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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 | [Chapter I] Merlin, a Middle-English metrical version of a French romance |  |
al this werk thus Began merlyne,
and Blasye it Browhte to ful good fyne;
and evere the lengere that Blasye gan wryte,
the bettere hym thowhte he cowde endyte;
and euere the more this mater gan he drawe,
evere the bettere he lykede merlynes Sawe.
thanne merlyn to Blayse cam anon,
& þere to hym he seide thus son:
“Blasye, thou shalt Suffren gret peyne
This storye to an ende to bringen, certeyne,
and ȝit schal j Suffren mochel more.”
“how so, merlyn?” quod Blasye thore.
“j schal be sowht,” quod merlyne tho,
“Owt from the west, with messengeris mo;
and they that scholen comen to seken me,
they han maad Sewrawnce, j telle the,
me forto slen for ony thing;
this sewrawnce han they mad to here kyng.
but whanne they me sen & with me speke,
Non power they schole han on me to ben awreke;
For with hem hens moste j gon,
and thou jnto othir partyes schalt welson,
To hem that han the holy vessel
which that js J-Cleped the seynt Graal.
and wete thow wel and ek forsothe
that thow and ek this storye bothe,
ful wel beherd now schal it be
and also Beloved Jn many contre.”
and Blasye it Browhte to ful good fyne;
and evere the lengere that Blasye gan wryte,
the bettere hym thowhte he cowde endyte;
and euere the more this mater gan he drawe,
evere the bettere he lykede merlynes Sawe.
thanne merlyn to Blayse cam anon,
& þere to hym he seide thus son:
“Blasye, thou shalt Suffren gret peyne
This storye to an ende to bringen, certeyne,
and ȝit schal j Suffren mochel more.”
“how so, merlyn?” quod Blasye thore.
“j schal be sowht,” quod merlyne tho,
“Owt from the west, with messengeris mo;
and they that scholen comen to seken me,
they han maad Sewrawnce, j telle the,
me forto slen for ony thing;
this sewrawnce han they mad to here kyng.
but whanne they me sen & with me speke,
Non power they schole han on me to ben awreke;
For with hem hens moste j gon,
and thou jnto othir partyes schalt welson,
To hem that han the holy vessel
which that js J-Cleped the seynt Graal.
and wete thow wel and ek forsothe
that thow and ek this storye bothe,
ful wel beherd now schal it be
and also Beloved Jn many contre.”
and hos that wil knowen jn certaygne
what kynges that weren jn grete Bretaygne,
Sethen that Cristendom thedyr was Browht,
They scholen hem fynde, hos so that it sowht,
jn the Story of Brwttes book;
there scholen ȝe it fynde, and ȝe welen look;
which that Martyn de Bewre traunslated here
From latyn jnto Romaunce jn his manere.
but leve we now of Brwtes book,
and aftyr this storye now lete vs look.
what kynges that weren jn grete Bretaygne,
Sethen that Cristendom thedyr was Browht,
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jn the Story of Brwttes book;
there scholen ȝe it fynde, and ȝe welen look;
which that Martyn de Bewre traunslated here
From latyn jnto Romaunce jn his manere.
but leve we now of Brwtes book,
and aftyr this storye now lete vs look.
| [Chapter I] Merlin, a Middle-English metrical version of a French romance | |