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 II] Merlin, a Middle-English metrical version of a French romance |  |
Thus ryden these fowre Jn compenye,
tyl vppon a day jt happede, ful trewelye,
Thorwh a fayr medewe as they gonne ryde,
weren many children pleyeng jn that tyde.
and merlyne, that knew alle thencheson
of tho messengeris comeng so son,
and wiste ful wel that they him sowghte,
anon to a riche mannes sone he rawhte.
For he wiste ful wel that he wolde wroth be,
ȝif that he hym smete, fulle Sykerle;
Thanne lefte He vpe His staf Anon
and overthwert the Schenys smot him thus son.
Anon this child be-gan to crye
with a lowd voys ful angerlye,
and there Reprovyd this merlyne,
and clepid him “fowle false fowndelyne,
that Nevere Fadyr haddest thow here,
thou fowle fowndelyng, thou fals bismere.”
and whanne þe messengeris herden of this,
Towardis that child they drowen, j-wys,
and hym axede jn here manere
what he was that hym so smot þere.
thanne answerid the child anon ageyn:
“Jt is a wommans sone here, jn certeyn,
that wot neuere ho that the Fadyr was,
Nethir ho that him begat, jn non plas.”
whanne merlyne herde that he seide so,
Towardis hem faste he gan to go,
and spak to hem with a lawheng chere:
“j am he whom that ȝe seken here,
And also hos deth that ȝe han swore;
lo, here j stonde now ȝow before!
For that my blood with ȝow scholde ȝe bere
To kyng Fortager jn alle manere.”
and whanne that the messengeris herden hym seyn so,
anon thanne alle abasched weren they tho,
and so tolden hym it was, ful certeynle.
“ȝe, that wiste j ful wel longe er ȝe.”
thanne seide the messengeris to hym ageyn:
“with vs mostest thou gon, Jn certeyn.”
“that ful gladliche wyl j now do,
ȝif it so be that ȝe not me Slo.”
but ȝit merlyn wiste Ful wel
þat þerto talent hadden they neuere a del.
but merlyne Seyde this be enchesown
To wyten what they wolden seyn anon,
and seide to hem: “ȝif that ȝe wilen grawnten me
that ȝe welen neither me distroyen ne sle,
with ȝow wile j gon forto Fonde
and telle why that þe towr ne may not stonde.”
& whanne they herden the child tho speken this,
thanne mochel more abasched weren they, j-wys,
and seiden that—“this child wondris doth speke;
Jt were pyte on hym to ben awreke.”
So that eche to othyr gan forto seyn:
“Rathere forsworn scholen we ben, jn certeyn,
thanne jn ony wyse hym Scholde we Sle,
Sekyrly, for vs Jt Schal not now be.”
“Sires,” quod merlyne, “with me scholen ȝe go,
and ȝowre herberwe j schal bryngen ȝow vnto,
and loggen jn place there as my modyr js,
& also anothir good man, with-owten mys;
For with-owten here leve j ne may not go,
Certein, Sires, J sey ȝow vnto.”
Thanne answeryd these messengeris ageyn:
“With the to gon we ben ful fayn
jnto what place thow wylt vs lede;
with the scholen we go with-owten drede.”
So wenten they with merlyn jnto that plas,
jnto a nonnerye, there his modyr was,
and merlyne chargede that meyne echon
Ful good chere the messengeris to don.
tyl vppon a day jt happede, ful trewelye,
Thorwh a fayr medewe as they gonne ryde,
weren many children pleyeng jn that tyde.
and merlyne, that knew alle thencheson
of tho messengeris comeng so son,
and wiste ful wel that they him sowghte,
anon to a riche mannes sone he rawhte.
For he wiste ful wel that he wolde wroth be,
ȝif that he hym smete, fulle Sykerle;
Thanne lefte He vpe His staf Anon
and overthwert the Schenys smot him thus son.
Anon this child be-gan to crye
with a lowd voys ful angerlye,
and there Reprovyd this merlyne,
and clepid him “fowle false fowndelyne,
that Nevere Fadyr haddest thow here,
thou fowle fowndelyng, thou fals bismere.”
and whanne þe messengeris herden of this,
Towardis that child they drowen, j-wys,
and hym axede jn here manere
what he was that hym so smot þere.
thanne answerid the child anon ageyn:
“Jt is a wommans sone here, jn certeyn,
that wot neuere ho that the Fadyr was,
Nethir ho that him begat, jn non plas.”
