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 Morte Comitis Cornubye. |
 | The Story of England |  |
332
De Morte Comitis Cornubye.
Þo þat askaped wyþ þe lyf,
Brought tydyng to the Erles wyf,
‘Hure lord was slayn y þe mornyng,
‘Þe castel taken vnto þe kyng.’
Þe kyng hym selue þe tydyng herd,
He styrt vp, & þem answerd:
“Let be ȝour tales to tene my wyf,—
“Y þank God y am her on lyf!—
“To telle swylk tales for to greue!
“Lesynges ar nought to byleue!
“Y wot wel þey are in doute;
“Vnwarned fro þeym y went oute;
“ffor when y out of þe castel ȝede,
“Y spak to non,—þat ys þer drede,—
“Ne seyde whider þat y wold go,
“ffor doute & treson of my fo;
“& for y cam nought sone agayn,
“Wene þey now þat y be slayn.
“Bot þat my folk doun ys born,
“Slayn, & [eke] þe castel lorn,
“Hit may do tene & greuaunce;
“Bot y lyue, God þanky þe chaunce!
“I schal me haste, out y schal wende,
“Pes for to seke; þe kyng ys hende.
“Er any more skaþe falle,
“Y wyl acorde me wiþ þem alle.
“ȝyf he wyþ sege sperre me her-yn,
“More wo þan ys, þen scholde bygyn.”
To þat conseil Igerne redde,—
Alle tymes þe kyng scheo dredde;—
In armes boþe ilk oþer hent,
Þe kyng hure kyste, & out he went.
Brought tydyng to the Erles wyf,
‘Hure lord was slayn y þe mornyng,
‘Þe castel taken vnto þe kyng.’
Þe kyng hym selue þe tydyng herd,
He styrt vp, & þem answerd:
“Let be ȝour tales to tene my wyf,—
“Y þank God y am her on lyf!—
“To telle swylk tales for to greue!
“Lesynges ar nought to byleue!
“Y wot wel þey are in doute;
“Vnwarned fro þeym y went oute;
“ffor when y out of þe castel ȝede,
“Y spak to non,—þat ys þer drede,—
“Ne seyde whider þat y wold go,
“ffor doute & treson of my fo;
“& for y cam nought sone agayn,
“Wene þey now þat y be slayn.
“Bot þat my folk doun ys born,
“Slayn, & [eke] þe castel lorn,
“Hit may do tene & greuaunce;
“Bot y lyue, God þanky þe chaunce!
“I schal me haste, out y schal wende,
“Pes for to seke; þe kyng ys hende.
“Er any more skaþe falle,
“Y wyl acorde me wiþ þem alle.
“ȝyf he wyþ sege sperre me her-yn,
“More wo þan ys, þen scholde bygyn.”
To þat conseil Igerne redde,—
Alle tymes þe kyng scheo dredde;—
333
Þe kyng hure kyste, & out he went.
When þey passed, alle þre,
Ilkon was, as fel to be,
& come dryuande vntil þe host;
After þe Erl he spyrde most,
Who gaf conseil for to go,
Þe castel to take, þe Erl to slo?
Þe soþe þenne was hym told,
Of on & oþer, symple & bold.
Þe kyng þer-fore was wo ynow,
He wraþed wyþ hem þat hym slow;
Bot longe nold he þer-fore mourne,
To Tyntagel a-geyn gan tourne,
& to þeym of þe castel spak
& seide: “y rede ȝe turne ȝour bak,
“ffor he þat bataille on me bed,
“Þe Erl ȝour lord, [he] ys now ded;
“Now schol ȝe of non fynde socour
“Agayn[e]s me to stande in stour.”
When þey herde þe kyng þus seyd,
Þer socour lorn, þer heued doun leyd,
Þe castel anon til hym þey ȝolde,
& leet hym do what þat he wolde.
He ȝede anon to dame Igerne;
Als he had don, he teld hire ȝerne,
Al how he by hure lay,
& how he wente from hure away:
Ilkon was, as fel to be,
& come dryuande vntil þe host;
After þe Erl he spyrde most,
Who gaf conseil for to go,
Þe castel to take, þe Erl to slo?
Þe soþe þenne was hym told,
Of on & oþer, symple & bold.
Þe kyng þer-fore was wo ynow,
He wraþed wyþ hem þat hym slow;
Bot longe nold he þer-fore mourne,
To Tyntagel a-geyn gan tourne,
& to þeym of þe castel spak
& seide: “y rede ȝe turne ȝour bak,
“ffor he þat bataille on me bed,
“Þe Erl ȝour lord, [he] ys now ded;
“Now schol ȝe of non fynde socour
“Agayn[e]s me to stande in stour.”
When þey herde þe kyng þus seyd,
Þer socour lorn, þer heued doun leyd,
Þe castel anon til hym þey ȝolde,
& leet hym do what þat he wolde.
He ȝede anon to dame Igerne;
Als he had don, he teld hire ȝerne,
Al how he by hure lay,
& how he wente from hure away:
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