The story of England

                                    
                                      Of his meninge y wot þe weye,
                                    
                                      But his fair speche can y nought seye;
                                    
                                      I am nought worþy open hys bok/,
                                    
                                      . ffor no conninge þer-on to lok/,
                                      Line 16,712 
                                    
                                      But for to schewe his mykel wyt/, [witte . . . . . skitte.] 
                                    
                                      On my spekynge [spech.]  þat ys but skyt/, [witte . . . . . skitte.] 
                                    
                                      How he was queynte in speche, & wys,
                                    
                                      . Þat swiche a bok [swilk a boke.]  made of pris,
                                      Line 16,716 
                                    
                                      And gadered þe stories alle til on,
                                    
                                      Þat neuere er was mad for non.
                                    
                                      . When Peres first bygan his werk,
                                      Line 16,720 
                                    
                                      He bisoughte an holy clerk/
                                    
                                      To gyue hym grace wel to spede,—
                                    
                                      Þat holy man highte seint Bede,—
                                    
                                      Þai in his bokes mykel he fond;
                                    
                                      . He made ffvue bokes of Engelond,
                                      Line 16,724 
                                    
                                      And y schal prey hym þat ilke weys,
                                    
                                      Als he ys corseint [he holy.]  & curteys,
                                    
                                      He gyue [gif.]  me grace wel to seye,
                                    
                                      . & rightly þys in rym to leye,
                                      Line 16,728 
                                    
                                      Þys story þat ys seyd þorow [said of.]  Peres,
                                    
                                      Þat alle be payed þat hit heres. Amen! [There are only 16,630 lines in the MS., as 100 line numbers are left out between 12,899 and 13,000 on p. 451.]

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About this Item

Title: The story of England
Author: Mannyng, Robert, fl. 1288-1338.
Canvas: Page 580
Publication: London,: Longman & co.; [etc., etc.]; 1887.
Subject terms: Great Britain -- History

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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/ahb1379.0001.001/614:280

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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

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

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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 23, 2025.

The story of England

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