Ave Maria.
Now stureth hym self Artho_ur_ [Fol. 44_b_.]
Þenkyng on hys labo_ur_, 296
Arthur prepares And gaderyþ to hym strenghth aboute,
for his Hys kynges & Erles on a rowte--
expedition A fayr syȝt to Mannes ye
to Rome. to see suche a cheualrye,-- 300
[The Number of Arthur's Host.]
Has five kings, The kyng of Gotland,
Also þe kyng of Irland,
the kyng of ysland | & of Orkenye,
Þis was worthy Maynye; 304
The kyng of Denmark also was þer_e_,
Þis was a worthy chere:
Eche of þese vyve at her venyw
Brouȝt zyx þousand at har retenyw; 308
with 30,000men, xxx{ti} þowsand, yc_h_ vnderstand,
Þes vyf kyng_is_ hadde on honde.
80,000 Normans Than hadde he out of Normandye,
and Of Angeoy & of Almanye, 312
Boloyne(.) Peytow & flau_n_dres
Fowre skore þowsand harneys--
12,000 from Geryn of Chartez .xij. þowsand
Chartres, þat went wyþ Arto_ur_ euer at honde; 316
10,000 Bretons. Hoel of bretayn, þowsandez ten
Of hardy & well_e_ fyghtyng Men;
Out of Bretaygne hys owne land
and 40,000 He passed fourty þowsand 320
British: Of Archerys & off Arblastere
Þ_a_t Cowþ well_e_ þe craft of werre.
¶ In Foot other Many a Man Moo
Able to feyght(:) as well_e_ as þo: 324
in all 200,000. Two hunderd þousand
Went wyþ hym out of lond,
And Many moo sykerly
That y can[4] not nombrye. [4. ? MS. y-tan.] 328
Artho_ur_ toke þan þe lond
Britain is left To Moddredes owne hond;
in Mordred's He kept al oþer þyng
charge. Saue þo Corowne weryng; 332
But he was [fals] of hys kepynge,
As ȝe schall_e_ hure here folewynge.
Arthur ships Now than_ne_ ys Arto_ur_ y-Come
at Southampton, And hys Ost to Sowthamptone: 336
[The Giant that Ravished Fair Elayne.]
Ther was Many a Man of Myghte
Strong & bold also to fyghte.
Eche man hath take his schuppynge,
And ys at hys loghynge. 340
Vp goþ þe sayl(:) þey sayleþ faste:
Arthour owt of syȝt ys paste.
Þe ferst lond þat he gan Meete,
and lands at Forsoþe hyt was Bareflete; 344
Barfleet. Ther he gan vp furst aryve.
Now well_e_ Mote Artho_ur_ spede & thryve;
God speed him! And þat hys saule spede þe better,
Lat eche man sey a Pater noster. 348
Pater noster.
Now god spede Artour well_e_!
A new foe hym ys comyng a nyw batell_e_.
appears, a Ther coom a gyant out of spayne,
Spanish Giant, And rauasched had fayr Elayne; 352
He had brouȝt heor_e_ vp on an hulle--
Mornyng hyt ys to hure or telle--
Cosyn heo was to kyng hoell,
A damesel fayr and gentell_e_; 356
And ȝut ferþ_er_more to,
who has slain He rauasehed heore Moder also.
fair Elayne. He dude þe damesel for to dye
for he myght not lygge heor bye. 360
Whan þis was told to Artour,
He maked Much dolour,
Arthur sends And send Bedewer for to spye
Bedwere first How he myght come hym bye; 364
as a spy, And he was nat sclowh,
But to þe hulle hym drowh
Þat Closed was wyþ wat_er_ stronge,
Þe hulle a-Mydde gret & longe; 368
He went ouer to þe hulle syde,
And þere a fonde a wo_m_man_e_ byde
Þat sorwedd & wept Mornynge
[Arthur's Fight with the Giant.]
For Eleynes deþ & dep_ar_tynge, 372
And bad Bedewer to fle also
Last he were ded more to;
"For yf þe Gyant fynde þe,
W_y_t_h_oute dowte he wyll_e_ þe scle." 376
Bedwer wyþ all_e_ hastynge
Tolde Artho_ur_ all_e_ þis þynge.
Amorwe whan þat hyt was day
and then (with Arthour toke þyder hys way, 380
Bedwere and Key) Bedewer wyþ hym went, & keye,--
starts on his Men þat cowþe well_e_ þe weye,-- [Fol. 45.]
adventure. And broute Artho_ur_ Meyntenau_n_t,
Euen byfore þe Gyant. 384
Arthour fowȝt wyþ þat wyght;
He had almost ylost hys Myght:
Wyþ Muche peyne, þruȝ goddez grace
He kills the He sclowh þe Geant in þat place, 388
Giant, And þan he made Bedewere
To smyte of hys heed þere.
