<County: Staffordshire>
<Code: L0227>
<MS reference: Oxford, Bodleian Library, Rawlinson B.166>
<Text: Prose Brut>


<fol. 1r>hom scomfited and kylled . And kynge leyre hade then
his lond3 a3eyne in pees . And aftyrward died . And
cordeill his doghter him let enter wt mycul honour at ley
cestr~ ¶ How morgan & condage þat were nˆ [e]veus to Cor
dell werred vpon hir . And conquered hir and toke
hir wythe strenghthe . And put <hole> in prison

When þat kyng leyre was <hole> Cordeill his 3ongest
do3ter hild and hade the lond in pees v 3ere and
in the mene-while dyed hir lord Agampe þat was kyng
of Fraunce . And aftyr his dethe scho left wedo and þen
come morg<ill><.></ill> & Condage yt were Cordeill sustres sones
and t<ill><...></ill>r enuy for as meche as hor aunte schuld haue
the lond soth . & by-twene hem twey they ordeyned
a grete power . And opon hir werred gretly . And they
reste <ill><1 word></ill> tyl thay hade take hir and p<hole> hir vnto þe
dethe And Morgan & Condage sesed all the lond And
departed hit by-twene hem . And thei hild hit xii 3ere
by then there was greue by-twene hom <ill>.</ill>rete dowte
So þat thay werred strongly in fere . And eueryche of
hom dud meche harme to oyer . For Morgan wold
<ill><2 words></ill> hade all the lond be-3ond humbarr~ yt Condage
hild but he <ill><1 word></ill> a3aynes him wt a grete power
so þat <ill><1 word></ill> durst not abyde . But fled away
into Wales . And Condage come a3ayne and sesed
all the lond into his owne hondes . And hild hit And
regned aftyr xxxiijti 3ere . And tho died he and lyth
at new Troie ¶ Howe Reignold yt was Condage
son regned aftyr his fadur And in his tyme it reyned
blode iij dayes in tokenyng~ of dethe

And aftir this Condage regned Reynold his
son a way <ill><1 word></ill> my3t and a hardy and curteyse
<fol. 1v>þ<ill><..></ill> wele and noble gouerne the lond . And wonder well
made him be byloued of all maner of folke . And in his
tyme it reyned blode þat lasted iij dayes as god wol
And sone aftyr yer come a+grete dethe of the peple f<ill>..</ill>
ostes of the peple wt-out nombur fo3ten til thay
were ded . Wherfore no mon my3t hom let tyll almy
ghty god yer-on tok<hole>cy & pyte . And tho can it to sese
And this Raynold regned xxij 3ere & died lyth at 3orke
how Gorbedian that was raynold son regned in
pees and aftyr he died and lythe at 3orke

