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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| XIV. |
 | [Chapter VIII] Merlin, a Middle-English metrical version of a French romance |  |
Thanne tolde he, aftyr the deth of Fortager
how with Vterpendragon he qweynted ther;
and of the grete bataylle he tolde also
That vppon Pendragon was j-do;
and how be the dewchesse he made hym lye
jn the castel of Tyndagel, Sekyrlye—
“Jn wheche place engendrid ȝe were”;
and how Vlphin purposyd the maryage there—
“be-twene ȝowre Fadyr and ȝoure modyr, the queene”;
alle these he tolde hem be-dene;
and how fyve dowhtren hadde sche bore
(what maryed & ded they weren to-fore),
and tweyne be the dewk hadde sche;
of wheche on weddyd king loth, Sykerle;
kyng newtres anothyr hadde to wyve,
lyk as aftyr ȝe scholen heren as blyve;
and the thrydde wedded kyng Vryens;
and þe fowrthe weddid kyng Bryadens—
“the wheche that ded now Js he,
Fadyr he was to kyng Gwyseans, Serteinle,
that js now kyng of Scotlond,
as j do ȝow to vndyrstond;
and the fyfthe, at londone hyt is,
and there to Scole it is set, jwys,
and moche clergye forsoth hit can,
as of þe age doth ony man.”
how with Vterpendragon he qweynted ther;
and of the grete bataylle he tolde also
That vppon Pendragon was j-do;
and how be the dewchesse he made hym lye
jn the castel of Tyndagel, Sekyrlye—
“Jn wheche place engendrid ȝe were”;
and how Vlphin purposyd the maryage there—
“be-twene ȝowre Fadyr and ȝoure modyr, the queene”;
alle these he tolde hem be-dene;
and how fyve dowhtren hadde sche bore
(what maryed & ded they weren to-fore),
229
of wheche on weddyd king loth, Sykerle;
kyng newtres anothyr hadde to wyve,
lyk as aftyr ȝe scholen heren as blyve;
and the thrydde wedded kyng Vryens;
and þe fowrthe weddid kyng Bryadens—
“the wheche that ded now Js he,
Fadyr he was to kyng Gwyseans, Serteinle,
that js now kyng of Scotlond,
as j do ȝow to vndyrstond;
and the fyfthe, at londone hyt is,
and there to Scole it is set, jwys,
and moche clergye forsoth hit can,
as of þe age doth ony man.”
“and wete thou wel, kyng Loth hath here
Fyve Sones be his wyf so dere,
of whiche on js thyn ful blod, Sykerle,
that thou engendredyst jn londone cyte;
and Semly ȝonge men they ben echon,
of wheche that Gaweyn hyhte þe ton.
and he schal be the trewest knyht,
and his Lord loven with strengthe & myht,
Therto þe worthyest that owher may be,
and therto gentelest, Sire, certeinle.
and ȝow schal he loven over al thing,
and don ȝow worschepe as to his kyng.
For wete wel þat he schal be þe same man,
be whom thy lond geten thou kan.
and thy meyne to hym mek Scholen be
and him don worschepe Jn alle degre.
king newtris, anoþer brothyr hath he,
that galatyns hyhte, ful Sykerle.
kyng vriens anothir hath also,
that yweyn is clepyd, with-owten mo,
that the schal Susteyne with body & herte,
þer nis non prowesse schal hym asterte.
and wete þou wel, þat dubbed scholen they not be,
Tyl þou hem armes ȝyve, ful Sykyrle.
and they scholen bringen the gret compeny,
For love of here kyn, certeinlye,
Of Barowns sones & oþer mo;
moche peple with hem cometh the vnto
The Forto Don Alle maner of Servyse,
whyles that they lyven as jn here wyse.”
Fyve Sones be his wyf so dere,
of whiche on js thyn ful blod, Sykerle,
that thou engendredyst jn londone cyte;
and Semly ȝonge men they ben echon,
of wheche that Gaweyn hyhte þe ton.
and he schal be the trewest knyht,
and his Lord loven with strengthe & myht,
Therto þe worthyest that owher may be,
and therto gentelest, Sire, certeinle.
and ȝow schal he loven over al thing,
and don ȝow worschepe as to his kyng.
For wete wel þat he schal be þe same man,
be whom thy lond geten thou kan.
and thy meyne to hym mek Scholen be
and him don worschepe Jn alle degre.
king newtris, anoþer brothyr hath he,
that galatyns hyhte, ful Sykerle.
kyng vriens anothir hath also,
that yweyn is clepyd, with-owten mo,
that the schal Susteyne with body & herte,
þer nis non prowesse schal hym asterte.
230
Tyl þou hem armes ȝyve, ful Sykyrle.
and they scholen bringen the gret compeny,
For love of here kyn, certeinlye,
Of Barowns sones & oþer mo;
moche peple with hem cometh the vnto
The Forto Don Alle maner of Servyse,
whyles that they lyven as jn here wyse.”
“also, Sire, jn lytel Bretayngne,
dwellen tweyn kynges, jn certeyne,
the wheche they holden both of the,
and cosynes germayn bothe they be.
and tweyne sostres j-weddyd they han þerto,
that cosynes germayns there ben also.
These tweyne kynges, chyldren they han,
that stalworthe scholen ben and myhty men.
and so worthy knyhtes they scholen be,
theyre pere schal ben jn non contre.
The eldest of the tweyne kynges of fame,
kyng Ban of Baynoc js his Name.
the tother kyng, of gawnes Sire Boors hyhte,
a worthy werrour and mochel of myhte.
but a felonus Neyghebour hath that kyng,
that hym doth gret Travaylle & hyndryng,
and alle he hit doth for envye,
For he ne may hem not justefye.
and for they ben so trewe and so stedfast,
aftyr hem j wolde thou wost senden jn hast,
and sende hem to seyne, ouer alle thyng
that thow wost ben of here aqweyntyng,
and with the to ben at al halwen feste.
thanne to the moste comen bothe lest and meste,
To thy parlement, and the obeye.
Somme comen for good, as j the seye,
and somme for evel jn othyr degre,
but these tweyne kynges, as j telle the,
they comen with hertys deboneyrre,
here to thy cowrt Forto Repeyrre.
For they ben ful good men and trewe,
bettyr of condissiouns fyndest þou but fewe.
and þerfore aȝens hem j wyle thou go,
and thy Servyse to hem offren also.
and mochel thank they scholen konnen the,
and to þe don homage and fewte.
thanne whanne al this js j-do,
and thy cowrt they welen gon fro,
anon thow hem clepe to thy cownsaylle;
and sey to hem, with-owten Faylle,
that jnto Tarmelyde thou wylt go,
There to ben avenged of thy fo,
Preyeng hem to gon with the
(For ryht goode men Syker they be),
there to abyden with kyng Leodogan,
and so preye þou as wel as þou kan;
For goode knyhtes ben they bothe,
and here lond of the hath mester, forsothe.
For thin enemyes aȝens the the lond wilen defende,
but they scholen not Therto longe attende,
Nethyr Sosteynen non whyle aȝens the,
thorwgh helpe of these tweyne kynges, sykerle,
that jn thy compenye scholen abyde.”
dwellen tweyn kynges, jn certeyne,
the wheche they holden both of the,
and cosynes germayn bothe they be.
and tweyne sostres j-weddyd they han þerto,
that cosynes germayns there ben also.
These tweyne kynges, chyldren they han,
that stalworthe scholen ben and myhty men.
and so worthy knyhtes they scholen be,
theyre pere schal ben jn non contre.
The eldest of the tweyne kynges of fame,
kyng Ban of Baynoc js his Name.
the tother kyng, of gawnes Sire Boors hyhte,
a worthy werrour and mochel of myhte.
but a felonus Neyghebour hath that kyng,
that hym doth gret Travaylle & hyndryng,
and alle he hit doth for envye,
For he ne may hem not justefye.
and for they ben so trewe and so stedfast,
aftyr hem j wolde thou wost senden jn hast,
and sende hem to seyne, ouer alle thyng
that thow wost ben of here aqweyntyng,
and with the to ben at al halwen feste.
thanne to the moste comen bothe lest and meste,
To thy parlement, and the obeye.
Somme comen for good, as j the seye,
and somme for evel jn othyr degre,
but these tweyne kynges, as j telle the,
they comen with hertys deboneyrre,
here to thy cowrt Forto Repeyrre.
231
bettyr of condissiouns fyndest þou but fewe.
and þerfore aȝens hem j wyle thou go,
and thy Servyse to hem offren also.
and mochel thank they scholen konnen the,
and to þe don homage and fewte.
thanne whanne al this js j-do,
and thy cowrt they welen gon fro,
anon thow hem clepe to thy cownsaylle;
and sey to hem, with-owten Faylle,
that jnto Tarmelyde thou wylt go,
There to ben avenged of thy fo,
Preyeng hem to gon with the
(For ryht goode men Syker they be),
there to abyden with kyng Leodogan,
and so preye þou as wel as þou kan;
For goode knyhtes ben they bothe,
and here lond of the hath mester, forsothe.
For thin enemyes aȝens the the lond wilen defende,
but they scholen not Therto longe attende,
Nethyr Sosteynen non whyle aȝens the,
thorwgh helpe of these tweyne kynges, sykerle,
that jn thy compenye scholen abyde.”
“ȝyt to ȝow more J seye this tyde:
a costom J have, j Sey ȝow pleynlye,
that to the forest j moste me hye
be enchesoun of my nature,
thyder j moste, j ȝow enswre,
bencheson of hym that me dyde gete;
this thing at this tyme wyl j not lete.
and for anothyr cawse also
to the wylde forest wyl j go:
with holy Blase to speken there,
For An Holyere man Knowe J Nowhere.
and thou schalt neuere have nede of me,
but Sone that J schal ben with the,
the to cownseyllen what that j may.
but of on thing j schal ȝow say:
often-tymes schalt thow me se
jn other semblaunce, ful sykerle,
thanne þou sixt me to-forn þe now here,
often-tymes toforn þe schal j apere;
For j kepte not alle men knewe
whanne j with the spak, but ȝif it were fewe.
more over j wylle that thou swere to me,
that be the neuere discured j be
of non thing that j haue told the,
but that thou kepe hit evere preve.
and ȝif thou do, j schal the Seye:
hyt schal the Torne to angyr and treye.”
a costom J have, j Sey ȝow pleynlye,
that to the forest j moste me hye
be enchesoun of my nature,
thyder j moste, j ȝow enswre,
bencheson of hym that me dyde gete;
this thing at this tyme wyl j not lete.
and for anothyr cawse also
to the wylde forest wyl j go:
with holy Blase to speken there,
For An Holyere man Knowe J Nowhere.
and thou schalt neuere have nede of me,
but Sone that J schal ben with the,
232
but of on thing j schal ȝow say:
often-tymes schalt thow me se
jn other semblaunce, ful sykerle,
thanne þou sixt me to-forn þe now here,
often-tymes toforn þe schal j apere;
For j kepte not alle men knewe
whanne j with the spak, but ȝif it were fewe.
more over j wylle that thou swere to me,
that be the neuere discured j be
of non thing that j haue told the,
but that thou kepe hit evere preve.
and ȝif thou do, j schal the Seye:
hyt schal the Torne to angyr and treye.”
and the kyng hym swoor there anon ryht,
he scholde nevere discure hym to non wyht,
ne neuere schold don thing aȝens his wylle;
thus the kyng Seyde hym vntylle.
and merlyne enswred hym ageyn
that he wolde deserven hyt, certeyn.
he scholde nevere discure hym to non wyht,
ne neuere schold don thing aȝens his wylle;
thus the kyng Seyde hym vntylle.
and merlyne enswred hym ageyn
that he wolde deserven hyt, certeyn.
| [Chapter VIII] Merlin, a Middle-English metrical version of a French romance | |