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 Aurelium Regem & Hengystum. |
 | The Story of England |  |
De Bello inter Aurelium Regem & Hengystum.
Þre hundred knyghtes of his meyne
Þat wyþ hym comen ouer þe se,
Alle doughty knyghte, fro ferne he fet.
Boþe batailles þen sone wer set;
Of þe Walsche he tok to companies,
Paþes to waite, & stretes, & styes,
Þat Payens schulde for no nede
Þe hylles take, ȝyf þeym fel drede.
& þe wodes he dide so loke
Al so wel þat non þem toke,
Þat ȝyf ony þider drowe,
Þe Walsche men sone þem slowe,
Þe star-worþest to fyght & fende,
& his owen bataille þen schulde be hende.
Þat wyþ hym comen ouer þe se,
Alle doughty knyghte, fro ferne he fet.
296
Of þe Walsche he tok to companies,
Paþes to waite, & stretes, & styes,
Þat Payens schulde for no nede
Þe hylles take, ȝyf þeym fel drede.
& þe wodes he dide so loke
Al so wel þat non þem toke,
Þat ȝyf ony þider drowe,
Þe Walsche men sone þem slowe,
Þe star-worþest to fyght & fende,
& his owen bataille þen schulde be hende.
When his batailles wer set & dight,
Renged & redy for to fyght,
Þe men of kuythe þat he wel knewe,
Þat he wyste were gode & trewe,
Þem dide he bere his baner,
& fro þo was he nought fer;
Sire Eldok was euere hym by,
& oþer barons also were ney.
“Lord,” seide Eldok, “had y þat grace,
“Hengist for to mete in place!
“Wel oughte me þe treson mene
“Þat on þe playne ȝit is wel sene:
“Þe flour of al þis Empyre
“Wer slayn bysydes Ambresbyre
“Þe firste day of clene May.
“Wyþ mikel wo y scaped away;
“Vneþes to Gloucestre y wan,
“Elles had we be slayn, ilkaman.”
Als Sire Eldok þus mente his mone,
Com Hengist & his men ylkone,
& vmbyleyden al þe feld,
Redy armed wyþ spere & scheld.
Sone after þat þey were comen,
Þe bataille bytwyxte þem was nomen.
Boþe partys ful felly hated,
Þe sonner to-gedere þey þem raped:
þer myghte men se strokes set
Bytwyxt enemis þat scharply met;
[sore he smote, þat smerte couht smyte;
bitterly bote, þat best myght bite;
Ilkone peyned oþer to slo,
for euerilkone was oþer[es] fo;]
Mercy was non on neyþer partye,
Ne no raunsom, bot al schold deye.
Þorow plate & hauberk þe spere out brast;
Ilkon oþer to deþ doun cast;
Þat doun was cast, þem lye most nede,
ffor hors & man vpon þem ȝede.
fful wel foughte þe Payen men,
& mykel better þan dide Cristen;
Bot sone after, þer force gan falle.
Vpon þer Godes þen cried þey alle;
Þe Crysten cried [for] help to Crist
A-gayn þe Payenes force Hengist.
Þe Cristenmen þeir bataille brak;
When þey wer sondred, þey turd þe bak;
ffele were slayn als þey fledde,
& fleyng þey sparplyed & spredde.
When Hengist saw his folk fleand,
& his force faille, & myght nowt stande,
He ffley to þe castel of Conyngesburgh,
ffor he wende saued haf ben þer-þorough.
Þat herde þe kyng, & after ȝerne,
Þe entre of þe castel him for to werne,
& cried þen faste, “folewe we to slo!
ffor þyse ar þey þat dide vs wo.”
Renged & redy for to fyght,
Þe men of kuythe þat he wel knewe,
Þat he wyste were gode & trewe,
Þem dide he bere his baner,
& fro þo was he nought fer;
Sire Eldok was euere hym by,
& oþer barons also were ney.
“Lord,” seide Eldok, “had y þat grace,
“Hengist for to mete in place!
“Wel oughte me þe treson mene
“Þat on þe playne ȝit is wel sene:
“Þe flour of al þis Empyre
“Wer slayn bysydes Ambresbyre
“Þe firste day of clene May.
“Wyþ mikel wo y scaped away;
“Vneþes to Gloucestre y wan,
297
Als Sire Eldok þus mente his mone,
Com Hengist & his men ylkone,
& vmbyleyden al þe feld,
Redy armed wyþ spere & scheld.
