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. |
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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 merlyne deliuered the clerkys echon,
that hym deden seken for this encheson.
thanne to merlyne spak kyng Fortagere:
“thou behyhgtest forto tellen me here
the signefycaciown of the dragowns tweyne.”
“The white dragown, j telle the certeyne,
Signefyeth here the sone of costantyn,
That falsly was browht to evele fyn.”
and whanne Fortager herde this,
Ful sore he was aschamed, J-wys.
Thanne seide merlyne to Fortager aȝe:
“and thou wylt konnen me non mawgre,
j schal the tellen the syngnefyaunce
of alle thynges, with-owten dowtaunce.”
“here Js non man,” quod Fortager thanne,
“but of my cownseyl every manne;
where-fore, Sire merlyne, j preye the
the syngnefyaunce that þou wost tellen me.”
“The rede dragown here doth syngnefye
thyn owne persone, ful trewelye;
and why, Sire, and jn what manere,
J schal tellen the anon Ryht here.
wel knowest thow, kyng Fortagere,
that kyng costantynes children al jn fere
dwelden here aftyr here Fadris ded,
that hadden Neyther cownseyl ne red.
and ȝif þou haddest don thy dever, trewely,
thou scholdest hem han kept ful tendyrly,
and to have ȝoven hem ful trewe cownsaylle,
that myhte ony thyng to the rewm avaylle.
and wel knowest thou jn what manere
the hertes of the peple thou hast geten here.
and whanne thow knew alle here entent,
and that they loveden the, verament,
thanne, whanne thou knew this, certeynle,
From alle maner of Nedis thou withdrowh the.
and whanne that the peple Sowhte socowr
of the to haven For here grete langowr,
and the desireden kyng forto han ben,
thou hem answeredest as þou schalt sen:
Ful smotheliche and jn this manere
To hem thou answeredest, al jn fere,
that thow woldest neuere here kyng be,
whyles that the kyng lyvede, ful sykerle.
Thanne they that thou toldest to this tale,
Thowghten the kyng to werkyn Bale,
and knewen wel be thy maner of spekyng
that thou desiredest the kynges mordryng;
and so hym they slowen ful falsly.
thanne fledden bothe his bretheren ful prevyly
For the drede that they hadde of the.
and thus art thow kyng ful falsle,
And thus the Regne thou ocupyest With Wrong,
and gret distrocciown dost evere among.
thanne, whanne they comen aȝen to the
be whiche the kyng ded was, Sykerle,
thanne distroyedest þou hem everychon,
so that on lyve ne lefte not on.”
that hym deden seken for this encheson.
thanne to merlyne spak kyng Fortagere:
“thou behyhgtest forto tellen me here
the signefycaciown of the dragowns tweyne.”
“The white dragown, j telle the certeyne,
Signefyeth here the sone of costantyn,
That falsly was browht to evele fyn.”
and whanne Fortager herde this,
Ful sore he was aschamed, J-wys.
Thanne seide merlyne to Fortager aȝe:
“and thou wylt konnen me non mawgre,
j schal the tellen the syngnefyaunce
of alle thynges, with-owten dowtaunce.”
“here Js non man,” quod Fortager thanne,
“but of my cownseyl every manne;
where-fore, Sire merlyne, j preye the
the syngnefyaunce that þou wost tellen me.”
“The rede dragown here doth syngnefye
thyn owne persone, ful trewelye;
and why, Sire, and jn what manere,
J schal tellen the anon Ryht here.
wel knowest thow, kyng Fortagere,
that kyng costantynes children al jn fere
dwelden here aftyr here Fadris ded,
that hadden Neyther cownseyl ne red.
and ȝif þou haddest don thy dever, trewely,
thou scholdest hem han kept ful tendyrly,
and to have ȝoven hem ful trewe cownsaylle,
that myhte ony thyng to the rewm avaylle.
and wel knowest thou jn what manere
the hertes of the peple thou hast geten here.
and whanne thow knew alle here entent,
and that they loveden the, verament,
80
From alle maner of Nedis thou withdrowh the.
and whanne that the peple Sowhte socowr
of the to haven For here grete langowr,
and the desireden kyng forto han ben,
thou hem answeredest as þou schalt sen:
Ful smotheliche and jn this manere
To hem thou answeredest, al jn fere,
that thow woldest neuere here kyng be,
whyles that the kyng lyvede, ful sykerle.
