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 II] Merlin, a Middle-English metrical version of a French romance |  |
Whanne that kyng costantyn herde this,
and ek þe peple þat with him þere was, j-wis,
That of hym Socour scholde they han non,
homwardis aȝen they gonne to gon,
and ordeyned hem jn eche degre
with here enemyes to fyhten, ful sekyrle.
but of here enemyes Scomfyted they were,
and anon to the flyht they weren put there,
and losten manye of here meyne,
Of wheche dethes was gret pyte,
And seyden that thyke los Hem not scholde Han falle,
and Fortager hadde ben amongis hem alle.
and ek þe peple þat with him þere was, j-wis,
That of hym Socour scholde they han non,
homwardis aȝen they gonne to gon,
and ordeyned hem jn eche degre
with here enemyes to fyhten, ful sekyrle.
but of here enemyes Scomfyted they were,
and anon to the flyht they weren put there,
and losten manye of here meyne,
Of wheche dethes was gret pyte,
48
and Fortager hadde ben amongis hem alle.
that so towardis the kyng they fillen jn hate,
and from hym witdrowen bothe erly and late,
So that of evel herte they seiden hem be-twene
that he non lengere here kyng Schold beene.
Thanne to this Fortager comen they anon,
and þere to him they seiden thus son:
“Sire, with-owten kyng we be,
and that is nowht worth, Sire, parde;
So that for goddis love be thou kyng
aȝens owre enemyes jn defendyng.
For we knowen no man jn al this lond
That so wel vs scholde governe, as j vndirstond.”
thanne quod Fortager to hem ageyn:
“As longe as the kyng lyveth, jn certeyn,
Neuere non kyng ne schal j be,
nethyr of non thyng to entermeten me.”
thanne seiden they to him jn fere:
“jt is vs levere, the kyng ded were.”
“ȝif he were ded,” thanne quod he,
“and ȝe liked thanne kyng to maken me,
thanne wolde j don my powere
ȝow to defende bothe fer & nere.”
whanne they vndirstodyn his meneng,
anon from hym they maden departyng,
and tolden here frendis of his answere,
how that Fortager to hem seide there.
“thanne is it bettere that we þe kyng sle,
and thanne may fortager oure kyng be,
and that be vs kyng he is mad,”
thus ech of hem to othir seid.
and so wile he thanne fulfillen hire wille—
“and to owre cownseyl consentyn vntylle.”
thanne chosen they anon amonges hem alle
be whom this aventure myhte befalle,
So that amonges hem weren there twelfe
that this aventure token on hem-selve.
So forth this xij wenten anon,
and jnto þe kynges halle comen thus son,
and so there with here swerdis so kene
at his mete here kyng dyden they slene
(and ȝit was there non man jn the halle tho
That ony word hem dorst speken vnto),
and wenten anon to Fortager,
& tolden hym how they hadden don ther.
thanne Semblawnt of wraththe Fortager gan make
(but oþerwyse jn his herte he gan it Take),
and thus to hem he seyde tho:
“evel han ȝe don ȝoure kyng to Slo!
and the Beste men j wende ȝe hadde been
that jn al this rewm a man Scholde seen;
& þerfore riht sore it forthinketh me
that ony swich thing be ȝow scholde be.”
but algates thus was the kyng ded
be thike xij false mennes reed.
thanne gonnen they to spekyn hem be-twene
how that Fortager here kyng scholde bene.
At wheche cownceyl weren two goode men,
that þe tothere tweyne bretheren kepten than,
bothen Awriele and ek vter,
the kynges bretheren that last was ther.
and from hym witdrowen bothe erly and late,
So that of evel herte they seiden hem be-twene
that he non lengere here kyng Schold beene.
Thanne to this Fortager comen they anon,
and þere to him they seiden thus son:
“Sire, with-owten kyng we be,
and that is nowht worth, Sire, parde;
So that for goddis love be thou kyng
aȝens owre enemyes jn defendyng.
For we knowen no man jn al this lond
That so wel vs scholde governe, as j vndirstond.”
thanne quod Fortager to hem ageyn:
“As longe as the kyng lyveth, jn certeyn,
Neuere non kyng ne schal j be,
nethyr of non thyng to entermeten me.”
thanne seiden they to him jn fere:
“jt is vs levere, the kyng ded were.”
“ȝif he were ded,” thanne quod he,
“and ȝe liked thanne kyng to maken me,
thanne wolde j don my powere
ȝow to defende bothe fer & nere.”
whanne they vndirstodyn his meneng,
anon from hym they maden departyng,
and tolden here frendis of his answere,
how that Fortager to hem seide there.
“thanne is it bettere that we þe kyng sle,
and thanne may fortager oure kyng be,
and that be vs kyng he is mad,”
thus ech of hem to othir seid.
and so wile he thanne fulfillen hire wille—
“and to owre cownseyl consentyn vntylle.”
thanne chosen they anon amonges hem alle
be whom this aventure myhte befalle,
So that amonges hem weren there twelfe
that this aventure token on hem-selve.
49
and jnto þe kynges halle comen thus son,
and so there with here swerdis so kene
at his mete here kyng dyden they slene
(and ȝit was there non man jn the halle tho
That ony word hem dorst speken vnto),
and wenten anon to Fortager,
& tolden hym how they hadden don ther.
thanne Semblawnt of wraththe Fortager gan make
(but oþerwyse jn his herte he gan it Take),
and thus to hem he seyde tho:
“evel han ȝe don ȝoure kyng to Slo!
and the Beste men j wende ȝe hadde been
that jn al this rewm a man Scholde seen;
& þerfore riht sore it forthinketh me
that ony swich thing be ȝow scholde be.”
but algates thus was the kyng ded
be thike xij false mennes reed.
thanne gonnen they to spekyn hem be-twene
how that Fortager here kyng scholde bene.
At wheche cownceyl weren two goode men,
that þe tothere tweyne bretheren kepten than,
bothen Awriele and ek vter,
the kynges bretheren that last was ther.
| [Chapter II] Merlin, a Middle-English metrical version of a French romance | |