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

Lines 301 through 400

þat heo comen mid him; to þane castle of Sparatin. Line 301 Nes castel nan swa strong; i þon londe of Griclond. Line 302 He wende hit to soþe; soð þeh hit neore. Line 303 þat Brutus hefde þa men; þe he mid fihte biwon. Line 304 idon into þan castle; & þear heom quic heolde. Line 305 & him-seolf þer forð mide; for þære muchele biȝæte. Line 306 Ah Brutus dude betere read; & him þa beth ilomp. Line 307 In þon castle he dude hende; six hundred of his cnihten. Line 308 him-self mid his fenge; he to wode ferde. Line 309 Þe king to þan castle forð mid his ferde; Line 310 þer he lei abuten; þar-inne weren his laðe feond. Line 311 His ferde he sette; on ælchere siden. Line 312 ofte heo ræsden; & ræmden to-gadere. Line 313 mid stelene orde; & mid starka biten. Line 314 mid stocken & mid stanen; stal-fiht heo makeden. Line 315 mid Grickisce fure; feollen þæ fæie. Line 316 þar was muchel blod-gute; baluwe þer wes riue. Line 317 Þa cnihtes of þan castle; quic-liche heom wið-stoden. Line 318 þaet ne mihte þes kinges folc; of heom fael makien. Line 319 ah þe king of his monnen; monie þusund læs. Line 320 Þe king wes on mode sar; þat wes for his monne lure. Line 321 He tæh hine aȝein ane þrowe; & þreateð þene castel. Line 322 & þat folc þer-inne; þenne he hit hefde bi-wnnen. Line 323 þat he heom wolde quellen; oþer quic al for-brennen. Line 324 He lette makien enne dic; þe wes wnderliche deop. Line 325 abouten his ferde; & feiede heo mid þornen. Line 326 & leai þer-abuten; & abat his bale-siðes. Line 327 Þe king wes swiðe wrað; & swar muchelne oað. Line 328 þat nolde he þonne faren; ar his feo[n]den feie weore. Line 329 I þon castle weoren monie men; & muchel mete þer bihofede. Line 330 þe mete forð iwat; for þer fengen feole to. Line 331 Heo nomen ænne ærendrake; þe æðele wes to neode. Line 332 heo sende to heore læuerde; þa leof heom wes on heorten. Line 333 Heo hine gretten; mid godene heore worden. Line 334 heo beden hine come to helpe; mid allen his strengðe. Line 335

Line 335 þe wile þe heo weren isunde; þe weren his sele men. Line 336 Brutus hine bi-þohte; of swlchere neode. Line 337 & þas word seide; mid soþere heorte. Line 338 He deð him-selua freoma; þa helpeð his freondene. Line 339 swa ich wlle mine; bi mine quicke liue. Line 340 Þa wes þere a wel-ibore mon; Anacletus wes ihaten. Line 341 mid þes kinges broðer he was itaken; & þer læi inne benden. Line 342 Brutus him ræmde to; mid grimmen his rasen. Line 343 bi þone toppe he hine nom; al-swa he hine walde of-slean. Line 344 & his nakede sweord; leide on his necke. Line 345 & þas word saide; Brutus þe sele. Line 346 Niðing þou ært al dead; buten þou do mine read. Line 347 & þi læuerd al-swa; bote þu min lare do. Line 348 ah ȝif þu wlt þu miht wel; helpen inc seluen. Line 349 Lauerd quað Anacletus; don ic wille þine lare. Line 350 help mine lauerd & me; mid alle mire mihten. Line 351 Do swa quad Brutus; & þe scal beon þe bet. Line 352 ȝe sculen habben lif & leomen; & beon mine leofe freond. Line 353 Brutus him swar an æð; breken þat he hit nælde. Line 354 Þus seide Brutus; þe wes cniht mid þane beste. Line 355 Anacletus leofe freond; to-niht þu scalt faren. Line 356 a þeon time bið best; þonne men gað to bedde. Line 357 þu scalt forð wenden; to þas kinges ferde. Line 358 Wonne þu comest to þon cnihten; þat þene king bi-witeð. Line 359 þær þu findest seouen houndred; þa hæleðes beoð kene. Line 360 & þu heom clepe to; & cuðliche wið heom spec. Line 361 Ich am Anacletus; ich am mid ærmðen abroken. Line 362 vt of þon benden; þe Brutus me heuede on idon. Line 363 & ȝet ich ou sigge on oþer; ibrout ich habbe þes kinges broþer. Line 364 vt of þon quarcerne; of þan quale-huse. Line 365 þær Brutus hin hefde idon; for to-marewene he hine wolde an-hon. Line 366 & ich hine habbe idon; i þisse [w]ude derne. Line 367 Cnihtes fuseð me mid; leteð slæpen þene king. Line 368 & fare we on sele; riht al swo stille. Line 369 stelen swa we wolden; Line 370 & ich eou wlle leden; forð to mine lauerde. Line 371 i þon wode-rime; þer he vnder rise lið. Line 372 Ȝif ȝe hine mawen bringen; bi-foren ure kinge. Line 373 wel bið him þere bringe; oeu bið þe beð þer-fore. Line 374 & for he is his broðer; for nafð he nenne oþer. Line 375

Line 375 Cuð he wes þen cnihten; & heo hine i-cneowen. Line 376 heo wenden þat his sawen; soðe weren. Line 377 ah alle heo weren lease; for he wes his leodene swike. Line 378 Nis nawer nan so wis mon; þat me ne mai bi-swiken. Line 379 Anacletus ferde bi-foren; þe cnihtes him fuleden. Line 380 ferde æfter ane bache; al-swa Brutus him hefde itaiht. Line 381 Brutus hæfde his folc; bi-foren & bi-hinden. Line 382 Wes þe wei holh & long; þa [c]lude weren stronge. Line 383 Brutus heom ræsde to; mid richere strengðe. Line 384 alle to-gadere he heom nom; nane he ne lafde. Line 385 summe he sloh summe he bond; þa beste quike he at-heold. Line 386 & alle he heom bi-wuste; swa him best þuhte. Line 387 Brutus nom his ferde; on feowre he heo to-dælde. Line 388 & he hehte alle his men; monscipe biwinnen. Line 389 [þ]a ȝunge & þa alde; æðela iwurðen. Line 390 wihte wal-kempen; on heora wiðer-winnan. Line 391 & an hihinga; faren to þan kinge. Line 392 & ich for-beode; heolde mine þeinen. Line 393 vppe þere muchele lufe; þe us bi-tueiȝen. Line 394 þat nan ne beo so wilde; nan swa unwitti. Line 395 þat word talie; ne talkie mid speche. Line 396 ær he ihere minne horn; mid græte hiue blowen. Line 397 For mi-self ich wlle teo to-foren; to telde þas kinges. Line 398 anan swa ich lihte of blonken; swa ich wlle blawen. Line 399 anan swa ȝe hi[t] i-hereð; hende mine kempen. Line 400