The Conflict of Wit and Will
By Unknown
Fragment A
to weri with my heued/and
terri tighteles him to with þe
to þe grounde/and buskes
of his merekes he miste
ly þat bide he ne might
schome tidde/ore euer terri
gus one d
one fer
hemes
mani v
Fragment B
….. with ani schafte in honde þat e[. . . .
….. ….. ] his toppe reche.
He was ra[.…..….. ,]
Þe ferthe kne fro þe fend [.…..
.…...] vnto Rome-walles.
Ne han[.…...] pe hare on heued þat him stode,
And alle in flettynges [..….. ]o-gider,
Fiue fathum long’, him ouer frunt honges.
He fl[.…...] flettyngis als he fouel were
And wald fel with h[...…..] oni,
Bothe beren and blonk on bent þat he fonde,
And fag[..…..]ng’-tethe, for þai were hue long’,
Witherhoked þai we[. . ,..…...]his kynde,
Atterd of his oende als his eldres wa[. .
...…..] fai nonmo with tothe þat he raghte.
He gos gnnnand [...…..]lik J lokes,
Licker to Gerard þan oni gome elles,
And se[...…..]aine and sore him forthinkes,
He ne wile tumen ogaine, n...…..] bet.
Wicked Wil wille þai wrek’, and toward Wit hies.
[...…..] Angns þat was þat hathelman
And said to Houe, Happes fe[. .:
“....] þis baner bere one qwhile
And wil weppenles þe warlagh mete,
And eelde I noght þis dai,” sales Angns þenne,
“ For a selcouthe I see þat I ne sagh neuer,
Þe sathenas at saghtelyng’ a selly at here;”
Mette him in midde-way, man als come,
—Foule falche feende! for frek’ was þou neuer—
Raghte him with rammes þax he rughest was,
In þa flettynges fele þat ouer frunt honges,
Braides so brothely þat þe beren kneles.
Faxi feled him feste and froward him titte,
Bowed him bakward with his best auel,
One gate with allemayn and Angns on other,
Þat with þair bother braide brast’ his baly sunder,
And þe heued of þe athel in his hoend lefte,
Ek’ of þe schulder wele one scheld-brede,
Bothe þe ribbes and þe rigge and þe righte axel,
Lefte þore bot’ þe lendes liggand bi-hinde,
Þat Breth and his berenes þat on þe bent houed
Alle herde þai þe brassche als his baly rente.
Nou saies Angns, þat was þat athelman,
And saide to Houe, Happes fere:
“ Bere þon þat baner, beren, qwhen þe likes,
For weppen haf I wonnen...…..”
Fragment C
sithen long’/...…..breth þe ber ...…..
ne him to and tithandes bring’/N
man/ and said to houe happes fere/
berenes comes/and late þe brightene
and witte with þin weies wende þou
on bonk’ bide right’ here/and blaw
so likes/for nou haue þai hansel h
and oure dede es vn-done and þe da
to þe naghte ȝhef þai were nou
horne and haldes to mouthe/witte þ
þe him til honde/and als angus badde
and his berenes on þe bent herde
bugel i here/þat es willes home we
Fragment D
...…..of þe men no þe mayn he nedes
Wirkes noght þe winning’ at wiplaw in felde.
Þe helpe es fram þe heuen qwha it habbe schalle;
For ai sal happeles here harmes by-stonde.
Vnhidis hily þat he in hoende bere
And one gleme ouer glade gloppenes ham alle.
Alle ferde þa frekes als þai in fire were.
Breth þe back’ ȝhef þat in þe brest come,
Hewes hardily on atheles his aghen,
Wende Wittes weies þat þai weren alle;
And Angus at ham als he we was on-borne,
Mirthes and mankes and melles to grounde,
Dinges and diues on-to dede swithe many,
Felde with Faxies frunt fity at ones.
Þare he with heued hitte heled þai nomore,
Þare he with schudir strok’ schomely þai ferde,
Þat he with rigge oueraght rose he neuer after.
By it was midde-ouernone—more was it litel—
Nas noght leued one lede liuiand in erthe,
Nother blonk' no beren...…..
Fragment E
...…..baly gres-bed soght.
He was þe last þat-lost liue of ham alle,
And Angus with one hoende oute gun it braide.
Of ilke a weppen in werlde wele þe by-tide!
Bothe haues þou filde and felde oure fomen to grounde.
ȝhet ne was þare wey so witer of eey
Þat . . . might knaw for krafte þat he haued
Flosed of Faxies frunt one ferthinges brede,
Ne heued ne here broken, bot’ als hole thenne
Als qwhen þe beren fro þe body braide it with hoendes.
For þi was it halden and hanged on lofte
Opo Koueriche...…..
Fragment F
...….....….....….....…..spedde.
Nou harle þai on hepes þat was þat hunde-brow[.],
A[. . . .] ferrer fare, and fire in settes,
Lete þe weder and þe winde weue ham of erthe.
Sithen towarde Koeriche come þai to-gider.
Witte þaire wise wey wordes melte,
And saide til Angus þat alle might here:
“ Þis kastel be þine þat Koueriche es hatten.
Eke of mine kyngrik’ ane kith sal tou habbe,
Halle after mi dai and halfe qwhile I liue.”
“ Nai,” sa[. .]s [. . . ], “ alle be þine aghen,
Kyngrik’ and Kou[...….....….....….....…..]
Welde ham with Wynne and wel[...…...
. . . .] ony of þis sede sekes ye m[...….”
Fragment G
by þis long’ geste,
Alle were bot’ winde-lorne bot’ ȝhef Witte follues.
By Witte þe wise kyng’ wele mai we trow
Ilk’ ane wey in þe werlde þat wilnes þe right,
Þat bothe leute and loue louies with herte
And leues on þar lefte hoende alle lither redes.
By Wille þe wick’ wele mai we leue
Alle þis manshedemen, als mani eren in toune,
Þat haues oende and euste til þar euen-cristen,
Wold þat ilkane þat welefore were to wrak’ turned,
Likes þare lele lede lither by-tides,
Robbes and reues þare þai no righte hawes,
Als foules and fischis fretes of þe lesse,
[...….....……]nderlingges in liue oþon er erthe.
[...….....……]wiche wai nou es wise halden,
Fol[...….....……]]wiche fele qwha so fer soght.
Þai dig[...….....……]che to delue ham with-innen.
Notes:
Original text dates c. the fourteenth century, by an unknown medieval author. Source language text is public domain.
Bruce Dickins, ed., The Conflict of Wit & Will: Fragments of a Middle English Alliterative Poem Now First Edited By Bruce Dickins. Titus Wilson: School of English Language in the University of Leeds, 1937.