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 III] Merlin, a Middle-English metrical version of a French romance |  |
The messengeris vndirstoden riht wel
what to hem that seide merlyne everydel,
an ech of hem on other lokede welfaste;
thussone merlyne owt of here syhte was paste.
thanne spoken they to-gederes hem be-twene:
“with the devel haven we spoken, j wene.
what Scholen we don of this mateer
That he to vs spak of now heer?”
“Infeyth,” quod on of that compenye,
“To owre lord welfaste we scholen vs hye,
and aforn hym to rehersen we scholen ben bolde
every word as this man hath vs tolde.”
what to hem that seide merlyne everydel,
an ech of hem on other lokede welfaste;
thussone merlyne owt of here syhte was paste.
thanne spoken they to-gederes hem be-twene:
“with the devel haven we spoken, j wene.
what Scholen we don of this mateer
That he to vs spak of now heer?”
“Infeyth,” quod on of that compenye,
“To owre lord welfaste we scholen vs hye,
and aforn hym to rehersen we scholen ben bolde
every word as this man hath vs tolde.”
and forth they ryden everychon,
Tyl jnto that ost they comen anon
There as the kyng was with his meyne;
Streyht to hym comen they, ful Sykerle.
whanne þat kyng Pandragoon gan be-holde,
For joye he be-gan his armes to Folde,
and hem axede anon there presente:
“han ȝe owht Fownde for that ȝe wente?”
“The sothe to tellen we ȝow enswre,
how it vs happede, and what aventure.”
That tolden they the kyng, with-owten lak,
jn what maner this veleyn to hem Spak.
thanne they that herden hem speken jn this manere,
that to-forn tyme knewen merlyne there,
Merveyllede that ony so hydows a man
to hem swich materis Scholde meven than.
For they wisten not, with-owten dowtance,
that merlyne cowde taken ony oþer semblaunce
but onlyche his owne Jn properte;
Of this merveyleden they, ful certeynle.
but thanne wisten they there ageyn
that no man ne cowde not, jn certeyn,
tellen of tho wondris alle
Sauf on[l]y merlyne, how so befalle.
thanne axeden [they] þe messengeris jn hye
jn what maner of contre that they hym sye.
thanne answerede the messengeris ageyn:
“To oure Jn he cam, Jn certeyn,
there as we eten, ȝe mown vndirstond,
jn the contre of Northhumberlond.”
thanne seiden they holiche, al that rowte,
that jt was merlyne with-owten dowte,
& that he desirede aftyr here knoweng,
onliche that there him scholde seken the kyng.
Tyl jnto that ost they comen anon
There as the kyng was with his meyne;
Streyht to hym comen they, ful Sykerle.
whanne þat kyng Pandragoon gan be-holde,
For joye he be-gan his armes to Folde,
and hem axede anon there presente:
“han ȝe owht Fownde for that ȝe wente?”
“The sothe to tellen we ȝow enswre,
how it vs happede, and what aventure.”
That tolden they the kyng, with-owten lak,
jn what maner this veleyn to hem Spak.
thanne they that herden hem speken jn this manere,
that to-forn tyme knewen merlyne there,
Merveyllede that ony so hydows a man
to hem swich materis Scholde meven than.
For they wisten not, with-owten dowtance,
87
but onlyche his owne Jn properte;
Of this merveyleden they, ful certeynle.
but thanne wisten they there ageyn
that no man ne cowde not, jn certeyn,
tellen of tho wondris alle
Sauf on[l]y merlyne, how so befalle.
thanne axeden [they] þe messengeris jn hye
jn what maner of contre that they hym sye.
thanne answerede the messengeris ageyn:
“To oure Jn he cam, Jn certeyn,
there as we eten, ȝe mown vndirstond,
jn the contre of Northhumberlond.”
thanne seiden they holiche, al that rowte,
that jt was merlyne with-owten dowte,
& that he desirede aftyr here knoweng,
onliche that there him scholde seken the kyng.
and whanne they comen jnto Northhumberlond,
as J do ȝow vtterly forto vndirstond,
Non tydynges ne cowden they heren ther
of merlyne, the devyn, nethir Fer ne Ner.
and as the kyng there gan forth to Ryde
Jn his jornes be eche a syde,
and as thorwgh a pleyn he gan to gon
and with him his meyne everichon,
they syen a drove of bestes ful gret
and therto an herdeman keping that hepe.
so that they axede hym anon
whens he was, & whedir he wolde gon,
“Sires, j do ȝow to vndirstonde
that j am of Northhumberlonde.
and Rihtnow a good man cam to me,
and seide that kyng Pandragon sikerle
jn this contre a man scholde Seke
that is bothe wys, good, and meke.”
“that is fulsoth,” quothen they thanne,
“kanst þou vs owht tellen of that manne?”
thanne answerid this vyleyn ageyn:
“ȝe, and J myhte sen the kyng, jn certeyn,
j wolde hym tellen of swich tydyng
of wheche to ȝow j ne wele Schewen non thing.”
“thanne com with me,” quod this good man,
“and to the kyng j wele schewen the anon.”
thanne quod this vileyn to him ageyn:
“my bestes scholde j evele kepen, jn certein;
but ȝif he wele comen hidir to me,
J schal hym tellen, ful certeinle,
Where he schal fynde that ilke persone
For whom jnto this contre he is gone.”
thanne departyd he from this vileyn anon,
and to the kyng streyht is he gon,
and tolde the kyng jn Wordis fewe
the Wordis of the vilein al on rewe.
“Anon lede me thedyr,” quod the kyng,
“and lete vs make non lengere taryeng!”
thus thanne ladde he forth þe kyng jn hye
to that same herdeman, ful trewelye.
thanne seide this goodman to that vyleyn:
“lo, Felawe, here is the kyng, certeyn;
Now telle him here thy lykyng,
For siker þou be, this is the kyng.”
