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 |
 |
|
Constructio Noue Troie, qui iam dicitur Londonia. |
 | The Story of England |  |
68
Constructio Noue Troie, qui iam dicitur Londonia.
Brutus byhe[d] þe mountaynes
& auised hym o þe playnes,
biheld þe wodes, watres, & ffen,
Where esyest wony[n]g were for men;
Als watres ronnen wel, he byheld,
& mede wiþ þe eryed feld,
What fruyt he hoped hit wolde bere.
His folk wax faste his lond to were,
He þoughte in herte he wolde do make
A newe biggyng for Troyes sake;
A stede to seche he ȝede to se,
Wher he best þoughte, & most ayse.
A water he fond, & cald hit Tamyse,
After his langage, þer on his wyse:
“Y schal sette her, oure kynde to ioye,
“A cite for þe loue of Troye;
“ffor Troye was so noble a cite,
“Newe Troye þe name schal be.”
Newe Troye longe hit hight,
Tyl som men come wiþ langage lyght,—
Schort speche hadde þey in haunt,—
& cald Newe Troye, Trenouant.
Al ys on, ho so hit knewe,
Trenouant & Troye newe;
Troye newe ys Trenouant,
Two wordes in on, & non ys want.
þen cam a kyng, Lud was his name,
& made a gate in þat same;
Kaer Lud þe name laught,
ffor loue of Lud þat hit aught;
ffor to haue of hym renoun,
Kaer Lud þey calde þe toun.
When Saxons com, þat name ne couthe,—
Þer owen speche was best yn mouþe—
þey cald hit Ludden & London:
þus þe name cam eft don,
London, on Saxons langage.
Now Englysche holden þate heritage,
Als men of oþer nations
þat han be here syþ þe Bretons;
As þe names of contres
Ben chaunged, & lawes & fees,
ffro þe firste þat þey were named,
Als straunge folk han hider y-samed.
& auised hym o þe playnes,
biheld þe wodes, watres, & ffen,
Where esyest wony[n]g were for men;
Als watres ronnen wel, he byheld,
& mede wiþ þe eryed feld,
What fruyt he hoped hit wolde bere.
His folk wax faste his lond to were,
He þoughte in herte he wolde do make
A newe biggyng for Troyes sake;
A stede to seche he ȝede to se,
Wher he best þoughte, & most ayse.
A water he fond, & cald hit Tamyse,
After his langage, þer on his wyse:
“Y schal sette her, oure kynde to ioye,
“A cite for þe loue of Troye;
“ffor Troye was so noble a cite,
“Newe Troye þe name schal be.”
Newe Troye longe hit hight,
Tyl som men come wiþ langage lyght,—
Schort speche hadde þey in haunt,—
& cald Newe Troye, Trenouant.
Al ys on, ho so hit knewe,
Trenouant & Troye newe;
Troye newe ys Trenouant,
Two wordes in on, & non ys want.
þen cam a kyng, Lud was his name,
69
Kaer Lud þe name laught,
ffor loue of Lud þat hit aught;
ffor to haue of hym renoun,
Kaer Lud þey calde þe toun.
When Saxons com, þat name ne couthe,—
Þer owen speche was best yn mouþe—
þey cald hit Ludden & London:
þus þe name cam eft don,
London, on Saxons langage.
Now Englysche holden þate heritage,
Als men of oþer nations
þat han be here syþ þe Bretons;
As þe names of contres
Ben chaunged, & lawes & fees,
ffro þe firste þat þey were named,
Als straunge folk han hider y-samed.
Whan Brutus had set his cite
& burgeys mad, & gaf þeym fee,
In lawe wysly to welde,
& pes to haue in ȝonkþe & elde,
He regned ffoure & twenty ȝer
In al Bretaigne fer & ner.
Al was Brutaigne, by elde tales,
Engelond, Scotlond, & Walys,
þyse þre were þenne al on,
þat erest was cald Albyon;
Albion highte þyse londes þre,
ffor þey ar closed al wiþ þe se.
& burgeys mad, & gaf þeym fee,
In lawe wysly to welde,
& pes to haue in ȝonkþe & elde,
He regned ffoure & twenty ȝer
In al Bretaigne fer & ner.
Al was Brutaigne, by elde tales,
Engelond, Scotlond, & Walys,
þyse þre were þenne al on,
þat erest was cald Albyon;
Albion highte þyse londes þre,
ffor þey ar closed al wiþ þe se.
| The Story of England | |