in the ark. Layamon began the journey Wide over this land and procured the noble books Which he took for pattern. He took the English book That Saint Bede made, Another he took, in Latin, That Saint Albin made And the fair Austin Who brought baptism in hither; The third book he took, Laid there in the midst, That a French clerk made, Who was named Wace Who well could write And he gave it to the noble Eleanor that was Henry's queen, The high king's. Layamon laid down those books And turned the leaves. He beheld them lovingly, May the Lord be merciful to him! Pen he took with fingers And wrote a book-skin And the true word Set together And the three Books Compressed into one. Now prayeth Layamon Each good man, For the Almighty's love, That reads this book, And learns this rune (counsel) That he these soothfast words Say together For his father's soul That brought him forth, And for his mother's soul That bore him to be a man, And for his own soul That it be the better. Amen. Now saith with lofty song He that was a priest in the land All as the books speak, That he took for pattern. The Greeks had Troy With mischief conquered, &c.

Eneas escaped with his son Ascanius and his retinue in twenty ships to Italy, landed where Rome now stands, and was courteously received by the wise old King Latin. He was to marry also the king's daughter, Lavinia, and be his heir. Turnus, who loved her, fought for her and fell. Eneas took Lavine to wife, and had the country, and after four years died, and after his death the queen had a son for her comfort, Silvius Eneas, of whom his brother, Ascanius, son of Eneas, by Creusa, daughter of Priam, took charge. In his day the Fiend carried away, from Alba Longa that he built, the idol that Eneas brought from Troy. Ascanius had a son named Silvius, who secretly loved Lavine's niece; and when the lady was with child, Ascanius called all who knew songs of magic art, the Devil was among them, to tell what that was. And they found by their sorrowful spells that it was a son, who should slay both his father and his mother, and be through their death driven from the land. And his mother died through him in his birth, but the child lived, and was named Brutus, throve, and loved virtue. When fifteen years old, he went to the wood with his father. They found a herd of harts. The father drove them to his son; Brutus set on his arrow, he thought to shoot the tall deer, and hit his own father through the breast. Woe was Brutus therefore! Woe was him alive when his father was dead! When his kindred heard that he had slain his father, they banished him from the land, and he went sorrowful to Greece, where he found his kindred of the Troy folk, but they were all slaves. The men were become numerous; the women had thriven; the cattle were abundant. Brutus had been but a little while in the land when he became dear to all; for he was a man most good to please the people; bountiful, which is great honour; beloved by all who looked on him. They gave him gifts and greeted him courteously; they said to him. secretly that if he were bold and durst do it, he would lead them out of slavery to freedom, and he should be their duke. "We have," said they, "seven thousand good knights, besides the women, who know nothing of weapons, children, and hinds to

mind the cattle." In Greece was a young man of thirty years old, named Assaracus, his father a Greek, his mother a Trojan concubine. Assaracus had a brother born in wedlock, who took from him the castles that his father gave him; so there was much fighting, and Assaracus, who was a good knight, joined the Trojans who were of his mother's kindred. By his advice Brutus was made Duke, war was prepared, and a letter was sent by Brutus to Pandrasus, the Greek king, telling him that he had seven thousand men in castles, and in the mountains many thousands, who would rather live on roots like swine of the forest than endure more slavery, and that they prayed him in friendship to set them free. The king raised a great army, but Brutus, disposing his men in a forest pass, smote the king's army, so that many fell by sword and spear; many were drowned in the river Achalon. Then the king's brother, Antigonus, marched against Brutus, was defeated and taken prisoner. The king besieged the castle of Sparatin, in which were six hundred Trojan knights; and, as the king thought, his captive brother, but he was safe in the woods. The king could not take the castle, and when famine approached, the knights in it sent for help to Brutus. There was a well-born man, named Anacletus, taken with Antigonus. Brutus rushed on him, threatening him grimly with naked sword, "unless thou dost my bidding; but if thou do it, ye may help yourselves." Anacletus consented to go to his own men as an escaped prisoner, say that Antigonus was escaped also, and lying in the wood for rescue, and so bring the knights of the Greeks into an ambush. This he did, for he was the betrayer of his people. And then Brutus, dividing his army, crept by stealth on the king's camp; and when he was at the door of the king's tent, he leapt from his horse and blew a loud blast on his horn. The Trojans heard that and advanced; they awakened the Greeks with their terrible slaughter. Heads flew on the field. The fated fell; many hand, many foot, the hap was worse, and Brutus with his knights captured the king. All whole and sound loudly he called, "I have the king of this folk! Fell down his people. Let none escape alive to the woods, and I will lead this king with myself." So Brutus took all and delivered Sparatin. On the morrow they buried the slain and divided the spoil.

