Laȝamon

The Brut (MS. Otho)

MS. Caligula (above)
Parallel Texts

Line numbers are taken from the longer Caligula text. In the original, they were printed in the gutter, between the two versions.

vnder þan com tẏdinge : to vortiger þan kinge.

þat ouer séé weren icome; swiþe selliche gomes.

þreo sipes gode; i come were mid þan flode

þar on þreo hundred cnihtes; alse hit were kempes.

þes weren þe faireste men þat euere come here.

ac hii weren heþene þat was har[m] þe more.

þeos comen to þan kinge and faire hine grette.

and seide þat hii wolde; him sarui in his londe

ȝif vs þou wolle; mid rihte at holde.

þo answerede vortiger; þat of eche vuele he was war.

In al mine lifue; þat ich ileued habbe;

Bi dai no bi nihte; Ne seh ich soche cnihtes.

for ȝou ich ham bliþe; and mid me ȝe solle bi lefue.

Ac forst ich wolle wite; for ȝoure mochele worsipe.

wat cnihtes | beo ȝeo; and wanene ȝeo i comen beo.

þo answerede þe oþer; þat was þe elder broþer.

Ich hatte Hengest; Hors hatte min broþer.

we beoþ of Alemaine; of one riche londe.

of þan ilke hende þat Ænglis his ihote.

Beoþ in vre londe wonder þenges gonde.

bi eche fiftene ȝer. þat folk his i somned.

And werpeþ þare hire lotes; fo[r] to londes seche.

vp wan þat lot falleþ; he mot neod wende.

Ne beo he noht so riche; he mot lond seche.

For þe wifues goþ þare mid childe; alse þe deor wilde.

bi euereche ȝere; hii goþ mid childe þere.

Þat lot on vs ful; þat we faren solde.

Ne moste we bi lefue; for life ne for deaþe.

þus hit fareþ þere; þar fore we beoþ nou here.

Nou þou hauest ihord louerd king; soþ of vs and no lesing.

þo saide vortiger þat was wis and swiþe war.

And woche beoþ ȝoure biléue; þat ȝeo an bi léfeþ.

We habbeþ godes gode; þe we louieð in mode.

þe on hatte phebus; þe oþer Saturnus

þe þri[d]de hatte Woden; þat was a mihti þing.

þe feorþe hatte Jubiter of alle þinges He his war. |

þe fifþe hatte Merchurius; þat his þe hehest ouer vs.

þe sixte hatte appolin; þat his a god of gret win.

þe soueþe hatte Teruagant; an heh god in vre lond.

Ȝet we habbeþ an leafdi; þat heh his and mihti.

ȝeo his i hote frea. heredmen hire louieþ.

To alle þeos godes we worsipe wercheþ.

And for hire loue; þeos daȝes we heom ȝefue.

Mone we ȝefue monedaẏ. Tẏdea we ȝefue tisdei.

Woden we ȝefue wendesdei. Þane þonre we ȝefue þorisdai.

Frea þane fridaẏ. Saturnus þane sateresdai.

þus saide Hengest; cniht alre hendest.

þo answerede vortiger; of alle harme he was war.

Cnihtes ȝeo beoþ me leofue; ac ȝoure bilefues me beoþ loþe.

Ac ich wolle ou at holde; in min anwolde.

For norþ beoþ þe peutes; swiþe ohte cnihtes.

þat ofte doþ me same; and þar vore ich habbe grame.

And ȝef ȝe wolleþ me wreke; of [hire] wiþere dedes;

Ich ȝou wolle ȝeue; ȝeftes swiþe deore.

þo saide Hengest; al hit sal iworþe þus.

Hengest nam lefue; and to sipe gan wende.

And al hire | godes; hii beore to londe.

Forþ hii wende alle; to vortiger his halle.

Bed weren i scrud; and bet weren ived.

Hengestes sweines; þane vortiger his cnihtes.

Bruttes weren sori; for þan ilke sihte.

Nas noht longe; þat ne come tẏdinge.

þat þo forþ rihtes icomen were þe peutes.

