Medieval Latin Oct 12th

Mīsit secundō, mīsit tertiō, et cōpiōsiōra argentī dōna offerēns et bellum īnsuper illī, sī contemnerētur, indīcēns.

He sent a second time, he sent a third time, both offering more plentiful gifts of money and threatening him beside with war if his offer were still scorned.

Quī vel minīs frāctus, vel corruptus mūneribus, cessit dēprecantī, et sīve occīdēre sē Eduīnum seu lēgātāriīs trādere prōmīsit.

Which Redwald, either overcome by the threats or corrupted with the bribes, granted the things which he was asked and promised either to put Edwin to death himself or else yield him up to the ambassadors.

Quod ubi fīdissimus quīdam amīcus illīus animadvertit, intrāvit cubiculum quō dormīre dispōnēbat (erat enim prīma hōra noctis), et ēvocātum forās, quid ergā eum agere rēx prōmīsisset, ēdocuit, et īnsuper adiēcit: ‘Sī ergō vīs, hāc ipsā hōrā ēdūcam tē dē hāc prōvinciā, et ea in loca intrōdūcam, ubi numquam tē vel Redvald vel Aedilfrid invenīre valeant.’

Which thing when a certain faithful friend of Edwin’s had word of, he entered to the chamber where Edwin was preparing to sleep (for it was an hour within night), and calling him forth informed him what the king had promised to do against him, saying in the end thus much: “If therefore you so please, this very hour I shall lead you out of this province and bring you into such a place that neither Redwald nor Ethelfrith be ever able to find you.”

Quī ait: ‘Grātiās quidem agō benevolentiae tuae; nōn tamen hoc facere possum quod suggeris, ut pactum quod cum tantō rēge iniī ipse prīmus irritum faciam, cum ille mihi nīl malī fēcerit, nīl adhūc inimīcitiārum intulerit.

To whom Edwin saith: “I thank you for this your gentleness; nevertheless I cannot follow your counsel herein, namely to be myself first to make void the covenant I have entered into with so mighty a king, seeing he hath done me no wrong, hath shewn me no enmity hitherto.

Quīn potius, sī moritūrus sum, ille mē magis quam ignōbilior quisque mortī trādat.

Nay more, if I must of necessity die, I had rather he should yield me up for death than any man of less nobility.

Quō enim nunc fugiam, quī per omnēs Brittaniae prōvinciās tot annōrum temporumque curriculīs vagābundus hostium vītābam īnsidiās?’

For whither should I fly now, who in the course of so many years and seasons¹ was a wanderer through all the provinces of Britain, avoiding the snares of my enemies?”

Abeunte igitur amīcō, remānsit Eduīnī sōlus foris residēnsque maestus ante palātium, multīs coepit cōgitātiōnum aestibus afficī, quid ageret quōve pedem verteret nescius.

The friend therefore departing, Edwin remained without alone, and sitting down sadly before the palace began to be troubled with many hot vexations of thought, not witting what to do or whither to tum his feet.

Cumque diū tacitīs mentis angōribus et caecō carperētur ignī, vīdit subitō intempestā nocte silentiō appropinquantem sibi hominem vultūs habitūsque incognitī; quem vidēns, ut ignōtum et inopīnātum nōn parum expāvit.

And after being long harassed with privy torments of mind and close fire of secret sorrow, he saw suddenly in the silence of the dead of night a man drawing toward him, which was both for visage and apparel unknown to him: whom he espying thus as one unknown and unexpected, was not a little afraid.

At ille accēdēns salūtāvit eum, et interrogāvit quārē illā hōrā, cēterīs quiēscentibus et altō sopōre pressīs, sōlus ipse mestus in lapide pervigil sedēret.

But the stranger coming unto him greeteth him, and asketh him wherefore he sat so sorrowful on the stone, watching all alone at that hour, when other men were at rest and sunk in their deep sleep.

At ille vicissim sciscitābātur, quid ad eum pertinēret, utrum ipse intus an foris noctem trānsigeret.

Whereon Edwin in tum demanded of him what he had to do therewith, if he passed the night within doors or without.

Quī respondēns ait: ‘Nē mē aestimēs tuae maestitiae et īnsomniōrum et forinsēcae et sōlitāriae sessiōnis causam nescīre; sciō enim certissimē quī es, et quārē maerēs et quae ventūra tibi in proximō mala formīdās.

