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 |
 |
|
De asportacione lapidum de Stonhenges, de
Hybernia in Brytanniam. |
 | The Story of England |  |
De asportacione lapidum de Stonhenges, de Hybernia in Brytanniam.
Þys Bretons aboute renged þe feld,Þe carole of þe stones byhe[l]d.
fful often ȝede þey aboute,
Byhelde wyþynne & eke wyþoute;
311
‘Þey sey neuere so selcouþ þyng.’
How þey were reysed þey had wonder,
& how þey scholde be brought a-sonder.
Merlyn seyde, “now makeþ assay
“To potte þe stones, ȝyf þat ȝe may;
“& wyþ force fondeþ þem to bere:
“Þer force ys mykel, lesse wyl þem dere.”
Þe host atones to þe hil þey went,
& ilk man tok þat he myght hent,
Ropes to drawe, tres to potte,
Þey schouued, þey þriste, þey stode o strot,
On ilka side, byhynde, by-forn;
Al for nought; þer trauail was lorn.
When þey ofte hadde put & þryst,
& ilk man do what hym do lyst,
& left þer pottyng many on,
ȝit stirede þey nought þe leste ston.
Bot Merlyn wiste hit scholde nought vaille:
Strengþe of body ne myght nout vaille.
He bad hem alle drawe þem o drey;
“Þorow strengþe come ȝe neuere þem ney.”
Al stille he stod, syþen hym bywent,
& spak, but non wist what he ment;
His lippes þey seye stire vp & doun,
Bot non herde his coniurysoun.
When he had gon alle aboute,
Wyþynne þe carole, & wyþoute,
& seide his coniurisouns,
Ageyn he calde al þe Bretouns,
And seyde, “now may ȝe lyghtly bere
312
“Goþ now alle, & spedeþ ȝow,
“ffor ȝe schal welde þem wel ynow.”
Als Merlyn þem taughte & seyd,
In to þe schypes þem lyghtly leyd;
Þen had þey wonne þat fer had sought.
To þe playne of Salesbury þem brought,
Of Aumbresbyri bysyde an abbay,
& hit was atte Whitemonday.
Þen dide þe kyng make somons
Of bischopes, erles, & barons,
& oþer lordes of þe nobleste,
& dide hym coroune at þat feste.
Þre dayes laste þe feste fode;
Þe ferþe day he gaf gyftes gode—
Croces [riche] to clerkes of pris,
To seint Saunsom & seint Dubris.
Seint Dubrice he gaf Kaerlyon,
ȝork he gaf to seint Saunson;
Þys gaf he at his coronement,
& many mo, þorow comun assent.
Byfore þe lordes þat come þyder,
Merlyn sette þe stones to-gyder;
Als þey were or, in þat certeyn,
So stande þey now vpon þe pleyn.
Wyþynne þe compas of þe stones
Ar byried alle þo lordes bones
Þat Hengist atte Parlement slow;
Here byforn ȝe herde wel how.
| The Story of England | |