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 |  |
Thussone these messengeris gonne to gon,
and the kyng aftyr hem prekede anon.
Anon Whanne merlyne Sawgh that messenger,
to hem Spak he anon Ryht ther:
“ȝowre trowthe to me haven ȝe now plyht
me not to deren be day ne be nyht.”
“thou seist ful trewe,” quothen they anon,
“For vs, certein, harm getyst thou non,
For we hadden levere be aventure to deye
thanne the forto slen, certeinlye.”
“J schal ȝow tellen,” quod merlyne, “everydel,
how that ȝoure trowthe ȝe scholen saven ryht wel.”
and the kyng aftyr hem prekede anon.
Anon Whanne merlyne Sawgh that messenger,
to hem Spak he anon Ryht ther:
“ȝowre trowthe to me haven ȝe now plyht
me not to deren be day ne be nyht.”
“thou seist ful trewe,” quothen they anon,
“For vs, certein, harm getyst thou non,
For we hadden levere be aventure to deye
thanne the forto slen, certeinlye.”
“J schal ȝow tellen,” quod merlyne, “everydel,
70
Thus with merlyne ryden they forth Jn fere,
Tyl that with kyng Fortager metten they there.
and anon as evere merlyne hym Say,
streyth to the kyng he took his way,
and seide: “sire kyng, ful wel thou be!
A word jn cownseil wolde j speken with the.”
Anon took he there the kyng on syde,
and ek clepede the messengeres at þat tyde
That hym forto seken j-charged were
the sothe of hym forto enqwere.
“why that the Towr stonden ne myhte,
j schal the tellen, Syre, anon Ryhte,
and how þat thow comandedest me to sle
Be the cownseil of clerkys that false be,
and my blood al forto take
and þer-with thy morteer for to make.
but ȝit they Fayllen of here art,
for of that konnenge hauen they non part.
but sire kyng, and þou wilt enswren me here
the same Jewyse to don jn alle manere
vppon hem as thou wost hauen don be me,
J schal the tellen, ful sykerle,
the cause why þat thy towr doth falle,
so openly, that ȝe scholen knowen it alle,
and declaren openly alle ȝow be-Fore
how þat it schal lasten for Euere more.
ȝif thou wylt don as j the say,
telle me now, sire kyng, owther ȝe oþer nay.”
thanne answered the kyng ageyn:
“ȝif þou do as that þou seist, jn certeyn,
the same jewise scholen they have
as þou scholdest han had, so god me save.”
“go we, sire, thanne,” quod merlyne tho,
“thedir that thy towr ȝou begynnest so,
and thike same clerkis brynge with the,
thanne there the sothe Mihtest þou se,
ȝif they connen owht seyn, amonges hem alle,
whi that thy towr doth so down falle.”
so wenten they forth alle jn fere,
and the clerkis sent aftyr were
to thike there as the towr was dyht;
thedyr comen they alle anon ryht.
Tyl that with kyng Fortager metten they there.
and anon as evere merlyne hym Say,
streyth to the kyng he took his way,
and seide: “sire kyng, ful wel thou be!
A word jn cownseil wolde j speken with the.”
Anon took he there the kyng on syde,
and ek clepede the messengeres at þat tyde
That hym forto seken j-charged were
the sothe of hym forto enqwere.
“why that the Towr stonden ne myhte,
j schal the tellen, Syre, anon Ryhte,
and how þat thow comandedest me to sle
Be the cownseil of clerkys that false be,
and my blood al forto take
and þer-with thy morteer for to make.
but ȝit they Fayllen of here art,
for of that konnenge hauen they non part.
but sire kyng, and þou wilt enswren me here
the same Jewyse to don jn alle manere
vppon hem as thou wost hauen don be me,
J schal the tellen, ful sykerle,
the cause why þat thy towr doth falle,
so openly, that ȝe scholen knowen it alle,
and declaren openly alle ȝow be-Fore
how þat it schal lasten for Euere more.
ȝif thou wylt don as j the say,
telle me now, sire kyng, owther ȝe oþer nay.”
thanne answered the kyng ageyn:
“ȝif þou do as that þou seist, jn certeyn,
the same jewise scholen they have
as þou scholdest han had, so god me save.”
“go we, sire, thanne,” quod merlyne tho,
“thedir that thy towr ȝou begynnest so,
and thike same clerkis brynge with the,
thanne there the sothe Mihtest þou se,
ȝif they connen owht seyn, amonges hem alle,
71
so wenten they forth alle jn fere,
and the clerkis sent aftyr were
to thike there as the towr was dyht;
thedyr comen they alle anon ryht.
| [Chapter II] Merlin, a Middle-English metrical version of a French romance | |