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 occisione Saxonum apud Bathoniam. |
 | The Story of England |  |
De occisione Saxonum apud Bathoniam.
Wyþ þat word he smot his stede,
Byforn þem alle vpward he ȝede;
Hys launce ful wel he bar þe point,
Hys scheld byfore ful wel was ioynt;
Þe firste Saxon þat wyþ hym met,
His dayes were no lenger set.
Þen bygan Arþur to crye,
“A-geyn þes Payens, helpe, Marie!”
& bar on hem þe breste byfore.
After hym þe Bretons gon bore:
“Þe firste strok þann ys myn!”
On he mette, & m[a]de hys fyn;
Þen myghte men se þe Bretons strike,
& felle þe Saxons doughtilyke.
Arthur þen egred þem so wyþ sawe,
ffo[r] schame ne myghte þey hem wyþdrawe;
Þey byhalued þem aboute,
& ryden þorow þe Saxons route.
On ilka syde doun þey fley,
& euere Arthur vpward stey
Wyþ Caliborn drawen in his hond;
Was non his dynt þat myghte wyþstond,
Þat hym ne byhoued nedly deye;
Þer-fore þey fledde, & gaf hym weye;
So fele he slow, & broughte til schame,
ffor þus þey counted þat couþe þem ame,
ffour hundred he slow, mo allone
Þan his host dide ilkone.
Ded was Balduk, slayn was Colgrym,
& Cheldrik fledde wyþ mykel pyn;
Toward þer schipes to Toteneys
Þey fledde, & lefte al oþer harneys;
Lyghtly to go, wightly to fle,
Þey leften al, & fledde to þe se.
Arthur perceyued wel ynow
Þat to þer schipes þey fledde & drow;
Þen bad he sire Cador of Cornewaille
Take ten þousand of gode apparaille;
& after hem swyþe hey spedde,
& ouertoke þo þat fledde;
ffor Arthur to Scotland went:
Ohel a messeger hym sent,
& seyde ‘þe Scottes byseged þe castel,
‘& hadde ner taken sire Ohel.’
Cheldrik fledde til his nauye;
But Cador was queynte & wyly;
By a bywey to Totenes lay,
Cador & hyse toke þat way,
And to þe hauen wel raþer cam
Er any Saxon to schipe nam.
Sire Cador, þe mene folk he tok,
He gaf þem þe schipes for to loke,
& bad þem ryde fer fro þe land,
Þat Saxons ne raughte no bot wyþ hand.
Syþen went he wyþ alle his ost,
& y þe contres kepte þe cost,
& kepte þem euere as þey come;
By ten, by twelue, vm-while þey nome;
Armure & robes hadde þey cast,
Þat þey were lyght to fle right fast;
Þey hadde but swerdes on þer hypes,
Sone to come vnto þer schipes.
Als þey passed þe water of Teyne,
Were þey war of Cadores seyne.
When þey hit sey, þey held hem schent,
Hider & þyder a-wey þey glent.
As þey tok þe hil of Teynewyk,
Þer was he slayn, þe kyng Cheldryk;
Þe oþere þat wende wel haue scaped,
To deþe were þey al to-fraped;
Þo þat ascaped to þe hauen vnslayn,
When þey com þere, þey were vnfayn,
ffor þey kept [hem] atte brynke,
In to þe water þey dide hem synke.
On alle halue wax þem wo;
To wodes & hilles fledde somme of þo,
Þeym to hyde, þat non ne wyst,
Tyl þey deyde for hunger & þirst.
Byforn þem alle vpward he ȝede;
Hys launce ful wel he bar þe point,
Hys scheld byfore ful wel was ioynt;
Þe firste Saxon þat wyþ hym met,
His dayes were no lenger set.
Þen bygan Arþur to crye,
“A-geyn þes Payens, helpe, Marie!”
& bar on hem þe breste byfore.
After hym þe Bretons gon bore:
“Þe firste strok þann ys myn!”
On he mette, & m[a]de hys fyn;
Þen myghte men se þe Bretons strike,
& felle þe Saxons doughtilyke.
Arthur þen egred þem so wyþ sawe,
ffo[r] schame ne myghte þey hem wyþdrawe;
354
& ryden þorow þe Saxons route.
