Arthurian romances; Romances -- Translations into English
thee, but it is not to thee the softer;—-but flee with thine host, thy
foes come to thee to thy court!" Then Merlin the wise ceased his
words, and the king caused thirteen trumpets to be blown, and marched
forth with his army exceeding quickly. There was not forth-right but
space of one night, that the brothers came, both together, to the
sea-strand full truly, at Dartmouth in Totnes.
The Britons heard this, and were full surely blithe; they drew
themselves out of the woods, and out of the wilderness, by sixty, and
by sixty, and by seven hundred, by thirty, and by thirty, and by many
thousands—-when they came together, full good it seemed to them! And
the brothers brought to this land a numerous host, and here came
before them these bold Britons, a numerous folk, who would it all
avenge, that ere were over the woods wondrously scattered, through the
mickle dread, and through the great misery, and through the mickle
harm that Hengest wrought them, and who had murdered all their chief
men with knives, with axes cut in pieces the good thanes! The Britons
held husting with great wisdom; they took anon Aurelie, the elder
brother, in the noble husting, and raised him to be king. Then were
the Britons filled with bliss, blithe in mood who ere were mournful.
These tidings came to Vortiger the king, that Aurelie was chosen and
raised to be king. Then was Vortiger woe, and eft to him was worse!
Vortiger proceeded far to a castle, named Genoure, upon a high mount;
Cloard hight the mount, and Hergin hight the land, near the Wye, that
is a fair water (stream). Vortiger's men took all that they came nigh;
they took weapons and meat, on many a wise; to the castle they brought
as much as they cared for, so that they had enow, though it little
helped them. Aurehe and Uther were aware of Vortiger, where he was
upon Cloard, inclosed in a castle. They caused trumpets to be blown,
their host to be assembled--a numerous folk of many a land--they
marched to Genoure, where Vortiger lay. A king was within, a king was
without; knights there fought with fierce encounters; every good man
made himself ready. When they saw that they had not the victory, then
a wondrous great force went to the wood; they felled the wood down,
and drew to the castle, and filled all the dyke that was wondrously
deep. And fire they sent in, on every side, and called to Vortiger:
"Now thou shalt warm thee there, for thou slewest Constance, who was
king of this land, and afterwards Constantine his son. Now is Aurelie
come, and Uther his brother, who send thee bale!" The wind wafted the
fire, so that it burnt wonderfully; the castle gan to burn, the
chambers there were consumed; the halls fell to the ground. Might no
man there against the fire make fight; the fire went over all, and
burnt house, and burnt wall; and the King Vortiger therein he gan to
burn; all it was consumed that therein dwelt! Thus ended there, with
mickle harm, Vortiger!
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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