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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| XIV. |
 | [Chapter III] Merlin, a Middle-English metrical version of a French romance |  |
To this cownseyl acordid ful wel
both pandragown an vter everydel.
and ful gret joye bothen they made,
and of this cownseil they weren ful glade.
thanne seide vter to merlyne anon:
“Jnto tho partyes now wyle j gon.”
“Loke that ȝe thanne ben a good knyht!”
and thus departyd they that Jlke Nyht.
so that vter took forth his jorne,
and with hym half here meyne.
so that be-twene þe see and his enemyes he abod,
and with his meyne thus forth he rod.
thanne seide merlyne: “abasche the non thyng
For deth ne bataylle, be my cownseyllyng!”
And Whanne that Vter herde this,
Ful mochel his herte was esyd, J-wys.
both pandragown an vter everydel.
and ful gret joye bothen they made,
and of this cownseil they weren ful glade.
thanne seide vter to merlyne anon:
“Jnto tho partyes now wyle j gon.”
“Loke that ȝe thanne ben a good knyht!”
and thus departyd they that Jlke Nyht.
so that vter took forth his jorne,
and with hym half here meyne.
so that be-twene þe see and his enemyes he abod,
and with his meyne thus forth he rod.
thanne seide merlyne: “abasche the non thyng
For deth ne bataylle, be my cownseyllyng!”
111
Ful mochel his herte was esyd, J-wys.
thanne wente merlyne Jnto North-humberlond
to Blaysye, his maistyr, as J vndirstond,
and let this putten Jnto Scripture
and many mo thynges, J ȝow ensure.
to Blaysye, his maistyr, as J vndirstond,
and let this putten Jnto Scripture
and many mo thynges, J ȝow ensure.
thanne rod vter with his meyne
aftyr merlynes cownseil, ful Sykerle,
and lay be-twene the Schepis & that ost,
whiche that they dredden most.
So lay Vter Stylle ryht there
thre dayes Jn this manere,
and atte the Selve thrydde day
the kyng remevyd, the sothe to say,
and kam So Nyhe that meyne,
that eche of hem myht other se.
and whanne the ost beheld al this,
that on bothe sides they weren beset, j-wys,
and that to here Schipes they myhte not gon
with-owten bataylle of here fon,
thanne jn the eyr aperede that syht
that merlyne afore tyme hem tolde ful ryht,
of wheche Syhte the enemyes of the kyng
hadden gret drede, with-owten lesyng.
thanne seide the kyng to his meyne anon:
“To armes and to hors let vs now gon,
and also Faste as we mown ryde,
vppon oure enemyes this Jlke tyde.”
and whanne that vter Say the kyng so do,
anon with his meyne he remevede also,
that so on bothe sydes beset they were.
thanne began anon strong bataylle there
and gret occisiown on bothe syde,
and mochel peple ded at that tyde.
but haugwis kynnesmen hadden the werre,
Not-withstondyng they comen from ferre.
but of this bataylle j reherse no more,
whiche of hem that best bar hym thore.
but Pandragown the kyng was there ded,
and manye of his barowns in that sted.
thanne thus recordith this Storye,
that vter hadde there the victorye,
and þat of his enemyes ne sckaped neuer on,
that ded they weren, other taken, echon.
thus endid the bataylle of Salisbery there,
where pandragown was slayn Jn this manere.
aftyr merlynes cownseil, ful Sykerle,
and lay be-twene the Schepis & that ost,
whiche that they dredden most.
So lay Vter Stylle ryht there
thre dayes Jn this manere,
and atte the Selve thrydde day
the kyng remevyd, the sothe to say,
and kam So Nyhe that meyne,
that eche of hem myht other se.
and whanne the ost beheld al this,
that on bothe sides they weren beset, j-wys,
and that to here Schipes they myhte not gon
with-owten bataylle of here fon,
thanne jn the eyr aperede that syht
that merlyne afore tyme hem tolde ful ryht,
of wheche Syhte the enemyes of the kyng
hadden gret drede, with-owten lesyng.
thanne seide the kyng to his meyne anon:
“To armes and to hors let vs now gon,
and also Faste as we mown ryde,
vppon oure enemyes this Jlke tyde.”
and whanne that vter Say the kyng so do,
anon with his meyne he remevede also,
that so on bothe sydes beset they were.
thanne began anon strong bataylle there
and gret occisiown on bothe syde,
and mochel peple ded at that tyde.
but haugwis kynnesmen hadden the werre,
Not-withstondyng they comen from ferre.
but of this bataylle j reherse no more,
whiche of hem that best bar hym thore.
112
and manye of his barowns in that sted.
thanne thus recordith this Storye,
that vter hadde there the victorye,
and þat of his enemyes ne sckaped neuer on,
that ded they weren, other taken, echon.
thus endid the bataylle of Salisbery there,
where pandragown was slayn Jn this manere.
thanne hadde vter the rem Jn governaunce,
as was bothe resown, ryht, and chaunce.
thanne vter dide assemblen his meyne anon,
and let beryen his dede men Everichon,
and on every tombe wrot the name,
what he was, and of what fame.
but as towching his brothyr the kyng,
vppon his tombe made he non wrytyng.
