Classic Poem

Right faire shape he had then,
all the forme tha t fell for a man;
blacke he was w i thout lase,
& rough as a swine he was
then they midwiffe anon-right
was afeard of that sight;
& for he was soe rough of hyde,
ffull well shee wist tha t tyde
That he was neu er gotten by any man,
& full faine shee wold then
in hell that he had beene her froe,
tha t neu er man had seene him moe.
the Hermitt tha t hight Blassye
wist full well sikerlye
the time the Child shold be borne,
& to the tower he came att Morne,
& called vpward to them yare,
& asked them how they did fare.
they midwiffe said w i thout lesse
a knaue child there borne was
" take him me, " he sayd then,
" & I shall make him a christen man;
whether he dye, or liue abyde,
the fairer grace he may betyde "
full glad was the midwiffe,
& caught the chyld be-liue,
& by a cord shee lett him downe,
& Blassy gaue him his benison,
& bare him home w i th merry moode,
& batptized him in the holy floode,
And called him to his christendome,
& named him Merlyin in gods name.
thorrow tha t name, I you tell,
all the ffeends tha t were in hell
were agreeved, & that full sore;
therfore was their power bore
& when he had christened him soe,
home againe he bare him thoe,
& in the cord he can him laine;
the Midwiffe drew him vp againe,
& he bade her w i thout blame
call him Merlyne by his name.
the midwiffe bare him anon-right
to the ffyer tha t was bright,
& as shee warmed him by the fyer
shee beheld this lodlye cheere:
" alas, " said shee, " art thou Merlyn?
whence art thou, of what kinne?
who whas thy father by night or day?
tha t noe man I-witt itt may.
it is great ruth, by heauens K ing ,
tha t for thy loue, thou foule thinge,
thy mother shalbe slaine w i th woe!
alas the time it shalbe soe!
I wold thow were farr in the sea,
tha t thy mother might scape free! "
when Merlyn hard her speake soe,
he bradde open his eyen towe,
& lodlye on her can hee looke,
& his head on her hee shooke,
& gan to cry w i th lowd dinne:
" thou lyest, " he sayd, " thou foule queane!
my mother, " he sayd, " shall noe man quell
for nothing tha t men can tell;
whilest I may speak or gone,
mauger them tha t wold her slone,
I shall saue her liffe for this;
tha t you shall see & heare I-wis. "
when the Midwiffe, shee heard tha t,
shee fell downe almost flatt;
shee gan to quake as shee were wood,
& had rather then any good
tha t shee had beene farr away;
soe had his mother where she Lay;
soe sore they were of him agast,
the blessed them, & that full fast,
& cryed on him in gods name
tha t he shold doe them noe shame;
& fast on him they can crye
in gods name & St. Marye
he shold them tell what hee were,
& what misaduenture brought him there
he did lye & held him still,
& lett them crye all their ffill;
& if they shold haue slaine him tho,
he wold not speake a word moe.
& the 3 liued there
w i th much sorrow & w i th care;
& for after halfe a yeere,
as shee held him by the fyer,
rufullye shee gan to greete,
& said to him, " my sonne sweete,
for thy loue, w i th-outen weene,
all quicke dolue shall I beene. "
he answered & said, " Nay,
Dame, thou gables by this day;
there is neithe[r] man nor Iustice
tha t shall yee deeme in noe wise
then whilest I may either goe or speak,
in earth thy body for to wreak. "
Then was his mother a blythe woman
& eu er ye day after then
he made her gladd & bold,
& Maruelous tales to her he told.
when he cold speake & gone,
the Iustice was ready anon,
& bade bring forth anon then
befor him tha t ilke woman
for to receiue her iudgment.
& when shee came in p re sent,
the Iustice forgatt itt nought,
but Egerlye he said his thought,
& sware anon by heauens Queene
all quicke shee shold doluen beene.
then the childe answered w i th words Bold —
& he was but 2 yeeres old —
he sayd to the Iustice w i th Egar Moode,
" S i r Iustice! thou can but litle goode
to doe my mother to the dead,
& wotts not by what reade,
saue a chance tha t to her ffell;
therfore thou dost not to her well;
for eu er ye man will wott well then
tha t against chance may be noe man,
& thorrow chance I was begott;
therfore eu er ye man may well wott
tha t my mother ought nought
for my loue to death be brought "
great wonder had both old & younge
of the childs answering.
then the Iustice was ffull wrath,
& on Loud sware an oathe
" all quicke shee shold doluen bee"
" Nay! " said Merlyn, " soe Mote I thee,
thou shalt her neu er bring therto
for ought that eu er thou canst doe!
it shall not goe as thou wilt,
for shee hath done no guiltt,
& I shall proue itt through skill,
Mauger of them tha t wold her spill.
my father tha t begatt mee
is a feende of great potencye,
& is in the ayre aboue the light,
& tempts men both day & night;
& therfore to my mother he went,
& wend all christendome to haue shent,
& gott mee on her w i th-out Leasinge,
& shee therof wist no thing.
