Classic Poem

The Fifth Part.

Now let vs of his mother fayle,
& turne vs to another tale,
& speake wee of the messenger
tha t wenten from S i r Vortiger
for to seeke Merlin the bold,
to haue his blood, as I you told
soe 3 of them came by chance
into the place where merlyn was
On playing, as he can goe
w i th other children many moe
& as the played in tha t stead
one of his ffellows him misdeed,
& gan to crye on Merlyn thoe,
" thou cursed srow, thou goe vs froe!
thou art a fowle thing gotten amisse!
noe man wotts what thy father is! "
the Messengers came fast bye,
& hearden well the child crye:
soone anon they were bethought
tha t it was the childe they after sought,
& eche one his sword out droughe.
& Merlin shooke his head, & laughe,
" heere comen the K ing s Messengers
tha t haue me sought both farr & neere
for to haue my harts blood!
now the thinke itt in their Moode
for to slay me this day;
but by my truth, if tha t I may,
or tha t they p ar t away from mee,
well good ffreinds shall wee bee. "
Merlyn anon to them ran:
hee greetes them fayre, as he well can,
& welcomed the Messenger,
& sayes, " yee come from S i r Vortiger;
me to slay is all yo u r thought,
therof shall yee speed nought;
& for to beare yo u r K ing my blood,
tha t neu er shall doe him good;
for they tha t told him tha t tydinge,
lyed of me a strong leasing,
& said my blood w i thout wronge
shold make his castle stiffe & strong. "
the Messengers had wonder then,
& sayd to Merlyn anon,
" how can thou tell vs this priu[i]tye?
tell vs the sooth, I pray thee,
tha t wee may haue tokeinge
to auow our tale before our K ing . "
Merlin Led them a good pace
till hee came where his mother was;
shee told them all the sooth beforne
how Merlyne was gatten & borne,
& of his wisdome & of his reede,
& how hee saued her from deade.
the Messengers, as I you tell,
all night there did dwell;
att Morrow, soone when it was day,
the tooke leaue to wend awaye;
alsoe Merlyn tha t ilke tyde
rode on a palfray them beside,
& wentt forth all in fere
towards K ing Vortiger.
as they thorrow the countrye came,
in a towne their inne they tane,
soe tha t Merlyne, as I you tell,
came there as shoone were to sell
a great laughter vp he tooke;
the Messengers fast on him can lookee,
& full soone asked him thoe
wherfore tha t he laughed soe.
then sayd Merlyne, " see yee nought
the young man tha t the shoone hath bought?
he wendes to liue them to weare;
but by my hood I dare well sweare
his wretched liffe hee shall forgoe
or tha t he is one gate come to. "
the Messengers att tha t tyde,
after tha t man can they ryde,
& found him dead as any stone
or tha t he had a furlong gone
in tha t towne the dwelled all night:
on morrow, when it was daylight,
the dight their horsses, & made them yare
on theire journey for to fare;
& as they went on their Iourney
thorrow a towne in tha t countrye
he came by a church yard;
he mett a course thither-ward,
w i th preists & Clarkes singing befor[n]e;
the corpes were on a beere borne;
many a man therwith can gone.
Merlyn beheld them eu er ye one;
a great laughter he vptooke.
the Messengers on him can looke,
& asked him w i th hart free
why he laughed soe hartilye;
he said, " amongst these folkes then
I see an old sillye Man
tha t doth sore & fast weepe;
he ought better to skipp & leape:
& others here goe & singe
tha t ought better their hands to wringe;
I shall you tell certainlye,
tha t you may know the cause whye:
tha t corse tha t dead is & cold,
was a childe of 10 yeeres old;
tha t ilke preist, " he sayd thoe,
" that goeth before & singeth soe,
he was the father tha t the child begott;
& if he were bethought of tha t,
he wold his hands wring sore,
& for that child sorrow more;
Now he singeth w i th Ioy & blisse
as the chyld had neu er beene his;
& to see the seely husband
for sorrow & care wring his hands,
therfore he is a Mickle ffoole
tha t for his foomen maketh dole "
the Messengers eueriche one
to the chylds mother went anon,
& Merlyn in a litle throw
made the Mother to be know,
wherfore shee cold not say nay,
but eu er prayd them naught to say.