“Sire kyng, forsothe J telle now the
that merlyne thou sekyst, ful sekyrle.
but to fynden he is ful ylle,
but ȝif hym-self wile concente þertylle.
And therefore jnto the nexte town thou go,
and thussone he schal comen the to.
with the [to spe]ken þere wil he ful ryht,
J sey the tr[ewe]ly, ful gentyl knyht.”
“how schal j hym knowen?” quod the kyng,
“but ȝif of hym J hadde som tokenyng?”
“Sire kyng, ȝif that thou leve not me,
Sey ellis of Fals cownseyl that j be!”
“J mistroste not,” quod the kyng tho,
“But that it is trewe thou seist me to.”
so paste the kyng thanne forth anon
owt of þat forest, to towne gan he gon.
And thussone to hym cam there
a semly man, arayed jn onest manere,
and seide: “sire kyng, welfownde ȝe be!
Merlyne, the devyn, sente me to the,
and sente the to seyne, ful sekerlye,
that the same was merleyne, trewelye,
whiche kepte the bestes Jn here pasture,
And, sire, be this tokene, J ȝow ensure,
that to towne scholde he comen to the,
whanne þou of hym haddest nede, sikerle.
But non gret mester ȝit Hast thow,
and of goode tydynges J schal tellen the now,
that merlyne sente the to say
by me, sire kyng, this same day.
knowe thow wel, for certeynlye,
that kyng haugwis is ded, trewelye,
and þat thy brothir vter hath hym slayn,
wite thou wel this, pandragon, jn certayn.”
and whanne the kyng herde this,
Ful mochel thanne he merveilled, j-wys.
“Js this trewe that thou tellest me?”
“Sire, ȝe, for he wyle not lyen, sykerle,
and a fool thou art, but thou it leve,
For here-offen the sothe wel schalt þou preve.”
as J do ȝow vtterly forto vndirstond,
Non tydynges ne cowden they heren ther
of merlyne, the devyn, nethir Fer ne Ner.
and as the kyng there gan forth to Ryde
Jn his jornes be eche a syde,
and as thorwgh a pleyn he gan to gon
and with him his meyne everichon,
they syen a drove of bestes ful gret
and therto an herdeman keping that hepe.
so that they axede hym anon
whens he was, & whedir he wolde gon,
“Sires, j do ȝow to vndirstonde
that j am of Northhumberlonde.
and Rihtnow a good man cam to me,
and seide that kyng Pandragon sikerle
jn this contre a man scholde Seke
that is bothe wys, good, and meke.”
“that is fulsoth,” quothen they thanne,
“kanst þou vs owht tellen of that manne?”
88
“ȝe, and J myhte sen the kyng, jn certeyn,
j wolde hym tellen of swich tydyng
of wheche to ȝow j ne wele Schewen non thing.”
“thanne com with me,” quod this good man,
“and to the kyng j wele schewen the anon.”
thanne quod this vileyn to him ageyn:
“my bestes scholde j evele kepen, jn certein;
but ȝif he wele comen hidir to me,
J schal hym tellen, ful certeinle,
Where he schal fynde that ilke persone
For whom jnto this contre he is gone.”
thanne departyd he from this vileyn anon,
and to the kyng streyht is he gon,
and tolde the kyng jn Wordis fewe
the Wordis of the vilein al on rewe.
“Anon lede me thedyr,” quod the kyng,
“and lete vs make non lengere taryeng!”
thus thanne ladde he forth þe kyng jn hye
to that same herdeman, ful trewelye.
thanne seide this goodman to that vyleyn:
“lo, Felawe, here is the kyng, certeyn;
Now telle him here thy lykyng,
For siker þou be, this is the kyng.”
“Sire kyng, forsothe J telle now the
that merlyne thou sekyst, ful sekyrle.
but to fynden he is ful ylle,
but ȝif hym-self wile concente þertylle.
And therefore jnto the nexte town thou go,
and thussone he schal comen the to.
with the [to spe]ken þere wil he ful ryht,
J sey the tr[ewe]ly, ful gentyl knyht.”
“how schal j hym knowen?” quod the kyng,
“but ȝif of hym J hadde som tokenyng?”
“Sire kyng, ȝif that thou leve not me,
Sey ellis of Fals cownseyl that j be!”
“J mistroste not,” quod the kyng tho,
“But that it is trewe thou seist me to.”
89
owt of þat forest, to towne gan he gon.
And thussone to hym cam there
a semly man, arayed jn onest manere,
and seide: “sire kyng, welfownde ȝe be!
Merlyne, the devyn, sente me to the,
and sente the to seyne, ful sekerlye,
that the same was merleyne, trewelye,
whiche kepte the bestes Jn here pasture,
And, sire, be this tokene, J ȝow ensure,
that to towne scholde he comen to the,
whanne þou of hym haddest nede, sikerle.
But non gret mester ȝit Hast thow,
and of goode tydynges J schal tellen the now,
that merlyne sente the to say
by me, sire kyng, this same day.
knowe thow wel, for certeynlye,
that kyng haugwis is ded, trewelye,
and þat thy brothir vter hath hym slayn,
wite thou wel this, pandragon, jn certayn.”
and whanne the kyng herde this,
Ful mochel thanne he merveilled, j-wys.
“Js this trewe that thou tellest me?”
“Sire, ȝe, for he wyle not lyen, sykerle,
and a fool thou art, but thou it leve,
For here-offen the sothe wel schalt þou preve.”
| [Chapter III] Merlin, a Middle-English metrical version of a French romance | |