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 nobile Conuiuio & seruientibus. |
 | The Story of England |  |
De nobile Conuiuio & seruientibus.
Þe kyng was set vp at þe des,
Þer was in ful mykel pres,
But aboute hym þe lordynges sat,
Ilkon after his astat.
Kay was styward, chosen of alle
To serue byforn þe kyng in halle;
Hys cloþyng was god & fyn,
& þe pelure of eremyn;
Wyþ hym serued byfore þe kyng
A þousand y þe same cloþynge;
Out of the kechene serued sire Kay,
& alle his felawes þat day.
Þer was in ful mykel pres,
But aboute hym þe lordynges sat,
Ilkon after his astat.
Kay was styward, chosen of alle
To serue byforn þe kyng in halle;
Hys cloþyng was god & fyn,
& þe pelure of eremyn;
Wyþ hym serued byfore þe kyng
A þousand y þe same cloþynge;
Out of the kechene serued sire Kay,
& alle his felawes þat day.
Sire Beduer on þat oþer partie,
He serued of þe botelerye;
Wiþ hym was clad in eremin
A þousand þat serued of þe wyn:
Was þer non þat serue bad,
But he in riche pelure were clad.
Þe kynges coupe sire Beduer bar,
& ȝede byforn al þat þer war;
After hym come alle þe route
Þat serued þe lordes alle aboute.
He serued of þe botelerye;
Wiþ hym was clad in eremin
A þousand þat serued of þe wyn:
Was þer non þat serue bad,
But he in riche pelure were clad.
Þe kynges coupe sire Beduer bar,
& ȝede byforn al þat þer war;
After hym come alle þe route
Þat serued þe lordes alle aboute.
Þe quene was serued ful richely,
Hure seriauntz were assigned redy
In alle offices for to serue,
& byfore þe ladys kerue.
Many a vessel was þer riche,
Of sere colours, nought alle y-liche;
Of metes many manere seruise,
& seer drynkes of þat wyse.
Al þe nobleye couthe y nought telle,
Ne y naue no stounde þer-on to dwelle,
Þe names to seye of þe richesse,
Ne of þe men of prowesse;
Was þer no lond in al þe werd,
Of gode knyghtes so mykel of herd.
Was þer no knyght of so hey blod,
Ne so mykel hadde of wordles god,
Þat þer fore scholde be holde in pris,
But he in dede were proued þrys;
Þries y-proued atte þe leste;
Þen was he alosed at þe feste,
Þen schulde his armes þat men knew,
& his cloþyng [be] al on hew;
þe same queintise his armes had,
In þat same schuld he be clad;
& his wyf clad y þe same colour,
ffor hure lord was man of honur.
ȝyf on were doughti, & sengle man,
Þen schuld he chese hym a lemman;
Elles schold he nought be byloued
But he had ben in bataille proued.
Þo leuedys þat were holden chast,
ffor noþyng wolde do no wast,
Þo leuedis were clad al in on,
& by þeir cloþyng men knewe ilkon.
Hure seriauntz were assigned redy
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& byfore þe ladys kerue.
Many a vessel was þer riche,
Of sere colours, nought alle y-liche;
Of metes many manere seruise,
& seer drynkes of þat wyse.
Al þe nobleye couthe y nought telle,
Ne y naue no stounde þer-on to dwelle,
Þe names to seye of þe richesse,
Ne of þe men of prowesse;
Was þer no lond in al þe werd,
Of gode knyghtes so mykel of herd.
Was þer no knyght of so hey blod,
Ne so mykel hadde of wordles god,
Þat þer fore scholde be holde in pris,
But he in dede were proued þrys;
Þries y-proued atte þe leste;
Þen was he alosed at þe feste,
Þen schulde his armes þat men knew,
& his cloþyng [be] al on hew;
þe same queintise his armes had,
In þat same schuld he be clad;
& his wyf clad y þe same colour,
ffor hure lord was man of honur.
ȝyf on were doughti, & sengle man,
Þen schuld he chese hym a lemman;
Elles schold he nought be byloued
397
Þo leuedys þat were holden chast,
ffor noþyng wolde do no wast,
Þo leuedis were clad al in on,
& by þeir cloþyng men knewe ilkon.
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