Classic Poem

The Ninth Part.

Now let vs be for a season,
& let us turne to Pendragon
tha t was gone to the forrest wilde
to speake w i th Merlyn the chylde.
the first time he asked for Merlyn,
he see a heardsman keeping swine
w i th an old hatt vpon his head,
& in gray russett was he cladd,
And a good staffe in his hand,
& a white whelpe him followande;
stalworth he seemed, & well made.
the prince anon to him roade;
& well fayre he can him fraine
giff he heard ought of Merlyn,
& whether hee cold tell him any tythands
where was his most wininge.
" yea, S i r, " he sayd, " by St. Marye,
right now was Merlyn here w i th mee;
& thou had comen eare, indeed,
thou might haue found him in tha t stead;
& if thou can Merlyn ken,
he is not yett far gone;
& therfore ryde forth in this way
as fast as eu er thou may,
& on thy right hand rathe
thou shalt find a verry faire path
tha t thorrow the faire forrest Lyeth,
& in tha t way thou ryde swithe,
& seekerlye w i th-outen weene
soone thou may Merlyn seene. "
then was the prince glad & blythe,
& sped him forth swithe;
& as he hard, soe he itt found,
a well faire path on his right hand
the turned their horsses eu er eche one,
& in tha t path the rydden anon,
& w i th Merlyn they Metten then,
& as itt were a stout Champyon,
& bare a great packe on his backe;
& to him the prince full faire spake,
& asked him if hee see Merlyn:
" yea, " said he, " by St Martin,
a little heere before yo u r sight;
he is not farr, I you plyght.
to you I say by S Iohn,
he is not yett far gone;
& therfore ryde forth beliue
as fast as yo u r horsses may driue,
& yee shall find him in a wyle:
by then yee haue rydden a myle,
w i th Merlyn yee shall meete then,
or yee shall speake w i th some other man
tha t shall you tell full right
where you shall haue of Merlyn a sight. "
& when he had thus sayd,
the pricked forth in a brayd;
& by they had rydden a stonde,
as he him said w i th-out wronge,
he mett w i th Merlyn on the playne,
as he were a doughtye swaine,
all cloathed in robes soe gay
as it had beene a monkes gray,
& bare a gauelocke in his hand;
his speeche was of another Land.
he, when the prince had him mett,
faire & hendlye he did him greete.
then the prince was all heauye,
& asked him of his curtesie
If he mett by the way
w i th chyld Merlyn tha t day:
" yea, S i r, " hee said, " by S Michaell c ,
Merlyn I know verry well;
for right now sikerlye
Merlyin was here fast by;
& had yee rydden a litle bett,
w i th Merlyn yee might haue mett;
but S i r, I say w i th-out othee,
he is a quante boy for-soothe;
soe well I know Merlyns thought,
w i th-out my helpe you find him nought;
& if of him yee will haue speech,
then must you doe as I to you teache:
att the next towne here beside,
there you must Merlyn abyde,
& in the towne take yo u r ine,
& certainly then child Merlyn
shall come to you this ilke night,
& there yee shall of him haue sight,
& then yee may both Lowed & still
speake w i th Merlyn all that you will "
then was the prince blythe & glad,
& pricked forth as he were madd,
& tooke his inne in the towne
as shold a lord of great renowne.
Now May you heare in this time
how Merlyn came the 5 th : time,
& how he the prince Mett,
& on what manner he him grett,
& became to him as councellour:
hearken to me & you shall heare.
when itt was w i th-in the night,
Merlyn came to the K ing full right,
right in the guise of a swayne
as he was in the forrest seene,
& sayd — as I find in the booke —
" Sir Prince, god send you good lucke!
loe, I am heere tha t thou hast sought!
tell me what is thy thought,
& what thou wilt to me saine,
for I wold heare thee wonderous faine. "
then vpstart Pendragon,
& into his armes he him nume;
to bide w i th him he did him craue,
& what hee wold aske, he should haue.
& Merlyn sayd verament
" he wold be att his com m andement;
ou er all, where-soe he were,
he wold be att his bydding yare. "
then was the prince gladd & blyth,
& thanked Merlyn many a sythe.
then sayd Merlyn, " S i r, will you heare?
I come from thy brother deere;
for through my councell hee hath this night
slaine K ing Anguis, I you plight. "
then was the prince blythe & gladd,
& great solace & myrth made;
& all tha t were there were full faine,
& on the Morrow rod home againe,
& found K ing Anguis slaine,
his head sett vp, his body drawne.
Pendragon asked Vther I-wis
" who had slaine K ing Anguis?"
& he answered and can saine
that he [was] warned by a swayne.
when he had told all how he did,
he thanked god in tha t steade.
then be-spake Pendragon,
& sayd to Vther anon,
" hee tha t thee holpe att need thine,
forsooth itt was child Merlyn
That standeth now here by thee. "
Vther him thanked w i th hart free,
& prayd him then in all thing
tha t he wold be att his bidding.
then the wenten to the castle w i th-out lesse,
wherein many a Sarazen was,
tha t noe man might to them winne
by noe manner of gynne;
& therefore the oste still lay,
till after vpon the 3 d . day
word came from the Sarazen
where the lay in castle fine,
tha t they wold yeeld up the castle;
if they might passe well
to their Land w i th-outen dere,
vpon a booke the wold sweare
tha t they shold neu er againe come.
but Merlyn sent them word soone
tha t they shold pass eache one
by leaue of his Pendragon.
