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 |  |
Thanne sette on merlyne and gan to telle
Ful dyrke worrdes of prophecyes felle,
where-offen a book they maden anon.
thanne forth to the kyng merlyne gan gon,
and there to hem seyde he ful petowsly:
“J love ȝoure bothe worschepis Badyly;
haven ȝe not now vndirstondyng
of haugwys kynnes-men exylyng,
that owt of this lond ȝe deden don dryve,
aftyr that haugwys hadde left his lyve?”
“ȝis, this wele knowen we, Jn certeyn;
but for what cause do ȝe this seyn?”
“J sey,” quod merlyne, “for this enchesown,
That haugwys kynnes-men everychon,
with-jnnen hem-Self they don thus speke,
that of haugwys deth they welen hem wreke.
So that they maken gret congregacyown
of dyvers peple al abowtes Jn verown,
and hopen this lond forto conqwere
and ek forto haven the victorye here.”
thanne, whanne þe kyng herde this,
and also his Brothyr vter, j-wys,
Of these tydynges they merveylled gretle,
And axeden Of Merlyne Howh this Myhte be.
“haven they there so gret plente
Of Fensable peple Jn alle degre?”
“ȝe,” quod merlyne, “with-owten dowte,
they haven more peple hem abowte
thanne ȝe owther ȝowre brothyr, jn feye,
For aȝens on of ȝowris they haven tweye;
and but ȝif ȝe werkyn ryht wysly,
ȝe scholen ben discomfyt & stroyed, trewely.”
“we scholen werkyn aftyr ȝowre wylle,
what that evere ȝe welen seyn vs vntylle.”
thanne axeden they merlyne anon there
whanne they scholden comen and jn what manere.
“Atte the elleveneth day, ful trewly;
but loke that ȝe kepen this prevy,
and j defende ȝow, as J now kan,
that there-offen ȝe ne tellen neuere man.
but aftyr my cownseyl that ȝe don,
and sendeth aftyr alle ȝoure men anon,
and that they ben here with-owten let
the laste wyke of the mounthe of junet,
to assemblen vppon Salisbery pleyn
ȝowre enemyes to withstondyn ageyn.
so that on of ȝow with half ȝowre meyne,
be-twixen hem and þe se scholen gon, Sykerle;
and so tweyne dayes ȝe scholen abyde,
and on the thrydde to fyhten, what so betyde.
& ȝif ȝe thus wilen don, trewely,
J dar ȝow behoten the victory.”
Ful dyrke worrdes of prophecyes felle,
where-offen a book they maden anon.
thanne forth to the kyng merlyne gan gon,
107
“J love ȝoure bothe worschepis Badyly;
haven ȝe not now vndirstondyng
of haugwys kynnes-men exylyng,
that owt of this lond ȝe deden don dryve,
aftyr that haugwys hadde left his lyve?”
“ȝis, this wele knowen we, Jn certeyn;
but for what cause do ȝe this seyn?”
“J sey,” quod merlyne, “for this enchesown,
That haugwys kynnes-men everychon,
with-jnnen hem-Self they don thus speke,
that of haugwys deth they welen hem wreke.
So that they maken gret congregacyown
of dyvers peple al abowtes Jn verown,
and hopen this lond forto conqwere
and ek forto haven the victorye here.”
thanne, whanne þe kyng herde this,
and also his Brothyr vter, j-wys,
Of these tydynges they merveylled gretle,
And axeden Of Merlyne Howh this Myhte be.
“haven they there so gret plente
Of Fensable peple Jn alle degre?”
“ȝe,” quod merlyne, “with-owten dowte,
they haven more peple hem abowte
thanne ȝe owther ȝowre brothyr, jn feye,
For aȝens on of ȝowris they haven tweye;
and but ȝif ȝe werkyn ryht wysly,
ȝe scholen ben discomfyt & stroyed, trewely.”
“we scholen werkyn aftyr ȝowre wylle,
what that evere ȝe welen seyn vs vntylle.”
thanne axeden they merlyne anon there
whanne they scholden comen and jn what manere.
