The Story of England by Robert Manning of Brunne, A.D. 1338. Edited from mss. at Lambeth Palace and the Inner Temple, by Frederick J. Furnivall |
 |
|
Dicta Matris Merlyny. |
 | The Story of England |  |
Dicta Matris Merlyny.
“Dame,” seyde þe kyng, “welcome be þou!“Nedlike at þe y mot wyse how,
“Who þan gat þy sone Merlyne,
“& on what manere was he þyne.”
His moder stod a þrowe, & þought,
Er sche to þe kyng onswered ought.
When scheo had stande a litel wyght,
Sche seyde, “by Marye bright,
283
“Hym þat þis child on me sew;
“Y ne wiste neuere, ne y ne herde,
“What maner wyght wyþ me so ferde;
“Bot þis þyng am y wel of graunt,
“Whon y was of elde auenaunt,
“On com þer to my bed, y wyst,
“& wyþ force me clipte & kyst;
“Als a man y hym felt,
“& als a man he me welt,
“And als a man he spak to me,
“Bot what he was myght y nought se.
“So often to my bed he cam,
“& ofte me kyste, in armes nam,
“& knew me als a man schold do,
“Byfore ne syþen did neuere non so:
“Al þus conseyued y þys knaue,
“& als y wiste, told y ȝow haue.”
Þen dide þe kyng a maister calle,
Magait he highte, wysest of alle;
He asked ȝyf hit myghte be so,
Þat þyng þat scheo telde þem to.
“ȝe,” seyde þe Maistere to þe kyng,
“Hit may bityde, swylka þyng.
“ffor we fynde writen in our scrytes
“Of swylk manere of spyrites;
“Bytwyxte þe mone & þe erþe þei wone—
“So telleþ vs our bokes þat we kone;—
“som what tak þey of mannes kynde,
“& mengyt wyþ angles, as we fynde;
“ffor þeyr wonyng ys in þe eyr,
“Vmwhile to þe erþe þey make repeir.
“Mykel skaþe do þey nought;
284
“Mannes nature vmwhile þey take;
“Þat ys þer myght þey may so make,
“Whan hit ys tyme of here powere,
“To haue lyknesse of bodyes here.
“What tyme þey tak hit, wot noman
“Bot he þat al may wyte & kan.
“Þise spyrites do women schame;
“Incuby demones, ys cald þer name,
“ffendes-in-bedde, as our bokes sayn,
“Þat many woman han forlayn.
“On þis manere myghte Merlyn
“Be geten & born, by oure deuyn.”
| The Story of England | |