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. |
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| VII. |
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| IX. |
| X. |
| XI. |
| XII. |
| XIII. |
| XIV. |
 | [Chapter III] Merlin, a Middle-English metrical version of a French romance |  |
Thanne charged the kyng tweyne messengeris anon
that Jn alle haste they scholden gon—
“to knowen ȝif this thing now trewe be,
and doth me to wetene ful hastyle.”
so forth reden the messengeris anon,
and with othir messengeris metten they thusson,
From vter to pandragown, jn that sted,
hym forto tellen how haugwys was ded.
whanne þe messengeris thus metten jn fere,
aȝen to-gideris tornede [they] in fayr manere,
and hym tolden jn cownseyl, certayn,
jn what maner vter haugwys hadde slayn.
thanne charged the kyng hem ful hyghly
that this thing, algates to kepen Jt prevy,
and merveillede gretliche ouer alle thyng
how merlyne of this scholde haue knoweng,
and Jn his herte merveilled ful gretle
Jn what maner that haugwys ded scholde be,
and thowhte of merlyne more to enqwere,
ȝif of that mater he cowde tellen hym there.
that Jn alle haste they scholden gon—
“to knowen ȝif this thing now trewe be,
and doth me to wetene ful hastyle.”
so forth reden the messengeris anon,
and with othir messengeris metten they thusson,
From vter to pandragown, jn that sted,
hym forto tellen how haugwys was ded.
whanne þe messengeris thus metten jn fere,
aȝen to-gideris tornede [they] in fayr manere,
and hym tolden jn cownseyl, certayn,
90
thanne charged the kyng hem ful hyghly
that this thing, algates to kepen Jt prevy,
and merveillede gretliche ouer alle thyng
how merlyne of this scholde haue knoweng,
and Jn his herte merveilled ful gretle
Jn what maner that haugwys ded scholde be,
and thowhte of merlyne more to enqwere,
ȝif of that mater he cowde tellen hym there.
so that al a day jn that town gan he abyde,
and as from the mynstre he cam þat tyde,
with hym there mette a semly man,
and to kyng Pandragon he seide than:
“Sire kyng, al heyl and wel thou be!
here jn this town what thyng seken ȝe?”
“j abyde merlyne,” quod the kyng,
“with hym to haue som maner of spekyng.”
“Sire kyng,” quod this good man thanne,
“j ne hold ȝow not ȝit so wys a manne
merlyne to knowen, thowgh ȝe hym sye,
J sey ȝow, sire kyng, ful sekyrlye.
and þerfore clepeth hem that him han se,
and axe of hem ȝif that merlyne j be.”
So that the kyng, for hem he sente anon,
and toforn hym comen they everychon.
“Lordynges,” quod the kyng to hem thanne,
“here byden we merlyne, þat worthy manne.
Js þere ony of ȝow that hym kan knowe,
and he here stood jn this rowe?”
“Forsothe, sire kyng, that may not be
but ȝif we hym Syen, ful sikerle.”
thanne seide this goodman to the kyng:
“this were now a wondirful thing,
how that anothir man they scholde knowe,
whanne þat hem-self they konnen neþer hy ne lowe.”
thanne answered these lordis ageyn:
“his werkis we knowen not, jn certeyn,
but his Semblaunce we knowen ful wel,
and we hym syen everydel.”
thanne seide this goodman to hem ageyn:
“how scholde ȝe ony man knowen, jn certeyn,
but ȝif ȝe knowen his Semblaunce?
This Were to me a Wondyrful chawnce.”
thanne clepede merlyne the kyng anon,
and jnto a prevy chambre they gonne to gon,
and seide: “sire kyng, J am joyful of the
and of ȝoure brothyr, sire, ful certeinle.
For J am the same persone, with-owten dwere,
that ȝe comen forto Seken here.
Now goth owt of this chambre anon,
and ledeth me toforn hem Echon
that tolden to ȝow they cowde knowen me,
and they alle wylen seyn, ful sykerle,
that ȝe haven fownden the same merlyne
whiche that they clepen the goode devyne.”
and as from the mynstre he cam þat tyde,
with hym there mette a semly man,
and to kyng Pandragon he seide than:
“Sire kyng, al heyl and wel thou be!
here jn this town what thyng seken ȝe?”
“j abyde merlyne,” quod the kyng,
“with hym to haue som maner of spekyng.”
“Sire kyng,” quod this good man thanne,
“j ne hold ȝow not ȝit so wys a manne
merlyne to knowen, thowgh ȝe hym sye,
J sey ȝow, sire kyng, ful sekyrlye.
and þerfore clepeth hem that him han se,
and axe of hem ȝif that merlyne j be.”
So that the kyng, for hem he sente anon,
and toforn hym comen they everychon.
“Lordynges,” quod the kyng to hem thanne,
“here byden we merlyne, þat worthy manne.
Js þere ony of ȝow that hym kan knowe,
and he here stood jn this rowe?”