To þe Ost he dude hyt brynge,
And þ_er_on was gret wou_n_drynge, 392
whose horrible Hyt was so oryble & so greet,
head is shown to More þan any Horse heed.
the host, Than hadde hoel Ioye ynowh
For þat Arthour so hym sclowh; 396
And for a p_er_petuel Memorie
and St. Mary's He Made a chapell_e_ of seynt Marye
Chapel is built In þe hulle vpon þe pleyne,
in honour of the Wyþ-Inne þat (:) þe t_um_be* of Eleyne; 400
victory. And þat name wyþoute nay [* to_m_be]
Hyt bereþ ȝut in-to þis day.
Now ys an ende of þis þynge,
News of Lucius's And Artour haþ nyw tydynge,-- 404
approach is Lucy þe Emp_er_our wyþ hys host
brought, Comeþ fast in gret bost;
Þey helyþ ouer all_e_ þe lond,
[Arthur's Men-- Pray to God.]
with an army of Fowre hundred þowsand 408
400,124 men. An hunderd and foure & twenty,
Thus herawdes dude ham rekeny;
Thus he hadde gadered to hym
Of cristien and of Sarasyn, 412
Wyþ all_e_ hys wytt & labour
To destroyen Arthour.
Arthour dude wyselye,
And hadde euer gode aspye 416
Of lucyes gouernynge
And of hys þyder comynge;
Some advise But so_m_me seyde hyt wer_e_ folye
Arthur to To fyght aȝenst Emp_er_o_ur_ lucie, 420
turn and flee, For he hadde sepe[5] euer_e_ aȝenst oon,
& cou_n_ceyled Artho_ur_ to fle & goon.
Wyþ þe Emp_er_o_ur_ come kynges Many oon,
And all_e_ þeire power hooll_e_ & soom; 424
Stronger men Myȝt no man see,
As full_e_ of drede as þey myght be;
But Arthour was not dysmayd,
but he trusts He tryst on god, & was wel payd, 428
in God, And prayd þe hye trynyte
Euer hys help forto be;
And all_e_ hys Men wyþ oo voyse
Cryde to god wyþ Oo noyse, 432
to whom his "Fader in heuene, þy wyll_e_ be doon;
soldiers pray Defende þy puple fram þeire foon,
And lat not þe heþon_e_ Men
Destroye þe puple crystien: 436
Haue Mercy on þy se[r]uantis bonde,
to keep them And kepe ham fram þe heþon_e_ honde;
from the Þe Muchelnesse of Men sainfayle
heathen's hands. Ys nat victorie in Batayle; 440
[The Battle Between Arthur and Lucius.]
But after þe wyll_e_ þ_a_t in heuene ys,
So þe victorie falleþ y-wys."
Arthur's Than seyd Arthour, "hyt ys so:
"Forward!" Auau_n_t Baner, & be Goo." 444
Now frendes all_e_, for goddes loue,
Rereþ ȝowre hertes to god aboue,
And seyeþ ȝowre prayeris faste,
Þ_a_t we well_e_ spede furst & laste. 448
Pater noster.
The emp_er_our tryst on hys men,
And þ_a_t h_a_þ bygyled hym;
Forsothe hyt most nedez be so,
For þey beþ cursed þat well_e_ hyt do, 452
_Maledict_us_ Such_e_ all_e_ myght comeþ of god;
q_ui_ To tryst on hym, y hold hyt good.
_con_fid_e_t in Lucye haþ pyght his pauelou_n_
ho_m_i_n_e._ And sprad wyþ pryde his gu_n_fanou_n_; 456
His claryou_n_s blastes full_e_ grete blywe,
Archeris schot(:) Men ouer-thrywe;
The battle Bowes, arwes, & arblastere
begins. Schot sore alle y-vere; 460
Quarels, arwes, þey fly smerte;
Þe fyched Men þruȝ heed & herte;
Axes, sperys, and gysarmes gret,
Clefte Many a prowt Ma_n_nes heed: 464
Hors & steedes gan to grent,
And deyde wyþ strok_is_ þ_a_t þey hente;
Many a man þ_er_e lost hys lyf, [Fol. 45_b_.]
