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

Lines 7901 through 8000

þat ȝif ich mine þi blod; ut of þire breoste; Line 7901 & minne wal wurche; & do to mine l((i))me. Line 7902 þenne mai he stonde; to þere worlde longe. Line 7903

Line 7903 Nu þu hit wost al; hu þe iwurðe scal. Line 7904 Þis ihærde Mærlin; & bælh on his mode. Line 7905 & þas word sæide; wrað þeh he weore. Line 7906 Nulle hit nauere God seolf; þe gumenene is lauerd. Line 7907 þat þi castel stonde; for mine heorte blode. Line 7908 ne nauere þi stan wal; stille ne ligge. Line 7909 For alle þine witien; beo swiðe swikele. Line 7910 i sæi[ð] læssinge; bi-foren þæ seolue. Line 7911 þat þu scalt afinde; a þisses dæies ferste. Line 7912 for þis sæde Ioram; þe is mi fulle ifa. Line 7913 þa tiðende me þuncheð game; ich wes iscæpen him to bone. Line 7914 Let cumen biuoren; Ioram þine witie. Line 7915 & alle his iuere; forð-rihtes here. Line 7916 þa þeos lesinge; talden þan kinge. Line 7917 & ȝif ich þe sugge; soðe mine worde. Line 7918 of þine walle; & whi ((he)) adun falleð. Line 7919 and mid soðe hit bitelle; þat heore talen [s]inde lese. Line 7920 ȝef me heore hæfden; ȝif ich þi wærc hæle. Line 7921 Þa andswarede þe king; mid quickere steuene. Line 7922 Swa me helpe min hond; þis forwærde ich þe halde. Line 7923 To þan kinge was ibroht; Ioram þe witie. Line 7924 & seofue of his iueren; alle heo weoren uæie; Line 7925 Marline gromede; & he grimliche spæc. Line 7926 Sæie me Ioram leod-swike; lað me on heorten. Line 7927 whi falleð þes wal; uolden to grunde. Line 7928 Sæie me w[hæ] hit vælleð; þat þe wal reoseð. Line 7929 What mai man uinden; at þere dic-grunde. Line 7930 Ioram wes stille; ne cuðe he noht tellen. Line 7931 Þa seide Merlin þas word; King hald me for-ward. Line 7932 Let deluen þas dich; seouen uoten deopere. Line 7933 Heo scullen uinden ænne stan; wunder ane ueire. Line 7934 he is ueir & brad; volke to bi-halden. Line 7935 Þa dich wes idoluen; seoue vet depre. Line 7936 þa uunden heo anan; þer-rihtes þene stan. Line 7937

Line 7937 Þa sæide Mærlin þas word; King hald me forward. Line 7938 Sæie me Ioram; monne me la[ð]est; Line 7939 & sæie þisse kinge. wulches cunnes þinges; Line 7940 vnder þissen stane. staðel habbeoð inumen. Line 7941 Ioram wes stille; ne cuðe he noht telle. Line 7942 Þa sæide Mærlin wunder; A water her is under. Line 7943 Doh a-wai þisne stan; þat water ȝe findeð a-nan. Line 7944 Heo duden a-wæi þene stan; at-foren þan kinge anon. Line 7945 þat water heo funden; þa sæide Merlin. Line 7946 Æxe me Ioram; þe is mi fulle ifa. Line 7947 umben ane stunde; suggen þe of þan grunde. Line 7948 what wuneð i þan watere; wintres & sum%meres. Line 7949 Þe king. axede Ioram; ah ne cuðe he nowiht þer-on. Line 7950 Þa ȝet sæide Mærlin þas word; King hald me foreward. Line 7951 Let alæten þis wæter; & wei weorpen. Line 7952 Þer wunieð i þan grunde; tweien draken stronge. Line 7953 Þe an is a norð half; þe oðer a suð half. Line 7954 þe o[ð]er is milc-whit; ælche deore unnilich. Line 7955 þe oðer ræd alse blod; wurmen alre baldest. Line 7956 Ælche middernihte; heo big[i]nneð to fihten. Line 7957 [and þurh hire fihte] feollen þine wurckes; Line 7958 þa eorðe gon to-rusien; & þi wal to-reosen. Line 7959 þurh swulche wundre; þi wal is afallen. Line 7960 þa iwrað i þissen flode; & noht for mine blode. Line 7961 Þis wæter wes al ilæde; þes kinges men weoren glæde. Line 7962 muchel wes þa blisse; biuoren þan leod-kinge. Line 7963 & sone þer-æfter; sari heo weoren. Line 7964 ær þe dæi come to ende; heo iherden tiðinde. Line 7965 Þa þa water wes al ilædden; & þe put wes ilær. Line 7966 þa comen ut þas tweien draken; & muchel dunen makeden. Line 7967 & fuhten grimliche; dun i þere dich. Line 7968 Ne isæh nauere na cniht; nan ladluker fiht. Line 7969 fluȝen of heore muðe; fures leomen. Line 7970 Þis isah þe leod-king; grimme heore lates. Line 7971 Þa wes he awundred; on þissere wurlde-riche. Line 7972 what weore þis tacninge; þa he isæh þer on grunde. Line 7973 & hu Mærlin hit wuste; þat nan oðer mon nuste. Line 7974 Ærest wes þe white buuen; & seoððen he wes bi-neoðen. Line 7975 & þe drake ræde; for-wundede hine to dæðe. Line 7976 and æiðer wende to his hole; ne isæh heom seoððe na mon iboren. Line 7977 Þus ferden þeos þing; þat isah Vortigerne þe king. Line 7978 and alle þe weoren mid him; luueden swiðe Mærlin. Line 7979 & þe king hatede Ioram; & his hæfued him binam. Line 7980 & his seouene iueren; þe mid him weoren þære. Line 7981 To telde eode þe king; & mid him lædde Mærlin. Line 7982

Line 7982 & seide him mid mucle luue; Mærling þu ært wil-cume. Line 7983 & ich þe ȝiuen wulle; al þat þu ȝirnest. Line 7984 of mine londe; of seoluere & of golde. Line 7985 He wende þurh Mærlin; þat lond al iwinnen. Line 7986 ah al oðer hit wende; ær comen þes daies ende. Line 7987 Þus fræinede þe king; his leofe freond Merlin. Line 7988 Sæie me nu Merlin; monnen me leofuest. Line 7989 what bitacnieð þa draken; þe þene dune makeden. Line 7990 þe stan & þat water; & þat wunde((r))liche fæht. Line 7991 Sæie me ȝif þi wil is; whæt bitacneð al þis. Line 7992 & seoððen þu most me ræden; hu ich scal me læden. Line 7993 & hu ich mai biwinne; kinedom minne. Line 7994 of Hengest mines wiues fader; þe swiðe me hæfð i-harmed. Line 7995 Þa andswarede Merlin; þane kinge þe spac wið him. Line 7996 King þu ært unwis; & vnwiter a ræde. Line 7997 Þu fræinest of þan draken; þe þene dune makeden. Line 7998 & whæt tacne[ð] heore fiht; & heore feond-liche gripen. Line 7999 Heo tacneð kinges; þa sunde to cumene. Line 8000