To whom this man answered and said: “Think ye not but that I know the cause of your heaviness and watch, and of your solitary sitting without doors: for I know quite surely who ye be and wherefore ye are sad, and what mischief you fear shortly shall befall you.

Sed dīcitō mihi quid mercēdis dare velīs eī, sīquī sit, quī hīs tē mērōribus absolvat, et Redvaldō suādeat ut nec ipse tibi aliquid malī faciat, nec tuīs tē hostibus perimendum trādat.’

But tell me, what reward would you give to him, if such there should be, who should rid you out of these sorrows and persuade Redwald that neither he himself should do you any hurt nor yield you up to your enemies that they might slay you?”

Quī cum sē omnia quae posset huic tālī prō mercēde beneficiī datūrum esse respondēret, adiēcit ille: ‘Quod sī etiam rēgem tē futūrum exstīnctīs hostibus in vēritāte prōmittat, ita ut nōn sōlum omnēs tuōs prōgenitōrēs sed et omnēs, quī ante tē rēgēs in gente Anglōrum fuerant, potestāte trānscendās?’

And when Edwin answered that he would give all that he possibly could to such an one for reward of so good a tum, this man added moreover: “What if beside this he do truly warrant you that ye shall be a king and all your enemies destroyed, yea and that in such sort that you shall not only excel all your ancestors, but also pass in power all the kings who had reigned before you in the English nation?”

At Eduīnī cōnstantior interrogandō factus nōn dubitāvit prōmittere, quīn eī, quī tanta sibi beneficia dōnāret, dignīs ipse grātiārum āctiōnibus respondēret.

Here Edwin, being made more firm by questioning, doubted not to promise that he would be answerable with worthy thanksgiving to the man that should bestow on him such great benefits.

Tum ille tertiō: ‘Sī autem,’ inquit, ‘is quī tibi tanta tāliaque dōna vērāciter adventūra praedīxerit, etiam cōnsilium tibi tuae salūtis ac vītae melius atque ūtilius quam aliquis dē tuīs parentibus aut cognātīs umquam audīvit, ostendere potuerit, num eī obtemperāre et monita eius salūtāria suscipere cōnsentīs?’

Then the man spake the third time and said: “But tell me, if the man, which hath foretold that you shall hereafter undoubtedly have such and so great benefits, can give you also better counsel and more profitable for your life and salvation than ever any of your parents or kinsfolk heard of, can you then consent to obey him and receive his wholesome sayings?”

Nec distulit Eduīnī, quīn continuō pollicērētur in omnibus sē secūtūrum doctrīnam illīus, quī sē tot ac tantīs calamitātibus ēreptum ad rēgnī apicem prōveheret.

But Edwin delayed not but that he promised out of hand that he would altogether follow his teaching, who should deliver him from so many grievous miseries and exalt him after to wear a royal crown.

Quō acceptō respōnsō, cōnfestim is quī loquēbātur cum eō imposuit dexteram suam capitī eius dīcēns: ‘Cum hoc ergō tibi signum advēnerit, mementō huius temporis ac loquellae nostrae, et ea quae nunc prōmittis, adimplēre nē differās.’

And when this answer was received, straightway the man which talked with him laid his right hand upon Edwin’s head, and said: “When this sign then shall come unto you, remember well this time and this our talk, and delay not to fulfil that you do now promise me.”

libet, libui, libitum est (impersonal)

to be pleasing

excipio, excipere, excēpi, exceptum

to take out; remove

peto, petere, petivi/petii, petitum

to make for; aim at

nex, necis

killing, murder (f)

argentum, i

Silver, money (n)

frango, frangere, frēgi, frāctus

break, shatter

corrumpo, corrumpere, corrūpī, corruptus

To corrupt

deprecor, deprecari, deprecatus sum

To ward off (from one’s self or others) by earnest prayer

cubiculum, i

Bedroom (n)

dormio, dormire, dormivi/dormii, dormitus

To sleep

paciscor, pacisci, pactus sum

to make a bargain or agreement

maestus, a, um

mournful

angor, angoris

anguish, torment (m)

caecus, a, um

blind, unseeing

carpo, carpere, carpsi, carptus

To pluck, seize

intempestus, a, um

unseasonable; unpleasant; gloomy

expavesco, expavescere, expavi

To become frightened

soporus, a, um

That induces sleep

lapis, lapidis

stone, milestone (m)

pervigil, pervigilis (adj)

keeping watch all night, awake

polliceor, polliceri, pollicitus sum

To promise