Layamon's Brut (British Museum Ms. Cotton Otho C.XIII)

Lines 1601 through 1700

we habbeþ idon onwisdom; þat we mine fader habbeþ vnderfon. Line 1601

Line 1601 mid þus manie cniþtes; hit nis me noht icweme. Line 1602 Do we awei alle; bote ten beoþ inowe. Line 1603 for alle (hi)i dringeþ and heteþ; and (no) god hii ne bi-ȝeteþ. Line 1604 Þo ++ide Ameri þe duk; þat his holde fader ++++oc Line 1605 So ich euere beo o+ ++++ ne sal he habbe bote c(n++tes) fiue. Line 1606 for þar-on he habbeþ inoh; for he noþing ne doþ. Line 1607 and ȝif he woll(e)þ hinne fare; fuse we hine +++þe. Line 1608 Al h+ ++(ede in d)+++ ase he speke adde. Line 1609 bi-nome(n) him his cniþtes. and al hire sweines. Line 1610 nolden hi him bi-lefue cniþtes bote viue. Line 1611 Þis iseh Leir þe king; wo was him a-liue. Line 1612 His mod him ga(n) mengi; he mornede swiþe Line 1613 and þeos word seide mid sor-fol speche++ Line 1614 Wele wele wele wele ou þou bi-swikest mani man. Line 1615 Wan hii þe troueþ alre best; þan þou heom bi-swikest. Line 1616 Nis noht ȝare; noht fulle two ȝere. Line 1617 þat ich was a riche king; and welde mine cniþtes. Line 1618 Nou ich habbe ibede þane dai þat ich bar sitte Line 1619 of gode bi-reued; wo his me a-liue. Line 1620 Ich was mid Gornolle mine leofue dohter. Line 1621 ich wonede on hire londe; mid þrittie cnihtes. Line 1622 þe ȝet ich miþtie libbe; a sommere wise. Line 1623 ac ich wende bet habbe idon; and gan þanne wende. Line 1624 ac worse ich habbe onder-fon; Aȝein ich wole to Scotland. Line 1625 and sechen mine dohter; and bidde hire milse. Line 1626 bid hire me onder-fon mid mine fif cnihtes. Line 1627 þare ich wolle wonie; and þolie +++ (w)owe. Line 1628 ane lutle st(u)+++ +++ ne libbe ich noþt longe. Line 1629 ++++ ++ +(i)ng verde forþ; to his (doh+++ þ)at wonede norþ. Line 1630 Folle [þ]reo niþtes; ȝeo herborȝede him and his cniþtes Line 1631 ȝeo swor a þan feorþ dai bi al heu+nliche maine. Line 1632 þat ne sol(de) he habbe more bote one cniþt þar(e) Line 1633 and ȝef he þat nolde; fare woder so wolde. Line 1634 Wel ofte was Leir wo; ac neuere worse þane þo. Line 1635 Þo seide Leir þe king; wo him was on heorte. Line 1636

Line 1636 Wo-la deaþ. wola deaþ; þat þou me nelt for-deme. Line 1637 Soþ seide Gordoille; for cuþ hit his me nouþe. Line 1638 mi ȝeongeste dohter; þat was me wile deore. Line 1639 seoþþe ȝeo was me loþest; for ȝeo me seide soþest Line 1640 þat he his onworþ and loþ; þe man þat lutel oȝeþ. Line 1641 and ich nas no worþere; þon ich was god habben. Line 1642 Soþ seide þe ȝong wimmon; hire folweþ moche wisdom. Line 1643 Þe wile ich hadde min kine-lond; louede me mi leode Line 1644 for mi lond and mi feo; eorles fulle to mi cneo. Line 1645 Nou ich ham a wrecche man; ne loueþ me no man for þan. Line 1646 Ac mi dohter me seide soþ; for ich hire ileue inoþ. Line 1647 boþe two hire sostres; lesing me seide. Line 1648 þat ich ham was so leof; ase hire oȝene lif. Line 1649 and mi ȝonge dohter; Gordoille me seide. Line 1650 þat ȝeo me loue wolde; so man his fader solde. Line 1651 Wat wolde ich bidde more; of mine dohter deore Line 1652 Nou ich wolle faren forþ and ouer see fusi. Line 1653 hi-hire of Gordoille; wat beo hire wille. Line 1654 Hire soþ word ich nam to grame; þar-fore ich habbe nou mochel same. Line 1655 for nou ich mot bi-seche; þat ich her for-oȝede. Line 1656 Nele ȝeo me no worse; þane hire lond werne. Line 1657 Leir ferde to þare see mid on alpi sweine. Line 1658 in-to one sipe he bi-com. ne cnew hine no man. Line 1659 ouer see hii comen and hauene hi nomen. Line 1660 Forþ wende þe king Leir; nadde he bote one sweine. Line 1661 hii axede after þe cwene; þat hii a newest come. Line 1662 = Line 1663 Leir king wende on an feld; and reste his weri bones. Line 1664 and his sweyn he forþ sende; þat was hiredman hende. Line 1665 to þare cwene Gordoille; and seide hire wel stille. Line 1666 Hayl worþou cwene; þi fader þe grette. Line 1667 and he his hider to þe icome; for al his lond his him binome. Line 1668 Beoþ boþe þine sostres; toward him for-sworene. Line 1669 he his icome for neode; in-to þine þeode. Line 1670 Help him nou for þou miht he his þi fader and hit his riht. Line 1671 Þe cwene Gordoille; lang sat stille. Line 1672 == Line 1673

Line 1673 Þo hit halles vp brac; hit was god þat ȝeo spac. Line 1674 = Line 1675 Tiding ich ihire lefue; þat mi fader his a-liue. Line 1676 Of me he sal habbe godne read; bote ich þe raþer be dead. Line 1677 = Line 1678 Ich þe wolle bi-take; one male riche. Line 1679 þar beoþ þar-ine ifunde; to iwisse an hundred pound. Line 1680 = Line 1681 Led þou þis garisom to lefue mine fader. Line 1682 and sei þat ich hine grette godes gretinge. Line 1683 and hoten fare swiþe to somme heȝe borwe. Line 1684 and nimen him on in; riches[t] of alle. Line 1685 and bigge him allre erest; þat him his alre leuest. Line 1686 metes and dringes; and riche cloþes. Line 1687 hundes and hauekes; and hors mid þe beste. Line 1688 holde in his house fourti cnihtes Line 1689 = Line 1690 makie hine god bed; and ofte hine baþie. Line 1691 and him blod lete lutel and ofte. Line 1692 Wan þou wolt mor seoluer; feche hit [at] mi-seolue. Line 1693 and ich wolle sende inoh of þisse hende. Line 1694 So þat neuere he ne cuþe of his hol[de] cuþþe. Line 1695 = Line 1696 Are fourti daiȝes beo a-gon; þanne cuþe he hit a-non. Line 1697 to leofue mine louerd þat Leir his in londe. Line 1698 i-comen ouer see-strem; to speken wid his dohter. Line 1699 and ich hit wole so nime; ase ich noht nuste. Line 1700