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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| Audite iam quoddam Mirabile de cremacione
Cirencestrie. |
 | The Story of England |  |
Audite iam quoddam Mirabile de cremacione Cirencestrie.
But listneþ now a selkouþ
Þat neuere er fel by norþ ne souþ,
Ne neuere contreued in elde ne ȝouþe,
Ne conseil gyuen of mannes mouþe:
Þe Payens wyþowte leide nettes & lynes,
& sparewes toke al day by tymes;
After þat, luytel notes þey toke,
& holede þem, þe kerneles out schoke;
Þey dide y þe schelles, fyr & tunder,
Brymston & flax,—þys was a wonder,—
& feste þem by þe sparewes fet;
At euen homward fleye þem let;
Þe sparewes fleye at euen to reste,
Til houses þere þey were woned to neste;
In eueses þey crepte, & in þe þakkes,
& in hey & in corn stakkes;
Þe fir, þe tonder, þe brymston hot,
Kyndled on lowe, & vp hit smot.
Þe Bretons wyst nought how hit brent,
Ne on what manere þe fir was sent;
Þey armed þeym alle redy to fight;
Ouer fewe þey were, & hadde no myght.
Þe kyng þer in-to Walys skaped,
& þo þat myghte, wiþ hym þeym raped;—
Syþ herde y nought telle of wham
Whiderward Carice by-cam;—
& right þus Circestre was taken,
Þat longe held þe Payens waken;
& for hit was wyþ sparewes brent,
Þo men þat þorow þe contre went,
On Englische cald hit “Sparewes Toun,”
& Frensche men “Cite de Mischeroun,”
ffor to mene þe queyntise
How hit was wonne, & on what wyse.
Þat neuere er fel by norþ ne souþ,
Ne neuere contreued in elde ne ȝouþe,
Ne conseil gyuen of mannes mouþe:
Þe Payens wyþowte leide nettes & lynes,
& sparewes toke al day by tymes;
After þat, luytel notes þey toke,
& holede þem, þe kerneles out schoke;
Þey dide y þe schelles, fyr & tunder,
Brymston & flax,—þys was a wonder,—
& feste þem by þe sparewes fet;
At euen homward fleye þem let;
Þe sparewes fleye at euen to reste,
Til houses þere þey were woned to neste;
In eueses þey crepte, & in þe þakkes,
& in hey & in corn stakkes;
Þe fir, þe tonder, þe brymston hot,
Kyndled on lowe, & vp hit smot.
510
Ne on what manere þe fir was sent;
Þey armed þeym alle redy to fight;
Ouer fewe þey were, & hadde no myght.
Þe kyng þer in-to Walys skaped,
& þo þat myghte, wiþ hym þeym raped;—
Syþ herde y nought telle of wham
Whiderward Carice by-cam;—
& right þus Circestre was taken,
Þat longe held þe Payens waken;
& for hit was wyþ sparewes brent,
Þo men þat þorow þe contre went,
On Englische cald hit “Sparewes Toun,”
& Frensche men “Cite de Mischeroun,”
ffor to mene þe queyntise
How hit was wonne, & on what wyse.
When Gurmound had al ouer riden & ronne,
& Bretayne til his hand al wonne,
Þat no Breton durst hym abyde,
Ne ageines hym in bataille ride,
To þe Saxons he gaf þe lond
Þat he in Northumberland first fond.
And ȝyf dide Gurmound so, he dide right,
He sykerede þem byforn, & hight;
& þo þat ȝerned Hengistes þyng,
Þorow Gurmound hadde þer ȝernyng;
ffor he gaf þeym þe lond of Kent,
Þat longe wyþ Hengistes blod was went.
Alynage of þe out ildes he dide allye,
& Bretayne til his hand al wonne,
Þat no Breton durst hym abyde,
Ne ageines hym in bataille ride,
To þe Saxons he gaf þe lond
Þat he in Northumberland first fond.
And ȝyf dide Gurmound so, he dide right,
He sykerede þem byforn, & hight;
511
Þorow Gurmound hadde þer ȝernyng;
ffor he gaf þeym þe lond of Kent,
Þat longe wyþ Hengistes blod was went.
Þat langed vntil Saxonie;
Men þei were of gret honur,
& doughti for to stande in stour;—
‘Anglysche’ kalde þei al þat kynde,
To knowe where men mighte hit fynde;—
Gurmound þe lond to þem hit gaf,
But þe oþere Saxoyns be þem ouer haf,
& made Anglische souereyns for to be,
ffor to holde hit of hym in fee;
In Northfolk was first þer wonynge;
‘Estangle’ hit hight for þer comynge;
Anglys, þat contre first þey aught,
& of Anglis, Estangle hit laught:
Þus fondy in Maister Waces boke;
Of Peres of Langtoft also y toke,
& of Gyldas þer-to y leyde,
Right as Peres þer-of seyde;
Of alle þre bryng y to place,
Gyldas, Peres, & Maister Wace.
But þe Saxons acorded for no þynge
Þat þe Anglys schuld be þer kyng;
“Þey hadde wel leuere,” þe Saxons seyd,
“Þat þe lond were in partis leyd,
“Þan þe Anglys of þe out ildes
“Schulde be chef of alle þer gyldes.”
| The Story of England | |