Reignold that wos Gonedag son rened Gorbodian that wos this Reignold son xv yere Ì„ then he died lieth at yorke ¶ How gorbodian had ij sonnys how that one slew the other for to haue the heritage And how ydoyne ther modre killed thatt other wherfor the land was destruied WHen this Gorbodian was deid his .ij. soÌ„nys that he had become stout proude euer wered to geder for the land Ì„ the one was called Ferres Ì„ other Porres And this ferres wold haue all the land but the other woldnat suffre him this ferres had a felons hert thought thurgh tresoÌ„ to slee his brother but preualy he weÌ„t iÌ„ to fraunce ther abode with the kiÌ„g Syward till vpoÌ„ a tyme whan he come ayene Ì„ fought with his brother ferres but ful euell it happed tho for he was slayn fyrst wheÌ„ ydoyne ther moder wist that Porres was deid she made gret sorow for enchesoÌ„ that shee loued hym more theÌ„ that other Ì„ thought him for to kyll preualy ¶ And preuely she come to hir son vpoÌ„ a nyght with ij knyues therwith cut his throt the bodi also iÌ„ to small peces who herd euer suche a cursed moder that kyllid with hir owne handes hir own son and long tyme after last the reproue Ì„ shame to the moder that for enchesun of that one son she murdred the other Ì„ so lost them bothe ¶ How .iiij. kynges courtasly held all Breten and what be ther names ye shall heyr after WHen the ij brethern war deid they nad left behynd them nother son ne doughter ne noÌ„e other of the kynred that myght haue the heritage Ì„ for as moch as the strangest meÌ„ driueÌ„ scomfited the feblest Ì„ toke all ther londes so that in euery coÌ„tre they had gret were Ì„ strife vnder them but emong all other thynges ther were amoÌ„ges them iÌ„ the contre that ouer come all tho other Ì„ thurgh ther myght Ì„ strenght they tuke all the londes Ì„ euery of them tok a certayn coÌ„tre iÌ„ his contre let call hiÌ„ kyng Ì„ con of theÌ„ was cald Scater Ì„ he wos kiÌ„g of scotland that other wos called Dawaliere Ì„ he was kiÌ„g of loegers Ì„ of all the land that wos Lotrins thatt wos Brutes son The thrid was called Rudac and he was kyng of walis And the iiij was called Cloten Ì„ was kiÌ„g of Cornewaill but this Cloten shold haue had all the land by reson for be cause thar wos no maÌ„ that wist noÌ„e so right heir os he was butt they that were strongest set litell bi hem that wer of lesse estate and therfor this cloteÌ„ had nomore laÌ„d amoÌ„g hem but cornwaill ¶ Of kyng Donebant that was Clotens son wone the lond THis Cloten had a son that was called Doneband that after the deth of his fadre by come an hardy man and a fair and a curteys so that he passed all the other kingê of fairnes Ì„ of worthenesse And a none as he was knyght he wist well that when his fader lyued he was most rightfull heir of all the loÌ„d and shold haue had by reson but other kynges that were of moch more strength than he toke from hym his lond ¶ And afterward this Doneband ordeyned him gret pouer and conquered fyrst all the land of Logeris a and after he wold haue conquered all the land of scotland and wailles and Scat came with his meÌ„ and yaf him batell and Rudac come ayene with his walys men for to help hym but so it be fell that Rudac wos kylled also Scater iÌ„ playn bataill and so Doneband had the victorie and conquerid all the land and well maintined it in pees and in quiete that neuir befor it was so well mayntined ¶ How doneband was the frist kyng that euer bore croune of gold in bretan THys Doneband let make hym a croune of gold and wered the croune vpon his hede as neuer kiÌ„g did bifore and he ordyened a statut that and a man had done neuer so moch harme and myght comeÌ„ in to the tempull ther shold no man hym mysdo but gone ther in safete and