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

Lines 4001 through 4100

þe me wes to-niht itald; [bi] an eorl swic-ful & bald. Line 4001 þat Cesar wolde nu to-dæi; Brut-lond biwinnen. Line 4002 oðer her mid sweorde; liggen to-swungen. Line 4003 and al his iuere; þe mid him comen here. Line 4004 Nu wes þis ilke iseid; me to bi-swiken. Line 4005 Wæila wæi wæila wæi; þat he is þus i-faren awæi. Line 4006 & na-þeles ich em bliðe; for auere to ure liue. Line 4007 we m[a]ȝen ouer-sitten; þis lond ær he us æft isechen. Line 4008 for æuere-more he mai imunnen þat he him her imunten; Line 4009 for her liggeð to-ȝere. ten þusend of his iferen; Line 4010 wið-uten his driht-liche scipen. þe i sæ idrunken; Line 4011 Ah wel ich þonkie mine gode. for wurð-scipe ich habbe ibiden; Line 4012 & twien iflemed þene keisere. mid alle his Romanisce leode Line 4013 & ((nu)) ich wulle to Lundene. þa burh ich luuie swuðe; Line 4014 & þer ich wulle halinesse; to mine goden halden. Line 4015 & swiðe heom wurðen; for heore wel-dæde. Line 4016 Þe king lette blawen; & bonnien his ferden. Line 4017 & hehten heom alle faren heom. & hired-men beon bliðe; Line 4018 & fæien heore steden. and græiðen heore iweden; Line 4019 & þas dæies æn þreom wiken. wenden to Lundene; Line 4020 mid wif & mid bernen. blisse to makien; Line 4021 eorles & þeines. cnihtes & sweines; Line 4022 & al þat freoliche folc. of Brut-londes ærde; Line 4023 þene dæie heo vnder-nomen. & to Lundene heo comen; Line 4024 mid swulche riche-dome. [al] swa hit weoren i Rome; Line 4025 Þe king bi-gon seruise. on ælches cunnes wise; Line 4026 æfter þan heðene laȝen. þe stoden o ðen ilkæ daȝen; Line 4027 Þer stoden in þere temple. ten þusend monnen; Line 4028 þet wes þe bezste cure. of al Brut-londe; Line 4029 biforen heore mahun. þe heom þuhte mære; Line 4030

Line 4030 Apolin wes ihaten; heo heolden hine for hæhe godd. Line 4031 Ælc beorn hæfde on heonde; ane þechene bærninde. Line 4032 wæs ælc bald beorn; iboned mid golde. Line 4033 þe king hafde his kine-helm; hæhliche on hæfde. Line 4034 Wæs at-foren þan wæfde; imaked an wunlic fur. Line 4035 þe king warp riches þer-in; & alle his hæhste men mid him. Line 4036 seoððen heo þer offreden; aððeles madmes. Line 4037 & þonkede Appollin his gode; þe þa muchele wurðscipe uðen him. Line 4038 Þa þe seruuinge wes idon; þat hit to þe mete com. Line 4039 þer-of ich wulle þe tellen; selcuðe spelles. Line 4040 Weoren in þeos kinges cuchene; twa hundred cokes. Line 4041 & ne mæi na man tellen; for alle þa bermannen. Line 4042 Islaȝene weoren to þon mele; twælf þusend ruðeren sele. Line 4043 & þritti hundred hærtes; & al swa feole hinden. Line 4044 of þan fohȝel-cunne; ne mai hit na mon kennen. Line 4045 & al þat wæl & al þat gold; þe wes ȝeond al þeos kinges lond. Line 4046 hit wes al isomned; [at] þere sereuunge. Line 4047 Nes hit nauer mid soð itald; seoððen þeos weoruld wes a-stald. Line 4048 þat weore on ane stude; swulc ȝifueðe istured. Line 4049 ne of alche þinge swulc riche-dom; iȝiuen & under-fon. Line 4050 Muri wes þe dæi & liht; & þa sonne wes swiðe briht. Line 4051 weoren þa bernes; i-scængte mid beore. Line 4052 & þa drihliche gumen; weoren win-drunken. Line 4053 Heo ferden ȝeond þa feldes; mid scæftes & mid sceldes. Line 4054 Summe heo gunnen ærnen; & somme heo gunnen eornen. Line 4055 & summe heo gunnen pleien; pliht com on ueste. Line 4056 Summen pleoden on tæuelbrede; & summen ærnden heore stede. Line 4057 Þa weoren þer tweiene; prute heo weoren beien. Line 4058 Herigal hehte þe an; Æueling þe oðer. Line 4059 Herigal wes þes kinges mæi; þet wes hærm a þen ilke dæi. Line 4060 ahte cniht wes Auelin; Androgeus wes ((is)) hem. Line 4061 Þeos tweien cnihtes bi-gunnen; mid sceldes to scurmen. Line 4062 ærst heo pleoweden; and seoððe pliht makeden. Line 4063 þer Herigal smat Æuelin; swiðe vuele a þane chin. Line 4064 Heo bigunnen to chiden; cnihtes come riden. Line 4065 Euelin wes swiðe wrað; & mid þan stæue to-draf. Line 4066 and smat Herigal a þon ribben; þat þe stæf to-bræc amidden. Line 4067 Þa queð þe cniht Herigal; Euelin þat is swiðe sar. Line 4068 þu me smite bi þon rugge; ah sare þu hit slat a-buggen. Line 4069

