The story of England

¶ De tercio lacu versus Walliam iuxta [MS. iux with a contraction, above. P. has walliam mirabili.] Seuerne.

¶ " Of anoþer ys more selcouþ, [Lambeth folio 45a:1] " & þat lough ys in þat souþ, " Toward Walys, bysyde Seuerne. " When þe flod flowes þider [flewes þer.] in ȝerne, Line 10,328 " Þe water wexes noþyng on hey, " Þan þe flod come neuere þer ney; [þan þe flode . . . . . nehie.] " Als longe as flod þer-ynne flowes, [flewes . . . . . grewes.] " Þe water of þe lough no þyng ne growes, " In no stede, by bank ne bre, Line 10,333 " Þat any man may perceiue or se. " But when þe flod drawes ageyn, " & ys atte þe ebbe [& es þe ebbe in.] certeyn, Line 10,336 " Þenne bygynnes þe lough to flowe, " & ouer þe bankes to renne & rowe; " Wyþ rysyng [risand.] wawes, & wyþ grete, " ffer aboute hym wil he wete. Line 10,340 " ȝyf hit beo a couþ man of þe contre " þat goþ þider þe water to se, [Qui véir l'aut, le vis torné, Wace, ii. 66, l. 9809; Si gens totius patriæ illius, facie versa, prope as|taret, Galf. Mon. ix. 7.] " & feleþ [fles.] þe wawes þat so wetes, " Hit rennes on hym, & doun hym betes. " Of-ten of þo þat so haue gon, Line 10,345 " Han be drenkled manion. " ȝyf any connyng [conand.] man of þo " Standeþ stille, or sidlyng can [or sidelynges. Se home i vient, le dos avant, Les talons tornés, re|culant, &c., Wace, ii. 66, l. 9816-7; Tergo autem verso, non est irro|ratio timenda, Galf. Mon. ix. 7.] go, Line 10,348 " He may stande on þe brynkes " Al so lange as hym god þynkes:

" Schal he neuere take [latche.] scathe, " Ne haue wetynge [haf wettenes.] ne waþe." Line 10,352 Ohel seyde, "yt is wonder [selcouth.] þyng, " & selcouþ ho made þe gynnynge!" [MS. gymnynge. P., ferly who mad þe gynnyng.]

Þan dide Arthur bemes blowe, Hornes, belles, þat men myght knowe Line 10,356 Þat he wolde þennes [wild þien.] turne, & remue his host fro þat burne. His barons þat come fro ferne, He bad hem renne hom ryght [þam wend home.] ȝerne, Line 10,360 To wyte how hit for [fore.] at home, & glade þer wyues whan þey come. Wyþ mykel ioye & mykel play Wente þe ost homward þer way; Line 10,364 Of Arthur made þey mykel pris, How he was hardy, large, & wys, & seyde "neuere or in Bretaigne " Was so noble a cheuentayne!" Line 10,368 Vntil ȝork Arthur gan turne; Þere al þe ȝol he made [ȝole mad þer.] [Petyt folio 61b:2] soiourne. ¶ On þe ȝol day he made his feste . Wyþ þe [many.] barons of his geste. Line 10,372 fful mykel enpeired was þe toun, Kyrkes, houses, were beten doun; Þer burgeyses were bygged riche, . Wast & Eyuere[?] was hit liche.— [wasten & way was all o liche.] Line 10,376 Þe bischop was slayn wyþ þe Saxons, & oþere manye religions;— Al he dide hit bigge ageyn . As hit was byfore [in þe right.] certeyn. Line 10,380

Line 10,380 Hym serued a prest, a ful god man, [a gode man.] Hys name was cald sire Pyran; [Piran. (Pyram, Wace, ii. 68, l. 9842.)] [Lambeth folio 45a:2] He gaf hym þe erchebishopes se, & bad hym 'kepe þat dignite, Line 10,384 ' & holy kirke a-geyn restore, ' Þat þe Saxons had wasted byfore.' Pes he dide oueral [alle.] crye, . Þat non dide oþer vylenye, Line 10,388 But in lawe, right, & skyle; Husebande men, bad hem tyle; [ll. 10,389-10,390. The Petyt MS. leaves out this line.] ffrankeleyns þat hadde desheritison, He dide þem seke [did þam.] in ilka toun, Line 10,392 & gaf hem a-geyn þer heritage, Restored þem þer oþer damage. Þre þer were, doughti & gode, Noble men, of kynges blode, Line 10,396 Loth, Aguisel, & Vryen, Þe northe langed to þyse þre men; Þyse þre departed þe northe lond Þorow Arthures gift, y vnderstond. [þorgh Arture gift as .I. fond.] Line 10,400 To Lothe he gaf al Lounes, [tot Loënois, Wace, ii. 69, l. 9874. Lot . . . . . ad consulatum Londone|siæ, ceterarumque comprovinciarum, quæ ad eum pertinebant, reduxit, Galf. Mon. lib. ix. § 9.] Al þe contre, right as hit es. Scotlond he gaf sire Anguisel; Vryen had Murreue vntil [Morey till. (Morayshire?)] his del; Line 10,404 & alle to holde of hym þer þynge, ffor Arthur was þer chef[e] [chefe.] kyng. Sire Lothe þat weddede Anne, Wawayn þer sone at Rome was þanne Line 10,408 To norise, als þe romaunce seys, & he highte Wawayn þe curteys.