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

Lines 5501 through 5600

& al his kineliche lond. sette in Custances hond; Line 5501 & Coel him dude swa. þe king wes inne Bruttene; Line 5502 Þa nes þer nan oðer rad. bute Coel iwarð dæd; Line 5503 & Custance hauede Ælene. biwedded to quene; Line 5504 þet wes þa wiseste wifman. þa wunede a Bruttene; Line 5505 Custance hauede his quene. a child heom wes imene; Line 5506 Þa þat child wes iboren. God sulf hit hauede i-coren; Line 5507 þer-fore wes al bliðe. þat wunede inne Bruttene; Line 5508 Þa comen to-somne. weorld-seli men; Line 5509 heo funden þat child. nome swiðe hende; Line 5510 heo luueden his licame. & ȝeuen him his fader nome; Line 5511 Custaz hæhte þe king; & Costantin hæhte þat child; Line 5512 þe lef wes on heorten. alle Brut-londen; Line 5513 his moder Elene. wæs þisses londes quene; Line 5514 Þat child wæx and wel iþæh. Godes mildce him wes neh; Line 5515 Bruttes him weoren liðe. & he hom luuede swiðe; Line 5516 heo weoren his moder cunnes-men. icomen heo wes of Brutten; Line 5517 & Custanz his fader. inne Rome wes i-uostred; Line 5518 Al þat þet child mid æȝen isæh. al hit to bæh; Line 5519 Þeo þat child wes uorð iuæred. & wes of twealf ȝere; Line 5520 nes na man i þis ærd. þat weore of heorten swa hærd; Line 5521

Line 5521 Þene Costantin wes wrað. ne dursten na mon speken him wið; Line 5522 & þenne he wes bliðe. he wes uule liðe; Line 5523 Swiðe he luue((de)) alcne cniht; þe wæs leof to deme riht. Line 5524 & his Bruttisce cun; swiðe hine bihoȝeden. Line 5525 & his Romanisce cun; wurðliche him radde. Line 5526 Þa þat child wes of þritte((ne)) ȝere; þa iwærð his fader vnueren. Line 5527 þat wes þe ute[m]esten ræd; þat Custance þe king iwærð dæd. Line 5528 & Bruttus nome þat child; & makeden heom þer-of anne king. Line 5529 & Costantin þe ȝunge king; mid wisdome heold þis lond. Line 5530 swulc he weore an æld; kingen alre baldest. Line 5531 Þa wes a þen ilke time; a kæisere inne Rome. Line 5532 he wes ihæten Maxenz; þe Wurse hine luuede. Line 5533 þat wes þe forcuððeste mon; þe quic wes on liue. Line 5534 Al Rome he for-dude; þurh his muchele misbode. Line 5535 alle þa heȝe men; he hatede to dæðe. Line 5536 & alle þa hæne; mid harme he igrætte. Line 5537 Þer weoren monie i Rome; riche & wel idone. Line 5538 þe bi-læfden al þat leoden & fluȝen of þan londe. Line 5539 for þan scamen & for þan bisemare; þe heom dude þe kæisere. Line 5540 & comen to þissen londe; to Costantine þan kinge. Line 5541 & menden to him heore sær; & heore sorh-siðes. Line 5542 & þan vnimete scome; & þenne muche grome. Line 5543 þe Maxenz heom hæuede idon; & idriuen of heore londe. Line 5544 For nusten heo nenne king; þe heo mihten to kennen. Line 5545 swa heo mihten to Costantine; for he wes of heore cunne. Line 5546 Ȝeorne heo hine beden; þat he heom scolden ræden. Line 5547 hu heo mihten awræken; heore wansiðes. Line 5548 vppe Maxenze; þe heore monscipe hæfde auælled. Line 5549 Swa longe heo ræd ȝeornden; þat he heom ræd ȝette. Line 5550 þat he wolde riden; wið ræiȝere strengðe. Line 5551 forð in-to Rome; & þa riche bi-winnen. Line 5552 & wreken heom on Maxenz; þe his cun hæfde i-scænd. Line 5553 & Costantin þe king gode; gaderede uærde. Line 5554 vnimete folc; monianes cunnes; Line 5555 Þe king gon to riden. touward Rom-leoden. Line 5556 þat he com to Rome; mid ræȝere strengðe. Line 5557 Þe king wes swiðe god cniht; & he ȝarkede his fiht. Line 5558 & he Maxenz of-sloh; þer wes blisse inoh. Line 5559 þa weoren Rom-leoden; bliðen on heore þeoden. Line 5560

Line 5560 Þa wes Costantin þe king; kæisere of Rome. Line 5561 and þer wes Elene þe halie quene; & hire þreo æmmes. Line 5562 þe ældeste hæhte Leonin; Trahern & Marin. Line 5563 þe eorles weoren wel idone; Costantin heom bitæhte Rome. Line 5564 to ræden þa leden; to dihten þere þeoden. Line 5565 & þa læuedi Ælene; þa halie quene. Line 5566 to Ierusalem wende; mid richere genge. Line 5567 & spæc wi[ð] þan elde; of þan Iudean þe weoren balde. Line 5568 & heo heom bihehte; swiðe muche æhte. Line 5569 þat heo hire scolden ræden; to vinden þa Rode. Line 5570 þe Crist ure Lauerd; alisden on þes middelærd. Line 5571 Þeo Iudeus heo sohten; & þere quene heo itæhten. Line 5572 Þa wes heo swa bliðe; swa heo nes neuere ær on liue. Line 5573 & heo vele ȝere; þurh þan wune((de)) þere. Line 5574 þe while hire æem Leonin; wes in Rome mid Costantin. Line 5575 Of þan broðeren he wes ældest; of wisdome alre selest. Line 5576 nomen þa Rom-wisen; & wimman him ȝeuen. Line 5577 of þan hehste cunne; of Romanisce monnen. Line 5578 Þa wifman wes biwedded; & Leonin heo hæfde to his bedde. Line 5579 he dude alse hit is wune; he streonede hire on enne sone. Line 5580 Þa þat child wes iboren; þa funden heo him hehne nome. Line 5581 heo hehten hine forð-riht anan; þene hæȝe Maximian. Line 5582 & Costantin þe king; luuede swiðe þat child. Line 5583 Þus hit ferde þære; wurs hit ferde here. Line 5584 Þa wes inne Walsce londe; a duc þe wes swiðe strong. Line 5585 Octaues he hehte; he wes of heȝe cunne. Line 5586 he cleopede to Brutlonde. þat hit wes his icunde; Line 5587 & al þat þe sæ bi-gæð. Octaues wes swi[ð]e mah; Line 5588 he nom muchele uærde. & wenden ȝeond þissen ærde; Line 5589 ærst he sloh þæ eorles. & þrallede þæ chærles; Line 5590 he heomelede þa reuen. nalde he [n]ænne bi-lefuen; Line 5591 al þis kineliche lond. Octauus nom to his hond; Line 5592 Þis word com to Costantin. in Rome þer he wunede in; Line 5593 hu Octauus hauede idon. his folc islaȝen and ihon; Line 5594 Særi wes þa Costantin. & sorhful an heorte; Line 5595 for he ne ((mihte)) nanes weies cumen. to þissere kineriche; Line 5596 for he hauede al Rome-lond. þe stod an his aȝere hond; Line 5597

Line 5597 & his moder Elene. him hafde isend æfter; Line 5598 Þa nom he Traher his æm. & tæhte hine to rade; Line 5599 & þis lond him bi-tahte. biwinnen ȝef he hit mahte; Line 5600