The story of England

¶ Transfretauerunt versus Hyspanniam & ibi inuen|erunt Coryneum.

Wyþ alle þer schipes & al þer pres Þey comen to þe Merkes [MS. comem. com to markes.] of Erkules; Line 1440 Ercules was so doughti [was douhty a.] man, Out of Troye þider he cam By se: als he wan by londe, A piler of bras þer þey fonde, Line 1444 Þat he dide sette for honour, Þat he was þider conquerrour. Þer fond þey Nykeres [

Nikers.

Seraines sont monstre de mer,Des ciés poent femes sambler;Poisson sunt del nombril aval.

Wace, p. 37, l. 735.

P. inserts after song,—

þat drecched þam ferly long.In þe west see es þer wonynge;As women mery þei synge& þo þat listen to þer song/

] þat myry song, Out of þe weye to turne hem [þer weie þei turne.] wrong, Line 1448 Or to [þei.] forgete þer schip to stere, Þorow þer song þat þey schold here. [for þer songe þat þei here.] So ar þo Nykeres faste [nykeres fast.] aboute To brynge schipmen þer hit ys [it es.] doute, Line 1452 To som swelw [suelhu (swallow).] to turne or steke, Oþer a-geyn roches to breke; þerfore hit ys a gret peril, Schipmen for to liste [to listene.] þer tyl. Line 1456

Line 1456 Þe Trogens knewe [þe Troiens knew.] þer song wel, Þey lystned to þem neuere a del; Þey had herd tellen þer byforen [tell beforn.] How schipes had ben wyþ hem forloren. [scippes were for þam lorn.] Line 1460 Wyþ peyne þey passede at þat tyde, [l. 756-64 of Wace are not translated.] Vpon Spayne þer fflete gan ryde, Þer [MS. þat. þer, P.] þey fond at o ryuage Gret folk of þe Troiens [of troie.] lynage, Line 1464 þat on of þer auncessour [Que Anthénor, un des barons, Wace, l. 776, p. 38.] ffled fro Troye out of þe stour, Als þey dide ilk a man Whan þey of Grece to Troye cam. [troie wan.] Line 1468

Coryneus highte þeir ledere, & meintened hym [he mantend þam.] in pes & were. He was a man als a Geaunt, Tyl hym þey drowe alle [as.] to waraunt. Line 1472 Þys Coryneus, he hadde gret ioye When þey [he. (L. he altered to þey.)] wyste þey were of Troye; To Brutes men þey were [he was.] ful meke, & asked ȝyf þey ȝede lond to seke, Line 1476 þat þey myghte fynde til þeir [mot fynd vnto þer: and puts this line after the next.] prow; þey seyde, "We wole wenden [will wend.] wiþ ȝow." So Coryneus & his partie Wente forth in Brutes compaignie. [P. adds—

Brutus luffed wele Corineusa frende of hym for sir brutus.

] Line 1480 ¶ Whan þeyr fflote wyþ al þer wayne [Lambeth folio 6b:2] Turnede fro þe lond of Spaigne,

On þeyr right hand toward Peyto, Þe wynd to þat half bar hem to [bare þam so.] ; Line 1484 Þore þe se receiues Leyre, Alle þe fflote com wyþ gret eyre.— Leyre rennes þorow many contre, And euere [þer.] he metes wiþ þe se.— Line 1488 Boþe þer fflute gon þer dwelle [þer flotes boþe þer gan duelle.] Seuen daye, fullyke [days fully.] to telle. Out of þe schipes þey wente grete route, & spredde þe contre alle aboute. Line 1492 Goffar was kyng of Peyters; [perters.] He sente knyghtes & squiers To waite [witt.] who made on hym pres, & wheþer þey soughte werre oþer [or.] pees: Line 1496 Numbert he highte, þat bar message, ffor he knew diuerse langage.

Corineus was go for [was gone.] to chace, Venison to take of grace; Line 1500 Wyþ hym were two hundred [trois cens. Wace, l. 812.] men To serche aboute in feld & fen. Wyþ Numbert mette Coryneus, & Numbert spak til hym right þus: Line 1504 " By whas [whos.] leue & whas [whos.] [Petyt folio 10a:1] warant " Are ȝe here alle chasand? [chasant.] " & by whas conseil are ȝe [& be whos rede ere.] here " ffor to destruye þe kynges dere? Line 1508 " He[re] ne scholde ȝe make [suld ȝe mak no.] chace " Bot þorow me or þe kyinges grace; " & þe kyng forbed ilkon " þat noman scholde take her non. [perto.] Line 1512

Line 1512 " How dar ȝe do sylk [suylk.] a þyng " Wyþouten leue of þe kyng?" ¶ Corineus spak al so hym [as he.] þought: " Of ȝour kyng ne wite we nought; Line 1516 " ffor hym ne wol [will.] we leue to do, " Ne for his bode come hym to; " We knowe þe for no messeger, [messengere.] " Ne hym self, þey [þof.] he were her." Line 1520 Numberte sone his bowe bent, & schet [schotte.] ; bot Corineus bleynt. [glent.] Corineus was wroþ, y trowe; He sesede Numbertes bowe, Line 1524 & brak his bowe on his heued: [

Parmi le chief tant l'embatiQue la cervelle en espandi.

Wace, l. 833-4.] His felawes fledde, & lefte hym ded, [fled & dede hym leued.] And wenten to telle [& ȝede & talde.] kyng Goffar How men a-wey his venison bar; Line 1528 & ilkaday þey telde [Ilka dele þei tolde.] hym how þat Coryneus Numbert slow.