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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| Leyr Rex fecit Leycestre. |
 | The Story of England |  |
Leyr Rex fecit Leycestre.
After hym þen regned Leyr,
Þat was his sone & his eyr;
ffourty wynter þen regned he;
Vpon Sore he made a cite,
Kaer Leyr he dide hit calle,
Leycestre þe name ys now wiþ alle.
Þre doughtres hadde sire Leyr,
Mighte he haue non oþer eir,
Þe eldeste highte Gonorille,
Þat oþer Ragaw, þe þrydde Gordylle,
Bot Gordille, was ȝengest,
& hure louede þe fader best.
Leyr, when he was in elde,
His lond fol wel myght he nought welde;
He þoughte his doughtres gyue hosebandes,
& twyxten hem parten his landes;
Bot of hem first he þoughte here
Which of hem had hym most dere;
He assaied ilk by þeym self one,
Þe eldest first of ylkone.
Þat was his sone & his eyr;
ffourty wynter þen regned he;
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Kaer Leyr he dide hit calle,
Leycestre þe name ys now wiþ alle.
Þre doughtres hadde sire Leyr,
Mighte he haue non oþer eir,
Þe eldeste highte Gonorille,
Þat oþer Ragaw, þe þrydde Gordylle,
Bot Gordille, was ȝengest,
& hure louede þe fader best.
Leyr, when he was in elde,
His lond fol wel myght he nought welde;
He þoughte his doughtres gyue hosebandes,
& twyxten hem parten his landes;
Bot of hem first he þoughte here
Which of hem had hym most dere;
He assaied ilk by þeym self one,
Þe eldest first of ylkone.
He com & spak to Gonorylle,
“Doughter, sey me new þy wylle,
“How mykel woldest þou me loue
“Ȝyf þou were lady me aboue?”
Whan swylk a word scheo herde neuene,
Scheo swor by þe Godhed of heuene,
Wheþer scheo were mayden or wyf,
Scheo wolde loue hym as hure lyf.
“Doughter,” he seyde, “graunt mercy!
“Of me þou getes gret curtesy.”
“Doughter, sey me new þy wylle,
“How mykel woldest þou me loue
“Ȝyf þou were lady me aboue?”
Whan swylk a word scheo herde neuene,
Scheo swor by þe Godhed of heuene,
Wheþer scheo were mayden or wyf,
Scheo wolde loue hym as hure lyf.
“Doughter,” he seyde, “graunt mercy!
“Of me þou getes gret curtesy.”
He com & spak vnto Ragawe:
“Doughter, sey me þe soþe sawe:
“How mykel louestou me wyþ wylle?”
& Ragaw þoughte on Gonorylle,
Scheo seide: “ffader, y loue þe more
“Þan al þat in þys werld euere wore!”
“Doughter, þat ys loue ynow;
“Þat louyng schal be for þy prow.”
“Doughter, sey me þe soþe sawe:
“How mykel louestou me wyþ wylle?”
& Ragaw þoughte on Gonorylle,
Scheo seide: “ffader, y loue þe more
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“Doughter, þat ys loue ynow;
“Þat louyng schal be for þy prow.”
He com to Gordylle þat was ȝongest;
Of boþe þe oþer he loued hure best.
Scheo wyste how þat hure systres seyde,
Of a gyle hit was a-breyde.
“Doughter, how mikel louest þou me?”
“ffader,” scheo seyde, “y schal sey þe:
“Als my fader y haue þe loued,
“And euere more schal to be proued.”
“Ne louest þou me namore, mi dere?”
“Ȝys, fader, þou lyst & here:
“Ryght als þou has, so artow worþy,
“So mykel loue to þe owe y.”
Þat word tok he yuel til herte,
He vnderstod hit al ouerþwerte;
Scheo seyd nought glosyng til his wille,
Als Ragaw dide, & Gonorille;
Þerfore he answerd þus a-geyn:
“Of me þe þynkes gret desdeyn,
“& hast myn elde in despit;
“Of myn for euere þou art quyt;
“Þou seist nought as þy sistren seis,
“Þyn answere his nought so curteys;
“Þerfore y schal myn heritage
“Gyue þy sistres in mariage;
“Þey schol depart hit þeym by-twene,
“& þou þer-fro [go] quit & clene:
“Of þem alle y loued þe mest,
“& now y se þou loues me lest!”
