The story of England

¶ Dicta Lucii Inperatoris.

Lucius Yber was born in Spayne, . Of Rome emperour & cheuentaigne. Line 13,452 ȝong man ynow was sire Lucy, More þan þritti, but nought fourty; Don he hadde in þat age Many a doughti vasselage; Line 13,456 ffor he was strong, lastynge [to stand.] in stour, Þer-fore was he mad Emperour. O þe morn erlyk, on a þrom [arly on a thrum (mass).] Þey meoued fro Langres toward Ostum Line 13,460 Wyþ mikel folk & gret[e] route Þat spredde in lengþe & brede aboute. Þen herde þemperour by spies seye Þat Arthur had trauersed his weye; Line 13,464 He perceiued þen his bold-hede, & sey þat he hadde of hym no drede, Þat eyþer bihoued [ouþer burd.] hym to bataille stande, Or turne a-geyn, & be fleande: Line 13,468 To turne a-geyn were cowardise, & þat were schame til hym & hyse. Kynge, prynces, & dukes, alle þo [P. leaves out this line.] Þat were wyþ hym, two hundred [cent mil, Wace, ii. 196, l. 12,875.] & mo, [P. leaves out this line.] Line 13,472 To conseille alle he calde þem [for consell he cald his men.] to, To wite at hem what he schuld do: " Lordes, peres, men of honurs, " Doughti lordes, [bodies.] gode conquerrours, Line 13,476

Line 13,476 " ȝe are comen of þo auncessours " Þat ful wel stode in alle stours; " Þorow þem ys Rome, wel haue ȝe herd, " Halden hed of al þe werd, Line 13,480 " & so schal be, y gyue [so sall .I. gyf.] [Petyt folio 78a:2] ȝow a gyue, " Al so longe as y may lyue. " Þey wonne þe londes þat we now heyre; " Schame hit were we scholde now peyre. Line 13,484 " Gentil þey were, oure kynde hit mones, " Of doughti fadres, of doughti sones; " Þer-fore doþ [dos.] now þat in ȝow es, " Likneþ ȝour fadres in [liken þour fadres.] doughtines! Line 13,488 " Better hit [bot it.] were in bataille pyne, " Þan faderes heritage to tyne; " & þat schul we on none wyse, " Heritage lese for feintyse! Line 13,492 " Þyse wordes for yuel seide y nought now, " ffor y fond neuere feintise in ȝow; [ll. 13,491-13,494. The Petyt MS. leaves out this line.] " ȝour fadres were gode, so ar ȝe, [Lambeth folio 57b:2] " Or bettere þan þey, hit may so be. Line 13,496 " ȝe wyte & se, as [se & wate als.] wel as y, " Þat by þat weye we schul go by " Vntil Ostum, hit ys wyþ-set; " But wiþ bataille or baret— Line 13,500 " I ne wot wheþer þey be robbours " Or þeues þat wolde haue ought of ours;— " Þat weye þey haue vs wyþ-sted " Þat y scholde ȝow haue inne y-led; [ll. 13,501-13,504. The Petyt MS. leaves out this line.] Line 13,504 " Y trowe þey wende þat y had scurned, " ffor þat y now ageyn ward turned. " Nay for soþe, þat þought y nought! " Y wolde þey hadde on vs more sought; Line 13,508

Line 13,508 " Ouer fer byfore vs þey han hopped, [P. leaves out this line.] " & oure right passage haue þey stopped; [P. leaves out this line.] " But þer forgate schal þem nought vaille; " Arme vs, & gyue we þem bataille, Line 13,512 " To do þem bak be dryuen & [& do þam bakward to be.] born, " Þat passed vs so fer byforn! " ȝyf þey stande, we schul þem smite; " ȝyf þat þey fle, þen schul þey wyte Line 13,516 " Þer pryde þat hem so haþ schent, " Þat þey þe weyes [our way.] byfore vs wente."