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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| I. |
| II. |
| III. |
| IV. |
| V. |
| VI. |
| VII. |
| VIII. |
| IX. |
| X. |
| XI. |
| XII. |
| XIII. |
| XIV. |
 | [Chapter III] Merlin, a Middle-English metrical version of a French romance |  |
“Whanne ferst j a-qweynted with ȝow bothe,
thanne non fool helden ȝe me, forsothe.
what, trowen ȝe that J ne knowe, sekerlye,
vppon what deth this fool schal deye?
For now sore merveillen scholen ȝe ful snelle
of a thing that j schal hym telle.”
quod the kyng thanne to merlyne:
“may it be trewe he schal have swich fyne?”
“Now, Sire,” quod merlyne, “but ȝif it trewe be,
Neuere here-aftyr ne leve thow me!
and ȝit er that j parte from his compenye,
J shal hym tellen how that he schal dye.”
So wenten they forth al jn fere,
lyk as the abbot hem ladde there.
thanne seide the abbot to the kyng:
“Sire, and j dorste preyen ȝow of on thyng:
that ȝowre devyn ȝow wolde seye
ȝif this monk of this maladye schal deye.”
and merlyne answerede anon there
jn maner as that wroth he were,
and seide to the abbot vntylle:
“he may arysen, ȝif that he wylle,
For siknesse here ne feleth he non,
but that he may bothe rysen & gon.
and þerto, abbot, to the J seye
that thike day whanne he schal deye,
his nekke he schal breken vnto,
and an honged, and be spilt also.
Now Nedyth hym to feyne no more,
For his herte j knowe bothe here & thore.”
thanne ros hym vpe this Jlke Barown,
and seide þere to kyng Pendragown:
“Now mown ȝe knowen his folye,
that seith on swich maner þat j scholde deye.
For this knowe j wel, that may not be
of me ne of non othir man, Sikerle.
Now devise ȝow, Sire, Ryht wel,
how ȝe this man leven ony del!”
thus thanne this werk gan to ende;
and jnto fer contre jt gan wende
how that merlyne gan to Say
on what deth he scholde dyen, jn fay.
thanne non fool helden ȝe me, forsothe.
what, trowen ȝe that J ne knowe, sekerlye,
vppon what deth this fool schal deye?
For now sore merveillen scholen ȝe ful snelle
of a thing that j schal hym telle.”
quod the kyng thanne to merlyne:
“may it be trewe he schal have swich fyne?”
“Now, Sire,” quod merlyne, “but ȝif it trewe be,
Neuere here-aftyr ne leve thow me!
and ȝit er that j parte from his compenye,
J shal hym tellen how that he schal dye.”
So wenten they forth al jn fere,
lyk as the abbot hem ladde there.
thanne seide the abbot to the kyng:
“Sire, and j dorste preyen ȝow of on thyng:
that ȝowre devyn ȝow wolde seye
ȝif this monk of this maladye schal deye.”
and merlyne answerede anon there
jn maner as that wroth he were,
and seide to the abbot vntylle:
“he may arysen, ȝif that he wylle,
For siknesse here ne feleth he non,
but that he may bothe rysen & gon.
and þerto, abbot, to the J seye
that thike day whanne he schal deye,
his nekke he schal breken vnto,
and an honged, and be spilt also.
Now Nedyth hym to feyne no more,
For his herte j knowe bothe here & thore.”
thanne ros hym vpe this Jlke Barown,
and seide þere to kyng Pendragown:
“Now mown ȝe knowen his folye,
that seith on swich maner þat j scholde deye.
105
of me ne of non othir man, Sikerle.
Now devise ȝow, Sire, Ryht wel,
how ȝe this man leven ony del!”
thus thanne this werk gan to ende;
and jnto fer contre jt gan wende
how that merlyne gan to Say
on what deth he scholde dyen, jn fay.
So aftyr on a day not forthan
be-gan to ryde this good man,
and jn his compenye gret plente
Of his owne meyne, ful sykyrle.
So atte laste he cam to a ryver,
where as a brygge of tre was there,
and þervppon smot he his palfray,
that down on knes it fyl, jn fay.
So that he, whiche aboven was,
Fyl a-down there jn that plas,
and there his Nekke he brak vnto,
And as to the water he scholde han go,
So that his leg jn his Robe fastenyd there,
and alle his oþer lymes jn þe water were.
thanne weren there tweyne men Jn compenye,
herden how that merlyne gan seye;
Jn what maner he scholde ded be,
There they Rehersed, ful Sykerle.
thanne be-gan there an hidows cry
of alle his meyne, ful trewely;
whanne owt of the water they hadden him take,
For Sorwe they schoken & gonne to qwake.
thanne seiden they: “folys that they be
that merlyn ne leven not, Sykerle!”
they Beryeden the cors with honour.
and merlyn to the kyng kam thike same our,
and told bothen hym and to vter
how that with the barown it happede ther.
the kyng axede whanne it was, certeinle.
“with-jnne sixe dayes messengeres scholen ȝe se.
thanne kept j not to ben here,
For faste they welen of me enqwere
of diuers maters, what so they be,
but answere geten they non, Sikerle,
For j wyle no more so openly seye,
that the peple schal vndirstonden, jn feye.”
thanne wende the kyng þat he wroth were,
and þerfore weren ful sory there.
So wente merlyne to Blaysye anon,
and told him of these thynges echon,
and of oþere, that to comen were;
jn this maner departyd merlyne þere.
be-gan to ryde this good man,
and jn his compenye gret plente
Of his owne meyne, ful sykyrle.
So atte laste he cam to a ryver,
where as a brygge of tre was there,
and þervppon smot he his palfray,
that down on knes it fyl, jn fay.
So that he, whiche aboven was,
Fyl a-down there jn that plas,
and there his Nekke he brak vnto,
And as to the water he scholde han go,
So that his leg jn his Robe fastenyd there,
and alle his oþer lymes jn þe water were.
thanne weren there tweyne men Jn compenye,
herden how that merlyne gan seye;
Jn what maner he scholde ded be,
There they Rehersed, ful Sykerle.
thanne be-gan there an hidows cry
of alle his meyne, ful trewely;
whanne owt of the water they hadden him take,
For Sorwe they schoken & gonne to qwake.
thanne seiden they: “folys that they be
that merlyn ne leven not, Sykerle!”
they Beryeden the cors with honour.
and merlyn to the kyng kam thike same our,
and told bothen hym and to vter
how that with the barown it happede ther.
the kyng axede whanne it was, certeinle.
“with-jnne sixe dayes messengeres scholen ȝe se.
thanne kept j not to ben here,
106
of diuers maters, what so they be,
but answere geten they non, Sikerle,
For j wyle no more so openly seye,
that the peple schal vndirstonden, jn feye.”
thanne wende the kyng þat he wroth were,
and þerfore weren ful sory there.
So wente merlyne to Blaysye anon,
and told him of these thynges echon,
and of oþere, that to comen were;
jn this maner departyd merlyne þere.
| [Chapter III] Merlin, a Middle-English metrical version of a French romance | |