And gude it is for many thynges, For to here be dedis of kynges, Whilk were foles & whilk were wyse, & whilk of pam couth mast quantýse; And whilk did wrong & whilk rýght, & whilk mayntend pes & fÿght. Of þare dedes salle be my sawe, In what tyme & of what lawe, I salle gow schewe fro gre to gre, Sen þe tyme of sir Noe, Fro Noe vnto Eneas, & what betwix þam was, And fro Eneas tille Brutus tyme, þat kynde he telles in þis ryme. Fro Brutus tille Cadwaladres, þe last Bryton þat þis lande lees. Alle þát kynde & alle the frute, þat come of Brutus pat is þe Brute; And be ryght Brute is told nomore, þan the Brytons tyme wore. After þe Bretons þe Inglis camen, þe lordschip of his lande þai namen ; South & North, West & Est, þat calle men now þe Inglis gest. When þai first amang þe Bretons, þat now ere Inglis pan were Saxons, Saxons Inglis hight alle oliche. þai aryued vp at Sandwyche, In þe kynge's tyme Vortogerne, þat þe lande walde þam not werne. Where of is comen oure Inglis kynde. So lang woned pai þis lande in, As Pers telles alle þe manere. One mayster Wace pe Frankes telles, þis mayster Wace per leues he. þer mayster Wace of pe Brute left, And tellis forth be Inglis story, & as he says, pan say I. Als Als pai haf wryten & sayd, In symple speche as I couthe, io!! Ne for no seggers no harpours, þat rede Inglis it ere inowe, A. Ouer all þat is or was, If men it sayd as made Thomas. þat of som copple som is away. So þare fayre saying here beforne, And alle þat þai wild ouerwhere, In strange ryme to trauayle sore, So strange Inglis as pai wroght, To turne it bot in light ryme, To telle þam þe chaunces bolde, Bot gude prayere, when ge it rede. For wham I haf þis Inglis schewed, Of Brunne I am, if any me blame, Robert Mannyng is my name. 1 Blissed be he of God of heuene, In be hous of Sixille I was a throwe, Num. VI. Vide Præf. §. x, XIX. Extract of a Letter, relating to Robert of Brunne and Peter de Langtoft, written from London to the Publisher by the late learned John Bridges, Esq;. Nov. 28. 1723. This day, by Godfrey the Oxford Carrier, there goes a Packett, directed to Willmott the Bookseller, in which there is the MS. of Robert of Brunne. It belongs to the Inner h 2 Temple |