Lines 5601 through 5700
for him-seolf Costantin. ne com he nauere-mare her-in;
Line 5601
Ah he nom folc & æhte. & Traher bi-tehte;
Line 5602
mid muchelere uerde. sende hine to þissen ærde;
Line 5603
& for he wes his moder æm. ȝef he mihte Octauus slæn;
Line 5604
& he mihte swa wel don. halde him-seolf þisne dom;
Line 5605
Traher forð wende. toward þissen londe;
Line 5606
mid ferde mid þan mæste. he com to Portchæstre;
Line 5607
Þa Bruttes weoren swiðe whæte. & heolden fæsten heore ȝæte;
Line 5608
& Traher heom fæht wið. & þæne þridde dæi heo ȝerden grið;
Line 5609
& Traher ferde binnen. & Portchæstre wes biwunne;
Line 5610
& þonnene he gon wende. riht to Winchæstre;
Line 5611
& Octauus wes icumen bi-uoren. in-to þære burhȝe;
Line 5612
To-gædere heo comen. heo fæhten & sloȝen;
Line 5613
þat slæht ne mihte. na mare beon i fihte;
Line 5614
He isæh his muchelne lure. & nom him oðerne cure;
Line 5615
& ferde bi nihte. to þære sæ rihte.
Line 5616
Ær Bruttes hit mihten iwiten; his ferde wes al iscipen;
Line 5617
& forð heo gunnen wenden; i Scot-londe.
Line 5618
& [he al Scotlond] iwon to his aȝere hond;
Line 5619
& he wende ouer Humbre. mid hæhȝere strengðe;
Line 5620
& in þissere Bruttene burȝes he a-weste.
Line 5621
Octauus þat iherde; þe king wes an ærde.
Line 5622
& he mid his folke; þider-ward fusde.
Line 5623
to-gadere heo comen; & fuhten ful sone.
Line 5624
Nu hæfde Traher; swiðe muchel folc. þer.
Line 5625
Scottes & Peohtes; & Romanisce cnihtes.
Line 5626
Traher feht wið Octaues; & he hine sone ouercom.
Line 5627
Scottes huuen up muchelne ræm; & Octaues folc nam flem.
Line 5628
& Romanisce beornes; sloȝen þa Bruttes.
Line 5629
Þa wes Octaues wa; & he wende to þere sæ.
Line 5630
bi þere sæ-stronde; þer he scipen funde.
Line 5631
in-to þane scipen he lað; & in-to Norwæiȝe he draf.
Line 5632
Nafde he of his fihte; bute an & þritti cnihtes.
Line 5633
& alle þa oðere weoren inomen; & Traheres men bi-cumen.
Line 5634
& fiftene þusend islæȝen; & idon of heore lif-daȝen.
Line 5635
Þa wes in Norweoȝen ærd; a king þe hæhte Compert.
Line 5636
description
Page 294
Line 5636
Octaues him spæc wið; & ȝernde mildeliche his grið.
Line 5637
& seide him hu Traher; mid teone hine hauede iflæmed.
Line 5638
& ȝif þu me wult wlsten; mid muchele þine ferden.
Line 5639
þat ich maȝen aȝæn cumen; to mine kine-riche.
Line 5640
ich þe wulle luuien; & halden þe for lauerd.
Line 5641
mid sæhte & mid sibbe; þa while þat ich libbe.
Line 5642
& after mine dæiȝen. mine duȝeðe þe bi-tachen;
Line 5643
Þa ænswærede Compert. þe king wes of þan ærd;
Line 5644
Þu sælt in þisse ȝere. beon mid me hære;
Line 5645
& deornliche sende in-to Brutlonde.
Line 5646
mid weorden and mid writen; bi monnen þe heom cunnen witen.
Line 5647
& senden þine sonden; to þine bezste freonden.
Line 5648
bi-hæten seoluer & gold; muchel æhte & lond.
