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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Incipit Prologus de Historia Britannie transumpta
per Robertum in materna lingua. |
 | The Story of England |  |
Incipit Prologus de Historia Britannie transumpta per Robertum in materna lingua.
Lordynges that be now here,
if ȝe wille listene & lere
All the story of Inglande
als Robert Mannyng wryten it fand,
& on Inglysch has it schewed,
not for þe lerid bot for þe lewed,
ffor þo þat in þis land[e] wone
þat þe Latyn no Frankys cone,
ffor to haf solace & gamen̄
In felawschip when̄ þai sitt samen.
And it is wisdom for to wytten
þe state of þe land, & haf it wryten,
what manere of folk first it wan,
& of what kynde it first began;
And gude it is for many thynges
for to here þe dedis of kynges,
whilk were foles, & whilk were wyse,
& whilk of þam couthe most quantyse,
and whilk did wrong, & whilk ryght,
& whilk maynten[e]d pes & fyght.
Of þare dedes sall be my sawe;
& what tyme, & of what lawe
I sall yow schewe fro gre to gre
sen þe tyme of sir Noe,
ffro Noe vnto Eneas,
& what betwix þam was;
And fro Eneas till Brutus tyme,
[OMITTED]
ffro Brutus till Cadwaladres,
þe last Bryton þat þis lande lees.
All þat kynde & all þe frute
þat come of Brutus, þat is þe Brute;
And þe ryght Brute is told nomore
þan þe Brytons tyme wore.
After þe Bretons þe Inglis camen,
þe lordschip of þis lande þai namen,
Southe & northe; west & est,
þat calle men̄ now þe Inglis gest.
when þai first [came] amang þe Bretons,
þat now ere Inglis, þan were Saxons;
Saxons Inglis hight alle oliche;
þai aryued vp at Sandwyche
In þe kynges tyme Vortogerne,
þat þe lande walde þam not werne.
þat were Maysters of alle þe toþire,
Hengist he hight, & Hors his broþire;
þes were hede, als we fynde,
where-of is comen oure Inglis kynde.
A hundrethe & fifty ȝere þai com
or þai receyued cristendom̄;
So lang woned þai þis lande in,
or þai herde out of Saynt Austyn,
Amang þe Bretons with mykelle wo,
In sclaundire & threte, & in thro.
þes Inglis dedes ȝe may here,
as Pers telles alle þe manere.
One Mayster Wace þe ffrankes telles,
þe Brute, all þat þe Latyn spelles,
ffro Eneas till Cadwaladre;
þis Mayster Wace þer leues he.
And ryght as Mayster Wace says,
I telle myn Inglis þe same ways;
ffor Mayster Wace þe Latyn alle rymes
þat Pers ouerhippis many tymes.
Mayster Wace þe Brute alle redes,
& Pers tellis alle þe Inglis dedes;
þer Mayster Wace of þe Brute left,
ryght begynnes Pers [þer] eft,
And tellis forth þe Inglis story,
& as he says, þan say I.
if ȝe wille listene & lere
All the story of Inglande
als Robert Mannyng wryten it fand,
& on Inglysch has it schewed,
not for þe lerid bot for þe lewed,
ffor þo þat in þis land[e] wone
þat þe Latyn no Frankys cone,
ffor to haf solace & gamen̄
In felawschip when̄ þai sitt samen.
And it is wisdom for to wytten
þe state of þe land, & haf it wryten,
what manere of folk first it wan,
& of what kynde it first began;
And gude it is for many thynges
for to here þe dedis of kynges,
whilk were foles, & whilk were wyse,
& whilk of þam couthe most quantyse,
and whilk did wrong, & whilk ryght,
& whilk maynten[e]d pes & fyght.
2
& what tyme, & of what lawe
I sall yow schewe fro gre to gre
sen þe tyme of sir Noe,
ffro Noe vnto Eneas,
& what betwix þam was;
And fro Eneas till Brutus tyme,
[OMITTED]
ffro Brutus till Cadwaladres,
þe last Bryton þat þis lande lees.
All þat kynde & all þe frute
þat come of Brutus, þat is þe Brute;
And þe ryght Brute is told nomore
þan þe Brytons tyme wore.
After þe Bretons þe Inglis camen,
þe lordschip of þis lande þai namen,
Southe & northe; west & est,
þat calle men̄ now þe Inglis gest.
when þai first [came] amang þe Bretons,
þat now ere Inglis, þan were Saxons;
Saxons Inglis hight alle oliche;
þai aryued vp at Sandwyche
In þe kynges tyme Vortogerne,
þat þe lande walde þam not werne.
þat were Maysters of alle þe toþire,
Hengist he hight, & Hors his broþire;
þes were hede, als we fynde,
where-of is comen oure Inglis kynde.
A hundrethe & fifty ȝere þai com
or þai receyued cristendom̄;
So lang woned þai þis lande in,
or þai herde out of Saynt Austyn,
Amang þe Bretons with mykelle wo,
In sclaundire & threte, & in thro.
þes Inglis dedes ȝe may here,
as Pers telles alle þe manere.
One Mayster Wace þe ffrankes telles,
3
ffro Eneas till Cadwaladre;
þis Mayster Wace þer leues he.
And ryght as Mayster Wace says,
I telle myn Inglis þe same ways;
ffor Mayster Wace þe Latyn alle rymes
þat Pers ouerhippis many tymes.