And aftyr this Reynold regned Gobodyan his
sone in pees and was a gode man . And wele be
loued of all his peple . And he regned al his lyf
tyme ry3t wel and worthely xv 3ere . And dyed
and lythe at 3orke ¶ How Corbedyan hade tow
sones . the <ill>.</ill>one slowe ye tother for to haue the he
rytage . And ydoyne hor moder kylled þt oyer . wher~ ye
When <ill>.</ill>is Corbedyan~ was ded his ij sones þat
he hade . by-come stounte & prowde and euer
werred to-geder for the lond . þat one was called
Ferrers . And þat other porthes . And þis ferrers .
wold haue hade all the lond . But his brother
wold not suffre him . Ferrers hade a violens hert
and tho3t thru3e treson to sle his brother porthes
But priuely he went in-to Fraunce . And yer he abode
wt the kynges Styward . tyl apon a tyme he com~
a3ayne and fa3t wt his brother Ferrers . But ful
euel hit apped tho for he was slayne first . Whan
ydoyne hor moder wyst þat porthes hir sone
was ded scho made grete sorow . For be-cause þat
scho loued him more than þat oyer . And scho tho3t
him to kyll priuely . And priuely . scho come to hyr
<fol. 2r>sone And in a ny3t wt a+knyfe . And yer-wt scho kut his throte and
the body also in-to smale peces . Who herd euer of so cursed
a moder that kylled wyth hir owne hondes hir owne
sone . And longe tyme aftyr lasted that reproue & schame
to the moder for be-cause þat for the ton~ sone dethe
scho morderet the tother . And also for scho loued so
meche more then the tother . And so were bothe ded
and slayne ¶ How iiij kynges curtesly hild all
Bretayne and weche were hor names <linefiller>
Whan these bretheren~ weren~ thus ded þi
hade left by-hynd nother sone ne doghter
ne none of the kynrede þat my3t haue the heritage .
. And for as meche as the strengest men dryuen~ &
scomfited the feblest . And toke al hor londes . so
þat in euery cuntrey þat hade oft-tyme grete werre .
. But a-monge al oyer thinges yer where a-mongus hom
in that cuntrey þat ouer-come all other . And thrugh
hor strenghe and my3t thai toke al hor londes &
euerche of hom toke a certeyne cuntrey & let cal him
kynge . And one of hom was called skater . And he
was kynge of skotlond . And yt oyer was called dawal
yerfore he was kynge of loegres . And of al the lond
þat was lotrus Brutes son~ . the thryd was called
Rudak . And was kynge of Wales . And the fort .
was callet Cloten and he was kynge of Cornewa
yle . But this Cloton~ schuld haue hade all the
lond wt reson . For yer was no man yt was so neghe
to be ryghtfull heyr as he was . But thai þt were
strongest set lyttil by hom þt wer~ of lasse a-state
and strenghe . And yerfore this Cloton~ hade no more
lond amongs hom . But Cornewaill ¶ Of kynge
denobande þt was Clotens son~ & how he whan þe lond
<fol. 2v>This Cloton~ hade a son þt was called denobande . that
aftyr the dethe of his fader be-come a hardy man
and a fayre and a curteyse . so þat he passed all the ky
nges of Bretayne of fayrenes & of worthyse . And a
nonn as he was kny3t . he wyst well when his fadur
lyued . þat he was ry3tfull heyre of all the lond
and schuld haue hade it by reson . But other kynges
þat were of more strenghth than he was . toke
from hym hys lond and aftyrward this denobande
ordeyned hym power & conquered all the lond of
loegers . Aftyrward he wold haue conquered al
skotlond and wales . And Skater wt his men com~
and 3af bataille . And Rudak come a-3ayne wt
his walschmen for to help hym . but so hit be
fell þt Rudak was kylled and skater also . Jn
playne bataille . And so denobande hade the vic
torye and conquered all the lond and well mayn
teined hit in pees and rest . þat neuer before hit .
was so wele mayntened ¶ How denobande
was ye first kynge yt wered crowne of gold in Bretayn~
This denobande let do make to him a crowne of
gold & wered the crowne oponn his hede as
neuer kynge did before . And he ordeyned a statute
þt hade a mon~ done neuer so mecull harme and he
my3t come in-to the temple . yer schuld no mon him
mysdo . but do yer-in saff and pees . And aftyr-ward
go in-to what cuntrey þt hym lyked wt-out any har
me . and yf any mon set any hond upon hym he
schuld lese his lyf . And this denobande made ye
<fol. 3r>touns of MalmesBury and the ton~ of wyse . And when~
he hade regned wel and worthely xl 3ere . he died
and lythe at new troie ¶ How Bren~ and Belyne
departyd the lond aftyr the dethe of denobande
hor fader and of the werr~ by-twene hom
<linefiller>
And aftyr this denobande was ded his tow
sonnes þt hade departed the lond by-twene
hom . as hor fadur hade ordeynet Belyn his Eldist son~
hade all the lond of Bretayne . a this half humbre
vnto skotlond . And for as meche as Belyn hade the
Bettyr parte Bren~ yer-fore wex wrethe . And wold
haue hade more of the lond . And Belyn his Brother
wold graunte him no more . Wherfore stryf & werr~
rose by-twene hom two . But Bren~ the 3ong~ brother
hade no strenghe a3aynes Belyn . And yer-fore Bren~
thru3e counsell of his folke went from thens in-to
Norway to the kynge Elsynge . And prayed him
of help & socour . for to conquer~ al the lond vpon his
Brother Belyn . vpon~ couenant þat he wold haue
his do3tur to wyf . And the kynge Elsinge hym
graunted . Belyn anone as his brother was gone
in-to Norway he sesed in-to his hondes all þe lond
of Norhumbrelond . And toke all the castells & let
aray hom . And also he lete kepe al the costes of the
see . þat Bren~ schuld not a-ryve no place in þt londe
but if he were take . the kynge Elsynge let semble a
grete ost . And deliuered his do3ter to Bren~ . And all
the peple þat he hade ordeynet . And this damsel Sami
hade longe loued a kynge þat was called Gulagh
And to him scho send . And told hir counsell . howe
þat Bren~ schuld hir haue . And scho to abyde wt him
for euermore . And so he schuld hir lese but if þat
he my3t help hir fro Bren~ . And when Gutlagh herd
<fol. 3v>this thinge he lay to espye Bren~ wt as mony shippis as he my3t
haue . so þt the ij fletes met to-gedyr . And lond tyme faghte .
So þt Bren~ and his shippes turned a-3ayne and weron scom
fite . And kynge Gutlagh toke samy and put hir in-to his
schip . And Bren~ shamefully fled thenns as a mon discom
fyte . And Gutlagh wold haue went in-to his owne
cuntre . but yer come on hym a grete tempest þat lastyde
v dayes . so þt thru3e that tempast he was dryven
in-to bretayne . wyth iij schippes and no mo . And tho þt
kept the costes of the see toke Gutlagh and samy and al
his ost . And presented to belyn . And he put hom in-to pri
son ¶ How Belyn~ droffe out of this lond kynge Gutla
ghe of denmarke & samye
<linefiller>
Hit was not longe aftyr þat Bren~ come a-3ayne
wt a grete Navey . And send to his Brother Belyn~
þat he schuld 3eld a3ayne his lond to his wyf and
to hys folke & his castels and touns also . Or elles he
wold distrie all his lond . Belyn drad no thing his
manace . And wold do no thinge aftyr hys sayinge
Wherfore Bren~ come wt his folke . And fa3t wt Belyn
And ther Bren was discomfite And his folke slayne &
he hym-selfe fled wt xij men in-to Fraunce . And this
Belyn þat was broˆ [t]ht vnto Bren~ 3ode to 3orke and
toke counsell what þat he my3t do wt kynge Gutlagh
For kynge Gutlagh prefered to be-come his man and
to hold his lond of him 3eldynge by 3ere a Ml li of
siluer for euer more . And for sekernes of thys couenant to be
hold Gutlaghe schuld brynge hym gode ostages And
to hym schuld do homage and all his . and 3et he schul
swere on a boke þat these couenant3 schuld neuer be broken~
ne falsed . Belyn~ tho by counsell of his folke graunted
him his askynge and so Gutlaghe by-come his man . And
Belyn~ vndurfonged his homage of him . And also ye coue
naunt3 weren wryten . And on the couenaunt3 kynge
Gutlaghe toke Samy and his folke and went thenns and
<fol. 4r>come in-to denmarke . And euermore weren~ þe couenant3 hol
den and tenage paied . tyl the tyme þat hauelok was
kynge of denmarke and also of this lond thru3e his
wyf þat hight Gyldebourgh . þat he hade spoused for
scho was ry3t heyre of this lond . This Belyn than
dwelled in pees and worschipfully him hild amonges
his barouns and he made iiij ryal ways the Est in-to
the West þat was callet watlond þt one is called fesse
watlynge strete . and ij other wayes he made in bossyng
thru3e-out the lond þt one is called fesse . And þt other
fossedyke . And he mayntened well his gode lawes
þat denebande his fader hade made & ordeynet in .
his tyme ¶ Howe acorde was made be-twene Bren~
and Belyn his Brother thru3e Cornewen~ hor moder