in pees and after goin to what lond or cuÌ„tre that hym plesed with owt ony harme â–ª and if ony man sett any hond vpon hym he than shold lese his life And this Doneband made the toun of Malmesberi and the toune also off the vise And when he had regned well worthely xl yere then he died and lyeth at new Troy ¶ How Bronne and Belin deê‘ted bitweyn them the lond after the deth of Doneband ther fadre and of the were be twix them ANd after that this Doneband wos deid his soÌ„nys that he had deê‘ted the land bitweyn them as ther fader had ordeyned so that belyn his eldest son had all the land of bretan from humbar southward And his brotherbrenne had all the land from humber to ScotlaÌ„d but for as moch that BeliÌ„ had the better part Brenne therfor waxed wroth wold haue had more of the lond Ì„ belyn his brother wold greunte hym nomore wherfor coÌ„take were a roso betweyn them two But brenne the yonger brother had no myght ne strenght a yens belyn Ì„ therfor brenne thurgh coÌ„sell of hys folke weÌ„t fro thens iÌ„ to norwey to the kyng Olsinges prayd him of help socour for to coÌ„quer all the lond vpoÌ„ belin his brother vpon that connaund that he wold haue his doughter to wise Ì„ the kyng Olsinges him graÌ„ted belyn anoÌ„e as his brother wos a go to norway he seysed iÌ„ to his hond all the land of northhuÌ„berloÌ„d Ì„ toke all the castelles Ì„ let them be arayed and keped the costes of the see that brenne shold not arriue iÌ„ no sied but that he war take ¶ The kyng ol singes let assemble a gret host and deliueryd his doughter to brenne all the pepull that he had ordeyned Ì„ this damisell Samye had long tyme loued a kyng that wos called Gutlaghen and to hym she told all hir counselÌ„ how that Brenne shold hir haue hir lede with hym for euer more so he shold lese hir but that she myght for sake brenne And whan gutlagh had herd this tydiÌ„g he lay for to aspy brenne with as mony shippis as he myght haue so the two fletes metten to gedre and long tyme they faught so that Brenne turned ayene and wer discomfited And kyng gutlagh toke Samye and put hir in to his shyppe and brenne sham fulli fled thens as a man discomfitied ¶ And this kyng gutlagh wold haue went in to his owne contre but ther come vpon hiÌ„ sych a gret tempest that ·v dayes lasted so that thurgh that tempast he wos driuen iÌ„ to breten with iij. shippis and no mo Ì„ tho that keped the costes on the see toke Gutlagh and Samye
for body and so shuld they deê‘te fraunce betwene them two ¶ Kyng arthur anone graÌ„ted it Ì„ wold not that none of his peple vndertoke the bataill for hiÌ„ ¶ And vpon the morn bothe come well araied with out paris ther that they shuld fight and anone they smyten to geders so fersly so well they foughten in both sidis that no man coud deme the better of them ¶ And so it befell that Froll yaf Arthur such a stroke that he kneled to the ground wold he nold he and os frolÌ„ withdrew his swerde he wounded kyng Arthur in the forhed that the blood fell doune by his eyn and his face ¶ Arthur anone stert vp hertely when he felt him hurt as a man that semed almost woâ—d and he toke Tabourne his good suerd Ì„ drow it vp an high Ì„ yaf Froll such a stroke that ther with he clafe his hed doun to the sholdres so that his helme myght not be his warent so he fell doune deid in the place ¶ And theÌ„ tho of the cite made gret sorow for froll and euerichon yeld them to kyng Arthur the toune also and become his men and did to him humage and feaulte Ì„ he vnderfenge them and toke of them good hostages Ì„ kyng Arthur after that went forth with his host and conquered Augien and Angiers Gascoyn Pehito Nauerne Burgon Berri Lotherne Turyn and Peithers and all the other land of fraunce he coÌ„quered