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 |
 |
|
 | The Story of England |  |
Þe ȝonge kyng & his broþer,
Wyþ mania Breton, on & oþer,
& folk wyþ hym þat he brought,
In Walys fforteger þey sought.
Þey byseced straite his castel;
ffele arewes þey schotten, & quarel
Þey caste þer-to, on manie a gate,
ffor þey had þer-to ful gret hate.
I þe ost was þe erl of Gloucestre,—
In Walys he knew al þe estre,—
Eldok he highte, man of honur,
And hardy knyght & god werrour.
Þe kyng Aurelius asked hym red
ffor to venge his fader ded,
& seyde, “Sire Erl, þou furgetest ylk del
“Þat my fader feffed þe wel,
“& gaf þe armes, & made þe knyght;
“Syþen my broþer, in al his myght;
“& ȝif þou louedest hym feyþfuly,
“Help me to venge his enemy!
“Let now no god wille be wane,
“Bot help to venge my fader bane!
“Þenk o þe Payens þat sexes drow,
“& at þe Parlement þe lordes slow!”
When Eldok herde, he made swilk mone,
Þey cried “as armes” euerylkone,
To gyue assaut to þem wyþynne;
Bot þe castel was yuel to wynne.
Þey comaunded to al men lyk,
Wiþ brusch to come, & fylle þe dyk.
When hit was ful, fir þey set,
& on a lowe at ones hit set;
Þe lowe was mikel, & vp-ward stey,
So þat hit in to þe castel fley,
& vp in to þe tour hit went,
Þat alle þe houses aboute brent;
Castel, houses, wyþ al þer atyr,
Man & best, al was on fyr;
Til al was brent, woldit nought lynne.
Þe kyng hym self was brent þer-ynne,
& alle his folk euerylkone,
Brente to deþe, body & bone.
Of ilka traytour swilk ys þe ende!
Last of his lyue wyþ wo schal wende!
Of a traitour ys al of spoken;
Of Hengist wolde þe kyng be wroken.
Wyþ mania Breton, on & oþer,
& folk wyþ hym þat he brought,
292
Þey byseced straite his castel;
ffele arewes þey schotten, & quarel
Þey caste þer-to, on manie a gate,
ffor þey had þer-to ful gret hate.
I þe ost was þe erl of Gloucestre,—
In Walys he knew al þe estre,—
Eldok he highte, man of honur,
And hardy knyght & god werrour.
Þe kyng Aurelius asked hym red
ffor to venge his fader ded,
& seyde, “Sire Erl, þou furgetest ylk del
“Þat my fader feffed þe wel,
“& gaf þe armes, & made þe knyght;
“Syþen my broþer, in al his myght;
“& ȝif þou louedest hym feyþfuly,
“Help me to venge his enemy!
“Let now no god wille be wane,
“Bot help to venge my fader bane!
“Þenk o þe Payens þat sexes drow,
“& at þe Parlement þe lordes slow!”
When Eldok herde, he made swilk mone,
Þey cried “as armes” euerylkone,
To gyue assaut to þem wyþynne;
Bot þe castel was yuel to wynne.
Þey comaunded to al men lyk,
Wiþ brusch to come, & fylle þe dyk.
When hit was ful, fir þey set,
293
Þe lowe was mikel, & vp-ward stey,
So þat hit in to þe castel fley,
& vp in to þe tour hit went,
Þat alle þe houses aboute brent;
Castel, houses, wyþ al þer atyr,
Man & best, al was on fyr;
Til al was brent, woldit nought lynne.
Þe kyng hym self was brent þer-ynne,
& alle his folk euerylkone,
Brente to deþe, body & bone.
Of ilka traytour swilk ys þe ende!
Last of his lyue wyþ wo schal wende!
Of a traitour ys al of spoken;
Of Hengist wolde þe kyng be wroken.
| The Story of England | |