Guernes: Case of Philippe de Broï

155
E a Lundres rot puis une mellee fort, 
D’un chanuine ki fu manant a Bedefort, 
Philippe de Broï, ki reté ert a tort 
D’un chevalier k’il dut aver ocis e mort. 
775 Li reis le voleit mettre al nun repairant port.

156
Pur ceo di c’um l’aveit a grant tort travaillié, 
Car en la curt l’eveske ot lung tens plaidïé, 
E tut si adversarie l’en orent relaissié ; 
E par lei s’en aveit nepurquant espurgié. 
780 Or li ot la justise le plait recomencié.
 
157
E Symon le fiz Piere fu justise del plait, 
Ki volentiers l’oüst, s’il poüst, a mort treit. 
Philippes s’en ira, si li dist mult grant lait. 
[25] Li reis dist qu’altretant li aveit cil mesfet, 
785 Cum se a lui meïsme oüst cel dit u fait.

158
Cil ki ocistrent Deu mesfirent plus griefment
Que cil ki puis ocistrent seint Piere u seint Vincent.
Mes li reis Henris dist idunkes sun talent ;
Jure k’il volt aver del clerc sun jugement.
790 L’arceveske Thomas dedenz sa curt le prent,

159
E dit k’il le fera en sa curt adrecier.
Voile li reis u nun, la l’estuet enveier
Eveskes e barons pur le clerc emplaidier ;
Cumande sur lur olz k’il i ait dreit plenier.
795 De la mort l’empleiderent primes al chevalier.

160
Li clerc lur respundi que, sanz entrer em plait,
Le murdre lur neot del tut, que ne l’ot fet ;
E anceis ot esté relessiez de cel ret,
E par espurgement l’en aveit a chief treit.
800 N’en volt entrer em plet, n’en respons n’en retret.

161
Dunc l’unt fet del mesdit respundre e plaidïer.
Li clerc fu gentil hume, nel volt de rien neier ;
E dit k’il est tut prest del mesfait adrecier,
E volentiers fera tut dreit al chevalier.
805 « Quant nel nie, funt il, nus le covient jugier ».

162
Jugent li que dous anz sa provende lerra ;
E li reis entretant les rentes em prendra,
A mustiers e a povres e a punz les durra,
E en altres almodnes, einsi cum li plerra.
810 Or puet dire Philippes que riche almodnier a.

163
Estre iceo le jugerent k’il se despoillereit
Devant le chevalier, se suffrir le voleit,
E, veant ses amis, armes aportereit ;
A la lei del païs desus li jurereit
815 De tel mesfet de lui tel amende prendreit.

164
E quant le jugement orent al rei mustré,
[26] Il dist qu’il en aveient vers li trop meserré ;
Car pur ceo qu’il ert clers l’aveient deporté.
Il voleit k’il l’oüssent tresqu’a la mort mené.
820 Mult dreit jugement orent, ceo respondent, formé.

165
« Par les olz Deu, fet il, ja le me jurerez,
Que vus cest jugement tut leal fet m’avez.
– Sire, funt li eveske, veez nus aprestez ;
Mes Philippes est trop del jugement grevez. »
825 Offrent le serement ; dunc s’est li reis desvez. 
166
Puis refist les prelaz tuz devant sei venir, 
E volt k’il li pramettent guarder e atenir 
Les custumes del regne qu’il aveit a baillir, 
Que ses aiols ot fet en sun regne establir. 
830 Salf lur ordre, ceo dient, l’en volent obeïr. 
167
Li reis volt qu’il le facent, salf lur ordrë u nun, 
E dit que de cel mot n’i avra ja un sun. 
Tuit li dient ensemble que senz salvatiun 
De l’ordre nel ferunt pur nul’occasiun. 
835 Idunc se prist vers els li reis a cuntençon  

Translation

 155

And in London there arose a great row,
Concerning a certain canon [a cleric] who was a tenant in Bedford,
Called Philippe de Broï, who was wrongfully accused
Of the murder of a knight whom he was supposed to have killed.
The king wanted to send him off to a place from which he would not return [to put him to death].

156

For this I say that a great wrong to him had been made,
For in the court of the bishop he had long made his pleas,
So much so that his adversaries had abandoned their case against him;
so much so that by law he had purged himself of this wrong.
Now a [king's] judge wanted to try him again [in the king's court].

157

And Simon FitzPeter was the [king's] justice in this plea,
Who would willingly have heard it, if he could put [de Broï] to death.
Philippe lost his temper, so he abused him [the king's judge] greatly.
The king said, at another time, that he [Philippe] had wronged him [personally],
As if he himself had heard the said insult [personally].


158
Those who killed the cleric did so more grievously
Than those who later killed Saint Peter or Saint Vincent.
But King Henry then expressed his intent;
He swore that he wanted to have the cleric's judgment.
The archbishop Thomas took him into his court,

159
And said he would address it in his court.
Behold the king, or rather, he ought to send
Bishops and barons to plead for the cleric;
He commands that there be full justice before their eyes.
They first employed the matter against the knight.

160
The cleric responded that, without entering into a plea,
The murder was entirely upon them, as he had not done it;
And he had long been released from this retinue,
And by purgation he had been treated as the chief.
He did not want to enter into a plea, nor did he respond or retreat.

161  
Duncan had the matter answered and pleaded.  
The clerk was a noble man, he would not deny anything;  
And said he was fully prepared to rectify the wrongdoing,  
And willingly would do all right by the knight.  
“When he denies it,” he said, “we must judge him.”  

162  

Judging that he had been living off his provisions for two years;  
And the king, in the meantime, would take the rents,  
To the monasteries and the poor, and would harden them,  
And in other ways, as it pleased him.  
Now Philippe can say that he is a wealthy man.  

163  

Thus they judged that he would be stripped  
Before the knight, if he wished to endure it,  
And, seeing his friends, he would bring arms;  
By the law of the land, he would swear  
To take such an amends for such a wrongdoing.  

164  

And when they had shown the judgement to the king,  
He said that they had been too harsh towards him;  
For because he was a clerk, they had treated him poorly.  
He wished that they had led him away to his death.  
They had formed a very just judgement, responding to this.  

165  

“By the eyes of God,” he said, “you will surely swear to me,
 That you have served me by this judgement in all loyalty.”  
– “My lord,” said the bishops, “we are prepared;  
But Philippe is very grieved at his sentence.”
825 They [the bishops] offered [him] their oath; then the king stepped aside.