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 owt of þe lond they were drevyn echon,
Ful spetous to his peple he be-cam anon,
that amonges hem Suffren it myht they not longe,
but aȝens hym to rysen gonnen they fonge,
and benomen hym gret partye of his lond,
and with strenkthes on hym comen, j vndirstond.
whanne that Fortager vndirstood this,
Ful sorweful was he thanne j-wys,
and wende his Lond to hauen forgon.
thanne abowten messageris sente he ful son
to alle his Frendis Jn eche contre,
that al abowtes jn his rewm pes forto be.
and whanne they vndirstooden that pes wolde he,
Ful glad weren they alle, ful sekerle.
Ful spetous to his peple he be-cam anon,
that amonges hem Suffren it myht they not longe,
but aȝens hym to rysen gonnen they fonge,
and benomen hym gret partye of his lond,
and with strenkthes on hym comen, j vndirstond.
whanne that Fortager vndirstood this,
Ful sorweful was he thanne j-wys,
and wende his Lond to hauen forgon.
thanne abowten messageris sente he ful son
to alle his Frendis Jn eche contre,
that al abowtes jn his rewm pes forto be.
and whanne they vndirstooden that pes wolde he,
Ful glad weren they alle, ful sekerle.
Thanne cam Augwys to Fortager,
and hym Servede ful longe ther,
tyl that al his stryf were j-don.
thanne Augwis and Fortager to-gederis spoken son,
and his owne dowhter he ȝaf hym to wyve,
wherfore his peple wraththed as blyve,
for þat he lefte a part of his creaunce,
benchesown of his wyf, with-owte variaunce,
and for that cristened not sche was,
his meynes love lost he jn that plas;
and that wyste wel kyng Fortager.
and hym Servede ful longe ther,
tyl that al his stryf were j-don.
thanne Augwis and Fortager to-gederis spoken son,
and his owne dowhter he ȝaf hym to wyve,
wherfore his peple wraththed as blyve,
for þat he lefte a part of his creaunce,
benchesown of his wyf, with-owte variaunce,
and for that cristened not sche was,
his meynes love lost he jn that plas;
and that wyste wel kyng Fortager.
and also of costantynes sones he dredde ther,
whiche that weren jn strawnge contre,
hym wolde owt-seken, ful Sykyrle,
Ful wel he wyste, not for his prow,
as Sykerly as that j telle it ȝow.
thanne thowhte he forto do maken anon
a ful strong towr of lym and ston;
that forto maken, he dyde it spede,
that he of non men scholde haue non drede.
thanne sente he abowtes jnto eche contre
For masowns and carponteris, ful sekerle,
and hem comanded jn alle manere
a passyng strong towr to maken there,
also strong as they cowden ony devyse,
that it were mad after here gyse,
and anon let ordeynen ston & morter
this forsaid towr to be-gynnen ther.
and whanne this werk was thus begonne,
& the heythe of fowre roddis vpe was j-ronne
aboven the erthe be here werkyng,
but aftyrwardis fil there a wondyr thing:
al that they wrowhten be the day,
be Nyht it was ouerthrowen, jn fay,
and be qwakyng of theke mowntayn,
there as they wrowhten, jn certayn.
whiche that weren jn strawnge contre,
hym wolde owt-seken, ful Sykyrle,
Ful wel he wyste, not for his prow,
as Sykerly as that j telle it ȝow.
thanne thowhte he forto do maken anon
53
that forto maken, he dyde it spede,
that he of non men scholde haue non drede.
thanne sente he abowtes jnto eche contre
For masowns and carponteris, ful sekerle,
and hem comanded jn alle manere
a passyng strong towr to maken there,
also strong as they cowden ony devyse,
that it were mad after here gyse,
and anon let ordeynen ston & morter
this forsaid towr to be-gynnen ther.
and whanne this werk was thus begonne,
& the heythe of fowre roddis vpe was j-ronne
aboven the erthe be here werkyng,
but aftyrwardis fil there a wondyr thing:
al that they wrowhten be the day,
be Nyht it was ouerthrowen, jn fay,
and be qwakyng of theke mowntayn,
there as they wrowhten, jn certayn.
whanne that Fortager beheld al this,
that his werk ne wolde not lasten, j-wis,
thanne was he bothe jn sorwe and care,
til þat he knew why it so gan fare.
thanne sent he abowtes jn al the lond
aftyr alle the wysest, as j vndirstond.
and whanne they weren asemblyd everychon,
To hem he Schewede this merveille anon.
and thanne answerid they anon:
“Sykerly, Syre, this connen we not don!
Ful worthi clerkis they mosten be,
for here-vppon they connen bet than we.”
thanne seide Fortager to hem ful snelle:
“j trowe the sothe that ȝe me telle.”
Anon messengeris gonnen gon welfaste
aftyr þe wisest clerkis anon jn haste
that myhte ben fownde jn al his lond,
as j do ȝow to vndirstond,
and tolde hem of that wondyr thing,
of his towr and of the Fallyng.
thanne of the wisest clerkes took he anon,
and jnto cownseyl gonne they gon,
& axede hem, ȝif they knewen ony resown,
why that his werk fyl so a-down.
“For, sekerly, it is j-told to me
that but be ȝow wyst it may not be.”
thanne answerid they hym jn here manere
That of sweche Craft knew they not there.
