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 Modredo, ffratre Walwyny, traditore. |
 | The Story of England |  |
De Modredo, ffratre Walwyny, traditore.
Sire Arthur hadde a cosyn,
Moddred he highte, a traitur fyn;
A noble knyght he was in stour,
But til his e[me] he was traytour.
Arthur bitaughtym his lond to kepe;—
Hym hadde ben bettere haue leid to slepe;
ffor he had loued þe quene priuely,
Arthures wyf, & leyn hure by;
Nought was perceyued bytwyxte hem to:
Who schuld haue trowed hit had be so?
Who wold haue went so synful lyf,
Þat þe cosyn had leyn by þe emes wyf?
& namely of swylk a man?
Þorow al þe werld his los of ran.—
Arthur bitaught hym Geneuere þe quen,
(Alas þat euere hit scholde so ben!)
& al þe lond saue þe coroune,
& schop his host to Southaumptoune,
Þer schipes y þe hauen ryden,
Þat Arthur & his folk abiden.
Þer myghte men se þe mariners,
Many wyght man in schipes fers,
Ropes to righte, lynes to leye,
By banke & brymme to tache & teye,
Cables to knytte aboute þe mast,
Þe sail on ȝerde þey feste ful fast,
Ancres, ores, redy to hande,
Roþeres, helmes, right for to stande,
Bowlyne on bouspret to sette & hale,
Cordes, kyuiles, atached þe wale;
When al was redy in god point,
Vnto þe lond þe schipes ioynt;
Somme stode in schipe, somme on sand,
Brygges & plankes þey caste to land,
Wyþ men & hors for to charge
Cogges, barges, & schipes large;
Brought yn helmes, hauberks & scheldes,
& al þat men yn bataille weldes,
Hors in to drawe, hors in to dryue;
Men hyed þer-after yn ful blyue.
When alle were inne, and mad al ȝare,
& þey on þer wey[e] schuld[e] fare,
To þeym o land þey preieden eft
To grete þer frendes þat þey had lefte:
On boþe parties was heuy chere
[Whan frendes departed leue & dere.]
Moddred he highte, a traitur fyn;
A noble knyght he was in stour,
But til his e[me] he was traytour.
Arthur bitaughtym his lond to kepe;—
Hym hadde ben bettere haue leid to slepe;
ffor he had loued þe quene priuely,
Arthures wyf, & leyn hure by;
Nought was perceyued bytwyxte hem to:
Who schuld haue trowed hit had be so?
Who wold haue went so synful lyf,
Þat þe cosyn had leyn by þe emes wyf?
& namely of swylk a man?
Þorow al þe werld his los of ran.—
Arthur bitaught hym Geneuere þe quen,
(Alas þat euere hit scholde so ben!)
& al þe lond saue þe coroune,
& schop his host to Southaumptoune,
Þer schipes y þe hauen ryden,
Þat Arthur & his folk abiden.
422
Many wyght man in schipes fers,
Ropes to righte, lynes to leye,
By banke & brymme to tache & teye,
Cables to knytte aboute þe mast,
Þe sail on ȝerde þey feste ful fast,
Ancres, ores, redy to hande,
Roþeres, helmes, right for to stande,
Bowlyne on bouspret to sette & hale,
Cordes, kyuiles, atached þe wale;
When al was redy in god point,
Vnto þe lond þe schipes ioynt;
Somme stode in schipe, somme on sand,
Brygges & plankes þey caste to land,
Wyþ men & hors for to charge
Cogges, barges, & schipes large;
Brought yn helmes, hauberks & scheldes,
& al þat men yn bataille weldes,
Hors in to drawe, hors in to dryue;
Men hyed þer-after yn ful blyue.
When alle were inne, and mad al ȝare,
& þey on þer wey[e] schuld[e] fare,
To þeym o land þey preieden eft
To grete þer frendes þat þey had lefte:
On boþe parties was heuy chere
[Whan frendes departed leue & dere.]
When alle were ynne, & were o flote,
Mariners dighte þem to note,
Þer takel for to righte & taille,
By þe wynd wel for to saylle;
Ancres o bord, sayl drowen heye,
Þe wynd blew wel, þer schipe gon fleye,
& þe mariners þat weren sleye,
Ilkon dide þer maistrie:
Somme aforced þe wyndas,
Somme þe loof, somme þe bytas;
Þe mayster mariner was byhynde,
Þe schip to stere by þe wynde.
(Queynte he was, & right hardy,
& engynous man & sley,
Þat first fond schip on se to fare,
& turnde wyþ þe wynd þer he nyste whare,
Lond to seke þat he saw nought,
Ne whiderward he schulde be brought.)
Mariners dighte þem to note,
423
By þe wynd wel for to saylle;
Ancres o bord, sayl drowen heye,
Þe wynd blew wel, þer schipe gon fleye,
& þe mariners þat weren sleye,
Ilkon dide þer maistrie:
Somme aforced þe wyndas,
Somme þe loof, somme þe bytas;
Þe mayster mariner was byhynde,
Þe schip to stere by þe wynde.
(Queynte he was, & right hardy,
& engynous man & sley,
Þat first fond schip on se to fare,
& turnde wyþ þe wynd þer he nyste whare,
Lond to seke þat he saw nought,
Ne whiderward he schulde be brought.)
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