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 Rege Constantino post Arthurum. |
 | The Story of England |  |
497
De Rege Constantino post Arthurum.
But Cadores sone highte Constantyn
Of Cornewaille, Arthures cosyn,
He tok hym þe roiame in kepyng;
Vntil he cam, bad hym be kyng.
Of Cornewaille, Arthures cosyn,
He tok hym þe roiame in kepyng;
Vntil he cam, bad hym be kyng.
Of Moddred were two sones left,
Þat þe lond wold hym haue reft;
Proude men & riche were þey;
Þey seye þe force ȝede al awey,
Þe gode knyghte þat þer ware,
Were y-slayn, þe land was bare.
Þey seye þat Arthur nought ne com;
To haue drede þey nyste of whom;
Þe newe kyng nought þey dredde,
But gadered folk, & hostes ledde,—
Þo Saxons þat Moddred held,
Þat ascaped vnslayn y þe feld,—
To þem alle were ef[t] alyed;
Þe kynges men ouer al þei spyed;
Of Londone þat on sesed þe cite,
& þe beste of alle þe contre;
Þat oþer, Wynchestre & al þe schire,
& wende haue ben lord & sire.
Þat þe lond wold hym haue reft;
Proude men & riche were þey;
Þey seye þe force ȝede al awey,
Þe gode knyghte þat þer ware,
Were y-slayn, þe land was bare.
Þey seye þat Arthur nought ne com;
To haue drede þey nyste of whom;
Þe newe kyng nought þey dredde,
But gadered folk, & hostes ledde,—
Þo Saxons þat Moddred held,
Þat ascaped vnslayn y þe feld,—
To þem alle were ef[t] alyed;
Þe kynges men ouer al þei spyed;
Of Londone þat on sesed þe cite,
& þe beste of alle þe contre;
Þat oþer, Wynchestre & al þe schire,
& wende haue ben lord & sire.
Constantyn herde of þer estre,
& hyed hym ȝerne vnto Wynchestre,
& in a kyrke he hym fond.
ffor al þe kirke ne wolde he wond;
Byfore þe auter seint Anfrybal
His hed he smot of quitly al;
And when þat on al þus was ded,
On þat oþer, bataille he bed;
But he ne durste nought hym abyde,
In a kirke he gan hym hyde,
But þat stod til hym no prow,
ffor in þe kirke he hym slow.
Þre ȝer holy was he kyng;
At Stonhenge he mad his endyng;
ffor Conan his cosyn þere hym slow
Treterously,—but y not how,—
& in þe same stede ys leyd,
Wyþynne þe carole, þe story seyd.
& hyed hym ȝerne vnto Wynchestre,
& in a kyrke he hym fond.
ffor al þe kirke ne wolde he wond;
Byfore þe auter seint Anfrybal
His hed he smot of quitly al;
498
On þat oþer, bataille he bed;
But he ne durste nought hym abyde,
In a kirke he gan hym hyde,
But þat stod til hym no prow,
ffor in þe kirke he hym slow.
Þre ȝer holy was he kyng;
At Stonhenge he mad his endyng;
ffor Conan his cosyn þere hym slow
Treterously,—but y not how,—
& in þe same stede ys leyd,
Wyþynne þe carole, þe story seyd.
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