Thanne they that thou toldest to this tale,
Thowghten the kyng to werkyn Bale,
and knewen wel be thy maner of spekyng
that thou desiredest the kynges mordryng;
and so hym they slowen ful falsly.
thanne fledden bothe his bretheren ful prevyly
For the drede that they hadde of the.
and thus art thow kyng ful falsle,
And thus the Regne thou ocupyest With Wrong,
and gret distrocciown dost evere among.
thanne, whanne they comen aȝen to the
be whiche the kyng ded was, Sykerle,
thanne distroyedest þou hem everychon,
so that on lyve ne lefte not on.”
thanne seide the cownseil to Fortager there:
“Herkene what merlyne seith now here.”
“ȝis, Forsothe,” quod kyng Fortager,
“He seyth ful soth that he seith her.
and j knowe ful wel that thou art
a passing wis man jn every part.
but of on thing, merlyne, j preye to the
the sothe that thow wost tellen to me:
on what deth that J schal deye.”
“that kan j wel,” quod merlyne, “trewelye.
have j not told to the the signyfiaunce
of bothe dragouns, with-owten varyaunce?
ȝit j wele that thou knowe be me
that the rede dragown, Sykerle,
Signefyeth thyn owne persone,
that was so strong and myhty of bone;
and the whit dragown signefieth, certeinle,
the tweyne bretheren that now fled j-be,
For drede that thou wost han hem slayn;
this js the signyfyaunce, Jn certayn.
and why so longe they fowhten so snelle,
the signyfyaunce j schal the telle:
jt signyfieth that thou hast so long j-holde
wrongfully here erytage with werkis bolde.
and þat the white dragown þe Rede brende so,
the same the children scholen the do.
and knowe thou wel now, jn certeyn,
that thike tyme thy towr stont but jn veyn,
and the ne schal waraunte nonthyng, jn feye;
and jn this maner, Fortager, schalt thou deye.”
thanne, whanne Fortager herde this,
anon he axede of merlyne, J-wys,
where that thyke tweyne children be.
“jn the see,” quod merlyne, “ful Sykerle,
with ful gret strengthe and gret Navye,
jnto this lond to a-ryven, ful Sekerlye,
veniance of the to taken here,
that slowh here brothir jn swich manere.
and wete þou wel, with-jnne thre monthis day
they scholen aryven, sire, jn good fay!”
“Herkene what merlyne seith now here.”
“ȝis, Forsothe,” quod kyng Fortager,
“He seyth ful soth that he seith her.
and j knowe ful wel that thou art
a passing wis man jn every part.
but of on thing, merlyne, j preye to the
the sothe that thow wost tellen to me:
on what deth that J schal deye.”
“that kan j wel,” quod merlyne, “trewelye.
have j not told to the the signyfiaunce
of bothe dragouns, with-owten varyaunce?
ȝit j wele that thou knowe be me
that the rede dragown, Sykerle,
81
that was so strong and myhty of bone;
and the whit dragown signefieth, certeinle,
the tweyne bretheren that now fled j-be,
For drede that thou wost han hem slayn;
this js the signyfyaunce, Jn certayn.
and why so longe they fowhten so snelle,
the signyfyaunce j schal the telle:
jt signyfieth that thou hast so long j-holde
wrongfully here erytage with werkis bolde.
and þat the white dragown þe Rede brende so,
the same the children scholen the do.
and knowe thou wel now, jn certeyn,
that thike tyme thy towr stont but jn veyn,
and the ne schal waraunte nonthyng, jn feye;
and jn this maner, Fortager, schalt thou deye.”
thanne, whanne Fortager herde this,
anon he axede of merlyne, J-wys,
where that thyke tweyne children be.
“jn the see,” quod merlyne, “ful Sykerle,
with ful gret strengthe and gret Navye,
jnto this lond to a-ryven, ful Sekerlye,
veniance of the to taken here,
that slowh here brothir jn swich manere.
and wete þou wel, with-jnne thre monthis day
they scholen aryven, sire, jn good fay!”
| [Chapter II] Merlin, a Middle-English metrical version of a French romance | |