Many on was wedyw þ_a_t was wyff; 468
Men are wetshod Þere men were wetschoede
with brains and All_e_ of Brayn & of blode;
blood. Gret rywth_e_ hyt was to seyn
Þe feltes full_e_ of men y-scleyn; 472
Lucius is Lucy þe Emp_er_our also was dede;
slain, But ho hym sclowh, y can nat rede;
He, for all_e_ hys grete Renou_n_,
[Arthur Wins, and Buries the Dead.]
not able to Aȝenst Arthour hadde no fusou_n_, 476
stand against No more þan haue twenty schep
Arthur. Aȝenst vyve wolfez greet.
To god be euere alle hono_ur_ez!
The falde was hys & Arthourez. 480
Arthur sends Arthour, as he scholde done,
Lucius's body Sende lucyes body to Rome;
to Rome, Whan þe Romeynes say þis,
Þo þey dradde Artho_ur_ & hys. 484
buries Bedwere Also he buryed Bedewere
and others Hys frend and | hys Botyler,
And so he dude other Echon
in Abbeys, In Abbeys of Relygyou_n_ 488
Þat were cristien of name;
He dude to alle þe same;
And dude for ham Masse synge
w_y_t_h_ sole_m_pne song & offrynge, 492
And bood þere for to rest,
and stays the Tyll_e_ þat wynter was past,
winter, Boþe he (.) hys Men echone
Seruyd god in deuocione, 496
thanking God Þankyng god of hys Myȝt
Þat kepeþ hys seruau_n_tez ryȝt,
And suffreþ noon for to spylle
for His honour Þ_a_t hym loueþ & tryste wylle: 500
to England. Þus worschup god dude certeyn
[Of the To Englond, þat þo was Bretayn;
difference Þe More Breteyn Englond ys--
between More As men may rede on Cronyclys-- 504
(or Great) Byȝend þe See Bretayne þ_er_ ys,
Britain and Þat haþ hys name forsoþe of þis,
Little Britain.] For þe kyng Maxymyan,--
Þe next after Octauyan,-- 508
He conquered all_e_ Armoryk,
And to þe Reme named hyt lyk:
_Armorica_. Amorica on latyn me cl[e]ped þ_a_t lond,
[Of the Welsh and Stinking Saxons.]
Tyl Maxymyan co[_n_]queryd hyt w_y_t_h_ honde, 512
And called hyt lyte bretayne þan,
So hyȝt þis lond þat he coom fram;
Little Britain For p_er_petuell_e_ Mynde of grete Bretayne
is called after He called hyt lyte Bretayne, 516
Great Britain. Þat Men schulde kepe in Mynde & wytt
How þis lond conqueryd hytt;
For Walsch_e_ Men beþ Bretou_n_s of kynde--
Know þat well_e_ fast on Mynde-- 520
Englisch_e_ men beþ Saxoynes,
Þat beþ of Engistes Soones;
There-fore þe walsch man Bretou_n_
Seyþ & clepeþ vs "Sayson" 524
[ Þat ys to seye vpon a reess,
"Stynking Saxou_n_, be on pees." ]
How the Welshmen And seyþ (.) "taw or (.) peyd Sayson brou_n_t"[6]
call the English Whan he ys wroth (;) or ellys drou_n_ke;
"stinking Hauyng Mynde of Engystis Men
Saxons." Þat w_y_t_h_ gyle sclow þeyre kyn: 528
At þe place of þe Stonehenge
Ȝut þey þenkeþ for to venge:
And þat hyt neuere be so,
Seyþ a Pater noster more to. 532
Pater noster.
Arthur is Now turne we to oure labo_ur_
preparing to And lat vs speke of Arthour:
cross the He cast on herte sone
mountains to After þat to go to Rome, 536
Rome, And spak of Passage & hys wey
Forth ouer Mou_n_t Ioye.
when he hears And sone after vpon an owr
of Mordred's He horde of Mordred the treto_ur_ 540
treachery; That hadde all_e_ þis loud on warde--
[Of Mordred's Treachery and Arthur's Return.]
Euyll_e_ moot such_e_ fare, and harde.
Who may best bygyle a man
But such_e_ as he tryst vpon? 544
Þer ys no man wel nye, y tryste,
Þat can be waar of hadde wyste.--
Mordred þis falss Man
Much_e_ sorw þo bygan; 548
He stuffed alle castelle
Wyþ armyre & vytelle,
And strenghthed hym on eche syde
W_y_t_h_ Men of cou_n_treys ferre & wyde: 552
how the traitor He toke þe qwene, Arthoureȝ wyff,
had seized the Aȝenst goddes lawe & gode lyff,
queen, his And putte heore to soiourne þo
(Arthur's) wife, At Euerwyk: god ȝyf hym wo. 556
and put her at Yhork ys Euerwyk:
York. & so me calleþ hyt.