“Atte the elleveneth day, ful trewly;
but loke that ȝe kepen this prevy,
and j defende ȝow, as J now kan,
that there-offen ȝe ne tellen neuere man.
but aftyr my cownseyl that ȝe don,
and sendeth aftyr alle ȝoure men anon,
and that they ben here with-owten let
108
to assemblen vppon Salisbery pleyn
ȝowre enemyes to withstondyn ageyn.
so that on of ȝow with half ȝowre meyne,
be-twixen hem and þe se scholen gon, Sykerle;
and so tweyne dayes ȝe scholen abyde,
and on the thrydde to fyhten, what so betyde.
& ȝif ȝe thus wilen don, trewely,
J dar ȝow behoten the victory.”
thanne seiden the bretheren to merlyne there:
“Now, goode merlyne, telle vs now here
ȝif ony of vs jn bataylle schal ded be.”
thanne answeryd merlyne: “ful Sykerle,
there nas neuere thyng that hadde begynneng,
but of necescite it moste hauen endyng,
ne neuere man owghte the deth drede,
ȝif he it resceyue Jn tyme of nede.
and therfore wolde J thanne,” quod merlyne,
“doth bryngen me ȝowre relykes, þat ben so fyne,
and þer-vppon bothe scholen ȝe swere
that ȝe scholen don as j schal ȝow lere
bothen for ȝowre prow and worschepe also,
and aftyr that schal j tellen ȝow mo.”
thus sworen they bothe at his Byddyng.
thanne anon seide merlyne to the kyng:
“ȝe hauen sworen to me, with-owten faylle,
Trewe men to be Jn this Bataylle
aȝens god and ȝowre owne persone,
how so that evere the game doth gone.
For to hym-Self may non man trewe be,
but ȝif to god he be trewe, Sykerle.
and that ȝe confessen ȝow generally
Forto fyhten aȝens ȝowre enemy.
and aftyr mown ȝe ben ful Sure
hem ouercomen bothe clene & pure,
for they beleven not on the Trenite.
And now herkene what j sey the:
Sethen holychirche cam jnto this lond,
Swich a bataylle was non, as j vndirstond,
Neþer not schal ben be owre daye.
therfore, Syker, as j ȝow saye,
on of ȝow schal deyen jn this bataylle,
as j ȝow seye with-owten Faylle.
and þerfore that ryaly ȝe ȝow araye
Forto fyhten, as j ȝow saye,
and jn worschepe of the Trenyte,
For ȝowre helpe syker wile he be;
And for his love arayeth ȝow wel
To his plesawnce Everydel!”
“Now, goode merlyne, telle vs now here
ȝif ony of vs jn bataylle schal ded be.”
thanne answeryd merlyne: “ful Sykerle,
there nas neuere thyng that hadde begynneng,
but of necescite it moste hauen endyng,
ne neuere man owghte the deth drede,
ȝif he it resceyue Jn tyme of nede.
and therfore wolde J thanne,” quod merlyne,
“doth bryngen me ȝowre relykes, þat ben so fyne,
and þer-vppon bothe scholen ȝe swere
that ȝe scholen don as j schal ȝow lere
bothen for ȝowre prow and worschepe also,
and aftyr that schal j tellen ȝow mo.”
thus sworen they bothe at his Byddyng.
thanne anon seide merlyne to the kyng:
“ȝe hauen sworen to me, with-owten faylle,
Trewe men to be Jn this Bataylle
aȝens god and ȝowre owne persone,
how so that evere the game doth gone.
For to hym-Self may non man trewe be,
but ȝif to god he be trewe, Sykerle.
and that ȝe confessen ȝow generally
Forto fyhten aȝens ȝowre enemy.
and aftyr mown ȝe ben ful Sure
hem ouercomen bothe clene & pure,
for they beleven not on the Trenite.
And now herkene what j sey the:
Sethen holychirche cam jnto this lond,
109
Neþer not schal ben be owre daye.
therfore, Syker, as j ȝow saye,
on of ȝow schal deyen jn this bataylle,
as j ȝow seye with-owten Faylle.
and þerfore that ryaly ȝe ȝow araye
Forto fyhten, as j ȝow saye,
and jn worschepe of the Trenyte,
For ȝowre helpe syker wile he be;
And for his love arayeth ȝow wel
To his plesawnce Everydel!”
Lo, this Was Merlynes Cownsaylle,
As j ȝow sey wit-owten faylle.
these bretheren vndirstoden ful wel his sawe,
and of his cownseyl they weren ryht fawe.