Gordille wolde namore seye,
Ne striue ageyn, bot ȝede hure weye;
Ne he ne saide namore til hire,
Bot wente fro hure al in ire.
In þys tyme þat þey were wrothe,
He mariede þe oþere doughtres boþe;
Þe kyng of Scotland þat on dide wedde;
Hennieis of Cornewaille, Ragaw hom ledde;
Þey acorded alle at her pay
To parte þe lond al by his day.
Of boþe þe oþer he loued hure best.
Scheo wyste how þat hure systres seyde,
Of a gyle hit was a-breyde.
“Doughter, how mikel louest þou me?”
“ffader,” scheo seyde, “y schal sey þe:
“Als my fader y haue þe loued,
“And euere more schal to be proued.”
“Ne louest þou me namore, mi dere?”
“Ȝys, fader, þou lyst & here:
“Ryght als þou has, so artow worþy,
“So mykel loue to þe owe y.”
Þat word tok he yuel til herte,
He vnderstod hit al ouerþwerte;
Scheo seyd nought glosyng til his wille,
Als Ragaw dide, & Gonorille;
Þerfore he answerd þus a-geyn:
“Of me þe þynkes gret desdeyn,
“& hast myn elde in despit;
“Of myn for euere þou art quyt;
“Þou seist nought as þy sistren seis,
“Þyn answere his nought so curteys;
“Þerfore y schal myn heritage
“Gyue þy sistres in mariage;
“Þey schol depart hit þeym by-twene,
“& þou þer-fro [go] quit & clene:
“Of þem alle y loued þe mest,
“& now y se þou loues me lest!”
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Ne striue ageyn, bot ȝede hure weye;
Ne he ne saide namore til hire,
Bot wente fro hure al in ire.
In þys tyme þat þey were wrothe,
He mariede þe oþere doughtres boþe;
Þe kyng of Scotland þat on dide wedde;
Hennieis of Cornewaille, Ragaw hom ledde;
Þey acorded alle at her pay
To parte þe lond al by his day.
Dame Gordylle wiþ wraþthe sche went,
Of many men mikel was by-ment,
Þat sche hadde no warisoun
Neyþer of rente, lond, ne toun;
& he forbed hire lord to take
In his lond, for warison sake;
Þerfore he schamede hure sore;
& hure ouer-þoughte mykel more
Þe wraþthe of hure fader þe kyng
Wel more þan any oþer þyng.
Of many men mikel was by-ment,
Þat sche hadde no warisoun
Neyþer of rente, lond, ne toun;
& he forbed hire lord to take
In his lond, for warison sake;
Þerfore he schamede hure sore;
& hure ouer-þoughte mykel more
Þe wraþthe of hure fader þe kyng
Wel more þan any oþer þyng.
Aganyppus, þe kyng of ffraunce,
Herde speken of Gordylles chaunce,—
Alle men leyde on hure gret pris
Þat sche was fair, curteys, & wys,—
& þoughte ȝyf he myght hure haue,
Al his honur schold sche saue.
He sente messegers to Leyr,
To wedde his doughter he was in speyr;
Bot Leyr had nought ȝit forgeten
How lyghtly sche had of hym leten:
Leyr sent hym ageyn to seye,
“His land was gyuen to his doughtres tweye;
“Hure body on hym he vouched saue;
“Wiþ hure nought elles myghte he haue.”
To Leyr he sente ȝut eft ageyn,
& seyde Leyr for certeyn
“Þat he ne askede non oþer þyng,
“Bot onlike his doughter ȝyng.”
Leyr þen graunted þem also sone;
Wiþ hure to wende þey made hem bone;
To schip þey wente, & vp þe sayl,
Þey askede namore apparayl.
Now ys hure falle þe fairest chaunce,
Gordylle ys mad her quene of ffraunce.
