I ROBERT MANNYNG OF BRUNNE'S HANDLYNG SYNNE A.D. 1303
Reading edition
What is known of Robert Mannyng of Brunne is derived from his own works. In the Prologue to Handlyng Synne he writes:
To alle Crystyn men vndir sunne, And to gode men of Brunne, And speciali, alle be name, Þe felaushepe of Symprynghame, Roberd of Brunne greteþ ȝow In al godenesse þat may to prow; Of Brunne wake yn Kesteuene, Syxe myle besyde Sympryngham euene, Y dwelled yn þe pryorye Fyftene ȝere yn cumpanye....
And in the Introduction to his Chronicle:
Of Brunne I am; if any me blame, Robert Mannyng is my name; Blissed be he of God of heuene Þat me Robert with gude wille neuene! In þe third Edwardes tyme was I, When I wrote alle þis story, In þe hous of Sixille I was a throwe; Danȝ Robert of Malton, þat ȝe know, Did it wryte for felawes sake When þai wild solace make.
From these passages it appears that he was born in Brunne, the modern Bourn, in Lincolnshire; and that he belonged to the Gilbertine Order. Sempringham was the head-quarters of the Order, and the dependent priory of Sixhill was near by. It has been suggested, without much evidence, that he was a lay brother, and not a full canon.
His Chronicle of England was completed in 1338. It falls into two parts, distinguished by a change of metre and source. The first, edited by Furnivall in the Rolls Series (2 vols. 1887), extends from the Flood to A.D. 689, and is based on Wace's Brut, the French source of Layamon's Brut. The second part, edited by Hearne, 2 vols., Oxford 1725, extends from A.D. 689 to the death of Edward I, and is based on the French Chronicle of a contemporary, who is sometimes called Pierre de Langtoft, sometimes Piers of Bridlington, because he was a native of Langtoft in Yorkshire, and a canon of the Austin priory at Bridlington in the same county. Mannyng's Chronicle has no great historical value, and its chief literary interest lies in the references to current traditions and popular stories.
Handlyng Synne is a much more valuable work. It was begun in 1303:
Dane Felyp was mayster þat tyme Þat y began þys Englyssh ryme; Þe ȝeres of grace fyl þan to be A þousynd and þre hundred and þre. In þat tyme turnede y þys On Englyssh tunge out of Frankys Of a boke as y fonde ynne, Men clepyn þe boke 'Handlyng Synne'.
The source was again a French work written by a contemporary Northerner—William of Wadington's Manuel de Pechiez. The popularity of such treatises on the Sins may be judged from the number of works modelled upon them: e.g. the Ayenbyte of Inwyt, Gower's Confessio Amantis, and Chaucer's Parson's Tale. Their purpose was, as Robert explains, to enable a reader to examine his conscience systematically and constantly, and so to guard himself against vice.
Two complete MSS. of Handlyng Synne are known: British Museum MS. Harley 1701 (about 1350-75), and MS. Bodley 415, of a slightly later date. An important fragment is in the library of Dulwich College. The whole text, with the French source, has been edited by Furnivall for the Roxburghe Club, and later for the Early English Text Society. It treats, with the usual wealth of classification, of the Commandments, the Sins, the Sacraments, the Requisites and Graces of Shrift. But such a bald summary gives no idea of the richness and variety of its content. For Mannyng, anticipating Gower, saw the opportunities that the illustrative stories offered to his special gifts, and spared no pains in their telling. A few examples are added from his own knowledge. More often he expands Wadington's outlines, as in the tale of the Dancers of Colbek. Here the French source is brief and colourless. But the English translator had found a fuller Latin version—clearly the same as that printed from Bodleian MS. Rawlinson C 938 in the preface to Furnivall's Roxburghe Club edition—and from it he produced the well-rounded and lively rendering given below.