“Forsothe, sire kyng, that may not be
but ȝif we hym Syen, ful sikerle.”
thanne seide this goodman to the kyng:
“this were now a wondirful thing,
how that anothir man they scholde knowe,
whanne þat hem-self they konnen neþer hy ne lowe.”
thanne answered these lordis ageyn:
“his werkis we knowen not, jn certeyn,
but his Semblaunce we knowen ful wel,
91
thanne seide this goodman to hem ageyn:
“how scholde ȝe ony man knowen, jn certeyn,
but ȝif ȝe knowen his Semblaunce?
This Were to me a Wondyrful chawnce.”
thanne clepede merlyne the kyng anon,
and jnto a prevy chambre they gonne to gon,
and seide: “sire kyng, J am joyful of the
and of ȝoure brothyr, sire, ful certeinle.
For J am the same persone, with-owten dwere,
that ȝe comen forto Seken here.
Now goth owt of this chambre anon,
and ledeth me toforn hem Echon
that tolden to ȝow they cowde knowen me,
and they alle wylen seyn, ful sykerle,
that ȝe haven fownden the same merlyne
whiche that they clepen the goode devyne.”
thanne wente Pandragown forth anon,
and clepid his meyne everychon.
thanne took merlyne his owne Semblaunce,
that he to-forn hadde, with-owten variaunce.
and thanne, anon as they hym Sye,
they seiden it was merlyne, trewlye.
“thanne avyse ȝow wel,” quod the kyng,
“that it be merlyne with-owten lesyng.”
and they seiden: “wel we hym knowe
among alle this peple jn this rowe.”
“j wolde fayn weten,” quod the kyng,
“ȝif j evere to ȝow spak ony thyng,
er that j cam jnto this town;
of this wolde j fayn knowen þe resown.”
“Sire,” quod merlyne to the kyng thanne,
“For certeyn, J am the same manne
that walkede ȝondir jn ȝone forestes,
kepyng alle tho forseid bestes.
also the same man am J
that told ȝow of haugwys, trewely.”
thanne seide the kyng to hem ageyn:
“Evele knowen ȝe merlyne, jn certeyn!”
and clepid his meyne everychon.
thanne took merlyne his owne Semblaunce,
that he to-forn hadde, with-owten variaunce.
and thanne, anon as they hym Sye,
they seiden it was merlyne, trewlye.
“thanne avyse ȝow wel,” quod the kyng,
“that it be merlyne with-owten lesyng.”
and they seiden: “wel we hym knowe
among alle this peple jn this rowe.”
“j wolde fayn weten,” quod the kyng,
“ȝif j evere to ȝow spak ony thyng,
er that j cam jnto this town;
of this wolde j fayn knowen þe resown.”
“Sire,” quod merlyne to the kyng thanne,
“For certeyn, J am the same manne
that walkede ȝondir jn ȝone forestes,
kepyng alle tho forseid bestes.
also the same man am J
that told ȝow of haugwys, trewely.”
thanne seide the kyng to hem ageyn:
“Evele knowen ȝe merlyne, jn certeyn!”
thanne axede the kyng of merlyne there
how of augwis he knew and jn what manere.
“Sire,” quod merlyne, “as it not ben scholde,
Augwys vter mordred han wolde.
Anon to thy brothyr j wente jn hye,
and told hym al his purpos vtterlye,
and how that augwys hym ordeynede to sle;
al this j told hym, ful Sykerle.
and ȝit he ne wolde not me beleve,
tyl that the sothe him-self dede preve.
so that ȝowre brothir wook alone al nyht,
tyl that the sothe he preven myht,
and evere awayted the comenge
of Augwis, þat was so crewel a kynge.
thanne atte laste cam this haugwis
jnto vteris pavyloun, þat was of prys.
and ȝoure brothir let hym entren anon,
with a scharpe knyf drawen, jnto his won,
hym forto hauen slayn, verayment.
so þat vter he sowhte al abowtes þe tent,
but he ne cowde hym not Fynde,
wherfore he mornede jn his mynde.
and owt aȝen he wolde han gon,
but ȝoure brothir mette with hym anon.
So there fowhten they to-gederis, jn certayn,
that vter, ȝoure brothyr, hath hym slayn.”
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“Sire,” quod merlyne, “as it not ben scholde,
Augwys vter mordred han wolde.
Anon to thy brothyr j wente jn hye,
and told hym al his purpos vtterlye,
and how that augwys hym ordeynede to sle;
al this j told hym, ful Sykerle.
and ȝit he ne wolde not me beleve,
tyl that the sothe him-self dede preve.
so that ȝowre brothir wook alone al nyht,
tyl that the sothe he preven myht,
and evere awayted the comenge
of Augwis, þat was so crewel a kynge.
thanne atte laste cam this haugwis
jnto vteris pavyloun, þat was of prys.
and ȝoure brothir let hym entren anon,
with a scharpe knyf drawen, jnto his won,
hym forto hauen slayn, verayment.
so þat vter he sowhte al abowtes þe tent,
but he ne cowde hym not Fynde,
wherfore he mornede jn his mynde.
and owt aȝen he wolde han gon,
but ȝoure brothir mette with hym anon.
So there fowhten they to-gederis, jn certayn,
that vter, ȝoure brothyr, hath hym slayn.”
| [Chapter III] Merlin, a Middle-English metrical version of a French romance | |