lion, and in the leech, and in the flower.]
Thane ſaith o maiſtir, “than ſuthly th{us} finde we; 516
Thar is no thing ſal ſucour nor reſkew,
Your worldly honore nedis moſt adew,
But throuch the watrye lyone {and} ek fyne,
On throuch the liche {and} ek the wattir ſyne, 520
[Sidenote: God knows what this should mean.]
And throuch the conſeill of the flour; god wot
What this ſhude meñ, for mor ther-of we not.”
No word the king anſuerid ayane,
For al this reſone thinkith bot i{n} weyne. 524
[Sidenote: The king shews no outward grief,]
He ſhawith outwart his contenans
As he therof takith no greuans;
[Sidenote: but is not rid of anxiety all night.]
But al the nyght it paſſid nat his thoght.
The dais courß w{i}t{h} ful deſir he ſocht, 528
And furth he goith to bring his mynd i{n} reſt
[Sidenote: Next day he goes to the forest.]
W{i}t{h} mony O knyght vn to the gret foreſt;
The rachis gon wn-copelit for the deire,
That in the wodis makith nois {and} cheir: 532
The knycht{is}, w{i}t{h} the grewhund{is} in aweit,
Secith boith the planis and the ſtreit.
[Sidenote: The chase.]
Doune goith the hart, doune goith the hynd alſo;
[In to the feld can ruſching to and fro][T14] 536
The ſwift grewhund, hardy of aſſay;
Befor ther hedis no thing goith away.
The king of hunting takith haith his ſport,
[Sidenote: The king returns.]
And to his palace home he can Reſort, 540
Ayan the noon; and as that he was set
[Sidenote: As they sit at meat, an aged knight enters, fully armed.]
Vith all his noble knyght{is} at the met, [Fol. 8.]
So cam ther in an agit knyght, {and} hee
Of gret eſſtat ſemyt for to bee; 544
Anarmyt all, as tho It was the gyß,
And thus the king he ſaluſt, one this wiß,
[Footnote T14: A line must here be lost, but there is nothing
to shew this in the MS. The inserted line is imitated from
l. 3293.]
[Headnote: GALIOT’S MESSAGE.]
[Sidenote: The knight’s message is that king Galiot bids Arthur to
yield to him his kingdom.]
++“Shir king, one to yow am y ſende
Frome the worthieſt that i{n} world is kend, 548
That leuyth now of his tyme and age,
Of manhed, wiſdome, {and} of hie curag,
Galiot, ſone of the fare gyande;
And thus, at ſhort, he bid{is} yow your londe 552
Ye yald hyme our, w{i}t{h}out Impedyment;
Or of hyme holde, and if tribut and rent.
This is my charge at ſhort, whilk if youe leſt
For to fulfill, of al he haith conqueſt 556
He ſais that he moſt tendir ſhal youe hald.”
[Headnote: ARTHUR DEFIES GALIOT.]
[Sidenote: The king refuses.]
By ſhort awys the king his anſuer yald;
“Shir kny{ch}t, your lorde wondir hie pretendis,
When he to me ſic ſalutatioune send{is}; 560
For I as yit, in tymys that ar gone,
Held neu{er} lond excep of god alone,
Nore neu{er} thinkith til erthly lord to yef
Trybut nor rent, als long as I may lef.” 564
[Sidenote: The knight replies, that his lord bids him defiance, and
will invade his land in a month;]
“Well,” q{uo}d the kny{ch}t, “ful ſor repentith me;
Non may reciſt the thing the wich mone bee.
To yow, ſ{ir} king, than frome my lord am I
With diffyans ſent, and be this reſone why; 568
His purpos Is, or this day moneth day,
With all his oſt, planly to aſſay
Your lond, w{i}t{h} mony ma{n}ly man of were,
[Sidenote: not to return till he has conquered;]
And helmyt kny{ch}t{is}, boith with ſheld {and} ſpere; 572
And neu{er} thinkith to retwrn home whill
That he this lond haith conqueſt at his will;
[Sidenote: and he intends to possess queen Vanour.]
