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 Parentela Ethelberty. |
 | The Story of England |  |
De Parentela Ethelberty.
And in þe tyme of his comynge,
Of Kent Ethelbright was kynge;
And þe kynedam of Ethelbright,
Til Humber was he chef in right.
Þis Ethelbright, as we fynde,
He was of Hengistes kynde;
Gurmond þen sesed in þat kyndam
Þe kynde þat of Hengist cam.
Þyse wordes of seint Bede y tok,
Þe fifte chapitre of þe secounde bok;
Þorow þat chapitre al y wyst
Bytwixt Ethelbright & Hengist.
Hengistes sone, Oysk was his name,
Kyng of Kent, & of noble fame;
ffor fame of Oysk, of Kent þe kynges
Longe were þey cald Oysynges.
Þis Oysk was noble, & so ferlyk,
Hys sone men calde hym Oyrik;
Octa cam of Kyng Oyryk,
& Octa sone highte Irumeryk;
Irumerykes sone hight Ethelbright,—
Þus, seiþ seint Bede, þe kynde ȝede right.
Of Ethe[l]bright haue I told þe kyn;
Now turn ageyn to seint Austyn.
Þe lengþe of þe Ilde of Tenet,
Sex myle þen ys þe met,
& þre myle þen is þe brede,
By two weyes þat me wil lede;
& of þys ilde boþe endes
Al aboute, þe se hit wendes.
In to þys ilde seint Austyn cam,
& ffourty felawes wyþ hym nam
Of Cristene & of religions,
To make Ethelbert somons
‘Þat he scholde to Rome wende,
‘To knowe þe lyf wyþouten ende,
‘Þat Ihesu Crist, Lord of myght,
‘Þat in þe Virgine Marie lyght,
‘And ys, & euere more schal be,
‘Sothfast God in Trynite.’
Of Kent Ethelbright was kynge;
And þe kynedam of Ethelbright,
Til Humber was he chef in right.
Þis Ethelbright, as we fynde,
He was of Hengistes kynde;
Gurmond þen sesed in þat kyndam
Þe kynde þat of Hengist cam.
Þyse wordes of seint Bede y tok,
Þe fifte chapitre of þe secounde bok;
Þorow þat chapitre al y wyst
Bytwixt Ethelbright & Hengist.
Hengistes sone, Oysk was his name,
Kyng of Kent, & of noble fame;
ffor fame of Oysk, of Kent þe kynges
Longe were þey cald Oysynges.
Þis Oysk was noble, & so ferlyk,
Hys sone men calde hym Oyrik;
Octa cam of Kyng Oyryk,
& Octa sone highte Irumeryk;
Irumerykes sone hight Ethelbright,—
Þus, seiþ seint Bede, þe kynde ȝede right.
520
Now turn ageyn to seint Austyn.
Þe lengþe of þe Ilde of Tenet,
Sex myle þen ys þe met,
& þre myle þen is þe brede,
By two weyes þat me wil lede;
& of þys ilde boþe endes
Al aboute, þe se hit wendes.
In to þys ilde seint Austyn cam,
& ffourty felawes wyþ hym nam
Of Cristene & of religions,
To make Ethelbert somons
‘Þat he scholde to Rome wende,
‘To knowe þe lyf wyþouten ende,
‘Þat Ihesu Crist, Lord of myght,
‘Þat in þe Virgine Marie lyght,
‘And ys, & euere more schal be,
‘Sothfast God in Trynite.’
When þe kyng wiste swilk men were comen,
& in þe ilde hadde hauene inomen,
Þat dide ne seide to noman ille,
He bad þey schulde leue stille,
& be serued þat þem was nede
Of mete & drynke, wyþouten drede,
Til þat hym seluen cam þem to,
To wyte at hem what þey wild do.
Þe kyng had herd seid wel byforn
Þat Ihesu was of Marie born,
& hadde y-taught a newe lawe;
Of-ten þer-of he herde in sawe;
& his wyf was Cristen,
In ffraunce born of Frensche men,
& in swilk foreward scheo hym took
Þat scheo hure lawe nought fursook;
Þat ladies name was Dame Berk.
Wyþ hure cam ouer a noble clerk,
A byschop þat highte Sire Leothard,
To holde his wyf þat foreward,
‘Þe kyng schulde nought furdo hure feythe,
‘Neyþer for loþ, lef, ne leythe.’
& in þe ilde hadde hauene inomen,
Þat dide ne seide to noman ille,
He bad þey schulde leue stille,
& be serued þat þem was nede
Of mete & drynke, wyþouten drede,
Til þat hym seluen cam þem to,
To wyte at hem what þey wild do.
521
Þat Ihesu was of Marie born,
& hadde y-taught a newe lawe;
Of-ten þer-of he herde in sawe;
& his wyf was Cristen,
In ffraunce born of Frensche men,
& in swilk foreward scheo hym took
Þat scheo hure lawe nought fursook;
Þat ladies name was Dame Berk.
Wyþ hure cam ouer a noble clerk,
A byschop þat highte Sire Leothard,
To holde his wyf þat foreward,
‘Þe kyng schulde nought furdo hure feythe,
‘Neyþer for loþ, lef, ne leythe.’
Þe kyng a day til Austyn set,
To come to þe Ilde of Tanet:
Þe kyng durste come no couert til,
But stod & bod vnder an hyl;
Of wiche-craft he hadde doute,
Þer-fore of couert he held hym oute;
In toune ne hous ne com he nought,
ffor drede of gyle þat mighte be wrought.
Þat his poer mighte hym be raft
Þorow word or werk of wychecraft;
Þus he hoped, & wel he wende,
After hym þer-fore dide he sende.
When his message til Austyn cam,
His felawes alle wyþ hym þey nam,
& byforn hem dide bere a croys
Of seluer, & alle wyþ o voys
Songen þey þe Letanie,
Austyn & al his companie,
Þat Ihesu Crist wolde þem here,
ffor wham þey made þeir preiere.
To come to þe Ilde of Tanet:
Þe kyng durste come no couert til,
But stod & bod vnder an hyl;
Of wiche-craft he hadde doute,
Þer-fore of couert he held hym oute;
In toune ne hous ne com he nought,
ffor drede of gyle þat mighte be wrought.
Þat his poer mighte hym be raft
Þorow word or werk of wychecraft;
Þus he hoped, & wel he wende,
After hym þer-fore dide he sende.
When his message til Austyn cam,
His felawes alle wyþ hym þey nam,
& byforn hem dide bere a croys
Of seluer, & alle wyþ o voys
522
Austyn & al his companie,
Þat Ihesu Crist wolde þem here,
ffor wham þey made þeir preiere.
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