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

Lines 201 through 300

Þes cniht hefde his fader lond; & loð him wes his broþer. Line 201 for he heold þe stronge castles; þurh staðele his fader ȝefe. Line 202 His broþer heo him wolde bi-nimen; ah he ne mihte speden. Line 203 þar aros wal[e] & win; & wiðer-heppes feola. Line 204 Assaracus wes god cniht; wið Grickes he heold moni fiht. Line 205 ah he hefde muchele strengþe; of meren his cunne. Line 206 of þan Troyscen monnen; þe weren his moder isib. Line 207 for þare sibe-laȝe; luue hem wes bi-tweonen. Line 208 Assaracus hit redde; mid diȝenliche runen. Line 209 þat þat Troynisce folc; mid his fulle fultume. Line 210 nomen þene cniht Brutun; & makeden hine to duke. Line 211 & he heora monredne; mid monscipe on-feng. Line 212 He sende his sonde; wide ȝend þane londe. Line 213 he heihte his folc sumunen; & cumen to him-seoluen. Line 214 wapmen & wifmen; þa weoleȝen & þa weaðlen. Line 215 alle he heom sumunde; & to wode sende. Line 216 bote seoue þusend kempen; þa he in-to þane castlen dude. Line 217 Þa lette he riden; vnirimed folc. Line 218 bi-ȝeoten wepnen & mete; muchel wes þa neode. Line 219

Line 219 & al þat smale mon-kun; he dude ȝeond þea muntes. Line 220 & him-self mid his ferde; bi-foren & bi-hinden. Line 221 Seoþen he nom to rede; & to som-runen. Line 222 þat he an wriht makede; al mid wisdome. Line 223 Pandrasum þene king he grette; mid greiðlicre speche. Line 224 & þat wriht he him sende; & þeos word seaide. Line 225 For þan weorldes scome; & for þan muchele grome. Line 226 þat Dardanisc kun; þe we beoð of icomene. Line 227 woneð in þisse londe; leode to sconde. Line 228 inne þeowe-dome; þrel-werkes doð. Line 229 heo beoð to-gadere icumene; kuðies mæȝes. Line 230 al swa þat ilke folc; þe freoscipe wole bi-winne. Line 231 Heo habbe[ð] idemed; þat ich am duc ofer heom. Line 232 Ich abbe i min castlen; seoue þusend kempen. Line 233 ich habbe in þane munten; monie þusund. Line 234 Leouere heom his to libben; bi þan wode-roten. Line 235 al swa þat wilde swin; þat wroteð ȝeond þan grouen. Line 236 þane heo þine þeowedomes; lengre iþolien. Line 237 Ȝif heo wlle[ð] frescipe bi-winnen; ne wndre þou nawiht þer-fore. Line 238 heo biddeð þe mid freonscipe; þat þu heom ifreoie. Line 239 Þes word he sendeð; al swa þe wriht þe seið. Line 240 þat heo moten wonien; wer-swa heo wolleð. Line 241 inne griðe & in friðe; & heo wlleð þe freonscipe don. Line 242 Ȝif þou þis nul((t)) iþolien; þe scal beon þa wrse. Line 243 Þe king nom þat writ on hond; & he hit wrodliche bi-heold. Line 244 seolcu[ð] him þuhte; swulcere speche. Line 245 Þa he alles spac; mid þræte he spilede. Line 246 To wroþer heore hele; habbeð heo such werc i-don. Line 247 Mine þralles i mire þeode; me suluen þretiað. Line 248 Wide he sende ȝeond þat lond; for he wes leoden king. Line 249 þat come to hirede; riche men & weðlen. Line 250 al þat wapmon-cun; þa mihte beren wæpen. Line 251 vppen lif & uppen leomen; al þes londes folc. Line 252 an horsen & an foten; forð heo ifusten. Line 253 Þe king þræted Brutun; swa he dude Assaracun. Line 254 þat he heom wolde biliggen; mid laðen heora feonden. Line 255 Ȝif he heom mihte bi-winnen; mid his wored-strencðe. Line 256 alle heo sculden hongien; on heȝe treowen. Line 257

Line 257 Brutus iherde seggen; al swa hit soð wæs. Line 258 þat Pandrasus þe king; him towardes com. Line 259 mid muchelere ferde. ah heo weren summe faie. Line 260 Brutus nom to reade; þat him best was. Line 261 He nom his kene men; þa to compe weren gode. Line 262 he ferde to þan wode; to þan wilderne. Line 263 to þan ilke weie; þe he ful ȝeare wuste. Line 264 þat þe king mid his ferde; forð sculde iwenden. Line 265 Brutus hefede gode; cnihtes to neode. Line 266 þre þusund mid him; ilead to þære þruppe. Line 267 Þe king him com riden; mid riche his folke. Line 268 Brutus heom smat on; mid his grime smite. Line 269 isowte he þe Grickes; mid his grim ræsen. Line 270 Þa Grickes neoren noht warre; of heore wensiðe. Line 271 wenden him þeo rugges; flowen haȝe men. Line 272 Achalon heihte an flum; þe nes noht feor from he((o))m. Line 273 þider in iwenden; moni þusunde. Line 274 Brutus heom com æfter; & æfer he heom leide on. Line 275 mid sweord & mid spere; al he to-drof þes kinges here. Line 276 a londe & a watere; he heom adun leaide. Line 277 & þe king him-self fleh; he iseih his frend fallen. Line 278 Muchel folc þer was of-sclawen; on moniare wisen. Line 279 Þe king hefde ænne broðer; neafde he nenne oðer. Line 280 Antigonus wes ihoaten; inne Gric-londe he wes heh. Line 281 Iseih his broðer ferden; hu heo iuaren weren. Line 282 a wætere & a londe; swa heom læðest wes. Line 283 Antigonus mid his weapnen; & mid his wæl-kempen; Line 284 iwenden toward Brutun; to his bale-siðe. Line 285 Heo comen to-gadere; mid greatere heorte. Line 286 Þar he mihte bi-halden; þe bi-halues were. Line 287 moni wensiðes; wiþer-happes feol[e]. Line 288 moni heaued moni hond; fallen to foten. Line 289 monie þar fuhten; monie flæm makeden. Line 290 monie þar feollen; þurh heora feon-ðewæs. Line 291 Þa Troysse men sloȝen. al þa Grickes þea heo neih comen. Line 292 Þer Brutus nom Antigonun; þes kinges broþer Pandrasum. Line 293 mid him he hine lædde; for leof he him wes to habben. Line 294 He hine leatte wel witen; mid wnder stronge benden. Line 295 & al-swa his iferen; þe mid him ifunden weren. Line 296

Line 296 Þat iherde þe king Pandrasus; hit neas him noht iqueme. Line 297 þat Antigonus his broþer; wes in armliche benden. Line 298 Þe king sende swa wide; swa ileste his riche. Line 299 & heih((te)) eulne mon; þe mihte riden oþer gan. Line 300