The story of England

¶ Audite iam quoddam Mirabile de cremacione Cirencestrie.

But listneþ now a selkouþ Þat neuere er fel by norþ ne souþ, Line 14,676 Ne neuere contreued in elde ne ȝouþe, [P. leaves out this line.] Ne conseil gyuen of mannes mouþe: [P. leaves out this line.] Þe Payens wyþowte leide nettes & lynes, [laid many lymes.] [Petyt folio 84b:2] & sparewes toke al day by tymes; Line 14,680 After þat, luytel notes [After nottes.] þey toke, & holede þem, þe kerneles out schoke; Þey dide y þe schelles, [skellis.] fyr & tunder, Brymston & [Bronston.] flax,—þys was a wonder,— Line 14,684 & feste þem by þe sparewes fet; [P. leaves out this line.] At euen homward fleye þem let; [P. leaves out this line.] Þe sparewes fleye at euen to reste, Line 14,687 Til houses þere þey were woned [þer þe wont.] to neste; In eueses þey crepte, & in þe þakkes, [eues þei crepte & in þak.] & in hey & in corn stakkes; [korn stak.] Þe fir, þe tonder, þe brymston [þe tundir bronston & fire.] hot, Kyndled on lowe, & vp hit smot. Line 14,692

Line 14,692 Þe Bretons wyst nought how hit brent, Ne on what manere þe fir was sent; Þey armed þeym alle redy to fight; Ouer fewe [our fo.] þey were, & hadde no myght. Line 14,696 Þe kyng þer in-to Walys skaped, [See Geoffrey's account of the utter destruction of Britain, and his upbraidings against the Britons for their quarrels and sins: bk. xi. ch. 8, 9.] & þo þat myghte, wiþ hym þeym raped;— Syþ herde y nought telle of wham [whom . . . . . bicom.] Whiderward Carice by-cam;— [whom . . . . . bicom.] Line 14,700 & right þus [þusgate.] Circestre was taken, Þat longe held þe Payens waken; & for hit was wyþ sparewes brent, Þo men þat þorow þe contre went, Line 14,704 On Englische cald hit "Sparewes Toun," & Frensche men "Cite de Mischeroun," [on frankis Cite de moshon. (La cité as moissons, Wace, ii. 246, l. 14,033.)] ffor to mene þe queyntise ⁶How hit was wonne, & on what wyse. Line 14,708 ¶ When Gurmound had al ouer riden & ronne, & Bretayne til his hand al wonne, Þat no Breton⁶ [^6-6

how sparowes brent it & on what wiseGurmund stroied many cites.many hastels & cuntres.many heremytage & abbay.þorgh him wer brent & brouht away.& many fair toun mad wasten.þat neuer ȝit was bigged ageyn.in many tokne is sene. [Quomodo diuidebat regnum.] þat whilom ware now is all grene.Whan Gurmund þe lond all wonne.þe bretons ouer riden & ronne.þat non so hardy.

] durst hym abyde, . Ne ageines hym in bataille ride, Line 14,712 To þe Saxons he gaf þe lond Þat he in Northumberland first fond. And ȝyf [MS. ȝyt. P. if.] [Petyt folio 85a:1] dide Gurmound so, he dide right, [Lambeth folio 62b:2] He sykerede [sikerd.] þem byforn, & hight; Line 14,716

Line 14,716 & þo þat ȝerned Hengistes þyng, Þorow Gurmound hadde þer ȝernyng; ffor he gaf þeym [þorgh Gurmund had þei.] þe lond of Kent, Þat longe wyþ Hengistes [þat fro Hengist.] blod was went. Line 14,720

A lynage of þe out ildes he [out of þe Ildes. (de l'ydle [or des isles, MS. Reg., 20 A. xi.] joy|naunt à Saxonye: Langtoft, i. 232.)] dide allye, Þat langed vntil Saxonie; Men þei were of gret honur, . & doughti for to stande in stour;— Line 14,724 ' Anglysche' kalde þei al [Anglis cald þei.] þat kynde, To knowe where men mighte hit fynde;— Gurmound þe lond to þem hit gaf, . But þe oþere Saxoyns be þem ouer haf, Line 14,728 & made Anglische [þam.] souereyns for to be, ffor to holde hit [& þei suld hold.] of hym in fee; In Northfolk was first þer wonynge; . 'Estangle' hit hight for þer comynge; Line 14,732 Anglys, þat contre first þey aught, & of Anglis, Estangle hit laught: Þus fondy in Maister Waces boke; . Of Peres of Langtoft also y toke, Line 14,736 & of Gyldas þer-to y leyde, Right as Peres þer-of seyde; Of alle þre bryng y to place, . Gyldas, Peres, & Maister Wace. Line 14,740 But þe Saxons acorded for no þynge Þat þe Anglys schuld be þer kyng; " Þey hadde wel leuere," þe Saxons [þei.] seyd, [? MS. sayd, with a altered from e or vice versâ.] . " Þat þe lond were in partis leyd, Line 14,744 " Þan þe Anglys of þe out ildes " Schulde be chef of alle þer gyldes." [of þer Gildes.]