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

Lines 401 through 500

oht-liche heom slæð on; & weccheð heom of slepa. Line 401 leteð þa Grickisca gliden to grunde; Line 402 fallen þa feie; for heo beð vre fulle fan. Line 403 Duden alle þa cnihtes; swa Brutus heom taute. Line 404 & he him-seolf teih bi-foren; to telde þæs kinges. Line 405 Of his horse he þreou; his horn he vastliche bleu. Line 406 Iherden hit Troynisce; & tuhten to þon Gricken. Line 407 heo heom aweihten; mid heora wæles igrure. Line 408 Þar fluwen haueden on felde; fæiðe þer feollen. Line 409 moni hond moni fot; þe hæp wæs þe wrse. Line 410 Moni þusend þer flowen; þærmes heo droȝen. Line 411 & Brutus mid his cnihten; þene king ifeng. Line 412 al ihal & al isund; heihliche he cleopede. Line 413 Ich habbe þisses folkes king; fælleð his leoden. Line 414 Ne lete ȝe nenne quick; quecchen to holte. Line 415

Line 415 & ich wlle þesne king; læden mid me seolfan. Line 416 Þar Brutus bi-feng; al þat him bi-foren wes. Line 417 Sparatin he aredde; heh an his castel. Line 418 A-marewen þa hit dai wes; & þa niht to-dælde. Line 419 Brutus sumunde his folc; heo weren his fulle freonde. Line 420 he heih((te)) for his lufe; al his leode-ferde. Line 421 þat heo nomen þat [w]æ[l]; & wel hit biburiede. Line 422 inne deope seaðen; setten þa deade. Line 423 & hit wes sone idon; for monie þusend þer-to fengen. Line 424 Al þa biȝetene æhte; he delde his cnihten. Line 425 & alle his leoue men; he mid monscipe grette. Line 426 Þa al þis wes i-don; þa dude he on oþer. Line 427 he lette an heh climben; & lude clepian. Line 428 þat on þane daȝe amarwen; come his drihtliche folc. Line 429 & alle his heȝe men; comen to hustinge. Line 430 & heo swa duden; blisse wes on daie. Line 431 Þat folc com to-gadere; guðliche cnihtes. Line 432 & heora lauerd spac; & þus heom wið spelede. Line 433 Lusteð mine cnihtes; lusteð mine leofe men. Line 434 Suggeð me to runun. ræd þat eou þunche; Line 435 Ich habbe þesne leod-king; ileid in mine benden. Line 436 & his broðer al-swa; hit is þe bet mid us. Line 437 & his leoden of-slawen; ihc am him þa laðere. Line 438 & alle his ahte; iȝeuen mine æðelinge. Line 439 Ȝif ȝe hit rædeð; ȝe beo[ð] mine riche men. Line 440 ich wulle mid swerde; his heue[d] of swippen. Line 441 & ȝif ȝe hit wille[ð] ich hine wlle spillen. Line 442 & ȝif ȝe me readeð; ich hine wille freoien. Line 443 ȝif he me ȝefeð gersume; gold & seoluer. Line 444 alle his maðmas; wið þon þa he mote libben. Line 445 Þa ansuereden; æðela cnihtes. Line 446 Summen hit weora iqueme; þat heo hine sculden quellen. Line 447 him-seolf habben þat lond; & beon þere leodene king. Line 448 Summe queðen ælles; & þus þa quides eoden. Line 449 Ȝeue us þe king & al his gold; & þa maðmes of his lond. Line 450 ȝef us peal ȝeue us hors; ȝeue us haihe scrud. Line 451 ȝeue us ænne ende; of his kine-londe. Line 452 ȝeue us ȝislæs þer-to; & þis mei beon wel idon. Line 453 Þer wes moni riche mon; þe cuðe lutel reden. Line 454

Line 454 weðer heom weore wnsumre; to faren þe to wonien. Line 455 Þa wile þe heo tweoneden þus; clepede Membricius. Line 456 þet wes a riche mon; þe wes swiðe wel idon. Line 457 wys & witful; wel he hit cudde. Line 458 Wet speke ȝe cnihtes; wet speke ȝe kempen. Line 459 Vn[d]er eou alle; nis þar nan swa god. Line 460 þa ȝet habbe isæid; þat us is selest to don. Line 461 Ȝif ȝe hit lusten wlle; Brutus mi lauard. Line 462 & ȝe alle biluuien; gode mine lare. Line 463 ich eou wlle seggen; selast ræden. Line 464 & þa ansuerede al þat folc; Faihn we wllen hit iheren. Line 465 Þa quað Membricius; ludere stefne. Line 466 Ȝirne we to þane kinge; ȝeuen suiðe gode; Line 467 þat is alreforwarde; þat he us ifreoie. Line 468 Sone þar-after; ȝurne we his dohter. Line 469 þat he heo ȝeue ure lauerde; Brutun to his bedde. Line 470 of his corne he us ȝeue swa muchel; þat we beon iquemed. Line 471 gold & garsume; & his gode hors. Line 472 & al his beste mæte-cun; þe his men habbeð. Line 473 & alle þa liðinde scipen; þe on his londe beoð. Line 474 & alle þat bi-houeð; þa scipen to driuen. Line 475 of monnen & of wapnen; þat we mawen wel faren. Line 476 fare uorð ouer sæ; sel þat we wrðen. Line 477 & liðen swa longe; þat we to londe comen. Line 478 varen wide ȝeond þat lond; & fondia þeo leoden. Line 479 wer us beo iqueme; king þat we makien. Line 480 of Brute ure lauerde; þe is best of us. Line 481 and Igno((i))en to quen; þe is þis kinges dohter. Line 482 For ȝif we hit ȝeorneð; to wonien her mid Gricken. Line 483 heo beoð ure fulle feond; for we beoð ifead wi[ð] heom. Line 484 for heora kun we habbet islaȝen; in eorðe heo sleopeð. Line 485 we beoð heom loaðe; for heora muchele lure. Line 486 heo wlleð us biwiȝelien; þurh heora wiðere-craftes. Line 487 a swa heom beoð iwrð; swa us wrse bið. Line 488 for mid ure wepnen heora kun; we aqueald habbeð. Line 489 mid ure honden; monie þusunde. Line 490 Ȝif we sceoteð to heora mæðe; þat bið ure imone deað. Line 491 ȝif we heom ilefeð; þat bið ure muchele lure. Line 492 ȝif heo wel wexit; heo wlleð wonien us. Line 493 Wel ich hit mai suggen; to soþe ich hit wene. Line 494

Line 494 nis þar nan swa heih; nis þar nan swa laih. Line 495 þat we nabbet his freond; ifelled to grunde. Line 496 For þon ȝif hit eow bi-loueð; þe wise beoð on þonke. Line 497 fare we from þisse londe; þa leodene us beoð laþe. Line 498 Al heora god we sculen nimen; & lutel hem læuen. Line 499 wonien heo sculen un-balde; for hora muchela bursten. Line 500