“but Somme clerkys here amongis vs ben
that of Astronomye konnen, as j wen.”
thanne quod fortager: “enqweryth ȝe
whiche of ȝoure felesche[pe] that jt be.”
thanne ech of hem axeden oþer there
whiche of that craft konneng were.
thanne of that compenye weren there tweyne
that of that craft cowden, certeyne,
as mochel as ony men lyveng;
thus was jt reported to the kyng.
that so the clerkes emparled Jn fere,
that atte laste of hem sevene there were,
and they weren lad anon to-fore the kyng
Forto tellen hym the aventure of this thing.
thanne axede hem the kyng anon
ȝif owht of that craft cowde they don,
and why that his Towr ne myhte not stonde,
hym forto telle that, myhten [they] fonde.
and they seiden that they cowden wel
of that cas tellen hym every del.
thanne swoor the kyng, so god hym save,
they scholde han what good that they wolde have.
that his werk ne wolde not lasten, j-wis,
thanne was he bothe jn sorwe and care,
til þat he knew why it so gan fare.
thanne sent he abowtes jn al the lond
aftyr alle the wysest, as j vndirstond.
and whanne they weren asemblyd everychon,
To hem he Schewede this merveille anon.
and thanne answerid they anon:
“Sykerly, Syre, this connen we not don!
Ful worthi clerkis they mosten be,
for here-vppon they connen bet than we.”
thanne seide Fortager to hem ful snelle:
“j trowe the sothe that ȝe me telle.”
Anon messengeris gonnen gon welfaste
aftyr þe wisest clerkis anon jn haste
that myhte ben fownde jn al his lond,
as j do ȝow to vndirstond,
and tolde hem of that wondyr thing,
54
thanne of the wisest clerkes took he anon,
and jnto cownseyl gonne they gon,
& axede hem, ȝif they knewen ony resown,
why that his werk fyl so a-down.
“For, sekerly, it is j-told to me
that but be ȝow wyst it may not be.”
thanne answerid they hym jn here manere
That of sweche Craft knew they not there.
“but Somme clerkys here amongis vs ben
that of Astronomye konnen, as j wen.”
thanne quod fortager: “enqweryth ȝe
whiche of ȝoure felesche[pe] that jt be.”
thanne ech of hem axeden oþer there
whiche of that craft konneng were.
thanne of that compenye weren there tweyne
that of that craft cowden, certeyne,
as mochel as ony men lyveng;
thus was jt reported to the kyng.
that so the clerkes emparled Jn fere,
that atte laste of hem sevene there were,
and they weren lad anon to-fore the kyng
Forto tellen hym the aventure of this thing.
thanne axede hem the kyng anon
ȝif owht of that craft cowde they don,
and why that his Towr ne myhte not stonde,
hym forto telle that, myhten [they] fonde.
and they seiden that they cowden wel
of that cas tellen hym every del.
thanne swoor the kyng, so god hym save,
they scholde han what good that they wolde have.
thanne departyd this cownseille anon
of these clerkis there everychon.
and theke same sevene beleften there stylle
The kynges Talent there to fulfille,
Forto schewen there here konneng,
alle the cause of the Towris fallyng.
These clerkis gonnen to stodyen welsore,
and ech of hem there provede his lore;
So that the more they stodyed, þe forthere they were.
thanne cam the kyng and axede hem there,
how that j-scholde stondyn of his thyng.
And as ȝit thanne cowden they tellen him non tydyng,
but axeden hym viij dayes of respyt.
thanne quod the kyng: “wel me lykyth Jt,
but loke that ȝe otterly be that day
of my towr the sothe that ȝe me say.”
Thanne wenten they to here cownseil ageyn,
and eche of hem gan to oþer seyn:
“what scholen wee werkyn jn this thing
hit Forto Bryngen to a good endyng?”
thanne bespak on of the Sevene there:
“let eche be hym-Selve his wyt schewen here,
how that jt Semeth hym of this cas,
let hym here Schewen jt jn this plas.”
and eche there schewede his verdit sone,
So that alle they acordid jnto one,
Sawf that of the towr knew they non thyng
what was the cause of the Fallyng.
But on gret merveille there they sye,
where-offen alle, ful trewelye,
Ful sore abasched alle they were,
For that merveille that they syen there,
that a child jn this erthe j-boren was
whiche erthly Fadir hadde neuere jn non plas.
thanne eche of hem to othir gan say:
“Let vs ben avised be the morwe of þe day.”
of these clerkis there everychon.
and theke same sevene beleften there stylle
The kynges Talent there to fulfille,
Forto schewen there here konneng,
alle the cause of the Towris fallyng.
55
and ech of hem there provede his lore;
So that the more they stodyed, þe forthere they were.
thanne cam the kyng and axede hem there,
how that j-scholde stondyn of his thyng.
And as ȝit thanne cowden they tellen him non tydyng,
but axeden hym viij dayes of respyt.
thanne quod the kyng: “wel me lykyth Jt,
but loke that ȝe otterly be that day
of my towr the sothe that ȝe me say.”
Thanne wenten they to here cownseil ageyn,
and eche of hem gan to oþer seyn:
“what scholen wee werkyn jn this thing
hit Forto Bryngen to a good endyng?”
thanne bespak on of the Sevene there:
“let eche be hym-Selve his wyt schewen here,
how that jt Semeth hym of this cas,
let hym here Schewen jt jn this plas.”
and eche there schewede his verdit sone,
So that alle they acordid jnto one,
Sawf that of the towr knew they non thyng
what was the cause of the Fallyng.
But on gret merveille there they sye,
where-offen alle, ful trewelye,
Ful sore abasched alle they were,
For that merveille that they syen there,
that a child jn this erthe j-boren was
whiche erthly Fadir hadde neuere jn non plas.
thanne eche of hem to othir gan say:
“Let vs ben avised be the morwe of þe day.”
| [Chapter II] Merlin, a Middle-English metrical version of a French romance | |