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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Dixit Aydanus: ‘non in- ‘ueteras- ‘cat illa ‘manus.’ |
 | The Story of England |  |
Dixit Aydanus: ‘non in- ‘ueteras- ‘cat illa ‘manus.’
Aydan sey how þe kyng hit brak;
Þer-fore til hym þys word he spak:
“Nere mote þat hand rote ne elde,
“But hol wyþouten ende to welde.”
& so hit ys right als he seyde;
In schryne at Peterburgh is hit leyde;
At þe abbeye, in þe kirke,
Þe kyng Penda dide hit wirke.
Oswald was sib Edwyn byforn;
Of Acha his sister was Osewald born;
Þer-fore Cadwalyn wilde nought sesse,
But faste on Osewald werre gan presse;
To Scotland he chased Osewold.
ffor Cadwalyn had more folk, & bold,
Osewald fledde, & gaf hym place,
So þat Cadwalyn left hys chace;
His folk hym þoughte trauailled sore,
But Penda at þat tyme was þore;
He bad hym folewe, Osewald to take,
Or don hym þe lond for-sake.
Þer-fore til hym þys word he spak:
“Nere mote þat hand rote ne elde,
“But hol wyþouten ende to welde.”
& so hit ys right als he seyde;
In schryne at Peterburgh is hit leyde;
At þe abbeye, in þe kirke,
Þe kyng Penda dide hit wirke.
Oswald was sib Edwyn byforn;
Of Acha his sister was Osewald born;
Þer-fore Cadwalyn wilde nought sesse,
But faste on Osewald werre gan presse;
559
ffor Cadwalyn had more folk, & bold,
Osewald fledde, & gaf hym place,
So þat Cadwalyn left hys chace;
His folk hym þoughte trauailled sore,
But Penda at þat tyme was þore;
He bad hym folewe, Osewald to take,
Or don hym þe lond for-sake.
When Osewald wyste þe certeyn,
Þat Cadwalyn was turnd ageyn,
Ageyn Penda wolde he stande,
ffor hym nold he be fleande.
In a feld Osewald gan byde,
To bide þe bataille what so bytyde;—
‘Heuene-feld’ þe name ys cald,
ffor þe loue of seint Osewald;—
In þat feld a crois he lyft,
& bad þem alle nought be aglift,
But come & knele byfore þe crois,
And Iesu preye al wyþ o voys,
“Þat he þys day stand vs by,
“A-geyn Penda, Godes enemy,
“Þat wyþ wrong vs onoyes,
“& our Cristen men destruyes.”
Alle þey dide as Osewald bad,
& preyde Ihesu, þat his blod schad
On þe croys for mannes nede,
‘Ageyn Penda wel þat day spede.’
Alle were þey of gode repentaunce,
& wel y-schryuen for alle chaunce.
Syn þey dight hem to þe bataille,
& Penda gan hem faste assaille:
His host was gret, & wyde y-spred;
Ner were þey slayn, & Penda fled.
Penda ascaped wyþ mykel pyn,
& pleyned hym vnto Cadwalyn,
& seide, ‘bot he venge hym wolde,
‘Of hym schuld he namore holde.’
At þat tyme þus hit byleft
Vntil þey samned þer hostes eft:
Þe bataille was byside þyrlwal,
Þat whilom closed þe northende al;
& þere was many myracle schewed,
Þat witnesseþ boþe lered & lewed;
Þe cros dide þere many merueilles,
Halp man & best of þeir trauailles.
Þat Cadwalyn was turnd ageyn,
Ageyn Penda wolde he stande,
ffor hym nold he be fleande.
In a feld Osewald gan byde,
To bide þe bataille what so bytyde;—
‘Heuene-feld’ þe name ys cald,
ffor þe loue of seint Osewald;—
In þat feld a crois he lyft,
& bad þem alle nought be aglift,
But come & knele byfore þe crois,
And Iesu preye al wyþ o voys,
“Þat he þys day stand vs by,
“A-geyn Penda, Godes enemy,
“Þat wyþ wrong vs onoyes,
“& our Cristen men destruyes.”
Alle þey dide as Osewald bad,
& preyde Ihesu, þat his blod schad
On þe croys for mannes nede,
‘Ageyn Penda wel þat day spede.’
Alle were þey of gode repentaunce,
& wel y-schryuen for alle chaunce.
560
& Penda gan hem faste assaille:
His host was gret, & wyde y-spred;
Ner were þey slayn, & Penda fled.
Penda ascaped wyþ mykel pyn,
& pleyned hym vnto Cadwalyn,
& seide, ‘bot he venge hym wolde,
‘Of hym schuld he namore holde.’
At þat tyme þus hit byleft
Vntil þey samned þer hostes eft:
Þe bataille was byside þyrlwal,
Þat whilom closed þe northende al;
& þere was many myracle schewed,
Þat witnesseþ boþe lered & lewed;
Þe cros dide þere many merueilles,
Halp man & best of þeir trauailles.
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