" Of Bretayne God haþ ordeyned [purueied.] þys,
" & gyuen hit haþ to þe Englische. [Englis.]
" Þe Bretons kynde schal namore
" In þat lond make wonynge þore,
Line 16,604
" Til þat tyme come þat ys auysed,
" Þat Merlyn til Arthur prophetysed: [prophetised.]
" He seyde, 'þat þe folk of Breton,
. " 'Er domesday schulde hit be don,
Line 16,608
" 'Þat þey schul haue þys lond ageyn,
" 'When fulfild [whan filled.] [Petyt folio 95a:2] ys þe terme certeyn.' "
He bad hym, "he schulde go to Rome,
" To þe Pope, & take his dome,
Line 16,612
" Þe forte assoille, [to asoyle.] penaunce to drye;
" Among þe seyntes þer schaltow lye—
" Þe prophesie schal nought falle—
" Til þe Bretons brynge þy bones alle
Line 16,616
" Out of Rome to þys Bretayne,
" Þen schul þey haue þys lond agayne."
Hit schal bytide swilk a weys,
. Right as seint Methodye seys,
Line 16,620
Þat6 many an holy bon [many holy bones.] of pris
Þat y þys tyme in ffertre [chest, reliquary.] lys,
Schal men take, & a-wey lede
. Out of þe ffertres, for Paen drede;6 [6-6 From Langtoft, i. 260, and Geoffrey, bk. xii. § 17.]
Line 16,624
& so schul his bones be brought;
What tyme hit schal be, wyte we nought.
Cadwaladres, when he þys herde,
Als a man in dwale he ferde;
Line 16,628
Stoneyed he was a wel god þrowe, [P. leaves out this line.]
Er þan he couþe hym self y-knowe. [P. leaves out this line.]
