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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Hic natus est Brutus |
 | The Story of England |  |
Hic natus est Brutus
Þe kynge dide his clerke calle,
& bad hem loke þer bokes alle,
‘What schold of þat child bycome,
Good or wykke, what maner dome.’
Þey seide, ‘þey founde (als þeym was wo,)
ffader & moder scholde he sloo,
& out of londe go for þat chaunce,
And siþen come to god cheuysance;
Passe he scholde mani a stour,
& syþen come to gret honur.’
Þey founde syþen, als þey seyde,
Þat of his burþe his moder deide;
His moder deide al so swiþe;
Þe child lyuede; þey were al bliþe.
Brutus, þus his name þey teld,
Whan he was of fiftene ȝer eld,
His ffader & he to wode þey went,
To venerye he gaf his tent;
An herde of hertes sone þey met,
At a triste to schete, Brutus was set;
He auysed hym opon an hert,—
Hys ffader passed bytwixt ouerthwert,—
& wyþ þat schote his ffader he slow;
Al vnwylland þat draught he drow.
Whan Brutus sey hys ffader ded,
He nyste what was best to red;
ffor deol & drede awey he nam
Tyl Grece fro when his fader cam;
Þe folk of Troye þer he fond,
Þat lyuede in seruage y þe lond.
Elenum, Pryamyes sone,
Wyþ sext þowsand þer gan wone,
& ȝyt mo lordynges ynowe,
Þat [þe] Gregeys to seruage drowe,
Þat Pyrrus held in his truage.
Achilles sone was þenne of age.
& bad hem loke þer bokes alle,
30
Good or wykke, what maner dome.’
Þey seide, ‘þey founde (als þeym was wo,)
ffader & moder scholde he sloo,
& out of londe go for þat chaunce,
And siþen come to god cheuysance;
Passe he scholde mani a stour,
& syþen come to gret honur.’
Þey founde syþen, als þey seyde,
Þat of his burþe his moder deide;
His moder deide al so swiþe;
Þe child lyuede; þey were al bliþe.
Brutus, þus his name þey teld,
Whan he was of fiftene ȝer eld,
His ffader & he to wode þey went,
To venerye he gaf his tent;
An herde of hertes sone þey met,
At a triste to schete, Brutus was set;
He auysed hym opon an hert,—
Hys ffader passed bytwixt ouerthwert,—
& wyþ þat schote his ffader he slow;
Al vnwylland þat draught he drow.
Whan Brutus sey hys ffader ded,
He nyste what was best to red;
ffor deol & drede awey he nam
Tyl Grece fro when his fader cam;
Þe folk of Troye þer he fond,
Þat lyuede in seruage y þe lond.
Elenum, Pryamyes sone,
31
& ȝyt mo lordynges ynowe,
Þat [þe] Gregeys to seruage drowe,
Þat Pyrrus held in his truage.
Achilles sone was þenne of age.
Brutus was þer bot a þrowe,
þat many his name gon wel knowe.
ffor his grete hardynesse,
ffor curtesye & for largesse,
Mykel louede hym his owen kynde,
& oþer til hym were ful mynde.
Grete gyftes þey gon hym gyue,
& seyde, “ȝyf we myght frely lyue,
“Ouer vs alle we wolde þe make
“Kynge, ȝyf þou wost vndertake.
“Oure folk ys waxen for þe maystri,
“& stalworthe are, & right hardy:
“ȝyf we had on þat we dredde,
“Þat vs in-til bataille ledde,
“& mayntened vs, & lered al so
“What in bataille we scholden do,
“Syker scholde he haue al oure seruage
“To ffredom brynge, or a-suwage.
“Seuen þousand now we are
“Of knyghtes to bataille ȝare,
“Wyþoute seriauntz & oþer pytaille
“Þat ar nought for to sette in taille.
“ȝyf þou wilt vnder-take þys þynge,
“We wyl þe make our alder kyng,
“& at þy biddynge we wyl bowe:
“Doute þe nought, we are ynowe;”
þat many his name gon wel knowe.
ffor his grete hardynesse,
ffor curtesye & for largesse,
Mykel louede hym his owen kynde,
& oþer til hym were ful mynde.
