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 |  |
Thanne this Blayse clepid merlyne anon
hym for to axen of a prevy qwestion,
and axede of merlyne ful prevyle
ȝif they hadden ony wyl hym for to sle.
and merlyn gan to Lawhen & seide: “Nay,
Ful wel here wylle j knowe, jn fay,
for ȝe scholen comen and ȝoure-self here
of here Sewraunce Jn alle manere.”
Now quod merlyne: “J schal with ȝow go,
ȝif that ȝe welen enswren me vnto
that ȝe scholen me bryngen to-fore þe kyng
with-owten ony harm oþer bodyly hyndryng,
and that non harm be don to me,
tyl that j haue hym bothe spoken & se.”
So that to hym maden they here Surawnce
him there to bryngen with-owten Nosawnce.
hym for to axen of a prevy qwestion,
and axede of merlyne ful prevyle
ȝif they hadden ony wyl hym for to sle.
and merlyn gan to Lawhen & seide: “Nay,
Ful wel here wylle j knowe, jn fay,
for ȝe scholen comen and ȝoure-self here
of here Sewraunce Jn alle manere.”
Now quod merlyne: “J schal with ȝow go,
ȝif that ȝe welen enswren me vnto
that ȝe scholen me bryngen to-fore þe kyng
with-owten ony harm oþer bodyly hyndryng,
and that non harm be don to me,
tyl that j haue hym bothe spoken & se.”
So that to hym maden they here Surawnce
him there to bryngen with-owten Nosawnce.
“Now Se j,” quod Blayse to hym anone,
“That thou wilt me beleven here alone.
Now telle thou me thanne what j schal do
of this Book that j have be-gonnen so.”
“that schal j the telle,” quod merlyne anon,
“er that j from the owt this place wil gon.
vndirstondist thou not wel this,
that god to me hath sent, j-wys,
bothe wyt, mynde, and memorye
alle manere of thinges to discrye,
more thanne to ony erthliche man?
this thow supposyst that J kan.
So that they that me supposid to have,
han me forlost, and god wyl me save,
and me hath chosen to his Servise,
Swich forto don as j kan devyse,
that non man neþer kan don but J,
J seye ȝow, maister, ful trewely.
and therefore me behoueth to go
thedyr as these men comen fro
jnto this contre to seken me here;
with hem wyle j forth gon jn fere.
and there schal J so moche thing seyn,
that þe peple jn me schal beleven, pleyn,
and holden me for the wisest man one
that on erthe Js except god alone.
and thider schalt þou come and þere fulfylle
The werk that j to þe spak of vntylle.
but with me thedyr schalt thou not gone,
but aftyr thedir schal thow comen alone,
and axen jnto Northhumberland,
þe whiche is a wilde contre, þou vndirstand.
and þere schalt þow knowelichyng haue
þere forto dwellen and þere to be save.
and thider schal j comen to the
and the Schewen many diuers secre,
& also bryngen to the alle maner of thyng
That behoueth to thy werkyng.
and ful wel alowed schalt thou be
For thy Travaille, ful Sykerle:
jn this world, joye to thy lyf,
and aftir, endles blisse with-owten stryf.
and as longe as jn this world here
that ony man lyveth jn goddis manere,
that werk evere beloved schal be
and be herd of the peple ful hertyle.
and weteth wel that my gret travaylle
begynneth not ȝit, with-owten Faylle,
Ne not ne schal jn non wyse,
Tyl that come the fowrthe kyng, a man of pryse.
and jn his tyme myn travaylle Schal be,
also the aventures of gret Breteygne, sykirle;
hos Name schal ben kyng Arthowr,
a ful worthy kyng and of gret honour.
thanne schalt thou comen jnto that contre
of whiche that ferst [j] told of the.
and thedyr to the schal J fonge
Ful often-tymes, evere amonge,
the forto maken to vndyrstonde
alle thynges that ben don jn breteygne londe,
and ek that after scholen befalle,
Jn thy book to putten hem alle.
For wete thow wel, Jn certeyn,
mochel more schal it be herd, & more pleyn.
For there ne schal nothing jn this lond be,
Nethir litel ne mochel, jn non degre,
Nethir don ne wrowht jn non manere,
That to thy book profitable were,
anon jn thy Book it schal be do,
For knowen schal it be for evere mo.
and the Name of thy Bok schal be
J-clepyd seint Graal, ful Sykirle.”
“That thou wilt me beleven here alone.
Now telle thou me thanne what j schal do
of this Book that j have be-gonnen so.”
“that schal j the telle,” quod merlyne anon,
“er that j from the owt this place wil gon.
vndirstondist thou not wel this,
that god to me hath sent, j-wys,
bothe wyt, mynde, and memorye
alle manere of thinges to discrye,
more thanne to ony erthliche man?
this thow supposyst that J kan.