& when they had all sworne & some
tha t they wold neu er in this land come,
they passed anon to the sea strond
& went into their owne Land
then to Pendragon the crowne they name,
& K ing of Englande he became,
& in England he raigned K ing
but 3 yeere w i th-out Leasing,
& after he was slaine rathe
w i th Sarazens, & tha t was scathe;
I shall you tell in whatt manner;
listen a while & you shall heare.
tha t time in the Land of Denmarke
2 Sarazens where, stout & starke,
& were of K ing Anguis kinde,
of his next blood tha t was soe hynde;
the one was come of the Brother,
& of the sister come the other;
strong men thew were, & fell,
& theire names I can you tell;
the one was called S i r Gamor,
& the other S i r Malador.
Gamor came of the brother beforne,
the other was of the sister borne,
great Lo rd s were they of Land:
S i r Malador held in his hand
2 duchyes, & Gamor 3;
stowter men might none bee
when they heard how k ing Anguis
in England was slaine I-wis,
altogether can they speake,
theire vnckles death they wold wreake;
& soe great an oste together they brought
tha t they number they can tell nought;
but vnto shipp they gone anon,
& the seas to flowe began.
the winde soe well began to blow
tha t they landed att Bristowe.
then Merlyn knew itt well anon,
& told it vther & Pendragon,
" how there was comen from Denmarke
a stronge oste stout & starke,
w i th many Sarazens of Price,
for to Auenge K ing Anguis."
" In England, " sayd Merlyn then,
" such an oste was neu er seene;
I say to you w i th-outen Layne,
the one of you shalbe slayne;
& whether of you soe ere it is,
shall haue to meede heauens blisse. "
but for noe meede he wold not saine
whether of them shold be slaine;
but neu er -the-lesse yee shall heare.
Merlyn Loued well Vther,
the least heere tha t was on his crowne,
then all the body of Pendragon.
Hee bade them dight them anon
against their foemen for to gone,
& sayd " Pendragon w i th-out fayle
Vppon the Land shold them assayle;"
" & Vther, alsoe I bidd thee,
thou shalt wend by the sea,
& looke tha t theere scapen none
till they be slaine eu er ye-eche one. "
Pendragon was a doughtye Knight,
& fell & Egar for to fight;
he neu er for stroakes wold forbeare
against noe man w i th sheeld or speare,
nor better did w i th-outen fayle,
& tha t was seene in tha t Battaile;
he tooke his oaste w i th might & mayne,
& went the Sarazens fast againe;
& when they were together mett,
there were strokes sadlye sett;
many a heathen Sarazen
he cloue downe to the chin;
many a man was sticked tho,
& many a good steed was slayne alsoe.
the Booke saith w i th-outen Lye
there was done such chiualrye;
of the folke tha t Pendragon fell,
noe man can the number tell
& Vther to the sea went,
& Merlyn told him verament
tha t he shold not that day be slaine.
then was Vther wonderous fayne,
& in his hart soe wonderous Lyght
tha t hee was feirce & fell in fight,
& Egerlye w i th-out fayle
the Sarazens he can assayle,
& fast against them can stryde
tha t many a Sarazen lost their liffe.
Pendragon & his folke in hast
the Sarazens fast to ground the cast,
tha t there were none against them stoode,
but fledd away as they were wood.
but Vther in tha t ilke tyde
kept them in on the other syde;
w i th strong Battayle & strokes hard
he droue them all againe backward;
& when tha t they noe further might,
on Pendragon can the light,
a 100 Sarazens on a rowte
att once Layd him all about.
who-soe had seene Pendragon then,
he might haue seene a Doughtye man;
for all tha t he might eu er reach,
trulye the need noe other Leech.
the Sarazens stout & grim,
slew his steed vnder him;
& when hee had Lost his steed,
great ruthe itt is in bookes to reede
how tha t he on foote stood
till tha t he lost his harts bloode
a 100 Sarazens att a brayd
all att once att him Layd,
& broken him body & arme,
& slew him there; & tha t was harme.
& when tha t Vither vnderstoode
his brother was slaine, he waxt neere woode,
& bade his men fast fight,
& he bestirrde him like a K nigh t:
of all the Sarazens tha t were left aliue
there scaped noe more but 5.
of the Christian men were but slane
3031 certane;
& in that ilke country thoe
a mile might noe man goe —
neither by dale nor by downe —
but he shold tread on a dead man.
And when itt was against the night,
Vther had discomfited them in fight;
he went home into his inne,
& asket councell of Merlyne.
Pendragon was out sought,
& to the church full fayre brought;
he was grauen & layd full Merrye
in the towne of Glasenburye,
& thus ended tha t doughtye K nigh t.
God grant his soule to blisse soe bright!
& all tha t done soe for the right,
I pray Iesu for his might
he grant them heauens blisse aboue!
A MEN , A MEN , for his mothers loue!