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

Lines 5401 through 5500

& Gallus heo nomen; & þat hafd him of sloȝen. Line 5401 & wurpen hine in ænne broc; þe þer heom bi stod. Line 5402 & al þæt wal heo brohten; in-to þan broke. Line 5403 þer Gallus i þan broke; at grunde was bi-buried. Line 5404 Þa wes þas þeode; iclansed of Rom-leode. Line 5405 and Bruttes þan broke; nome bi-tæhten. Line 5406 for Gallus wes islaȝen þer-bi; hæhte hine nemni Galli. Line 5407 & a þere Ænglisce boc; he is ihaten Wale-broc. Line 5408

Line 5408 Nu ich habbe þe i-raht; hu he hauede þene nome icaht. Line 5409 for nu and auere-mare; is þe nome þere. Line 5410 Þa wes king Asclepidiot; þe wes cniht swiðe god. Line 5411 fulle ten ȝere; mid Brutten heo luuede here. Line 5412 seoððen his ende bicom; þat was uuele idon. Line 5413 þat he sculden swa raðe. uaren of þissen lif-daȝen; Line 5414 for he wes swiðe læfful; alle Brut luueden. Line 5415 I Glouchæstre wes an eorl; of aðelene mon-cunne. Line 5416 þe alre hæheste iborne mon; þe wunede inne Bruttene. Line 5417 Coel wes ihaten; hæhst of þan Brutten. Line 5418 he wæs of Glo((i))es cunne; þe Glochæstre ahte. Line 5419 swa þat mid alle heore mihte; heo comen to ane fihte. Line 5420 Coel eorl i þan fihte stod; & sloh þene king Asclepidiot. Line 5421 I-mong þissen imonge; com reouðe to þisse londe. Line 5422 swa þat þe kæisere Dioclician; sende to þisse londe Maximiæn. Line 5423 hider he com faren mid muchelere ferde; Line 5424 Þa he com to londe. Coel he uunde; Line 5425 mid compe hæfde biuunnen. þat he king was him-seolue; Line 5426 Coel and Maxim[i]en. cuðliche speken. Line 5427 & freondscipe makeden; i-uastened mid treoðen. Line 5428 Þa seide Maximien; Mi broðer Dioclician. Line 5429 haueð me al þa londes; bitaht a mire honde. Line 5430 bi-twixe Mu[n]tgiu & Scot-londe; þat ic heo scal þurh-scriðen. Line 5431 & alle þa ilke men for-don; þat luuieð þene Cristindom. Line 5432 Þa wes wa Coel; þe king wæs on Bruttene. Line 5433 þat isæhtnesse; mid treoðe hafde isemed. Line 5434 Coel heold hine stille; & Maxi[m]ien dude his wille. Line 5435 elcne Cristine mon; at þan hefde he binom. Line 5436 & þa wið-saken wolde Cristindom; he dude his marken him on. Line 5437 Þus ferde Maximien; he martrede Seint Alban. Line 5438 & Seint Iulien and Seint Aaron; & tweien ancr[es] of Kærlion. Line 5439 Næs nan biscop næs nan clærk; ne cniht neore he swa sterc. Line 5440 bute he wi[ð]-soke Cristindom; þat he nes anan fordon. Line 5441 Þa þis wes al idon; þa uerde forð Maximian. Line 5442 & Coel bilæfde; king inne Bruttene. Line 5443