For a gret Fool he is, with-owten dowte,
that a kynges tombe ne kan knowen with-owte,
For heyere and richere thanne ony oþer it was
that weren J-beryed Jn that plas.
thanne remevid vter to Logres anon,
and with hym his prelacye everychon;
And there was he sacred and crowned kyng,
and of alle the rewm hadde he the governeng.
Thus was vter kyng of the Lond,
and alle homages resceyvede, J vndirstond.
as was bothe resown, ryht, and chaunce.
thanne vter dide assemblen his meyne anon,
and let beryen his dede men Everichon,
and on every tombe wrot the name,
what he was, and of what fame.
but as towching his brothyr the kyng,
vppon his tombe made he non wrytyng.
For a gret Fool he is, with-owten dowte,
that a kynges tombe ne kan knowen with-owte,
For heyere and richere thanne ony oþer it was
that weren J-beryed Jn that plas.
thanne remevid vter to Logres anon,
and with hym his prelacye everychon;
And there was he sacred and crowned kyng,
and of alle the rewm hadde he the governeng.
Thus was vter kyng of the Lond,
and alle homages resceyvede, J vndirstond.
thanne the Fyftenethe day aftyr Sewenge
cometh merlyne to the cowrt of the kynge.
gret was the joye the kyng of hym made,
and alle the howshold of hym was glade.
Thanne seide merlyne to Vter there:
“thy brotheris name J wolde thou bere;
& benchesown of the dragown, J-wis,
that jn the eyr aperede, with-owten mys,
and aftyr thyke dragowns semblaunce,
J wolde thou madist on, with-owten variaunce.”
This kyng let maken this dragown anon
of gold, also faste as it myhte be don,
and vppon a lawnce Jt Sette, Sanȝ faylle,
with hym to be born Jn bataylle.
thus was he clepyd vter Pendragown;
his brothir and þe baner was thenchesown.
cometh merlyne to the cowrt of the kynge.
gret was the joye the kyng of hym made,
and alle the howshold of hym was glade.
Thanne seide merlyne to Vter there:
“thy brotheris name J wolde thou bere;
& benchesown of the dragown, J-wis,
that jn the eyr aperede, with-owten mys,
and aftyr thyke dragowns semblaunce,
J wolde thou madist on, with-owten variaunce.”
This kyng let maken this dragown anon
of gold, also faste as it myhte be don,
and vppon a lawnce Jt Sette, Sanȝ faylle,
113
thus was he clepyd vter Pendragown;
his brothir and þe baner was thenchesown.
thanne merlyne with hym gan there dwelle,
and on a day to þe kyng gan he to spelle:
“why dost thou non more reuerence
there thy brotheris body lyth jn precense?”
“what woldest thow, merlyne, that j scholde do?
Sey what thow wylt, and it schal be so.”
“Swich a thing to maken, thow it attende,
that Scholde abyden with-owten ende.”
“Sey me thanne,” quod the kyng ageyn,
“and j wele it don, Jn certeyn.”
thanne quod merlyne: “Sende thow anon
Jnto Erlond aftyr gret ston.
and j my-Self wile thedyr pase,
to schewen where they ben and jn what place,
and tellen hem wheche that they scholen brynge
Jn thi Schepis hider, with-owten lesynge.”
thus the kyng schepis thedyr sente,
and merlyne with hem was there presente.
“Sen ȝe now these stones here?
jn ȝoure Schepis j wolde they were.”
and whanne these stones they gonne beholde,
jn here hertes they merveylled many folde,
and seiden that nevere schipe hem myhten bere,
Ne neuere jnto here Schipe scholde comen there.
thanne tornede they thus hom a-geyn,
and of that merveylle tolde the kyng, ful pleyn.
Anon thanne hem answeryd the kyng:
“Abydeth here stylle tyl merlynes comeng!”
and on a day to þe kyng gan he to spelle:
“why dost thou non more reuerence
there thy brotheris body lyth jn precense?”
“what woldest thow, merlyne, that j scholde do?
Sey what thow wylt, and it schal be so.”
“Swich a thing to maken, thow it attende,
that Scholde abyden with-owten ende.”
“Sey me thanne,” quod the kyng ageyn,
“and j wele it don, Jn certeyn.”
thanne quod merlyne: “Sende thow anon
Jnto Erlond aftyr gret ston.
and j my-Self wile thedyr pase,
to schewen where they ben and jn what place,
and tellen hem wheche that they scholen brynge
Jn thi Schepis hider, with-owten lesynge.”
thus the kyng schepis thedyr sente,
and merlyne with hem was there presente.
“Sen ȝe now these stones here?
jn ȝoure Schepis j wolde they were.”
and whanne these stones they gonne beholde,
jn here hertes they merveylled many folde,
and seiden that nevere schipe hem myhten bere,
Ne neuere jnto here Schipe scholde comen there.
thanne tornede they thus hom a-geyn,
and of that merveylle tolde the kyng, ful pleyn.
Anon thanne hem answeryd the kyng:
“Abydeth here stylle tyl merlynes comeng!”
| [Chapter III] Merlin, a Middle-English metrical version of a French romance | |