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 |  |
Whanne the justices modyr herde hym so seyn,
and that he seide, was trowthe, ful pleyn,
Thanne gan sche Syghen & maken gret mone.
Thanne thus sche thowhte be hire-selve Alone,
that Nedis the trowthe moste sche Seye
oþer elles to ben confowndid vtterlye.
thanne hire sone seide to hire ageyn:
“hos sone j am, telleth me now pleyn.
For wel j wot, J am ȝoure child,
& to ȝow j am bothe mek and myld.
Telle me now trowthe, j ȝow preye,
of that this child doth here Seye!”
“Now, Swete sone, haue mercy on me!
as he Seyth, it is, ful Sekyrle.”
“ha thanne,” quod the justice tho,
“Now j se wel how it doth go!
this child knoweth bettere his fadyr, j-wis,
thanne j do myn, with-owten mys.
Now se j that it were non resown
thy modir oþer the to don distrocciown.
For for goddis love, telle þou me here
what maner of wyht thy fadyr were.”
and that he seide, was trowthe, ful pleyn,
Thanne gan sche Syghen & maken gret mone.
Thanne thus sche thowhte be hire-selve Alone,
that Nedis the trowthe moste sche Seye
oþer elles to ben confowndid vtterlye.
thanne hire sone seide to hire ageyn:
“hos sone j am, telleth me now pleyn.
For wel j wot, J am ȝoure child,
& to ȝow j am bothe mek and myld.
Telle me now trowthe, j ȝow preye,
of that this child doth here Seye!”
“Now, Swete sone, haue mercy on me!
as he Seyth, it is, ful Sekyrle.”
“ha thanne,” quod the justice tho,
40
this child knoweth bettere his fadyr, j-wis,
thanne j do myn, with-owten mys.
Now se j that it were non resown
thy modir oþer the to don distrocciown.
For for goddis love, telle þou me here
what maner of wyht thy fadyr were.”
thanne seide merlyne to hym ageyn:
“that schal j gladliche, jn certeyn,
more for thy love thanne for thy drede,
j sey the certeyn, so god me spede!
Syre, j wele that thou knowe, trewely,
that on my mody[r] me engendred the enemy.
For Sweche Spirites as they be,
ben j-cleped equibedes, j telle the;
and from the eyr jnto the erthe they gon
Swich maner of werkys here forto don.
And knowe thou wel, justice, certeinlye,
that j haue bothe here wyt and memorye,
and by hem knowe j ful wel
thy modris werkyng everydel.
For thinges that ben past, j knowe,
and thinges that ben comeng vppon a rowe.
And also it is owre lordis wille
that bothe wit & memorye j schal have þere-tylle
on his behalve, more thanne a naturel man
jn this erththe knoweth oþer kan,
for the love of my modir so dere,
that hire penaunce fulfilde here,
that the goodman ȝaf hire jn charge
(sche it fulfylde bothe fully and large);
that so be vertu of hire goodnesse
God graunttyd me ȝit more largesse:
to knowen thynges that weren comenge,
J sey the, justice, with-owten lesynge.
and this schalt þou proven ryht wel
and the sothe to knowen every del.”
Anon he took the justice on syde,
& thus him told that jlke tyde:
“Thy modyr wil discoueren me anone,
come sche hom ones, neuere so sone,
and tellen to him that the be-gat,
alle that j haue to the seid and what.
and whanne that he wot al this,
For drede of þe thanne wyle he fleen, j-wys.
thanne the devel, whos servaunt he hath be,
to a water schal leden hym ful pryvyle,
and þere he schal hym-self distroye,
his owne Sowle to gret anoye.
and hereby myhtest þou haue knoweng
that j can tellen of thinges comeng.”
“Now, and it be trewe as thou tellest me,
Evere schal j the trosten ful feith-fulle,
and Neuere j schal the misbeleve
For non man that owht can on þe preve.”
“that schal j gladliche, jn certeyn,
more for thy love thanne for thy drede,
j sey the certeyn, so god me spede!
Syre, j wele that thou knowe, trewely,
that on my mody[r] me engendred the enemy.
For Sweche Spirites as they be,
ben j-cleped equibedes, j telle the;
and from the eyr jnto the erthe they gon
Swich maner of werkys here forto don.
And knowe thou wel, justice, certeinlye,
that j haue bothe here wyt and memorye,
and by hem knowe j ful wel
thy modris werkyng everydel.
For thinges that ben past, j knowe,
and thinges that ben comeng vppon a rowe.
And also it is owre lordis wille
that bothe wit & memorye j schal have þere-tylle
on his behalve, more thanne a naturel man
jn this erththe knoweth oþer kan,
for the love of my modir so dere,
that hire penaunce fulfilde here,
that the goodman ȝaf hire jn charge
(sche it fulfylde bothe fully and large);
that so be vertu of hire goodnesse
God graunttyd me ȝit more largesse:
to knowen thynges that weren comenge,
J sey the, justice, with-owten lesynge.
and this schalt þou proven ryht wel
and the sothe to knowen every del.”
41
& thus him told that jlke tyde:
“Thy modyr wil discoueren me anone,
come sche hom ones, neuere so sone,
and tellen to him that the be-gat,
alle that j haue to the seid and what.
and whanne that he wot al this,
For drede of þe thanne wyle he fleen, j-wys.
thanne the devel, whos servaunt he hath be,
to a water schal leden hym ful pryvyle,
and þere he schal hym-self distroye,
his owne Sowle to gret anoye.
and hereby myhtest þou haue knoweng
that j can tellen of thinges comeng.”
“Now, and it be trewe as thou tellest me,
Evere schal j the trosten ful feith-fulle,
and Neuere j schal the misbeleve
For non man that owht can on þe preve.”
| [Chapter I] Merlin, a Middle-English metrical version of a French romance | |