Anon thanne senten they thorwgh al here lond
For here Retenu, J vndirstond.
and whanne they weren asembled everychon,
grete ȝiftes hadden they thanne anon,
and preyden eche man Jn his degre
that redy and arayed he wolde be,
and jn the laste wyke of Jvnet,
on þe pleyn of Salisbery, with-owten let,
next to the cost of the se,
that be hem þe rem defendid myhte be.
thus dwelden bothe bretheren jn Fere,
tyl the day of Somowns were comen there,
and kepten merlynes comandement,
that he hem bothe bad, verament.
So that atte feste of pentecost
thyder they comen with here ost,
here Ryal cowrt to holden there
Fast by the se Jn here manere.
and manye grete ȝiftes there ȝoven they
To dewk, erl, and to Barown, trewly.
and so longe abyden they on that grownde,
Tyl þat here enemyes a-ryvede Jn þat stownde.
thanne sente the kyng to prelates anon,
that they scholde comen everichon
Forto confessen his peple Jn fere,
that they weren clene Jn alle manere.
and so thorwh the ost everychon
they weren confessed thanne anon,
and eche to oþer forȝaf þere his maltalent,
and therto clene asoylled, verament.
thanne seide the kyng to merlyne there
that tydynges he hadde of here powere,
and howh they weren aryved echon,
alle his enemyes, be on & be on.
thanne seide merlyne to hym ageyn:
“that is ful trewe, jn certeyn!”
thanne axede the kyng of merlyne tho
Jn what maner that he scholde do.
“ȝe scholen to morwen senden ȝoure brothir vter
and half ȝoure meyne to ben with hym ther.
and whanne ȝowre enemyes ben owt of þe see,
thanne betwixen hem and þe water schal he be.
and thanne wilen they resemblen anon
here jnto this contre forto gon.
and thus tweyne dayes schal he werken there,
and þe thridde day jn the eyr schal apere
a red dragown, & þanne mown ȝe fyhte
and the victorye to haven, j seye ȝow ryhte.”
As j ȝow sey wit-owten faylle.
these bretheren vndirstoden ful wel his sawe,
and of his cownseyl they weren ryht fawe.
Anon thanne senten they thorwgh al here lond
For here Retenu, J vndirstond.
and whanne they weren asembled everychon,
grete ȝiftes hadden they thanne anon,
and preyden eche man Jn his degre
that redy and arayed he wolde be,
and jn the laste wyke of Jvnet,
on þe pleyn of Salisbery, with-owten let,
next to the cost of the se,
that be hem þe rem defendid myhte be.
thus dwelden bothe bretheren jn Fere,
tyl the day of Somowns were comen there,
and kepten merlynes comandement,
that he hem bothe bad, verament.
So that atte feste of pentecost
thyder they comen with here ost,
here Ryal cowrt to holden there
Fast by the se Jn here manere.
and manye grete ȝiftes there ȝoven they
To dewk, erl, and to Barown, trewly.
and so longe abyden they on that grownde,
Tyl þat here enemyes a-ryvede Jn þat stownde.
thanne sente the kyng to prelates anon,
110
Forto confessen his peple Jn fere,
that they weren clene Jn alle manere.
and so thorwh the ost everychon
they weren confessed thanne anon,
and eche to oþer forȝaf þere his maltalent,
and therto clene asoylled, verament.
thanne seide the kyng to merlyne there
that tydynges he hadde of here powere,
and howh they weren aryved echon,
alle his enemyes, be on & be on.
thanne seide merlyne to hym ageyn:
“that is ful trewe, jn certeyn!”
thanne axede the kyng of merlyne tho
Jn what maner that he scholde do.
“ȝe scholen to morwen senden ȝoure brothir vter
and half ȝoure meyne to ben with hym ther.
and whanne ȝowre enemyes ben owt of þe see,
thanne betwixen hem and þe water schal he be.
and thanne wilen they resemblen anon
here jnto this contre forto gon.
and thus tweyne dayes schal he werken there,
and þe thridde day jn the eyr schal apere
a red dragown, & þanne mown ȝe fyhte
and the victorye to haven, j seye ȝow ryhte.”
| [Chapter III] Merlin, a Middle-English metrical version of a French romance | |