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

Lines 2201 through 2300

þa gladede is mod; þe rad him þuhte swiðe god. Line 2201 & seide hem þis answare; After eore rade ich wulle færen. Line 2202 He greiðede his cnihtes; & feorh færde bi niht%tes. Line 2203 swa longe þat he bi-com; to Ælfinge kinge. Line 2204 Þonne king heo igrette; & his gumen alle. Line 2205 and þe king him answerede; swiðeliche fæire. Line 2206 Þa spec Brennes; & his ærnde a-bed. Line 2207 he ȝirnde þeos kinges dohter; to habben to are quene. Line 2208 & þe king him ȝette; al þat he ȝirnde. Line 2209 gold & gærsume. feoh & færde. Line 2210 Þa wes Brennes swiðe bald; on heorte he wes bliðe. Line 2211

Line 2211 þat mæiden he weddede; & nom heo to his bedde. Line 2212 Seoueniht he wes þære; hit þutte him seoue ȝere. Line 2213 ær he aȝen come; to fæhten wih his broðer. Line 2214 Of witten heo weoren amadde; [þ]e him swa rædden. Line 2215 Brennes wes in Norwæye; Belin in þisse londe. Line 2216 Belin ihærde sugge; þurh summe sæg treowe. Line 2217 of his broðer wifðinge; and for wulche þinge. Line 2218 & for wulchere neode; he to Norwæiȝe færde. Line 2219 Belin hine bi-þohte; of swulchere dede. Line 2220 & þas worde seide; þe sæg wes itreouwe. Line 2221 Wa wurðe a þon broðer; þe bi-swikeð þene oðer. Line 2222 Whær beo ȝe mine cnihtes; whar beo ȝe mine kempen. Line 2223 whar beo ȝe mine leoue men; nu we scullen liðen. Line 2224 Heo ferden to Humber-londe; þer weoren castles stronge. Line 2225 Þe castles heo nomen alle; & strangede þe walles. Line 2226 He lette blauwen bemen; and nam al þa burhwes. Line 2227 þa weoren on his broðer londe; þe he hafde an heonde. Line 2228 He dude þer-inne mæte inoh; & wepmen unifoh. Line 2229 þat me mihte heom walden; wih Brennes an-walde. Line 2230 His cnihtes mid ((him))-seoluen; to þare sæ færden. Line 2231 þar laien bi þan brimme; and bisilichen hit wisten. Line 2232 Brennes wes in Norweȝe; and noht her-of nuste. Line 2233 he wende þat his broðer; nuste noht of his fære. Line 2234 Leaf he nom at Ælfing. þe wes Norweine king. Line 2235 & he him ȝef answere; A mote þu wel færen. Line 2236 & Delgan mi dohter; þe me is swþe deore. Line 2237 Þis under-stod þe ȝeonge quene; faren þat heo scolde. Line 2238 heo hauede enne leoue-mon; þa heo swuþe ileoued hæfde. Line 2239 þene king of Denemark; þe leof hire weis on mode. Line 2240 He wes swiðe god cniht; Godlæc he hahte; Line 2241 Þa sende Dalgan. þa quene in-to Denemarke; Line 2242 & guðde Godlacke; þa wes hire gome deore; Line 2243 stille boc-runen. heo senden him to ræden; Line 2244 & seiden him þat Brennes. a king of Britaine; Line 2245 hauede heo biwedded. & ihaued heo to bedde; Line 2246 al hire vnðonkes. þerfore hire wes uneðe; Line 2247 and heo he wolden læiden; to-ward his leoden. Line 2248

Line 2248 næuede heo bute þreo nihte feorst; faren þat heo scolde. Line 2249 Sone hit mæi ilimpen; þanne ihc hunnen liðe. Line 2250 þah þu habben blisse; and grið; ne speke ich þe nauere-more wið. Line 2251 and ihc sende þe gretinge; of mine gold ringe. Line 2252 Þ((a)) Godlac isæh þis; wa him wes ful iwis. Line 2253 Stille he wes iswoȝen; on his kine-stole. Line 2254 Me warp on his nebbe. cold welle-watere. Line 2255 Þa þe king wes a-waht; he wes swuþe idraht. Line 2256 he seide forð-rihtes; Whar beoð mine cnihtes. Line 2257 Fare we swiðe to þare sæ; sele mine dranches. Line 2258 Godlac king on ueste; mid gud-fulle folke. Line 2259 to þere sæ wenden; scipen þer heo funden. Line 2260 makede muchul sæ-flot; and ferden mid streme. Line 2261 to-ȝenes þare hauene; þer Brennes from halde. Line 2262 Þa Brennes com i wide sæ; he i-mette his wiðer-iwinne. Line 2263 scip ærne to-ȝen scip; þa hit al towonde to scifren. Line 2264 horn a-ȝen horne; halde þe wacre. Line 2265 Þer wes moni breoste; mid brade spere i-þurlud. Line 2266 helmes þe[r] gullen; beornes þer fullen. Line 2267 balluw þer wes riue; Brennes flæh bliue. Line 2268 & Godlac hæld æfter; monie scipen he þer cahte. Line 2269 He i-seh a scip þar hit lað; sulkene wes þat seil-clæð; Line 2270 he clupede to his dringes: Nu forh nu niðinges. Line 2271 Þet is þere quene scip: þe us bi-foren queccheð. Line 2272 Halde[ð] alle þer-to; and ȝif ȝe hit mawen ifon; Line 2273 æuere-mare ich æu leouie. þa wile þa ich l((i))ouie; Line 2274 Mid strengðe heo halden to schipen; & þa quene heo igripen. Line 2275 Godlac sloh þa scip-gumen; & alle heo nom þat garsume. Line 2276 and ladde þa quene Delgan; toward Denemarke anan. Line 2277 He þoðte heo to habben; to his awere bihoue. Line 2278 & oðer weis hit sæht; Line 2279 Godlac forh geinde; glad he wes on heorte. Line 2280 he þohte to habben Delgan; to quene of Dene-marke. Line 2281 ah him com muchel lætting; swa him wes alre laðest. Line 2282 Æft aras a ladlich weder; þeostrede þa wolcne. Line 2283 þe wind com on weðere; and þa sæ he wraðede. Line 2284 vðen þer urnen; al-se [t]unes þer burnen. Line 2285 rapes þer braken; b[a]lu wes fulle riue. Line 2286

Line 2286 Scipen þer sunken; Line 2287 þer þreo & fifti scipen. feollen to grunde; Line 2288 in þa teonfulle sæ. torneden sæiles; Line 2289 Godlac hauede a god scip. ne gomede him to-wiht; Line 2290 he hine bi-ðohte; weht he don mihten. Line 2291 He igrap ane wi-æxe; muchele and swiðe scærpe. Line 2292 he for-heow þænne mæst; a-two riht amidden. Line 2293 he lette seil and þane meæst; liðen mid vðen. Line 2294 Þus seide Goðlac; sære him gromede. Line 2295 Æuer-ælc æhte mon: help þat we libben. Line 2296 Þat we comen to londe; ne recche we on wulche leoden. Line 2297 Heo ferden mid þon wedere; nusten heo nauere whudere. Line 2298 vnder fif dawene ȝeong; heo comen to þisse londe. Line 2299 Comen þes kinges cnihtes; þe þæ sæ wusten. Line 2300