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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De gratitudine Gordylle. |
 | The Story of England |  |
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De gratitudine Gordylle.
Gordille, when sche wyste þe pleynt,
Hure faire colour gan wex al feynt
Al þat scheo had yn hure power,
Scheo bitaught hit þe messeger,
& bad hym go hym forte atyre
Wyþ honur, to come & speke wiþ hire;
“Bot byforn sendes my lord þe kyng,
“& warne hym of his comyng.”
Þe messager spedde hym swyþe,
& broughte Leyr tydyng blyue;
Vntyl anoþer cyte he ȝede,
& dight hym al þat hym was nede.
When he was dight at hys wylle,
To þe kyng he sent, & to Gordylle,
Þat he was ryued y þat contre,
To speken þe kyng, & his doughter se.
Hure faire colour gan wex al feynt
Al þat scheo had yn hure power,
Scheo bitaught hit þe messeger,
& bad hym go hym forte atyre
Wyþ honur, to come & speke wiþ hire;
“Bot byforn sendes my lord þe kyng,
“& warne hym of his comyng.”
Þe messager spedde hym swyþe,
& broughte Leyr tydyng blyue;
Vntyl anoþer cyte he ȝede,
& dight hym al þat hym was nede.
When he was dight at hys wylle,
To þe kyng he sent, & to Gordylle,
Þat he was ryued y þat contre,
To speken þe kyng, & his doughter se.
When he wyst þat Leyr schold come,
Agaynes hym ful faire þey nome,
& fair receyues hym aforn þe quen
Als a man he hadde nought seen:
He comaunded yn hys kynedam
To worschipe hym where þat he cam.
When he had dwelled longe space,
& telde how his doughtres dide him chace,
Sire Aganyppus was curteys;
He samned an ost of his ffraunceys,
& comen wyþ Leyr ouer þe se
To helpe to wynne a-gayn his fe.
Cordille wiþ hure fader went,
Wyþ leue of hure lord his host had sent.
Þe dukes sone byforn hem þey fond,
Þey slowe þem boþe, & wonne þe lond.
Þre ȝer after was he kyng,
In ful seysyne made hys endyng;
Dame Gordylle he made his heyr;
In Leycestre sche leyde hure fader Leyr,
In a temple solempnely;
Þe temple highte temple Iany.
Sone after fel þe chaunce þus,
Deide hure lord Aganyppus.
In hure wydewehod sche had þe honur
ffyue ȝer als conquerrour.
Hire two sistres had two sones;
How þey dide, þe story mones:
Gonorilles sone highte Mongan,
Þat oþer Condage, a noble man.
When þys Morgan and þys Condage
Waxen were, & of age,
To Gordylle þey gaf bataille.
& scheo ageyn dyde hem trauaille.
ffirst were þey boþe ouercomen,
& at þe laste Gordille was nomen,
And held hire longe in þer prison,
ffor hure myght go no raunson.
When no raunson myght for hure go,
Hure self for sorewe dide sche slo.
Agaynes hym ful faire þey nome,
& fair receyues hym aforn þe quen
Als a man he hadde nought seen:
He comaunded yn hys kynedam
To worschipe hym where þat he cam.
When he had dwelled longe space,
& telde how his doughtres dide him chace,
Sire Aganyppus was curteys;
He samned an ost of his ffraunceys,
& comen wyþ Leyr ouer þe se
To helpe to wynne a-gayn his fe.
Cordille wiþ hure fader went,
Wyþ leue of hure lord his host had sent.
Þe dukes sone byforn hem þey fond,
Þey slowe þem boþe, & wonne þe lond.
Þre ȝer after was he kyng,
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Dame Gordylle he made his heyr;
In Leycestre sche leyde hure fader Leyr,
In a temple solempnely;
Þe temple highte temple Iany.
Sone after fel þe chaunce þus,
Deide hure lord Aganyppus.
In hure wydewehod sche had þe honur
ffyue ȝer als conquerrour.
Hire two sistres had two sones;
How þey dide, þe story mones:
Gonorilles sone highte Mongan,
Þat oþer Condage, a noble man.
When þys Morgan and þys Condage
Waxen were, & of age,
To Gordylle þey gaf bataille.
& scheo ageyn dyde hem trauaille.
ffirst were þey boþe ouercomen,
& at þe laste Gordille was nomen,
And held hire longe in þer prison,
ffor hure myght go no raunson.
When no raunson myght for hure go,
Hure self for sorewe dide sche slo.
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