58
Towardis hem faste he gan to go,
and spak to hem with a lawheng chere:
“j am he whom that ȝe seken here,
And also hos deth that ȝe han swore;
lo, here j stonde now ȝow before!
For that my blood with ȝow scholde ȝe bere
To kyng Fortager jn alle manere.”
and whanne that the messengeris herden hym seyn so,
anon thanne alle abasched weren they tho,
and so tolden hym it was, ful certeynle.
“ȝe, that wiste j ful wel longe er ȝe.”
thanne seide the messengeris to hym ageyn:
“with vs mostest thou gon, Jn certeyn.”
“that ful gladliche wyl j now do,
ȝif it so be that ȝe not me Slo.”
but ȝit merlyn wiste Ful wel
þat þerto talent hadden they neuere a del.
but merlyne Seyde this be enchesown
To wyten what they wolden seyn anon,
and seide to hem: “ȝif that ȝe wilen grawnten me
that ȝe welen neither me distroyen ne sle,
with ȝow wile j gon forto Fonde
and telle why that þe towr ne may not stonde.”
& whanne they herden the child tho speken this,
thanne mochel more abasched weren they, j-wys,
and seiden that—“this child wondris doth speke;
Jt were pyte on hym to ben awreke.”
So that eche to othyr gan forto seyn:
“Rathere forsworn scholen we ben, jn certeyn,
thanne jn ony wyse hym Scholde we Sle,
Sekyrly, for vs Jt Schal not now be.”
“Sires,” quod merlyne, “with me scholen ȝe go,
and ȝowre herberwe j schal bryngen ȝow vnto,
and loggen jn place there as my modyr js,
& also anothir good man, with-owten mys;
For with-owten here leve j ne may not go,
Certein, Sires, J sey ȝow vnto.”
59
“With the to gon we ben ful fayn
jnto what place thow wylt vs lede;
with the scholen we go with-owten drede.”
So wenten they with merlyn jnto that plas,
jnto a nonnerye, there his modyr was,
and merlyne chargede that meyne echon
Ful good chere the messengeris to don.
Anon as that of here hors they weren lyht adown,
To-forn Blasye he dyde hem comen anon.
“Lo, Sire,” quod merlyne to Blasye tho,
“behold here tho men that me seken to slo.
And j ȝow preye, sires, now alle jn fere
That trewe Witnesse ȝe Welen beren me Here
To-forn this goodman that here Js,
ȝif that j lye owther sey owht amys.
haue j not Told ȝow the cause why
that ȝe me comen to seken, verrayly?”
and they seiden: “ȝis, ful Sykerle!”
of wheche they wondrid how it myhte be.
thanne seide merlyn to Blayse there:
“now vndirstondith what j schal sein here.”
To the messengeris thanne seide he tho:
“Kyng Fortager now comen ȝe fro,
whiche kyng, a gret towr doth he make
onliche for strengthe for his owne sake,
the wheche towr ne may not stonde
For non werkyng of mannes honde,
but that jn an owr down doth it go,
as mochel as they maken jn a mounthe oþer two.
wherfore that the kyng, ful wroth he js,
and aftyr his clergyse hath sent, J-wys,
but of this non Resown conne they telle,
of that towr, why that it Felle;
Ne non othir thyng ne cowden they se,
but that a child born scholde there be
that hadde non erthly fadyr here.
and vppon this they acordid jn fere,
that swich a child they scholden sle,
and the blood to-forn hym j-browht to be,
to leyn that blood jn the fundement,
thanne scholde the towr stondyn, verament.
and whanne that þe kyng herde of this,
thanne merveillede he mochel here-offen, j-wys.
and so the clerkis comanded him anon
that nedis this thing scholde be don.
and anon as they me Fownde,
they scholden slen me that jlke stownde,
and my blood forth with hem bere
to kyng Fortager, tyl they comen there,
and don tempre my blood with that mortere;
thanne seiden [they] the towr scholde stondyn there.
Anon kyng fortager thorwh here Red
Sente xij messengeris jn-to every sted,
of wheche xij these fowre now be
that hider ben comen forto seken me.
but ferst alle xij he mad hem to swere,
vppon here Sewraunce, to-forn him there,
that be ony weye they scholden me sle
the ferste tyme they myhten me Se.
and as thorwgh the medewe they gonne Ryde
where as manye children pleyden that tyde,
j knew ful wel here cause anon,
and to þe beste of hem alle j gan to to gon,
and him there smot j wondyr sore,
For that j wyste ful wel before
that the werste he wolde sein be me
that he cowde onne thinken jn ony degre.
and that dede j for non othyr thing,
but for these men of me scholden hauen knoweng.
