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 Dynoto, Custode siue Rege, & de Vrsula, filia
eiusdem, & .xj. Ml virginum, tam per tempestatem
quam apud Coloniam, occisis per Sarasenos. |
 | The Story of England |  |
229
De Dynoto, Custode siue Rege, & de Vrsula, filia eiusdem, & .xj. Ml virginum, tam per tempestatem quam apud Coloniam, occisis per Sarasenos.
When Maximian ferde fro Bretaigne,
Of Dynotis mad he cheftayne,
To kepe þe lond til his bihoue;
ffor trewe & feyþful he dide hym proue.
Sire Karaduk, þat y spak of byforn,
Was Dynotis broþer, & ȝonge born;
Bot ded þat tyme was Karaduk;
& his sone, þat highte sire Mauryk,—
Þat ȝede to Rome in Octauus message—
Wyþ Dyanot he kepte his heritage.
A doughter had Dianot, & no ma;
Hure name was cald dame Vrsula.
Þo þat were dryuen fro Armoriche,
Þe Frensche & þey felawed o-liche,
& rysen ageyn Conan to fight;
Bot Conan meyntende wel his right;
ffor þeym ne loste he neuere nought
Whan þey on hym bataille sought.
Þen was Conan meued of skyle
Hys lond to edefie & to tyle;
& þat þey moughte þe sikerere lyue,
Wyues he þoughte hem for to gyue.
ffrensche wymen wolde þey non take,
Þat þer blod no monge scholde make,
To haue cleym þorow heritage,
Ne dowarye þorow mariage.
Vntil no blod wolde þey hem bynde,
Bot only to þer owene kynde;
Þerfore Conan sente his sonde
To Dianot, þat kepte þis londe,
“To sende hym his doughter Vrsele—
“Wiþ non oþer wolde he dele,—
“And gentil damysels vngyuen,
“Þat able to mennes companye were þryuen,—
“Squyers doughtres, & frankelayns,
“To gyue hem to knyghtes & to swayns,
“Oþer maidens comen of þralles,
“To be maried as þem falles;
“Alle þat he myghte, he schold hym sende,
“Wiþ waryson he schold þem mende.”
Dynot graunted to sende hym hyre,
& richely þen dide hure atyre;
Alle þo þat he gete myght,
Lordynges doughtres wel adight:
Of Dynotis mad he cheftayne,
To kepe þe lond til his bihoue;
ffor trewe & feyþful he dide hym proue.
Sire Karaduk, þat y spak of byforn,
Was Dynotis broþer, & ȝonge born;
Bot ded þat tyme was Karaduk;
& his sone, þat highte sire Mauryk,—
Þat ȝede to Rome in Octauus message—
Wyþ Dyanot he kepte his heritage.
A doughter had Dianot, & no ma;
Hure name was cald dame Vrsula.
Þo þat were dryuen fro Armoriche,
Þe Frensche & þey felawed o-liche,
& rysen ageyn Conan to fight;
Bot Conan meyntende wel his right;
ffor þeym ne loste he neuere nought
Whan þey on hym bataille sought.
Þen was Conan meued of skyle
Hys lond to edefie & to tyle;
& þat þey moughte þe sikerere lyue,
Wyues he þoughte hem for to gyue.
ffrensche wymen wolde þey non take,
Þat þer blod no monge scholde make,
230
Ne dowarye þorow mariage.
Vntil no blod wolde þey hem bynde,
Bot only to þer owene kynde;
Þerfore Conan sente his sonde
To Dianot, þat kepte þis londe,
“To sende hym his doughter Vrsele—
“Wiþ non oþer wolde he dele,—
“And gentil damysels vngyuen,
“Þat able to mennes companye were þryuen,—
“Squyers doughtres, & frankelayns,
“To gyue hem to knyghtes & to swayns,
“Oþer maidens comen of þralles,
“To be maried as þem falles;
“Alle þat he myghte, he schold hym sende,
“Wiþ waryson he schold þem mende.”
Dynot graunted to sende hym hyre,
& richely þen dide hure atyre;
Alle þo þat he gete myght,
Lordynges doughtres wel adight:
Enleuen þousand þey were by tale,
Of gentil blod, grete & smale;
Oþer þat were of lower kynde,
Þe auenauntest þey myghte fynde,
Sexty þousand, so many þer ware,
Redy to schipen ouer to fare,
Wel dight ilkon for þe nones.
At Londone þey schiped at ones,
& drowe þer sail heye vpon mast;
Bytaughte þem God, & seyled fast.
Of gentil blod, grete & smale;
Oþer þat were of lower kynde,
Þe auenauntest þey myghte fynde,
Sexty þousand, so many þer ware,
Redy to schipen ouer to fare,
Wel dight ilkon for þe nones.
At Londone þey schiped at ones,
& drowe þer sail heye vpon mast;
Bytaughte þem God, & seyled fast.
231
When þey were in deppest flod,
& wenden han had passage god,
Ros a tempest, rorande loude,
& reyned al doun wyþ a blak cloude.
Derk was þe skye, gret was þe reyn,
Þe wynd was wod [&] þem ageyn;
Þe sky ferd as hit scholde doun falle;
Wonder wawes agaste þem alle,
So þey arysen on ouer anoþer,
Þat þeym nauaillede mast ne roþer;
Þe wynd, þe water, so faste þey faught,
Þem to saue was non þat þought.
Þrytty schipes þer were nomo,
Þo sexti þousand to deþe ȝede þo,
Þe oþere enleuene ful fer were dryuen,
In Barbarie þey vp aryuen:
Two Sarasyns were kynges of pris,
Þat on highte Melga, þat oþer Gwanis.
