The story of England

                                
                                  Þat swerd he wan of sire Cesar, [De gladio Cesaris.] 
                                
                                  By hym in graue þey leide hit þar,
                                
                                  ffor he was of gret honur,
                                  Line 4481 
                                
                                  & he haddyt wonnen y þat stour.
                                
                                  Þe swerd was of swylk metal,
                                
                                  Þat who þat wounded were wyþ-al,
                                  Line 4484 
                                
                                  He ne scholde nought longe lyue
                                
                                  ffor medicine men myghte hym gyue.
                                
                                  Why of deþ hit hadde þe gylt,
                                
                                  Hit was writen on þe hilt
                                  Line 4488 
                                
                                  Wyþ lettres of gold, burnusched bryght,
                                
                                  Þat "Crucia mors" þat swerd hight:
                                
                                   [P. has, for the next three lines, on  & ȝit men say as sais þe romance.]  [Petyt folio 27b:1] Hit myghte wel hote "Crucia mors;"
                                
                                  Wham hit wounded, hit was ded cors;
                                  Line 4492 
                                
                                  & ȝit hit ys seyd y þe Romaunce,
                                
                                  Þe enperours swerd was al vengaunce.
                                
                                  Til þeym of ffraunce cam tidyng tyt,
                                
                                  How þe Romayns were desconfit
                                  Line 4496 
                                
                                  Þorow þe Bretons in pleyn bataille.
                                
                                  Þanne mysliked þeym saunz faille,
                                
                                  And for cowardes þem selue ches, [Lambeth folio 20a:1] 
                                
                                  ffor þey were at [þe] [þe.]  Romayns pes.
                                  Line 4500 
                                
                                  Þey conseilled þem a day certeyn,
                                
                                  Vpon Cesar to turne a-geyn;
                                
                                  In þer conseil þei seide þus:
                                
                                  " Als þe Bretons chased Iulyus,
                                  Line 4504 
                                
                                  " ȝut schul [ȝit sall.]  we fonde so to spede,
                                
                                  " To do sire Iulius fle for drede.
                                
                                  " Þe Bretons be nought ȝit so bolde
                                
                                  " As we haue ben, [ne] men of tolde, [als we ere ne men of tolde.] 
                                  Line 4508 
                                
                                  " & so lyghtly dide þem lout!
                                
                                  " ȝit schul [ȝit sall.]  we fonde to chace hem out.
                                
                                  " Hit are ynowe þat first han grace

Pages

Index

About this Item

Title: The story of England
Author: Mannyng, Robert, fl. 1288-1338.
Canvas: Page 157
Publication: London,: Longman & co.; [etc., etc.]; 1887.
Subject terms: Great Britain -- History

Technical Details

Collection: Corpus of Middle English Prose and Verse
Link to this Item: https://name.umdl.umich.edu/ahb1379.0001.001
Link to this scan: https://quod.lib.umich.edu/c/cme/ahb1379.0001.001/191:73

Rights and Permissions

The University of Michigan Library provides access to these materials for educational and research purposes. These materials are in the public domain. If you have questions about the collection, please contact [email protected]. If you have concerns about the inclusion of an item in this collection, please contact [email protected].

DPLA Rights Statement: No Copyright - United States

IIIF

Manifest: https://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/t/text/api/manifest/cme:ahb1379.0001.001

Cite this Item

Full citation: "The story of England." In the digital collection Corpus of Middle English Prose and Verse. https://name.umdl.umich.edu/ahb1379.0001.001. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed June 22, 2025.

The story of England

Annotations Tools

Actions

About this Item

Technical Details

Rights and Permissions

Related Links

IIIF

Cite this Item