Lines 6601 through 6700
& ich bad hine for Gode; don þat child of hade.
Line 6601
& for swulchere neode; king he scolde beon on þeode.
Line 6602
& þe abbed nom his ræd. & dude al þat ich hine bed.
Line 6603
& here ich habbe his munekes; þe gode beoð and mære.
Line 6604
þat sculleð witnesse beren; eowe alle biuoren.
Line 6605
Leo wær here is þat ilke child; makien we her-of enne king.
Line 6606
& her ich halde crune; þa þer-to bi-houeð.
Line 6607
& þat þis wule wið-suggen; he hit scal abuggen.
Line 6608
Vortiger wes swiðe strong; þe hæhste mon of Brutlond.
Line 6609
nes þer nauer nan swa hæh; þat his quides durste halsien.
Line 6610
Wes i þere ilke wike; þe ærchebiscop forð iwiten.
Line 6611
nes þer nan biscop; þat forð on his wæi ne scoc.
Line 6612
na munec ne nan abbed; þat he an his wæi ne rad.
Line 6613
for heo ne dursten for Gode; don þer þa misbode.
Line 6614
nime þane munec child; & makien Brut-londes king.
Line 6615
Þis isæh Vortiger; of ufele he wes wel iwar.
Line 6616
up he gon stonden; þe crune he nom an honden.
Line 6617
description
Page 344
Line 6617
he setten heo vppe Costance; þat him wes on þonke.
Line 6618
Nes næuere na ma[n]; þat don þer mihte Cristin-dom.
Line 6619
þat mihte blessinge; don in þan kinge.
Line 6620
bute Vortiger ane. hit dude for alle clane;
Line 6621
Þe frume wes vn-hende. & al-swa wes þe ænde;
Line 6622
he for-lette Goddes had. þer-fore he sorȝen ibad;
Line 6623
Þus wes king Costance. & Vortiger wes his stiward;
Line 6624
Costanz al his kinelond. sette i Vortigeres hond;
Line 6625
& al he dude an londe. swa him-sulf wolde;
Line 6626
Þa isæh Uortiger. of muclen vfele he wes wær;
Line 6627
þat Costanz þe king. ne cuðe of londe na-þing;
Line 6628
for he nefde ileorned. nauer nane lare;
Line 6629
buten in his munstre. þat munec scolde drigen;
Line 6630
Vortiger þat isæh. þe Wurse him wes ful neh;
Line 6631
ofte he hine bi-ðohte. wæht he don mahte;
Line 6632
hu he mihte mid læsinge. i-quemen þan kinge;
Line 6633
Nu þu miht iheren. hu þes swiken him gon uaren;
Line 6634
Weoren of Brutlonde. þa bezste alle dæde;
Line 6635
nu weoren þas kinges broðeren. beien ful lutle;
Line 6636
& Guencelin ærchebiscop. þer bi-foren wes dæd;
Line 6637
& him-sulf þisses londes king. of þare laȝe ne cuðe na-þing;
Line 6638
Vortiger þis i-sah. & he to þan kinge bæh;
Line 6639
mid mildere spæche. his lauerd he gon greten;
Line 6640
Hal seo þu Costanz. Brutlondes lauerd;
Line 6641
Ich æm icumen þe þus næh. for muchelere neode;
Line 6642
for suggen þe tiðende. þe beoð icume to londe;
Line 6643
of swiðe muchele plihte. Nu þe bi-houeð mihte;
Line 6644
nu þe bi-houeð wepnen. to werie þine þeoden;
Line 6645
Her beoð chæpmen icumen. of oðere londen al-se hit is iwune;
Line 6646
heo habbeoð ibroht to me tol for heore æhte.
Line 6647
and heo habbeoð me i-tald. & treowðen i-plihte;
Line 6648
þat þe king of Norewæiȝe. neowenliche wule hider uaren;
Line 6649
& þere Densemonne king. þas Denen wulle at-sechen;
Line 6650
& þe king of Rusie ræhȝest alre cnihten.
