Layamon's Brut (British Museum Ms. Cotton Caligula A.IX)

Lines 13701 through 13800

Ma þer aqueðen; of Arðures iueren. Line 13701 þene sixti þusende; segges mid horne. Line 13702 þa wolcne gon to dunien; þa eo[r]ðe gon to biuien. Line 13703 To-somne heo heolden; swulc heouene wolde uallen. Line 13704 ærst heo lette fleon to; feond-liche swiðe. Line 13705 flan al swa þicke; swa þe snau adun ualleð. Line 13706 stanes heo letten seoððen; sturnliche winden. Line 13707 seoððen speren chrakeden; sceldes brastleden. Line 13708 helmes to-helden; heȝe men uellen. Line 13709 burnen to-breken; blod ut ȝeoten. Line 13710 ueldes falewe wurðen; feollen here-mærken. Line 13711 Wondrede ȝeond þat wald; iwundede cnihtes ouer-al. Line 13712 sixti hundred þar weoren; to-tredene mid horsen. Line 13713 beornes þer swelten; blodes at-urnen. Line 13714 stræhten after stretes; blodie stremes. Line 13715 balu wes on uolke; þe burst wes vnimete. Line 13716 Swa al swa suggeð writen; þæ witeȝen idihten. Line 13717 þat wes þat þridde mæste uiht; þe auere wes here idiht. Line 13718 þeo at þan laste; nuste nan kempe. Line 13719 whæm he sculde slæn on; and wham he sculde sparien. Line 13720 for no icneou na man oðer þere; for vnimete blode. Line 13721

Line 13721 Þa hæf þat fiht of þan studen; þer heo ær fuhten. Line 13722 and bigunnen arumðe; ræsen to-somne. Line 13723 and neouwe ueht bi-gunnen; narewe iþrungen. Line 13724 þer weoren Romleoden; reouliche iladde. Line 13725 Þa comen þer kinges þreo; of hæðene londe. Line 13726 of Ethi[o]pe wes þe an; þe oðer wes an Aufrican. Line 13727 þe þridde wes of Libie; of hæðene leode. Line 13728 Heo comen to þere uerde; a þere æst ænde. Line 13729 & þene sceld-trume breken; þe Bruttes þer heolden. Line 13730 and anan fælden; fiftene hundred. Line 13731 baldere þeinen; of Arðures. þeoden. Line 13732 þa wenden Bruttes; sone to þa rugges. Line 13733 Þa comen þer riden; tweien eorles kene. Line 13734 þat was Beduer and Kæi; Arðures birle and his mæi. Line 13735 heore Bruttes heo isehȝen; mid bronden to-hawen. Line 13736 Þer iwurðen to-bursten; eorles swiðe balden. Line 13737 mid ten þusend cnihten; hælden to þan uihten; Line 13738 amidden þan þrunge; þer heo þihkest weoren. Line 13739 and sloȝen Rom-leoden; reouliche swiðen. Line 13740 & ȝeond þan uehte wenden; after heore iwillen. Line 13741 Þa weoren heo to þriste; and to ufele heom biwusten. Line 13742 wala wa wala wa; þat heo neoren war þa. Line 13743 þat heo ne cuðen bi-witen heom; wið heore wiðer-iwinnen. Line 13744 for heo weoren to kene; & to ær-wene. Line 13745 and to swiðe fuhten; and to ueor wenden. Line 13746 and spradden to wide; ȝeond þat feht brade. Line 13747 Þa com þe king of Mede; þe muchele & þe brade. Line 13748 heðene here-þrihng; þer he hærm wrohte. Line 13749 he ladde to iueren; twenti þusend rideren. Line 13750 he heold on his honde; ænne gare swiðe stronge. Line 13751 Þene gare he uorð strahte; mid strongen his maine. Line 13752 and smat þene eorl Beduer; forn a þan breoste; Line 13753 þat þa burne to-barst sone; biuoren and bihinde. Line 13754 an-opened wes his breoste; þa blod com forð luke. Line 13755 Þer feol Beduer anan; de[d] uppen uolden. Line 13756 þer wes sarinesse; sorreȝen inoȝe. Line 13757 Þer Kai funde Beduer; ded liggen him þer. Line 13758

Line 13758 & Kai þat lich wolde; leden mid him-seolue. Line 13759 mid twenti hundred cnihten; he hælde þer a-buten. Line 13760 and feondliche feuhten; & falden Rom-leoden. Line 13761 & of Medie þer sloȝen; moni hundred monnen; Line 13762 þat ueht wes strong swiðe; and heo weoren þer to longe. Line 13763 Þa com þer liðen; a swiðe ladlic king an. Line 13764 mid sixti þusend monnen; sele of his londen. Line 13765 Setor þe kene. þe com him from Libie. Line 13766 Þer þe king stronge; wi[ð] Kæi him gon fehte. Line 13767 and for-wundede Kai swiðe; inne strongen þan fehte. Line 13768 to þan bare deðe; reou-lich wes þa dede. Line 13769 His cnihtes þer-rihte; hine ladden of þan uihte. Line 13770 mid muchelere strengðe; þurh þat feht stræhten. Line 13771 Wa wes Arðure kinge; for þa tidinge. Line 13772 Þæt iseh þe riche þein; Ridwaðelan wes ihaten. Line 13773 Beduer%res suster sune; of heȝe Bruttes he wes icume. Line 13774 þat Boccus mid his spere stronge; Bedver hafde istunge. Line 13775 Wa wæs him on liue; þa his æm wes an deðe. Line 13776 for he of alle monnen; mæst hine lufede. Line 13777 He cleopede of his cunne; cnihtes swiðe gode. Line 13778 & of þan alre leofeste; þe he on liue wuste. Line 13779 fif hundred bi tale; fusden to-somne. Line 13780 Riwað%ðlan þa sæide; riche mon of Brut%tene. Line 13781 Cnihtes ȝe beoð of mine cunne; cumeð hidere to me; Line 13782 and wreke we Beduer min æm; þa bezst wes of ure cunne. Line 13783 þa Buccus hafd of-stungen; mid his spere strongen. Line 13784 Fuse we alle to-somne; & ure i-fan feollen; Line 13785 Æfne þan worde; forð he iwende; Line 13786 and alle mid him anan; aðele his i-ueren. Line 13787 and Buccus þene king icneowen; þer he was i compen. Line 13788 mid his spere and mid his scelde; monine king he aqu[a]lde. Line 13789 Riwadðlan braid ut his sweord sone; and him to sweinde; Line 13790 and smat þane king a þene helm; þat he a twa to-ueol. Line 13791 and æc þere burne hod; þat hit at þe toðen at-stod. Line 13792 and þe heðene king; hælde to grunde. Line 13793 & his fule saule sæh in-to helle. Line 13794 Riwærdðlan þa seide; ræh he was on mode. Line 13795

Line 13795 Boccus nu þu hafst aboht; Beduer þu sloȝe. Line 13796 and þi saule scal to-ȝere; beon þas wurse iuere. Line 13797 Æfne þan worde; swulc hit þe wind weore. Line 13798 he þraste to þan fihte; swa þode doð on felde. Line 13799 þenne he þat dust heȝe; aȝiueð from þere eorðe. Line 13800