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 diuersitate duorum Draconum. |
 | The Story of England |  |
287
De diuersitate duorum Draconum.
When þe water was oute clene,
Merlyn schewed what hit wold mene:
He telde þe folk alle atones,
Þat “y þe ground leye two hole stones;
“By-twyxte þe stones were to dragons,
“Þat dide hym make al þe somons.
“Do þat þo stones weren a twynne,
“Þe dragons schul ȝe fynde wyþynne.”
Þey brast þe stones vp al so tyt,
& founde a red dragon & a whyt.
Þis rede dragon was grym to se;
ffel to fyghte þen semed he;
Þe white was nought so grym of sight,
Ne so fel semyng to fyght.
“Sire kyng,” seid Merlyn, “to me þou herk!
“Þyse two dragons fordede þy werk!
“ffor whan þy werk on heyght[e] larged,
“Þen schok þe ground, & þeym ouer charged;
“Þen meued þey hem, þe water al quok,
“& þe werk abouen al schok;
“Of þat y seyde, nought y ne ley.”
Vp in to þe eyr þe dragons þen fley,
& foughte so þat hit was selcouþ;
fflaumes as fyr fley fro þer mouþ.
Al þe folk seide comunly,
Þey hoped þe rede schold haue þe maistri.
When þey hadde longe to-gyder smyten,
Spatled, spouted, belewed, & byten,
Wyppyng wyþ wenges, ouer-wepen & went,
Cracchyng wiþ clawes, rubbed, & brent;
Þe bataille lasted day & nyght,
Vntil þat oþer day was lyght.
Þe folk wondred þat þe white dragoun
To þe rede had any foysoun.
At þe ende, þe white a fflaume out cast,
Þat þe rede bolnede & brast.
When he was ded, þe rede dragoun,
Þe white ȝede & leyde hym doun;
Þre daye þen lyued he, & na mo,
Þe ferþe he deyde, y trowe, for wo.
Merlyn schewed what hit wold mene:
He telde þe folk alle atones,
Þat “y þe ground leye two hole stones;
“By-twyxte þe stones were to dragons,
“Þat dide hym make al þe somons.
“Do þat þo stones weren a twynne,
“Þe dragons schul ȝe fynde wyþynne.”
Þey brast þe stones vp al so tyt,
& founde a red dragon & a whyt.
Þis rede dragon was grym to se;
ffel to fyghte þen semed he;
Þe white was nought so grym of sight,
Ne so fel semyng to fyght.
“Sire kyng,” seid Merlyn, “to me þou herk!
“Þyse two dragons fordede þy werk!
“ffor whan þy werk on heyght[e] larged,
“Þen schok þe ground, & þeym ouer charged;
“Þen meued þey hem, þe water al quok,
“& þe werk abouen al schok;
“Of þat y seyde, nought y ne ley.”
Vp in to þe eyr þe dragons þen fley,
& foughte so þat hit was selcouþ;
fflaumes as fyr fley fro þer mouþ.
Al þe folk seide comunly,
Þey hoped þe rede schold haue þe maistri.
When þey hadde longe to-gyder smyten,
Spatled, spouted, belewed, & byten,
288
Cracchyng wiþ clawes, rubbed, & brent;
Þe bataille lasted day & nyght,
Vntil þat oþer day was lyght.
Þe folk wondred þat þe white dragoun
To þe rede had any foysoun.
At þe ende, þe white a fflaume out cast,
Þat þe rede bolnede & brast.
When he was ded, þe rede dragoun,
Þe white ȝede & leyde hym doun;
Þre daye þen lyued he, & na mo,
Þe ferþe he deyde, y trowe, for wo.
Vortyger sey þanne þis chaunce;
He askede Merlyn þe signifiaunce,
& preyed hym telle what hit wild mene,
Wheþer hit tokned ioye or tene.
Þenne seyde Merlyn many thynges,
What y þis lond schuld tide of kynges,
Þat are in Blase bokes write,—
Þey þat hauyt, mowe hit wyte,—
And in Tolomer & sire Amytayn;
Þyse hadde Merlynes bokes playn,
ffor þyse þre write his prophecyes,
And were his maistres in ser partyes.
Som men haue þem mykel in hande,
Þat con nought þem wel vndestande.
Y sey for me, y naue no wyt
To open þe knottes þat Merlyn knyt.
Men may sey more þan he haþ seyd,
Þat noþyng þer-to may be leyd.
Merlyn spak on swylk a manere,
Þat til hit be gon, non may hit lere.
He askede Merlyn þe signifiaunce,
& preyed hym telle what hit wild mene,
Wheþer hit tokned ioye or tene.
Þenne seyde Merlyn many thynges,
What y þis lond schuld tide of kynges,
Þat are in Blase bokes write,—
Þey þat hauyt, mowe hit wyte,—
And in Tolomer & sire Amytayn;
Þyse hadde Merlynes bokes playn,
ffor þyse þre write his prophecyes,
And were his maistres in ser partyes.
Som men haue þem mykel in hande,
Þat con nought þem wel vndestande.
Y sey for me, y naue no wyt
To open þe knottes þat Merlyn knyt.
Men may sey more þan he haþ seyd,
289
Merlyn spak on swylk a manere,
Þat til hit be gon, non may hit lere.
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