Ælla, Egwina, Servytoure, Coernyke, Birtha, Hurra
Ælla
Ah! Birtha here!
Birtha
Whatte dynne ys thys? whatte menes yis leathalle knelle?
Where ys mie Ælla? speeke; where? howe ys hee?
Oh Ælla! art thou yanne alyve and welle!
Ælla
I lyve yndeed; botte doe notte lyve for thee.
Birtha
Whatte menes mie Ælla?
Ælla
Here mie meneynge see.
Thie foulness urged mie honde to gyve thys wounde,
Ytte mee unsprytes[128].
Birtha
Ytte hathe unspryted mee.
Ælla
Ah heavens! mie Birtha fallethe to the grounde!
Botte yette I am a manne, and so wylle bee.
Hurra
Ælla! I amme a Dane; botte yette a friende to thee.
Thys damoyselle I founde wythynne a woode,
Strevynge fulle harde anenste a burled swayne;
I sente hym myrynge ynne mie compheeres blodde,
Celmonde hys name, chief of thie warrynge trayne.
Yis damoiselle foughte to be here agayne;
The whyche, albeytte foemen, wee dydd wylle;
So here wee broughte her wythe you to remayne.
Coernike
Yee nobylle Danes! wythe goulde I wyll you fylle.
Ælla
Birtha, mie lyfe! mie love! oh! she ys fayre.
Whatte faultes coulde Birtha have, whatte faultes could Ælla feare?
Birtha
Amm I yenne thyne? I cannotte blame thie feere.
Botte doe reste mee uponne mie Ælla’s breaste;
I wylle to thee bewryen the woefulle gare.
Celmonde dyd comme to mee at tyme of reste,
Wordeynge for mee to flie, att your requeste,
To Watchette towne, where you deceasynge laie;
I wyth hym fledde; thro’ a murke wode we preste,
Where hee foule love unto mie eares dyd saie;
The Danes—
Ælla
Oh! I die contente.— [dieth.
Birtha
Oh! ys mie Ælla dedde?
O! I will make hys grave mie vyrgyn spousal bedde.
[Birtha feyncteth.
Coernyke
Whatt? Ælla deadde! & Birtha dyynge toe!
Soe falles the fayrest flourettes of the playne.
Who canne unplyte the wurchys heaven can doe,
Or who untweste the role of shappe yn twayne?
Ælla, thie rennome was thie onlie gayne;
For yatte, thie pleasaunce, & thie joie was loste.
Thie countrymen shall rere thee, on the playne,
A pyle of carnes, as anie grave can boaste;
Further, a just amede to thee to bee,
Inne heaven thou synge of Godde, on erthe we’lle synge of thee.
The Ende
[Editor’s note: l. 467 see Introduction p. xli]
[Editor’s note: l. 489 sphere: see note on p. xli]