Bren~ þat was belyns Brother hade longe tyme dw
elled in fraunce . And yer hade he conquered a grete
lordschip thru3e mariage . for he hade weddet the
dukes do3ter of Burgoyne þat was ry3t heyre of þe lond .
And this Bren~ hade ordeyned a grete power or frensheme~
And come for to fy3t wt belyn his brother . And Belyn~
come a-3aines him wt a stronge power of Bretouns and
wold haue 3eue hym bataile . But hor moder þat hyght
Cornewen herd þat þe ton~ brother wold distroye the
tother . scho went by-twene hom and made hom acordet
wt mycul payne so atte last the ij bretheren~ wt mycul blys
went to-geder in-to Newe Troie þat now ys callede
london~ . And there thay dwelled all the 3ere . And aftur
thay toke hor counsell for to conquer all Fraunce and
so thay dyd and brent touns and distroied ye lond boye
in lengthe and in brede . And then the kynge of fraunce
3af hom bataille wt his power . but he was ouer-comen
and 3af truage vnto Belyn and to his brother aftur þat
þay went forthe to Rome and conquered Rome and
al lombardy & Gormanye & toke homage & feautes of
Erles Barouns and of al oyer . And aftyr thai come in-to
<fol. 4v>this lond of Bretayne and dwelled wt hor Bretouns in joy & rest .
And þen made the town~ of Bristow . And sythen~ he went ouer
the see to his owne lordschip . And yer dwelled all his lyf
tyme . And Bellyn dwelled at Newe troie and yer he made
afayre 3ate þat is called Bylyngesgate aftyr hys name .
And when this Belyn hade regned nobley xj 3ere &
iiij monethes þan he died and lythe buryed at New .
troie ¶ Howe kynge Cornybatus cald the kynge
of denmarke be-cause he wold not paye the truage

