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

Lines 2301 through 2400

and nomen Godlac þene king; & Delgan þæ quene. Line 2301 Heo seiden heom enne strongne ræd; Nu ȝe beon alle dead. Line 2302 ah ȝef ȝe wullen us seuggen; ȝet ȝe mawen libben. Line 2303 whonene ȝe beð icumene; & whet ȝe her sohten. Line 2304 Godlac answerede; mid godlichen worden. Line 2305 We beoh sæ-werie men; and we wullet soð sucgen. Line 2306 ah nuten næuere þæs gumen; in-to whuche londe heo beoð icume. Line 2307 ne þas strond we ne cnoweð; þe we isoht habbeð. Line 2308 þis lon ne þas leoden; ne wha her lauerd is. Line 2309 ne we nuten na þe ma; þat we ne speken wit ure ifæn. Line 2310 Ah ich eow bidde leoue men; leddeð us to þæn kinge. Line 2311 & ich him wulle suggen; of blissen and of sorwen. Line 2312 And þa cnihtes heom lædden; to heore leod-kinge. Line 2313 Godlac & [þa] quene; heore æhte & his iferen. Line 2314 & seiden him þat he wes i Brutaine; i Belin kinges londe. Line 2315 Sone swa he to þan king com; wisliche he clupede him an. Line 2316 Hail wurh þu Belin king; Brennes is þi broðer. Line 2317 & ich hatte Godlac; gumenen ich wes lauerd. Line 2318 Denemarkene king; þeos wif-man hatte Delcan. Line 2319 Brennes com to Norhweie; to Ælfinge kinge. Line 2320 Þe king him ȝef Delcan; þe ȝare wes mi leoue-mon. Line 2321 Sonden com%men bi-twenen; þe soðe word me seiden. Line 2322 whennen Bre[n]nes wolde liðen; & mine leoue-mon leden. Line 2323 To-ȝenes ich him ferde; mid feowerti scipen gode. Line 2324

Line 2324 and mid al swa fele cnihtes; swa þa scipen beren mihten. Line 2325 & ich wulle suggen þe an wunder; he haueden scipen seouen hundred. Line 2326 And ich bigon strong fæht; and Brennes to flenne. Line 2327 his men ich awelde; & monie ich aquelde. Line 2328 and þer ich nom Delga[n]; þe ær wes mi leoue-mon. Line 2329 & ich sugge þe to soðe; þat ȝet leoueð þi broðer. Line 2330 for he hald to þen londe; & wel com to hauene. Line 2331 And ich isæh þare quene scip; quecchen mid vðen. Line 2332 & ich ferden þer-æfter; and bi-wan hit mid fæhte. Line 2333 Þa wes ich bliðe; on mine quike liue. Line 2334 Þa ich wes i wide sæ; wiðer com to-ȝenes. Line 2335 þet weder wes swa wilde; & þa sæ wrædde. Line 2336 and draf me to þisse londe; in-to þire leode. Line 2337 A[nd] me do þine milce; for þu eart mihti ouer me. Line 2338 Þe king heom lette halden; in swiðe feire benden. Line 2339 in ane stronge castle; þer he heom wel bi-wiste. Line 2340 Nes hit buten feower wiken; þat þas [þ]inge ifaren weoren. Line 2341 cam Brennes riden; in-to Scotte-londe. Line 2342 mid feower hundred schipen; folc þer wes fæie. Line 2343 He sende his boden: to Belin his broðer. Line 2344 & bad hine quic-liche; aȝeuen him his quene. Line 2345 & þane kinge Gudlac: þe his gumen hauede a-falled. Line 2346 & ȝef he hit nolle him sal beon þa wurse; Line 2347 In his londen ich wulle gon; & slæn al þat ich finde; Line 2348 mid fehte & mid fure; þis feoreward ich him halde. Line 2349 bute he me wullen ȝeuen. þat ich him to-ȝeurne; Line 2350 & mi londe rume; & fare to his riche. Line 2351 and aȝeue me mine burȝes; & mine buri gode. Line 2352 castles and toures; þe he me halt a teonen. Line 2353 Forð ferde þas sonde; to Belin king; Line 2354 & seide him þeos ibeod. from Brenne his broðer; Line 2355 & Belin him warde al þat he ȝernde Line 2356 þat ne sulde he nauere ibiden. þe while þe he mihte riden; Line 2357 Þe [sonde] aȝan ferde. & seide hit Brenne; Line 2358 Brenne wes swiðe wrað. & bannede is ferde; Line 2359 scheldede his scalken. al-se heo to wiȝe solden; Line 2360 folkede his cnihtes; al-sa heo scolden fehten. Line 2361

Line 2361 Belin an halue; hæiȝede him to-ȝeines. Line 2362 Muchel æie wes þære; vnder þan wude of Kalatere. Line 2363 þer heo heom imetten; & vuele hem igretten. Line 2364 To-gædere heo comen; heo graneden sone. Line 2365 feondliche heo feohten; bi þeosende heo fellen. Line 2366 Swiðe faht Belin king; swa duden his B((r))uttes. Line 2367 heo weoren swiðe ohte men; þat æðel heo bi-wunnen. Line 2368 Brennes heom from bæh; and mid his folke he fleh. Line 2369 al to-ward þare sæ; mid muchele vn-sælðe. Line 2370 & Belin heom æfter; & heo adun leide. Line 2371 sixti þusende; he leide to þen gronde. Line 2372 A schip funde Brennes; bi þon brimme stonden. Line 2373 he bicom þer-inne; mid his twelf monnen. Line 2374 ne leædde he na ma isunde; of alle his monnen. Line 2375 Ouer sæ he ferden; in toward France. Line 2376 and þeo for-wundede men; wende into holte. Line 2377 Þa al þis wes ifarren; & Brennes wes awæi i-floȝen. Line 2378 Belin in Euerewic; huld eorlene husting. Line 2379 he bed þat his riche men; rihtne read radden. Line 2380 whet him weore to donne; bi þon ilke monne. Line 2381 & bi Godlac kinge; þe [he] huold i bende. Line 2382 For Gudlac him sende word. bi ane wise monne; Line 2383 þat if he him wold leoðien. of laðe his benden; Line 2384 þat he wolde his mon beon. mid alle his mon-ueorde; Line 2385 & he him wolde ȝeuen al þat gold. þe he haueden i Denemark lond. Line 2386 & ælcche ȝere him senden; þreo þusund punden. Line 2387 her-to him wolden finden. ȝisel of his gilde; Line 2388 wih þon þe he lette. sckere. hine & his ifere; Line 2389 & his leoue-men swa deore. to Denemark leoden; Line 2390 Belin king him ȝette. þat forward þat he ȝerde; Line 2391 and freoliche hine lette faren. and alle his iueren; Line 2392 Belin hauede þeo ȝeseles. & þa ȝeuen gode; Line 2393 & his mon-ræidene. mid monschipe biw[u]nnen; Line 2394 & Gudlac ledde forh. þa wif-mon swiðe fæire; Line 2395 & he heo bohte swiðe deore. bruken he heo þohte Line 2396 Belin huld þas riche; wel feole ȝere. Line 2397 & he swiðe freolic; al his folc he ladde. Line 2398 he makede swiðe god grið; his gumen hit wel heolden. Line 2399 Þa weoren i þissere leode; laȝen swiðe gode. Line 2400

Line 2400