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

Lines 3701 through 3800

& he hafde enne stiwarde; þene wisseste mon of al þis ærde. Line 3701 Belan he wes ihaten; bæȝes he dælde. Line 3702 he wes cniht swiðe ræh; to ræden ane kinge. Line 3703 vnder þen kinge he heolde þis lond; and þas leoden him hereden. Line 3704 Þe king hehden his broðer sune; beiene to-somne. Line 3705 þe aldre hæhte Androgeus. þe ȝungere Tennantius Line 3706 þeos weoren beien him bi-foren; eorles swiðe balde. Line 3707 Nennius wes þeos kinges broðer; næfde he nenne oðer. Line 3708 He ferde ut of Cantuarie-burie; mid balden his ferden. Line 3709 Androgeus of Lundene; mid Kentisce leoden. Line 3710 Tennantius of Cornwale; his kempen weore kene. Line 3711 Æridius þe king; his Scottes he lædde. Line 3712 and Britael com to neode; Norð Walene king. Line 3713 & Guærtaæt. þe mode; mid þon Suð Walscen. Line 3714 Co[m] of Galwæie; Æssel þe gode. Line 3715 com of Muriene; moni spere kene. Line 3716

Line 3716 of alle þissen þeoden; come to þære neode. Line 3717 to Cassibellaune; kinge of þissen londe. Line 3718 & þene king lærde; al þas leod-cnihtes. Line 3719 þat he his freo-scipe; mid fehte biwunne. Line 3720 & he heom an hond salde; swa þat he wolde. Line 3721 þat fehten he wolde wið Cezar; þe axede lon-gauel her. Line 3722 Forð-ward heo wenden; & his folke fusde. Line 3723 to þere sæ heo wenden; and Cezar þer funden. Line 3724 Of heore [cume wes war Iulius Cezar] Line 3725 he cleopede on his cnihtes; Ȝarewieð eow to fihte. Line 3726 for nu is mid ferde icumen; Cassibellaunus. Line 3727 Heo liðede to-gadere; mid heore speren longe. Line 3728 mid axen mid sweorden; mid scærpe speres orde. Line 3729 hard-liche heo heowen; hælmes þer gollen. Line 3730 feonliche heo feohten; hafdes þer feollen. Line 3731 And Cesar þe keisere; wes vnimete kene. Line 3732 his longe sweord he adroh; and moni mon þer-mide asloð. Line 3733 he swonc i þon fehte; þat al he lauede asweote. Line 3734 He sloh þa him neh weoren; alle buten iferen. Line 3735 he dude þer muchelne wunde((r)); he sloh þer an hundred. Line 3736 of ahtere monnen; þe feond mid his mæche. Line 3737 Þat iseh Androgeus; and cleopede his fader. Nennius. Line 3738 and beiene þa eorles; buȝen heom to-gaderes. Line 3739 mid swiðe muchele folke; to-gæderen stoden faste. Line 3740 Iseȝen heo Iulius Cesar; fæhten al swa a wilde bar. Line 3741 and heo him to fusden; mid ladliche fehte. Line 3742 & monie of heore feonden; heo fælden to þon grunde. Line 3743 Þa iseh Nennius; wær fæht Cesar Iulius. Line 3744 and he him to rasde; mid ræhæm his sweorde. Line 3745 vppen þene helm he hine smat; þat þet sweord in bat. Line 3746 Selkuð hit þuðte moni cnihte. Line 3747 þat he durste cumen him næh; for þa þe keisere. wes swa hæh. Line 3748 Iulius Cesar ne queð nan word; ah he bræid ut his sweord. Line 3749 and Nennium he smat þa; uppen þene helm swa. Line 3750 þat þe helm to-hælde; & þat hæfde bledde. Line 3751 ah he ne blakede no; for he wes cniht wel idon. Line 3752 & Iulius [nefde]. na bræð ah his brond he up ahæf; Line 3753 and Nennius hæf vp his sceld; scilde hine sulue. Line 3754 Iulius adun smat; & þat sweord a ðene scelde bat. Line 3755 Iulius hit wraste; & þat sweord stike[de] feste. Line 3756

Line 3756 Iulius þat sweord heold; and Nennius þene sceld. Line 3757 & þus heo hit longe bi-tuȝen; ne mihte he þat sweord ut draȝen. Line 3758 Þat isæh Androgeus; hu uerden Cesar & Nennius. Line 3759 & heo hem to fusde; monie to fulste. Line 3760 Þa isæh Cesar; tiðend þat him wes sær. Line 3761 he for-lette þene brand; þa nefde he noht on his hond. Line 3762 æ he þa feond-liche turnde to flæme. Line 3763 Nennius wende i þane felde; and he turnde his sceld. Line 3764 droh ut þene brande þa wes þe eorl swiðe bald. Line 3765 Monie Romanisce men; mid þon sweorde he leide adun. Line 3766 he wes moniennes monnes bone; & monianne he dude scome. Line 3767 Ah þat he mid þan sweorde smat; þer-riht hit i-wat. Line 3768 al þat he þer-mid at-ran; weore hit flæs weore hit ban. Line 3769 þurh þeos sweordes wunde; heo fullen to þon grunde. Line 3770 Alle dæi wes þat f[i]ht[e]. a þet com þe þestere niht; Line 3771 Iulius þe kaisere. mid alle þan Romanisce here; Line 3772 dalden from þan fihte. al bi þustere nihte; Line 3773 to hærberȝe heo wenden. uppen þare sæ-stronde; Line 3774 heo bi-lefden bi-æften. twenti hundred cnihten; Line 3775 þeo leien under scelden. i-slæȝen ȝeond þon felden; Line 3776 Cesar iwende to his bedde. his men weoren of-dredde; Line 3777 inne biwakeden in þere nihte. þritti hundred cnihten; Line 3778 mid helmen & mid burnen. & mid stelene sweorden; Line 3779 Iulius Cesar. he wes ȝep and swuðe i-wær; Line 3780 he isæh his muchele lure. & of mære he hæfde kare; Line 3781 he a-ras to þan mid-nihte. and bannede his cnihtes; Line 3782 and seide heom þat heo wolden faren. and fleon of þissen londe; Line 3783 faren into Flandre. and beo þer wuniende; Line 3784 a þat he iseȝen his time. þat he mihten æft cumen liðen; Line 3785 Heo ferden forh-rihte. to scipe al bi nihte; Line 3786 heo hæfden swiðe fair weder. & wenden into Flandre; Line 3787 A-marȝen þa hit dæi wes. þe king mid his duȝeðe; Line 3788 ȝarekede his ferde; & wende to þan fihte. Line 3789 Þeo was Romanisce folc; iuaren from here [l]onde. Line 3790 þat ne funden heo nauer enne; of Cesares monnen. Line 3791 Þa weoren Bruttes; bliðe an heore mode. Line 3792 muchel wes þa blisse; þat heo makeden mid iwisse. Line 3793 and sone þer-æfter særi heo wurðen; Line 3794 & Cassibellaune þe king. iwarð særi þurh alle þing; Line 3795 for Nennius his broðer. ne mihte finden bote; Line 3796

Line 3796 of his hæfued-wunde. þe Iulius smat mid honde; Line 3797 ne þurh nenne læche-cræfte. ne mihte he lif habben; Line 3798 Nes þer nan oðer ræd. buten Nennius iwarð dæ[d]; Line 3799 & Nennius was ilæid. at þon norð ȝæte i Lundene; Line 3800