Herde speken of Gordylles chaunce,—
Alle men leyde on hure gret pris
Þat sche was fair, curteys, & wys,—
& þoughte ȝyf he myght hure haue,
Al his honur schold sche saue.
He sente messegers to Leyr,
To wedde his doughter he was in speyr;
Bot Leyr had nought ȝit forgeten
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Leyr sent hym ageyn to seye,
“His land was gyuen to his doughtres tweye;
“Hure body on hym he vouched saue;
“Wiþ hure nought elles myghte he haue.”
To Leyr he sente ȝut eft ageyn,
& seyde Leyr for certeyn
“Þat he ne askede non oþer þyng,
“Bot onlike his doughter ȝyng.”
Leyr þen graunted þem also sone;
Wiþ hure to wende þey made hem bone;
To schip þey wente, & vp þe sayl,
Þey askede namore apparayl.
Now ys hure falle þe fairest chaunce,
Gordylle ys mad her quene of ffraunce.
Þenne þe men þat kyng Leyr
Had ordeyned to ben his eyr,
þey nolde soffre hym nought to take,
Hys owen propre for to make.
When þe Duk of Cornewaille,
Al þe souþ tyl hym gan taylle;
Manglanus, þe kyng of Scotlond,
Þe north he tok hit til his hond;
Leyr was al at þer baundoun,
& þey sette hym to lyuersoun;
Þey sette hym honurable to be,
Wiþ fourty knyghtes of meygne.
Leyr held hym payed of þat coueinaunt;
To holde hym þat, þey swore þe graunt.
Had ordeyned to ben his eyr,
þey nolde soffre hym nought to take,
Hys owen propre for to make.
When þe Duk of Cornewaille,
Al þe souþ tyl hym gan taylle;
Manglanus, þe kyng of Scotlond,
Þe north he tok hit til his hond;
Leyr was al at þer baundoun,
& þey sette hym to lyuersoun;
Þey sette hym honurable to be,
Wiþ fourty knyghtes of meygne.
Leyr held hym payed of þat coueinaunt;
To holde hym þat, þey swore þe graunt.
Wyþ Menglanus was Leyr þe kyng
fful wel serued atte þe comyng;
Sone afterward þey fillede of Leyre,
& dide his liuere for to apeire.
After þe peirement of his liuere,
Were abated of his meyne;
Þe quene, his doughter Gonorille,
Hure þoughte most scorn & ille
Of þe meyne hure fader held;
Gret outrage scheo hit held.
Sche seyde vntil Manglanus,
“ffolyly hold we þis meyne þus,
“Þat mykel þyng al day notes;
“& my fader in elde dotes
“To halde swylk a squierye,
“& gret costage in ryotrye.
“Þerfore y rede, doþ als y seye,
“Lat somme of hem go þer weye.”
Þen was ordeyned to lesse þer men;
Of fourty knyghtes abated ten.
Þen was sire Leyres rente abated;
He auaunsed first hure þat hym hated;
Scheo was first maried of alle,
And first dide scheo his honur falle.
Alas! to fewe childre men fynde,
Þat ben to fader & moder kynde!
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Sone afterward þey fillede of Leyre,
& dide his liuere for to apeire.
After þe peirement of his liuere,
Were abated of his meyne;
Þe quene, his doughter Gonorille,
Hure þoughte most scorn & ille
Of þe meyne hure fader held;
Gret outrage scheo hit held.
Sche seyde vntil Manglanus,
“ffolyly hold we þis meyne þus,
“Þat mykel þyng al day notes;
“& my fader in elde dotes
“To halde swylk a squierye,
“& gret costage in ryotrye.
“Þerfore y rede, doþ als y seye,
“Lat somme of hem go þer weye.”
Þen was ordeyned to lesse þer men;
Of fourty knyghtes abated ten.
Þen was sire Leyres rente abated;
He auaunsed first hure þat hym hated;
Scheo was first maried of alle,
And first dide scheo his honur falle.
Alas! to fewe childre men fynde,
Þat ben to fader & moder kynde!
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