The story of England

¶ Lud Rex.

Helye had þre sones wyghte: Þe eldest sone, Lud he highte; Þat oþer was Cassibalan; Þe þrydde, Nemny, [Nenny (Nennius, Geoff. and Wace, l. 3812).] a doughti man. Line 4072 Lud was eldest, most of age, Hym fel to haue þe heritage; Knyght was he fol god in stour, & lyberal man, & vyaundour; [& metegift man viandoure.] [Petyt folio 25a:1] Line 4076 Cites & casteles newe dide set; Of þe olde mad he god recet; [gude rescette.] He louede London best of alle, Þerfore vmb-closedit wyþ a [he closed it about with.] walle; Line 4080 Manye ar þe clos me [men.] se ȝit stande, Þat Lud dude make, hym [whils he was.] lyuande. ffor barons & for burgeys sake, Grete stedes til hem dide he make; Line 4084 Þerfore men seye, & ȝit men may, Þat neuere bifore vnto þat day Made kyng byforn so fele cites, Ne castels, ne clos, þat ȝut men ses. Line 4088

Line 4088 ¶ Tyl Luddes tyme men held þat haunt, To calle London Trenouant; ffor þe loue of Lud ylk del, Þat woned þer longe, & closed hit wel, Line 4092 & was of hym so gret renoun; Kaer Lud þer fore men calde þe toun. Þenne come oþere men were straunge; [Lambeth folio 18a:2] ffor þe Lud, London dide hit chaunge, Line 4096 Þenne come Saxoyns, men of Angle, Als þey couþe on þer speche iangle, ffor Kaer-lud caldyt Ludden, Þat couþe þey best com on & ken; Line 4100 Þenne come þe Normaunz & þe Frankisch, Couþe nought com on to calle hit þis; ffor London, Londres þey hit calde; ȝit Frensche men þat name [on frankis ȝit þat name men.] [Petyt folio 25a:2] halde. Line 4104 ffor regnynge [be remouyng.] of kynges straunge, ffor diuerse speche, langage men chaunge, Þat han þis lond often ywonnen, & þorow riden & þorow ronnen, Line 4108 & [Ere.] þe names chaunget þer fore; Som names ar lasse, & som ar more; I hope fo [MS. þe. P. reads fo.] tounes þat now are Hold þer names þat first ware. Line 4112

When sire Lud, þe gode kyng, Was ded, & don was [& mad.] his endynge, Byside his gate þey hym leyd, Þat, for his name, Ludgate ys seyd: Line 4116 He yt made, & he yt aughte, Lodgate for hym þe name laughte. Of Lud were left two childre ȝyng; Lond to kepe couþe þey no þyng: Line 4120

Line 4120 Þe eldest hight Androcheus, Þat oþer men calde Tenuacius. [Tenuantius, Geoff. Tenuenci|us, Wace.] Cassibolon was þer em, Þe nexte sibbe of þat tem, Line 4124 He kepte þe childre & þat lond; Men held hym kyng, faire he þem fond; He mayntende þe lond to ryght, He was curteys & doughty knyght; Line 4128 Þe folke he couþe wel iustise, Of hem he hadde fair seruise.

When þe childre were of elde Þat þey couþe lordschip welde, Line 4132 In to [tuo.] erldomes he dide þem seyse, Worschipfoly, al atter ayse. Androcheus hadde, þorow assent, Londoñ, & þe erldom [MS. Erldon.] of Kent; Line 4136 Þat oþer broþer had þe baylle Of þe erldom of Cornewaille. When ilk was sesed in his erldam, Þey were cald Erles, whare þey cam. Line 4140 To whyle þe kyng & his cosyns In loue loken ar þer lynes, Richesse þey hadde ynow to wylle, & of no lond dredde þey non ylle, Line 4144 Ne neuere þurt hem haue [thorte haf.] [Petyt folio 25b:1] drad no tyde. Bot ouerwenyng of herte pride Ros a discord hem bytwene, Þat longe in þys londe was sene; Line 4148 ffour hundred ȝer hit lasted, & nyne, In þis lond þat firste pyne; Hit bigan, as ȝe may se, Of Cassibolon & Androche, Line 4152 Þorow whilk sorewe þe Romayns wan

Truage of Cassibolan, Þat myghte nere be wonne [mot neuer wyn it.] byforn, [Lambeth folio 18b:1] Tyl þer loue þorow pride was lorn; [P. omits the next four lines.] Line 4156 Whyle þer loue to-gedere held, Might neuere no Romayn bide þem in feld, Þat þey ne chased, þorow force of fight, Cesar of Rome, & al his myght. Line 4160 How hit bygan bytwyxt þem bale, Listeþ, & y schal rede þe tale.