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 Saxones & Pyctos. |
 | The Story of England |  |
De Bello inter Saxones & Pyctos.
Wel sone after þat þey were come,
Þe Scottes & Peytes bataille nome,
And comen faste in-til þys lond,
Pylede & brente al þat þey fond;
Right to Humber water þey cam.
Þe kyng wyþ Saxons ageyn þem nam.
Þe Saxons were þer-of ful blyþe,
Þey arrayed hem wel, & þydeward swyþe,
Þey smyte to-gedere bataille smert;
Þe Peytes were euere ful egre of hert,
Þey stode wel furst & hardyly;
ffor þey were wond to haue þe maistri.
Þey wende haue had þer elde custume,
Þe lenger ageyn þe Bretons þey nome.
Þer wenyng þat day þey tynt,
ffor þe Saxons did þem bakward stynt,
[& were discounfet at þat dai;
þe Sessons bare þe prise a-wai.]
Þen was þe kyng a ioly man
Þat he þe bataille of þem so wan;
Þen let he mykel of þe Saxons,
& dide hem amende þer liuersons.
Þe kyng gaf Hengist faire maners
In Kent, & fele oþere stedes seers:
Þys loue lested bytwyxt þem longe,
ffeyþfullike, wel & strong.
Hengist sey til hym þe word wold schape,
His nedes to spede þen had he rape;
He sey oþ er do þer queyntyse,
Wher-of auauntage myghte aryse,
& also þoughte he þan seye som þynge
ffor to plese wyþ-al þe kyng.
On a day by þe kyng he sat,
To-gydere spekynge of many what;
He sey þe kyng was mury at ese,
Wyþ his conseil he gan hym plese:
“Sire,” he seis, “ȝe han do me honour,
“& mykel y haue y-take of ȝour.
“ȝyf y haue serued þe to wille,
“ȝyt bettere wol y forward fulfylle;
“& mikel haue y herd & seen
“Syþen y haue y þy court y-ben;
“ffor þou hast neyþer baron ne knyght,
“Þat alle ne hate þe wyþ her myght.
“Of two childre y here þem speke,
“Þat on þe harde schul þem wreke;
“Þer lige lordes þey scholden ben,
“Þorow heritage of þer faderes fe;
“& bynne schort terme schul þey come,
“& of vs boþe take harde dome:
“& þis ys þe comune sawe of alle,
“Þat yuel endyng on þe schal falle.
“Þus þey þrete wyþ manace,
“& ful yuel þey procure & purchace.
“When y here þem þus ȝelpe,
“Þen þenky how y myght ȝow helpe;
“Þer-fore to Saxoyne woldy sende,
“ffor my sib kynde, & oþer freinde;
“& ȝif y her hadde childre or wyf,
“Þen were y holden, on lymes & lyf,
“Þe forto socoure & to saue
“Wyþ al þe strengþe y myghte haue;
“Þe sikerer mightest þow be for me,
“& y scholde deserue more loue of þe;
“ffor alle þyn enemis, þaw þey wild fond,
“Ne durste nought reue þe a fot of lond.
“ffor y þe serue & loue truely,
“Haue y on me many enemy;
“& y lyg euere so naked syde,
“& oure fomen spred ful wyde;
“ȝyf y had ony fforcelet,
“To haue þer-inne som syker recet,
“Þen myghte we þe more be syker,
“What tyme our enemis wold giue vs byker.
“Þer-fore wer hit prow to þe
“Þat y hadde som castel or cite
“Where-inne y mighte sauely slepe,
“Þat none enemis on vs lepe;
“[wele more þan, þei wild me doute]
“Þan þey do now y lygge þer-oute.”
Þe Scottes & Peytes bataille nome,
And comen faste in-til þys lond,
Pylede & brente al þat þey fond;
Right to Humber water þey cam.
Þe kyng wyþ Saxons ageyn þem nam.