Then it was proclaimed that the Trojans should come to the hustings, and their lord spake, and thus said to them, "Listen, my knights; listen, my dear men; tell me the counsel that seerns to you good. I have this king and his brother prisoners, have slain his people, and parted his goods among my friends. If ye that are my brave men advise it, I will smite off his head; and if ye so advise me, I will free him, if he give us treasure for his life." Then the knights answered with differing opinions, and while they debated Membricius spoke, and counselled that they demand of the king freedom, his daughter, Ignogen, for wife to Lord Brutus, gold, steeds, provision, and all the ships that were in his land, so that the Trojans might depart over the seas to a country pleasant to

them, where they would make Brutus king. When he had spoken [and his whole husting speech is given in the poem], there was great talking, great din, much clamour of people, and they all cried thus, "Sooth saith Membricius." So was agreed, and so was done, and the good knights went right to the sea; great was the joy that Brutus had with him! Brutus took Ignogen and led her into the ship. They righted their ropes, they reared their masts, they wound up sails, the wind stood at their will; sixteen times twenty ships went from the haven, and four great ships that were full laden with the best weapons that Brutus had.

First they landed at the island of Leogice, that had been ravaged by outlaws, and bereft of inhabitants. There the men killed as much wild deer as they would, and found a ruined castle with a temple made of marble stone, lofty and spacious, "the Worse had it to wield." Therein was an image of woman's form, fair and very noble, called by her heathen name Diana, the Devil loved her. She worked wondercraft with the fiend's help. She was queen of all the woods that were on earth. Brutus took his twelve wisest men and a priest, bare a gold vessel of wine mixed with the milk of a hind shot by his own hand, lighted a fire on the altar, and went nine times around it. He entreated the beloved lady, often kissed the altar, poured milk on the fire, with mild words, "Lady Diana! loved Diana! high Diana, help in need. Teach me, counsel me by thy wise craft, whither to lead my people to a winsome land, where they may dwell. And if I may get the land and my people spread over it, I will make a spacious dwelling in thy name, and honour thee with high worship." Thus spake Brutus, and he took the hide. of the hind, spread it before the altar, kneeled, lay down on it and slept. Then it seemed to him in a dream that his lady, Diana, beheld him lovingly, and courteously laid her hand upon his head, and said, "Beyond France thou shalt find in the West a winsome land that is surrounded by the sea. Thereon thou shalt prosper. There is fowl, there is fish;

there dwell fair deer. There is wood, there is water, there is much wilderness. The land is most winsome. Springs there are fair. Eotens most strong dwell in the land. Albion is the land's name, but men there are none. Thereto shalt thou go, and a new Troy there make; there shall arise of thy kin royal progeny, and over all lands shall their fame be high." Brutus when he awoke promised the lady in that land a temple and an image of red gold.

So [with divers lesser adventures] they sailed on, and, escaping at the pillars of Hercules the siren snares of the mermaids, saw Spain, and, there landing, found a four-fold host of their own kindred, who had been led thither by Atenor after the fall of Troy. After Atenor was dead, Corineus, strong as a giant, was their duke, and he it was who gave Brutus the kiss of welcome. When Brutus told whither he was bound, Corineus said, "And I will go with thee, with my good folk, and have part with thee; and hold thee for chief and obey thee for lord.”

So they came by Armorica, and anchored in the Loire for seven nights and a day, and sent over the land and viewed the people. Goffar, King of

Poitou, was displeased, and sent, to inquire why these people came, his alderman, Numbert, who met Corineus, with five hundred knights, and horn and hounds, hunting the deer in the king's park. Numbert in wrath shot an arrow against Corineus, but Corineus, leaping on him like a lion, seized the bow from which the arrow had been shot, and smote him with it, so that his head-bone broke to bits, and his blood and brains dashed out. Numbert's companions fled with the tidings to King Goffar, who raised an army. Then there was a battle lasting

for a day, and Corineus slew two hundred with his sword before it broke. After the sword broke, he wrenched a war-axe from a man's hand, and with that hewed among the flying Poitou folk. The king's strong man Suard he chopped in two, right by the ribs. The folk that fled from Corineus came to Brutus, and they slew all that they came nigh.

Goffar fled out of his kingdom to the Emperor and twelve companions, who were kings, of France. While Brutus was harrying Armorica, they gathered forces, and presently they besieged Brutus in a strong castle that he had built. In a sally made by Brutus, a strong knight, and relation of his, named Turnus, was so furious in fight that, when he was killed, from him the castle was named Tours, and the whole land Touraine.

The French were beaten, Brutus blew his horn, assembled his forces, and they held counsel together, and resolved to march to the sea. So they went to their ships with treasure of Goffar and of the Frenchmen dead in fight, and voyaged till they came to land at Dartmouth, by Totness. Then had Brutus the gift Diana promised him, and his men made mirth and were thankful. They found in the land twenty giants, whose names I never have heard tell in song or speech, except the name of one who was their chief lord, hight Geomagog, who was the most powerful. God's enemy: the Worse loved him. The arrows of the Trojans at first drove these fiends into the caverns. But one day, when Brutus and all his folk were blithe, there came twenty tall giants descending from the hills, mighty and strong; great trees were their clubs, and in a little time they slew five hundred. Then the Trojan men turned on them with arrows, and slew all but Geomagog, who was taken alive, and brought before Brutus, to wrestle with Corineus.

Brutus sat as judge upon a down, the folk came together upon a sea-cliff. Forth came Corineus, and advanced himself, and the giant also, that all beheld it. There was many a man, there was many a woman, there was mickle folk at the wrestling. They yoked their arms and made themselves ready; breast against breast-bones they cracked. They thrust out their shanks, the heroes were strong; they rammed their heads together, the people beheld. Oft they fell down, as they would lie; oft they leaped up, as they would fly. Loathly glances they flashed with their eyes. Their gnashing of teeth was all as the wild boar's rage. Awhile they were black and loathly swollen, awhile they were red and highly enraged. Either of them willed to conquer the other with wiles, with stratagems, and with wondrous strength. Geomagog bethought what he might do, and thrust Corineus from off his breast, eft drew him

back and broke him by the back four of his ribs, evilly he marred him; but he no whit minded that. It wanted little that Corineus was not overcome. Nevertheless he bethought him what he might do; he took Geomagog to heart and stretched out his arms and hugged him so that his back broke, grasped him by the girdle, and grimly heaved him up. The rock was most high where on the cliff they fought. Corineus felled him, and hurled him with strength down the rock, so that his bones clave asunder, so the fiend broke all to picces ere he came to the ground, and thus went the mighty wretch to hell. Now and evermore is the cliff known to each people as Geomagog's leap.

Then the Trojans spread over the land, tilled it, built towns. It had been named Albion; they called it as the land of Brutus, Britain; and the Trojan men after their lord called themselves Britons. Brutus gave Corineus, his dear warrior, one part of the land. The lord hight Corineus and the land Corinie. Afterwards, through the people who were in the land, they called it Cornwall, through their foolish custom. [It was a Cornwall that included Devonshire.] Their own Trojan speech they called British, but Englishmen changed its name after Gurmund came into this land.

Gurmund drove out the Britons, and his folk were named Saxons from one end of Alemaine that was named Angles, and of Angles come Englishmen, and they called it England. The English overcame the Britons. Brutus had Britain, aud Corineus Cornwall. The people increased and throve, and the fair land was dear to Brutus.

Then thinking of Troy, he journeyed over all this land to view the country, and found a winsome spot upon a water, and reared there a rich burgh, with bowers, and halls, and high stone walls, and named it Troy the New. Afterwards the people called it Trinovant. And many winters afterwards there arose a king of Brutus' kin named Lud, who loved this burgh much, dwelt in it many winters, and caused loudly to be proclaimed that it should be called Kaer-Lud, after his own name. Afterwards came other dominion and new customs, so that men called it Lundin all over the country. Then came English men who called it Lundene; thereafter the French, who conquered it with fight and called it, with their country manners, Lundres.

Brutus reigned twenty-four years, and he and Ignogen had three sons. Locrine, the eldest and wisest, who had the south land, of people called after him Locres [Lloegr]; and Camber was the second who had all westward of Severn, Cambria, "that is the wild land that the Welshmen love." Afterwards it was called Wales on account of the Queen Galues, and for the Duke Gualun men call them Welshmen. The third brother was Albanac, whom King Humber afterwards destroyed; he had the north land now called Scotland, but in his day Albanie.

A king of Huns then came into the land,
Humber his name, evil his ways; his men
Were bold, and he had wasted many lands,
And many hundred islands by the strand,
All that lay between us and Alemaine.
King Humber and his fleet came with a host

Upon the land of Albanac, they warred
Against his people, burning, ravaging,
Much harming. Against him Albanac marched
With many men. They met, and warriors fell.
Albanac's people were laid low, save those
Who fled into the shelter of the woods.
And in the fight fell Albanac himself,
Such harm strong Humber brought into the land.
They who escaped the fight fled to Locrine,
For he was strong. And him they told, in sooth,
That Albanac was dead, Humber had slain him.
Then the two brethren, Camber and Locrine,
Joined force, with all their people and their knights,
And against Humber with great strength they marched.
Humber was passing wroth; the land was his;
He crossed the Scottish water with his knights,
With busy fight would win the land of Britain.
Locrine and Camber met him. Fiercely rose

A stir of weapons, and the people fell.

There Humber went to bale; blithe were the Britons.
There, through Locrine and Camber, he lost all,
Barely escaping, fled into the water,
Where he was drowned with many of his people.
For Humber's death, they called the water Humber.

With his great army Humber had made war
In Alemaine, sorely despoiled the land,
And hurt the people. He had taken there
Three most fair maidens, one was named Estrild,
A high king's daughter, fairest upon earth.
In the ships were these maidens with the men
Who guarded Humber's treasure while he fought.
Then came Locrine and Camber to the ships,
When Humber in the Humber had been drowned,
To have all treasure the King Humber owned.
They found among the sailors the three maids.
Locrine there saw Estrild, and lovingly
He looked upon her, took her in his arms,
Glad-hearted.

"Good," he said, "shall betide thee, for thou art,
O woman, comely, and I for my queen
Will hold thee in high honour; while I live
None other will I have; never in life
Was I so blithe, as now I am for thee."

But there yet lived in Cornwall Corineus
As duke, whose only daughter was most dear.
Locrine had pledged himself to marry her,
And plighted troth with her before his men,
Yet she was now forsaken for Estrild.
Corineus, Duke of Cornwall, heard of this,
That his loved daughter was loathed by Locrine.
Uneasy, sad of mood, he journeyed hither,
To Locrine, with a great axe on his shoulder.
Sternly he looked upon Locrine, and said:
"Tell me, thou hated man, manifest fool,-
Sorrow be thine, shield thee no man from death!-
Thou hast shamed my daughter, the child dear to me,
Me thou hast shamed, and therefore shalt thou die!
I shared thy father's dangers, led his men,
And many a toil and many a sweat I bore,
Many a grim onset, many a rush of war,
Many a hard blow, and wound, and wondrous fight,
In many a field for Brut, who was my friend,
And my loved lord. Wherefore thou shalt be slain,
For he was not thy father. Wert thou son
Of Brut, thou never couldst bring shame on me.

For love of him have I felled to the ground
Many a giant, and thou wilt repay
All my great toils with harm, and set aside
My fair and gracious daughter Guendolene
For a strange maiden who is named Estrild.
Whence she came, or what king her father is,
What queen her mother is, thou canst not tell.
Have for her love that which thou lovest least,
I cut thec piecemeal with this battle-axe!"
Then high upheaving, down struck Corineus,
Smote with his axe and struck on a great stone,
As Locrine started from it, the great stone
Brake all to pieces. All from every side
Hastened to part the two, and there was strife
Among the people, many a high word.
Then a great council of the chiefs was held.
For foreign treasure they would not allow
A strife between Corineus and Locrine.
"But we advise and counsel that we take
For queen to Locrine Guendolene, and keep
Our oaths to both kings with the people's love
A faithful pledge, and send Estrild away."

But Locrine did not so; he would deceive.
He took a trusty servant of his own
And sent him to the town named Trinovant,
Called in our language London, bade him there
Make in all haste a cavern, stately and fair,
The walls of stone, with doors of the whale's bone,
In a fair place beyond the search of men;
Place therein fuel and good store of clothes,
Palls, purples, golden vessels, with much wine,
Much wax, and winsome things, and afterwards
Go thither straight by night, with secret craft,
And place Estrild therein. As Locrine bade,
So did this noble, for his lord's behests
Each good man should fulfil. Thus in the cave
Estrild dwelt seven years, nor passed the door,
Nor was it known of man, except the king
And his companion knight, that she was there.
But when he went to Trinovant he said
To Guendolene that there for seven nights
He was in secret worshipping his god.

