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 |  |
Thus sente kyng [Arthewr] Forth Ryht anon,
and bad Sire vlphyn & sire bretel gon
To kyng Ban of Baynok ful blyve
and sethen to kyng Boors, his brother be wyve:
and evere they wylen his love crave
owther his Frenschepe Forto have,
That to hym they comen jnto grete breteygne,
at al halewen masse feste, with-owten leyne.
Thanne wenten forth these tweyne knyhtes
these two kynges to seken owt-ryhtes.
these kynges emporyssched weren jn vyrown
Jn tyme of Vter Pendragown.
thus passeden the knyhtes ouer the se,
Tyl jnto lytel breteygne they comen, certeinle;
and thorwh a place of desert they wente,
That distroyed and brend was, veramente.
Thanne comen they to Anothir cyte,
that boorges in berry is clepyd, Sekyrle,
whiche that kyng clawdas of desert
hyt kalanged openly and apert.
and bad Sire vlphyn & sire bretel gon
To kyng Ban of Baynok ful blyve
and sethen to kyng Boors, his brother be wyve:
and evere they wylen his love crave
owther his Frenschepe Forto have,
That to hym they comen jnto grete breteygne,
at al halewen masse feste, with-owten leyne.
Thanne wenten forth these tweyne knyhtes
these two kynges to seken owt-ryhtes.
these kynges emporyssched weren jn vyrown
Jn tyme of Vter Pendragown.
thus passeden the knyhtes ouer the se,
Tyl jnto lytel breteygne they comen, certeinle;
and thorwh a place of desert they wente,
That distroyed and brend was, veramente.
Thanne comen they to Anothir cyte,
that boorges in berry is clepyd, Sekyrle,
whiche that kyng clawdas of desert
hyt kalanged openly and apert.
this kyng clawdas of which j ȝow telle,
anothyr castel kalanged ful snelle,
whiche that kyng ban hadde there sette
with-jnnen his lond, with-owten lette.
kyng clawdas gan evere hym withseye,
and seyde the Lond was his, jn feye,
where-vppon the castel stood;
he wolde hyt haven for evel oþer good.
and kyng Ban than answeryd ageyn,
and seyde hit was neuere his, jn certeyn.
So that thorwh this, grete werre began;
but kyng Ban wolde leven hit for non man,
that the castel he dede vpe make,
owther for drede owther for wrake.
thus began gret hate, werre, & envye,
betwixen tho two kynges, Sekyrlye.
This werre al here lyve dyde laste.
So that this clawdas jnto Ban his rem paste,
and hym defyede jn many a d[e]gre,
and jn that Lond dyde grete adversyte
Jn Townes that vnwalled were;
Sone on fyre he sette hem there,
of wheche he took many grete pelages;
the peple he Slowh and dyde Owtrages,
For he was with-owten pyte.
but as towching to the castel, Sykyrle,
that kyng ban hadde areryd there,
he ne hadde non myht to don hyt non dere.
This castel kyng ban hadde Stuffed wel
With Seriauntes and arblasteris everydel.
and þere-jnne hadde he put an old capteyn,
hos name was gracyen, with-owten leyn.
and on of Bannes sones with gracyen was,
that Baynyn was clepyd jn that plas.
this Baynyns was sethen of gret worthynesse,
a worthy knyht, and of gret prowesse;
more thanne at this tyme þe Storye doth [not] spelle.
but now of kyng ban j schal ȝow telle,
that ful wroth & ful angry was
For the harm he hadde jn many a plas.
and whanne he knew the certeynte,
To-gyderis he gaderyd his meyne
aȝens kyng clawdas forto fyhte,
for alle passages he knew ful ryhte.
anothyr castel kalanged ful snelle,
whiche that kyng ban hadde there sette
with-jnnen his lond, with-owten lette.
kyng clawdas gan evere hym withseye,
and seyde the Lond was his, jn feye,
where-vppon the castel stood;
he wolde hyt haven for evel oþer good.
234
and seyde hit was neuere his, jn certeyn.
So that thorwh this, grete werre began;
but kyng Ban wolde leven hit for non man,
that the castel he dede vpe make,
owther for drede owther for wrake.
thus began gret hate, werre, & envye,
betwixen tho two kynges, Sekyrlye.
This werre al here lyve dyde laste.
So that this clawdas jnto Ban his rem paste,
and hym defyede jn many a d[e]gre,
and jn that Lond dyde grete adversyte
Jn Townes that vnwalled were;
Sone on fyre he sette hem there,
of wheche he took many grete pelages;
the peple he Slowh and dyde Owtrages,
For he was with-owten pyte.
but as towching to the castel, Sykyrle,
that kyng ban hadde areryd there,
he ne hadde non myht to don hyt non dere.
This castel kyng ban hadde Stuffed wel
With Seriauntes and arblasteris everydel.
and þere-jnne hadde he put an old capteyn,
hos name was gracyen, with-owten leyn.
and on of Bannes sones with gracyen was,
that Baynyn was clepyd jn that plas.
this Baynyns was sethen of gret worthynesse,
a worthy knyht, and of gret prowesse;
more thanne at this tyme þe Storye doth [not] spelle.
but now of kyng ban j schal ȝow telle,
that ful wroth & ful angry was
For the harm he hadde jn many a plas.
and whanne he knew the certeynte,
To-gyderis he gaderyd his meyne
aȝens kyng clawdas forto fyhte,
for alle passages he knew ful ryhte.
235
Whanne these tweyne ostes scholden mete,
To-gederis to Fyhten they wolden not lete.
So that there was ful gret mortalyte
on bothe partyes thanne, certeynle.
and so moche peple Slowh this kyng ban,
and dissemed the membres of many a man,
that a man myhte han seyn jn the feld
hepes as of Swyn oþer of schepe lyn ded.
So that Fawht kyng Ban & his meyne,
That kyng clawdas fledde & his compeyne,
and loste al his harneys and his Pelage,
that he to-fortymes took be owtrage,
and the presoners rescued weren everychon.
on anothir partye entryd kyng boors anon,
that half-Brothyr was to kyng Ban,
jnto kyng clawdas Lond entrede he than,
and þere brende and dyde distrocciown
Abowten Al His Lond Jn Vyrown
Jnto the cyte of desert;
thedyr he brend ful sone and apert,
and that lond distroyede al abowte,
that nowher for hym non man myhte rowte.
So gret distrocciown there he dede,
that jn twenty myle of lengthe & brede
No man jn that Lond loggen myhte,
To liggen drye be day ne be nyhte,
but ȝif vndir roche oþer vndir erthe hit were,
cowde no man drye loggen hym there.
So was kyng clawdas emporysched there tho,
that he ne wyste what he myhte do.
So on the kynges dorste he non more werre make,
lest hit scholde hym torne to Sorwen and wrake.
thus fownden they this lond distroyed & brent,
they that on kyng Arthewris message went,
and merveylled mochel of this thing
as jn the contre they paste rydyng.
So ryden they forth, with-owten les,
Tyl they comen to þe castel of Trebes,
That kyng Ban there dyde arere,
From his enemyes to defenden him every-where.
To-gederis to Fyhten they wolden not lete.
So that there was ful gret mortalyte
on bothe partyes thanne, certeynle.
and so moche peple Slowh this kyng ban,
and dissemed the membres of many a man,
that a man myhte han seyn jn the feld
hepes as of Swyn oþer of schepe lyn ded.
So that Fawht kyng Ban & his meyne,
That kyng clawdas fledde & his compeyne,
and loste al his harneys and his Pelage,
that he to-fortymes took be owtrage,
and the presoners rescued weren everychon.
on anothir partye entryd kyng boors anon,
that half-Brothyr was to kyng Ban,
jnto kyng clawdas Lond entrede he than,
and þere brende and dyde distrocciown
Abowten Al His Lond Jn Vyrown
Jnto the cyte of desert;
thedyr he brend ful sone and apert,
and that lond distroyede al abowte,
that nowher for hym non man myhte rowte.
So gret distrocciown there he dede,
that jn twenty myle of lengthe & brede
No man jn that Lond loggen myhte,
To liggen drye be day ne be nyhte,
but ȝif vndir roche oþer vndir erthe hit were,
cowde no man drye loggen hym there.
So was kyng clawdas emporysched there tho,
that he ne wyste what he myhte do.
So on the kynges dorste he non more werre make,
lest hit scholde hym torne to Sorwen and wrake.
thus fownden they this lond distroyed & brent,
they that on kyng Arthewris message went,
and merveylled mochel of this thing
as jn the contre they paste rydyng.
So ryden they forth, with-owten les,
Tyl they comen to þe castel of Trebes,
236
From his enemyes to defenden him every-where.
| [Chapter VIII] Merlin, a Middle-English metrical version of a French romance | |