Line 5649
ȝif ai mon mihte Traher king; tuhten to dæðe.
Line 5650
mid drenche oðer mid dweomerlace; oðer mid steles bite.
Line 5651
oðer mid æie crafte; bi-winnen him his mahte.
Line 5652
þenne mihtes þu aȝen faren; mucle þe lasse weoren þi kare.
Line 5653
þenne wlle I þe aȝan bringen; & makien þe to kingen.
Line 5654
Al dude Octaues; Compertes lare;
Line 5655
sende his sonde. in-to þisse londe;
Line 5656
þurh þan ilke crafte. þe Compert king him tæhte;
Line 5657
& Traher wes on Bruttene. king swiðe bliðe;
Line 5658
næfde he of Octaue. caræ næuer nane;
Line 5659
na mare þeh he nære iboren. oðer i watere for-loren;
Line 5660
Traher wes i Lundene. bliðe mid his leoden;
Line 5661
fulle seouen nihte. bliðe mid his cnihten;
Line 5662
Þa wes i Kent an eorl. Aldolf i-haten;
Line 5663
feond he wes þes kinges. for Octaues þingen;
Line 5664
ofte he ferde to þan kinge. & hernede tiðinge;
Line 5665
Chæpmen bunden heore ware. þa wolde þe king faren;
Line 5666
Aldolf ferde him bi-foren; mid feower hundred cnihten.
Line 5667
& leop ut of ane wude; wunder wel iwepned.
Line 5668
Traher king he þer fond; & mid spere hine stong.
Line 5669
& his muchele uerde sette to fleonde;
Line 5670
& Aldolf heom after droh. and muchel folc he þer of-sloh;
Line 5671
& seððen he uerde in-to Kent. in-to ane stronge castle;
Line 5672
& sende an hiȝinge. after Octaue þan kinge;
Line 5673
& he anan com. to þissere kineriche;
Line 5674
to kinge he wes vnder-fon. þa þuhte hit hi[m] we[l] idon;
Line 5675
Heo ferde ȝeond þas þeoden. & sloh þa Romleoden;
Line 5676
description
Page 296
Line 5676
þa hæhne & þa riche. alle heo sloh iliche;
Line 5677
whar-swa he mihte hine kennen. ne læuede he nauer ænne;
Line 5678
& twa & twenti ȝere. he wuneden seoððen here;
Line 5679
inne griðe & inne friðe. mid freond-scipe of Brutten;
Line 5680
Þa þe he wes wel ald mon. þa com him uuel on;
Line 5681
þat vuel hine heold stronge. ah he þreowede longe;
Line 5682
Þe king hine bi-ðohte. what he don mihte;
Line 5683
wham he mihte bi-tæchen. al his kineriche;
Line 5684
and al his duȝeðe. æfter his dæie;
Line 5685
Mid carte he for to Lundene. & sette his hustinge;
Line 5686
eorles þer comen. riche & wel idone;
Line 5687
& alle þa wise. þe wuneden on Bruttene;
Line 5688
Þa þe king heom hauede isæid. & bæd heom ræden him ræd;
Line 5689
whæm he mihte bi-tæche. al his kine-riche;
Line 5690
for nefde he nenne sune. þe his land mihte halden;
Line 5691
ne child bute ane dohter. þe him wes swiðe deore;
Line 5692
& hire he wolde bi-tachen. al his kineriche;
Line 5693
& ȝefuen hire lauerd. þene hæhste mon of þis ærd;
Line 5694
Summe him ræden a-nan. þat heo ȝeuen þan eorle Conan.
Line 5695
he wes wis and riche. him heo mihte bitæche;
Line 5696
oðere þer weoren. þe þis nalden ihæren;
Line 5697
I Cornwale wes an eorl god. þe wes ihaten Cradoc;
Line 5698
he stod up i þan hustinge. and þus spæc wið þan kinge;
Line 5699
Hercne me Octaue. hercne me kinelauerd;
Line 5700