The story of England

¶ De Morte Comitis Cornubye.

Þo þat askaped wyþ þe lyf, Brought tydyng to the Erles wyf, Line 9476 ' Hure lord was slayn y þe mornyng, ' Þe castel taken vnto þe kyng.' Þe kyng hym selue þe tydyng herd, He styrt vp, & þem answerd: Line 9480 " Let be ȝour tales to tene my wyf, [þei be not trod.] — " Y þank God y am her on lyf! [I. am o life .I. tanke it god.] — " To telle swylk tales for to greue! " Lesynges ar nought to byleue! Line 9484 " Y wot wel þey are in doute; " Vnwarned fro þeym y went oute; " ffor when y out of þe castel ȝede, " Y spak to non, —þat ys þer drede,— Line 9488 " Ne seyde whider þat y wold [suld.] [Petyt folio 56b:2] go, " ffor doute & treson [drede.] of my fo; " & for y cam nought sone [suyth.] agayn, " Wene þey now þat y be [am.] slayn. Line 9492 " Bot þat my folk doun ys born, " Slayn, & [eke] þe castel lorn, " Hit may do tene & greuaunce; " Bot y lyue, God þanky þe [lyf þank god þat.] chaunce! Line 9496 " I schal me haste, out y schal [will .I.] wende, " Pes for to seke; þe kyng ys hende. " Er any more skaþe falle, [Lambeth folio 41b:1] " Y wyl acorde me wiþ þem alle. Line 9500 " ȝyf he wyþ sege sperre me her-yn, " More wo þan ys, þen scholde bygyn." [ll. 9501-9502. The Petyt MS. leaves out this line.] To þat conseil Igerne redde,— Alle tymes þe kyng scheo dredde;— Line 9504

Line 9504 In armes boþe ilk oþer hent, Þe kyng hure kyste, & out he went. ¶ When þey [þei were.] passed, alle þre, Ilkon was, as fel to be, [com estre dut, Wace, ii. 28, l. 9022.] Line 9508 & come dryuande vntil þe host; After þe Erl he spyrde most, Who gaf conseil for to go, Þe castel to take, þe Erl to slo? Line 9512 Þe soþe þenne [sone.] was hym told, Of on & oþer, symple & bold. Þe kyng þer-fore was wo ynow, He wraþed wyþ hem þat hym slow; Line 9516 Bot longe nold he þer-fore mourne, To Tyntagel a-geyn gan tourne, & to þeym of þe castel spak & seide: "y rede ȝe turne ȝour bak, Line 9520 " ffor he þat bataille on me bed, " Þe Erl ȝour lord, [he] ys now ded [he is dede.] ; " Now schol ȝe of non fynde socour " Agayn[e]s me to stande in stour." Line 9524 When þey herde þe kyng þus seyd, Þer socour lorn, þer heued [hede.] doun leyd, Þe castel anon til hym þey ȝolde, & leet hym do what þat he wolde. Line 9528 He ȝede anon to dame Igerne; Als he had don, he teld hire ȝerne, Al how he by hure lay, & how he wente from hure away: Line 9532