The story of England

De Rege Italye siue Latinorum.

Þe kynge of þe land, Latyn he [he omitted.] hight, A riche man, & mykel of myght, & hadde [Rychesse.] ynow his lond to welde, Bot þat he was smyten in-to [in.] elde. Line 760 He worschiped muche [mykell.] sire Eneas, & fayn of hys comynge was, & seide, 'ȝyf he wolde leue stille, He wolde [will.] gyue hym land at wylle.' Line 764 Latynes þe kynge, he [Latyn þe kyng.] had non eyr Bote a maide [maden.] swythe fayr; Þys damysele highte Lauyne. Þe kyng seyde, "Scheo schal [sho sall.] be þyne; Line 768 " I wyle þat [þou] [þou.] after myn endynge [Lambeth folio 3b:1] " My doughter wedde, & be þou [þe.] kynge." Bot þer-til graunted nought þe quen; Scheo wold þat an oþer had[de] [scho þat anoþer had.] ben. Line 772 ffor he dide nought as wold [als wald.] his wyfe, Þerfore ros a newe strife: ¶ Þer biside a riche man, Turnus he highte, lord of Tuskan; Line 776 Þys Turnus hadde yloued [had lufed.] Lauyne, & herde seye þat þe kyng Latyne Had gyuen his doughter sire Eneas, And hadde enuye þat hit so was, Line 780 ffor Turnus had loued hure longe ar hee, & hadde grauntise [grauntise had.] his wif to be;

He bed his body, his ouer myght, Wyþ Eneas al-one to fyght. Line 784 Sire Eneas was þer-of fayn, Þey faught [smyte.] togyder, Turnus was slayn, Eneas wedded þe [þat.] mayden ȝynge; Þen was scheo quen, & he [he. Lamb. MS. scheo.] was kynge. Line 788 Þanne fond [Siþen fand.] he non þat hym noyed, Ne nought of his lond destruyed; Siþen he wedded Lauyne his wyfe, He held þe lond wyþouten strife. Line 792 In pes foure ȝer he regned wel; Wyþynne þe ȝeres he made a castel, & gaf hit name þorow euery [thorgh ilka.] [Petyt folio 5b:2] toun After dame Lauyne, Lauyoun. Line 796 In þe ferþe ȝer, last of his lyf, Of hym conceiued Lauyne his wyf; & er þe child fel to be born, Sire Eneas was ded byforn. [ore was Eneas dede beforne.] Line 800 When Lauynes [Lauine.] tyme was fulfyld, Of hure was born (as grace hit wild,) A knaue child, men kald him Syluius; Hys to-name was Pollynius. [Postomius, Wace, p. 5, l. 80; Enéam, MS. du Roy, 7515^3.3. Colb., ib.] Line 804 Askaneus, Eneas oþer sone Þat com wyþ him, (as ȝe wel mone,) [I gan ȝow mone.] After his fader þe lond he tooke, His brother Syluius he dide hit [to.] looke, Line 808 Syluius [Silui.] his half brother was, Gete of his ffader kynge Eneas. Askaneus dide make a citee, Þe name Albe þan [þan omitted.] gaf hit he; Line 812

Line 812 Askaneus let dame Lauyne take [dame take. The next line is from P.] [þe castell þat Eneas did make;] & al þat lond þat fel þer-til, Dame Lauyne held hit at hire wyl. Line 816 Þe mawmet þat Eneas brought fro Troye, In Lauyon he sette hem [sett þam.] wyþ ioy; Sythen com Askaneus his sone, Brought þem tyl [to.] Albe þer he gan wone; Line 820 & þer-inne hadde þey neuere rest, ffor o þe morn þe[y] [þe morn þai.] were ageyn al prest At þe castel of Lauyon, & wold [wilde.] nought dwelle in Albe toun: [Albe his toun.] Line 824 He ne wiste, ne was certeyn, [Lambeth folio 3b:2] On [In.] what nanere þey come ageyn. He regned foure & þrytty ȝer In pes wyþouten wo & wer. Line 828

Whan Askaneus made [did.] his endynge, Syluy his broþer regned kyng, Þat was born of dame Lauyne, Þe heritage he hadde in lyne. Line 832 ¶ A sone þen had Askaneus His brother, highte Sysillius. [his name was Sisillius.

Qui estoit només Silvius:Le nom à son oncle porta,Mais poi vesqui, et poi dura.

