Sche goth aboute, dai and night,
Thi sone to dethe for to dight;
And he be ded, verraiment,
Ne worth ther non amendement.
Bi here rede ne do thou nout;
Yif thou do, thou art bicought.
Al the world thè spise,
Yif thou do bi here, and lete the wise."
Anon th' emperour saide than,
"Catoun, bi him that made man,
Don ich wille after thi sawe;
To-dai ne sschal he nowt be slawe."
The schild bileft in prisoun;
Vpon his palfrai lep Catoun,
And hadde mani a blessing,
For his disciples deliuering.
The night is comen, the dai is gon,
Th' emperour wente to chaumbre anon;
His quen thanne ayen him nam,
With semblant ase a wroth wimman.
"Dame, he saide, pluk up thi cher,
Other tel me whi thou makest swich cher ?"
"Hit n'is no wonder, sire, bi heuene!
The sschulle sschende thi maistres seuene;
That maketh thè to loue thi fo.
Forthi ich wille nou fram thè go;
Ac yif thou dost more bi hire leuing,
Falle on thè ase dede Herowde the king,
That les his sight in wonder wise
Therfore thou might sore agrise!"
"Dame, he saide, on ech manere,
That ilche tale ich most here!"
"Bletheliche, sire, so mot ich thê,
So that
ye wolde the better be.
"AN emperour was in Rome,
The richest man of Cristendome,
Herowdes was his righte name;
Wide i-sprongge his riche fame.
He hadde with him seuen wise,
Als ye han, of grete prise.
Al that th' emperour dede or thout,
Bi here conseil al he hit wrout.
So her was arered, in this toun,
Bi here rede, and bi here costom,
That who that mette a sweven anight,
He scholde come amorewe, aplight,
And brenge a besaund to offring,
And of his sweuen have undoing.
So longe thai vsed this erròur,
Thai were richcher than th' emperour.
So hit bifel, vpon a dai,
Als he went vpon his plai,
And whan he com to Rome yate,
And wolde wenden out therate,
He bicam blind so ston.
His maistres he of-sente anon,
'And asked whi he might nowt se,
Whan he scholde out of Rome te ?
Thai asked respit a fourten night;
Bi than thai trowede that thai might
In hire bokes finde resoun,
And answeren him with right enchesoun.
Respit thai hadde of th' emperour;
He wente him hom to his tour,
And the maistres hom went,
And hire bokes went and trent,
Ac thai ne couthe nowt i-find,
Whi th' emperour was blinde.
Thai soughte conseil fer and negh,
Ase man that is queinté.
"So, on a dai after than,
Thai mette with an hold man,
And tolde him al hire conseil ;
And he answered, saunz fail,
"In al the werld n'is man liuind,
That couthe you that sothé finde,
But gif hit ware child on,
That neuer hadde fader non.
For he can telle sothes alle,
That ben don in bour and halle.
Yif that schild finde mowe,
He schal you telle, ich wille auowe."
The maistres wolde no leng abide,
To seche the schild thai gonne ride.
On a dai thai com ther Merlin pleid,
And on of his felawes him traid,
And he was wroth, and maked a res,
And cleped him sschrewe faderles;
And saide he was of the fendes kinde,
Hise felawes euer misdoinde.
"Datheit hane thou! quath child Merlin,
Al to loude thou spak thi Latin !
Seue maistres is her come,
That han me sought, al fram Rome,
Thai han with me mochel to done;
Ich wil hem helpe swithe sone."
With that com a man of that lond,
And brought a besaund in his hond,
To whom that Merlin saide thous.
"Man, thou art ful merueilous;
Thou woldest haue undoing
Of thi to-nightes meting.
Forthi, thou woldest that o besaund offer;
Bere hit hom into thi coffer,
And I sschal telle, and nowt ne lie,
What thi meting signefie.
Thou mettest to-night, in thi donghel
Sprong a water out of a wel,
That was of swithe god sauour,
And seruede the and thi nethghebour.
I wil the saie the sothe word,
The welle bitokneth a gold hord:
To-delue anon in thi donghel,
Thou sschalt hit finde swithe snel."
Thanne he dalf therinne anon,
And fond of gold ful, God won.
He yaf the maistres of the gold,
As moche ase thai nime wold,
And also his neghhebour;
He made him riche of that tresoùr.
But Merlin saide, bi heuene king,
He wolde therof nothing.
"The maistres out of toune nome,
And ladden Merlyn toward Rome,
And asked him, with milde mouthe,
Yif he the sothe telle couthe,
Whi th' emperour might nowt se
Whanne he scholde out of Rome te ?
"Ya, saide Merlin, sikerli,
Ich kan telle him ful wel whi!"
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