Arthur then comes Artho_ur_ aryved at Whytsond
home, W_y_t_h_ gret Myght & strong hond, 560
fights Mordred, And Mordred sainz fayl
Ȝaf hym þo a strong batayl;
Many a man, as y rede,
Þat day was þere dede; 564
Arthoures nevew Waweyn
and Gawain is Þat day was þere y-sclayn,
slain. And oþer knyȝtes Many moo:
Þan Arthour was heuy & woo. 568
Mordred flies Mordred fly toward Londou_n_;
to London, He most not come in þe tou_n_:
Þan fled he to wy_n_chester
And w_y_t_h_ hys Mayn_e_e kep [?] hym þer_e_; 572
And Arthour on gret haste
Pursywed after hym faste.
Mordred w_y_t_h_oute fayle
and then to Fled in-to Cornewayle. 576
Cornwall. The qwene wyþoute lesyng
[Arthur's Last Battle with Mordred.]
Hurde of þis tydyng,
And how Mordred was flow,
And how to Cornewale he hym drow. 580
Heo of Mercy hadde noon hoope,
The Queen Ther-for he dude on a Russet cote,
turns nun at And to Carlyou_n_ ys preuyly Rou_n_ne,
Carlyon. And made heore self þo a Nou_n_ne; 584
Fro þat place neuer heo wende,
But of heore lyf þere made an ende.
Gawain Waweynes body, as y reede,
And other lordes þat weere deede, 588
is buried in Arthour sente in-to skotlonde,
Scotland. And buryed ham þ_er_e, y vnd_er_stonde.
Muche folke þ_er_henne he toke þo,
Northern men Of Northu_m_ber-lond also 592
and others come Fram dyverse places to Artho_ur_ come
to Arthur. Hys wyll_e_ to werk & to done:
Thus he sembled a full_e_ gret Ost;
To Cornewayle he draweþ hym fast 596
After þat Mordred þe trayto_ur_
Þat hadde do hym Much_e_ dyshono_ur_.
That treto_ur_ hadde gret strength
And fulled þ_a_t lond on brede & length_e_, 600
He gives Mordred Such_e_ a batell_e_ as þere was redy þo
battle. Hadde neuer Arthour byfore y-doo:
They fowȝt tyl þer come dou_n_ bloode
_Bellu_m_ As a(.) Ryver or (.)a(.) flood; 604
arthuri ap_u_d Þey fowȝt euer sorest sadde;
Camelerton_um_ Men nyst ho þe betere hadde;
in Cornubia._ But at þe last Certeyn
Mordred is slain: Was Mordred & alle hys y-sclayn; 608
Arthur wounded, And Artho_ur_ y-bete wyþ wou_n_de,
and carried to He Myght not stonde on grou_n_de;
Avelon, or But on lyter ryȝt anon
_Auelona .l. Was browȝt to Auelon_e_, 612
insula pomor_um_ Þ_a_t was a place fayr & Mury;
Glastonia._
[Arthur is Buried At Glastonbury.]
Glastonbury, Now hyt hooteþ Glastyngbury.
where he dies, Ther Artho_ur_ þat worthy kyng
Maked hys lyues endyng; 616
But for he skaped þ_a_t batell_e_ y-wys,
Bretou_n_s & Cornysch sayeþ þus,
"Þat he leuyth ȝut p_ar_de,
And schall_e_ come & be a kyng aȝe." 620
At Glastyngbury on þe qweer
and is buried Þey made Arto_ur_ez tou_m_be þere,
A.D. 542. And wrote wyth latyn vers þus,
Hic iacet Arthurus rex quonda_m_
rex que futur_us_. 624
Thys was þus forsoþe ydone
_Anno d_o_m_ini_ Þe yheer after þe Incarnacione,
qu_in_gente_simo_ Vyf hundred (.) fourty & two.
_quadragesi_m_o Now saue vs alle fra woo 628
s_e_c_un_do._ Ih_es_u cryst, heuenly kyng,
& grau_n_t vs alle hys blessyng;
And þat hyt Moote so be,
Seyeþ alle Pater & Aue. 632
Pater noster. Aue.
Ho þ_a_t woll_e_ more loke,
Read the French Reed on þe frensch boke,
Book for the And he schall_e_ fynde þere
rest. Þynges þat y leete here. 636
But yf þat god wolle grau_n_te gr_a_ce,
y schall_e_ rehercy in þis place
Alle þe kyngez þat after were,
And what names [þ]at þey bere; 640
And ho þ_a_t woll_e_ þeyre gestes loke,
Reed on þe Frensch_e_ boke. Amen fiat.
[ FOOTNOTES