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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ffulgencius Rex. |
 | The Story of England |  |
ffulgencius Rex.
ffulgence he highte, a gret lordyng;
He felawed hym wyþ þe Peytes,
Þat euere were ful of deseites;
Outlandeis þat were ffledde,
Alle swilk wyþ þeym þey ledde;
In a conrtre þey dide gret schame;
Dene was þenne þer-of þe name.
ffro Scotland in to þurlewal,
Peytes landes þey telde hit al.
ffulgence southewarde hym hasted,
Þe lond al aboute was wasted;
Sauer fledde southeward ageyn;
Þe Peites robbed & made al pleyn.
ffulgence wyþ Peytes on hem þey ran,
Bot þe Peyte fledde ilk a man;—
Som tyme wolde þey bataille abide,
& som tyme fledde on ilka syde;
Bot ofte dide þey Sauer tene,
ffulgence wiþ þe Peytes kene.
Longe dured þat reuery,
Þat Sauer mought neuere come þem by,
Til he dide make an ouerthwert dik,
Bitwyxte to sees a ful gret strik;
& þer-on a pale wel y-poynt,
Þykke & hey, ful wel y-ioynt,
& closed þat side of þe lond;
Ouerthwert, Est & West hit bond.
Syn þat tyme hit was in-clos,
Neuere non of alle his foos
Durste non of þeym ferþer fele,
Ne by þat side robbe ne stele.
ffulgence tok conseil at wyse,
& of Peytes & oþere of hyse,
To werre ȝit more vpon Sauer,
& hym to chace fer & ner.
Til Peytes he gaf gyftes grete,
& preied hem þey scholde nought lete
To gadere a god compaygnie
Toward þe se in his nauie.
When þey hadde gadered þer host,
& schipes by þe se cost,
Þe host was schiped, & went to se,
& aryued vp y þe beste contre,
& byseged ȝork al aboute.
Al þe contre til hym gan loute;
He sente to grete lordynges,
& het & gaf hem riche þynges.
ffor fair hot, & giftes þat þey tok,
Þemperour Sauer þey forsok.
Sauer tok hise oþer Bretons,
& asembled his legions;
Toward ȝork faste þem dight,
To remue hem he hadde tyght.
When þey were comen wyþynne a lyte,
Þe batailles gonne to-gedere smyte;
ffellyk þey foughte, for þer was slayn
On eyþer syde þeir cheftayn;
ffulgence was first feld to grounde,
& Sauer was slayn on a stounde.
Þe Romayns for Sauer bysought,
So þat his body to ȝork was brought,
& biried þer solempnely,
& his oþer frendes hym by.
Þis ilke enperour Sauer
Regned her seuentene ȝer:
Syn Crist cam of þe vyrgyne,
Nyne score ȝer euene, & nyne,
He felawed hym wyþ þe Peytes,
Þat euere were ful of deseites;
Outlandeis þat were ffledde,
Alle swilk wyþ þeym þey ledde;
In a conrtre þey dide gret schame;
Dene was þenne þer-of þe name.
ffro Scotland in to þurlewal,
Peytes landes þey telde hit al.
ffulgence southewarde hym hasted,
Þe lond al aboute was wasted;
205
Þe Peites robbed & made al pleyn.
ffulgence wyþ Peytes on hem þey ran,
Bot þe Peyte fledde ilk a man;—
Som tyme wolde þey bataille abide,
& som tyme fledde on ilka syde;
Bot ofte dide þey Sauer tene,
ffulgence wiþ þe Peytes kene.
Longe dured þat reuery,
Þat Sauer mought neuere come þem by,
Til he dide make an ouerthwert dik,
Bitwyxte to sees a ful gret strik;
& þer-on a pale wel y-poynt,
Þykke & hey, ful wel y-ioynt,
& closed þat side of þe lond;
Ouerthwert, Est & West hit bond.
Syn þat tyme hit was in-clos,
Neuere non of alle his foos
Durste non of þeym ferþer fele,
Ne by þat side robbe ne stele.
ffulgence tok conseil at wyse,
& of Peytes & oþere of hyse,
To werre ȝit more vpon Sauer,
& hym to chace fer & ner.
Til Peytes he gaf gyftes grete,
& preied hem þey scholde nought lete
To gadere a god compaygnie
Toward þe se in his nauie.
When þey hadde gadered þer host,
& schipes by þe se cost,
Þe host was schiped, & went to se,
& aryued vp y þe beste contre,
206
Al þe contre til hym gan loute;
He sente to grete lordynges,
& het & gaf hem riche þynges.
ffor fair hot, & giftes þat þey tok,
Þemperour Sauer þey forsok.
Sauer tok hise oþer Bretons,
& asembled his legions;
Toward ȝork faste þem dight,
To remue hem he hadde tyght.
When þey were comen wyþynne a lyte,
Þe batailles gonne to-gedere smyte;
ffellyk þey foughte, for þer was slayn
On eyþer syde þeir cheftayn;
ffulgence was first feld to grounde,
& Sauer was slayn on a stounde.
Þe Romayns for Sauer bysought,
So þat his body to ȝork was brought,
& biried þer solempnely,
& his oþer frendes hym by.
Þis ilke enperour Sauer
Regned her seuentene ȝer:
Syn Crist cam of þe vyrgyne,
Nyne score ȝer euene, & nyne,
Of þys Sauer þat deide þere,
Tweye knaue childre were;
Þat on men calde Bassian,
Þat oþer had to name Cetan.
Cetan moder was a Romayn,
Comen of gode knyght & swayn.
Bassan was born of a Brette;
Þe Bretons of hym þe bettere lette.
Þe Romayns toke þis ilke Cetan,
& corouned hym, & bycome hys man.
Þe Bretons wiþ Bassan helde,
& of þe roeme highte hym þe schelde.
Þen ilkon in þer party
Held wyþ his kynde doughtyly:
Al þus wyþ megge & wiþ monge
Bytwixt hem wax þer werre stronge;
Ilkon ouer oþer so lange þey ran,
Þat atte laste slayn was Cetan.
Tweye knaue childre were;
Þat on men calde Bassian,
Þat oþer had to name Cetan.
Cetan moder was a Romayn,
Comen of gode knyght & swayn.
Bassan was born of a Brette;
Þe Bretons of hym þe bettere lette.
207
& corouned hym, & bycome hys man.
Þe Bretons wiþ Bassan helde,
& of þe roeme highte hym þe schelde.
Þen ilkon in þer party
Held wyþ his kynde doughtyly:
Al þus wyþ megge & wiþ monge
Bytwixt hem wax þer werre stronge;
Ilkon ouer oþer so lange þey ran,
Þat atte laste slayn was Cetan.
| The Story of England | |