holli ¶ And wheÌ„ he had all coÌ„querd Ì„ taken bi humages feautes he turned ayen to Paris Ì„ ther he duelled long tyme. ordined pees long tyme ouer alÌ„ the cuÌ„tre thurgh out all fraunce ¶ And wheÌ„ pees wos made ouer alÌ„ thurgh his noble kynghthod that he had also for his own worthines ¶ And no maÌ„ werhe neuer so gret a lord durst not meue were ayenst hiÌ„ noder to arise to make the loÌ„d of france iÌ„ quiet iÌ„ pes he woned ther ix yere did moÌ„â— gret wonders Ì„ reproued moÌ„y proud men lither tirantis them chastised afterther deseruise ¶ How kiÌ„g arth r auauÌ„ced alÌ„ his meÌ„ that had trauild iÌ„ his seruis ANd afterward it befell thus at Estren ther that he held a fest at Paris richly he gan auaunce his knyghtis for ther seruice that they had him holpen in his comquest ¶ He yafe to his stoward that wos called Key Augien and Angiers And to Bedeler his botler he yaf Normandie that tho wos called Neustrie and to Holdyn his chamberlayn he yaf Flaunders and Mance and to Dorell his cosyn he yaf Boloyne and to Richard his nephu he yaf Pountif and to all other he yaf large landis and feys after they wer of estate ¶ And when arthur had thus his knyghtis feffed at auerill next after sueyng he come ayene in to Bretan his own land and after at whitsontied nex sewyng be councell of his barons he wold be cronned kiÌ„g of Glomergon and held a solempne fest and let sompne knyghtis Erles and Barons that they shuld come thedre euerychon Ì„ ther was Scaterkyng of scotland Cadwere kyng of southwales ¶ Guillomer kyng of northwales Maded kyng of Irland Malgamus kyng of gutlande Achilles kyng of Iseland Aloth kyng of denmarke Gonewas kyng of norway and Hell his cosin kyng of dorkeny Cador kyng of litell breton Morwith erle of cornwaill Mauran erle of gloucestre Guerdon erle of wynch es tre Boell erle of harford vrtegy erle of oxford Cursall erle of bath Ionas erle of chestre Eneral erle of dorsestre Kimare erle of salusberi Waloth erle of canteâ—beri Iugerne erle of chichestre Arall erle of leicestre and the erle of werwik and mony other mo riche lordis ¶ Bretons also ther come mo that is to say Dippon Donaud Gennes and mony oder that be not named heir wer at that fest and mony afair fest kyng arth r had holden be forne but neuer none such ne so solempne and that lasted xx daies with moch honour and myrth ¶ Of the letter that wos sent from Rome for prid to kiÌ„g arth r THe thrid day as kyng Arthur sat at his mete amang his kynges and amonge them that sittyn at the fest byfoâ— them come in xij eldren men of age richeli arayed and courtesli they salued the kyng and sayed they come from Rome sent os be messangers fro the Emprour and toke to him a letter that thus moch was to vnderstoÌ„d ¶ Gretly vs meruyleth arthur thatt thow art ons so hardy with eien in thi heed to make open were contake ayens vs of Rome that owne all the world to deme for thou hast neuer yit be forne this tyme proued ne assayed thy strength of the romans and therfor thou it shall in a litell tyme ¶ For Iulius sesar conquered all the land of Bretan toke ther of truage and our folke haue it long y had and now thurgh thi prid thou witholdes it ¶ Wherfor we of rome commaunde the that thou it yeld ayen and yit hast you more foly done that thou hast slayn Froll that wos our baâ—on of fraunce all with wronge ¶ And therfor all the communs of Rome warneth the and commaundeth the vpon life and lymme that thou in hast be at rome amendis for to make of thy mysdedis that thou hast done ¶ And it be so that thow cum not we shall passe the hill of Ioye with strength and we shall the sech wher euer thow may bee founde and thow shalt not haue a fote of land of thyn own that we ne shatt destruy it afterward