Line 4069 for nu þi stæf is to-broken; balu þe scal beon ȝifueðe. Line 4070 Euielin wes swiðe sari; þat him wes swa ilumpen. Line 4071 þe oðer wolde him habben dæd; hit þuhte him swiðe hærd ræd. Line 4072 & he hine bi-þohte; wæt he don mihte; Line 4073 nefde he noht on his hond. bute enne luttelne sceld; Line 4074 Isæh he enne hendlicne mon. þe þer stod bi-haluen; Line 4075 þe wes þudere icumen. for to i-seon þare cnihte gomen; Line 4076 þe ȝunge mon heold on his hond. enne stelene brond; Line 4077 Euielin þene brond igrap. mid grimliche lechen; Line 4078 & braid hine of þere scæðe; þa wes his hurte æðe. Line 4079 He ræsde to Herigale; & smat hine swi[ð]e sare. Line 4080 þat his neb & his neose; niðer ba heolden. Line 4081 æft he him to sweinde; & þa hond him of-swipte. Line 4082 dunt he him ȝef þane þridde; & for-smat hine amidde. Line 4083 Swa endede þæ pleowe; þat Herigal læi of-sloȝen. Line 4084 and Euelin þonene wende; his sweord he bar on honde. Line 4085 ne funde he nonne swa kene mon; þat hond him durste leggen on. Line 4086 al þat folc he bi-bæh; to Androchies inne he flæh. Line 4087 Þet iherde þe king; icud h[it] wes him sone. Line 4088 hu hit al wes ifaren; & hu Herigal læi of-slæwen. Line 4089 Þe king nom þreo aldere men; and sende to Androgeum. Line 4090 and hehte hine bringen; his mæi to þon kinge. Line 4091 to þolie þes kinges dom; for þan slæhte þe [he] hafde idon. Line 4092 and ȝif he swa nolde; he hine flæme wolde. Line 4093 Þa answerede Androgeus; and toward þan kinge he spæc þus. Line 4094 Nulle ich hine bringen; for nauer nane þinge. Line 4095 þat me Euelin for-do; noþer slæ ne na a-ho; Line 4096 Ah ich habbe freo lond. þat freoliche stont a mire honde; Line 4097 & ich habbe min [hired] heh vnder þon kinge. Line 4098 Ȝif her is æni cniht; þe of Eueline axeð riht. Line 4099 come to mine herede; & þer he hit scal habben. Line 4100