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 Briano. |
 | The Story of England |  |
De Briano.
In þys þat þey made purueaunce,Bryan seyde ‘he wolde o chaunce
‘Til Ingelond wende priuely,
‘ȝyf he by sleyghte [Pellith] mighte come by;
549
“In Ingelond may we neuere arryue;
“ffor he can telle þorow his art,
“Whider we wile, & to what part.”
Bryan auntred hym al in drede,
But God hym gaf wel for to spede.
At Barbeflet to schipe he went,
At Southaumptone hauene he hent;
ffaire cloþes wolde he non were,
But dightym al lyke to a beggere;
A schort staf he dide hym make,
Als palmeres in handes take,
& dide þer-inne a wel longe pyk
Squar grounden, scharp, euenlyk;
He feyned hym croked many a tyme,
As he hadde longe ben a pylgrime;
He let hym al[s] he had ben wery,
& al-wey spirde priuely;
After þe kyng he spird vm-while,
ffor non hoped til hym no gyle.
So queyntely aboute hym wond,
Þe kynges court at ȝork he fond;
He dide hym þere among þe poraille,
Wyþ bagge & burdon of þeir entaille;
Wyþ hem he stod, wiþ hem he wente,
But euere his eye o syde he glente;
He saw his sister wyþ a bacyn,
Water for to feche þer-in.
& Brian stirt forþ in hure weye,
& stille seide þat he wolde seye.
550
He seide “Þy gretyng I rede þou lete,
“ffor ȝyf any man me aparceiue,
“ffro þe deþ may y nought weyue;
“Þer-fore þou lete now al þy mone,
“& drawe vs by oure self al one.”
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