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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Qua de causa Anglici vocantur Caudati. |
 | The Story of England |  |
Qua de causa Anglici vocantur Caudati.
When þey had don þat vyleny,
Þey drof hym þenne wyþ maistri;
ffer weys þey gan hym chace,
Tailles þey casten in hys face.
Þys holy man God bisought,
ffor þey hym þat vileny wrought,
Þat on þem & on al þer kynde,
Tailled, alle men schulde hem fynde.
And God graunted al þat he bad,
ffor alle þat kynde tailles had,—
Tailles hadde, & tailles haue;
ffro þat vengaunce non may þem saue.—
ffor þey wyþ tailles þe godeman schamed,
ffor tailles al Englische kynde ys blamed;
In manie sere londes seyd,
Of þo tailles we haue vmbreyde.
Þey drof hym þenne wyþ maistri;
ffer weys þey gan hym chace,
Tailles þey casten in hys face.
Þys holy man God bisought,
ffor þey hym þat vileny wrought,
Þat on þem & on al þer kynde,
Tailled, alle men schulde hem fynde.
And God graunted al þat he bad,
ffor alle þat kynde tailles had,—
Tailles hadde, & tailles haue;
ffro þat vengaunce non may þem saue.—
528
ffor tailles al Englische kynde ys blamed;
In manie sere londes seyd,
Of þo tailles we haue vmbreyde.
When þys godeman was þenne ascaped,—
Þe schame to haue, þer kynde ys schaped—
Til o valeye he fledde þo fyle[s],
ffro Rouchest[r]e hit ys manie myles;
Bytwyxt two valeyes to þe northe west,
At a hil he gan hym rest.
Wery he was, for fer gon,
So were his felawes euerichon;
& þe grete hete þem greued,
& þe folk þat misbileued
Had don hym so foul despit,
Boþe he þoughte, & seide ful tyt,
Þat he wolde make hym al ȝare,
& fro þat wikked folk wild fare.
But Ihesu Crist wolde hit nought;
He spak til hym, for he so þought:
“Let al þat þought ilkadel,
“& trist opon myn help right wel!
“Þou art my seriaunt, & paies me;
“Þy þought & dede, wel y hit se;
“Of mi grace to þe y graunte,
“Þat þow dost, y holde couenaunte;
“Heuen ys open to þe redy,
“And for wham þou askest merci.”
Þe schame to haue, þer kynde ys schaped—
Til o valeye he fledde þo fyle[s],
ffro Rouchest[r]e hit ys manie myles;
Bytwyxt two valeyes to þe northe west,
At a hil he gan hym rest.
Wery he was, for fer gon,
So were his felawes euerichon;
& þe grete hete þem greued,
& þe folk þat misbileued
Had don hym so foul despit,
Boþe he þoughte, & seide ful tyt,
Þat he wolde make hym al ȝare,
& fro þat wikked folk wild fare.
But Ihesu Crist wolde hit nought;
He spak til hym, for he so þought:
“Let al þat þought ilkadel,
“& trist opon myn help right wel!
“Þou art my seriaunt, & paies me;
“Þy þought & dede, wel y hit se;
“Of mi grace to þe y graunte,
“Þat þow dost, y holde couenaunte;
“Heuen ys open to þe redy,
“And for wham þou askest merci.”
529
When seint Austyn had sen & herd
God of heuene þat hym answerde,
He þanked hym of his swete grace,
An[d] kneled doun in þat place,
& kyste þe erthe fele sithe;
He grette for ioie, so was he bliþe.
When he had longe preied & gret,
Doun y þe erthe his staf he set;
Þer right as he sey þat sight,
He pighte his staf þer doun vpright:
& þer of þe erthe a water spronge
Þat ys now a ryuer longe,
& neuere byforen was non sen,
Ne no man wonyng had þer ben;
ffor noman mighte liue ne dwelle
Wyþoute ryuer or water of welle;
& for þer was non neuer byforn,
Was þe contre wast & lorn.
God of heuene þat hym answerde,
He þanked hym of his swete grace,
An[d] kneled doun in þat place,
& kyste þe erthe fele sithe;
He grette for ioie, so was he bliþe.
When he had longe preied & gret,
Doun y þe erthe his staf he set;
Þer right as he sey þat sight,
He pighte his staf þer doun vpright:
& þer of þe erthe a water spronge
Þat ys now a ryuer longe,
& neuere byforen was non sen,
Ne no man wonyng had þer ben;
ffor noman mighte liue ne dwelle
Wyþoute ryuer or water of welle;
& for þer was non neuer byforn,
Was þe contre wast & lorn.
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