And aftyr this belyn his son Cornybatrus a gode
man and a+worthi . And the kynge of denmark
wold not pay hym his truage . þat is to say a Ml li
by 3ere as he was sworne be othe for to paye it . And
also by record of wrytynge yerto Belyne ˆ [his] fader wher
fore he was euel a-payed and wrothe and asemblet
a grete ost of Bretanns and went in-to denmarke and
sloghe the kynge Gutlaghe and bro3t the lond into subiec
cion~ all new . And toke of the peple feaut3 & homage3 .
And aftyr went a-3ayne in-to his owne lond . And
as he come forthe be Orkeney . he fond xxx shippes
of men and wemen be-sydes the costes of the se . and
the kynge asked what thay were . And an Erle þat was
mayster of hom all curteisly vnswared the kynge and
saide þat thai were exiled out of spayne . And so þai
hade trauailed half a 3ere and more in the see to
wete yf thai my3t fynd any kynge in any þt lond
þat of hom wold haue mercy & pyte to 3eue hom
any lond in any cuntrey . Wher-yn thay my3t dwel
and haue hor rest . And by-come his leoge men . And
to hym wold do homage þat feaute whiles þat he
lyued . and his heyres aftyr hym And of hym And
of hys heyres wold hold the lond . And whanne þe
kynge this herd he hade grete pete of hom . And
3af hom an yle of wyldernes yer that no man was dwe
<fol. 5r>lynge . saue only wyld bests . And the Erle thonked me
che the kynge . And be-come his man and did him feaut
and homage . And toke al his folke and went in-to hit
. And the Erle men called Jrlamall . And yerfore he let
call the lond Jrlond aftyr his owne name . This kyng
Cornybatrus come a3ayne into his lond . And he reg
ned xxv 3ere . And aftyr he dyed and lythe at
new troie ¶ How the kynge Gwentolyn~ regned
in godenes and gouerned the lond al his lyftyme
in grete loue and worschip
<linefiller>
And when Cornybatrus was ded . regned Guento
lyn his son~ . a man of gode condiciouns & wele by-loued
and he gouerned the lond wele & wysely . And was wele
by-loued of all his peple . And he regned xxvj 3ere
and aftur dyed and lythe at New trowe ¶ Howe
kynge Seysell regned and wel gouerned the lond aftur
his fader Guentolyn
<linefiller>
And aftur this Guentolyn regned his son Seysel
wele and worthely and wele gouerned þe lond
as his fader hade done a-fore him and he regned xv
3ere and died and lythe at Newe Troie ¶
How kymore regned aftur Seysel his fader And he
begate hawan that regned aftur hym~
<linefiller>
And aftur this Seysel regned his sone kymore
Wele and nobley xix 3ere in pees and rest .
and hawan his sone x 3ere & dyed and lyth
buryed at herbaldoun~ ¶ How kynge morwyth
dyed thru3e meschief an hard chanse thru3e
an euel best for wyckednes & euel lyuynge

Aftyr this hawan regned morwithe and he
be-come wykkyd and styrne tyll atte last
grete vengeaunce come to hym . For as he went
<fol. 5v>on a+tyme by the ˆ [see]-syde yer he met a+grete best that was blacke
horrable and hidous to se. And wend hit hade ben a
whill of the see . And bond an arblast . And wold haue
slayne the best . wt a quarell but he my3t not smyte
it . And when he hade schot all his quarells ye best a
a-none come to hym in grete hast . And him deuoured
a-lyf . And so he died for his wyckednes . thru3e
vengeance of god aftyr þt he hade regne ix 3ere
Of Grandobodyan that Morwythes sone . that
made the ton~ of Cambrygge
<linefiller>
Aftyr this morvyth was ded the Bretouns
crowned Grandobodyan~ his sone kynge
that longe tyme regned in goodenes & made temples
and touns . And this Grandobodyan made the ton~
of Cambrige . and the ton~ of grantham . And was
wele be-loued of ryche and pore . For he honoured ye
ryche and halpe the pore . This Grandobodyan hade
iiij sones . Arsogale heysyder higamus and Petitur~ .
And when he hade regned xj 3ere he dyed and
lythe at New troie ¶ Of Artogayle þt was Gran
dobodyanes sone how he was made kynge . And syþe
put downe for his wyckydnes
<linefiller>
Aftyr Grandobodyan regned his sone Artogay
le v 3ere And he come so wycked and so .
styrne . þat þe Bretouns wold not suffur him to be ky
nge but put him a-doun~ . And made heysydur his
brother <exp>his broth and h a</exp> kynge And he be-come
so gode and so merciable þat men called hym kynge
of pite . And when he hade regened v 3ere he ha
de suche pite of his brother . Artogayle þt was
kynge before Anone he for-soke his dignyte . And
to his broyer toke the crown~ a3ayne . And made hym
kynge a3aynes all þe Bretanns wylles . And aftur
ward Artogayle be-come so gode a mon of condiciouns