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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Obsitus est Vterus Rex super collem qui vocatur
Damer; et exe saluati sunt per consilium
Gorleni Comitis. |
 | The Story of England |  |
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Obsitus est Vterus Rex super collem qui vocatur Damer; et exe saluati sunt per consilium Gorleni Comitis.
Þe Bretons þat tyme myght nought sped;
Bak þey turnde, þey saw ned;
Þe Payens after folewed fast,
& many vn-to dede cast.
Whider to fle þey were al wyl;
Þe Payens hem chased vntil an hyl,
‘Damer’ þe hil so hight.
Þe Bretons tok hit þo þat nyght;
Hey & streit, ful narow to prykke,
Aboute y-busched wyþ þornes þykke.
When þe Bretons þe hil had taken,
Wyþ sege þe Payens held þem waken,
Bot hit was atte þe nyght,
Þeym to saille þey ne myght;
Þey logged þem stille in þe playn,
& þe Bretons were y þe mountayn;
Þe Payens to þer loggyng gan lep;
Wery þey were, & fulle on slep.
Þe kyng had of hym self gret drede,
& of his folk þat he schold lede,
How he scholde a-scape þem fro;
Þer weyes wer stopped þer þey schold go.
Þe Erl of Cornewaille was o þat hyl,
Gorlens he highte, a man of skyl,
Wysest he held hym of ylkon;
To hym for conseil þey mente þer mon,
ffor he was man of gret queyntyse,
& neuere louede no cowardyse.
He seide “for conseil ȝe com me to;
“Y schal ȝow conseille, ȝyf ȝe wil so.
Bak þey turnde, þey saw ned;
Þe Payens after folewed fast,
& many vn-to dede cast.
Whider to fle þey were al wyl;
Þe Payens hem chased vntil an hyl,
‘Damer’ þe hil so hight.
Þe Bretons tok hit þo þat nyght;
Hey & streit, ful narow to prykke,
Aboute y-busched wyþ þornes þykke.
When þe Bretons þe hil had taken,
Wyþ sege þe Payens held þem waken,
Bot hit was atte þe nyght,
Þeym to saille þey ne myght;
Þey logged þem stille in þe playn,
& þe Bretons were y þe mountayn;
Þe Payens to þer loggyng gan lep;
Wery þey were, & fulle on slep.
Þe kyng had of hym self gret drede,
& of his folk þat he schold lede,
How he scholde a-scape þem fro;
Þer weyes wer stopped þer þey schold go.
Þe Erl of Cornewaille was o þat hyl,
Gorlens he highte, a man of skyl,
Wysest he held hym of ylkon;
To hym for conseil þey mente þer mon,
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& neuere louede no cowardyse.
He seide “for conseil ȝe com me to;
“Y schal ȝow conseille, ȝyf ȝe wil so.
“Mercy to God, first we schal cry,
“& mende vs of al oure foly,
“& preye Iesu our Saueour
“To schulde vs fro mysauentour,
“& gif vs grace & powere
“Ageins þe Payens þat sege vs here,
“Þat vs often wo han vs wrought,
“& hym for Lord ne knowe þey nought;
“Þat he to day stonde vs by,
“On hys enemys to haue maystri.
“ȝyf he wyl helpe, our Lord Ihesus,
“Who may þanne ageyns vs?”
To his conseille þei graunted alle,
& faste on Iesu þen gon þey calle,
& highte to make amendement,
Þat tyme to schape ȝyf he þem lent.
“Arme ȝow,” he seyde, “pryuely,
“& go we stille, wyþouten cry;
“Þey arn a slepe, y am right siker;
“Þey trauailled faste to gyue vs byker,
“& wene nought we dur vs abate,
“ffor þey desconfit vs so late;
“Þey hope to morn atte sonne rysyng
“Vs to slo, or take our kyng.
“Arme vs swyþe, & go we doun,
“Wyþoute any more sarmoun!”
“& mende vs of al oure foly,
“& preye Iesu our Saueour
“To schulde vs fro mysauentour,
“& gif vs grace & powere
“Ageins þe Payens þat sege vs here,
“Þat vs often wo han vs wrought,
“& hym for Lord ne knowe þey nought;
“Þat he to day stonde vs by,
“On hys enemys to haue maystri.
“ȝyf he wyl helpe, our Lord Ihesus,
“Who may þanne ageyns vs?”
To his conseille þei graunted alle,
& faste on Iesu þen gon þey calle,
& highte to make amendement,
Þat tyme to schape ȝyf he þem lent.
“Arme ȝow,” he seyde, “pryuely,
“& go we stille, wyþouten cry;
“Þey arn a slepe, y am right siker;
“Þey trauailled faste to gyue vs byker,
“& wene nought we dur vs abate,
“ffor þey desconfit vs so late;
“Þey hope to morn atte sonne rysyng
“Vs to slo, or take our kyng.
“Arme vs swyþe, & go we doun,
“Wyþoute any more sarmoun!”
Þey armed þenne knyght & swayn,
Pryuely com doun in to þe playn,
& fond hem slepyng, als he sayd;
Vnarmed, ilkon were þey leyd.
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& fond hem slepyng, als he sayd;
Vnarmed, ilkon were þey leyd.
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