The story of England

¶ De castello ffortygerny in Wallia.

He dide sende after þe clergye, Þe wysest men of astronomye; At hem alle, conseil he took, ' How he myghtym safliest lok [sauely loke.] Line 7944 ' A-geyn his enemis for to fende, ' ȝyf host byseged hym as he wende.' Þus redde hym þenne his conseillours: ' To make a strong castel wiþ tours Line 7948 ' Þat non wyþ force mighte hit take, ' Ne wyþ engyns hit perebrake; [non engine perbrake.]

' & when hit [was] [whan it were.] dight at his auys, ' To warnyschit [warnissed.] ageyn his enemis.' Line 7952 In fele stedes þenne ches he Where was best & most ese. On an hil hight Mount de Tyre, [Mont de Rir, Wace, i. 349, l. 7510; ad Erir montem, Galf. Mon., vi. 17.] Þer-on was his moste desire; Line 7956 Masons brought he þenne [slie he brouht.] [Petyt folio 47b:2] þer-tille, Bygonne þat castelwerk o [began a kastell opon.] þat hille; Morter þey made, & ston dide fet, & spedde hem faste þer-on to set. Line 7960 Alle þat þey made a day vpright, ffallen was doun vpon þat nyght; Often þey les al þeyr iornes, Þat what [þei] [þat þei.] made, lay doun on knes. Line 7964 Þat saw þe kyng hit misferde [þe kyng sauh it misfare.] so; [Lambeth folio 35a:1] Þe maistres he dide eft com hym to, & preide þem telle 'what þyng hit deres ' Þat þe erþe þys werk ne beres; Line 7968 ' & ȝif þey mighte, þey scholde fonde ' To wyte what myghte don hit stonde.' Þys wyse maistres þer bokes kest, [maistres lotes caste. (ont de|viné et sortoi, Wace, i. 351, l. 7529.)] Why þat werk ne wolde nought lest; Line 7972 Þey fondyt þenne in þer musyng, [fond in þer lotes kestyng.] A gret selcouþ, & telde þe kyng: " ȝyf ani man myghte a child fynde " Þat hadde no fader of mankynde, Line 7976 " ȝyf he were taken & slayn sone, [on one.] " & menged his blod wyþ morter & stone, " Vpon þat morter þat blod wer inne, " Þat werk men mygh[t] safly bygynne." Line 7980

Line 7980 Þe kyng als sone his sonde sent, ffro toun to toun þorow Walys went; In ilka contre, þorow euery [þorgh ilk a.] schire, He hadde spyes for to spyre; Line 7984 & in oþer landes seeres Sente þe kyng his messegers: Two to-gyder, aboute þey ȝede, Þe bettere for to spirre & spede. Line 7988 Two of þyse wente þorow Walys, Of swylk a child ȝif þey herde tales. So fer in to þe lond þey nam, Atte last to Kermerdyn þey cam: Line 7992 By-fore þe ȝates y þe way Sawe þey manye childre play; Bytwyxt to þer a stryf þey herde, Of grete reprefs [vpbreide.] [Petyt folio 48a:1] ilk oþer onswerde; Line 7996 Þey wyþ-stode, & gon abyde ffor to here þe children [childir.] chide. When wraþe bygynneþ, þen comeþ vmbreyd; [wrath comes þan is vpbreid.] Al þat men wot, ys þen forþ seyd; Line 8000 So dide þey þat weren wroþe,— Dynabus, Merlyn, (þus hight þey boþe,)— ¶ Dynabus seyde, "Let be, Merlyn! " ȝyf þou me vmbreyde, [þou vpbreid.] þe schame ys þyn. [Merlinus.] Line 8004 " Y am born of heyer kynde " Þan any man of þe may fynde. " Hit aughte þe schame in al þy lyue " Þat þou, Merlyn, wyþ me wilt stryue; Line 8008 " ffor y am come of kynges blod, " & þou, Merlyn, art nought so god; " Þy kynde & myn ys no þyng euen, " Ne þy fader canstow nought neuen, Line 8012 " Ne neuere hym seye, ne hym ne knew,

" Ne of what kynde þat he grew! " Þer wot no man of wham þart come, [ne no man of þe may kone.] " Þer-fore y halde þe no mannes sone!" Line 8016 Þe messegers lystned, & þought Þat swylk a child hadde þey sought; Þey spird [þe spired.] at men of þat cite, Þat Dynabus seyde, ȝyf hit myght be, Line 8020 Þat ffader wystey hym haue [wist þei him haf.] non. Þey of þe cite seyde ylkon, " His moder we knowe, þat hym bare; " Of his fader ne wyte we whare; Line 8024 " Hys moder kynde alle we knawe, [knowe . . . . . sowe.] [Lambeth folio 35a:2] " Bot his ffader we neuere sawe. " Scheo was þe kynges doughter, Dymenice, [demetie.] " Of Walys he hadde half partye; Line 8028 " Scho ys nonne of relygion " At Seint Petres kirke of þis toun." Þey ȝede to þe Meyre of Kermerdyn, O þe kynges halue asked Merlyn Line 8032 Þat neuere ȝit no fader had; His moder also wyþ hym þey lad. Þe Meyre þen wolde þem nought werne, Bot sped þem on þer wey ful ȝerne. Line 8036 Þey come to þe kyng ffortyger, & he welcomed hem on faire maner: ¶ "Dame," seyde þe kyng, "welcome be þou! " Nedlike at þe y mot wyse how, [Dicta Matris Merlyny.] " 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. Line 8044 When scheo had stande [standen.] [Petyt folio 48a:2] a litel wyght, Sche seyde, "by Marye bright, [bi ihesu in Mari liht.]

