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 blandicione Hengisty. |
 | The Story of England |  |
De blandicione Hengisty.
Hengist wente wyþ þe kyng aboute,
To be syker for drede & doute,
& seyde, “y se hit on many gate
“Þat þou for me of summe hast hate;
“& y am—syker mot ȝe be—
“Hated for þe loue of þe.
“Þou art my sone, for þys skyle,
“Þou hast my doughter; as lawe hit wyle,
“Y am þy fader, als in honour
“To be þe a god conseillour;
To be syker for drede & doute,
& seyde, “y se hit on many gate
“Þat þou for me of summe hast hate;
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“Hated for þe loue of þe.
“Þou art my sone, for þys skyle,
“Þou hast my doughter; as lawe hit wyle,
“Y am þy fader, als in honour
“To be þe a god conseillour;
“ȝyf þou wilt regne, trist on me wel,
“& help on my partie som del.
“ȝyf þou wilt greue þyn enemis,
“Y schal þe conseille by god auis,
“Send after my sone, sire Octa,
“& ffor his cosyn Ebsa,
“& ffor a noble knyght Kerdyk;
“in al Saxoyne nar non þem lyk;
“Þey ar fighters, & noble iustours,
“& queynte men & werreyour[s];
“Gyf hem lond y þe norþ to lende,—
“Þy werre comeþ euere in by þat ende,—
“ffro þyn enemis þey schul þe were,
“þat nought of þyn schulle þey dere;
“So myght þou haue, til þy deses,
“O þys half Humber þy lond in pes.”
“& help on my partie som del.
“ȝyf þou wilt greue þyn enemis,
“Y schal þe conseille by god auis,
“Send after my sone, sire Octa,
“& ffor his cosyn Ebsa,
“& ffor a noble knyght Kerdyk;
“in al Saxoyne nar non þem lyk;
“Þey ar fighters, & noble iustours,
“& queynte men & werreyour[s];
“Gyf hem lond y þe norþ to lende,—
“Þy werre comeþ euere in by þat ende,—
“ffro þyn enemis þey schul þe were,
“þat nought of þyn schulle þey dere;
“So myght þou haue, til þy deses,
“O þys half Humber þy lond in pes.”
Þen seyde þe kyng, “send after þo,
“& of þe beste, ȝyf þer be mo.”
Hengist hadde his sonde sone;
Þem to brynge þey were al bone;
Wyþ hem cam a fflute of fflode,
Þritty schipes alle gode;
Knyghtes þat wolde wende for wages,
Wyþ Octa wenten to þe ryuages.
After þat fflute, com ouer þe se
Schipes vmwhile by two or þre,
By foure & fyue, by six & seuene,
By eyghte & nyne, by ten & enleuene;
In a þrowe were mo Payen men,
Or al so manie, as were Cristen.
Þis seye þe Bretons, & were onoyed,
& seide þe kyng þe lond destruyed;
To þe kyng þey pleyned in curteys sawe;
“Payens ageyn þe Cristen lawe
“Bygynneþ gretly vs to greue;
“To wende a-wey, sire, gyue þem leue,
“Alle, or þe moste partye,
“ffor to Cristendom ȝe do vylenye.”
Þe kyng answered, & seyde, “nay,
“Y sente for þem; þey serue to pay.”
“& of þe beste, ȝyf þer be mo.”
Hengist hadde his sonde sone;
Þem to brynge þey were al bone;
Wyþ hem cam a fflute of fflode,
Þritty schipes alle gode;
Knyghtes þat wolde wende for wages,
Wyþ Octa wenten to þe ryuages.
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Schipes vmwhile by two or þre,
By foure & fyue, by six & seuene,
By eyghte & nyne, by ten & enleuene;
In a þrowe were mo Payen men,
Or al so manie, as were Cristen.
Þis seye þe Bretons, & were onoyed,
& seide þe kyng þe lond destruyed;
To þe kyng þey pleyned in curteys sawe;
“Payens ageyn þe Cristen lawe
“Bygynneþ gretly vs to greue;
“To wende a-wey, sire, gyue þem leue,
“Alle, or þe moste partye,
“ffor to Cristendom ȝe do vylenye.”
Þe kyng answered, & seyde, “nay,
“Y sente for þem; þey serue to pay.”
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