Line 6651
& þe king of Gutlonde; mid ferde swiðe stronge.
Line 6652
& þe king of Frise; þer-uore me a-griseð.
Line 6653
Þa tiðende beoð stronge; þe icumen beoð to londe.
Line 6654
her-uore ich æm swiðe adred; for ne con ich nenne godne ræd.
Line 6655
buten we moten mid mihten; senden æfter cnihten.
Line 6656
þat beon gode & stronge; & þat wel cunnen a londe.
Line 6657
description
Page 346
Line 6657
& setten þine castles; mid kene monnen.
Line 6658
& swa þu miht þi kinelond; werien wið vnleoden.
Line 6659
& þinne wurh-scipe halden; mid hæȝere strenðe;
Line 6660
For nis nan kine-lond. na swa brad næ swa long;
Line 6661
þat ne bið sone inomen. ȝif þær bið to lute gumen;
Line 6662
Þenne answerede þe king. of londe ne cuðe he naðing;
Line 6663
Vortiger þu ært stiward. ouer al Brutlondes ærd;
Line 6664
& þu hit scalt walden. after þine willen;
Line 6665
Send after cnihten. þe gode beon to fihten;
Line 6666
& nim al i þire hond. mine castles & mi lon[d];
Line 6667
& do al þine i-wille. & ich wulle beon stille;
Line 6668
bute þe an-læpi þing. ich wulle beon icleoped king;
Line 6669
Þa loh Uortiger. he wes of vfele swi[ðe] iwær;
Line 6670
nes he nauere swa bliðe. ær on his liue;
Line 6671
Uortiger nam læue. & forð he gon liðe;
Line 6672
& swa he uorð ferde
Line 6673
al þat lond. he sette an his aȝere hond;
Line 6674
and þe monraddene he nom. æuere æwher he com;
Line 6675
& swa he nom his sonde. & sende to Scotlonde;
Line 6676
& hæhte þa Pohtes. þa alre bezste cnihtes;
Line 6677
þreo hundred him cumen to. & he heo[m] wolde wel don;
Line 6678
And þa cnihtes him to come. þer-æfter wel sone;
Line 6679
Þus spæc þe swike-fulle gume. Cnihtes ȝe beoð wulcume;
Line 6680
Ich habbe i mire hond. al þis kinewurðe lond;
Line 6681
mid me ȝe scullen liðen. for ich eow wullen luuien;
Line 6682
& ich eow wullen bringe. bi-uoren ure kinge;
Line 6683
ȝe scullen habbe seoluer & gold. þe bezste hors of þis lond;
Line 6684
claðes & fæire wif. eore wille ich wulle driȝen;
Line 6685
ȝe sculleð beon me leofue. for þa Bruttes me beoð laðe;
Line 6686
lude & stille ich wulle [don eore wille].
Line 6687
ȝif ȝe wulleð in londe; halden me for lauerd.
Line 6688
Þa forð-rihtes; answarede þa cnihtes.
Line 6689
Al we wulleð don þine iwille;
Line 6690
& heo gunnen wenden. to Costa[n]ce þan kinge;
Line 6691
To þan kinge com Uortiger. of ufele he wes wel war;
Line 6692
& seide him of his dæde. hu he idon hæuede;
Line 6693
& her ich habbe Peohtes. þa scullen beon hired-cnihtes;
Line 6694
and alle ich habbe þine casles. swiðe wel bitæht;
Line 6695
& þas uncuðe cnihtes. bi-uoren us scullen fihten;
Line 6696
Al þe king bi-lufde. swa Fortiger hoȝede;
Line 6697
description
Page 348
Line 6697
ah wale þat nuste þa king. of his þohte naðing;
Line 6698
ne of his swike-dome. þe he dude þer-æfter sone;
Line 6699
Þas cnihtes weoren an hirede. hæhliche iwurðed;
Line 6700