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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Recessus Troianorum de terra Grecorum. |
 | The Story of England |  |
Recessus Troianorum de terra Grecorum.
When þe Troianes were al dight
Wyþ seyl vpon þe mast vpright,
Wiþ anker & ore, & oþer ware,
& were al redy for to fare,
When þe wynd was wel þem lent,
Þey toke þer leue, & forþ þey went.
When þey were redy to saille;
Þre hundred schipes þer was in taille,
& foure mo, þe story seys,
When þey departed fro þe Gregeys.
Two dayes þey sailled, & two nyght,
Þat lond ne hauene reche þey ne myght;
Þe þrydde day in þe euen tyde,
In Leogise þey gon to ride.
Leogyse, þat ys an ilde;
Þat tyme was hit wast & wylde;
Man ne woman, non þey fond,
ffor outlandes hadden wasted þat lond,
& þe godes a-wey had born.
Bot bukke & do, & hert wyþ horn,
In þat ilde þey founde ynowe
þat þey slowe, & to þe schip drowe,
& stored þem wel of venyson
Þat lasted hem a long seson.
Als þey wente þorough þat contre,
þey come vntil a wast cite,
& founde þer-inne a temple stande,
þat whilom þe folk mys-lyuande
Worschiped þer-inne Maumetry,—
Dyane in lyknesse of o lefdy;—
Wyþ man lyknesse þe fend dide take,
In þat liknesse þe folk dide make
An ymage, & worschiped þat same.
Dyane was þe ffendes name,
In þys temple stod yn a gage
Swich an Erlyk man ymage;
þe folk þat hadde þer recet,
Leued on þat ylke Maumet;
þat fend telde þem mykel þynge
To holden hem yn mys-leuynge.
On fele maners scho scheweid hem syngne,
Þerfore whilom þey held hure dygne.
To Brutus þenne was hit told,
How yn a temple þat was old
ffond þey an ymage
þat whilom hadde gret seruage
Of þe folk þat þer was wone,
& þe tokene ȝit wil we mone.
Wyþ seyl vpon þe mast vpright,
Wiþ anker & ore, & oþer ware,
& were al redy for to fare,
When þe wynd was wel þem lent,
Þey toke þer leue, & forþ þey went.
When þey were redy to saille;
Þre hundred schipes þer was in taille,
& foure mo, þe story seys,
When þey departed fro þe Gregeys.
Two dayes þey sailled, & two nyght,
Þat lond ne hauene reche þey ne myght;
Þe þrydde day in þe euen tyde,
In Leogise þey gon to ride.
Leogyse, þat ys an ilde;
Þat tyme was hit wast & wylde;
47
ffor outlandes hadden wasted þat lond,
& þe godes a-wey had born.
Bot bukke & do, & hert wyþ horn,
In þat ilde þey founde ynowe
þat þey slowe, & to þe schip drowe,
& stored þem wel of venyson
Þat lasted hem a long seson.
Als þey wente þorough þat contre,
þey come vntil a wast cite,
& founde þer-inne a temple stande,
þat whilom þe folk mys-lyuande
Worschiped þer-inne Maumetry,—
Dyane in lyknesse of o lefdy;—
Wyþ man lyknesse þe fend dide take,
In þat liknesse þe folk dide make
An ymage, & worschiped þat same.
Dyane was þe ffendes name,
In þys temple stod yn a gage
Swich an Erlyk man ymage;
þe folk þat hadde þer recet,
Leued on þat ylke Maumet;
þat fend telde þem mykel þynge
To holden hem yn mys-leuynge.
On fele maners scho scheweid hem syngne,
Þerfore whilom þey held hure dygne.
To Brutus þenne was hit told,
How yn a temple þat was old
ffond þey an ymage
þat whilom hadde gret seruage
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& þe tokene ȝit wil we mone.
Brutes tok twelue of his peres,
Eldest, and of faire maneres,
& a prest of þer lawe,
Sire Gerion, als seiþ þe sawe.
Brutes alone to þe ymage gan loute,
& alle þe oþere leften wyþoute;
In his right hand, whan he com yn,
He broughte a coppe wyþ milk & wyn
þat milked was of a whit hynde;
Bysoughte Diane wyþ hertly mynde
Scheo wolde hym schewe som certein þynge
In word, oþer elles oþer toknynge,
What good land he myghte wone ynne,
In pes, he, & al his kynne:
Ouyde witnesseþ hit, & seys
Þat hit is non oþer weys:
Eldest, and of faire maneres,
& a prest of þer lawe,
Sire Gerion, als seiþ þe sawe.
Brutes alone to þe ymage gan loute,
& alle þe oþere leften wyþoute;
In his right hand, whan he com yn,
He broughte a coppe wyþ milk & wyn
þat milked was of a whit hynde;
Bysoughte Diane wyþ hertly mynde
Scheo wolde hym schewe som certein þynge
In word, oþer elles oþer toknynge,
What good land he myghte wone ynne,
In pes, he, & al his kynne:
Ouyde witnesseþ hit, & seys
Þat hit is non oþer weys:
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