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 |
Dicta Vtery. |
The Story of England | ||
Dicta Vtery.
But for þis noble ouercomyng
Þat God gaf Vter oure kyng,
ffor ioie he stirte vp of his bere
Als he hadde be hol & fere,
Al armed in ire[n] & stel,
& bolded alle his barons wel,
& seyde, þus standynge, & low:
“More worschip ys, as me þynkeþ now,
“In a bere for to lye,
“In syknesse wynne þe maistrie,
“Þan be a man hol & sound,
“& schamely lygge ded on ground.
“Octa despised me many a day,
“ffor þat y sek in bedde lay;
“Skornful wordes þey me bed,
“& held me bot an half man ded.
“Þe half dedman ful felonlyk
“Haþ slayn his fos, boþ hol & quyk.
“Þe hole & quyke ar dede & fled;
“ȝyt lyueþ þe syke þat lay in bed;
“ȝit schal y folewe þem þat fle!
“Do dight ȝow alle, & wendeþ wyþ me!
“ffor no þyng ne schal y leue
“Þat y ne schal exyle & reue,
“& ȝelde þem ful harde stoures,
“Þat my lond destruyde, & ȝoures.”
Þat God gaf Vter oure kyng,
ffor ioie he stirte vp of his bere
Als he hadde be hol & fere,
Al armed in ire[n] & stel,
& bolded alle his barons wel,
& seyde, þus standynge, & low:
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“In a bere for to lye,
“In syknesse wynne þe maistrie,
“Þan be a man hol & sound,
“& schamely lygge ded on ground.
“Octa despised me many a day,
“ffor þat y sek in bedde lay;
“Skornful wordes þey me bed,
“& held me bot an half man ded.
“Þe half dedman ful felonlyk
“Haþ slayn his fos, boþ hol & quyk.
“Þe hole & quyke ar dede & fled;
“ȝyt lyueþ þe syke þat lay in bed;
“ȝit schal y folewe þem þat fle!
“Do dight ȝow alle, & wendeþ wyþ me!
“ffor no þyng ne schal y leue
“Þat y ne schal exyle & reue,
“& ȝelde þem ful harde stoures,
“Þat my lond destruyde, & ȝoures.”
When þe kyng had seyd his wille,
Hys barons bed hym byleue stille
Til he were warysched of his syknesse,
Or his penaunce y-swaged lesse.
Þus departed alle þe barouns,
& chased after þe Saxouns.
When þe chas was al lefte,
& þe Saxoyns were gadered eft,
Þey conseilled hem, & toke þer red,
How þey might do þe kyng to ded:
Þey seide, ‘ȝyf þey myghte þe kyng destruye,
‘He hadde non eir þat scholde þem noye;
‘& al so lange as he myght lyue,
‘Bataille dirste þey neuere hym gyue,
‘Bot ȝif hit were þorow tresoun,
‘To gyue hym venym & poysoun.’
Hys barons bed hym byleue stille
Til he were warysched of his syknesse,
Or his penaunce y-swaged lesse.
Þus departed alle þe barouns,
& chased after þe Saxouns.
When þe chas was al lefte,
& þe Saxoyns were gadered eft,
Þey conseilled hem, & toke þer red,
How þey might do þe kyng to ded:
Þey seide, ‘ȝyf þey myghte þe kyng destruye,
‘He hadde non eir þat scholde þem noye;
‘& al so lange as he myght lyue,
‘Bataille dirste þey neuere hym gyue,
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‘To gyue hym venym & poysoun.’
The Story of England | ||