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 |
 |
|
De electione Constanti Monachi in Regem. |
 | The Story of England |  |
De electione Constanti Monachi in Regem.
Þe clergie for þis dide make asemble,
Whilk of þe children best kyng myght be;
Bot þey were so lytel & ȝonge,
Reson couþe þey non wiþ tonge.
Constant was eldest & mere,
& was a monk, a man of lere.
Þey seide atones, alle & som,
Þem noughte nout reue hym fro religion;
Ne lawe nolde hit by no weye,
A monk to take fro his abbeye:
To take an oþer, þe Conseil ches.
Þen stirte vp Forteger in al þe pres,
& seide, “Hit is to drede no þyng,
“Of þe monk to make a kynge.
“He ys eldest;—of þe habite no tale!—
“Þe oþere arn ȝonge, & ouer smale.
“Y graunte non oþer kyng to be.
“ffor al þe synne, y take on me.”
Non oþer assented to þat dome,
Þat þe monk scholde a kynge bycome;
Þey dredden swylk a þyng bygynne;
Bot fforteger dredde nought þat synne:
What he wold do, non durste hym werne,
To Wynchestre he hyed hym ȝerne,
He asked leue atte priour
To speke wyþ Constant y þe parlour:
Whilk of þe children best kyng myght be;
Bot þey were so lytel & ȝonge,
Reson couþe þey non wiþ tonge.
Constant was eldest & mere,
& was a monk, a man of lere.
Þey seide atones, alle & som,
Þem noughte nout reue hym fro religion;
Ne lawe nolde hit by no weye,
A monk to take fro his abbeye:
To take an oþer, þe Conseil ches.
Þen stirte vp Forteger in al þe pres,
& seide, “Hit is to drede no þyng,
248
“He ys eldest;—of þe habite no tale!—
“Þe oþere arn ȝonge, & ouer smale.
“Y graunte non oþer kyng to be.
“ffor al þe synne, y take on me.”
Non oþer assented to þat dome,
Þat þe monk scholde a kynge bycome;
Þey dredden swylk a þyng bygynne;
Bot fforteger dredde nought þat synne:
What he wold do, non durste hym werne,
To Wynchestre he hyed hym ȝerne,
He asked leue atte priour
To speke wyþ Constant y þe parlour:
“Constant,” he seide, “þy lord ys ded;
“Þy breþere ar ȝonge; what ys þy red?
“Y wolde þou haddest þe herytage,
“ffor þou art man most of age.
“Wiltow auaunce my rente, my fe,
“& loue me wel, & triste on me.
“Þy blake cloþes schalt þou loþe,
“& y þe richest y schal þe cloþe;
“Þy monkhod þow schalt al weyue,
“Þe heritage of þe reome reseyue.”
Þys monk was blent wyþ veyn glorye;
Abyte & ordre he let al flye,
ffor he ȝerned more pryde þan prow,
& wel more vice þan vertu.
Þat fforteger asked, he hym hight,
& þer-to his trouþe he dide hym plyght.
Out of his abite he hym schok,
Syþen out of þe abbeye hym tok;
In faire cloþes he hym cledde,
Wyþ hym to Londone Constant he ledde.
Was noman wyþ-seyde hym o nay;
Þey seye hit was þe monkes pay.
To somone þe folk anon þey bed;
Bot þerchebischop þat tyme was ded
Þat felle to make þe corounement;
Þer-to non oþer durste consent;
Bot fforteger þe coroune forþ fet,
And on Constantes heued hit set;
[was þer non oþer benyson,
bot Vortiger set on þe croun,]
& Constant þe coroune tok,
& ordre & habite al forsok;
Þus to worschipe gan he lende,
Wiþ schame he parted at his ende.
“Þy breþere ar ȝonge; what ys þy red?
“Y wolde þou haddest þe herytage,
“ffor þou art man most of age.
“Wiltow auaunce my rente, my fe,
“& loue me wel, & triste on me.
“Þy blake cloþes schalt þou loþe,
“& y þe richest y schal þe cloþe;
“Þy monkhod þow schalt al weyue,
“Þe heritage of þe reome reseyue.”
Þys monk was blent wyþ veyn glorye;
Abyte & ordre he let al flye,
ffor he ȝerned more pryde þan prow,
& wel more vice þan vertu.
Þat fforteger asked, he hym hight,
& þer-to his trouþe he dide hym plyght.
Out of his abite he hym schok,
Syþen out of þe abbeye hym tok;
In faire cloþes he hym cledde,
Wyþ hym to Londone Constant he ledde.
249
Þey seye hit was þe monkes pay.
To somone þe folk anon þey bed;
Bot þerchebischop þat tyme was ded
Þat felle to make þe corounement;
Þer-to non oþer durste consent;
Bot fforteger þe coroune forþ fet,
And on Constantes heued hit set;
[was þer non oþer benyson,
bot Vortiger set on þe croun,]
& Constant þe coroune tok,
& ordre & habite al forsok;
Þus to worschipe gan he lende,
Wiþ schame he parted at his ende.
| The Story of England | |