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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Interpretacio Sompny Arthury. |
 | The Story of England |  |
Interpretacio Sompny Arthury.
Somme þer were þus hit descried,
‘Hym self þe dragon signefied,
‘& þe bere som geaunt
‘Þat he schuld make recreaunt,
‘ffro fer schold come, & do gret wo,
‘& þorow force he schulde hym slo.’
Somme oþer weys gan hit rede,
But alle þey seyde he schulde wel spede;
Þen seide hym self, “y trowe hit menes
“Þis werre, & manye oþer tenes
“Bytwyxt me & þe Emperour.
“Let God al worthe, my creatour!”
‘Hym self þe dragon signefied,
‘& þe bere som geaunt
‘Þat he schuld make recreaunt,
‘ffro fer schold come, & do gret wo,
‘& þorow force he schulde hym slo.’
425
But alle þey seyde he schulde wel spede;
Þen seide hym self, “y trowe hit menes
“Þis werre, & manye oþer tenes
“Bytwyxt me & þe Emperour.
“Let God al worthe, my creatour!”
At þat word þe day gan sprynge,
Þe sonne ros faire y þe mornynge,
& at þe sonne rysyng in god tyme
Þey come to Bareflete er pryme.
ffro schip to londe ful sone þey ȝede,
& in þe contre aboute gon sprede;
He seide he wolde his folk abyde,
Þo þat were nought come þat tyde.
Longe while dwelled he nought,
Þat tydynges men hym brought,
Þat þider was comen a geaunt,
& longe þer hadde ben his haunt;
Out of Spayne was he comen,
& [had] Sire Oheles nece y-nomen;
Mayde Eleyne was hure name,
He had hure taken to do hure schame,
& had hure brought vnto an hil,
Þat non ne myghte ne durste com til.—
Micheles Mount men calles hit now,
Þere þe geaunt Eleyne slow;
Was þer non auter ne no chapel
Þat ilke tyme þat þis chaunce fel;
Aboute þat hil þe water flowes,
Comeþ þer non þat he ne rowes.—
Þer was non þat hadde þat myght
Þat wyþ þe geaunt durst ones fight;
Somme þer were vmwhile wylde fonde,
& hym assailled by water & londe,
But he gaf nought of þeir assaut,
ffor þey fulle euere in þeir defaut;
ffor grete roches at þem he cast,
& þer schipes to-rof & brast.
Many were drenkled, fele were slayn,
Þo þat ascaped, hit was wyþ payn;
Þer-fore þe contre was ner al fled,
Þeir wonyng fursoke, þeir godes led,
& lefte þat lond wast & wylde,
ffor man or best, wyf or childe.
Þe geauntes name was Dynabrok,
A grysly man was on to loke.
Þe sonne ros faire y þe mornynge,
& at þe sonne rysyng in god tyme
Þey come to Bareflete er pryme.
ffro schip to londe ful sone þey ȝede,
& in þe contre aboute gon sprede;
He seide he wolde his folk abyde,
Þo þat were nought come þat tyde.
Longe while dwelled he nought,
Þat tydynges men hym brought,
Þat þider was comen a geaunt,
& longe þer hadde ben his haunt;
Out of Spayne was he comen,
& [had] Sire Oheles nece y-nomen;
Mayde Eleyne was hure name,
He had hure taken to do hure schame,
& had hure brought vnto an hil,
Þat non ne myghte ne durste com til.—
Micheles Mount men calles hit now,
Þere þe geaunt Eleyne slow;
Was þer non auter ne no chapel
Þat ilke tyme þat þis chaunce fel;
Aboute þat hil þe water flowes,
Comeþ þer non þat he ne rowes.—
Þer was non þat hadde þat myght
Þat wyþ þe geaunt durst ones fight;
426
& hym assailled by water & londe,
But he gaf nought of þeir assaut,
ffor þey fulle euere in þeir defaut;
ffor grete roches at þem he cast,
& þer schipes to-rof & brast.
Many were drenkled, fele were slayn,
Þo þat ascaped, hit was wyþ payn;
Þer-fore þe contre was ner al fled,
Þeir wonyng fursoke, þeir godes led,
& lefte þat lond wast & wylde,
ffor man or best, wyf or childe.
Þe geauntes name was Dynabrok,
A grysly man was on to loke.
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