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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| III. |
| IV. |
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| VII. |
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| IX. |
| X. |
| XI. |
| XII. |
| XIII. |
| XIV. |
 | [Chapter II] Merlin, a Middle-English metrical version of a French romance |  |
Thus weren these diches sone there mad,
as merlyne it ordeynede, comaunded, and bad.
and this water his cowrs there hadde,
and be this craft jnto othire contres ladde.
thanne cam merlyne to kyng fortagere,
and thus anon tolde hym there
that—“also sone as the dragouns to-gyderes fele,
be-twixen hem schal be-gynnen a sory mele,
For they to-gederis ful sore scholen fyhte,
and the ton the tothyr Schal slen owt ryhte.
and therfore Sende thou thy messengeris anon
To alle thy Barowns now everychon,
to sen this bataylle that schal ben here
of these dragowns that scholen fyhten jn fere;
For the bataylle of hem and that chawnse
Nis not with-owten gret Signyfyawnse.”
thanne sente kyng Fortager forth anon
his messengerys, as faste as they myhten gon,
to warnen bothe Barown, bacheler, & knyht,
and alle othere that gon owther ryden myht.
and whanne they weren assembled echon,
thanne seide kyng Fortager to hem anon,
and tolde hem of manye a wondyr thyng
That scholde be-falle be merlynes talkyng,
And How the two dragowns to-gederes scholen fyhte,
and the ton the tothyr to slen anon Ryhte.
thanne ech to other seide, certeynle,
that this bataylle were ful good to se.
thanne axeden they of the kyng ful sone
which of þe dragowns scholde on lyve gone.
than answered hem the kyng ageyn:
“that tolde he not me ȝit, jn certeyn.”
as merlyne it ordeynede, comaunded, and bad.
and this water his cowrs there hadde,
and be this craft jnto othire contres ladde.
thanne cam merlyne to kyng fortagere,
and thus anon tolde hym there
that—“also sone as the dragouns to-gyderes fele,
be-twixen hem schal be-gynnen a sory mele,
For they to-gederis ful sore scholen fyhte,
and the ton the tothyr Schal slen owt ryhte.
and therfore Sende thou thy messengeris anon
To alle thy Barowns now everychon,
to sen this bataylle that schal ben here
of these dragowns that scholen fyhten jn fere;
For the bataylle of hem and that chawnse
Nis not with-owten gret Signyfyawnse.”
thanne sente kyng Fortager forth anon
his messengerys, as faste as they myhten gon,
to warnen bothe Barown, bacheler, & knyht,
75
and whanne they weren assembled echon,
thanne seide kyng Fortager to hem anon,
and tolde hem of manye a wondyr thyng
That scholde be-falle be merlynes talkyng,
And How the two dragowns to-gederes scholen fyhte,
and the ton the tothyr to slen anon Ryhte.
thanne ech to other seide, certeynle,
that this bataylle were ful good to se.
thanne axeden they of the kyng ful sone
which of þe dragowns scholde on lyve gone.
than answered hem the kyng ageyn:
“that tolde he not me ȝit, jn certeyn.”
| [Chapter II] Merlin, a Middle-English metrical version of a French romance | |