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

Lines 6301 through 6400

Vortiger nam lefue; and forþ he gan wende Line 6301 and so þorh-ferde; al Brutlo[n]des erþe. Line 6302 alle þe castles and þat lond; he sette in his owene hond. Line 6303 = Line 6304 and suþþe he nam his sonde; and sende to Scotlond. Line 6305 and hehte þe beste cnihtes; þat were a-ma[n]g þe Peutes Line 6306 þreo hundred him come to; and he ȝam wolde wel fon. Line 6307 And þeos cnihtes comen; to him riht sone. Line 6308 Þus spac þe false gome; Cnihtes ȝe beoþ welcome. Line 6309 Ich habbe in mine hond; al þis kineworþe lond. Line 6310 mid me ȝeo solle wonie; and ich ou wolle lofuie. Line 6311 === Line 6312 ȝeo sollen beo me leofue; for Bruttus beoþ me loþe. Line 6313 loude and stille; ich wolle don oure wille. Line 6314 ȝef ȝeo wolleþ oueral; holde me for louerd. Line 6315 Þo forþrihtes; answerede þe cnihtes. Line 6316 Don we hit wolle; al þine wille. Line 6317 and hii gonne wende; to Constance þan kinge. Line 6318 Þo saide Vortiger; þat was swiþe wis and war. Line 6319 == Line 6320 Alle þine castles ich habbe wel istored. Line 6321 and þeos oncouþe cnihtes solle bi-vore vs fihte. Line 6322 And al þe king lifde þat Vortiger saide. Line 6323

Line 6323 Ac wolawo þat nuste þe king; of his þohte noþing. Line 6324 ne of his swikedome þat he dude þar-after sone. Line 6325 Þeos cnihtes wonede þare folle two ȝere. Line 6326 = Line 6327 and Vortiger þe stiward; was hire alre louerd. Line 6328 ===== Line 6329 Vortiger ȝam solde al þat hii wolde. Line 6330 and eke he ȝam ȝef; ȝiftes swiþe riche. Line 6331 so þat he ham was so lef; alse hire oȝe lif. Line 6332 and hii stille speken; þar þat hii seten. Line 6333 þat Vortiger were worþe to welde þeos riche; Line 6334 þorh-vt alle þinges; bet þane soche þreo kinges. Line 6335 Þo bi-fulled in hon dai; þa(t) Vortiger at his hinne lai. Line 6336 he sende tweie cnihtes; after þeos Peutes. Line 6337 þat hii solde alle heote mid him-s[e]olue. Line 6338 And anon forþrihtes; to him come þeos cnihtes. Line 6339 he fondede ȝam mid wordes; alse hii sete at þe bordes. Line 6340 = Line 6341 hii dronke hii dremde; þe dai forþ eode. Line 6342 So lang i weren þere; þat hii dronge were. Line 6343 Þo spac Vortiger; þat he hadde iþoht her. Line 6344 Hercneþ nou cnihtes; ich wolle telle ou soþrihtes. Line 6345 of þane mochele sorewe; þat ich fo(r ou) habbe. Line 6346 = Line 6347 ȝeo beoþ me on lifue cnihtes alre leofuest. Line 6348 ac nabbe ich more to ȝefue; ne ȝou for to holde. Line 6349 for þe king haht al þat lond; and he his ȝong and swiþe strong. Line 6350 = Line 6351 ȝef ich his god mis-spene; ich mot laȝe þolie. Line 6352 and mine hæhte ich habbe ispened; for ich ou wolde cweme. Line 6353 and nou ich mot of londe fare; for to somme kinge. Line 6354 == Line 6355

Line 6355 = Line 6356 and ȝef euere comeþ þe dai; þat ich hæhte bi-ȝete mai. Line 6357 and ich mawe so wel i-þeon; þat ȝe come in londe war ich beon. Line 6358 ich ou wolle wel bi-wite; mid mochelere mansipe. Line 6359 and habbeþ alle godne dai; to-niht ich wolle varen awai. Line 6360 = Line 6361 Nuste noht þe cnihtes; wat þe swike þohte. Line 6362 == Line 6363 Vortiger hehte his sweines; sadeli his stedes. Line 6364 and nam twealf cnihtes; forþ mid him-seolue. Line 6365 to horse hii eoden; alse hii wolde of þeode. Line 6366 Þis isehȝe þe Peutes; þe fordronkene cnihtes. Line 6367 === Line 6368 and to hire herre hii seide; Wat his vs nou to reade. Line 6369 = Line 6370 Wo sal vs nou scrude; Wo sal vs nou veode. Line 6371 = Line 6372 Nou Vortiger his a-fare; and we ibroht in mochel care. Line 6373 Nole we for none þinge monek habbe to kinge. Line 6374 ========== Line 6375 Wende þes cnihtes to þan kinge forþrihtes. Line 6376 ȝeoden þes cnihtes alle; þorh-vt þare halle Line 6377 in-to þe kinges boure; þar he sat bi þan fure. Line 6378 === Line 6379

Line 6379 =========== Line 6380 and hii þane king igrepe; and þat heued of smite. Line 6381 and alle his cnihtes; hii sloȝen forþ-rihtes Line 6382 and nemen ane sondesman; and sende to Londen. Line 6383 þat he swiþe solde ernne; after Vortigerne. Line 6384 þat he swiþe come; and þane kinedom nome. Line 6385 for þat wite þou þorh alle; hii-sleȝe we habbeþ þane king. Line 6386 Þat ihorde Vortigerne; þat swike was fol deorne. Line 6387 þus a hehte þane sondes-man; aȝen forþrihtes a-non. Line 6388 = Line 6389 and bidde þat non ne wende; vt of þan ende. Line 6390 ac alle me a-bide; forte ich come ride. Line 6391 and þan ich wolle deale; þis lond vs imene Line 6392 Forþ we[n]de þe sondesman; and Vortiger sende a-non. Line 6393 ouer al þan londe; þat þar a-boute were. Line 6394 and hehte ȝam sone; þat hii to him come. Line 6395 Þo icomen were borhmen þat were swiþe bolde. Line 6396 þo spac Vortigerne; þat swike was wel deorne. Line 6397 swiþe he gan wepe; and biter-liche sike. Line 6398 ac hit was on his heued; and noht on his heorte. Line 6399 Þo axede þe borhmen; þat swiþe bolde weren. Line 6400