¶ De diuersitate duorum Draconum.
When þe water was oute clene,
Merlyn schewed what hit wold mene:
He telde þe folk alle atones,
Þat "y þe ground leye two hole [tuo holle. (hole-y, Fr. chaves. Wace, i. 360, l. 7712.)] [Petyt folio 49a:1] stones;
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" By-twyxte þe stones were to dragons,
" Þat dide hym make al þe [þis.] somons.
" Do þat þo stones weren a twynne,
" Þe dragons schul ȝe fynde wyþynne." [þer Inne.]
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Þey brast þe stones vp al so tyt,
& founde a red dragon & a whyt. [The explanation and dragon|fight are not in Geoffrey of Mon|mouth.]
Þis rede dragon was grym to se;
ffel to fyghte þen semed he;
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Þe white was nought so grym of [grimly in.] sight,
Ne so fel semyng [semand.] to fyght.
" Sire kyng," seid Merlyn, "to me þou herk!
" Þyse two dragons fordede þy werk!
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" ffor whan þy werk on heyght[e] larged,
" Þen schok þe ground, [þe grounde satled.] & þeym ouer charged;
" Þen meued þey hem, þe water al quok,
" & þe werk abouen al schok; [to schoke.]
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" Of þat y seyde, nought y ne ley." [say nouht .I. leih.]
Vp in to þe eyr þe dragons þen fley,
& foughte so þat hit was selcouþ;
fflaumes as fyr fley fro [of fire com of.] þer mouþ.
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Al þe folk seide comunly,
Þey hoped þe rede schold haue þe maistri.
When þey hadde longe to-gyder smyten,
Spatled, spouted, belewed, [spouted sperkes bolned.] & byten,
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