On ilka syde doun þey fley,
& euere Arthur vpward stey
Wyþ Caliborn drawen in his hond;
Was non his dynt þat myghte wyþstond,
Þat hym ne byhoued nedly deye;
Þer-fore þey fledde, & gaf hym weye;
So fele he slow, & broughte til schame,
ffor þus þey counted þat couþe þem ame,
ffour hundred he slow, mo allone
Þan his host dide ilkone.
Ded was Balduk, slayn was Colgrym,
& Cheldrik fledde wyþ mykel pyn;
Toward þer schipes to Toteneys
Þey fledde, & lefte al oþer harneys;
Lyghtly to go, wightly to fle,
Þey leften al, & fledde to þe se.
Arthur perceyued wel ynow
Þat to þer schipes þey fledde & drow;
Þen bad he sire Cador of Cornewaille
Take ten þousand of gode apparaille;
& after hem swyþe hey spedde,
& ouertoke þo þat fledde;
ffor Arthur to Scotland went:
Ohel a messeger hym sent,
& seyde ‘þe Scottes byseged þe castel,
‘& hadde ner taken sire Ohel.’
Cheldrik fledde til his nauye;
But Cador was queynte & wyly;
By a bywey to Totenes lay,
Cador & hyse toke þat way,
And to þe hauen wel raþer cam
355
Sire Cador, þe mene folk he tok,
He gaf þem þe schipes for to loke,
& bad þem ryde fer fro þe land,
Þat Saxons ne raughte no bot wyþ hand.
Syþen went he wyþ alle his ost,
& y þe contres kepte þe cost,
& kepte þem euere as þey come;
By ten, by twelue, vm-while þey nome;
Armure & robes hadde þey cast,
Þat þey were lyght to fle right fast;
Þey hadde but swerdes on þer hypes,
Sone to come vnto þer schipes.
Als þey passed þe water of Teyne,
Were þey war of Cadores seyne.
When þey hit sey, þey held hem schent,
Hider & þyder a-wey þey glent.
As þey tok þe hil of Teynewyk,
Þer was he slayn, þe kyng Cheldryk;
Þe oþere þat wende wel haue scaped,
To deþe were þey al to-fraped;
Þo þat ascaped to þe hauen vnslayn,
When þey com þere, þey were vnfayn,
ffor þey kept [hem] atte brynke,
In to þe water þey dide hem synke.
On alle halue wax þem wo;
To wodes & hilles fledde somme of þo,
Þeym to hyde, þat non ne wyst,
Tyl þey deyde for hunger & þirst.
When Cador had mad þe contre clene,
Þat no Saxon were more sene,
He hyed hym faste toward Scotland.
In Aklud, Arthur he fond,
& Ohel wyþ hym, his cosyn,
Of his seknesse warisched fyn.
Þe Scottes þer sege remued
When Arthur cam, Ohel rescued;
Al þe contre gan þey weyue,
& fledde a-wey vn to Murreyue,
Þer þey hoped best to be,
& closed þem in a strong cite;
Þere þey hoped Arthur to byde,
A-geyns þem what wolde bytyde.
Arthur wyste hit certeynly
Þey gadered ageyns hym party;
He hyed hym þide[r]ward ful ȝerne,
& þey herd hit seye, & fledde ȝit ferne
Right vnto þe Louh Lumyne:
A selcouþ þyng hit ys to see.
Þat no Saxon were more sene,
356
In Aklud, Arthur he fond,
& Ohel wyþ hym, his cosyn,
Of his seknesse warisched fyn.
Þe Scottes þer sege remued
When Arthur cam, Ohel rescued;
Al þe contre gan þey weyue,
& fledde a-wey vn to Murreyue,
Þer þey hoped best to be,
& closed þem in a strong cite;
Þere þey hoped Arthur to byde,
A-geyns þem what wolde bytyde.
Arthur wyste hit certeynly
Þey gadered ageyns hym party;
He hyed hym þide[r]ward ful ȝerne,
& þey herd hit seye, & fledde ȝit ferne
Right vnto þe Louh Lumyne:
A selcouþ þyng hit ys to see.
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