Robert knew that a work designed to turn 'lewde men' from the ale-house to the contemplation of their sins must grip their attention; and in the art of linking good teaching with entertainment he is a master. He has the gift of conveying to his audience his own enjoyment of a good story. His loose-knit conversational style would stand the test of reading aloud to simple folk, and he allows no literary affectations, no forced metres or verbiage, to darken his meaning:
Haf I alle in myn Inglis layd In symple speche as I couthe, Þat is lightest in mannes mouthe. I mad noght for no disours, Ne for no seggers, no harpours, But for þe luf of symple men Þat strange Inglis can not ken; For many it ere þat strange Inglis In ryme wate neuer what it is, And bot þai wist what it mente, Ellis me thoght it were alle schente. (Chronicle, ll. 72 ff.)
The simple form reflects the writer's frankness and directness. He points a moral fearlessly, but without harshness or self-righteousness. And the range of his sympathies and interests makes Handlyng Synne the best picture of English life before Langland and Chaucer.
THE DANCERS OF COLBEK MS. Harley 1701 (about A.D. 1375); ed. Furnivall, ll. 8987 ff.
Karolles, wrastlynges, or somour games, 1 Whoso euer haunteþ any swyche shames Yn cherche, oþer yn chercheȝerd, Of sacrylage he may be aferd; Or entyrludes, or syngynge, 5 Or tabure bete, or oþer pypynge— Alle swyche þyng forbodyn es Whyle þe prest stondeþ at messe. Alle swyche to euery gode preste ys lothe, And sunner wyl he make hym wroth 10 Þan he wyl, þat haþ no wyt, Ne vndyrstondeþ nat Holy Wryt. And specyaly at hygh tymes Karolles to synge and rede rymys Noght yn none holy stedes, 15 Þat myȝt dysturble þe prestes bedes, Or ȝyf he were yn orysun Or any ouþer deuocyun: Sacrylage ys alle hyt tolde, Þys and many oþer folde. 20 But for to leue yn cherche for to daunce, Y shal ȝow telle a ful grete chaunce, And y trow þe most þat fel Ys soþe as y ȝow telle; And fyl þys chaunce yn þys londe, 25 Yn Ingland, as y vndyrstonde, Yn a kynges tyme þat hyght Edward Fyl þys chau<n>ce þat was so hard. Hyt was vppon a Crystemesse nyȝt Þat twelue folys a karolle dyȝt, 30 Yn wodehed, as hyt were yn cuntek, Þey come to a tounne men calle Colbek. Þe cherche of þe tounne þat þey to come Ys of Seynt Magne, þat suffred martyrdome; Of Seynt Bukcestre hyt ys also, 35 Seynt Magnes suster, þat þey come to. Here names of alle þus fonde y wryte, And as y wote now shul ȝe wyte: Here lodesman, þat made hem glew, Þus ys wryte, he hyȝte Gerlew. 40 Twey maydens were yn here coueyne, Mayden Merswynde and Wybessyne. Alle þese come þedyr for þat enchesone Of þe prestes doghtyr of þe tounne. Þe prest hyȝt Robert, as y kan ame; 45 Aȝone hyght hys sone by name; Hys doghter, þat þese men wulde haue, Þus ys wryte, þat she hyȝt Aue. Echoune consented to o wyl Who shuld go Aue oute to tyl, 50 Þey graunted echone out to sende Boþe Wybessyne and Merswynde. Þese wommen ȝede and tolled here oute Wyþ hem to karolle þe cherche aboute. Beu<u>ne ordeyned here karollyng; 55 Gerlew endyted what þey shuld syng. Þys ys þe karolle þat þey sunge, As telleþ þe Latyn tunge: 'Equitabat Beuo per siluam frondosam, Ducebat secum Merswyndam formosam. 60 Quid stamus? cur non imus?' 