with thi bode we shall doo all our wyll ¶ When this letter was red alÌ„ men it herd they wer annoied all at wer at that solempne fest Ì„ the bretoÌ„s wold haue slaiÌ„ the messangers but the kiÌ„g wold not suffre them Ì„ said that thee messangers shuld haue no harme may bi resoÌ„ noÌ„e deserue but coÌ„maÌ„ded them to be worshipfulli serued Ì„ after mete he toke coÌ„cell of kyngê erles barons what ansuer he myght yef ayen to the messangers Ì„ they coÌ„celled him at onys that he shuld assemble agret pouer of all the landis of wich he had lordship and maÌ„ly aueÌ„ge him vpoÌ„ the Emprour of the dispite that he had send him such an letter Ì„ thei swore by god Ì„ by his namys that they shuld hiÌ„ pursue brenne as moch as they myght and sayd that they â—old neuer faill kyÌ„g Arthur rather to be deid And they let write a letter to send to the Emprour by the same messangers in this maner ¶ Off the bold ansuere that kyng Arthur sent to the Emprour of Rome and to the romans VNderstondeth amonges you of Rome that I am kyng arthur of Breton and frely it holdis shall hold and att Rome hastile I will be nat to yef you truage but for to axen truage For ConstaÌ„tine that was Eleyns son that was emporour of
hiÌ„ that were of good lyfe Ì„ holy meÌ„ to preche teche to coÌ„uert the english pepull them turne to god that was iÌ„ the vi yere that sent gregori had bene pape of Rome that is to say after the IncarnacioÌ„ of our lord ihuÌ„ crist v. C.lxxxv yere as the cronicles telleth ¶ How sent Austyn baptised and conuerted kiÌ„g Adelbright and the bisshoppis that he made his felawes WHen sent Austyn come fyrst in to Englond he ariued iÌ„ the I le of Tenet and so passed forthe and come vn to Cantorberi and ther soiourned and kyng Adelbright of kent the wos of the lynage of Engist fair vndirfenged sent Austyn his felaws with moch honour and them fonden all that them neded And more ouer he yaf them a fair place that now is cadled the abbay of sent Austin in wich place he lieth him self shiyned ¶ This kyng Adelbright wos a good man Ì„ wyth good will herd sent austyn predicacions and yaf him leue to preche thurgh out all his land of kent to turne and conuerte to him all thee pepull that he might ¶ It befell so afterward thurgh goddis grace that in litell tyme the kyng him self was conuerted to god all his pepull of his land was baptisid ¶ And in the meyn while the pepull turned them to god sent Austyn come to Rochestre ther he preched the word of god And the paynyms therfor hiÌ„ scorned and cast vpoÌ„ him reigh tailles so that all is mantell was honged full of thes reigh tayles ¶ And for more dyspite they cast vpon him the guttys of reighes and of oder fische wherfor the good man sent austyn wos sore annoied and greued and prayed to god that all tho child of that cite that shuld be borne afterward that is to say iÌ„ the cite of Rochester might haue tailles and so they had ¶ And wheÌ„ the kiÌ„g herd of this vengeaunce that wos fallen thurgh sent austyns praier He let make an hous iÌ„ honour of almyghty god wher in women shold be deliuered of ther child at the brigges end iÌ„ the wich house yit womeÌ„ of the Cite bene deliuered of chyld ¶ When sent Gregori had herd tell how the Englissh pepull wer turned to god ê¯uerted he seÌ„t vn to sent austyn his pallione bi a bisshop that wos called Paulin and madâ— hiÌ„ premat Erchebisshop of englond sent worde that he shuld ordein and make bi shoppis iÌ„ the land ¶ And anone as austyn had the pallioÌ„ of the dignite of the Ersbishop he made ij bisshoppis of his felaws that come with him froÌ„ rome that on was called Mellyt he duelled at londoÌ„ and that other wos called IustiÌ„ that held the dignite of rochester this bisshop Mellit