Ecce de Stonhenges, & virtute eorum.

"First whan þei were compást newe,

bei did grete gode to po pam knewe.
66 po þat were seke & lauht scathes,
"Wesch be stones did it in bathes.
66 þat felt þam greued of grete pinges,
"Bathed þam of be self wasshynges,

& heled wele of per pyne,

"Had þei non oper medicýne,

I Whan be kyng herd of per vertu,
þat þei mot falle þe folk to pru,
He had longing for þam to go.
& of þat wille were oþer mo,
þe stones to Bretayn forto bring,
þat Merlyn mad of sermonỳng.
pei ches Uter pe kynge's broper,
pe kyng offred him self be toper.
Of folk bei led fiften þousand,
Agayn þe Iris forto stand.
With pam went danz Merlyn,

For be stones to mak engŷn.

I Whan Uter with his folk was gare,

bei went to schip ouer pe se to fare,

& aryued vp bi bat coste,

þe Iris kyng gadred his oste.

Whan he wist whi þei kam,

So fer viage for be stones nam,
Ouer þe see tille an oþer lond,
For þei ne stones hender fond,
& said po stones þei salle haf here,
þei salle bie pam first fulle dere.
If we may salle not spede,

po stones out of our lond to lede.
He scorned & said, it salle be nouht,

bei salle faile þat þei haf souht.

So long he manaced & prette,

At þe last togider þei mette.

At þer metyng was no lite,
þat þei gon togidere smyte.
Fulle wele fauht boþe parties,
Bot þe. Bretons wan þe pris.
þe Iris couth not so wele feiht,
Ne of armore had þei no sleiht,
Ne were per of so wele bone,
perfor the Iris fled fulle sone.

Fro stede to stede þei fled to skulk,
One hij hilles to hide & hulk.

Whan pe Bretons had don pat chace,

& rested pam a long space,
Merlyn had þam alle at ones
To be hille to se be stones.
Killomare hight þat hille,
pore pe geantz brouht þam tille.

1

Qualiter Britones per Merli num aspor taverunt lapides de Ibernia ad Britaniam.

I bis Bretons renged about þe feld,
be karole of the stones beheld,
Many týme gede þam about,

Biheld within biheld without.
Alle þei said so said þe kyng,
þei sauh neuer so selcouth þing,
How þei were raised pihad wondere,
& how bei suld be brouht o sondere.
With bat worde bei pam rescued,
þei ne wist how þei suld remued.
Merlyn said, "Now makes assay,
"To putte his stones doun if ze may.
" & with force fond þam to bere,

દ

þer force is mýkille pe lesse wille dere. be oste at ons to be hille went,

& ilk man toké þat he mot hent,

Ropes to drawe, trees to put,

bei schoued, pei þrist, þei stode o strut,

One ilka side behind beforn,

& alle for nouht þer trauaile lorn.
Whan alle be had put & þrist,

& ilk man don þat him list,
& left per putting manyon,
git stired þei not be lest ston.
Merlyn wist it suld not vaile
Strength of body ne trauaile.

He bad þam alle draw pam o dreih,
porgh strength ne com ze þam neigh.

A

A litille he stode, sipen him bi went,
He spak, bot non wist what he ment.
þei sauh his lippes stir vp & doun,
Bot non herd his quirisoun.
Whan he had gon alle aboute

Within þe karole & withoute,
& said his quirisons,

Agayn he cald þe Bretons,

& said, "Now may ze lightly bere

"pise stones to schip, withouten dere.

"Go now alle & spedis zow,

"For ge salle welde pam wele inout.
Als Merlyn þam tauht & said,

Into schippes þam lightly laid.

pan had þei won þei fer had souht,

To be playn of Salesbiri þam brouht,

Of Amnesbiri beside be abbay,

& was at þe Whitsonenday,
þe.kýng did mak somons

Of bisshopes, erles & barons,
& oper folk of noble geste,
& did him croune at þat feste.

pre daies sat þe feste of fode,

One be ferth day gaf he giftes gode,

Kroces to clerkes of pris,

To Saynt Sampson & Saynt Dubris.

Seynt Dubris he gaf Kerlion,

gork he gaf to Saynt Sampson. Vol. I.

bis

þis gaf he at his crounment,

& many mo bi comon assent.
Bi for he lordes, þat com þider,
Merlyn set þe stones togider,
Als þei were ore in þat certayn,
Stand þei now vpon þe playn.
Within pe compas of þe stones
Er biried alle pe lordes bones,
þat Hengist at þe parlement slouh,
Here beforn ze herd wele how.

Num. XV. Vide Præf. §. XVII.

An Account of St. Wenefride, from an old MS. of the Book call'd, Festival or Festial, in the hands of Thomas Ward, of Longbridge near Warwick, Esq;.

De Sancta Wenefreda virgine.

GOODE men & women, suche a day ze schalle haue sent Wenefredus day, be whiche day is nott ordeynyd by holy churche to be halowed, but perre as men han deuocyon to pis holy madon. Wherefore ye þat han deuocion to pis holy seant, cummythe pat day to churche to worschip God, & pis holy maydon & martir. hen how sche suffered martirdome ze schalle here. For powz sum knowen hit, get sum knowon hit nott, & also powg a goode tale be twyas tolde, hit is but be better for to lorne and to vndurstoude. berre was in her tỷme an holy armet was called Bennowe, þe whiche com to a goode monnus hose, pat was called Thow'nythe, and was sent Wenefredus fadur, & was a ryche mon of londus & rentus, & prayd Thewnythe to gyff hym a place of erpe, vppon the whiche he mygthe bylde a

churche,