Þe Saxons were þer-of ful blyþe,
Þey arrayed hem wel, & þydeward swyþe,
Þey smyte to-gedere bataille smert;
Þe Peytes were euere ful egre of hert,
Þey stode wel furst & hardyly;
ffor þey were wond to haue þe maistri.
Þey wende haue had þer elde custume,
Þe lenger ageyn þe Bretons þey nome.
Þer wenyng þat day þey tynt,
ffor þe Saxons did þem bakward stynt,
[& were discounfet at þat dai;
þe Sessons bare þe prise a-wai.]
Þen was þe kyng a ioly man
Þat he þe bataille of þem so wan;
261
& dide hem amende þer liuersons.
Þe kyng gaf Hengist faire maners
In Kent, & fele oþere stedes seers:
Þys loue lested bytwyxt þem longe,
ffeyþfullike, wel & strong.
Hengist sey til hym þe word wold schape,
His nedes to spede þen had he rape;
He sey oþ er do þer queyntyse,
Wher-of auauntage myghte aryse,
& also þoughte he þan seye som þynge
ffor to plese wyþ-al þe kyng.
On a day by þe kyng he sat,
To-gydere spekynge of many what;
He sey þe kyng was mury at ese,
Wyþ his conseil he gan hym plese:
“Sire,” he seis, “ȝe han do me honour,
“& mykel y haue y-take of ȝour.
“ȝyf y haue serued þe to wille,
“ȝyt bettere wol y forward fulfylle;
“& mikel haue y herd & seen
“Syþen y haue y þy court y-ben;
“ffor þou hast neyþer baron ne knyght,
“Þat alle ne hate þe wyþ her myght.
“Of two childre y here þem speke,
“Þat on þe harde schul þem wreke;
262
“Þorow heritage of þer faderes fe;
“& bynne schort terme schul þey come,
“& of vs boþe take harde dome:
“& þis ys þe comune sawe of alle,
“Þat yuel endyng on þe schal falle.
“Þus þey þrete wyþ manace,
“& ful yuel þey procure & purchace.
“When y here þem þus ȝelpe,
“Þen þenky how y myght ȝow helpe;
“Þer-fore to Saxoyne woldy sende,
“ffor my sib kynde, & oþer freinde;
“& ȝif y her hadde childre or wyf,
“Þen were y holden, on lymes & lyf,
“Þe forto socoure & to saue
“Wyþ al þe strengþe y myghte haue;
“Þe sikerer mightest þow be for me,
“& y scholde deserue more loue of þe;
“ffor alle þyn enemis, þaw þey wild fond,
“Ne durste nought reue þe a fot of lond.
“ffor y þe serue & loue truely,
“Haue y on me many enemy;
“& y lyg euere so naked syde,
“& oure fomen spred ful wyde;
“ȝyf y had ony fforcelet,
“To haue þer-inne som syker recet,
“Þen myghte we þe more be syker,
“What tyme our enemis wold giue vs byker.
“Þer-fore wer hit prow to þe
“Þat y hadde som castel or cite
263
“Þat none enemis on vs lepe;
“[wele more þan, þei wild me doute]
“Þan þey do now y lygge þer-oute.”
Þenne seide þe kyng vnto Hengist,
“Þorow sonde y wolde þy folk hit wist,
“Þat þey were her when we had nede;
“Inow þey scholden haue to mede.
“To gyue þe a toun, y ne may,
“ffor þou art of þe Payen lay;
“ffolye hit were, more þan resoun,
“To gyue a Payen a Cristen toun;
“Of oþer þyng þe entermet,
“ffor of toun getestow no recet.”
“Þorow sonde y wolde þy folk hit wist,
“Þat þey were her when we had nede;
“Inow þey scholden haue to mede.
“To gyue þe a toun, y ne may,
“ffor þou art of þe Payen lay;
“ffolye hit were, more þan resoun,
“To gyue a Payen a Cristen toun;
“Of oþer þyng þe entermet,
“ffor of toun getestow no recet.”
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