The Brut, or The chronicles of England. Edited from Ms. Raw. B171, Bodleian Library, &c., by Friedrich W. D. Brie, with introduction, notes, and glossary ...

APPENDIX B.

[THE CHARACTER OF EDWARD III.]

[MS. Harley 753, fol. 146 ff. (collated with MS. Lambeth 331 = X, Lambeth 491 = Y, and Lambeth 738 = Z).]

Of þe description of Kyng Edward. Capo. CC. xxix^o.

THis Kyng Edward was forsoþe of passyng goodnesse, and ful gracious amonge all þe worthymen of þe world for he passyd and shone by vertue & grace yeven to hym fro God, above all his predecessours þat were noble men & worthy. And he was a wele hard-herted man, for he dred neuer of none myshappes, ne harmes ne evyll fortune, þat myȝt falle a noble warryour, and a fortunable, bothe on lond and on þe see. And in all batayle & assembles, with a passyng glory and worshyp he had euere þe victory.

And he was meke and benygne, homely, sobre, & softe to all maner men, as wele to straungres as to his owne subiectes, And to oþer þat were vnder his gouernaunce. He was devoute & holy, boþe to God & holy chirch; ffor he was worshipped & mayntened holy chirch and her mynystres with all maner reuerences. He was treteable & wele avysed in temperall & worldly nedes, wyse in councell, and discrete, soft, meke, & good to speke with. In hys dedes & manere, full gentill & wele ytaught, havyng pite on hem þat were in dissese; plentevous in yevyng almesse, Besy & corious in bildyng; And full lyghtly he bare & suffred wronges and harmes. And whan he was yeve to any occupacion, he left all oþer þynges in þe mene tyme, and tent þerto; semly of body, & of mene stature; havyng alwey, to high & lowe, a good chere. And þer sprang & shone so moch grace of hym [MS. Harley 753 146b] þat, what

maner man had byhold his face, or had dremed of hym, he hoped þat day þat all þyng shold hap to hym Ioyfull and lykyng. And he gouerned gloriously hys kyngdom into his age. And he was large in yevyng, and wyse in spences. He was fulfilled with all honeste of good maners, & vertous; vnder whom to lyve, hit was as for to regne; wherfor his name & his loos sprang so fere þat it came into hethenesse and Barbarye, shewyng and tellyng his worthynesse & manhode in all londes; And þat in no lond vnder heven had be brought forth so noble a kyng, so gentill & so blessyd, or myȝt reyse such anoþer whan he were dede.

Neuerþelesse, lecchery & mevyng of hys flessh haunted hym in his age; wherefor þe rather, as it was to suppose, for vnmesurable fulfillyng of hys lust, his lyff shorted þe sonner. And herof takeþ good hede, lyke as hys dedys byfore bereth wytnesse; for, as in hys bygynnyng all þynges were Ioyfull and lykyng to hym & to all þe peple, And in hys myd age he passed all men in high Ioye and worshype and blessydnesse, Ryȝt so, whan he drow in-to Age, drawyng downward þurgh lecchorye and oþer synnes, litill & litill all þo Ioyfull and blyssed þynges, good fortune & prosperite decresed and myshapped, And Infortunat þynges, & vnprofytable harmes, with many evele, bygan for to sprynge, and, þe more harme is, conteyned longe tyme after.