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 Gygante Dynabroke. |
 | The Story of England |  |
De Gygante Dynabroke.
When Arthur hadde herd þe pleynt,
How wyþ þe geaunt þe folk was teynt,
He calde sire Caye & Beduer,
& ilk of þeym tok a squyer;
Armure dide þey wiþ hem lede,
& ilk of þeym tok hym a stede.
He nolde schewe hit to namo
Þat he wolde to þe geaunt go;
Ȝyf alle had wyst he wente so one,
Þe ost had ben abaischt ilkone;
He tristed wel in Godes grace
Þat he durste hym schewe his face,
& on his grete vaillauntise
Ar he durst take þat emprise.
Al þat ilke night þey ryden,
Þat þey no whar stynte ne biden,
Til hit was y þe morn[e] tyde
Þat þey seye wel þere bysyde
A bot standynge at a stage;
Þen hoped þey þere was þe passage.
Two hilles wyþynne þe water wore,
Þat on was lasse, þat oþer more;
O þe more hil þer was a fyr,
ffro ferre þey sey hit brenne schir;
Þe lasse hil was nought so drey
ffro þe more, but euene ney;
An oþer fir was on þat hil;
Þer-fore Arthur was al wyl
On whilk hil þe geaunt was,
Ne non couþe kenne hym þe righte pas.
Þen bad he sire Beduer “go
“To serche þe hilles to & fro;
“& when þou wost þe certeyn,
“Hye þe þanne to me a-geyn.”
How wyþ þe geaunt þe folk was teynt,
He calde sire Caye & Beduer,
& ilk of þeym tok a squyer;
Armure dide þey wiþ hem lede,
& ilk of þeym tok hym a stede.
He nolde schewe hit to namo
Þat he wolde to þe geaunt go;
Ȝyf alle had wyst he wente so one,
Þe ost had ben abaischt ilkone;
He tristed wel in Godes grace
Þat he durste hym schewe his face,
& on his grete vaillauntise
Ar he durst take þat emprise.
427
Þat þey no whar stynte ne biden,
Til hit was y þe morn[e] tyde
Þat þey seye wel þere bysyde
A bot standynge at a stage;
Þen hoped þey þere was þe passage.
Two hilles wyþynne þe water wore,
Þat on was lasse, þat oþer more;
O þe more hil þer was a fyr,
ffro ferre þey sey hit brenne schir;
Þe lasse hil was nought so drey
ffro þe more, but euene ney;
An oþer fir was on þat hil;
Þer-fore Arthur was al wyl
On whilk hil þe geaunt was,
Ne non couþe kenne hym þe righte pas.
Þen bad he sire Beduer “go
“To serche þe hilles to & fro;
“& when þou wost þe certeyn,
“Hye þe þanne to me a-geyn.”
Þenne Beduer dide hym in þe bot,
& on þe nexte hil he smot.
Beduer stod, & hym auysed
Whider-ward þe weyes wysed;
Þe nexte wey he tok vp hey,
& als he wente he herde a cry;
Gret pleynte he herde on make;
A party gan his herte quake;
He wende hit hadde þe geaunt ben,
Þat his comyng had wist or sen;
He drow hys swerd al so smert,
& gadered hardinesse of hert,
& þought þat ȝyf he wyþ hym mette,
Wyþ hym to fighte he wolde nought lette.
But al þat þenkyng was in vayn,
ffor on þe hil aboue þe playn
He fond a fir brennyng an hy,
& a toumbe newe þer-by;
Als he bar his swerd in hande,
By þe toumbe he sey on sittande,
A womman, ner al naked,
Aboute hure hed hure her to-schaked;
Biside þe toumbe þis womman lay,
& often cried “wey la way!”
& mente þe vilenye & þe peyne,
& seide, “alas for þe, Eleyne!”
& on þe nexte hil he smot.
Beduer stod, & hym auysed
Whider-ward þe weyes wysed;
Þe nexte wey he tok vp hey,
& als he wente he herde a cry;
Gret pleynte he herde on make;
A party gan his herte quake;
He wende hit hadde þe geaunt ben,
Þat his comyng had wist or sen;
He drow hys swerd al so smert,
& gadered hardinesse of hert,
428
Wyþ hym to fighte he wolde nought lette.
But al þat þenkyng was in vayn,
ffor on þe hil aboue þe playn
He fond a fir brennyng an hy,
& a toumbe newe þer-by;
Als he bar his swerd in hande,
By þe toumbe he sey on sittande,
A womman, ner al naked,
Aboute hure hed hure her to-schaked;
Biside þe toumbe þis womman lay,
& often cried “wey la way!”
& mente þe vilenye & þe peyne,
& seide, “alas for þe, Eleyne!”
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