyze,
Of Cristes lawe lere hym þe wyse.
When þe Pope herde þat tydynge,
He þanked Iesu, heuene kynge,
Þat in his tyme he wolde so wyrche,
Brytaigne to brynge to holy chirche.
Two clerkes he sente hider to preche—
Bisschopes þe were, þe lawe to teche,—
Þat o clerk highte sire Duman,
Þat oþer men calde Bisschop ffagan,
Þyse to bisschopes baptized þe kynge
& alle his men at her comynge.
Þorow þe kyng & his grauntise
Þey ordeyned þe lawe in right assise;
Þei ordeigned ilka bischop þer se,
& Erchebischopes abouen hem to be.
In hys tyme were temples olde,
Eyght & twenty flamins men tolde,—
Þe Latyn calleþ temple ‘flamins,’—
Somme of Mahoun, & somme of Appoll[i]ns,
203
Two arche flaminus were þey ȝit;
At Londone was þer chef flamee,
& at ȝork þat oþer se;
Þe oþere flamins in londe ware
Als þe bischopes sees now are.
Þyse temples of Maumetries
Þey turned alle fro þer eresyes,
& halewode þem to Cristes werk,
& ordeyned kirkes, prest, & clerk,
Landes, rentes, lyght & catel,
Þat to þo temples langed or fel,
& al oþer aportynaunce,
He gaf hit to þer sustenaunce:
To a dyocise langed a cite,
& ordened paroschens for to be.
To parsones & to vicaries
Was graunted grete seignuryes.
When Bretayne was Cristen al,
& þe newe lawe was brought to stal,
Ioyful was sire Lucyus,
Þat sey þe folk al turne þus.
In Cristene lawe, als he hym ches,
Þer-inne he ended in god pes;
At Gloucestre he deide, & þer [he] lys,
& his soule wente to Paradis.
Þe date of Crist, men seid þo her,
Was an hundred & fyue & fifty ȝer.
Wyþouten heyr Lucyus ys ded.
Þen couþe þe Bretons þer-of no red:
204
To haue a lord þey were in speyr;
[þe were bigan omang þam alle,
to whom þe seignorie suld falle.]
ffro lond to la[n]d, fro man to man,
Of þat to Rome tydynge ran,
Þat ded was sire Lucyus,
& þat we werreyed amonge vs.
Þat ded was sire Lucyus,
& þat we werreyed amonge vs.
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