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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 | [Chapter III] Merlin, a Middle-English metrical version of a French romance |  |
Whanne that the kyng herde al this,
anon he axede of hym, j-wis,
jn what Semblance he myhte be,
whanne that with his brothir spak he.
“Sire,” quod Merlyne thanne a-geyn,
“Jn lykenesse of an old man, certeyn.”
“Tolde ȝe Owht hym What man ȝe Were?”
“nay, sire,” quod merlyne, “jn non manere;
Nethyr he ne schal not it knowen for me,
tyl ȝowre-Self it hym telle, ful Sikerle.”
Thanne seide to hym Pandragown, the kyng:
“Now, dere Frend, j preye ȝow ouer alle thyng
that ȝe wylen now gon with me,
For of ȝoure cownseyl have j nede, parde.”
“Sire, thanne sone wyle ȝoure meyne wroth be,
ȝif that ȝe Welen owht leven on me.”
“merlyne, ȝe han so mochel to me told
of vter, my brothir, many fold,
that ȝif it now soth be,
For evere schal j now leven on the.”
“thanne vndirstonde ȝe, with-owten varyaunce,
þat J to ȝowre [brothir] schal speken jn the same semblaunce
that J was, whanne j hym tolde, certeyn,
how that haugwys hym wolde han slayn,
and that with-jnne this viij dayes it schal be.”
“thanne preye j ȝow, merlyne, for charite,
that j moot knowen the same Face,
whanne ȝe with hym speken jn ony place.”
“that scholen ȝe, Sire, with good wille.
but of on thyng J Sey ȝow vntille:
that ȝif Evere ony love ȝe wyle haven of me,
So that ȝe kepen Jt Jn prevyte.”
anon he axede of hym, j-wis,
jn what Semblance he myhte be,
whanne that with his brothir spak he.
“Sire,” quod Merlyne thanne a-geyn,
“Jn lykenesse of an old man, certeyn.”
“Tolde ȝe Owht hym What man ȝe Were?”
“nay, sire,” quod merlyne, “jn non manere;
Nethyr he ne schal not it knowen for me,
tyl ȝowre-Self it hym telle, ful Sikerle.”
Thanne seide to hym Pandragown, the kyng:
“Now, dere Frend, j preye ȝow ouer alle thyng
that ȝe wylen now gon with me,
For of ȝoure cownseyl have j nede, parde.”
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ȝif that ȝe Welen owht leven on me.”
“merlyne, ȝe han so mochel to me told
of vter, my brothir, many fold,
that ȝif it now soth be,
For evere schal j now leven on the.”
“thanne vndirstonde ȝe, with-owten varyaunce,
þat J to ȝowre [brothir] schal speken jn the same semblaunce
that J was, whanne j hym tolde, certeyn,
how that haugwys hym wolde han slayn,
and that with-jnne this viij dayes it schal be.”
“thanne preye j ȝow, merlyne, for charite,
that j moot knowen the same Face,
whanne ȝe with hym speken jn ony place.”
“that scholen ȝe, Sire, with good wille.
but of on thyng J Sey ȝow vntille:
that ȝif Evere ony love ȝe wyle haven of me,
So that ȝe kepen Jt Jn prevyte.”
| [Chapter III] Merlin, a Middle-English metrical version of a French romance | |