He would not that men knew what there he sought;
And Guendolene believed him; all his crafts.
So fared Locrine the wild that at one time
Both Guendolene and Estrild were with child.
A daughter had Estrild, born in the cave;
She was baptised into the faith then held,
And was named Abren; fairer child was none.
A son had Guendolene to glad her heart:
He was named Madan, the king's noble son.
This child grew, throve, and was beloved of all.
When he could walk and speak, the king Locrine
Sent his fair son Madan to Corineus

Into his land, that he should train him well
And teach him manhood, which he mainly did
The while he might. Then there slipped on the time
That each awaits, when Corineus the strong
Must end his life; the king heard, and was pleased,
When he knew for a truth that Corineus
Was dead; he took twelve good men of his folk,
And sent back Guendolene to her own land,
Her father's land, to Cornwall. There she was

1 This is the Sabrina, "virgin daughter of Locrine," of Milton's "Comus."

At home, and Madan with her, and to all
The men who served her father in his life
She made sore plaint, and gathered in a band
Her kindred and all knights she could collect,
And all the country people, friends to her,
And all the foreigners who came to her
From many lands for silver and for gold.
Freely she gave to her good champions,
And bade them for her love avenge her wrong.
Locrine, the king, had taken to himself
Estrild, she pleased him and he made her queen.
Under that bliss of theirs lay many harms.
Locrine, the king over this folk, was told
That Guendolene was speeding with a host
Against his land to wreak her vengeance on
The king and queen. Then with his folk the king
Hastened against her, and the armies met
Upon a river that was named the Stour,
There was stern fight between them both, in Dorset.
Locrine died there, an arrow struck his heart

And down he fell. He died there, with much people.
The living fled, great was the flight of them.
And Guendolene prevailed, and had the land.
Then she went to the castle where Estrild
Was dwelling, she took Estrild and Abren,
And caused them to be bound, and had them cast
In a great water, where they drowned and died.
Then Guendolene was lady of the land,
And with a deep wit bade that men should call
The water Auren where Abren was drowned
Because of the maid Abren, and for love
Of Locrine, her own lord, by whom Abren
Was daughter of Estrild. So she had slain
The king, the new queen, and her child, and still
The river's name is always said to be

Auren that flows by Christchurch2 to the sea.

Queen Guendolene, who is also said to have drowned Sabrina and her mother, Estrild, in the Severn, that now bears Sabrina's name, reigned fifteen years and nine days after Locrine's death. But she afterwards retired to her own Cornwall, giving to Madan, her son, his father's kingdom. Madan had two sons, Malin and Membrez, both of them wicked; at his death he gave his kingdom in their hands. Then there was strife between them. Membrez slew his brother, and reigned twenty years as a monster of wickedness; but at last, parted from his followers in the hunt, was set upon and torn to pieces by wolves. His son and successor, Ebrauc, was the noblest of kings. He conquered France and more than France. "This was the first king that went out a robbing, who passed over sea out of this land. Very long after his time was all his people immeasurably rich from his plunder. He it was who built Kaer Ebrauc; afterwards it was called Eborac; then came foreign men and named it Eoverwic; and the northern men, not long since, through an ill-usage, named it Yeorc." He reigned sixty years, and had twenty sons, each by a different mother, and thirty fair daughters, after the fairest of whom, Galues, Wales was named. Silvius, King of Lombardy, sent for all Ebrauc's daughters, to be

2 Christchurch is by the sea at the confluence of the Avon and Stour.

married to his knights of Trojan kin, who could not endure the women of the Lombard country. Some of their brothers went with them and passed as conquerors into Alemaine, but the eldest son remained by his father Ebrauc, and his name was Brutus Vert-Escu. He reigned twelve years after his father's death, and had a son named Leil, who reigned after his father five-and-twenty years, and built Kaer Leil (Carlisle). "In all the north land

is there no burgh so fair." Leil died when his kingdom was disturbed by strife among his noble barons. His son, Ruhhudibras, who reigned thirtynine winters, established peace. He made a noble burgh, and called it Winchester, such work seemed to him most pleasant, and afterwards he made Canterbury. An eagle spoke from a castle-wall the warning of his death.