Line 5443 Þes king hæfuede enne dohter; þe wes him swiðe deore. Line 5444 & he al kinelond; bitahte þan maidene an hond. Line 5445 for næfde he nan oðer child; þe mihte i þissen londe beon king. Line 5446 Þat mæide hehte Elene; seoððen heo wes quene. Line 5447 i þan londe of Ierusalem; leoden to blissen. Line 5448 Þis maiden wes wel itæht; on bocken heo cuðe godne cræft. Line 5449 & wunede in þisse londe; mid hire fader stronge. Line 5450 Her-æfter sone; þat word com to Rome. Line 5451 Þat Coel hæfden iquald Asclepidiot þene king; Line 5452 Þa weoren Rom-leoden. bliðe on heore mode; Line 5453 for he hæfde an his daȝen. muchel of heore cunne islaȝen Line 5454 Ȝet ne com Maximien; neuere to Rome aȝen. Line 5455 Þa nom Dioclicien; ænne eorl wel idon. Line 5456 þat wes þe ræhȝeste mon; þe wu[ne]den inne Rome. Line 5457 & hæfde moni lond; ilæid under his hond; Line 5458 nas na man in his dæȝen. þat dursten him derf makien; Line 5459 Þe kæisere hine sende. into þissen londe; Line 5460 in-to þissen ærde. mid vnimete uærde; Line 5461 [C]ustance hehte þe eorl. æðelest alre cnihten; Line 5462 Þis iherde Coel. þat icumen wæs Custance; Line 5463 a-dræd he wes swiðe. of his ahȝene liue; Line 5464 he nom forð-rihtes. six wise cnihtes; Line 5465 to Custance heom sende. & wilcumede hine to londe; Line 5466 & he seolf him wolden spec%ken wið. ȝef he him wolden ȝifuen grið; Line 5467 & Custance him sende æfter. þat he come mid twalf cnihten; Line 5468 to-somne heo comen. to-gædere heo speken sone; Line 5469 Þa queð þe kin Coel. Custance lust me nu wel; Line 5470 Ich sugge þe þurh alle þing. ich sloh Asclepidiot þene king; Line 5471 þe hæfde þurh his wiðer-laȝen. muchel of þine cunne. of-slaȝen; Line 5472 & mid strengðe eow at-holden wolde. þat gauel of þissen londe; Line 5473 & muchelne scome he eow dude. þe ræðer he dæd þolede; Line 5474 For ich wes an of þan hæhste. þat swore eow hersumnesce; Line 5475 to Romen þat we sculden senden. þat gauel of þissen londe. Line 5476 Þas að%ðes þe king bræc; þer-fore he is nu dæd. Line 5477 Ah a-swike wit vnker fihtes; & lokien we to þan rihten. Line 5478 & ich wullen halden to; & halden þe for hærre. Line 5479 & beon þe ful liðe; & halden þe for lauerd. Line 5480 & ælche ȝere þe senden; þat gauel of Brutlonde. Line 5481 Þa answere[de] Custance; riche mon & swiðe bald. Line 5482

Line 5482 Coel þu ært wis mon; & wisdom þe folleweð. Line 5483 Beo nu godful king; & gumene þu beo lauerd Line 5484 & al ich þe ȝette; swa hit ȝirnest. Line 5485 & ich wulle mid monscipe; þine monradene on-fon. Line 5486 for þu us dedest monscipe and god. þa þu sloȝe Asclepidiot; Line 5487 Mid muchelere wurscipe. sæht heo iwurðen; Line 5488 mid muchelere blisce. heo wuneden in burȝen; Line 5489 Ah nes hit buten ane while. þat þer an-oðer time; Line 5490 neoren noht feouwerti daȝen. allunge iuæreden; Line 5491 þat Coel þe king. seoc lai an comlen; Line 5492 his hæfde swiðe oc. & þe king wes wunderliche seoc; Line 5493 Seouen niht & ænne dæi. þe king swiðe seoc lai; Line 5494 hit heold hine bi þan ribben. þat ne mihte he na leng libben; Line 5495 & he cleopede him to. riche his þeines; Line 5496 þat heo him sculden ræden. at swulchere neode; Line 5497 hu he mihte dihten. Ælene his dohter; Line 5498 Þa heo ha[f]den al iseid. þat wes þe utemæste rað; Line 5499 þat heo ȝeue Ælene. Custance to are quene; Line 5500