Merlin, a Middle-English metrical version of a French romance by Herry Lovelich ... (AB. 1450 A.D.), edited from the unique ms. 80 in Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, with an introduction, notes, and glossaries by Dr. Ernst A. Kock |
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| VII. |
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| X. |
| XI. |
| XII. |
| XIII. |
| XIV. |
 | [Chapter I] Merlin, a Middle-English metrical version of a French romance |  |
Ful mochel joye made the devel thanne,
whanne he hadde thus geten this wommanne.
and whanne the eldest Sostyr knew of this,
that thus hire Soster hadde don amys,
anon wente sche to this good man tho,
that to-fore tymes here creaunce tawhte hem so,
with sory herte and weping chere.
Anon this goodman axede what hire were,
and of hire hadde ful gret pyte,
& to hire thanne anon Seyde he:
“blesse the jn the Name of the Trenite,
and telle me now what eylleth the.”
“ha, Sire,” sche Seide, “J am ful wo!
my soster from me js now a-go,
and is becomen a comown womman.
ful wo for hire am j now than!”
whanne he hadde thus geten this wommanne.
and whanne the eldest Sostyr knew of this,
that thus hire Soster hadde don amys,
anon wente sche to this good man tho,
that to-fore tymes here creaunce tawhte hem so,
with sory herte and weping chere.
Anon this goodman axede what hire were,
and of hire hadde ful gret pyte,
& to hire thanne anon Seyde he:
“blesse the jn the Name of the Trenite,
and telle me now what eylleth the.”
“ha, Sire,” sche Seide, “J am ful wo!
my soster from me js now a-go,
13
ful wo for hire am j now than!”
whanne that this goodman herde of this,
Ful sory he was and wroth, j-wys,
and seide: “The devel nyl not belynne,
tyl that he haue ȝow alle jn his gynne,
but ȝit that god now be thy wardeyn,
J seye ȝow, damysele, jn certeyn.”
“Now, leve Sire, how scholde j do
That Fals thef to kepen me fro?”
thanne seide to hire this good man anon:
“J schal ȝow telle how ȝe schole don.
ȝif that thou wylt don aftyr me,
he ne schal neuere deceyven the.”
“Now certes,” quod this damysele a-geyn,
“aftyr ȝow wyl j don, Jn certeyn,
what so evere ȝe bydde me do,
whethir it torne me to wele oþer wo.”
“belevest þou not on fadyr & sone & holigost,
thre persones and on god of myhtes most,
and that crist amonges vs cam here
For mannes sowle, that he bowhte so dere,
and alle synneris to saven also
That his comawndement Wolden do,
and beleven as holy chirche,
and as good cristen folk to wirche?”
thanne answerid this damysele ageyn:
“J wil beleven as ȝe wyle seyn;
and as wisly as on god j be-leve,
so from alle tormentis he mot me meve!”
“thanne more over J charge the
that jn non wyse wroth that thou be;
For that is on of the moste thing
wherthorwgh the devel doth his werkyng.
and loke thow love god over alle thyng
and thy Neyghbour with-owten grochcheng.
& so be that governaunce
þou myht the kepe from alle mischawnse.
and loke that cowpable nevere thou be
aȝens thy god Jn non manere degre,
but that thou plese hym vtterly
and alle the seintes of hevene generally,
That loven god and his Servise;
loke thow hem love jn alle wyse.
and loke, eche tyme that thou dost ryse,
that thou þe blesse be ony wyse,
and also that thow blesse the every nyht,
Er that thou jn thy Bed lye down ryht,
jn the name of the Fadyr and sone and þe holygost,
which that is on god and of myhtes most.
and with that loke thou make a cros on the,
Jn memorye that he deyde vppon the tre
vs for to beyen from the peynes of helle.
loke thou do thus as j the telle!
and of that enemy haue thow neuere non drede,
where euere thow be Jn ony stede;
and where so evere thow lye on nyht,
Loke be ony weyes that thou have lyht,
For there as lyht is, he ne wyl not be,
For lyht hateth he most, ful Sekerle!”
Ful sory he was and wroth, j-wys,
and seide: “The devel nyl not belynne,
tyl that he haue ȝow alle jn his gynne,
but ȝit that god now be thy wardeyn,
J seye ȝow, damysele, jn certeyn.”
“Now, leve Sire, how scholde j do
That Fals thef to kepen me fro?”
thanne seide to hire this good man anon:
“J schal ȝow telle how ȝe schole don.
ȝif that thou wylt don aftyr me,
he ne schal neuere deceyven the.”
“Now certes,” quod this damysele a-geyn,
“aftyr ȝow wyl j don, Jn certeyn,
what so evere ȝe bydde me do,
whethir it torne me to wele oþer wo.”
“belevest þou not on fadyr & sone & holigost,
thre persones and on god of myhtes most,
and that crist amonges vs cam here
For mannes sowle, that he bowhte so dere,
and alle synneris to saven also
That his comawndement Wolden do,
and beleven as holy chirche,
and as good cristen folk to wirche?”
thanne answerid this damysele ageyn:
“J wil beleven as ȝe wyle seyn;
and as wisly as on god j be-leve,
so from alle tormentis he mot me meve!”
“thanne more over J charge the
that jn non wyse wroth that thou be;
For that is on of the moste thing
wherthorwgh the devel doth his werkyng.
and loke thow love god over alle thyng
and thy Neyghbour with-owten grochcheng.
& so be that governaunce
þou myht the kepe from alle mischawnse.
14
aȝens thy god Jn non manere degre,
but that thou plese hym vtterly
and alle the seintes of hevene generally,
That loven god and his Servise;
loke thow hem love jn alle wyse.
and loke, eche tyme that thou dost ryse,
that thou þe blesse be ony wyse,
and also that thow blesse the every nyht,
Er that thou jn thy Bed lye down ryht,
jn the name of the Fadyr and sone and þe holygost,
which that is on god and of myhtes most.
and with that loke thou make a cros on the,
Jn memorye that he deyde vppon the tre
vs for to beyen from the peynes of helle.
loke thou do thus as j the telle!
and of that enemy haue thow neuere non drede,
where euere thow be Jn ony stede;
and where so evere thow lye on nyht,
Loke be ony weyes that thou have lyht,
For there as lyht is, he ne wyl not be,
For lyht hateth he most, ful Sekerle!”
| [Chapter I] Merlin, a Middle-English metrical version of a French romance | |