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

Lines 1401 through 1500

& niȝen & þritti winter; he heold þæs leoden. Line 1401 æfter leuen his fader; þe Leil was ihaten. Line 1402 He sette þis lond; he sahtnesse wrohte. Line 1403 he sette stronge lawen; he wes sturne þon dusien. Line 1404 he luuede þeo leoden; þe his lawen heolden. Line 1405 Æuer-alcne godne mon; he aðelede mid gode. Line 1406 he hehte hælden grið & frið; vppe leome & vppe lif. Line 1407 He makede ane riche burh; & hehte heo Winchestre. Line 1408 swlc werc him þuhte swiðe muri; & seoððen he makede Cantwareburi. Line 1409 & Cestesburi castel; an Waladunes dune. Line 1410 Ne com nauer seoððen; nan swa seolcuð þing. Line 1411 þat an muchel ærn spec; a þon castle þer he set. Line 1412 þet Ruhhudibras þe king; him-seolf hit iherde. Line 1413 & alle his cnihtes; þe mide him weoren. Line 1414 Þes fuȝel tacnede; faie-sið þes kinges. Line 1415 Ruhhudibras was sone dead; wa wes his duhþen. Line 1416 His sune hehte Bladud; he wes a swiðe bisi mon. Line 1417 he wes strong & swiðe muchel; riche he wes & mæhti. Line 1418 he cuðe þene vuele craft; þat he wið þene Wurse spæc. Line 1419 & al þat euer he wolde; þe Wurse him talde. Line 1420 Þes ilke king Bladud; Baðen iwrohte. Line 1421 þurh swiðe muchele ginne; mid ane stæn-cunne. Line 1422 al swa great swa a beam; þe he leide in ane walle-stream. Line 1423 Þe ilke makeð þat water hot; & þan folc halwende. Line 1424 He makede an temple onfest þe baðe; an ære hæhtnesse nome. Line 1425 þe hire nome wul ihere[n]; Minerue heo was ihaten. Line 1426 To hire he hefde loue. & læfdi heo hehte. Line 1427

Line 1427 In þere temple he lette beornen; enne blase of fure. Line 1428 þe neuer ne aþeostrede; wintres ne sumeres. Line 1429 ah euer me þat fur bette; swa þe king haihte. Line 1430 to wrðscipe his læfdi þe leof him wes on heorten. Line 1431 Þus dude Bladud þe king; þat him wes wide cuð. Line 1432 Þa he hefde þus idon. þæ þohte he on oðer. Line 1433 He ȝealp þat he wolde fleon; on fuȝeles læche. Line 1434 þat al his folc mihte iseon; & his fluhtes bi-halden. Line 1435 He makede his feðerhome; & þaruore he hæfde muchel scome. Line 1436 To Lunden he ferde; mid muchelen his folke. Line 1437 his feðer-home he dude him on; & he his f[l]uht þer bigon. Line 1438 Mid wiȝeful his fluhte. tæih him to þon lufte Line 1439 he ferde swiðe hehȝe; þere weolcne he wes swiðe nih. Line 1440 Þe wind him com on wiðere; weoðeleden his fluhtes. Line 1441 brecon þa strenges; þe he mid strahte. Line 1442 & he feol to folde; þe king wes feie. Line 1443 vppen are stouwe; þe i Lundene stod. Line 1444 Appollones temple; þe wes þe tir-fulle Feond. Line 1445 þe king feol on þene rof; þat he al to-draf. Line 1446 Þus wes þas kineriche; of heora kinge bi-ræued. Line 1447 Tuenti winter hafde Bladud; þas kine-lond an hond. Line 1448 æfter his fader Ruhhudibras; þe Leil sune þes riche kinges wes. Line 1449 Bladud hafde enne sune. Leir wes ihaten. Line 1450 Efter his fader daie; he heold þis drihliche lond. Line 1451 somed an his liue; sixti winter. Line 1452 He makede ane riche burh; þurh radfulle his crafte. Line 1453 & he heo lette nemnen; efter him-seoluan. Line 1454 Kaer Leir hehte þe burh; leof heo wes þan kinge. Line 1455 þa we an ure leod-quide; Leirchestre clepiað. Line 1456 Ȝeare a þan holde dawen; heo wes swiðe aðel burh. Line 1457 & seoððen þer seh toward; swiðe muchel seorwe. Line 1458 þat heo wes al for-faren; þurh þere leodene uæl. Line 1459 Sixti winter hefde Leir; þis lond al to welden. Line 1460 Þe king hefde þreo dohtren; bi his drih-liche quen. Line 1461 nefde he nenne sune; þer-fore he warð sari. Line 1462 his manscipe to halden; buten þa þreo dohtren. Line 1463 Þa ældeste dohter haihte Gornoille; þa oðer Ragau. þa þridde Cordoille. Line 1464 Heo wes þa ȝungeste suster. a wliten alre va[i]rest. Line 1465 heo wes hire fader al swa leof; swa his aȝene lif. Line 1466

Line 1466 Þa ældede þe king; & wakede an aðelan. Line 1467 & he hine bi-þohte; wet he don mahte. Line 1468 of his kineriche; æfter his deie. Line 1469 He seide to himsuluen. þat þat vuel wes; Line 1470 Ic wlle mine riche to-don; allen minen dohtren; Line 1471 & ȝeuen hem mine kine-þeode; & twemen mine bearnen. Line 1472 Ac ærst ic wille fondien; whulchere beo mi beste freond. Line 1473 and heo scal habbe þat beste del; of mine drih-lichen lon[d]. Line 1474 Þus þe king þohte; & þer-æfter he worhte. Line 1475 He clepede Gornoille; hes guðfulle dohter. Line 1476 vt of hire bure; to hire fader deore; Line 1477 & þeus spac þe alde king. þer he on æðelen seat. Line 1478 Sei me Go((r))noille; soðere worden. Line 1479 swiþe dure þeo eart me; hu leof æm ich þe. Line 1480 Hu mochel worȝ leste þu me; to walden kineriche. Line 1481 Gornoille was swiðe wær; swa beoð wif-men wel ihwær. Line 1482 & sei((de)) ane ((le))singe; heore fædere þon king. Line 1483 Leofe fæder dure; swa bide ich Godes are. Line 1484 swa helpe me Apollin; for min i-læfe is al on him. Line 1485 þat leuere þeo ært me æne; þane þis world al clane. Line 1486 & ȝet ic þe wlle speken wit; þeou ært leouere þene mi lif. Line 1487 & þis ich sucge þe to seoðe; þu mith me wel ileue. Line 1488 Leir þe king ilefde his doster læisinge; Line 1489 & þas ænsware ȝef. þat waes þe olde king. Line 1490 Ich þe Gornoille seuge; leoue ((dohter)) dure. Line 1491 god scal beon þi meda; for þira gretinge. Line 1492 Ic eam for mire ælde; swþe vnbalded. Line 1493 & þou me leuoste swþe; mare þan is on liue. Line 1494 Ich wille mi dirhliche lond; a þroe al to-dalen. Line 1495 þin is þat beste deal; þu ært mi dohter ((deore)). Line 1496 & scalt habben to lauerd. min alre beste þein. Line 1497 þeo ich mai uinden; in mine kinne-londe. Line 1498 Æfter spac þe olde kinge; wit his [oðer] dohter. Line 1499 Leoue dohter Regau; waet seist tu me to ræide; Line 1500