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

Lines 4701 through 4800

Þus Port-chæstre to-ræs; & nauere seo[ðð]en heo ne aras. Line 4701 þat heo swulc weore; swa heo wes eare. Line 4702 Claudius þe keisere; mid wunderliche here. Line 4703 ferde to Winchæstre; & bi-læi þa burh swi[ð]e feste. Line 4704 Þer binnen wes Aruiragus; ærmliche biþrungen. Line 4705 and muchel dæl of his cunne; of Bruttisce monnen. Line 4706 Wa wes þon kinge Aruiragus; & to his cnihtes seide þus. Line 4707 Suggeð me gode men; godfulle kempen. Line 4708 wulle ȝe me helpen; mid hæhȝere strengðe. Line 4709

Line 4709 her to biwinne; wurð-scipe minne. Line 4710 Þa answereden; aðele cnihtes. Line 4711 Nulle we þe bilæuen; for liue ne for dæðen. Line 4712 On heo duden heore iweden; & leopen on heore steden. Line 4713 cnihtes þer weoren swiðe iwhæte; heo dude[n] up þere burh-ȝæten. Line 4714 heo makeden heore sceld-trome; þa scalkes weoren gode. Line 4715 Weoren alle þa cnihtes; ȝærewe to þon fihte. Line 4716 Þa somnede alle þa alde; þe to fehte heom scolde halden. Line 4717 bi are halue heo riden; & spileden of ræde. Line 4718 & nomen tweien cnihtes; & senden to þon kæisere. Line 4719 & axeden wheðer he wolde grið; þe he wolde vnfrih. Line 4720 Ær þer come mare lure; hefde he þene cure. Line 4721 Þa andswerede Claudius; & wið þan cnihten he spec þus. Line 4722 Wel is þe man nut; þe sæht-nesse wurcheð. Line 4723 Ich æm ræh mon i-noh; Rome is min riche. Line 4724 & alle þa londes; stondeð a mire honde. Line 4725 þa biȝet me bi-uoren; Iulius þe kæisere. Line 4726 & æfter mine dome; hæreð in-to Rome. Line 4727 buten þes ilke kinedom; nulle me noht icnawen. Line 4728 na þissere leodes folke; for lauerd me halden. Line 4729 & me pugcheð muche scome; at mire heorte ic habbe grome. Line 4730 ȝif Rome scæl for-leosen; þa while þe ich leouie. Line 4731 heore muchele wurhscipe; þat mine ældere hire biwunnen. Line 4732 For nare ȝitsunge; for nare ȝiuernesse. Line 4733 ne com ich to þissen londe; to halden fiht stronge. Line 4734 ne for nane plihte; buten to biȝiten mine rihte. Line 4735 & ic heo wulle bi-winnen; oðer an wæle liggen. Line 4736 Æ[c] cnihtes ȝit beoð hider icumen; from þon kinge Aruiragune. Line 4737 Fareð swi[ð]e aȝen; to þan folc-kinge. Line 4738 suggeð him to soðe; for hit cumeð him to cuðe. Line 4739 þat ȝif he wule a leoð gan; & halden me for lauerde. Line 4740 & he me wulle buȝen; þa bet him scal iwurðen. Line 4741 ȝif he me wule sende; mine rihten of his londe. Line 4742 ic hine wulle wurðien; mid wurhscipe muclen. Line 4743 & suggeð him ful iwis; ich ȝifuen mine dohter Genuis. Line 4744 to sibben & to some; þe bet wit mawen libben. Line 4745 & ȝif he þis nule don; he scal wurs vnderfon. Line 4746 faren wit swullen to-somne; & mid fehten hit to-dælen. Line 4747 makien wæn-slæhtes; þænne beoð þe wurse. Line 4748

