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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Exe iam tradicio falsy ffortygerny. |
 | The Story of England |  |
Exe iam tradicio falsy ffortygerny.
Þe kyng to fforteger þus seyd:“My purueaunce ys on þe leyd;
“Do ryght als þy seluen wyle;
“Tak & lef as þou sest skyle,
“Als manye as þou hast of nede;
“Bettere þan y þou wost þe dede.”
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An hundred Peyghtes to þe court he drow.
Of castles, tounes, & tresorye,
Of al he hadde þe maystrie;
He gaf þe Peytes what þey wyld,
Al þer askyng he fulfyld,
He honured hem swyþe mykel,
ffor wel he wyste þey were ful fykel;
Wyþ metes & drynkes he made þem glade,
& often dronken he þem made;
He preised hem faste in his sawe,
& oueral dide þem forþ drawe;
fforby alle oþere he þem honured;
Þat mester hadde, he þem socourred;
Þer-fore comunly ylka Peight,
Byfore alle þey seyde on heyght,
“Þat fforteger was more curteys
“Þan þe kyng was ony weys,
“& bettere semed to bere þe honur
“Þan þe kyng or his auncessour.”
In ilka stede whare þey ferde,
Þus þey seyde; þey ne roughte ho herde.
& for þe Peytes on hym seyde þis,
fforteger þer-of had gret blys;
& þe more þat þey hym preysed,
Þe more he þem vp areysed.
| The Story of England | |