Oueral þin lond hii erneþ; and sleaþ þin folk and bearneþ.

and alle þane norþ ende; hii falleþ to þan grunde.

her of þou most reade; oþer alle we beoþ deade.

Þe king sende his sonde; to þeos cnihtes hinne.

þat hii swiþe sone to him seolue come.

þar com Hengest and his broþer; and manian oþer.

þat þe king vortiger; bliþe was þo þer.

Þe Peutes dude hire wone; a þis half vmbre hii were icome.

And þe king vortiger; of hire come was war.

To gadere hii comen; and manie þar of sloȝen.

þe peutes weren ofte iwoned; vortiger to ouercome.

And þo iþohten al so; ac hit bi ful oþerweies þo.

for hii hadde mochel care; for Hengest was þare.

for swiþe manie peutes; hii sloȝen in þan fihte.

þo þat non was icome; þo were Peutes ouer come.

And swiþe hii awey | floȝe. on euereche side.

and vortiger þe king; wende aȝen to his hin.

and to hengest an his cnihtes he ȝef riche ȝeftes.

Ne dorste neuere peutes; come in þisse londe.

þat hii nere sone of slaȝe; and idon of lifdaȝe.

and Hengest swiþe hendeliche; cwemde þan kinge.

Þo hit bi ful in on time; þat þe king was swiþe bliþe.

Hengest wolde wiþ þan kinge; holde rouning.

þane kinge he come bi vore and faire hine grette.

Þo saide hengest to þan kinge; louerd hercne tẏdinge.

And ich þe wolle telle; of deorne rouninges.

ȝef þou mine lore wel wolt i hure.

And noht holde to wraþþe; ȝef ich þe wel leore.

And þe king answerede; alse Hengest hit wolde.

louerd ofte ich habbe ihord; among þine cnihtes.

þat hii þe hatieþ swiþe; into þare bare deathe.

Ofte hii stille spekeþ. of two ȝonge cheldren.

þe on hatte vther; þe oþer Aurelie.

þe þridde hehte Constance; þat þou dedest to deaþe.

Nou wolleþ come þe oþer; and wreken hire broþer.

Al for bearne þi lond; and slean þine leo | de.

And þus seggeþ þine men; stille bi twine heom.

Ac ich þe wolle reade; of mochele þine neode.

þat þou biȝete cnihtes; þat gode beon to fihte.

And bi tak me one castel; þat ich mai on wonie.

For ich ham for þe i veiþed; þat ich wene beo dead.

þare ware ich euere vare; nam ich neuere boute care.

Bote ihc ligge faste; bi clused in on castle.

Ȝef þou þis woldes don; Mi wif solde come sone.

and mi dohter Rowenne; and moche of mine cunne.

Wan we þos beoþ in londe; folliche at stonde.

þe bet we wolleþ cweme þe; ȝef þou þis wolt granti me.

þo answerede vortiger; þat of ech vuele was war.

Nim cnihtes swiþe; and send after þine wifue.

And after þine children; þe ȝong and þe heoldre

And after þine cunne; and onderfang heom mid winne.

wane hii to þe comeþ; þou salt habbe garisome.

hehliche heom to fede; and worþliche to scrude.

Ac nelle ich Castel ne Borh; nanne þe bi take.

For men me wolde sende; in mine kinelonde.

ȝef | ich heþene men; londes bi toke.

þe ȝet spac hengest; cniht alre hendest.

louerd nou ich wolle; don al þine wille.

Nou ich wolle bliue; sende after mine wifue.

And þou ȝef me so mochel lond; to stonde on min owe hond.

Ase wole a Bole hude; in grene ouer sprede.

For fram eche Castle; a midde one felde.

þanne ne mai þe atwite; þe pore no þe riche.

þat þou eni heh Borh; heþene Man bi takest.

And þe king him ȝaf; þat lutel þat he ȝornde.

Hengest nam lefue; and forþ he gan wende.

And after his wifue he sende sonde; to his owene londe.

And him seolf wende; oueral to bi holde.

ware he mihte wel sprede; his Bole hude.

