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 XI] Merlin, a Middle-English metrical version of a French romance |  |
[N]ow here putteth this Jlke Storye
[of t]hese xj kynges Jn memorye,
[and o]f the dewk of Askam also,
[tha]t be merlynes cownseylle conqwered weren tho,
[an]d how joyful from Blasye he cam,
[an]d how that kyng Arthewr ordeyned hym than.
[th]anne here Pavylouns pyhten they ful faste
[an]d ek here tentes jn ryht gret haste.
[So] that they casten hem there to abyde
[an]d Forto resten hem that jlke tyde.
[th]anne gouernours of þe ost gonne they ordeynen there:
[S]ire Leownce, Sire gyrflet, & Sire Lwcawns the botelere.
[th]anne Sire Faryens to sire Leownces j-joyned he was
[Towar]dis the wode to kepen jn that plas;
[and Si]re Lwcawns and sire gyrflet
[kepte]n the medewes bothe drye and wet.
[and] the remnaunt to reste gonnen to gon,
ly[k a]s þerto they hadden Nede everychon.
So that they eten & dronken, & maden here play,
and there hem restede, tyl hit was day.
For j-nowh they hadden of the Beste,
bothe riche and powre, to gladen his geste.
Thus they hem restede, tyl hit was day;
And thanne kyng Arthewr comanded, jn fay,
that al the good that geten was
and ek al the rychesse Jnto on plas
that to-gederis scholde ben browht, ful pleyn,
For he wolde departyn hit þere, jn certeyn.
and whanne that they hadden herd here masse,
they wenten there as al þe trosor wasse.
and there on hepis as that hit lay,
These thre kynges, with-owten delay,
departyd this good þere to every man,
as that hem thowhte he hadde nede than:
on man lasse and a-nothyr more,
as hem thowhte they weren worthy thore,
and ek to many pore knyhtes also,
ek to seriauntes that with hem weren tho;
they ȝouen hem of þat good ful largely,
Whyles that Hem Last there ony peny.
and sethen departyd they forth in here compenye
bothe stedys and palfreyes ful justlye,
clothes of gold & of Sylk also,
that nowht to departyn beleft hem tho.
So that every man gwerdonen he was
that with hem was jn that plas.
thanne xl knyhtes chosen they tho
with hem of Tarmelyde forto go,
which meyne Sire Leownce & sire pharyen
jn governaunce hadden & with hem sire Gracien.
Thus this peple of Tarmelyde
jnto here lond they gonne hem gyde,
that kyng clawdas non harm scholde þere do,
whyles the two kynges here lond weren fro.
[of t]hese xj kynges Jn memorye,
[and o]f the dewk of Askam also,
[tha]t be merlynes cownseylle conqwered weren tho,
[an]d how joyful from Blasye he cam,
[an]d how that kyng Arthewr ordeyned hym than.
[th]anne here Pavylouns pyhten they ful faste
[an]d ek here tentes jn ryht gret haste.
307
[an]d Forto resten hem that jlke tyde.
[th]anne gouernours of þe ost gonne they ordeynen there:
[S]ire Leownce, Sire gyrflet, & Sire Lwcawns the botelere.
[th]anne Sire Faryens to sire Leownces j-joyned he was
[Towar]dis the wode to kepen jn that plas;
[and Si]re Lwcawns and sire gyrflet
[kepte]n the medewes bothe drye and wet.
[and] the remnaunt to reste gonnen to gon,
ly[k a]s þerto they hadden Nede everychon.
So that they eten & dronken, & maden here play,
and there hem restede, tyl hit was day.
For j-nowh they hadden of the Beste,
bothe riche and powre, to gladen his geste.
Thus they hem restede, tyl hit was day;
And thanne kyng Arthewr comanded, jn fay,
that al the good that geten was
and ek al the rychesse Jnto on plas
that to-gederis scholde ben browht, ful pleyn,
For he wolde departyn hit þere, jn certeyn.
and whanne that they hadden herd here masse,
they wenten there as al þe trosor wasse.
and there on hepis as that hit lay,
These thre kynges, with-owten delay,
departyd this good þere to every man,
as that hem thowhte he hadde nede than:
on man lasse and a-nothyr more,
as hem thowhte they weren worthy thore,
and ek to many pore knyhtes also,
ek to seriauntes that with hem weren tho;
they ȝouen hem of þat good ful largely,
Whyles that Hem Last there ony peny.
and sethen departyd they forth in here compenye
bothe stedys and palfreyes ful justlye,
clothes of gold & of Sylk also,
that nowht to departyn beleft hem tho.
So that every man gwerdonen he was
that with hem was jn that plas.
thanne xl knyhtes chosen they tho
308
which meyne Sire Leownce & sire pharyen
jn governaunce hadden & with hem sire Gracien.
Thus this peple of Tarmelyde
jnto here lond they gonne hem gyde,
that kyng clawdas non harm scholde þere do,
whyles the two kynges here lond weren fro.
| [Chapter XI] Merlin, a Middle-English metrical version of a French romance | |