Grete gyftes þey gon hym gyue,
& seyde, “ȝyf we myght frely lyue,
“Ouer vs alle we wolde þe make
“Kynge, ȝyf þou wost vndertake.
“Oure folk ys waxen for þe maystri,
“& stalworthe are, & right hardy:
“ȝyf we had on þat we dredde,
“Þat vs in-til bataille ledde,
“& mayntened vs, & lered al so
“What in bataille we scholden do,
“Syker scholde he haue al oure seruage
“To ffredom brynge, or a-suwage.
“Seuen þousand now we are
“Of knyghtes to bataille ȝare,
“Wyþoute seriauntz & oþer pytaille
“Þat ar nought for to sette in taille.
“ȝyf þou wilt vnder-take þys þynge,
“We wyl þe make our alder kyng,
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“Doute þe nought, we are ynowe;”
Als þey til hym spek often þus,
A bacheler men calde Assarakus
Was born y þe lond of Grece;
Of þat blod he hadde a spece,
ffor his ffader was Gregeys,
Hys moder of Troye, þe stori seys;
Hys ffader was a lordynge,
Þe most of þe lond saue þe kynge,
And gat hym opon bastardie
By on of Troye in rybaudie;
& for he gat hym on his rage,
He gaf hym in heritage
Þre casteles þat weren gode,
Tyl his cloþynge & his fode.
Hys brethren wold han reft hit hym,
Bot he bar hym so stout & grym;
ffor þe Trogens wiþ hym helde,
þe boldeloker bar vp his schelde,
ffor he was on þat wolde þem saue,
& at his castles recet to haue.
Wyþ his conseil & hys socour
Made þey Brutus þeyr gouernour.
A bacheler men calde Assarakus
Was born y þe lond of Grece;
Of þat blod he hadde a spece,
ffor his ffader was Gregeys,
Hys moder of Troye, þe stori seys;
Hys ffader was a lordynge,
Þe most of þe lond saue þe kynge,
And gat hym opon bastardie
By on of Troye in rybaudie;
& for he gat hym on his rage,
He gaf hym in heritage
Þre casteles þat weren gode,
Tyl his cloþynge & his fode.
Hys brethren wold han reft hit hym,
Bot he bar hym so stout & grym;
ffor þe Trogens wiþ hym helde,
þe boldeloker bar vp his schelde,
ffor he was on þat wolde þem saue,
& at his castles recet to haue.
Wyþ his conseil & hys socour
Made þey Brutus þeyr gouernour.
Brutus sey & vnderstod
Hys folk was alle strong & god,
And hym self wel of myght
Þeym for to fende & to fight.
He dide enforce þe casteles wel;
Hys folk he warned ilk a del,
& bad hem to þe casteles drawe,
Þo þat were of Troyes lawe,—
Men & wymen & children ylkone
Þat to hym hadde mad þer mone—
& þider scholde þer godes lede,
Vntil þo casteles for doute & drede.
Whan þey hadde þer godes lad,
Byside þe casteles busked & spred,
& Brutus saugh his men wel dyght
All redy vnto þe fyght,
Brutus dide write a bref,
Vnto sire Pandras, kyng & chef;
Þys ys þe lettre þat he sent,
Þe latyn, y vnderstonde, þus ment:
Hys folk was alle strong & god,
And hym self wel of myght
Þeym for to fende & to fight.
He dide enforce þe casteles wel;
Hys folk he warned ilk a del,
33
Þo þat were of Troyes lawe,—
Men & wymen & children ylkone
Þat to hym hadde mad þer mone—
& þider scholde þer godes lede,
Vntil þo casteles for doute & drede.
Whan þey hadde þer godes lad,
Byside þe casteles busked & spred,
& Brutus saugh his men wel dyght
All redy vnto þe fyght,
Brutus dide write a bref,
Vnto sire Pandras, kyng & chef;
Þys ys þe lettre þat he sent,
Þe latyn, y vnderstonde, þus ment:
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