Hengest hadde one wisneman; þat wel couþe of crafte.

He nam þeos bole hude; and a borde laide.

þar of he makede ane þwang; swiþe smal and swiþe lang.

Nas þe þwang noht brod bote ase hit were a twined þred.

A boute þar mid he leide; moche deal of londe.

He lette þo delue; on euerech halue.

þar vppe stonene wal; swiþe | strong oueral.

ane castel he arerde; fair to bi holde.

þo þe Borh was al ȝarue; þo sette he hire name.

he hehte hire foliwis; Caẏr Karri in Bruttesse.

and Englisse cnihtes; Þwangchestre.

Nou and euere more; þe name stondeþ þ[are].

forte þat Dence men driuen vt þe cnihtes.

þane þridde name þar sette; and leane Castel hine cleopede.

vnder þan com liþe hider; Hengestes wif mid hire sipes.

ȝeo hadde to ivere; fiftene hundred Rideres.

And Rowen his dohter; þat was him swiþe deore.

Hit was bi on wile; þat com þe ilke time.

þat `i´ȝarked was þe borh; mid þan alre beste.

And Hengest wende to þan kinge; and bad hine to gẏstninge.

And seide þat he hadde on In; hi makede to ȝenes him.

And þe king him grantede; alse Hengest wolde.

Forþ hii gonne wende; þat hii come to þan ende.

þe king bi heold þane wal; vp and dun oueral.

Al him wel likede; þat he on lokede.

He wende in to halle; and his cnihtes mid him alle.

Bordes hii lette sprede; cnihtes þar to sete.

hii eoten | hii drongken; blisse was a mang heom.

Hengest wende to þe inne; þar Rowenne was hinne.

he hire lette scrude; mid onimete prude.

Ȝeo bar in hire hond; ane goldene bolle.

Hi fulled mid w[i]ne; ne mihte non be rich[ere].

Hehȝe ibore men; hire ladde in to halle.

bi vore þan kinge; fairest alle þing.

Rowenne sat a cnouwe; and seide to þan kinge.

þus erest ȝeo spac; in Englene lond.

Louerd king wassaẏl; for * þine comes me beoþ hail.

Þe king hit ihorde; and nuste wat ȝeo saide.

þe king vortigerne; haxede his cnihte`s´.

wat were þe speche; þat þe maide speke.

Þo answerede; Keþereh; cniht mid þe wisest.

he was þe beste latimer; þat euere wone[de] her.

Lust nou mi louerd king; and ich þe wolle cuðen.

wat seiþ Rowenne; fairest of al wommanne.

Hit his þe wone; Ine sax londe.

þat freond saiþ to his freond; wane he sal [dri]nge.

leofue freond wassail; þe oþer saiþ dringhail.

þe ilke þat halt þane nap; þane dringe dringþ vp.

And aȝ[ein]es me hine fulþ; and takeþ his ivere.

Þis beoþ þe | lawes; ine sax londe.

þis ihorde vortiger; of eche vuele he was war.

And saide hit on Bruttesse; ne couþe he noht on Œnglisse.

Maẏde Rowenne; dring bloþeliche þanne.

Þat maide drong vt þat win; and lette don oþer þar in.

And bi tahte þan kinge; and he hit vp swipte.

And þorh þisne ilke game; þe lawe come to londe.

wassaẏl and dring haẏl; þat mani men lofuieþ.

Þe faire Rowenne; sat bi þan kinge.

þe king hire ȝeorne bi heold; ȝeo was him leof on heorte.

Ofte he hire custe; and ofte he hire clupte.

Þe worse was þare wel neh; þat to soche game his wel sleh.

þe worse þat neuere ne doþ god; he meẏnde þare þes kinges mod

þe king mornede swiþe; for habbe hire to wifue.

þat was swiþe loþlich þing; þat þe cristene king.

louede þat Maide heaþene; folk to harme.

To Hengest bad þe king; þat he þat maide ȝefue him.

Hengest funde on his Reade; don þat þe king him beade.

He ȝef him Rowenne; womman swiþe hende.