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

Lines 2601 through 2700

þene castel heo nomen; hine seulfne and his folke sloȝen. Line 2601 Þus heo þurh-eoden; Francene þeode. Line 2602 In þan ilca((n)) ȝere; wes Belin kaisere. Line 2603 and Brennes his broðer; beiene togaderes. Line 2604 for heo hauede France; mid fehte bi-wunnen. Line 2605 and alle þa fre londes; þe leien in-to France. Line 2606 Þa hauede heo muche riche; irumed to honde. Line 2607 þeo speken heo to-gadere; þa sele ibroðeren. Line 2608 and seide þat heo wolden; halden hustinge. Line 2609 of allen þat l[eo]den þe heore læwen leoueden; Line 2610 & of al þan londen; þe stoden on heore heonden. Line 2611 and þurh heore alre dome; heo wolden fære to Rome. Line 2612 to wreken o þon folke; Remus þene feire. Line 2613 þe Romulus his broðer; in Rome of-sloh. Line 2614 þer bi-foren fele ȝere; for al þat mon-kun wes þa ȝet þere. Line 2615 Al þa kinges þus duden; swa heom-self demmeden. Line 2616 heo gadere[de] heore ferde; in Francene eærde. Line 2617 Þa þat folc wes icumen; sone heo fusden. Line 2618 for þer wes swa mochel folc; & swa vnimete. Line 2619 þat a neuere nane walde; ne mihte hit al halde. Line 2620 Heo ferden ouer Mungiu; mid muchelen here ferden. Line 2621 seo[ð]ðen heo ferden; ful iwis; þer me clipð Munt Senis. Line 2622 heo nomen al Taurins and Iuorie; & alle þe burȝewes of Lu[m]bardie. Line 2623 Versæus and Pauie; & Cremuinne; Melan. Plæucence & Buluine. Line 2624 þet wæter heo ouer-ferden of Taurim; & seo[ð]ðen heo ferden ouer Bardun. Line 2625 Tuscan heo habbe[ð] al bi-wunnen; i Salome heo slowe monie þusend monnen. Line 2626

Line 2626 Swa heo nehlehte toward Rome; to late heom þuste are heo þer comen Line 2627 & þat Romeanisce floc; swiðe wes of-fered. Line 2628 for heom comen stronge tidinge; from Belin þon kinge. Line 2629 Haueden al þa reuen; þe [w]unede in Rome. Line 2630 and alle þa riche gumen; þa Rome burwe walden. Line 2631 iloked tweiene eorles; i þon ilka ȝeære. Line 2632 þe sculden witen þat lond; & wissien þa leoden. Line 2633 & læden here ferde; wher hit neod weore. Line 2634 for heore beire nome; ich þe wulle telle. Line 2635 þe an hehte Gabius; þe oðer Prosenna. Line 2636 Þeos ilke eorles weren kene; ohte men and wel idone. Line 2637 and al þat Romanisce folc; ferde bi heore ræde. Line 2638 Þeos eorles comen to Rome; to þan red-fulle monen. Line 2639 axeden heom ræddes; of swulchere neode. Line 2640 wheðer heo boden ferde; whit Belinne to fehten. Line 2641 þe heo speken him wit; & seoððe axeden his grið. Line 2642 Þa weoren in Rome; wise men on dome. Line 2643 and ðohten bi-pechen Belin; mid heore præt-wrenchen. Line 2644 Heo nomen heom to ræde; and to som-rune. Line 2645 þat noht heo nolden fehten; no heore ferd lea[d]e. Line 2646 Ah we wullet gan a leoðe; and leoue we wulle[ð] wurchen. Line 2647 we wulle[ð] setten heom an hond; al þis Romanisce lond. Line 2648 & wur[ð]ien heom in leoden; al swa mon lauerd scal. Line 2649 ȝeuen heom seluer and gold; and bi-techen heom al þis lond. Line 2650 ȝeuen heom garisum; swa heo wulle[ð] kepe. Line 2651 vre childre to ȝisle; ȝef heo swa wulleð; Line 2652 ælc%ches barunes sune; þe i þissere burh wuneð. Line 2653 þeo scullen beon icorne. and swiðe wel iborne. Line 2654 childre swiðe hendi; ȝisles feor and twenti. Line 2655 & ælche ȝer of golde; ten hundred punde; Line 2656 Þa king%ges buh stronge; and of ferrene lond. Line 2657 Heo habbeð swa muche folc; swa nes næuer eær on ferde. Line 2658 Þe kinges beoð ȝunge; of æhte ȝissinge. Line 2659 Sone swa heo ihurden swulch worde; don heo hit wulleð. Line 2660 for heo ne mawen bidde mare; buten þat we ȝernen heore ære. Line 2661 & ȝif we mawen swa wel don; þat heo þis wullen vnder-fon. Line 2662 & bi-leuen oure leoden; and faren to heore londe. Line 2663