Gwanis was kyng of Huneys;
Melga, of Peyghtes was kynge, hit seis.
Þyse Sarasynes wolde han leyn hem by,
Bot þey nolde of no vileny,
Leuere þem were deye wyþ drede,
Þan to lecherye þer bodies bede.
Wiþ martirdom þey dide hem deye;
At Coloyne now, men sais, þei lye.
& wenden han had passage god,
Ros a tempest, rorande loude,
& reyned al doun wyþ a blak cloude.
Derk was þe skye, gret was þe reyn,
Þe wynd was wod [&] þem ageyn;
Þe sky ferd as hit scholde doun falle;
Wonder wawes agaste þem alle,
So þey arysen on ouer anoþer,
Þat þeym nauaillede mast ne roþer;
Þe wynd, þe water, so faste þey faught,
Þem to saue was non þat þought.
Þrytty schipes þer were nomo,
Þo sexti þousand to deþe ȝede þo,
Þe oþere enleuene ful fer were dryuen,
In Barbarie þey vp aryuen:
Two Sarasyns were kynges of pris,
Þat on highte Melga, þat oþer Gwanis.
Gwanis was kyng of Huneys;
Melga, of Peyghtes was kynge, hit seis.
Þyse Sarasynes wolde han leyn hem by,
Bot þey nolde of no vileny,
Leuere þem were deye wyþ drede,
Þan to lecherye þer bodies bede.
Wiþ martirdom þey dide hem deye;
At Coloyne now, men sais, þei lye.
Þenne herde þise to Sarsyns seye
Þat þe force of Bretaigne was aweye,
How gret host wyþ Maximian went,
& to Conan þritty þousand sent;
What wyþ þat on, what wyþ þat oþer,
Þer lefte no force agayns non oþer.
What dide Melga & Guaneis,
Bot gadred ost of Outlandeys.
Wiþ gret nauye o þe se þey ryde,
& comen in alle by Scotlande syde;
Wyþ were & wo þey dide gret noye,
ffor Westmorland al gon þey struye;
Al þe northe contre þey wasted.
Þey passed Humber, & southe hem hasted;
Non encountre þey ne fond,
Bot husbonde-men þat tyled lond,
& werkmen, & oþer pedaille
Þat couþe nought werre ne of bataille;
ȝif any swyche stod ought agayn,
Wyþ armed men sone were þey slayn.
Ilk man fro his owen gan fle,
& þo þat ne myghte, slayn was he:
How scholde þat londe kepe hym fro harmes,
Þat naked ys of men of armes?
A lond hedles in tyme of nede,
Ouer al þanne ys sorewe & drede;
& so was þenne bot cry & kare,
Of socour & help þey were al bare;
Bot while þey hadde þer bolde barons,
Sauelike held þey þer castels & touns;
Ouer alle landes þey schewed þer myghtes,
Þe whyles þey hadde þer noble knyghtes.
Þen chose þey of most bolde & fers,
& sent hem to Rome as messegers
ffor help vnto Maximian;
And he þem sende sire Gracian;
Wyþ hym come two legyons
Þat wel socoured þe Bretouns;
Þise Sarsynes þeues þey drof awey,
In til Irland ilkon fled þey.
Þat þe force of Bretaigne was aweye,
How gret host wyþ Maximian went,
& to Conan þritty þousand sent;
232
Þer lefte no force agayns non oþer.
What dide Melga & Guaneis,
Bot gadred ost of Outlandeys.
Wiþ gret nauye o þe se þey ryde,
& comen in alle by Scotlande syde;
Wyþ were & wo þey dide gret noye,
ffor Westmorland al gon þey struye;
Al þe northe contre þey wasted.
Þey passed Humber, & southe hem hasted;
Non encountre þey ne fond,
Bot husbonde-men þat tyled lond,
& werkmen, & oþer pedaille
Þat couþe nought werre ne of bataille;
ȝif any swyche stod ought agayn,
Wyþ armed men sone were þey slayn.
Ilk man fro his owen gan fle,
& þo þat ne myghte, slayn was he:
How scholde þat londe kepe hym fro harmes,
Þat naked ys of men of armes?
A lond hedles in tyme of nede,
Ouer al þanne ys sorewe & drede;
& so was þenne bot cry & kare,
Of socour & help þey were al bare;
Bot while þey hadde þer bolde barons,
Sauelike held þey þer castels & touns;
Ouer alle landes þey schewed þer myghtes,
Þe whyles þey hadde þer noble knyghtes.
Þen chose þey of most bolde & fers,
& sent hem to Rome as messegers
ffor help vnto Maximian;
233
Wyþ hym come two legyons
Þat wel socoured þe Bretouns;
Þise Sarsynes þeues þey drof awey,
In til Irland ilkon fled þey.
In þys tyme at Rome ros Valentyn
Wyþ al hys kynde, em & cosyn;
Wyþ hym com kynges of þe Est,
Mo þan twenty, as seyþ þe Gest;
Bot þorow treson, y ne wot how,
Algate Maximian þey slow.
Þe Bretons þat Maximian ledde,
Summe þey slowe, somme were fledde;
Þan sesed Valentyn Rome al efte,
Al þat Maximian hym refte.
Wyþ al hys kynde, em & cosyn;
Wyþ hym com kynges of þe Est,
Mo þan twenty, as seyþ þe Gest;
Bot þorow treson, y ne wot how,
Algate Maximian þey slow.
Þe Bretons þat Maximian ledde,
Summe þey slowe, somme were fledde;
Þan sesed Valentyn Rome al efte,
Al þat Maximian hym refte.
| The Story of England | |