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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| Hengistus, & Horsus frater eius, cepunt portum
apud Sandwycum. |
 | The Story of England |  |
Hengistus, & Horsus frater eius, cepunt portum apud Sandwycum.
When þyse breþere Hengist & HorsHad leue of þe kyng & of þe ports,
He greyþed his feres to fare al myry
To speke wyþ þe kyng at Caunterbyri.
When þey come, þe kyng þey grette,
& alle þat were by hym sette.
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Were faire of schap, & face clers,
How þey were mad so gentilly,
ffayrest of al þer compaigny:
Þen seyde þe kyng, “of whenne be ȝe?
What haue ȝe sought to þis contre?”
Þen was Hengist eldest & more;
ffor alle his feres onswered he þore:
“In Saxoyne were we born & fed;
“ffro þennes hyder our God vs led.
“ȝyf ye wil wite al þe manere,
“Whi & for what we ar com here;
“To telle ȝow, sire, gyues me leue,
“Þat ȝe ne ȝoure wyþ me ne greue.”
Þe kyng gaf hym þe grauntyse,
& Hengist teldym þen in his wyse:
“Sire kyng,” he seyde, “ȝyf þou euere herde,
“So waxynge folk in al þys werde,
“Ne so gendryng, ne so plentyue,
“Ne so gracious kynde to þryue,
“Als we arn of oure kynde,
“In no lond scholde men fynde,
“Ne selcouþloker so to gendre,
“Ne haue so manye childre tendre,
“& wexen boþe men & women y-nowe,
“Þat alle þer dwelle þey ne mowe.
“ffor whan þe folk ar woxen & larged,
“& þe lond ys ouer-charged,
“Oure Prynces perceyue þer ar so fele,
“Þe ȝonge dur þey nought out wele,
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“Or more, þat con þem kepe & welde,
“On strong[e] men, lotes þey kest,
“& byddem go purchace þem best,
“To seke oþer lond & lede,
“ffor mykel people may hit nought fede.
“Mo childre þer are of oure gendrure
“Þan bestes are in oure pasture;
“& for we so multeplye,
“We ar of þe kynde of Germenie.
“At þis tyme fel on vs þe lot,
“Þer-fore, nede, of lande we mot,
“To seke vs oþer on to lende;
“& hidere oure Godes dide vs wende;
“Mercurius, þat vs saues & schildes,
“Haþ vs brought vnto þys yldes.”
When þe kyng herde hym nemne a God,
He asked þenne how þey trowd,
& what þer Godes name hight,
On wham þey trowed had most myght.
He seide, “We haue Godes seeres
“ffor whos wyrschip we make auteres;
“Mars, Iubiter, & Saturnus,
“Dyane, & Mercuryus:
“Þis ar Godes of oure paen lay,
“Þat we worschipe at þer day.
“& mo Godes ȝyt we holde,
“As oure auncestres by-forn vs tolde;
“Bot on ouer alle wyrschipe we mest,
“Sire Mercurius, & holde his fest.
“Mercury ys on oure langage
“‘Woden,’ louerd, ys oure vsage,—
“Oure auncessour set hit so,—
“Þe ferþe day we halewe hym to.
“ffor we þat day worschipen hym alle,
“‘Wodenesday’ þat day we calle.
“Wyþouten hym an oþer we haue,
“A Godesse þat we for help to craue;
“On oure speche we calle hure ffre;
“Þe sixte day, hure worschipe we;
“ffor ‘ffre’ we calle hit ffryday,
“& worschipe hure on payen lay.”
He asked þenne how þey trowd,
& what þer Godes name hight,
On wham þey trowed had most myght.
He seide, “We haue Godes seeres
“ffor whos wyrschip we make auteres;
“Mars, Iubiter, & Saturnus,
“Dyane, & Mercuryus:
“Þis ar Godes of oure paen lay,
“Þat we worschipe at þer day.
“& mo Godes ȝyt we holde,
“As oure auncestres by-forn vs tolde;
“Bot on ouer alle wyrschipe we mest,
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“Mercury ys on oure langage
“‘Woden,’ louerd, ys oure vsage,—
“Oure auncessour set hit so,—
“Þe ferþe day we halewe hym to.
“ffor we þat day worschipen hym alle,
“‘Wodenesday’ þat day we calle.
“Wyþouten hym an oþer we haue,
“A Godesse þat we for help to craue;
“On oure speche we calle hure ffre;
“Þe sixte day, hure worschipe we;
“ffor ‘ffre’ we calle hit ffryday,
“& worschipe hure on payen lay.”
Þen seide þe kyng, “ȝe leue al wronge;
“Wyþ false Godes ȝe make monge;
“On swylk ar nought for to leue,
“Hit ar ffendes þat schol ȝow greue;
“& þat sore ouer-þynkes me;
“Naþeles,” he seyde, “welcome ar ȝe!
“ffayre men ȝe are, & stalworthe seme.
“And ȝe wyl serue me to queme,
“Euerilkon y wyl ȝow take,
“& riche men y schal ȝow make.
“Þe Peytes wayten me wyþ wo,
“Þe Scottes also vs brenne & slo;
“ȝyf hit be so, ȝe may me vaille
“To vencuse þem in pleyn bataille;
“Gyftes schol ȝe haue ful gode
“Til ȝoure cloþynge & ȝour fode;
“& kepes wel ay þe Northe cost;
“ffro þennes comen ouer al þeyr ost.
“Loke y fynde in ȝow no feyntyse;
“ȝe schul me serue of swylk seruise.”
On þys manere come þe Saxouns
Þorow ffortyger among þe Bretouns.
Hengist tok leue at þe kynge,
To Londone for to brynge his þyng;
& sone com to þe court agayn
Wyþ manye faire knyght & swayn.
“Wyþ false Godes ȝe make monge;
“On swylk ar nought for to leue,
“Hit ar ffendes þat schol ȝow greue;
“& þat sore ouer-þynkes me;
“Naþeles,” he seyde, “welcome ar ȝe!
“ffayre men ȝe are, & stalworthe seme.
“And ȝe wyl serue me to queme,
“Euerilkon y wyl ȝow take,
“& riche men y schal ȝow make.
“Þe Peytes wayten me wyþ wo,
“Þe Scottes also vs brenne & slo;
“ȝyf hit be so, ȝe may me vaille
“To vencuse þem in pleyn bataille;
“Gyftes schol ȝe haue ful gode
“Til ȝoure cloþynge & ȝour fode;
“& kepes wel ay þe Northe cost;
“ffro þennes comen ouer al þeyr ost.
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“ȝe schul me serue of swylk seruise.”
On þys manere come þe Saxouns
Þorow ffortyger among þe Bretouns.
Hengist tok leue at þe kynge,
To Londone for to brynge his þyng;
& sone com to þe court agayn
Wyþ manye faire knyght & swayn.
| The Story of England | |