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 |  |
Forth thanne wente the messengeris anon,
and to this womman there gonnen they gon,
& token hire on syde evene ryht there,
aposynge hire thus jn this manere;
every word, ryht as merlyne bad,
anon to this womman there they sayd.
and whanne this womman herde this,
Ful sore abasched sche was, j-wys,
and to hem seide Jn this manere:
“me thynketh, to ȝow may j not lyen here,
For trewly, as ȝe seyn now, it Js,
j may not the contrarye seyn, j-wys.
but lordynges, j preye ȝow for charite
that to my lord ne discureth not me,
For owther he wolde me slen anon,
owther owt of his compenye j scholde be don.”
and whanne they knewen that it was so,
aȝen to merlyne gonnen they to go,
and thankyde hym of his Talkyng,
of whiche they hadden gret merveyllyng.
and to this womman there gonnen they gon,
& token hire on syde evene ryht there,
aposynge hire thus jn this manere;
every word, ryht as merlyne bad,
anon to this womman there they sayd.
and whanne this womman herde this,
Ful sore abasched sche was, j-wys,
and to hem seide Jn this manere:
“me thynketh, to ȝow may j not lyen here,
For trewly, as ȝe seyn now, it Js,
j may not the contrarye seyn, j-wys.
but lordynges, j preye ȝow for charite
that to my lord ne discureth not me,
For owther he wolde me slen anon,
owther owt of his compenye j scholde be don.”
and whanne they knewen that it was so,
aȝen to merlyne gonnen they to go,
and thankyde hym of his Talkyng,
of whiche they hadden gret merveyllyng.
and so jn here jorne gonnen they ryde,
Towardis kyng Fortager þat same tyde.
and whanne they comen there the kyng was,
thanne seiden tweyne of hem jn that plas,
and spoken to merlyne j[n] the plyht,
that to the kyng wolden they gon ful ryht,
and tellen hym what they han fownde.
thanne preyden they merlyne that jlke stownde
hem forto cownseillen, what they scholde say,
lest they weren blamed Jn ony way,
For be-cawse they hadden hym not slayn,
as they weren comawnded, jn certayn.
“For, be aventure, we scholen ben schent,
that we ne hadden þe slayn, verament.”
“Now, leve Sires,” quod merlyne thanne,
“and ȝe wil don as J schal ȝow kenne,
J-blamed scholen ȝe neuere be
Jn non manere wise, Sires, for me.
Anon to kyng Fortager faste scholen ȝe go,
and jn this wyse that ȝe seyne hym vnto:
lik as that ȝe haven me j-fownde,
and that j kan hym tellen with-jnne a stownde
why that his towr ne may not stonde;
and that wile j ful sone taken on honde,
on covenaunt the clerkis he wil Slen,
lik as they desireden J scholde haue ben.
For telleth hym that j knowe the cause why
wherfore they wolden me don slen, trewly.
and whanne ȝe haven told hym al this,
loketh his byddyng ȝe don with-owten mys.”
Towardis kyng Fortager þat same tyde.
and whanne they comen there the kyng was,
thanne seiden tweyne of hem jn that plas,
and spoken to merlyne j[n] the plyht,
that to the kyng wolden they gon ful ryht,
and tellen hym what they han fownde.
thanne preyden they merlyne that jlke stownde
hem forto cownseillen, what they scholde say,
lest they weren blamed Jn ony way,
For be-cawse they hadden hym not slayn,
as they weren comawnded, jn certayn.
“For, be aventure, we scholen ben schent,
that we ne hadden þe slayn, verament.”
68
“and ȝe wil don as J schal ȝow kenne,
J-blamed scholen ȝe neuere be
Jn non manere wise, Sires, for me.
Anon to kyng Fortager faste scholen ȝe go,
and jn this wyse that ȝe seyne hym vnto:
lik as that ȝe haven me j-fownde,
and that j kan hym tellen with-jnne a stownde
why that his towr ne may not stonde;
and that wile j ful sone taken on honde,
on covenaunt the clerkis he wil Slen,
lik as they desireden J scholde haue ben.