Mayster Wace þe Brute alle redes,
& Pers tellis alle þe Inglis dedes;
þer Mayster Wace of þe Brute left,
ryght begynnes Pers [þer] eft,
And tellis forth þe Inglis story,
& as he says, þan say I.
Als þai haf wryten̄ & sayd,
haf I alle in myn Inglis layd,
In symple speche as I couthe,
þat is lightest in mannes mouthe.
I mad noght for no disours,
ne for no seggers, no harpours,
Bot for þe luf of symple men̄
þat strange Inglis can̄ not ken̄;
ffor many it ere þat strange Inglis
In ryme wate neuer what it is;
And bot þai wist what it mente,
ellis me thoght it were alle schente.
I made it not forto be praysed,
bot at þe lewed men̄ were aysed.
If it were made in ryme couwee,
or in strangere or enterlace,
þat rede Inglis it ere inowe,
þat couthe not haf coppled a kowe,
þat outhere in couwee or in baston
som suld haf ben fordon,
so þat fele men þat it herde
suld not witte howe þat it ferde:
I see in song, in sedgeyng tale
of Erceldoun & of Kendale,
Non þam says as þai þam wroght,
& in þer sayng it semes noght;
þat may þou here in sir Tristrem;
ouer gestes it has þe steem,
Ouer alle that is or was,
if men̄ it sayd as made Thomas;
But I here it no man̄ so say,
þat of som copple som is away;
So þare fayre sayng here beforn̄
is þare trauayle nere forlorn̄;
þai sayd it for pride & nobleye,
þat non were suylk as þei;
And all þat þai wild ouerwhere,
all þat ilk will now forfare.
þai sayd in so quante Inglis
þat many one wate not what it is.
þerfore [I] henyed wele þe more
In strange ryme to trauayle sore;
And my witte was oure thynne
So strange speche to trauayle in;
And forsoth I couth[e] noght
so strange Inglis as þai wroght;
And men̄ besoght me many a tyme
to turne it bot in light[e] ryme;
þai sayd, if I in strange it turne,
to here it manyon suld skurne;
ffor it ere names full selcouthe
þat ere not vsed now in mouthe;
And þerfore for þe comonalte
þat blythely wild listen to me,
On light[e] lange I it began̄,
for luf of þe lewed man̄,
to telle þam þe chaunces bolde
þat here before was don & tolde.
ffor þis makyng I will no mede
bot gude prayere when ȝe it rede;
þerfore, [alle] ȝe lordes lewed,
ffor wham I haf þis Inglis schewed,
Prayes to God he gyf me grace,—
I trauayled for ȝour solace;—
Of Brunne I am, if any me blame,
Robert Mannyng is my name;
Blissed be he of God of heuene
þat me, Robert, with gude wille neuene;
In þe third Edwardes tyme was I
when̄ I wrote alle þis story,
In þe hous of Sixille I was a throwe;
Danz Robert of Malton̄ þat ȝe know,
did it wryte for felawes sake,
when̄ þai wild solace make.
haf I alle in myn Inglis layd,
In symple speche as I couthe,
þat is lightest in mannes mouthe.
I mad noght for no disours,
ne for no seggers, no harpours,
Bot for þe luf of symple men̄
þat strange Inglis can̄ not ken̄;
ffor many it ere þat strange Inglis
In ryme wate neuer what it is;
And bot þai wist what it mente,
ellis me thoght it were alle schente.
I made it not forto be praysed,
bot at þe lewed men̄ were aysed.
If it were made in ryme couwee,
or in strangere or enterlace,
þat rede Inglis it ere inowe,
þat couthe not haf coppled a kowe,
þat outhere in couwee or in baston
som suld haf ben fordon,
so þat fele men þat it herde
suld not witte howe þat it ferde:
I see in song, in sedgeyng tale
of Erceldoun & of Kendale,
4
& in þer sayng it semes noght;
þat may þou here in sir Tristrem;
ouer gestes it has þe steem,
Ouer alle that is or was,
if men̄ it sayd as made Thomas;
But I here it no man̄ so say,
þat of som copple som is away;
So þare fayre sayng here beforn̄
is þare trauayle nere forlorn̄;
þai sayd it for pride & nobleye,
þat non were suylk as þei;
And all þat þai wild ouerwhere,
all þat ilk will now forfare.
þai sayd in so quante Inglis
þat many one wate not what it is.
þerfore [I] henyed wele þe more
In strange ryme to trauayle sore;
And my witte was oure thynne
So strange speche to trauayle in;
And forsoth I couth[e] noght
so strange Inglis as þai wroght;
And men̄ besoght me many a tyme
to turne it bot in light[e] ryme;
þai sayd, if I in strange it turne,
to here it manyon suld skurne;
ffor it ere names full selcouthe
þat ere not vsed now in mouthe;
And þerfore for þe comonalte
þat blythely wild listen to me,
On light[e] lange I it began̄,
for luf of þe lewed man̄,
to telle þam þe chaunces bolde
þat here before was don & tolde.
ffor þis makyng I will no mede
bot gude prayere when ȝe it rede;
þerfore, [alle] ȝe lordes lewed,
5
Prayes to God he gyf me grace,—
I trauayled for ȝour solace;—
Of Brunne I am, if any me blame,
Robert Mannyng is my name;
Blissed be he of God of heuene
þat me, Robert, with gude wille neuene;
In þe third Edwardes tyme was I
when̄ I wrote alle þis story,
In þe hous of Sixille I was a throwe;
Danz Robert of Malton̄ þat ȝe know,
did it wryte for felawes sake,
when̄ þai wild solace make.
| The Story of England | |