Line 2663 seoððen we sculleð bi-g[i]nnen; to don ure wille. Line 2664 for betere is þat we leosen; leoue oure children. Line 2665 þanne we nimen swulne ræd; þat we allen beo deade. Line 2666 and al Rome burh; mid fure for-berne[d]. Line 2667 & al þat liggende lond; þat lið in-to Rome. Line 2668 beo al bi-ræiued; þe nu stonde[ð] riche. Line 2669 For ȝif hit wulle[ð] Teruagant; þe [i]s oure god of þisse lond. Line 2670 her-mid we sculle[ð] heom bi-charren; & seo[ð]ðen heom amarren. Line 2671 þat ne sculle[ð] heo nauere isunde; cumen to heore londe. Line 2672 Þa seiden heo in halle Þisne read halde we alle. Line 2673 Þeos eorles heom gereden; mid godliche scruden. Line 2674 & nomen mid heo[m] cnihtes; swa feole swa heom þuhte. Line 2675 ha leopen an heore feire hors; bi-wriȝen mid fæire palle. Line 2676 Ælc mon nom an honde; ane scale of rede golde. Line 2677 Feouwer daies fulle; forð-ward heo wenden. Line 2678 þat heo comen to þon eærde; þer Belin wes mid his ferde. Line 2679 & Brennes his bro[ð]er; beiene to-somne. Line 2680 Heo axeden aðelinges; wer leye þa kinges. Line 2681 Me heo[m] tahte þa feldes; þer weoren þare kingene tæld%des. Line 2682 Heo ferden bi-liue; þat þider heo comen liðe. Line 2683 Heom þuhte muchel ferlich; of al þeon folke; Line 2684 wher hit al i-numen weore; þat heo iseiȝen þere. Line 2685 Heo iseiȝen Belin king; buȝen ut of telde. Line 2686 & heo lihten adun; & leofliche on [cneow]en Line 2687 forn at þan kinge. heo fullen to folde; Line 2688 Læuerd þine ære. for þu ært leodene king; Line 2689 We þe aȝeueð Rome; & al þa riche. Line 2690 & al þa londes; þe ligge[ð] in-to Rome. Line 2691 & alle þe madmes; þat we on horde habbe[ð]. Line 2692 & swa muchel garsum%me; swa þine gumen kepeð. Line 2693 & æðes we sulle[ð] þe swerien; þat we þe nulle[ð] swiken. Line 2694 uppen ure godd wel idon. þe is icliped Dagon; Line 2695 We swullen þine men bi-comen. & þine mon-scipe heien; Line 2696 mid allen oure mihten. daies and nihtes; Line 2697

Line 2697 and we þe wulle[ð] bi-techen. ut of þissere riche; Line 2698 feur and twenti ȝunge. riche monne childere; Line 2699 þe scullen beon alle icorne. and swiðe heiȝe iborne; Line 2700