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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Exemplum de Iudicio Hengisti. |
 | The Story of England |  |
Exemplum de Iudicio Hengisti.
“Þan ros þe prophete Samuel,
“Keper of þe folk of Israel,
“And vpon Agag handes he leyd;
“Tyl hym & alle, þise wordes he seyd:
“‘Agag, þou has manion trauailled,
“‘Manion slayn, manyon assayled;
“‘Many lond mad wast & wylde,
“‘Many wydewe, many faderles childe;
“‘Þorow þe haue [many] ben lorn & slawen,
“‘Many soule & bodies brought of dawe.
“‘Þe same wyse schal þy body be refte!
“‘Childles for þe þy moder ys left!’
“Agag siþen he al to-hew,
“Thorow out þe contres þe peces þrew,
“& seide, ‘oueral þou hast don wo,
“‘Of þe oueral schal wonder go.’
“As þe prophete gaf dom þorow lawe,
“So schal ȝe do Hengist to-drawe.”
When sire Eldok herd hym so say,
& þat holy wryt schewed þat euene way,
Smertly wyþ þe dom al hot,
Hengistes heued of he smot.
Þen dide þe kyng þe body graue
I þe manere of Payen lawe.
“Keper of þe folk of Israel,
“And vpon Agag handes he leyd;
“Tyl hym & alle, þise wordes he seyd:
“‘Agag, þou has manion trauailled,
“‘Manion slayn, manyon assayled;
“‘Many lond mad wast & wylde,
“‘Many wydewe, many faderles childe;
“‘Þorow þe haue [many] ben lorn & slawen,
“‘Many soule & bodies brought of dawe.
“‘Þe same wyse schal þy body be refte!
“‘Childles for þe þy moder ys left!’
“Agag siþen he al to-hew,
“Thorow out þe contres þe peces þrew,
“& seide, ‘oueral þou hast don wo,
“‘Of þe oueral schal wonder go.’
“As þe prophete gaf dom þorow lawe,
“So schal ȝe do Hengist to-drawe.”
When sire Eldok herd hym so say,
& þat holy wryt schewed þat euene way,
Smertly wyþ þe dom al hot,
Hengistes heued of he smot.
Þen dide þe kyng þe body graue
I þe manere of Payen lawe.
Syþen quikly þe kyng hym spedde,
He ȝared his host, to ȝork þem ledde,
Þe toun & his enemys for to wynne;
ffor Hengistes sone was þer-ynne,
& oþer manye lordynges þer ware,
& somme y þe contre in mykel kare.
Þen Octa studied in his þought:
To stonde to fens auailled nought;
Socour to sende he wyste of non,
Þer socour was for euere gon;
He couþe se no bettere bote,
Bot auntre, & falle þe kyng to fote;
ffel hit to wysdom or to foly,
He schulde auntre hym mercy to cry:
& alle his men red hym þer-tyl,
Naþeles hit was his owen wyl.
Out of þe tour ilkon cam;
As prisoners, barfot þey nam.
Octa had don, in stede of streng,
Aboute his nekke a chayne heng,
& on his knes fel mekely,
& seide, “Sire kyng! Mercy! Mercy!
“Alle oure Godes ar vs failled;
“Þat we on trowe, haue vs nought vailled;
“ȝour God ys of wel more myght;
“Þat we in leue, ar nought so right;
“He scheweþ miracle for þy loue;
“We ar byneþe, & ȝe aboue;
“We ar ouer-comen, þer-fore we com;
“Mercy to craue, to þe we nom.
“Haue here þys cheyne, & do þy wylle,
“Wheþer þat ȝe wil vs saue or spille!
“We ar payed, wheþer þou wylt;
“We arn aknowe we haue agilt.
“To haue oure lyues, ȝyf þou wilt graunt,
“What so þou saist, we holde couenaunt
“To serue [þe] til oure lyues ende,
“Ne neuere more ageyn þe wende.”
Þe kyng was of ful gret pite;
He saide: “lordynges, what sey ȝe?
“What conseil wil ȝe me gyue?”
& seide, “rede ȝe þat þey lyue?”
He ȝared his host, to ȝork þem ledde,
Þe toun & his enemys for to wynne;
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& oþer manye lordynges þer ware,
& somme y þe contre in mykel kare.
Þen Octa studied in his þought:
To stonde to fens auailled nought;
Socour to sende he wyste of non,
Þer socour was for euere gon;
He couþe se no bettere bote,
Bot auntre, & falle þe kyng to fote;
ffel hit to wysdom or to foly,
He schulde auntre hym mercy to cry:
& alle his men red hym þer-tyl,
Naþeles hit was his owen wyl.
Out of þe tour ilkon cam;
As prisoners, barfot þey nam.
Octa had don, in stede of streng,
Aboute his nekke a chayne heng,
& on his knes fel mekely,
& seide, “Sire kyng! Mercy! Mercy!
“Alle oure Godes ar vs failled;
“Þat we on trowe, haue vs nought vailled;
“ȝour God ys of wel more myght;
“Þat we in leue, ar nought so right;
“He scheweþ miracle for þy loue;
“We ar byneþe, & ȝe aboue;
“We ar ouer-comen, þer-fore we com;
“Mercy to craue, to þe we nom.
“Haue here þys cheyne, & do þy wylle,
“Wheþer þat ȝe wil vs saue or spille!
“We ar payed, wheþer þou wylt;
“We arn aknowe we haue agilt.
304
“What so þou saist, we holde couenaunt
“To serue [þe] til oure lyues ende,
“Ne neuere more ageyn þe wende.”
Þe kyng was of ful gret pite;
He saide: “lordynges, what sey ȝe?
“What conseil wil ȝe me gyue?”
& seide, “rede ȝe þat þey lyue?”
Þenne spak þe Byschop Eldadus
Vnto þe kyng Aurelius:
“Wel ys worþy, mercy to haue,
“Þat mekely mercy wyl craue.
“Agayn mercy who-so ys grym,
“God wyl haue no mercy of hym.
“To þy mercy þey made asay,
“Mercy þey seke haue, ȝyf þe[y] may.
“ffor Bretaigne ys large & long,
“& many stedes wast among,
“Deliuere þeym lond þer þay se skil,
“Let þem trauaille þer-on to tyl.
“Bot y rede, hostages ȝe take;
“Sykernesse þey schul ȝow make,
“In alle seruise to be trewe;
“& ȝour mercy schal hem be newe.
Vnto þe kyng Aurelius:
“Wel ys worþy, mercy to haue,
“Þat mekely mercy wyl craue.
“Agayn mercy who-so ys grym,
“God wyl haue no mercy of hym.
“To þy mercy þey made asay,
“Mercy þey seke haue, ȝyf þe[y] may.
“ffor Bretaigne ys large & long,
“& many stedes wast among,
“Deliuere þeym lond þer þay se skil,
“Let þem trauaille þer-on to tyl.
“Bot y rede, hostages ȝe take;
“Sykernesse þey schul ȝow make,
“In alle seruise to be trewe;
“& ȝour mercy schal hem be newe.
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