His son, Bladud, who followed, was a busy man, strong and huge, rich and mighty. He knew the evil craft, so that he spake with the Worse, and all that ever he would the Worse told him. He wrought baths with a kind of stone as great as a beam which he laid in a well-spring. This stone makes the water hot and heals folk. He built (at Bath) near the bath a temple of Minerva, wherein was a fire, never extinguished. He boasted that

he would fly like a bird, made wings, and went to London with much folk, put on his wings, and went very high, got very near the Welkin. Then the wind turned against him, his flight was weak, his cords broke, and he fell, so that he was dashed to pieces on the roof of the temple of Appollon, the mighty Fiend who was worshipped in London.

The The

Bladud had a son who was named Leir, who ruled sixty winters; he built Kaer Leir, which we in our country speech call Leirchestre (Leicester). it was a most noble burgh, and afterwards there fell towards it very much sorrow, so that it was all destroyed through slaughter of the people. king had three daughters, but he had no son. eldest daughter, hight Gornoille, the second Ragan, the third Cordoille. She was the youngest, of beauty fairest; she was to her father dear as his own life. [Here follows the legend of King Lear that Shakespeare has idealised. Its end here is with Lear's triumph by help of his daughter's husband from over the sea-stream, Aganippus, King of France.] The old king also lived three years after giving the land to Cordoille, and after death was buried by her at Leicester, in the temple of Janus. But after Lear's death, and her husband's death, which happened five years later, Cordoille was attacked by her sisters' sons, Morgan and Cunedagius, who slew her armies, captured her, put her in a prison, a torture-house, and angered their aunt till "she took a long knife and deprived herself of life."

Then her two nephews divided the land; but two years afterwards Morgan wasted the country of his cousin, who chased him and smote off his head. Then for thirty-three years Cunedagius was sole lord. In his days Remus and Romulus made Rome. In the days of his son Riwald it rained blood three days and three nights; then came black flies that destroyed men by flying into their eyes, mouths, and noses, and that ate the corn and grass. Thereafter

was such a mortality that few remained alive. King Riwald's son, Gurgustius, reigned half a year; Sisillius came next, who was soon dead. Then came Lago, who lived eight weeks. Next came King Marke, who was king thirty weeks.

Then came Gorbodiago; he was a good king five years. He had two sons, both wicked, the elder hight Fereus, the younger Poreus.

Then came a good king, Gorbodiago.

Five years he reigned, and had two sons, both evil;
Fereus the elder son, Poreus the younger.
They were so wild and froward, that they lived
Always in discord and at variance.

And each of them had hatred for the other
Such as no man should have towards his brother.
They held the land in such feud that their father,
Gorbodiago, was afraid of them,

For often they would fight before himself.
The elder said he would hold all this land.
The younger answered, "I would rather slay thee
With my own spear than live to see thee have it."
So bad a heart had Poreus, and such hate
Had he towards his brother that he thought
In some way to destroy him. Fereus heard
From soothfast men that Poreus would slay him.
Sadly therefore he went beyond the sea,

So seemed him best. He found in France a king
Named Siward, offered him obedience,
Awhile to serve him, be by day and night
His faithful knight. His coming and the knights
Who came with him made the king glad.

years

Seven

He dwelt in the king's household, dear to him,
Pleasing both king and queen.
When seven years

Were passed, he would return into this land;
Asked leave; an army of his bravest men
The king then lent him, messengers he sent
Through all the land for knights that might be had.
He gathered that strong host and safely came
Into this land; at once he began war
And slew his people. Fereus, his brother,
Marched then against him; Poreus in strong fight
Struck down his brother and destroyed his force.
Judon their mother hight, the rich and strong,
Grievous her sorrow that her younger son
Had slain the elder; dearer was the dead,
More loathed the living. So she loathed the living
That she took thought to kill him. In his chamber
Poreus lay, there he fell into great danger.
There he lay softly and securely sleeping,
With hateful craft came, with six other women
With six long knives, his mother secretly,
And thus her son the unblest mother murdered,
She cut his throat in two. Ah! woe betide her!
The unblest mother had him hewn to pieces,
And limb from limb divided.

Then was there a great talk through all the kingdom
Of the queen Judon who had killed her son,
And of the sorrow that was in the land.
When Fereus was dead, and Poreus,
Rule of the land was taken from the mother.
There was no kindred to possess the throne,
Woman or man, save the sad Judon. Her
Men thronged and threw to the bottom of the sea.
Then strife arose, men brake peace everywhere.
Stiff were the contests here, with rapine strong,