Now, maister Blayse,” quod merlyne, “j preye the,
So axe now of hem ȝif this trewe be.”
“Now certes, maister,” quod the messengeris, “j-wis,
Ryht as he seith, forsothe now it Js.
as god vs brynge jnto owre contre,
Jt is ful trewe that he telleth the.”
“Now certes,” quod this maister thanne,
“& he mot lyve, he wil ben a wys manne,
and therfore pite it were hym to qwelle
Forsothe, Lordynges, as J ȝow telle.”
thanne quod these messengeris: “certeinle,
For vs, be owre Sewraunce, schal he nevere ded be,
For we hadden moche more levere that owre kyng
dysherite vs of al owre worldly thyng.
For ful wel knoweth he that wot al this,
that talent therto haven we non, j-wis.”
To-forn Blasye he dyde hem comen anon.
“Lo, Sire,” quod merlyne to Blasye tho,
“behold here tho men that me seken to slo.
And j ȝow preye, sires, now alle jn fere
That trewe Witnesse ȝe Welen beren me Here
To-forn this goodman that here Js,
ȝif that j lye owther sey owht amys.
haue j not Told ȝow the cause why
that ȝe me comen to seken, verrayly?”
and they seiden: “ȝis, ful Sykerle!”
of wheche they wondrid how it myhte be.
thanne seide merlyn to Blayse there:
“now vndirstondith what j schal sein here.”
To the messengeris thanne seide he tho:
“Kyng Fortager now comen ȝe fro,
whiche kyng, a gret towr doth he make
onliche for strengthe for his owne sake,
the wheche towr ne may not stonde
For non werkyng of mannes honde,
but that jn an owr down doth it go,
as mochel as they maken jn a mounthe oþer two.
wherfore that the kyng, ful wroth he js,
and aftyr his clergyse hath sent, J-wys,
but of this non Resown conne they telle,
of that towr, why that it Felle;
Ne non othir thyng ne cowden they se,
but that a child born scholde there be
that hadde non erthly fadyr here.
and vppon this they acordid jn fere,
that swich a child they scholden sle,
and the blood to-forn hym j-browht to be,
60
thanne scholde the towr stondyn, verament.
and whanne that þe kyng herde of this,
thanne merveillede he mochel here-offen, j-wys.
and so the clerkis comanded him anon
that nedis this thing scholde be don.
and anon as they me Fownde,
they scholden slen me that jlke stownde,
and my blood forth with hem bere
to kyng Fortager, tyl they comen there,
and don tempre my blood with that mortere;
thanne seiden [they] the towr scholde stondyn there.
Anon kyng fortager thorwh here Red
Sente xij messengeris jn-to every sted,
of wheche xij these fowre now be
that hider ben comen forto seken me.
but ferst alle xij he mad hem to swere,
vppon here Sewraunce, to-forn him there,
that be ony weye they scholden me sle
the ferste tyme they myhten me Se.
and as thorwgh the medewe they gonne Ryde
where as manye children pleyden that tyde,
j knew ful wel here cause anon,
and to þe beste of hem alle j gan to to gon,
and him there smot j wondyr sore,
For that j wyste ful wel before
that the werste he wolde sein be me
that he cowde onne thinken jn ony degre.
and that dede j for non othyr thing,
but for these men of me scholden hauen knoweng.
Now, maister Blayse,” quod merlyne, “j preye the,
So axe now of hem ȝif this trewe be.”
“Now certes, maister,” quod the messengeris, “j-wis,
Ryht as he seith, forsothe now it Js.
as god vs brynge jnto owre contre,
Jt is ful trewe that he telleth the.”
“Now certes,” quod this maister thanne,
“& he mot lyve, he wil ben a wys manne,
61
Forsothe, Lordynges, as J ȝow telle.”
thanne quod these messengeris: “certeinle,
For vs, be owre Sewraunce, schal he nevere ded be,
For we hadden moche more levere that owre kyng
dysherite vs of al owre worldly thyng.
For ful wel knoweth he that wot al this,
that talent therto haven we non, j-wis.”
| [Chapter II] Merlin, a Middle-English metrical version of a French romance | |