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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Dicta Ohelys Regis. |
 | The Story of England |  |
411
Dicta Ohelys Regis.
When Arþur had seid his resoun,Wel was hit alowed of ilka baroun.
Wiþ o word seide þei alle at ones,
“Wel haue ȝe seid, sire, for þe nones!”
When þei were stilled a party,
ffirst spak sire Ohel þat sat hym by,
& seide: “no man ȝong ne old
“Schuld ought amende þat ȝe haue told;
“But syþen þou sest þat þou art þret,
“& may nought passe wyþoute baret,
“Somoun þy folk, & make þem ȝare,
“& set þem day when þou wilt fare.
“But make no long drecching þer-to,
“ffor y wile, ȝif þat þou wilt so,
“& passe Moungu in to þe mountz,
“& holde day of þy somouns.
“& ȝif we wende so alle to-gyder,
“& he se þat we come þyder,
“So may bytide, þen schal hym rewe
“Þat he bigan þis bale to brewe;
“& hit bytydes many stoundes,
“Þat who so bygynneþ, hym self confoundes.
“I trowe þat God wil vs auaunce;
“Grace ys to-ward, & gode chaunce.
“Þe Emperour sendes after þe;
“Sek hym þer-fore, wher so he be,
“& baldely bede we on hym þe bars;
“Sone schul we se þen ho ys chars;
412
“Þat he tys court nere dur vs bede.
“Loke what seis þe prophesie,—
“Sibille þe sage [þat] wil nought lye:—
“Þe Bretons, of Bretayne schul come,
“& þorow force gouerne Rome.”
“ffoure ar passed, wel we mene;
“Þou art þe fifte schal do þem tene;
“Þe fifte þou art, y wot hit we[l],
“Þat Rome schal haue ilkadel.
“Syn so ys ordeyned to bityde,
“Wher-to schold we longe abide?
“Auaunce now boþe þy self & ous!
“Oure wil to helpe ys coraious;
“Y dar wel seye, so hastou founde,
“ffor we ne doute no dynt ne wounde,
“Ne deþ, ne prison, ne langour,
“So wilne we faste þyn honour!
“Leue nought now, but faste þe spede,
“& y schal, ȝyf þat þou haue nede,
“Come wyþ ten þousand of gode knyghtes,
“Horsed & armed at alle rightes.
“& ȝyf þou for tresour lette,
“Al my lond schal y wed-sette
“ffor gold & seluer, þe to take,
“Er þou þis viage schuld fursake.”
(Seint Dubrice, þe holy man,
At kyng Arþur tok leue þan
ffor to chaunge his abyte,
413
& Dauid, Arthures em, hit tok,
Þe erchebischopriche þat Dubrice fursok.)
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