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 tercio lacu versus Walliam iuxta Seuerne. |
 | The Story of England |  |
361
De tercio lacu versus Walliam iuxta Seuerne.
“Of anoþer ys more selcouþ,“& þat lough ys in þat souþ,
“Toward Walys, bysyde Seuerne.
“When þe flod flowes þider in ȝerne,
“Þe water wexes noþyng on hey,
“Þan þe flod come neuere þer ney;
“Als longe as flod þer-ynne flowes,
“Þe water of þe lough no þyng ne growes,
“In no stede, by bank ne bre,
“Þat any man may perceiue or se.
“But when þe flod drawes ageyn,
“& ys atte þe ebbe certeyn,
“Þenne bygynnes þe lough to flowe,
“& ouer þe bankes to renne & rowe;
“Wyþ rysyng wawes, & wyþ grete,
“ffer aboute hym wil he wete.
“ȝyf hit beo a couþ man of þe contre
“þat goþ þider þe water to se,
“& feleþ þe wawes þat so wetes,
“Hit rennes on hym, & doun hym betes.
“Of-ten of þo þat so haue gon,
“Han be drenkled manion.
“ȝyf any connyng man of þo
“Standeþ stille, or sidlyng can go,
“He may stande on þe brynkes
“Al so lange as hym god þynkes:
362
“Ne haue wetynge ne waþe.”
Ohel seyde, “yt is wonder þyng,
“& selcouþ ho made þe gynnynge!”
Þan dide Arthur bemes blowe,
Hornes, belles, þat men myght knowe
Þat he wolde þennes turne,
& remue his host fro þat burne.
His barons þat come fro ferne,
He bad hem renne hom ryght ȝerne,
To wyte how hit for at home,
& glade þer wyues whan þey come.
Wyþ mykel ioye & mykel play
Wente þe ost homward þer way;
Of Arthur made þey mykel pris,
How he was hardy, large, & wys,
& seyde “neuere or in Bretaigne
“Was so noble a cheuentayne!”
Vntil ȝork Arthur gan turne;
Þere al þe ȝol he made soiourne.
Hornes, belles, þat men myght knowe
Þat he wolde þennes turne,
& remue his host fro þat burne.
His barons þat come fro ferne,
He bad hem renne hom ryght ȝerne,
To wyte how hit for at home,
& glade þer wyues whan þey come.
Wyþ mykel ioye & mykel play
Wente þe ost homward þer way;
Of Arthur made þey mykel pris,
How he was hardy, large, & wys,
& seyde “neuere or in Bretaigne
“Was so noble a cheuentayne!”
Vntil ȝork Arthur gan turne;
Þere al þe ȝol he made soiourne.
On þe ȝol day he made his feste
Wyþ þe barons of his geste.
fful mykel enpeired was þe toun,
Kyrkes, houses, were beten doun;
Þer burgeyses were bygged riche,
Wast & Eyuere [?] was hit liche.—
Þe bischop was slayn wyþ þe Saxons,
& oþere manye religions;—
Al he dide hit bigge ageyn
As hit was byfore certeyn.
Hym serued a prest, a ful god man,
Hys name was cald sire Pyran;
He gaf hym þe erchebishopes se,
& bad hym ‘kepe þat dignite,
‘& holy kirke a-geyn restore,
‘Þat þe Saxons had wasted byfore.’
Pes he dide oueral crye,
Þat non dide oþer vylenye,
But in lawe, right, & skyle;
Husebande men, bad hem tyle;
ffrankeleyns þat hadde desheritison,
He dide þem seke in ilka toun,
& gaf hem a-geyn þer heritage,
Restored þem þer oþer damage.
Þre þer were, doughti & gode,
Noble men, of kynges blode,
Loth, Aguisel, & Vryen,
Þe northe langed to þyse þre men;
Þyse þre departed þe northe lond
Þorow Arthures gift, y vnderstond.
To Lothe he gaf al Lounes,
Al þe contre, right as hit es.
Scotlond he gaf sire Anguisel;
Vryen had Murreue vntil his del;
& alle to holde of hym þer þynge,
ffor Arthur was þer chef[e] kyng.
Sire Lothe þat weddede Anne,
Wawayn þer sone at Rome was þanne
To norise, als þe romaunce seys,
& he highte Wawayn þe curteys.
Wyþ þe barons of his geste.
fful mykel enpeired was þe toun,
Kyrkes, houses, were beten doun;
Þer burgeyses were bygged riche,
Wast & Eyuere [?] was hit liche.—
Þe bischop was slayn wyþ þe Saxons,
& oþere manye religions;—
Al he dide hit bigge ageyn
As hit was byfore certeyn.
363
Hys name was cald sire Pyran;
He gaf hym þe erchebishopes se,
& bad hym ‘kepe þat dignite,
‘& holy kirke a-geyn restore,
‘Þat þe Saxons had wasted byfore.’
Pes he dide oueral crye,
Þat non dide oþer vylenye,
But in lawe, right, & skyle;
Husebande men, bad hem tyle;
ffrankeleyns þat hadde desheritison,
He dide þem seke in ilka toun,
& gaf hem a-geyn þer heritage,
Restored þem þer oþer damage.
Þre þer were, doughti & gode,
Noble men, of kynges blode,
Loth, Aguisel, & Vryen,
Þe northe langed to þyse þre men;
Þyse þre departed þe northe lond
Þorow Arthures gift, y vnderstond.
To Lothe he gaf al Lounes,
Al þe contre, right as hit es.
Scotlond he gaf sire Anguisel;
Vryen had Murreue vntil his del;
& alle to holde of hym þer þynge,
ffor Arthur was þer chef[e] kyng.
Sire Lothe þat weddede Anne,
Wawayn þer sone at Rome was þanne
To norise, als þe romaunce seys,
& he highte Wawayn þe curteys.
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