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. |
| VIII. |
| IX. |
| X. |
| XI. |
| XII. |
| XIII. |
| XIV. |
 | [Chapter III] Merlin, a Middle-English metrical version of a French romance |  |
Forth these messengeris token here way
Streyht to the castel, as J ȝow say.
and whanne they with-jnne syen hem comenge,
aȝens hem they comen with-owten taryenge,
and axede of hem ȝif—“messengeris ȝe be?”
thanne vlfyn answerede & seide: “ȝe,
the kyng ȝow sente be vs to seyn
that thre wykys trwys scholen ȝe hauen, certeyn.”
“thanne to counseyl scholen we go,
To wyten how that we mown do.
Ryht Wondirfully sore Anoyed We be
of haugwis deth, ful certeynle;
and therto hauen we non vytaylle
hire forto abyden, sires, saunsfaylle,
Neþer non Refrescheng we mown have
of oure frendis here vs to save;
and jnto swich a day ȝe grauntyn vs trewe,
but here to abyden, it wolde vs rewe.
For it were ful evel soiornenge
jn a place with-owten vytayllynge.
but we hym don to vndirstonde
that this castel [we] deliueren jnto his honde,
and al the lond that longeth therto,
and we of hym to holdyn it for euere mo,
and þerto every ȝer hym forto ȝelde
thrytty knyhtes with spere and schelde,
an hundryd destreres, & as many of palfray,
and an hundrid fawkowns, the sothe to say.”
And they acordyd alle Jn on.
Streyht to the castel, as J ȝow say.
and whanne they with-jnne syen hem comenge,
aȝens hem they comen with-owten taryenge,
and axede of hem ȝif—“messengeris ȝe be?”
thanne vlfyn answerede & seide: “ȝe,
100
that thre wykys trwys scholen ȝe hauen, certeyn.”
“thanne to counseyl scholen we go,
To wyten how that we mown do.
Ryht Wondirfully sore Anoyed We be
of haugwis deth, ful certeynle;
and therto hauen we non vytaylle
hire forto abyden, sires, saunsfaylle,
Neþer non Refrescheng we mown have
of oure frendis here vs to save;
and jnto swich a day ȝe grauntyn vs trewe,
but here to abyden, it wolde vs rewe.
For it were ful evel soiornenge
jn a place with-owten vytayllynge.
but we hym don to vndirstonde
that this castel [we] deliueren jnto his honde,
and al the lond that longeth therto,
and we of hym to holdyn it for euere mo,
and þerto every ȝer hym forto ȝelde
thrytty knyhtes with spere and schelde,
an hundryd destreres, & as many of palfray,
and an hundrid fawkowns, the sothe to say.”
And they acordyd alle Jn on.
so with this answere wente þe messengeres anon,
and tolden the kyng word and ende,
of this castel how it scholde wende.
and whanne the kyng herde here answere,
anon he axede of merlyne riht there
what were here-offen best forto do.
“ȝe,” quod merlyne, “thow schalt not don so,
For gret peryl it myhte be jn tyme comenge,
and stille jn this lond they weren dwellenge.
but j schal tellen the what thou schalt do:
anon sende aȝen, with-owten mo,
and bidde hem delyveren that castel,
For therto anon they scholen ben Lel,
For they ne hauen non maner of vytaylle,
J seye ȝow, Sires, with-owten faylle.
and behote ȝe hem that they scholen gon
sauf with here lyves Everychon;
And J ȝow Seye, wyth-owten Noye,
that schal ben to hem a passyng joye.”
thanne the kyng aftyr merlynes sawe
wrowht on þe morwe, whanne the day gan dawe,
Forth forto beren this answere
to hem that jn þe castel weren there.
and whan they of the castel herdyn this,
thanne maden they bothe joye and blys,
and weren cowndyed thorwgh the Lond,
and browht to the se, as j vndirstond,
and a redy Navye hem forth to lede
Jnto what lond owþer jnto what stede
that hem-selve they wolde to gon.
thus weren they exyled everychon
onliche be the cownseyl of merlyne,
that was holden so good a devyne.
and tolden the kyng word and ende,
of this castel how it scholde wende.
and whanne the kyng herde here answere,
anon he axede of merlyne riht there
what were here-offen best forto do.