'By þe leued wode rode Beuolyne, Wyþ hym he ledde feyre Merswyne. Why stonde we? why go we noght?' Þys ys þe karolle þat Grysly wroght; 65 Þys songe sunge þey yn þe chercheȝerd— Of foly were þey no þyng aferd— Vnto þe matynes were alle done, And þe messe shuld bygynne sone. Þe preste hym reuest to begynne messe, 70 And þey ne left þerfore neuer þe lesse, But daunsed furþe as þey bygan, For alle þe messe þey ne blan. Þe preste, þat stode at þe autere, And herd here noyse and here bere, 75 Fro þe auter down he nam, And to þe cherche porche he cam, And seyd 'On Goddes behalue, y ȝow forbede Þat ȝe no lenger do swych dede, But comeþ yn on feyre manere 80 Goddes seruyse for to here, And doþ at Crystyn mennys lawe; Karolleþ no more, for Crystys awe! Wurschyppeþ Hym with alle ȝoure myȝt Þat of þe Vyrgyne was bore þys nyȝt.' 85 For alle hys byddyng lefte þey noȝt, But daunsed furþ, as þey þoȝt. Þe preste þarefor was sore agreued; He preyd God þat he on beleuyd, And for Seynt Magne, þat he wulde so werche— 90 Yn whos wurschyp sette was þe cherche— Þat swych a veniaunce were on hem sent, Are þey oute of þat stede were went, Þat <þey> myȝt euer ryȝt so wende Vnto þat tyme tweluemonth ende;95 (Yn þe Latyne þat y fonde þore He seyþ nat 'tweluemonth' but 'euermore';) He cursed hem þere alsaume As þey karoled on here gaume. As sone as þe preste hadde so spoke 100 Euery hand yn ouþer so fast was loke Þat no man myȝt with no wundyr Þat tweluemo<n>þe parte hem asundyr. Þe preste ȝede yn, whan þys was done, And commaunded hys sone Aȝone 105 Þat <he> shulde go swyþe aftyr Aue, Oute of þat karolle algate to haue. But al to late þat wurde was seyd, For on hem alle was þe veniaunce leyd. Aȝone wende weyl for to spede; 110 Vnto þe karolle as swyþe he ȝede, Hys systyr by þe arme he hente, And þe arme fro þe body wente. Men wundred alle þat þere wore, And merueyle mowe ȝe here more, 115 For, seþen he had þe arme yn hand, Þe body ȝede furþ karoland, And noþer <þe> body ne þe arme Bledde neuer blode, colde ne warme, But was as drye, with al þe haunche, 120 As of a stok were ryue a braunche. Aȝone to hys fadyr went, And broght hym a sory present: 'Loke, fadyr,' he seyd, 'and haue hyt here, Þe arme of þy doghtyr dere, 125 Þat was myn owne syster Aue, Þat y wende y myȝt a saue. Þy cursyng now sene hyt ys Wyth veniaunce on þy owne flessh. Fellyche þou cursedest, and ouer sone; 130 Þou askedest veniaunce,—þou hast þy bone.' Ȝow þar nat aske ȝyf þere was wo Wyth þe preste, and wyth many mo. Þe prest, þat cursed for þat daunce, On some of hys fyl harde chaunce. 135 He toke hys doghtyr arme forlorn And byryed hyt on þe morn; Þe nexte day þe arme of Aue He fonde hyt lyggyng aboue þe graue. He byryed <hyt> on anouþer day,140 And eft aboue þe graue hyt lay. Þe þrydde tyme he byryed hyt, And eft was hyt kast oute of þe pyt. Þe prest wulde byrye hyt no more, He dredde þe veniaunce ferly sore; 145 Ynto þe cherche he bare þe arme, For drede and doute of more harme, He ordeyned hyt for to be Þat euery man myȝt wyth ye hyt se. Þese men þat ȝede so karolland, 150 Alle þat ȝere, hand yn hand, Þey neuer oute of þat stede ȝede, Ne none myȝt hem þenne lede. Þere þe cursyng fyrst bygan, Yn þat place aboute þey ran, 155 Þat neuer ne felte þey no werynes As many †bodyes for goyng dos†, Ne mete ete, ne drank drynke, Ne slepte onely alepy wynke. Nyȝt ne day þey wyst of none,160 Whan hyt was come, whan hyt was gone; Frost ne snogh, hayle ne reyne, Of colde ne hete, felte þey no peyne; Heere ne nayles neuer grewe, Ne solowed cloþes, ne turned hewe; 165 Þundyr ne lyȝtnyng dyd hem no dere, Goddys mercy