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 Bello inter Romanos & Regem apud Londonium. |
 | The Story of England |  |
De Bello inter Romanos & Regem apud Londonium.
A day þe Romayns made sacrifise
I þe temple, as was [þer] gyse.
Right in þeire solempnete,
Byseged þe Bretons þeir cite;
Þe Romayns herde noise & cry,
& cried “as armes!” on hy, on hy,
And dide þem out in to þe felde,
& baldely on þem self gon belde,
& foughten wyþ þe Bretons faste.
Bot þe Romayns route to-braste;
ffor Alectus dide; & his mene
ȝede al doun, & moughte nought fle;
Alle þat were on þat party,
Ascaped þer non by stret ne sty.
Sire Walwes sey þeir side ȝed doun;
By tyme he fledde in to þe toun,
& þe gates after þem sperde.
To karnels & to þe walle [t]hey ferde,
& to þe toures cop on hey,
& dide þe Brutons holde þem a dreigh.
Asclipedot þat was wyþoute,
Saw þe Romayns hadde no doute;
His lettres he dide write & sende
After mo bretons fer & hende,
Þat þey scholde come & sege make
Aboute Londone, Romayns to take.
ffor þe sonde of sire Asclipidot,
Come Walschemen & many a Scot;
On ilka syde alle þey cam,
Þat langed vnto þe kynedam.
Engyns dide þe Bretons reyse,
& mangenels ful gode to preyse,
& ffruscht þe wal of þe cite;
Wyþ strengþe on þeym þey had entre.
Þen myghte men se þe Romayns deye,
& on hepes leye by ilka weye;
Neuere byfore swylk slaughter was
Of [þe] Romayns at no pas.
Þe Romayns þat were so schent,
To priue fortelets þey went,
ffro þe Bretons for to hyde,
Þer lif to lengþe ay byside;
Bot þe Bretons helden hem streyt,
Þey ascaped nought for no deseyt.
Sory was Walwes, & made his mone,
& preyed vn-to þe Bretons ilkone,
“Lordynges, wol ȝe let me go
“Vnto Rome þer y cam fro,
“& my men for to saue?
“O legion, & namo, wold y craue.
“Þo þat mystaken haue, more or lesse,
“ffor þeym ask y forgyuenesse,
“& let vs senglely a-wey fare
“Out of þys lond for euere mare.”
Þe Bretons graunted þem þer bone,
& þe Romayns ȝolde þem sone.
Out of þe tours þey come al doun,
To þe pes in-to þe toun;
& als þe Romayns ȝolden were,
Þe Wa[l]ssche & Scottes wyþ al þer here
Comen wyþ gret noise & hew;
Tok þey no tent to pes ne trew;
Of the Romayns þey smyten ilkan heued,
Lord ne ladde was þer non leued.
Walwes þey tok, al his vnthank,
& leddym to Atyngal, a brokes bank;
Þer left he his heued, he was þe last;
His body in to Atyngal cast.
& for he in þat water lay,
Þe riueres name was turnd þat day;
On Englische tonge hit hat Walbrok,
ffor þat Walwes his deþ þer tok.
I þe temple, as was [þer] gyse.
Right in þeire solempnete,
Byseged þe Bretons þeir cite;
Þe Romayns herde noise & cry,
& cried “as armes!” on hy, on hy,
And dide þem out in to þe felde,
& baldely on þem self gon belde,
& foughten wyþ þe Bretons faste.
Bot þe Romayns route to-braste;
ffor Alectus dide; & his mene
ȝede al doun, & moughte nought fle;
Alle þat were on þat party,
Ascaped þer non by stret ne sty.
Sire Walwes sey þeir side ȝed doun;
By tyme he fledde in to þe toun,
& þe gates after þem sperde.
To karnels & to þe walle [t]hey ferde,
& to þe toures cop on hey,
& dide þe Brutons holde þem a dreigh.
Asclipedot þat was wyþoute,
Saw þe Romayns hadde no doute;
His lettres he dide write & sende
After mo bretons fer & hende,
213
Aboute Londone, Romayns to take.
ffor þe sonde of sire Asclipidot,
Come Walschemen & many a Scot;
On ilka syde alle þey cam,
Þat langed vnto þe kynedam.
Engyns dide þe Bretons reyse,
& mangenels ful gode to preyse,
& ffruscht þe wal of þe cite;
Wyþ strengþe on þeym þey had entre.
Þen myghte men se þe Romayns deye,
& on hepes leye by ilka weye;
Neuere byfore swylk slaughter was
Of [þe] Romayns at no pas.
Þe Romayns þat were so schent,
To priue fortelets þey went,
ffro þe Bretons for to hyde,
Þer lif to lengþe ay byside;
Bot þe Bretons helden hem streyt,
Þey ascaped nought for no deseyt.
Sory was Walwes, & made his mone,
& preyed vn-to þe Bretons ilkone,
“Lordynges, wol ȝe let me go
“Vnto Rome þer y cam fro,
“& my men for to saue?
“O legion, & namo, wold y craue.
“Þo þat mystaken haue, more or lesse,
“ffor þeym ask y forgyuenesse,
“& let vs senglely a-wey fare
“Out of þys lond for euere mare.”
214
& þe Romayns ȝolde þem sone.
Out of þe tours þey come al doun,
To þe pes in-to þe toun;
& als þe Romayns ȝolden were,
Þe Wa[l]ssche & Scottes wyþ al þer here
Comen wyþ gret noise & hew;
Tok þey no tent to pes ne trew;
Of the Romayns þey smyten ilkan heued,
Lord ne ladde was þer non leued.
Walwes þey tok, al his vnthank,
& leddym to Atyngal, a brokes bank;
Þer left he his heued, he was þe last;
His body in to Atyngal cast.
& for he in þat water lay,
Þe riueres name was turnd þat day;
On Englische tonge hit hat Walbrok,
ffor þat Walwes his deþ þer tok.
Þenne regned Asclipedot;
Neyþer was he schrewe ne sot.
Gret feste he held at hys coronynge,
& ten ȝer he regned kynge.
Neyþer was he schrewe ne sot.
Gret feste he held at hys coronynge,
& ten ȝer he regned kynge.
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