Wace, p. 6, l. 112-114.] [Petyt folio 6a:1] Þys ylke childe Sysilly Loued Lauynes nece, & lay hure by— Line 836 & sche sone wax wiþ childe— Als yonge men do þat ben wylde. ¶ Þe kynge dide his clerke [clerkes.] calle, & bad hem loke þer bokes [bad þam cast lotes.] alle, Line 840

Line 840 ' What schold of þat child bycome, [childe com.] [Hic natus est Brutus.] Good or wykke, [ill.] what maner dome.' Þey seide, 'þey founde (als þeym was wo,) ffader & moder scholde he [he suld.] sloo, Line 844 & out of londe go for þat chaunce, And siþen come to god cheuysance; Passe he scholde mani [mony.] a stour, & syþen come to [till.] gret honur.' Line 848 Þey founde syþen, als þey seyde, Þat of his burþe [when he was born.] his moder deide; His moder deide al so swiþe; Þe child lyuede; þey were al bliþe. Line 852 Brutus, þus his name þey teld, Whan he was of fiftene ȝer [was fiften ȝere.] eld, His ffader & he to wode þey went, To venerye he gaf his tent; Line 856 An herde of hertes sone þey met, At a triste [at triste.] to schete, Brutus was set; He auysed hym opon an hert,— Hys ffader passed bytwixt ouerthwert,— Line 860 & wyþ þat schote his ffader he slow; Al vnwylland þat draught he drow. [bot his willand not it drouh.] Whan Brutus sey [sawe.] hys ffader ded, He nyste what was best to red; [best rede.] Line 864 ffor deol & drede awey he nam Tyl Grece fro when his fader cam; [vntill þe londe of Grece he cam.] Þe folk of Troye þer he fond, Þat lyuede in seruage y þe lond. [in þat londe.] Line 868 Elenum, Pryamyes [Priami.] sone,

Wyþ sext þowsand þer gan [gan he.] wone, & ȝyt mo lordynges ynowe, Þat [þe] [þe.] Gregeys to seruage drowe, Line 872 Þat Pyrrus held in his truage. Achilles sone was þenne of age.

Brutus was þer bot a þrowe, þat many his name gon wel [his name manyon gan.] knowe. Line 876 ffor his grete [mykell.] hardynesse, ffor curtesye & for largesse, Mykel louede hym his owen kynde, & oþer til hym were ful mynde. Line 880 Grete gyftes þey gon hym [gyftes forto.] gyue, & seyde, "ȝyf we myght frely lyue, " Ouer vs alle we wolde [all will.] þe make [Lambeth folio 4a:1] " Kynge, [duc, Wace, p. 10, l. 182.] ȝyf þou wost [wild.] vndertake. Line 884 " Oure folk ys waxen for þe maystri, " & stalworthe are, & right [full.] hardy: " ȝyf we had on þat we dredde, " Þat vs in-til [vnto.] bataille ledde, Line 888 " & mayntened vs, & lered al so " What in bataille we scholden do, " Syker scholde he haue [I trowe he suld.] al oure seruage " To ffredom brynge, [bringe. Lamb MS. kyng.] or a-suwage. Line 892 " Seuen [See "sext," l. 870, above. (six, Wace, p. 10, l. 177.)] þousand now we are " Of knyghtes [knyghtes redy.] to bataille ȝare, " Wyþoute seriauntz & oþer pytaille [sergeantes & oþer pedale.] " Þat ar nought for to sette in taille. Line 896 " ȝyf þou wilt vnder-take þys þynge, " We wyl þe make our alder kyng, [duc. Wace, p. 10, l. 182.]

" & at þy biddynge we wyl bowe: " Doute þe nought, we are ynowe;" Line 900

Als þey til hym spek often [till spak oft.] þus, A bacheler men calde Assarakus Was born y þe lond of Grece; Of þat blod he hadde a spece, Line 904 ffor his ffader was Gregeys, Hys moder of Troye, þe stori seys; Hys ffader was a lordynge, Þe most of þe lond saue þe kynge, Line 908 And gat hym opon bastardie By on of Troye in rybaudie; & for he gat hym on his rage, He gaf hym in heritage Line 912 Þre casteles þat weren gode, Tyl his cloþynge & his fode. Hys brethren wold han [his breþer wild haf.] reft hit hym, Bot he bar hym so stout & grym; [brym.] [Petyt folio 6b:1] Line 916 ffor þe Trogens wiþ hym helde, þe boldeloker [boldelyer.] bar vp his schelde, ffor he was on þat wolde þem saue, & at his castles recet to [castell rescet.? retet, Lamb. MS.] haue. Line 920 Wyþ his conseil & hys socour Made þey Brutus þeyr gouernour. [The Petyt MS. adds—

& with his will & his lokyngWas sir Brutus chosen kyng.

]

Brutus sey [sawe.] & vnderstod Hys folk was alle strong & god, Line 924 And hym self wel of myght Þeym for to fende & to [þam forto defende in.] fight. He dide enforce [did force.] þe casteles¹⁰ wel; Hys folk he warned ilk a del, Line 928

Line 928 & bad hem to þe casteles [castell.] drawe, Þo þat were of Troyes lawe,— Men & wymen & children [childere.] ylkone Þat to hym hadde mad þer mone— Line 932 & þider scholde þer godes [þer godes þidere suld þei.] lede, Vntil þo casteles [vnto þe castell.] for doute & drede. Whan þey hadde þer godes lad, Byside þe casteles busked [castell bussed.] & spred, Line 936 & Brutus saugh his men wel dyght All redy vnto þe fyght, Brutus dide write a bref, [Lambeth folio 4a:2] Vnto sire Pandras, kyng & chef; Line 940 Þys ys þe lettre [brefe.] þat he sent, Þe latyn, y vnderstonde, [þat latyn vndrestode.] þus ment: