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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| I. |
| II. |
| III. |
| IV. |
| V. |
| VI. |
| VII. |
| VIII. |
| IX. |
| X. |
| XI. |
| XII. |
| XIII. |
| XIV. |
 | [Chapter I] Merlin, a Middle-English metrical version of a French romance |  |
Thanne merlyn gan to wraththen hym Sore,
and ful angerly to the justice spak thore:
“J knowe moche Bettere my fadyr, Jn fay,
thanne thou dost thyn, J dar wel Say,
and thy modyr knoweth bettere, certeinly,
ho that the be-gat, j telle þe feythfully,
Bettere thanne my modyr, j sey ȝow pleyn,
For sche knew neuere my Fadyr, jn certeyn.
and therfore, Sire Justice, J telle to the
that thy modyr more worthy Js, brent to be,
For sche is fals to hire lord so dere,
and so was neuere my modyr jn non manere.”
thanne was this justice wondyr angry tho,
and thus to that child he Spak vnto:
“ȝif of my modir Swich thing thow konne seye,
J schal the holden for trewe, jn feye.”
thanne seide merlyn aȝen to hym there:
“Ful wel knowe j thy modrys manere,
that moche more sche hath decerved to be ded
thanne evere dyde my modyr jn ony sted.
and but ȝif thou fynde that j trewe seye,
hardylich let ellis my modyr deye.”
thanne seide the justyse to hym ageyn:
“ȝif thou konne proven that thou seist pleyn,
Thy modyr from brenneng schalt thou save,
and al thyn owne axeng thou schalt have . . .
but natheles, and it be as thou dost telle,
thanne schal j don brenne bothe ful snelle,
bothe myn owne modyr and ek thyn,
and Bryngen hem bothe to a schort fyn.”
“that schal neuere lyn Jn thy powere
my modyr to deth to putten here,
whiles that thou lyvest here, ony threwe,
For ȝif nede be, mo Skiles j schal the Schewe.”
and ful angerly to the justice spak thore:
“J knowe moche Bettere my fadyr, Jn fay,
thanne thou dost thyn, J dar wel Say,
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ho that the be-gat, j telle þe feythfully,
Bettere thanne my modyr, j sey ȝow pleyn,
For sche knew neuere my Fadyr, jn certeyn.
and therfore, Sire Justice, J telle to the
that thy modyr more worthy Js, brent to be,
For sche is fals to hire lord so dere,
and so was neuere my modyr jn non manere.”
thanne was this justice wondyr angry tho,
and thus to that child he Spak vnto:
“ȝif of my modir Swich thing thow konne seye,
J schal the holden for trewe, jn feye.”
thanne seide merlyn aȝen to hym there:
“Ful wel knowe j thy modrys manere,
that moche more sche hath decerved to be ded
thanne evere dyde my modyr jn ony sted.
and but ȝif thou fynde that j trewe seye,
hardylich let ellis my modyr deye.”
thanne seide the justyse to hym ageyn:
“ȝif thou konne proven that thou seist pleyn,
Thy modyr from brenneng schalt thou save,
and al thyn owne axeng thou schalt have . . .
but natheles, and it be as thou dost telle,
thanne schal j don brenne bothe ful snelle,
bothe myn owne modyr and ek thyn,
and Bryngen hem bothe to a schort fyn.”
“that schal neuere lyn Jn thy powere
my modyr to deth to putten here,
whiles that thou lyvest here, ony threwe,
For ȝif nede be, mo Skiles j schal the Schewe.”
| [Chapter I] Merlin, a Middle-English metrical version of a French romance | |