& for shee wist not when it was,
I proue tha t shee is guiltlosse;
for all the feends wenden by mee
to haue shent all christentye,
& had of me a wicked ffoode;
but god hath turned me to goode;
for now I am of god sende
for to helpe all Englande;
& forsoothe, " hee said then,
" p ar die, tell you I can
all tha t eu er was & now is.
I can you tell well I-wis
thou dost not wott, Iustice then,
who was thy father tha t thee wanne;
& therfore I proue tha t mother thine
rather to be doluen then mine. "
hearknen now all the striffe
how Merlyne saued his mothers liffe!
then was the Iustice in hart woe,
& to Merlyne he said thoe,
" thou Lyest! " he sayd, " thou glutton!
my father was a good Barron,
& my mother a ladye free;
yett on liue thou may her see. "
" S i r, " said Merlyne then anon,
" say[n]d after her full soone,
And I shall make her to be knowen,
or else hange me on to drawen. "
the Iustice after his mother sent;
& when shee was comen p re sent,
the Iustice before them all
to Merlyn can he call;
he said to him, " Belanye,
be now soe bold & hardye
to proue thy tale, if thou can,
tha t thou saidest of this woman "
Merlyn said to the Iustice,
" S i r, thy words be not wise;
if I tell theese folke beforne
how thow was gotten & borne,
then shold it spring wyde & broad,
& thou shold lose thy manhood;
then shall thy mother doluen bee,
& all were for the loue of thee. "
the Iustice then vnderstoode
tha t Merlyn cold mikle good.
then to a chamber can they goe,
he & Merlyne, & noe moe.
" Merlyn, " he said, " I pray thee,
what was tha t man tha t begatte me? "
" S i r, " he said, " by St. Simon,
it was the p ar son of the towne!
hee thee gott, by St. Iane,
vpon this woman tha t is thy dame. "
the Lady said, " thow fowle thinge!
thou hast made a starke Leasinge!
his ffather was a noble Baron,
& a man holden of great renowne;
& thou art a misebegott wretch;
I pray thee god devill thee feitch!
in wyld fyer thou shalt be brent,
for w i th wronge thou hast my shent. "
" Dame, " sayd Merlyn, " hold thee still,
for itt were both right [&] skill,
for I wott w i th-outen weene
thou deserue doluen to beene,
ffor sithe thou was to this world brought,
all the worke tha t thou hast wrought,
I can tell itt eu er ye word
better then thou, by our Lord,
how thy sonne was begotten.
dame, if thou haue forgotten,
I can tell you all the case,
how, & where, & when itt was,
& thou shalt be ashamed sore;
thee were better speake noe more. "
the Lady was sore dismayd,
& Merlyn forth his tale sayd:
" Dame, " he said verament,
" tha t time thy Lo rd to Carlile went, —
itt was by night & not by day, —
the p ar son in thy bed Lay;
att thy chamber dore thy Lo rd can knocke,
& thou didest on thy smocke
& was sore afrayd tha t tyde,
& vndidst a windowe wyde,
& there the p ar son thou out Lett,
& he ran away full tyte.
dame, " he said, " tha t ilke night
was begotten thy sonne the K nigh t.
Dame, " he sayd, " lye I ought? "
shee stood still & sayd nought
then was the Iustice wrath & woe,
& to his mother he sayd thoe,
" Dame, " hee sayd, " how goeth this? "
" sonne, " shee said, " all sooth I-wis!
for if thou hang me w i th a corde,
hee belyeth me neu er a word. "
The Iustice for shame waxes redd,
& on his mother shooke his head,
& bade her in hast wend home
w i th much shame as shee come
" belyue, " sayd Merlyn, " send after a spye,
for to the p ar son shee will her hye,
& all the sooth shee will him saine
how tha t I haue them betraine;
& when the parson hath hard this,
anon for shame & sorrowe I-wis
to a bridge he will flee,
& after noe man shall him see,
into the watter start he will,
liffe & soule for to spill:
& but itt [be] sooth tha t I say,
boldlye hang me to day. "
the Iustice w i thouten fayle
did after Merlyns counsayle;
he sent after a spye bold,
& found itt as Merline told;
& the Iustice, for Merlins sake,
him & his mother he lett take,
& lett them goe quitt & free
before the folke of tha t countrye
& when Merlin was 7 yeere old,
he was both stout & bold;
his mother he did a Nun make,
& blacke habitt he let her take,
& from tha t time verament
shee serued god w i th good entent.