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 obsisione Gorlencii Comitis per Regem. |
 | The Story of England |  |
De obsisione Gorlencii Comitis per Regem.
Þe kyng wyste he made purueaunceA-gayns hym to stande to chaunce.
Þe kyng also sone purueyed his host;
Þer þe Erl was, byseged þe cost;
Þe castel þat þe Erl was in,
He byseged hyt for to wyn.
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He spilte his tyme, sped of no pray;
Of þe Erl nought he ne wan,
Ne dide scaþe til no man,
ffor þe Erl kepte euere þe comyng
Hy[m] to socoure þe Irische kyng.
Þe kyng sey þe sege was wast;
Igerne to haue he wilde hym hast;
He was ful gretlyk onoyed
Þat his tyme so was destruyed.
He calde Vlfyn, his priue baroun,
To conceille hym of som resoun:
“Vlfyn,” he saide, “þou conseil me;
“My beste conseil y take at þe.
“On Igerne y am enamured strong,
“I deye ȝyf hit me laste long;
“Y ne may slepe, wyþ wo y wake,
“So am y in hure loue y-take;
“Ete ne drynke ne may y nought,
“So lowe hure loue haþ me brought;
“Loue dereþ me so, to deye y dred;
“Y aske conseil how y may sped.”
Seyd Vlfyn þen, “y here merueilles!
“Þou louest his wyf þat þou assailles!
“Wenestow þer-wyþ to ben aboue?
“Þorow werre wynne his wyf to loue?
“Hure to loue þou com to late;
“Hure loue to gete, hure lord to take.
“At wham toke þou þis conseil,
“To loue in tene & in turpeyl?
“Conseil of þis can y non kest;
“Of swylk conseil Merlyn can best;
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“Of alle vigures he turnes þe schaftes.
“ȝyf he can kenne þe no weye,
“Igerne to wynne, can no man seye.”
Þorow þe conseil of sire Vlfyn
Þe kyng dide sende after Merlyn.
Merlyn com þe kyng byforn;
He seide, “Merlyn, y am ner lorn!
“Conseille me, syn þat þou can,
“& y schal euere-more be þy man!
“Y haue ner lorn wyt & lyf
“ffor Igerne, þe kynges wyf!
“Help me now, þat y hure haue;
“& what þou wilt, y vouche saue.”
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