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 bello inter Brutum & Regem Grecorum. |
 | The Story of England |  |
De bello inter Brutum & Regem Grecorum.
Þe kynges broþer Antygonus,
He sey þe chaunce fel on þem þus;
His folk he relyed hym to,
ffor to assay eft what þey might do;
“Schamely,” he sais, “ar we desconfit!
“Lat hem nought passe fro vs so quit.”
Whan þey were to-gyder y-comen,
Ageyn þe Trogens boldely þey nomen;
Þanne bigan a scharp bataille;
Egrely þe parties gonne assaille
Wiþ bowe & spere, & swerdes dynt;
Bot atte þe laste þe Gregeys tynt.
At þat metyng (among ylkon)
Taken was sire Antygon,
& an oþer, sire Anacletoun.
& best of hem were born doun:
Þyse two prisons, Brutus þem led;
Of þeym of Grece, fewe þer fledde.
He sey þe chaunce fel on þem þus;
His folk he relyed hym to,
ffor to assay eft what þey might do;
“Schamely,” he sais, “ar we desconfit!
“Lat hem nought passe fro vs so quit.”
Whan þey were to-gyder y-comen,
Ageyn þe Trogens boldely þey nomen;
Þanne bigan a scharp bataille;
Egrely þe parties gonne assaille
Wiþ bowe & spere, & swerdes dynt;
Bot atte þe laste þe Gregeys tynt.
At þat metyng (among ylkon)
Taken was sire Antygon,
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& best of hem were born doun:
Þyse two prisons, Brutus þem led;
Of þeym of Grece, fewe þer fledde.
Pandras þe kyng had sorw in sight
Þat he was so al desconfit,
& þat his brother taken was;
He com ageyn into þat pas,
& wende haue founde Brutus þore,—
Help he hadde, & purueyed more,—
Bot Brutus was til his castles gon
Wiþ Antygo & Anacleton;
He warnysched hem wiþ men of armes,
ffor he dredde deseite & harmes.
Whon þe kyng fond hym þer nought,
To bisege þe castel he þought;
Vnto þe sege he hym hastede
His purueaunce he wold were wastede;
Berfreys dide make to gyue assaut
Þat Brutus mought falle y þe faut;
To mangeneles he dide make stones,
Wiþ þer assaut to casten alle at ones.
Þey wyþynne stode in karneles,
Wyþ arblastes schotten ageyn quarels,
& grete tres ful vnryde
Þey caste agein on ylk a side;
Enginours þey hadde wyþynne ynowe,
At þeym wyþouten ageyn to þrowe,
Þat non dyrste comen þe wal ney,
Bot for drede hel[d] þeym a drey;
Þey casten wyldfyr wiþ engynes.
Brent þer bretaxkes, ropes, & lynes,
Cables, cordes, tymber þer was.
Who was þen wo bot kyng Pandras?
Bot he saw hit myghte nought vaille,
Þeyr assaut ne þeyr trauaylle;
He drow hym þeþen, & gaf hym place,
& bygan faste to manace;
He dyde make for fens a dyk
Aboute þe castel a gret stryk,
& closed yn al Brutes host,
Þat non myght skape by no cost.
Þe kyng dide ȝyt pale hit efte;
Bot þre entres, non was left.
Þe kyng dide so wel loke þo,
Þat non of hem myghte passe hem fro
To do Brutus no suwaute,
So wel was loked ylkan entre.
Þat he was so al desconfit,
& þat his brother taken was;
He com ageyn into þat pas,
& wende haue founde Brutus þore,—
Help he hadde, & purueyed more,—
Bot Brutus was til his castles gon
Wiþ Antygo & Anacleton;
He warnysched hem wiþ men of armes,
ffor he dredde deseite & harmes.
Whon þe kyng fond hym þer nought,
To bisege þe castel he þought;
Vnto þe sege he hym hastede
His purueaunce he wold were wastede;
Berfreys dide make to gyue assaut
Þat Brutus mought falle y þe faut;
To mangeneles he dide make stones,
Wiþ þer assaut to casten alle at ones.
Þey wyþynne stode in karneles,
Wyþ arblastes schotten ageyn quarels,
& grete tres ful vnryde
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Enginours þey hadde wyþynne ynowe,
At þeym wyþouten ageyn to þrowe,
Þat non dyrste comen þe wal ney,
Bot for drede hel[d] þeym a drey;
Þey casten wyldfyr wiþ engynes.
Brent þer bretaxkes, ropes, & lynes,
Cables, cordes, tymber þer was.
Who was þen wo bot kyng Pandras?
Bot he saw hit myghte nought vaille,
Þeyr assaut ne þeyr trauaylle;
He drow hym þeþen, & gaf hym place,
& bygan faste to manace;
He dyde make for fens a dyk
Aboute þe castel a gret stryk,
& closed yn al Brutes host,
Þat non myght skape by no cost.
Þe kyng dide ȝyt pale hit efte;
Bot þre entres, non was left.
Þe kyng dide so wel loke þo,
Þat non of hem myghte passe hem fro
To do Brutus no suwaute,
So wel was loked ylkan entre.
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