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Show JENI LOA'N GU A & E 1.8 Hitherto the language ufed in this ifland, how ever different in fucceflive time, may be calle Saxon3 nor can it be expe&ted, from the nature o things gradually changing; that any time can b afligned an when the Saxon may be faid to ceafe Robert of Gloucefter the Englih to commence however, who is placed by the criticks in-the thirteenth century, feems to have ufed a kind of intermediate diction, neithe ' Saxor nor Englifh; i his wor therefore we fee the tranfition exhibited and, as he is the firlt of our writers in rhyme, o whom any large work remains, a more extenfiv quotation is extracted He writes apparently in th fame meafure with the foregoing authour of St Margarite, which, polifhed into greater exaltnefs appeared to our anceftors fo fuitable to the geniu of the Eunglib language, that it was continued i ufe almoft to the middle of the feventeenth cenTUry< s as O pe batayles of Denemarch pat hii dude i pys londe pat worft were of alle opere, we mote abbe a honde Worft hii were. vor opere adde fomwanne ydo As Romeyns & Saxons, & wel wufte pat lon erto.?. Ac hii ne kept yt holde nogt, bote robby, an dlEREe, I And d'efirue,d & berne, & fle, & ne coupe abbe no ende And bote lute yt nas worp, pey hii were ouercom ylome Vor myd fiypes and gret poer as preft effone hi come . Kyng Adelwolf of pys lond kyng was tuenty ger pe Deneys come by hym ryuor pan hii dude ér Vor in pe al our vorft-zer of ys kynedo Myd pre & prytty fiypuol men her prince hyde come And at Souphamtone arjuede, an hauene by Soupe Anoper gret oft pulke tyme aryuede at Portefmoubpe pe kyng nufte weper kepe, at delde ys oft atuo pe Denes adde pe mayftre. po al was ydo And by Eftangle and Lyndefeye hii wende vorp att latte Hii come & fmyte an batayle, & pere, poru Gode' grace pe Deneys were al bynepe, & pe lond folc adde p place And more prowefle dude po, pan pe kyng myzt byuore peruore gode lond men ne bep nogt al verlore pe kyng was pe boldore po, & agen hem pe mor drou And ys foure godes fones woxe vafte y nou Edelbold and Adelbryzt, Edelred and Alfred pys was a ftalwarde tem, & of gret wyfdom & red And kynges were al foure, & defendede wel py lond An Deneys dude flame ynou, pat me volwel vond Is fyxtepe zere of pe kynge's kynedo In eldefte fone Adelbold gret oft to hym nome And ys fader alfo god, and opere heye men al {o And wende agen pys Deneys, pat muche wo add y 0 do Vor myd tuo hondred flypes & an alf at Temf ~ mou} hii come An Londone nome an Kanterbury an ope toune And fo vorp in to Sopereye, & flowe & barnde vafte pere pe kyng and §s fone hem mette atte lafte pere was batayle ftrong ynou y{myte in an prowe pe godes kyngtes leye adoun as gras, wan mede mowe Heueden, (pat were of y{myte,) & oper lymes alfo Flete in blode al fram pe grounde, ar pe batayle wer ydo ‘Wanne pat blod ftod al abrod, vas per gret wo y nou Nys yt reupe vorto hure, pat me fo volc flou Ac our fuete Louerd atte lafte flewede ys fuete grace And fende pe Criftyne Englyfie men pe mayftrye in pe place And pe hepene men of Denemarch bynepe wer echon Nou mis per zut in Denemarch Criftendom non pe kyng her after to holy chyrche ys herte pe mor drou And tepegede wel & al ys lond, as hii agte, wel nou Seyn Swythyn at Wyncheftre byflop po was And Alcfton at Syrebourne ys cas pat amended much An fo hamward al by Kent, & flowe & barnd vaft Agen wynter hii wende hem. anoper ger eft hi come pe kyng was wel pe betere man poru her beyre red ‘Tuenty wynter he was kyng, ar he were-ded At Wyncheftre he was ybured, as he gut lyp pere Hys tucye fones he gef ¥s lond, as he byget ham ere And deftrude Kent al out, and L.ondone nome Adetbold, the eldore, pe ".iy‘nednnxof Eftfex And fuppe Adelbrjzt, Kent and Weftfex pus al an ten ger pat lond hii broxte per doune So pat in pe tepe zer of pe kynge's croune Al byfoupe hii come alond fet an pet folc of Someora boru pe byfiop Alcfton and pet folc of Dorfet Fyzte hondred ger yt was and feuenc and fyfty al fo After pat God anerpe com, pat pys dede was ydo Bobe hii wufte by her tyme wel her kynedom At pe vyfte ger ‘Adelbold outof pys lyue nome. L |