“ȝe,” quod merlyne, “thow schalt not don so,
For gret peryl it myhte be jn tyme comenge,
and stille jn this lond they weren dwellenge.
but j schal tellen the what thou schalt do:
anon sende aȝen, with-owten mo,
and bidde hem delyveren that castel,
For therto anon they scholen ben Lel,
For they ne hauen non maner of vytaylle,
J seye ȝow, Sires, with-owten faylle.
101
sauf with here lyves Everychon;
And J ȝow Seye, wyth-owten Noye,
that schal ben to hem a passyng joye.”
thanne the kyng aftyr merlynes sawe
wrowht on þe morwe, whanne the day gan dawe,
Forth forto beren this answere
to hem that jn þe castel weren there.
and whan they of the castel herdyn this,
thanne maden they bothe joye and blys,
and weren cowndyed thorwgh the Lond,
and browht to the se, as j vndirstond,
and a redy Navye hem forth to lede
Jnto what lond owþer jnto what stede
that hem-selve they wolde to gon.
thus weren they exyled everychon
onliche be the cownseyl of merlyne,
that was holden so good a devyne.
thus was merlyne conseillour and lord
of the kyng & his brothyr, at on word;
Tyl on an day there was to do
of thinges þat scholde come þe kyng vnto,
where-offen tweyne Barowns hadden envye,
that with the kyng he spak so prevylye,
and seiden: “sire kyng, we merveillen echon
that ȝe so beleven vppon this man.
For wete ȝe wel, sire kyng, in certeyn,
that al his werkyng of the devel cometh, pleyn.
and þerfore we wolde jn onest manere
that ȝe his compeny lefte here.”
“that were me loth,” quod the kyng,
“For j nolde him wraththen for non thyng.”
“Sire,” quod this Barown ageyn,
“j wile hym not Noyen, jn certeyn.”
Now was this Barown ful of envye
and ful of vices, ful trewelye,
and to the kynges cowrt cam vppon a day,
& there thus of merlyne gan he to say,
And of hym gret Joye thus he Wrowhte,
but evere anothir was Jn his thowhte.
there this barown clepede to-fore the kyng
twenty knyhtes, with-owten leseng.
“Now wile ȝe sen,” quod this Barown thanne,
“merlyne here, so worthy a manne,
that tolde the kyng howh Fortagere
jn his castel scholde brenne riht þere.—
and therfore preye j ȝow, for charite,
of my siknesse that ȝe wolden tellen me,
& that ȝe welen tellen me vtterlye
On what maner of deth that j schal dye.”
of the kyng & his brothyr, at on word;
Tyl on an day there was to do
of thinges þat scholde come þe kyng vnto,
where-offen tweyne Barowns hadden envye,
that with the kyng he spak so prevylye,
and seiden: “sire kyng, we merveillen echon
that ȝe so beleven vppon this man.
For wete ȝe wel, sire kyng, in certeyn,
that al his werkyng of the devel cometh, pleyn.
and þerfore we wolde jn onest manere
that ȝe his compeny lefte here.”
“that were me loth,” quod the kyng,
“For j nolde him wraththen for non thyng.”
“Sire,” quod this Barown ageyn,
“j wile hym not Noyen, jn certeyn.”
Now was this Barown ful of envye
and ful of vices, ful trewelye,
and to the kynges cowrt cam vppon a day,
& there thus of merlyne gan he to say,
102
but evere anothir was Jn his thowhte.
there this barown clepede to-fore the kyng
twenty knyhtes, with-owten leseng.
“Now wile ȝe sen,” quod this Barown thanne,
“merlyne here, so worthy a manne,
that tolde the kyng howh Fortagere
jn his castel scholde brenne riht þere.—
and therfore preye j ȝow, for charite,
of my siknesse that ȝe wolden tellen me,
& that ȝe welen tellen me vtterlye
On what maner of deth that j schal dye.”
| [Chapter III] Merlin, a Middle-English metrical version of a French romance | |