Line 4748 Þa cnihtes wenden forð-riht; to þan folc-kinge. Line 4749 cudden him soð quides; from Claudien þæn kæisere. Line 4750 Þe king isæh þe neode; & droh to his ræde. Line 4751 and he mid wurð-scipe; þas cnihtes awurðede. Line 4752 þat he of his kinedome; wulde heren in-to Rome. Line 4753 and seoððe wurðscipe him don; his dohter to quene vnder-fon. Line 4754 To-gædere heo comen; and sæhten heo weoren sone. Line 4755 & seoððen heo alle iwenden; i[n]-to Winchæstren. Line 4756 þa weoren in þissen londe; blisfulle songes. Line 4757 Heo wuneden inne Winchæstre; an and twenti wikene. Line 4758 & senden to Rome ful iwis; æfter þan maidene Genuis. Line 4759 Þat maiden mid isunde; com to þisse londe. Line 4760 & Claudien þe kæisere; ȝæf heo þisse kinge. Line 4761 ȝet hit is isene; þat heo wes her quene. Line 4762 þat þe king [Aruiragus]; to quene hæfde Genuis. Line 4763 Þes þinges weoren idone; and Claudien hæuede isend to Rome. Line 4764 þa while iwende Claudius; & þe king Aruiragus. Line 4765 into Orcaneiȝe; & þat lond al bi-læien. Line 4766 ah muchel lond þer-abuten; al heo hit biȝeten. Line 4767 two & þritti æit-lond; heo setten on heore aȝere heond. Line 4768 heore grið heo setten fæste; and wenden to Winchæstre. Line 4769 From Rome wes icumen ful i-wis; þat fæire maide Genuis. Line 4770 isund & hire iuæren. sixti rideren; Line 4771 þat maiden wes iwedded. þe king heo hafde to bedde; Line 4772 Muchel wes þa blisse. þe wes þanne ((i)) Bruttene; Line 4773 mid þan kinge Aruiragus. and þæn kæisere Claudius; Line 4774 þa wes þis folk. swa bliðe. heo nære nauer ær on liue; Line 4775 for þere muchele blisse. heo arærden enne burȝe; Line 4776 an enne swiðe feire stude. uppe Sæuerne; Line 4777 Þa þe burh wes al imaked. mid muchelere strengðe; Line 4778 þa burh ȝæf Aruiragus. þæn kaisere Claudius; Line 4779 and þat lond þer-abuten. muchel & noht lutel. Line 4780 He hæhte setten hire on nome; þe hire mihte isemen. Line 4781 hu þe king Aruiragus; nam to quene Genuis. Line 4782 & þer þe king heo ȝef Claudiene; þan Romanisce kæisere. Line 4783 Claudien þe heȝe. Kairclou heo hehte. Line 4784 a[c] nas hit noht longe; þat þe nome moste stonden. Line 4785 a[c] for Claudiusses wurð-scipe; swa wes þe nome iqueð%ðen. Line 4786 Ah þa Claudius ærest in þissen londe com; he funde enne feire wimman. Line 4787

Line 4787 heo wes witer heo wes wis; heo wes maiden ful iwis. Line 4788 Claudienes cnihtes; heo bi-wunnen i þon fihte. Line 4789 inne Port-chæstre; & heolden heo wel fæste. Line 4790 & ȝeuen heo Claudiene; hit wes him swiðe iqueme. Line 4791 & he hire rædde; & forð mid him ladde. Line 4792 & leouede þe wimman; leofliche swiðe. Line 4793 Þe wifman i-warð mid childe; bi Claudiene þan balde. Line 4794 þa þet child wes iboren. wel wes Claudiene þer-foren; Line 4795 Þa þe time wes ifulled. þat hit fulleht. sculde habben; Line 4796 æfter þan [hað]ene laȝen. þat stoden o þen ilke dæȝen; Line 4797 nome heo him aræhten. and Gloi þat child hahten; Line 4798 Þis child wæx and wel iþæh. & muchel folc him to bah; Line 4799 & Claudien him bitæhte. þa burh þe he ahte; Line 4800