" Þat y ne sey, ne neuere knew, " Hym þat þis child on me sew; [knaue on me sewe.] Line 8048 " Y ne wiste neuere, ne y ne herde, " What maner wyght [schap.] wyþ me so ferde; " Bot þis þyng am y wel of graunt, " Whon y was of elde auenaunt, Line 8052 " On com þer to my bed, y wyst, " & wyþ force me clipte [he me halsed.] & kyst; " Als a man y hym felt, " & als a man he me welt, Line 8056 " 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, Line 8060 " & knew me als a man schold do, " Byfore ne syþen did neuere non so: " Al þus [þusgaiel] conseyued y þys knaue, " & als y wiste, told-y ȝow haue." Line 8064 Þen dide þe kyng a maister calle, Magait [Magaunt. (Malgant, Wace, i. 356, l. 7623.)] he highte, wysest of alle; He asked ȝyf hit myghte be so, Þat þyng þat scheo [als scho.] telde þem to. Line 8068 " ȝe," [ȝa.] seyde þe Maistere to þe kyng, " Hit may bityde, swylka [of suilk a.] þyng. " ffor we fynde writen in our scrytes " Of swylk manere of spyrites; Line 8072 " 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; Line 8076 " ffor þeyr wonyng ys in þe eyr, " Vmwhile to þe erþe þey make repeir. " Mykel skaþe do þey nought;

" Drecchynge by tymes haue [poyntes haf.] [Petyt folio 48b:1] þey wrought. Line 8080 " 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. [sere.] Line 8084 " What tyme þey tak hit, wot noman " Bot he þat al may wyte & kan. " Þise spyrites do women schame; [Lambeth folio 35b:1] " Incuby / demones, ys cald þer name, Line 8088 " ffendes-in-bedde, as our bokes [so þei.] sayn, " Þat many woman han forlayn. " On þis manere myghte Merlyn " Be geten & born, by [in.] oure deuyn." Line 8092 ¶ Þen seide Merlyn: "Sire kyng! þou has " Sent after me; sey me þy [what.] cas! [Dicta Merlyny.] " What þou wilt, sey me þy wille, " Wheþer hit is for god oþer ylle!" Þen seid þe kyng, "þou schalt here; Line 8097 " ffor þe y sente, at þe to lere. " A castel y haue bygonne, [begunnen.] " & lore þer-on þat y haue wonne; [& lost þerfor þat .I. haf wunnen.] Line 8100 " Al þat þey make þer on a day, " O nyght alone [holy.] stand hit ne may; " & eft when þey gynne [begyn.] þe walles, " Eyþer hit synkes, or cleues, or falles; Line 8104 " & ffayn y wolde þe werk haue hasted, " & mykel of myn þer-fore ys wasted, " Bot þus seide alle my dyuinours, " Þat þer ne schal stande wal ne tours Line 8108 " Bot þy blod þer-on be schad, " Þow þat neuere no fader had." Þenne seide Merlyn, "þat wold nought God,

" Þat swylk a fals schold be bytrowd, [suilk fals worde so suld be trod.] Line 8112 " Þat þorow þe mengynge of my blod " Þy tour schold stande strong & god. " Y schal proue þem fals fur-sworn " ȝyf þou brynge þem me byforn: Line 8116 " Þo þat on me lotes cast, " & seyde my blod myght makyt [mot.] fast, " Y schal þem þroue for lyeres olde, " Þylke [þo ilk.] maistres þat þe so tolde." Line 8120 Þe kyng dide þem come ilkone, Ageyn Merlyn hym self alone. " Maistres," he seyde, "what haue ȝe seyd, " What lotes haue ȝe on me leyd, Line 8124 " ffor þys þyng ys þus ffarand, " Þe kynges werk hit may nought stande? " Con ȝe sey non oþer enchesoun [cheson.] [Petyt folio 48b:2] " Whi þat þis castel þus falles doun? Line 8128 " & ȝyf ȝe can non oþer sey " Why þat hit falles som certeyn wey, " How couþe ȝe wyte þat þorow my blod " Þis tour myght stande stark & god? Line 8132 " Seys what þyng ys on [in.] þe ground " Þat hit ne may stande hol ne [may not be hole &.] sound, " & seyþ what þyng hit helpe myght, " Þat þys castel myght stande vpright. Line 8136 " & ȝyf ȝe ne conne nought do hym wyte " What þe fallyng may wyþ-syt, [with site.] " Þat ȝe haue seyd, hit ys bot fable, " Þat my blod schold make hit stable! Line 8140 " Seys now hym al þe desturblaunce, [disturbance.] " & where-of comeþ þat wonder chaunce!" Þise maistres of astronomie & of deuyn [þat said þat devyne.]

Onswered [ansuerd . . . . . ansurd.] nought o word to Merlyn. Line 8144 When Merlyn sey þey ne onswered [ansuerd . . . . . ansurd.] nought, Right to þe kyng he sayde his þought: