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 |
 |
|
De occisione Edwyny & filiorum eius. |
 | The Story of England |  |
De occisione Edwyny & filiorum eius.
Of his comyng Edwyn herd seye,
How he nought spared in his weye;
He gadered alle his retenauntz,
Knyghtes, squiers, & seriauntz,
& alle oþer þat of hym held,
And comen alle in-til Hatfeld;
Þyder þey samned, boþe partys,
Þat longe had be stronge enemys.
Þenda þat schrewe, þe Sarazyn,
To helpe he com wyþ Cadwalyn.
& Edwyn was hardy & bold,
And eighte & fourty ȝer was old;
Þer was he slayn, hys sone hym wyth,
A god knyght, was cald Osfryth.
Elleuen ȝer was Edwyn kynge
Er þan he tok his cristnyng;
& þer-inne two wyues he tok
Er he þe Paen lawe fur-sok;
Gwenburghe, þe ferste highte so,
Wyþ hure had he childre two;
How he nought spared in his weye;
He gadered alle his retenauntz,
Knyghtes, squiers, & seriauntz,
& alle oþer þat of hym held,
And comen alle in-til Hatfeld;
Þyder þey samned, boþe partys,
Þat longe had be stronge enemys.
Þenda þat schrewe, þe Sarazyn,
To helpe he com wyþ Cadwalyn.
& Edwyn was hardy & bold,
And eighte & fourty ȝer was old;
Þer was he slayn, hys sone hym wyth,
555
Elleuen ȝer was Edwyn kynge
Er þan he tok his cristnyng;
& þer-inne two wyues he tok
Er he þe Paen lawe fur-sok;
Gwenburghe, þe ferste highte so,
Wyþ hure had he childre two;
Osfriht & Eadfrith, þus þey highte,
& knyghtes were þey boþe wyghte.
Dame Ethelburgh highte þat oþer,
Þe kyng of Kent was hure broþer,
Sire Ethelbright hure fader was,
Þat we byforn han rad in pas.
Seint Bede spekeþ of þys Edwyn,
Syn he fursok þe lawe Sarazyn,
So god a Cristen kyng was non
In al þis lond als he alon;
He was cristned o þe Pasche day,
At ȝork fursok his Paen lay;
Syx hundred ȝer þe date was þo,
& passed seuene & twenty mo;
Emfled, his doughter born,
Sche was cristned a ȝer byforn.
Whan he þe Cristendam þoughte take,
Þe kirke of ȝork he dide first make;
But longe er hit was brought til ende,
He was slayn wyþ folk vnhende;
But seint Osewald, þat gode man,
He ended þat Edwyn bygan.
Sire Edwyn was syx ȝer
Cristen kyng in þys lond her:
What cristen, what heþen þral,
Seuentene ȝer he regned in al;
Þat selue ȝer Oswy was slayn,
His cosyn Osfry y þe same payn,
Þe ȝeres of Crist six hundred wore,
& þrytty ȝer, & þre more;
Þe ferþe day þat ys y þe ides
Of Octobre, ho so hit bydes.
Þer he lay, a chapel ys wrought,
& ȝit ys þer folk þat þyder han sought.
& knyghtes were þey boþe wyghte.
Dame Ethelburgh highte þat oþer,
Þe kyng of Kent was hure broþer,
Sire Ethelbright hure fader was,
Þat we byforn han rad in pas.
Seint Bede spekeþ of þys Edwyn,
Syn he fursok þe lawe Sarazyn,
So god a Cristen kyng was non
In al þis lond als he alon;
He was cristned o þe Pasche day,
At ȝork fursok his Paen lay;
Syx hundred ȝer þe date was þo,
& passed seuene & twenty mo;
Emfled, his doughter born,
Sche was cristned a ȝer byforn.
Whan he þe Cristendam þoughte take,
Þe kirke of ȝork he dide first make;
But longe er hit was brought til ende,
He was slayn wyþ folk vnhende;
But seint Osewald, þat gode man,
He ended þat Edwyn bygan.
556
Cristen kyng in þys lond her:
What cristen, what heþen þral,
Seuentene ȝer he regned in al;
Þat selue ȝer Oswy was slayn,
His cosyn Osfry y þe same payn,
Þe ȝeres of Crist six hundred wore,
& þrytty ȝer, & þre more;
Þe ferþe day þat ys y þe ides
Of Octobre, ho so hit bydes.
Þer he lay, a chapel ys wrought,
& ȝit ys þer folk þat þyder han sought.
Of Cadwalyn now schal we seye;
He slow þe kyng of Orkeneye,
Sire Cadan, & sire Gabaon,—
Þe Scottische kyng was þat on,—
& manie oþere lordes mo,
ffor wham was mad ful mykel wo.
Cadwalyn hadde neuere mercy
Of Edwynes kynde he mighte com by;
Man & woman he slow al day,
& childre þat in þe cradel lay;
Alle he slow hem, olde & ȝonge,
Þat til Edwyn teld any tonge.
ȝyt of Edwyn was left on quik,
Hys emes sone þat highte Osrik,
Þat rescowed þe heritage;
But luytel held he hit in age,
ffor Cadwalyn wrought hym so wow,
His two cosyns & hym he slow;
Þowh al he hadde Crysten feyþ,
To þo Crysten he dide ouer leyþ,
Þat ȝong & olde, al ȝede to ded,
ffor o man þat hym mys bed.
Seint Bede blames Cadwalyn;
Of wille he calles hym ‘barbaryn,’—
‘Barbaryn’ ys a Sarazyn straunge,
To mercy þat wil nere turne ne chaunge;—
ffor al þe werd, so ferde he,
On lyue wolde he non let be.
Þat slaughter lasted so gret stounde,
Vnneþes a Cristen man men founde,
But turnde vnto þe lawe Paen,
Þat er was brought to be Cristen,
Vnto þe tyme of seint Osewalde,
Þat þe feiþ a-geyn dide halde;
Vnto þe reame he hadde right,
And was ful fre, & gentil knyght;
He sente for þe bischop Aydan,
Of Scotland was þat gode man;
Þat bischop cam, his folk to preche,
Þer Cristendam fro Paen wreche.
He slow þe kyng of Orkeneye,
Sire Cadan, & sire Gabaon,—
Þe Scottische kyng was þat on,—
& manie oþere lordes mo,
ffor wham was mad ful mykel wo.
Cadwalyn hadde neuere mercy
Of Edwynes kynde he mighte com by;
Man & woman he slow al day,
& childre þat in þe cradel lay;
Alle he slow hem, olde & ȝonge,
Þat til Edwyn teld any tonge.
ȝyt of Edwyn was left on quik,
Hys emes sone þat highte Osrik,
557
But luytel held he hit in age,
ffor Cadwalyn wrought hym so wow,
His two cosyns & hym he slow;
Þowh al he hadde Crysten feyþ,
To þo Crysten he dide ouer leyþ,
Þat ȝong & olde, al ȝede to ded,
ffor o man þat hym mys bed.
Seint Bede blames Cadwalyn;
Of wille he calles hym ‘barbaryn,’—
‘Barbaryn’ ys a Sarazyn straunge,
To mercy þat wil nere turne ne chaunge;—
ffor al þe werd, so ferde he,
On lyue wolde he non let be.
Þat slaughter lasted so gret stounde,
Vnneþes a Cristen man men founde,
But turnde vnto þe lawe Paen,
Þat er was brought to be Cristen,
Vnto þe tyme of seint Osewalde,
Þat þe feiþ a-geyn dide halde;
Vnto þe reame he hadde right,
And was ful fre, & gentil knyght;
He sente for þe bischop Aydan,
Of Scotland was þat gode man;
Þat bischop cam, his folk to preche,
Þer Cristendam fro Paen wreche.
| The Story of England | |