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 Rege Osewy |
 | The Story of England |  |
De Rege Osewy
Hys heued heng a ȝer to mone;
But Oswy, his broþer, sone
Was kyng, & tok þe hed hengand,
& biried hit at ffarnelland;
Of an ilde hit ys þe name,
To Durem langes þat same.
A quene þen was lady of [þo] landes,
Sche dide take armes wyþ handes;
Þat on scheo biried vnder molde,
Þat oþer ys kept in seluer & golde,
In seinte Petres kirke to holde.
& after þe Quen þe toun was tolde;
‘Bebba’ for þe Quen hit is calde;
A nyce name, for soþe y halde;
& for hit was so nice a name,
I wene þey chaungede hit for schame,
(Er þanne hit highte Methamstede,)
Peterburgh, þat semely sede.
But Oswy, his broþer, sone
Was kyng, & tok þe hed hengand,
& biried hit at ffarnelland;
Of an ilde hit ys þe name,
To Durem langes þat same.
A quene þen was lady of [þo] landes,
Sche dide take armes wyþ handes;
Þat on scheo biried vnder molde,
Þat oþer ys kept in seluer & golde,
In seinte Petres kirke to holde.
& after þe Quen þe toun was tolde;
562
A nyce name, for soþe y halde;
& for hit was so nice a name,
I wene þey chaungede hit for schame,
(Er þanne hit highte Methamstede,)
Peterburgh, þat semely sede.
Longe after Osewald was ded,
Holy kirke mykel peyne bed:
ffor al þat he þer-inne had wrought,
Wyþ stronge men was al doun brought;
Prest & clerk þey slowe right doun,
Þat al was wast ner ilk a toun,
& þe goodes a-wey iborn;
Til Osewy cam, ner al was lorn.
& for he was his broþer sone,
Hym fel to haue þe regione.
Þo þat þer were, conseil þey held,
& bitaughte Osewy þe scheld.
Osewy saw þe folk al pouere,
& þe land at no recouere;
Þe power of Cadwalyn was mikel,
& Penda poyned hym als a prykel;
He sey his power ne was nought
ȝyf Cadwalyn werre on hym sought;
Leuer hym were in loue to bowe,
Þat þey namo of his men slowe,
Þan in werre bere hym ouer heye,
& euere be on þe werre partye.
Til Cadwalyn his sonde he sent,
Þat he wolde com til parlement;
And þyder cam he al wyþ leue,
ffor Cadwalyn wold hym nought greue.
He gaf hym boþe seluer & gold
ffor Cadwalyn schold ben hym hold,
& he receiued his homage,
& som restored of his damage.
Al þus þe pes was þer y-graunted,
& in loue longe haunted;
But Oswy mikel kynde hadde,
Þat often conseilled þem & radde
ffor to werre vpon Osewy,
Þey cleymed of hys land gret parti;
But Osewy defended hym als a man,
So þat of hym neuere þey ne wan.
On, Alfriche, cleymed of his right;
Ouer Humber he chased hym þorow fight;
On þys half he fledde hym fra,
& cam & pleyned hym to Penda,
And preied he wolde hym mayntene
Agayn Osewy þat was so kene,
& þe lond þat he might of hym wynne;
He schulde haue his part þer-inne.
Holy kirke mykel peyne bed:
ffor al þat he þer-inne had wrought,
Wyþ stronge men was al doun brought;
Prest & clerk þey slowe right doun,
Þat al was wast ner ilk a toun,
& þe goodes a-wey iborn;
Til Osewy cam, ner al was lorn.
& for he was his broþer sone,
Hym fel to haue þe regione.
Þo þat þer were, conseil þey held,
& bitaughte Osewy þe scheld.
Osewy saw þe folk al pouere,
& þe land at no recouere;
Þe power of Cadwalyn was mikel,
& Penda poyned hym als a prykel;
He sey his power ne was nought
ȝyf Cadwalyn werre on hym sought;
Leuer hym were in loue to bowe,
Þat þey namo of his men slowe,
Þan in werre bere hym ouer heye,
& euere be on þe werre partye.
Til Cadwalyn his sonde he sent,
Þat he wolde com til parlement;
563
ffor Cadwalyn wold hym nought greue.
He gaf hym boþe seluer & gold
ffor Cadwalyn schold ben hym hold,
& he receiued his homage,
& som restored of his damage.
Al þus þe pes was þer y-graunted,
& in loue longe haunted;
But Oswy mikel kynde hadde,
Þat often conseilled þem & radde
ffor to werre vpon Osewy,
Þey cleymed of hys land gret parti;
But Osewy defended hym als a man,
So þat of hym neuere þey ne wan.
On, Alfriche, cleymed of his right;
Ouer Humber he chased hym þorow fight;
On þys half he fledde hym fra,
& cam & pleyned hym to Penda,
And preied he wolde hym mayntene
Agayn Osewy þat was so kene,
& þe lond þat he might of hym wynne;
He schulde haue his part þer-inne.
| The Story of England | |