Sone after þat þey were comen,
Þe bataille bytwyxte þem was nomen.
Boþe partys ful felly hated,
Þe sonner to-gedere þey þem raped:
þer myghte men se strokes set
Bytwyxt enemis þat scharply met;
[sore he smote, þat smerte couht smyte;
bitterly bote, þat best myght bite;
Ilkone peyned oþer to slo,
for euerilkone was oþer[es] fo;]
Mercy was non on neyþer partye,
Ne no raunsom, bot al schold deye.
Þorow plate & hauberk þe spere out brast;
Ilkon oþer to deþ doun cast;
Þat doun was cast, þem lye most nede,
ffor hors & man vpon þem ȝede.
fful wel foughte þe Payen men,
& mykel better þan dide Cristen;
Bot sone after, þer force gan falle.
Vpon þer Godes þen cried þey alle;
Þe Crysten cried [for] help to Crist
A-gayn þe Payenes force Hengist.
Þe Cristenmen þeir bataille brak;
When þey wer sondred, þey turd þe bak;
298
& fleyng þey sparplyed & spredde.
When Hengist saw his folk fleand,
& his force faille, & myght nowt stande,
He ffley to þe castel of Conyngesburgh,
ffor he wende saued haf ben þer-þorough.
Þat herde þe kyng, & after ȝerne,
Þe entre of þe castel him for to werne,
& cried þen faste, “folewe we to slo!
ffor þyse ar þey þat dide vs wo.”
When Hengist wiste þe kyng hym sywed,
Þorow castel þen wold he nought be rescowed:
Hit was bot pyne, wel hadde he herd,
Wyþoute socour in castel be sperd;
Leuere hym were holde hym wyþoute;
Þat held he betere, & lasse doute,
Þan yn castel be closed yn,
ffor he nyste ho hym out schude wyn.
ȝit þoughtym best myght hym a-uaille,
To relye his folk, & gyue bataille.
Þen gedred he his folk þat weren o stray,
ffor he wolde ȝit eft make asay.
Þe Payens to bataille turde agayn
fful egrely, boþe knyght & swayn,
Agayn þe Cristen ful hardyly,
& ascryed þem þanne wyþ a gret cry.
At þat comyng þe Cristen les,
So [s]toutly þe Payens on þem gan pres:
Grysly & grym was hit to se,
Syn neyþer partye wold blyþely fle.
In auenture þen was þe kynges syde,
Bot his þre hundred knyghtes holpe wel þat tyde
Þat comen out of þe Lytel Bretayn;
ffor, þis Paiens þey feld doun playn;
Vpon þe Payens þey trauersed þe feld,
& þe kynges side wel vp þey held.
Bot þe Payens so faste þey fought,
Þey hoped of no socour þat dought,
ffor wel þey wyste þat þe ne myght
Ascape wyþoute strengþe of fyght;
Þer-fore þei foughte as þey were wode,
Abated þem boldely, & styfly stode.
Þorow castel þen wold he nought be rescowed:
Hit was bot pyne, wel hadde he herd,
Wyþoute socour in castel be sperd;
Leuere hym were holde hym wyþoute;
Þat held he betere, & lasse doute,
Þan yn castel be closed yn,
ffor he nyste ho hym out schude wyn.
ȝit þoughtym best myght hym a-uaille,
To relye his folk, & gyue bataille.
Þen gedred he his folk þat weren o stray,
ffor he wolde ȝit eft make asay.
Þe Payens to bataille turde agayn
fful egrely, boþe knyght & swayn,
Agayn þe Cristen ful hardyly,
& ascryed þem þanne wyþ a gret cry.
At þat comyng þe Cristen les,
So [s]toutly þe Payens on þem gan pres:
Grysly & grym was hit to se,
299
In auenture þen was þe kynges syde,
Bot his þre hundred knyghtes holpe wel þat tyde
Þat comen out of þe Lytel Bretayn;
ffor, þis Paiens þey feld doun playn;
Vpon þe Payens þey trauersed þe feld,
& þe kynges side wel vp þey held.
Bot þe Payens so faste þey fought,
Þey hoped of no socour þat dought,
ffor wel þey wyste þat þe ne myght
Ascape wyþoute strengþe of fyght;
Þer-fore þei foughte as þey were wode,
Abated þem boldely, & styfly stode.
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