So that they that me supposid to have,
62
and me hath chosen to his Servise,
Swich forto don as j kan devyse,
that non man neþer kan don but J,
J seye ȝow, maister, ful trewely.
and therefore me behoueth to go
thedyr as these men comen fro
jnto this contre to seken me here;
with hem wyle j forth gon jn fere.
and there schal J so moche thing seyn,
that þe peple jn me schal beleven, pleyn,
and holden me for the wisest man one
that on erthe Js except god alone.
and thider schalt þou come and þere fulfylle
The werk that j to þe spak of vntylle.
but with me thedyr schalt thou not gone,
but aftyr thedir schal thow comen alone,
and axen jnto Northhumberland,
þe whiche is a wilde contre, þou vndirstand.
and þere schalt þow knowelichyng haue
þere forto dwellen and þere to be save.
and thider schal j comen to the
and the Schewen many diuers secre,
& also bryngen to the alle maner of thyng
That behoueth to thy werkyng.
and ful wel alowed schalt thou be
For thy Travaille, ful Sykerle:
jn this world, joye to thy lyf,
and aftir, endles blisse with-owten stryf.
and as longe as jn this world here
that ony man lyveth jn goddis manere,
that werk evere beloved schal be
and be herd of the peple ful hertyle.
and weteth wel that my gret travaylle
begynneth not ȝit, with-owten Faylle,
Ne not ne schal jn non wyse,
Tyl that come the fowrthe kyng, a man of pryse.
and jn his tyme myn travaylle Schal be,
63
hos Name schal ben kyng Arthowr,
a ful worthy kyng and of gret honour.
thanne schalt thou comen jnto that contre
of whiche that ferst [j] told of the.
and thedyr to the schal J fonge
Ful often-tymes, evere amonge,
the forto maken to vndyrstonde
alle thynges that ben don jn breteygne londe,
and ek that after scholen befalle,
Jn thy book to putten hem alle.
For wete thow wel, Jn certeyn,
mochel more schal it be herd, & more pleyn.
For there ne schal nothing jn this lond be,
Nethir litel ne mochel, jn non degre,
Nethir don ne wrowht jn non manere,
That to thy book profitable were,
anon jn thy Book it schal be do,
For knowen schal it be for evere mo.
and the Name of thy Bok schal be
J-clepyd seint Graal, ful Sykirle.”
and thus merlyne to his maister spak there,
and hym thus tolde jn dyvers manere
what maner of thing that he scholde do,
Ere that he diparted his maister fro.
and “maister” he clepid him for this manere,
For maister to his modir he was everywhere.
whanne Blayse with merlyn thus hadde j-spoken,
Thanne was his herte jn joye be-loken,
and to merlyne he seide anon tho:
“what so thou comandest me to do,
and j mowe it don jn ony degre,
J schal it don, ful sekerle.”
and hym thus tolde jn dyvers manere
what maner of thing that he scholde do,
Ere that he diparted his maister fro.
and “maister” he clepid him for this manere,
For maister to his modir he was everywhere.
whanne Blayse with merlyn thus hadde j-spoken,
Thanne was his herte jn joye be-loken,
and to merlyne he seide anon tho:
“what so thou comandest me to do,
and j mowe it don jn ony degre,
J schal it don, ful sekerle.”
Thanne anon merlyne tornede ageyn
To the messengeres his weye, ful pleyn,
and seide that he wolde nedes go
his leve of his modir to taken tho.
Thanne ledde he these messengeris forth anon,
and to his modir gonne they gon.
“Swete modyr, j telle now the,
here ben comen men from fer contre
and of strange place to seken me here,
wherfore with hem moste j go jn alle manere.
therfore j come my leve to take,
that non morneng for me ȝe make;
and forto fulfille goddis Servyse
Thider most j gon jn alle wyse.
For j ne may not his wyl fulfylle,
Tyl jnto that Lond j come vntylle,
whedir so evere he wil me lede
there his wille forto spede.
and Blaise, that is ȝoure maister dere,
thedyr schal comen also jn fere;
So that bothen vs tweyne moste ȝe forgon,
and for vs here behoveth ȝow to dwellen alon.”
thanne seide to hym his modir agein:
“sethen it may non oþer ben, jn certeyn,
j comande ȝow to god al-myht,
For it is Nethyr jn my power ne myht
ȝow with-holden aȝens ȝoure wille,
what that evere j seye ȝow vntylle.
But siker, sone, and ȝoure willes be,
j wolde that Blayse schold leven with me.”
“Forsothe, modir, he ne may not So,
For Nedylynges thedyr moste He go.”
To the messengeres his weye, ful pleyn,
and seide that he wolde nedes go
his leve of his modir to taken tho.
64
and to his modir gonne they gon.
“Swete modyr, j telle now the,
here ben comen men from fer contre
and of strange place to seken me here,
wherfore with hem moste j go jn alle manere.
therfore j come my leve to take,
that non morneng for me ȝe make;
and forto fulfille goddis Servyse
Thider most j gon jn alle wyse.
For j ne may not his wyl fulfylle,
Tyl jnto that Lond j come vntylle,
whedir so evere he wil me lede
there his wille forto spede.
and Blaise, that is ȝoure maister dere,
thedyr schal comen also jn fere;
So that bothen vs tweyne moste ȝe forgon,
and for vs here behoveth ȝow to dwellen alon.”
thanne seide to hym his modir agein:
“sethen it may non oþer ben, jn certeyn,
j comande ȝow to god al-myht,
For it is Nethyr jn my power ne myht
ȝow with-holden aȝens ȝoure wille,
what that evere j seye ȝow vntylle.
But siker, sone, and ȝoure willes be,
j wolde that Blayse schold leven with me.”
“Forsothe, modir, he ne may not So,
For Nedylynges thedyr moste He go.”
| [Chapter II] Merlin, a Middle-English metrical version of a French romance | |