ded hyt fro hem were;— But sungge þat songge þat þe wo wroȝt: 'Why stonde we? why go we noȝt?' What man shuld þyr be yn þys lyue 170 Þat ne wulde hyt see and þedyr dryue? Þe Emperoure Henry come fro Rome For to see þys hard dome. Whan he hem say, he wepte sore For þe myschefe þat he sagh þore. 175 He ded come wryȝtes for to make Coueryng ouer hem, for tempest sake. But þat þey wroght hyt was yn veyn, For hyt come to no certeyn, For þat þey sette on oo day 180 On þe touþer downe hyt lay. Ones, twyys, þryys, þus þey wroȝt, And alle here makyng was for noȝt. Myght no coueryng hyle hem fro colde Tyl tyme of mercy þat Cryst hyt wolde. 185 Tyme of grace fyl þurgh Hys myȝt At þe tweluemonth ende, on þe ȝole nyȝt. Þe same oure þat þe prest hem banned, Þe same oure atwynne þey †woned†; Þat houre þat he cursed hem ynne, 190 Þe same oure þey ȝede atwynne, And as yn twynkelyng of an ye Ynto þe cherche gun þey flye, And on þe pauement þey fyl alle downe As þey had be dede, or fal yn a swone. 195 Þre days styl þey lay echone, Þat none steryd oþer flesshe or bone, And at þe þre days ende To lyfe God graunted hem to wende. Þey sette hem vpp and spak apert 200 To þe parysshe prest, syre Robert: 'Þou art ensample and enchesun Of oure long confusyun; Þou maker art of oure trauayle, Þat ys to many grete meruayle, 205 And þy traueyle shalt þou sone ende, For to þy long home sone shalt þou wende.' Alle þey ryse þat yche tyde But Aue,—she lay dede besyde. Grete sorowe had here fadyr, here broþer; 210 Merueyle and drede had alle ouþer; Y trow no drede of soule dede, But with pyne was broght þe body dede. Þe fyrst man was þe fadyr, þe prest, Þat deyd aftyr þe doȝtyr nest. 215 Þys yche arme þat was of Aue, Þat none myȝt leye yn graue, Þe Emperoure dyd a vessel werche To do hyt yn, and hange yn þe cherche, Þat alle men myȝt se hyt and knawe, 220 And þenk on þe chaunce when men hyt sawe. Þese men þat hadde go þus karolland Alle þe ȝere, fast hand yn hand, Þogh þat þey were þan asunder Ȝyt alle þe worlde spake of hem wunder. 225 Þat same hoppyng þat þey fyrst ȝede, Þatdaunce ȝede þey þurgh land and lede, And, as þey ne myȝt fyrst be vnbounde, So efte togedyr myȝt þey neuer be founde, Ne myȝt þey neuer come aȝeyn 230 Togedyr to oo stede certeyn. Foure ȝede to þe courte of Rome, And euer hoppyng aboute þey nome, †Wyth sundyr lepys† come þey þedyr, But þey come neuer efte togedyr. 235 Here cloþes ne roted, ne nayles grewe, Ne heere ne wax, ne solowed hewe, Ne neuer hadde þey amendement, Þat we herde, at any corseynt, But at þe vyrgyne Seynt Edyght, 240 Þere was he botened, Seynt Teodryght, On oure Lady day, yn lenten tyde, As he slepte here toumbe besyde. Þere he had hys medycyne At Seynt Edyght, þe holy vyrgyne. 245 Brunyng þe bysshope of seynt Tolous Wrote þys tale so merueylous; Seþþe was hys name of more renoun, Men called hym þe pope Leoun. Þys at þe court of Rome þey wyte, 250 And yn þe kronykeles hyt ys wryte Yn many stedys beȝounde þe see, More þan ys yn þys cuntré. Þarfor men seye, an weyl ys trowed, 'Þe nere þe cherche, þe fyrþer fro God'. 255 So fare men here by þys tale, Some holde hyt but a troteuale, Yn oþer stedys hyt ys ful dere And for grete merueyle þey wyl hyt here. A tale hyt ys of feyre shewyng, 260 Ensample and drede aȝens cursyng. Þys tale y tolde ȝow to <make> ȝow aferde Yn cherche to karolle, or yn chercheȝerde, Namely aȝens þe prestys wylle: Leueþ whan he byddeþ ȝow be stylle. 265