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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| Transfretauerunt versus Hyspanniam & ibi inuenerunt
Coryneum. |
 | The Story of England |  |
Transfretauerunt versus Hyspanniam & ibi inuenerunt Coryneum.
Wyþ alle þer schipes & al þer presÞey comen to þe Merkes of Erkules;
Ercules was so doughti man,
Out of Troye þider he cam
By se: als he wan by londe,
A piler of bras þer þey fonde,
Þat he dide sette for honour,
Þat he was þider conquerrour.
Þer fond þey Nykeres þat myry song,
Out of þe weye to turne hem wrong,
Or to forgete þer schip to stere,
Þorow þer song þat þey schold here.
So ar þo Nykeres faste aboute
To brynge schipmen þer hit ys doute,
To som swelw to turne or steke,
Oþer a-geyn roches to breke;
þerfore hit ys a gret peril,
Schipmen for to liste þer tyl.
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Þey lystned to þem neuere a del;
Þey had herd tellen þer byforen
How schipes had ben wyþ hem forloren.
Wyþ peyne þey passede at þat tyde,
Vpon Spayne þer fflete gan ryde,
Þer þey fond at o ryuage
Gret folk of þe Troiens lynage,
þat on of þer auncessour
ffled fro Troye out of þe stour,
Als þey dide ilk a man
Whan þey of Grece to Troye cam.
Coryneus highte þeir ledere,
& meintened hym in pes & were.
He was a man als a Geaunt,
Tyl hym þey drowe alle to waraunt.
Þys Coryneus, he hadde gret ioye
When þey wyste þey were of Troye;
To Brutes men þey were ful meke,
& asked ȝyf þey ȝede lond to seke,
þat þey myghte fynde til þeil prow;
þey seyde, “We wole wenden wiþ ȝow.”
So Coryneus & his partie
Wente forth in Brutes compaignie.
& meintened hym in pes & were.
He was a man als a Geaunt,
Tyl hym þey drowe alle to waraunt.
Þys Coryneus, he hadde gret ioye
When þey wyste þey were of Troye;
To Brutes men þey were ful meke,
& asked ȝyf þey ȝede lond to seke,
þat þey myghte fynde til þeil prow;
þey seyde, “We wole wenden wiþ ȝow.”
So Coryneus & his partie
Wente forth in Brutes compaignie.
Whan þeyr fflote wyþ al þer wayne
Turnede fro þe lond of Spaigne,
On þeyr right hand toward Peyto,
Þe wynd to þat half bar hem to;
Þore þe se receiues Leyre,
Alle þe fflote com wyþ gret eyre.—
Leyre rennes þorow many contre,
And euere he metes wiþ þe se.—
Boþe þer fflute gon þer dwelle
Seuen daye, fullyke to telle.
Out of þe schipes þey wente grete route,
& spredde þe contre alle aboute.
Goffar was kyng of Peyters;
He sente knyghtes & squiers
To waite who made on hym pres,
& wheþer þey soughte werre oþer pees:
Numbert he highte, þat bar message,
ffor he knew diuerse langage.
Turnede fro þe lond of Spaigne,
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Þe wynd to þat half bar hem to;
Þore þe se receiues Leyre,
Alle þe fflote com wyþ gret eyre.—
Leyre rennes þorow many contre,
And euere he metes wiþ þe se.—
Boþe þer fflute gon þer dwelle
Seuen daye, fullyke to telle.
Out of þe schipes þey wente grete route,
& spredde þe contre alle aboute.
Goffar was kyng of Peyters;
He sente knyghtes & squiers
To waite who made on hym pres,
& wheþer þey soughte werre oþer pees:
Numbert he highte, þat bar message,
ffor he knew diuerse langage.
Corineus was go for to chace,
Venison to take of grace;
Wyþ hym were two hundred men
To serche aboute in feld & fen.
Wyþ Numbert mette Coryneus,
& Numbert spak til hym right þus:
“By whas leue & whas warant
“Are ȝe here alle chasand?
“& by whas conseil are ȝe here
“ffor to destruye þe kynges dere?
“He[re] ne scholde ȝe make chace
“Bot þorow me or þe kyinges grace;
“& þe kyng forbed ilkon
“þat noman scholde take her non.
“How dar ȝe do sylk a þyng
“Wyþouten leue of þe kyng?”
Venison to take of grace;
Wyþ hym were two hundred men
To serche aboute in feld & fen.
Wyþ Numbert mette Coryneus,
& Numbert spak til hym right þus:
“By whas leue & whas warant
“Are ȝe here alle chasand?
“& by whas conseil are ȝe here
“ffor to destruye þe kynges dere?
“He[re] ne scholde ȝe make chace
“Bot þorow me or þe kyinges grace;
“& þe kyng forbed ilkon
“þat noman scholde take her non.
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“Wyþouten leue of þe kyng?”
Corineus spak al so hym þought:
“Of ȝour kyng ne wite we nought;
“ffor hym ne wol we leue to do,
“Ne for his bode come hym to;
“We knowe þe for no messeger,
“Ne hym self, þey he were her.”
Numberte sone his bowe bent,
& schet; bot Corineus bleynt.
Corineus was wroþ, y trowe;
He sesede Numbertes bowe,
& brak his bowe on his heued:
His felawes fledde, & lefte hym ded,
And wenten to telle kyng Goffar
How men a-wey his venison bar;
& ilkaday þey telde hym how
þat Coryneus Numbert slow.
“Of ȝour kyng ne wite we nought;
“ffor hym ne wol we leue to do,
“Ne for his bode come hym to;
“We knowe þe for no messeger,
“Ne hym self, þey he were her.”
Numberte sone his bowe bent,
& schet; bot Corineus bleynt.
Corineus was wroþ, y trowe;
He sesede Numbertes bowe,
& brak his bowe on his heued:
His felawes fledde, & lefte hym ded,
And wenten to telle kyng Goffar
How men a-wey his venison bar;
& ilkaday þey telde hym how
þat Coryneus Numbert slow.
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