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 langore Vtery Regis. |
 | The Story of England |  |
De langore Vtery Regis.
Our kyng þat lay in langoryng,
Of hym was non help ne socuring
His lond for to fende & were,
He myghte nought ryse armes to bere;
Þer-fore he bad alle his barouns
Don after Lotes somouns,
ffor he was doughti, noble & wys,
& sley cheuentayn of god auys.
Sire Octa þat hadde folk ynowe,
Oueral þe Bretons þei pyled & slowe;
He bolded hym wyþ mykel pryde,
Þat þe kyng ne myghte go ne ryde;
To meschef he putte al þat he fond,
Man & wyf, þorow al þys lond.
Bot often Lot wyþ hym met,
& ofte hym chaced þorow baret.
Many tyme of hym he wan,
& eft on hym þat oþer ran:—
Hit ys custume þat werre bygynne,
Somme to lese, & somme to wynne:—
Lot ful often dide hym fle,
& chaced hym vnto þe se;
Bot gret dedeyn [was] of þe barouns,
Þat wold nought come for Lotes somouns,—
Þey þought hem al [so] gentil of blod,
& al so mykel in stede stod
At ylka tyme, or more þan he,
& also mykel of rente & fe;—
Þus þey delayed, long was þe drede,
Til þe kyng sey how þat hit ȝede;
ffor Octa, al þe Norþ he wan,
& of the Southe to seint Alban;
Þys wan he for þe barons defaut,
Þat for Lot nolde gyue assaut.
Al þe lond, to þe kyng þey pleyned
Þat þe barons alle feyned.
Of hym was non help ne socuring
His lond for to fende & were,
He myghte nought ryse armes to bere;
Þer-fore he bad alle his barouns
Don after Lotes somouns,
ffor he was doughti, noble & wys,
& sley cheuentayn of god auys.
Sire Octa þat hadde folk ynowe,
Oueral þe Bretons þei pyled & slowe;
He bolded hym wyþ mykel pryde,
Þat þe kyng ne myghte go ne ryde;
To meschef he putte al þat he fond,
Man & wyf, þorow al þys lond.
Bot often Lot wyþ hym met,
& ofte hym chaced þorow baret.
Many tyme of hym he wan,
& eft on hym þat oþer ran:—
Hit ys custume þat werre bygynne,
Somme to lese, & somme to wynne:—
Lot ful often dide hym fle,
& chaced hym vnto þe se;
Bot gret dedeyn [was] of þe barouns,
Þat wold nought come for Lotes somouns,—
Þey þought hem al [so] gentil of blod,
& al so mykel in stede stod
At ylka tyme, or more þan he,
& also mykel of rente & fe;—
Þus þey delayed, long was þe drede,
336
ffor Octa, al þe Norþ he wan,
& of the Southe to seint Alban;
Þys wan he for þe barons defaut,
Þat for Lot nolde gyue assaut.
Al þe lond, to þe kyng þey pleyned
Þat þe barons alle feyned.
Bot hereþ now of þe kynges wyl,
Þat lefte for syknesse ne for yl
Þat he ne ros vp ful auster,
& dide hym make a liter
Corneled as an hors bere,
& seyde þis word þat alle myght here:
“Now schal y se ho schal wyþstonde,
“& ho wyl come for my sonde!”
He somounde firste þo til his werre
Þat deyned nought for Lot come nerre.
Þey come, & were ful sore agrysen
Whan þey wyste þe kyng was rysen.
To þe toun of Wyrolhram
Þe kyng & alle þe barons cam:
Seint Albon, þer lygges he,
Þat highte Wyrolhram þe cite.
Þer com þey to þe toun wyþ wyn;
Octa & hyse were alle þer-yn.
Þe kyng byseged hit aboute,
Dide make engyns stronge & stoute.
Þe toun was þanne so strong & fyn,
Hit hadde no dere of non engyn;
Octa & hyse were ryght bolde,
Þey hadde god folk & syker holde,
& seyde, ‘hit was neuere [to] fere
‘Of half a dedman lyggyng on bere,
‘Ne for swyche on to kepe þe gates loken;
“Cowardyse of vs scholde be spoken,
“ffor to haue of swylkon drede,
“Þat in a bere to bataille ȝede.”
Alas! hit was no Cristen man,
Þes Octa þat so fer wan.
His ouerwenyng & his pryde
Dide þem opene þe gates wyde,
& com stoutly vnto þe byker;
Bot þer hap was al vnsyker;
ffor synne of Octa, fals & fursworn,
Dide al his felawes & hym be lorn;
ffor slayn was þere sire Octa,
& his cosyn sire Ebessa;
Oþer ynowe ȝit þey skaped,
Vntil Scotland þey hem raped,
& ches þeym a prynce, sire Colgroyn,
Þat was sire Octa cosyn.
Longe þey lendend by þat cost,
& gedered þere anoþer host.
Þat lefte for syknesse ne for yl
Þat he ne ros vp ful auster,
& dide hym make a liter
Corneled as an hors bere,
& seyde þis word þat alle myght here:
“Now schal y se ho schal wyþstonde,
“& ho wyl come for my sonde!”
He somounde firste þo til his werre
Þat deyned nought for Lot come nerre.
Þey come, & were ful sore agrysen
Whan þey wyste þe kyng was rysen.
To þe toun of Wyrolhram
Þe kyng & alle þe barons cam:
Seint Albon, þer lygges he,
Þat highte Wyrolhram þe cite.
Þer com þey to þe toun wyþ wyn;
Octa & hyse were alle þer-yn.
Þe kyng byseged hit aboute,
Dide make engyns stronge & stoute.
Þe toun was þanne so strong & fyn,
Hit hadde no dere of non engyn;
Octa & hyse were ryght bolde,
Þey hadde god folk & syker holde,
337
‘Of half a dedman lyggyng on bere,
‘Ne for swyche on to kepe þe gates loken;
“Cowardyse of vs scholde be spoken,
“ffor to haue of swylkon drede,
“Þat in a bere to bataille ȝede.”
Alas! hit was no Cristen man,
Þes Octa þat so fer wan.
His ouerwenyng & his pryde
Dide þem opene þe gates wyde,
& com stoutly vnto þe byker;
Bot þer hap was al vnsyker;
ffor synne of Octa, fals & fursworn,
Dide al his felawes & hym be lorn;
ffor slayn was þere sire Octa,
& his cosyn sire Ebessa;
Oþer ynowe ȝit þey skaped,
Vntil Scotland þey hem raped,
& ches þeym a prynce, sire Colgroyn,
Þat was sire Octa cosyn.
Longe þey lendend by þat cost,
& gedered þere anoþer host.
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