then were the Messengers blythe,
& on their Iourney ridden swithe.
as they ridden on their way,
it was vpon the 3 d . daye,
when it was about the prime,
then laughe Merlyne the 3 d . time;
then asked they all in fere
why he Made such laughing cheere.
then said Merlyne I-wisse
" there-of I laugh, noe wonder is;
for sithe the time tha t yee were borne,
such wonder heard yee neu er beforne;
I shall you tell w i th-outen othe
tha t yee shall find trew & soothe.
this ilke day, by my truth,
in the K ing s house is mickle ruth
of the K ing s Chamberlaine;
for the Queene, sooth to sayne,
hath Lyed on him a leasing stronge;
therfore shee shall be dead w i th wronge:
for his chamberlaine is a woman,
& goeth in the clothing as a man;
& for shee is fayre & bright of hew,
the false queene tha t is vntrew,
besought her to her Lem m an dearne;
& shee answered, & can her warne,
& sayd, " shee must tha t game forsake;
for noe comfort shee wold her make;
therfore the Queene was a foole,
for had shee witt of her toole,
& how short itt was wrought,
shee wold of loue asked her nought."
the Queene forthwith was affrayd,
& wend well to have beene bewrayd,
& thought tha t shee shold be shent;
& before the K ing anon shee went,
& sayd tha t his chamberlaine
w i th strenght wold haue her forlaine
the k ing therof was wonderous wrath,
& swore many a great othe
tha t shee shold both hang & draw:
& tha t were against the law;
therfore wend you whome belyue
as fast as yee may driue,
& say to Vortiger the king,
the Queene hath made a strong Leasing
vpon his chamberlaine for hate;
therfor bydd tha t shee be take;
& search the chamberlaine then,
& he shall find shee is a woman! "
A knight there was both stout & stearne,
& pricked forth the truth to Learne,
& he made noe tarrying
till he came before the King.
when hee came into the hall,
downe on his knees can hee fall,
& said, thorrow many a country he went
" on thy Message as thou vs sent,
to seeke a child of selcoth Land;
& such a one haue wee founde
tha t is but 5 wynters old:
you heard neu er none soe bolde;
he is clypped child Merline,
he can tell all Manno u r of thing;
of all tha t was & now is
He can tell you well I-wis;
he can tell you full well
what thing troubles yo u r castell,
why itt may not stand on plaine,
& alsoe of yo u r chamberlaine
tha t yee haue mentt to draw & hang:
he saith " forsoothe itt is for wrong
for to slay a woman
tha t goeth in clothing as a man;
& therfore doe as I you fayne,
& doe take the chamberlayne,
& of her bonds yee her vnbinde;
a woman fayre yee shall her finde;
& but itt be soe, w i th right Lawe
doe mee to hang & drawe." "
Vortiger a-wondred was,
& all tha t hearden of tha t case.
he com m anded his men all
his chamberlayne to bring in all;
anon the serched her tha t stonde,
& a woman shee was founde.
wrath then was S i r Vortiger,
& asked of tha t Messenger
" Who told him he was a woman? "
" fforsooth S i r, " hee sayd then,
" Merlyn it was tha t this can say
as wee rydden by the waye;
for he can tell — & lye nought —
all things tha t eu er were wrought;
& all tha t eu er you can him saine,
he will tell you sooth Certaine. "
Vortiger was glad & blythe,
& said to the Messenger swithe,
" I shall yee giue both Land & ploughe,
& make yee a man right good enoughe;
therfore I com m and anon-right,
Duke, Erle, Barron & K nigh t,
to dight their horsses, & make them yare
forth w i th Vortiger to fare. "
then wold he noe longer abyde,
but leapt to horsse, & forth gan ryde
to speake w i th Merlyn the younge,
for glad he was of his com m inge.
but when it was come to night,
w i th Merlyne he Mett right;
as soone as he can him meete,
w i th fayre words hee can him greete.
of many things he spoke then —
some of them tell I can — .
w i th much Ioy, & verament
to the K ing s court the went,
& were att ease all tha t night.
& on the Morrow when it was light,
to tha t steede they went by-deene
where the castle shold haue beene.