The story of England

¶ De electione Constanti Monachi in Regem.

¶ Þe clergie for þis dide make asemble, [Lambeth folio 31a:1] Whilk of þe children best kyng myght [childre kyng mot.] be; Bot þey were so lytel & ȝonge, Reson couþe þey non wiþ tonge. Line 7044 Constant was eldest & mere, & was a monk, a man of lere. Þey seide atones, alle & som, [it myght not be don.] Þem noughte nout [(=ne oughte not.) P. ne oughte not.] reue hym fro religion; [to take him fro religion.] Ne lawe nolde hit by no weye, [of no right we se no way.] Line 7049 A monk to take fro his abbeye: To take an oþer, þe [take on þe tuo þer.] Conseil ches. Þen stirte vp Forteger in al þe pres, Line 7052 & seide, "Hit is to drede no þyng,

" Of þe monk to make a kynge. " He ys eldest;—of þe habite no tale!— " Þe oþere arn ȝonge, & ouer smale. Line 7056 " Y graunte non oþer kyng to be. " ffor al þe synne, y take on me." Non oþer assented to þat dome, Þat þe monk scholde a kynge bycome; Line 7060 Þey dredden [dred.] swylk a þyng bygynne; Bot fforteger dredde [dred.] nought þat synne: What he wold do, non durste hym werne, To Wynchestre he hyed hym ȝerne, Line 7064 He asked leue atte priour To speke wyþ Constant y þe parlour: ¶ " Constant," he seide, "þy lord ys ded; " Þy breþere ar ȝonge; what ys þy red? Line 7068 " Y wolde þou haddest [I. wild þou had.] þe herytage, " ffor þou art man most of age. " Wiltow [will.] auaunce my rente, my fe, " & loue me wel, & triste on me. Line 7072 " Þy blake cloþes schalt [sall.] þou loþe, " & y þe richest y schal [sall.] þe cloþe; " Þy monkhod þow schalt [sall.] al weyue, " Þe heritage of þe reome reseyue." Line 7076 Þys monk was blent wyþ veyn glorye; [monke ȝerned seignorie.] Abyte & ordre he let al flye, ffor he ȝerned more pryde þan prow, & wel more vice þan vertu. Line 7080 Þat fforteger asked, he hym hight, & þer-to his trouþe he dide hym plyght. Out of his abite he hym schok, Syþen out of þe abbeye hym tok; Line 7084 In faire cloþes he hym cledde, Wyþ hym to Londone Constant he ledde. [London he him led.]

Was noman wyþ-seyde hym o [no man þat said him.] nay; Þey seye hit was þe monkes [sawe it was þe mokes [so in MS.].] pay. Line 7088 To somone þe folk anon þey bed; [non ne beed.] Bot þerchebischop þat tyme was ded [P. adds (wrongly) line 7086 again:— with him to London Constant he led.] Þat felle to make þe corounement; Þer-to non oþer durste consent; Line 7092 Bot fforteger þe coroune forþ fet, And on Constantes heued hit set; ⁵[was þer non oþer benyson, bot Vortiger set on þe croun,]⁵ [^5-5These two lines are from the Petyt MS., representing lines 6677-8 of Wace, i. 308.] Line 7096 & Constant þe coroune tok, & ordre & habite al forsok; Þus to worschipe gan he lende, Wiþ schame he parted [schame departid.] at his ende. Line 7100