Sore him of thought the earle's death, and in other half he found To the countess he went again, me let him in anon. In great love long enow, when it n'oldë other gon; And had together this noble son, that in the world his pere n'as, The next name of note is Robert, commonly called De Brunne. His real name was Robert Manning. He was born at Malton in Yorkshire; for some time belonged to the house of Sixhill, a Gilbertine monastery in Yorkshire; and afterwards became a member of Brunne or Browne, a priory of black canons in the same county. When monastical writers became famous, they were usually designated from the religious houses to which they belonged. Thus it was with Matthew of Westminster, William of Malmesbury, and John of Glastonbury-all received their appellations from their respective monasteries. De Brunne's principal work is a Chronicle of the History of England, in rhyme. It can in no way be considered an original production, but is partly translated, and partly compiled from the writings of Maistre Wace and Peter de Langtoft, which latter was a canon of Bridlington in Yorkshire, of Norman origin, but born in England, and the author of an entire History of his country in French verse, down to the end of the reign of Edward I. Brunne's Chronicle seems to have been written about the year 1303. We extract the Prologue, and two other passages: THE PROLOGUE. 'Lordlingës that be now here, If ye willë listen and lere, As Robert Mannyng written it fand, Not for the leared but for the lewed; For those that on this land wonn That the Latin ne Frankys conn,* 4 1 'Paysed:' made peace.- 'Halt:' holdeth.- 'Lewed:' ignorant.- ‘Conn:' know. In fellowship when they sit samen, The state of the land, and have it written, And of what kind it first began. For to hear the deeds of kings, Whilk were fools, and whilk were wise, And what betwixt them was, The last Briton that this land lees. That come of Brutus that is the Brute; After the Britons the English camen, That now are English then were Saxons, They arrived up at Sandwiche, In the kings since Vortogerne That the land would them not werne, &c. The Brute all that the Latin spells, And right as Master Wacë says, I tell mine English the same ways,' &c. And as they were best in glading, 'Lauerid3 king, Wassail,' said she. The king said, as the knight 'gan ken,10 And gave the king, sine 11 him kist. Of that wassail men told great tale, Fele sithës 14 that maiden ying,15 1 'Schotin:' sending about the cups briskly.-2 Well-farand:' very rich. ''Lauerid:' lord. Ne couth:' knew not.-5 Lered:' learned.- 'Sessoun :' Saxons.-Latimer:' for Latiner, or Latinier, an interpreter.-8' Leets:' esteems. 'Skof:' sport, joke.—10 'Ken:' to signify.-11 'Sine:' then.-12 Gede:' went. 13 Tane:' taken.-14 Sithës:' many times.-15 Ying:' young. Of body she was right avenant, For of that maiden he were all mad. And Hors his brother consented soon. Upon that maiden his heart so cast, In seisine he had her that night. Of Kent he gave Hengist the right. The earl that time, that Kent all held, Sir Goragon, that had the sheld, Of that gift no thing ne wist To he was cast out with 10 Hengist. THE ATTACK OF RICHARD I. ON A CASTLE HELD BY THE SARACENS. 11 The dikes were fullë wide that closed the castle about, Ten sergeants of the best his targe 'gan him bear That eager were and prest 13 to cover him and to were.14 'Avenant:' handsome.- 'Semblant:' countenance.-3 Mervelik:' marvellously. Quemid:' pleased.- 'Paen:' pagan, heathen.-6 Wild not draw a lite: would not fly off a bit.-7 Tite:' happeneth.-8' On paien's lay:' in pagan's law; according to the heathenish custom.-'To:' till.-10 With:' by.-11 'Ligg:' lying.-12 Kauce:' causey.- 'Prest:' ready.-14 Were:' defend. Himself as a giant the chainës in two hew, The targe was his warant, that none till him threw, Fighting on a gate, under him they slew his steed, Through them all would press; on foot fought he full wele. Of De Brunne, Warton judiciously remarks-'Our author also translated into English rhymes the treatise of Cardinal Bonaventura, his contemporary, De cœna et passione Domini, et pænis S. Mariæ Virginis. But I forbear to give more extracts from this writer, who appears to have possessed much more industry than genius, and cannot at present be read with much pleasure. Yet it should be remembered that even such a writer as Robert de Brunne, uncouth and unpleasing as he naturally seems, and chiefly employed in turning the theology of his age into rhyme, contributed to form a style, to teach expression, and to polish his native tongue. In the infancy of language and composition, nothing is wanted but writers;—at that period even the most artless have their use." Here we may allude to the introduction of romantic fiction into English poetry. This had, as we have seen, reigned in France. There troubadours in Provence, and men more worthy of the name of poets in Normandy, had long sung of Brutus, of Charlemagne, and of Rollo. And thence a class, called sometimes Joculators, sometimes Jongleurs, and sometimes Minstrels, issued, harp in hand, wandering to and fro, and singing tales of chivalry and love, composed either by themselves, or by other poets living or dead. (We refer our readers to our first volume of Percy's 'Reliques,' for a full account of this class, and of the poetry they produced.) These wanderers reached England in due 1 'Warant:' guard. - 'He fondred the Sarazins otuynne:' he formed the Saracens into two parties.-3 Fordied:' undone. 'No noye:' annoy. |