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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Dicta Lucii Inperatoris. |
 | The Story of England |  |
Dicta Lucii Inperatoris.
Lucius Yber was born in Spayne,Of Rome emperour & cheuentaigne.
ȝong man ynow was sire Lucy,
More þan þritti, but nought fourty;
Don he hadde in þat age
Many a doughti vasselage;
ffor he was strong, lastynge in stour,
Þer-fore was he mad Emperour.
O þe morn erlyk, on a þrom
Þey meoued fro Langres toward Ostum
Wyþ mikel folk & gret[e] route
Þat spredde in lengþe & brede aboute.
Þen herde þemperour by spies seye
Þat Arthur had trauersed his weye;
He perceiued þen his bold-hede,
& sey þat he hadde of hym no drede,
Þat eyþer bihoued hym to bataille stande,
Or turne a-geyn, & be fleande:
To turne a-geyn were cowardise,
& þat were schame til hym & hyse.
Kynge, prynces, & dukes, alle þo
Þat were wyþ hym, two hundred & mo,
To conseille alle he calde þem to,
To wite at hem what he schuld do:
“Lordes, peres, men of honurs,
“Doughti lordes, gode conquerrours,
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“Þat ful wel stode in alle stours;
“Þorow þem ys Rome, wel haue ȝe herd,
“Halden hed of al þe werd,
“& so schal be, y gyue ȝow a gyue,
“Al so longe as y may lyue.
“Þey wonne þe londes þat we now heyre;
“Schame hit were we scholde now peyre.
“Gentil þey were, oure kynde hit mones,
“Of doughti fadres, of doughti sones;
“Þer-fore doþ now þat in ȝow es,
“Likneþ ȝour fadres in doughtines!
“Better hit were in bataille pyne,
“Þan faderes heritage to tyne;
“& þat schul we on none wyse,
“Heritage lese for feintyse!
“Þyse wordes for yuel seide y nought now,
“ffor y fond neuere feintise in ȝow;
“ȝour fadres were gode, so ar ȝe,
“Or bettere þan þey, hit may so be.
“ȝe wyte & se, as wel as y,
“Þat by þat weye we schul go by
“Vntil Ostum, hit ys wyþ-set;
“But wiþ bataille or baret—
“I ne wot wheþer þey be robbours
“Or þeues þat wolde haue ought of ours;—
“Þat weye þey haue vs wyþ-sted
“Þat y scholde ȝow haue inne y-led;
“Y trowe þey wende þat y had scurned,
“ffor þat y now ageyn-ward turned.
“Nay for soþe, þat þought y nought!
“Y wolde þey hadde on vs more sought;
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“& oure right passage haue þey stopped;
“But þer forgate schal þem nought vaille;
“Arme vs, & gyue we þem bataille,
“To do þem bak be dryuen & born,
“Þat passed vs so fer byforn!
“ȝyf þey stande, we schul þem smite;
“ȝyf þat þey fle, þen schul þey wyte
“Þer pryde þat hem so haþ schent,
“Þat þey þe weyes byfore vs wente.”
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