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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Exe de lamentacione Brutonum. |
 | The Story of England |  |
Exe de lamentacione Brutonum.
‘Deus auribus nostris’ hatte þat salmeÞat þey seide for þat man-qualme.
But at a vers þat is þer-inne,
Pleynyng to God þus gan þey gynne,
“Vendidisti populum tuum sine precio;”
& toward þer schipes þey songen hit so,
“Dedisti nos tanquam oues escarum,
“& cetera [per totum psalmum].”
To schipe þen wente kyng Cadwaladres;
Wyþ hym þe Bretons þat he ches;
Wyþ sorwful chere, & herte brym,
fful often made þey pleynte til hym:
572
“Þat for our wikkednesse we þus fare!
“Wyþ synne we wraþed God Almight,
“& þorow his wraþe we lese oure right.
“Louerd! of mercy we preye þe,
“Space of penaunce gyue vs fre!
“Of þis grete wraþe þou stynt!
“Þaw we sinful our lond haue tynt,
“Graunte þe gode men þat þou ches,
“Þat oure kynde nought al hit les,—
“We se þy vengeaunce ȝit more may do,—
“Þat neuere þe Romayns mighte come to,
“Ne oþere straunger þan were þey,
“Might non brynge vs or a-wey.
“Out of mesure þen synned we,
“Als wel to þyne as vntil þe,
“Þat we nar worþy a-geyn be cald
“To penaunce, ne oure land to hald.
“We wolde no mercy when tyme was;
“Now schewest vs wraþe for þat trespas!
“Now fynde we wel þou canst right deme!
“While we had tyme we nolde þe queme;
“Often we faught to fende our land,
“& ay þou gaf vs þe heyer hand;
“Þou gaf vs grace to wynne þe pris
“Al-wey of oure enemys.
“Now hit ys for nought we fynde,
“We lese hit al by rote & rynde!
“We preye þe, Lord, to be suffrable,
“& turne oure sorewe to ioye stable,
“& come ageyn, ȝyf hit þy wille be,
“On oure lond for to serue þe!
573
“Þe Scottes & Peytes þat dide vs peyn,
“& þe tricherous Saxons—
“Þeyr tricherye vs euere mones;—
“Þys voyde land schul þey now take!
“Voide of vs mighte neuere þey make;
“Al þer strengthe dide vs nought fle,
“But Godes wrathe, þat serued we.”
Swylk sorewe & swilk gret mone
Made þe Bretons euer-ilkone
To Cadwaladrus, þer cheuentayne;
And alle þey schiped to þe Lesse Bretayne.
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