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

Lines 6401 through 6500

Þa heo iherden of þissen worde; þat Costantin wes an ærde. Line 6401 þa comen ut of munten; moni þusend monnen. Line 6402 heo leopen ut of þan wuden; swulc hit deor weoren. Line 6403 Liðen toward Lundenne; moni hundred þusend. Line 6404 bi straten & bi walden; al hit forð hælden. Line 6405 & þa æhte wif-men; wæpmonnes claðes duden heom on. Line 6406 & heo forð wenden; tow%ward þere uerde. Line 6407 Þa isæh þe eorl Costantin; al þis folc cumen to him. Line 6408 þa wes he swa bliðe; swa he nes næuer ær an liue. Line 6409 Forð heo nomen heore wæi; twa niht & enne dæi. Line 6410 þat heo comen ful iwis; to Melga & Wanis. Line 6411 To-gadere heo ræsden; mid ræȝe strengðe. Line 6412 fuhten feo[n]dliche feollen þa uæie. Line 6413 ær þe dæi weoren a-gan; islaȝen wes Wanis & Melgan. Line 6414 & Peohtes inowe; & Scottes vnifohȝe. Line 6415 Densce & Norenisce; Galewaȝes & Irreisce. Line 6416 Þa while þat þe dæi wes liht; ilæste auere þis slæht. Line 6417 þa com hit to þan æuen-time; þa cleopeden þe æorl Costantin. Line 6418 & bad þa wæi-witere; for-ærnen þa wateres. Line 6419 and snelle men toward þære sæ; þet þer heom sculden sechen. Line 6420 Þe mon þe iseȝen þat gomen; hu forð gengden þa quenen. Line 6421

Line 6421 ȝeond wudes & ȝend feldes; ȝeond hulles & ȝeond heldes. Line 6422 whær-swa heo funden; æine mon at-wunden. Line 6423 þe weore mid Melga; þan hæðene kinga. Line 6424 þa quenen lude loȝen; & al hine to-droȝen. Line 6425 & beden for þere seole; þat hire neuere sæl nere. Line 6426 Þus þa Bruttisce quenen; moni þusend aqualden. Line 6427 & þus heo areden þæsne kinedo[m]. of Wanis & Melgan; Line 6428 & Costantin þe ohte. ferde to Selechæstre; Line 6429 & heold his hustinge. of alle his Brut þringen; Line 6430 alle þa Bruttes. buȝen to þan mote; Line 6431 & nomen Costantin aðeling. and makeden hine Bruttene king; Line 6432 Muchel wes þa murðe. þat wæs a mancunne; Line 6433 & seoððen heo him ȝefuen wif. wunder ane hende; Line 6434 i-boren of þan hæsten. of Bruttene þan alre bezsten; Line 6435 Of þissen hæȝe wiue. Costantin hæfuede Line 6436 inne þissere leode; þreo sunen lutle. Line 6437 Hæfde þe æreste sune; wel neh his fader nome. Line 6438 Costantin hæhte þe king; & Costanz hæhte þat child. Line 6439 Þa þis child wes iwaxen; þat hit cuðe riden. Line 6440 þa lette his fader hit munekien; þurh luðere monnene ræde. Line 6441 & þat child munec wes; inne Winchæstre. Line 6442 After him wes iboren an-oðer; þe wes þe midleste broðer. Line 6443 he wes ihaten Aurelius; his to-nome hæhte Ambrosius. Line 6444 Þa wes alre last iboren; a child wes wel icoren. Line 6445 he wes ihaten Vther; his aðelen weore store. Line 6446 he wes þe ȝungeste broðer. ah he leouede lengere þane þa oðere; Line 6447 Guencelin þe ærchebiscop. þe to-ward Gode wes ful god; Line 6448 he bi-wuste þa twa childere. for luue of þan kinge; Line 6449 Ah wale þat heore fader; na lengere ne moste libben. Line 6450 for he hafde gode laȝen; þa while þe he luuede. Line 6451 ah he nes king here; buten twælf ȝere. Line 6452 & seoððen wæs þæ king dæd; hercne nu þurh wulcne ræd. Line 6453 He hafde in his huse; ænne Poht; hende cniht and swi[ðe] aht; Line 6454 he uerde mid þan kinge. & mid alle his dringen; Line 6455 nanes weies oðer. bute al-swa his broðer; Line 6456 Þa iwarð he swa riche. al his iferen vniliche; Line 6457 þa þohten he to swiken. Costantin þene richen; Line 6458 he com biuoren þan kinge. & feol an his cneowen; Line 6459 & þus leh þa leod-swike. biuoren his lauerd. Line 6460

Line 6460 Lauer[d] king cum uorð-riht. & spec wið Cadal þinne cniht; Line 6461 & ic þe wulle tællen. of uncuðe spællen; Line 6462 swulc þu næuere ære. an ærde ne herdest; Line 6463 Þa aras þe king Costantin. & eode forð ut mid him; Line 6464 ah wale þat hit nusten. Costantines cnihtes; Line 6465 Heo eoden swa longe forð-ward. þat heo comen in ænne orchærd; Line 6466 Þa seide þa swike. þere. Lauerd beon wit here; Line 6467 Þe swike set adun; alse he wolde holden run; Line 6468 & he bah to þan kinge. alse mon dæð of runinge; Line 6469 He igrap ænne cnif swiðe long. & þene king þer-mid of-stong; Line 6470 in-to þere heorte. & he him-seolf at-sterte; Line 6471 þer þe king dæd læi. & þe swike fleh awæi; Line 6472 Þat word com to herede. hu þe king iuaren hafde; Line 6473 þa wes muchel reoðe. & rumede to folke; Line 6474 Þa weoren Bruttes; bisie an þonke; Line 6475 heo nusten þurh nane þinge. whet heo mihten to kinge; Line 6476 for þas kinges sunen tweien. lutlen heo weoren beien; Line 6477 neðe. riden an horse; Line 6478 & Vther his bro[ð]er. þa ȝæt sæc his moder; Line 6479 & Costance þe aldeste. wes i Winchæstre; Line 6480 munec-claðes he hauede an. alse an of his iueren; Line 6481 Þa comen to Lundenne. al þis leodisce folc; Line 6482 to heore hustinge. & to ræden heom of kinge; Line 6483 wulche weis heo mihten don. & heu heo mihten taken on; Line 6484 & wulc an of þissen children. heo mihten habben to kinge; Line 6485 Þa curen þas leoden. Aureliæn Ambrosian; Line 6486 to habben to kinge ouer heom. Line 6487 Þat iherde Uortiger; ȝæp mon & swi[ð]e war. Line 6488 i-mong þan eorlen he stod; & fast-liche hit wið-soc. Line 6489 & he þus sæide; soð þæh hit nære. Line 6490 Ich eow wulle ræden; ræd mid þan bezsten. Line 6491 Abideð feouwertene niht; & cumen we æft her riht. Line 6492 & ich eow wullen suggen soð[ð]ere wordes; Line 6493 þat mid eower eȝenen ȝe scullen iseon. & eowre while wel bi-teon. Line 6494 þis ilke we scullen ibiden. & to ure londe þa while riden; Line 6495 & halden grið & halden vrið. freoliche on ærde; Line 6496 Al duden þat hird. swa Uortiger demde; Line 6497 & he him-seolf wende. al-se he walde to his londe. Line 6498

Line 6498 & turnde riht þene wæi; þe in-to Winchæstre lai. Line 6499 Vortiger hafde Walisc lond; þat haluen-dæl an his hond. Line 6500