For telleth hym that j knowe the cause why
wherfore they wolden me don slen, trewly.
and whanne ȝe haven told hym al this,
loketh his byddyng ȝe don with-owten mys.”
thus departyd the messengeris from hym, trewelye,
and to kyng Fortager anon comen they jn hye.
whanne that kyng Fortager gan hem beholde,
Ful joyeful he was Jn many Folde,
and axede of hem how they hadden sped
of thike arende that he on hem leyd.
“Sire,” quod these messengeris, “so as we myhte,
we scholen ȝow it tellen anon Ryhte.”
thanne took hem the kyng Jn cownseyl anon,
and they hym tolde there Ryht son
how that they hadden merlyne j-fownde,
jn what manere, and with-jnne what stownde.
“and but ȝif it hadde ben his owne wille,
we cowde nevere hauen comen hym vntylle.”
thanne seide the kyng to hem Ryht tho:
“what is thike merlyne þat ȝe speken of so?
j bad ȝow seken, ful plenerlye,
a Fadirles child, ful vtterlye,
that was neuere begeten of erthly man;
of this mater telleth me, as ȝe kan!
and þerto the blood of hym me brynge,
this was ȝoure charge, with-owten lesynge.”
“Sire, this same merlyne Js he
of whom that ȝe speken, ful sykirle.
and therto the wisest man he is one
þat evere was born, except god alone.
and that oth that ȝe maden vs swere,
we han it fulfyld, as ȝe now here.”
and ȝit the messengeris tolden him more,
that his clerkis cowden non skele thore
him forto tellen the cawse why
that his towr myhte not stonden, trewely.
“but anon apertly he wil ȝow telle
why the cause ȝoure towr doth falle.
and þerfore he vs hyder to the sente
Forto knowen of ȝoure entente.
ȝif that ȝe wolden owht with hym speke,
thanne wolde he to ȝow his herte Breke;
and of othir merveilles he wyl ȝow say,
what aftyr schal be-fallen many a day.
and ȝif ȝe welen, we scholen hym Sle,
For tweyne felawes of owre with him be.”
“Nay,” quod the kyng, “and it be so,
that he cowde syker tellen me vnto
the cause of my towris Fallyng,
thanne wolde j that ȝe hym slowen for non thing.
and ȝif he conne me tellen, certeynle,
and that ȝe bryngen hym to me.”
and to kyng Fortager anon comen they jn hye.
whanne that kyng Fortager gan hem beholde,
Ful joyeful he was Jn many Folde,
and axede of hem how they hadden sped
of thike arende that he on hem leyd.
“Sire,” quod these messengeris, “so as we myhte,
we scholen ȝow it tellen anon Ryhte.”
thanne took hem the kyng Jn cownseyl anon,
and they hym tolde there Ryht son
how that they hadden merlyne j-fownde,
jn what manere, and with-jnne what stownde.
“and but ȝif it hadde ben his owne wille,
we cowde nevere hauen comen hym vntylle.”
thanne seide the kyng to hem Ryht tho:
“what is thike merlyne þat ȝe speken of so?
j bad ȝow seken, ful plenerlye,
a Fadirles child, ful vtterlye,
that was neuere begeten of erthly man;
of this mater telleth me, as ȝe kan!
and þerto the blood of hym me brynge,
this was ȝoure charge, with-owten lesynge.”
“Sire, this same merlyne Js he
of whom that ȝe speken, ful sykirle.
69
þat evere was born, except god alone.
and that oth that ȝe maden vs swere,
we han it fulfyld, as ȝe now here.”
and ȝit the messengeris tolden him more,
that his clerkis cowden non skele thore
him forto tellen the cawse why
that his towr myhte not stonden, trewely.
“but anon apertly he wil ȝow telle
why the cause ȝoure towr doth falle.
and þerfore he vs hyder to the sente
Forto knowen of ȝoure entente.
ȝif that ȝe wolden owht with hym speke,
thanne wolde he to ȝow his herte Breke;
and of othir merveilles he wyl ȝow say,
what aftyr schal be-fallen many a day.
and ȝif ȝe welen, we scholen hym Sle,
For tweyne felawes of owre with him be.”
“Nay,” quod the kyng, “and it be so,
that he cowde syker tellen me vnto
the cause of my towris Fallyng,
thanne wolde j that ȝe hym slowen for non thing.
and ȝif he conne me tellen, certeynle,
and that ȝe bryngen hym to me.”
| [Chapter II] Merlin, a Middle-English metrical version of a French romance | |