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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Roborati sunt Romany per consilium Ewanderi. |
 | The Story of England |  |
Roborati sunt Romany per consilium Ewanderi.
Ewanden, þe kyng of Libye,
Saw þe Romayns force doun flye;
He relyed þen his folk a stounde,
& sey þe prisons myght nought be founde;
“To seke prisons ys tynt trauaille,”
He bad þem tente al to þe bataille;
He sette þem alle in swylk certeyn,
Þat þe bettere party þey wan a-geyn;
Of þe Bretons þey felde ynowe,
& foure of our beste men þey slowe,—
Sire Iders sone þe Bretoun,
& Irelgas of Peryron,
Sire Alydauk of Tyntagel,
Þat was lord of þat castel,
And Mauryk Cador Caneys;—
Souereyne knyghtes þey were, hit seys.
Þe Erl Borel, a gret lordyng,
Hym smot Ewander þe kynge;
In at þe mouþ Borel he bar,
Þorow-out þe þrote o two he schar.
Saw þe Romayns force doun flye;
He relyed þen his folk a stounde,
& sey þe prisons myght nought be founde;
“To seke prisons ys tynt trauaille,”
He bad þem tente al to þe bataille;
He sette þem alle in swylk certeyn,
Þat þe bettere party þey wan a-geyn;
Of þe Bretons þey felde ynowe,
& foure of our beste men þey slowe,—
Sire Iders sone þe Bretoun,
& Irelgas of Peryron,
Sire Alydauk of Tyntagel,
Þat was lord of þat castel,
And Mauryk Cador Caneys;—
Souereyne knyghtes þey were, hit seys.
Þe Erl Borel, a gret lordyng,
Hym smot Ewander þe kynge;
In at þe mouþ Borel he bar,
Þorow-out þe þrote o two he schar.
When þey seye sire Borel fel,
ffor wo þe Bretons al to-swel
Þat þey so þeir lord les
Wyþ þe Romains grete pres;
Ageyn o Breton were ten Romayn;
Nere grace had ben, al had be slayn,
Al had ben ded & doun born,
& þer prisons had ben lorn;
But Vtred, a lord of Peyters,
He was cheftayn of fforreyers,
He com dryuande þat ilke while,
ffor hit was told hym of [þat] gyle,
Þat Romayns come rescours to make,
Þe Bretons to slo, þe prisons to take.
Wiþ hym come þre þousand knyghtes,
& archers gode at alle rightes,
& on þe Romayns smyten ful tit,
Þat had our Bretons ner desconfit;
Þeir scharpe speres & scheld forþ leyd,
An hundred þei felde atte firste breyd,
Þat neuere eft þey ne ros,
Of þe Bretons to wynne los.
ffor wo þe Bretons al to-swel
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Wyþ þe Romains grete pres;
Ageyn o Breton were ten Romayn;
Nere grace had ben, al had be slayn,
Al had ben ded & doun born,
& þer prisons had ben lorn;
But Vtred, a lord of Peyters,
He was cheftayn of fforreyers,
He com dryuande þat ilke while,
ffor hit was told hym of [þat] gyle,
Þat Romayns come rescours to make,
Þe Bretons to slo, þe prisons to take.
Wiþ hym come þre þousand knyghtes,
& archers gode at alle rightes,
& on þe Romayns smyten ful tit,
Þat had our Bretons ner desconfit;
Þeir scharpe speres & scheld forþ leyd,
An hundred þei felde atte firste breyd,
Þat neuere eft þey ne ros,
Of þe Bretons to wynne los.
| The Story of England | |