The story of England

¶ De obsisione Gorlencii Comitis per Regem.

Þe kyng wyste he made purueaunce A-gayns hym to stande [at stand.] to chaunce. Line 9348 Þe kyng also sone purueyed his host; Þer þe Erl was, byseged þe cost; Þe castel þat þe Erl was in, He byseged hyt for to wyn. Line 9352

Line 9352 Al a wyke [seuenyght.] [Petyt folio 56a:1] þe kyng þer lay, He spilte his tyme, sped of no pray; Of þe Erl nought he ne wan, Ne dide scaþe til no man, Line 9356 ffor þe Erl kepte euere þe comyng Hy[m] [him.] to socoure þe Irische kyng. Þe kyng sey þe sege was wast; Igerne to haue he wilde hym hast; Line 9360 He was ful gretlyk onoyed Þat his tyme so was destruyed. He calde Vlfyn, his priue baroun, To conceille hym of som resoun: Line 9364 " Vlfyn," he saide, "þou conseil me; " My beste conseil y take at þe. " On Igerne y am enamured [anamorde.] strong, " I deye ȝyf hit me laste long; Line 9368 " Y ne may slepe, wyþ wo y wake, [slepe wo. I. waken.] " So am y in hure loue y-take; " Ete ne drynke ne may y nought, " So lowe hure loue haþ me [hir luf benethen has me so.] brought; Line 9372 " Loue dereþ me so, to deye [luf has me wonded dede.] y dred; " Y aske conseil how y may sped." Seyd Vlfyn þen, "y here merueilles! " Þou louest his wyf þat þou [lufes his wife & him.] assailles! Line 9376 " Wenestow þer-wyþ to ben aboue? " Þorow werre wynne [to wyn.] his wyf to loue? " Hure to loue þou com to late; " Hure loue to gete, hure lord to take. [ll. 9379-9380. The Petyt MS. leaves out this line.] Line 9380 " At wham toke þou þis conseil, [Lambeth folio 41a:1] " To loue in tene & in [with.] turpeyl? " Conseil of þis can y non kest; " Of swylk conseil Merlyn can best; Line 9384

Line 9384 " He can ynow of swylke craftes, " Of alle vigures [figures.] he turnes þe schaftes. " Ȝyf he can kenne þe no weye, " Igerne to wynne, can no man seye." [ll. 9387-9388. The Petyt MS. leave out these lines.] Line 9388 Þorow þe conseil of sire Vlfyn Þe kyng dide sende after Merlyn. Merlyn com þe kyng byforn; He seide, "Merlyn, y am ner lorn! [am forlorn.] Line 9392 " Conseille me, syn þat þou can, " & y schal euere-more be þy man! " Y haue ner lorn wyt & lyf " ffor Igerne, þe kynges [erles.] wyf! Line 9396 " Help me now, þat y hure haue; " & what þou wilt, y vouche saue."

" Syre," [Sir kyng.] seid Merlyn, "God furbede [Dicta Merlyny.] [Petyt folio 56a:2] " Þat þou for hure schold be in drede, " ffor Igerne to haue þe ded! [in drede for to haf þi dede.] Line 9401 " Er schold y don anoþer red; " Þou schalt hure haue wyþoute pyne, " & ȝit wol y haue nought of þyne. Line 9404 " Bot, sire Vter, þou wost hit wel, " Strong ys þe hold of Tyntagel; " & scho ys loken þer-yn so strait, " Bot þorow queyntise or deseit Line 9408 " Noman ne may hure out[e] take, " Þorow non engyn þat men can make; " ffor two men þat oughtes [without (aht, oht, brave).] be, " May kepe þe issue [issheu.] & þe entre; Line 9412 " & þey al hit be wykke to wynne, " fful wel schal y þe brynge [.I. sall do þe.] þer ynne.