tho weÌ„t to preche iÌ„ to Essex baptised the kiÌ„g of the cuÌ„tre that wos called Sycwith that wos kiÌ„g Adelbrightis cosin his sustres son ¶ This IustiÌ„ weÌ„t to preche iÌ„ southsex turned moch of the peple to god And sent austin hiÌ„ self preched thurgh out Englond ¶ How sent austyn weÌ„t iÌ„ to wales ther that the bretons wer how they nold not be obedient to the Erchebisshop of cantorbury WHen all Englond wos baptised Ì„ turned to god sent austyn went in to that land ther that the bretons wer for to kepe them from englisshmen that is to say in to wales and ther he founden monkes and abbeys and vij bisshoppis ¶ For the britons destroied all way the cristyn pepul that sent austiÌ„ had ê¯uerted he saied to the bisshoppis that he wos a legat of rome pÌ„mat of all engloÌ„d that thei shuld bi all resoÌ„ to hiÌ„ be obedieÌ„t they saied they nold not ¶ But to the erchebisshop of CarlioÌ„ the wold they nold neuer for no maner thiÌ„g be obedieÌ„t to the englishmen ¶ For the englishmen thei said bene our aduersaries Ì„ our enmis Ì„ haue driueÌ„ vs out of our cuÌ„tre we be cristiÌ„ men Ì„ euer has bene Ì„ the englismen haue euer bene paynyms bot now of late that they be coÌ„uerted ¶ Sent austyn might of them none onsuer haue otherwise but said pertely that they nold neuer them meke to him ne to the pope of rome ¶ And sent austyn turned ayene tho to kyng Adelbright that was kyng of Kent and told him that his folke nold not be to no man obedient bot to the erchebisshop of karlion ¶ And wheÌ„ the kiÌ„g herd this he wos sore annoied said that he wold them destruy and sent to Elfrid kyng of NorthhuÌ„berlaÌ„d that wos his frend that he shuld cum to him with all the pouer that he myght and that he shuld mete him at Leycestre and froÌ„ thens they wold gone in to wales and ther destruy the Erchebisshopp of Carleon and all tho that had refused sent austyn ¶ How king Adelbright and the kiÌ„g Elfrid kylled brecinal that wos a kyng of bretons that held the contre of Leicestre IT befell so that ther wos a kyng of Breton that held the cuntre of Leicestre and all the cuntre about â–ª his name was Brecinall ¶ And this bretoÌ„ herd tell that tho ij engliâ—h kinges wold mete ther at leicestre for to wend iÌ„ to wales he let ordiÌ„ all the pouer that he had to fight with thes .ij. kiÌ„ges but litell it availed hiÌ„ for his folke that he had wer slain Ì„ him self fled Ì„ lost his landis for euer more ¶ And thes ij kyngê adelbright Ì„ Elfrid duelled a while at Leicestre deê‘tid the land amoÌ„ges them toke homages feautis of folkè of the cuÌ„tre Ì„ after thei weÌ„t toward wales tho of wales herd tell of the scomfitur that Brecinal had at Leicestre and wer wonder sore a drad of tho ij kynges Ì„ toke and chose amonges them good men and holy of Hermytes monkis prestis of other pepull gret plenti that went barefote wellewerd for to haue merci of thes ij· kynges ¶ Bot tho kiÌ„gê wer so sterne Ì„ so wicked that they nold neuer speke with them bot kylled them euerychon ¶ Alas for sorew for they ne spared hem no more thaÌ„ the wolfe doith the shep but smyten of ther hedis euerychon so thei wer all martired that to them come that is to vnderstand v. C. Ì„ xl afterward they went from thens to Baugore for to kyll all thoos that they myght ther find of the bretons ¶ And when the bretons herd that they assemled Ì„ ordeined all ther pouer for to fight with them Tho wos ther abarouÌ„ iÌ„ wales that wos called Bledrik of cornewaill that suÌ„ tyme was lord of Denshyre but the kyng Adelbright had driuen him out iÌ„to walÌ„es after ther he yef them bataill at that bataill wos kyng adelbright slayn Ì„ Elfrid wouÌ„ded sore for soke the feld Ì„ the most ê‘te of his pepull slayn and elfrid fled iÌ„