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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| II. |
| III. |
| IV. |
| V. |
| VI. |
| VII. |
| VIII. |
| IX. |
| X. |
| XI. |
| XII. |
| XIII. |
| XIV. |
 | [Chapter II] Merlin, a Middle-English metrical version of a French romance |  |
whanne this peple thidir comen echon,
Ful hastely hadden they vpe the ston.
thanne Syen they this whyte dragown,
that was wondyr oryble of Facyown.
and whanne this peple this dragown there say,
they weren sore abaschet, alle with-owten nay.
and whanne that thus they hadden J-do,
To the tothyr ston wente they tho.
thanne the rede dragown syen they there,
that more oryble was thanne the toþer were.
thanne was the peple abasched wel more
an hundred Fold thanne they weren to-fore;
For more Feers he was & more hydows,
also more egre, & mochel more Spytows,
thanne the whyte was Jn ony degre,
thus thowghte the peple, ful certeynle.
So that thowghte kyng Fortager
that the rede the white scholde scomfyten ther.
thanne seide merlyne to the kyng:
“Now haue my borwes excused for alle thyng!”
“merlyne,” quod Fortager, “so they be,
Of alle thinges qwyt, ful Sekerle.”
Thanne to-gederis Ronnen these dragowns tweyne
Ful vigerously there, Jn certeyne,
with here teeth and here pawes so scharpe,
that wondyr Jt is of here Fyhtyng to carpe.
Fo[r] Neuere herden ȝe telle jnto this day
Of tweyne bestes swich anothir afray.
and thus veleynesly gonnen they fyhte
al that day, tyl jt was Nyhte,
and vppon the morwen, tyl it was day,
So that al the peple that the bataylle say,
wenden þat the rede þe whyte scholde han slayn,
so spetows was þe bataylle betwixen hem tweyn;
Tyl atte laste the white dragown
caste fyr on þe rede abowtes jn vyrown,
and hym there brende to the ded;
So hadde the white victorye in that sted.
and the thrydde day aftyr next sewenge
Deyde the white dragown, with-owten lesenge.
So that they seyden thanne everychon
that so gret a merveille seyn they Neuere non.
Ful hastely hadden they vpe the ston.
thanne Syen they this whyte dragown,
that was wondyr oryble of Facyown.
and whanne this peple this dragown there say,
they weren sore abaschet, alle with-owten nay.
and whanne that thus they hadden J-do,
To the tothyr ston wente they tho.
thanne the rede dragown syen they there,
that more oryble was thanne the toþer were.
thanne was the peple abasched wel more
an hundred Fold thanne they weren to-fore;
For more Feers he was & more hydows,
also more egre, & mochel more Spytows,
thanne the whyte was Jn ony degre,
thus thowghte the peple, ful certeynle.
So that thowghte kyng Fortager
that the rede the white scholde scomfyten ther.
thanne seide merlyne to the kyng:
“Now haue my borwes excused for alle thyng!”
“merlyne,” quod Fortager, “so they be,
Of alle thinges qwyt, ful Sekerle.”
Thanne to-gederis Ronnen these dragowns tweyne
Ful vigerously there, Jn certeyne,
with here teeth and here pawes so scharpe,
that wondyr Jt is of here Fyhtyng to carpe.
Fo[r] Neuere herden ȝe telle jnto this day
77
and thus veleynesly gonnen they fyhte
al that day, tyl jt was Nyhte,
and vppon the morwen, tyl it was day,
So that al the peple that the bataylle say,
wenden þat the rede þe whyte scholde han slayn,
so spetows was þe bataylle betwixen hem tweyn;
Tyl atte laste the white dragown
caste fyr on þe rede abowtes jn vyrown,
and hym there brende to the ded;
So hadde the white victorye in that sted.
and the thrydde day aftyr next sewenge
Deyde the white dragown, with-owten lesenge.
So that they seyden thanne everychon
that so gret a merveille seyn they Neuere non.
| [Chapter II] Merlin, a Middle-English metrical version of a French romance | |