And ek vanour the quen, of whome that hee
Herith report of al this world that ſhee 576
In fairhed and in wertew doith excede,
He bad me ſay he think{is} to poſſede.”
[Sidenote: Arthur returns his defiance.]
“Schir,” q{uod} the king, “your meſag me behuf{is}
Of reſone and of curtaſy excuſß; 580
But tueching to your lord {and} to his oſt,
His powar [and] his meſag and his boſt,
That pretendith my lond for to diſtroy,
Thar-of as ȝit tak I non anoye; 584
And ſay your lord one my behalf, when hee [Fol. 8b.]
Haith tone my lond, that al the world ſhal see
That It ſhal be magre myne entent.”
[Sidenote: The knight departs, lamenting Arthur’s adventurous
spirit.]
With that the kny{ch}t, w{i}t{h}outen leif, is went, 588
And richt as he was paſing to the dure,
He ſaith, “a gode![T15] what wykyt aduenture
Apperith!” w{i}t{h} that his hors he nome,
Two knicht{is} kepit, waiting h{is} outcome. 592
[Footnote T15: MS. “agod^e.”]
The kni{ch}t is gon, the king he gan Inquere
At gawan, and at other kny{ch}t{is} sere,
[Sidenote: Arthur asks Gawane who Galiot is.]
If that thei knew or eu{er} hard recorde
Of galiot, and wharof he wes lorde; 596
And ther was non among his kny{ch}t{is} all
Which anſuerd o word in to the hall.
Than galygantynis of walys raſe,
[Sidenote: Galygantynis of Wales replies,]
That trauelit in diu{er}ß lond{is} has, 600
In mony kny{ch}tly aue{n}tur haith ben;
And to the king he ſaith, “ſ{ir}, I haue sen
Galiot, which is the fareſt kny{ch}t,
[Sidenote: that Galiot is the tallest knight by half a foot of all
he ever saw; that he is wise, liberal, humble,]
And hieſt be half a fut one hycht, 604
That eu{er} I saw, and ek his me{n} accordith;
Hyme lakid no{ch}t that to a lord recordith.
For viſare of his ag is non than hee,
And ful of larges and humylytee; 608
[Sidenote: courageous, and under xxiv years of age.]
An hart he haith of paſing hie curag,
And is not xxiiij ȝer of age,
And of his tyme mekil haith conquerit;
[Sidenote: Ten kings obey him.]
Ten king{is} at his {com}mand ar ſterit. 612
He v{i}t{h} his me{n} ſo louit is, y geß,
That hyme to pleß is al ther beſynes.
Not ſay I this, ſ{ir}, in to ye entent
That he, nor none wnd{er} the firmame{n}t, 616
Shal pouere haue ayane your maieſtee;
And or thei ſhuld, this y ſey for mee,
Rather I ſhall kny{ch}tly in to feild
Reſaue my deith anarmyt wnd{er} ſheld. 620
This ſpek y leſt;”--the king, ayan the morn,
[Sidenote: The king goes again to the chase.]
Haith varnit huntar{is} baith with hund {and} horne,
And arly gan one to the foreſt ryd,
With mony manly knyght{is} by h{is} ſid, 624
Hyme for to ſport and comfort w{i}t{h} the dere,
Set contrare was the ſeſone of y^e yere.
[Sidenote: He likes boar-hunting best.]
His moſt huntyng was atte wyld bore;
God wot a luſtye cuntree was It thoore, 628 [Fol. 9.]
In the ilk tyme! weil long this noble king
In to this lond haith maid his ſuiornyng;
[Headnote: THE LADY OF MELYHALT’S MESSAGE.]
[Sidenote: A messenger comes from the lady of Melyhalt,]
Frome the lady was send o meſinger
Of melyhalt, wich ſaith one this maner, 632
As that the ſtory ſhewith by recorde:
++“TO yow, ſ{ir} king, as to hir ſou{er}an lorde,
My lady hath me chargit for to ſay
How that your lond ſtondith i{n} affray; 636
[Sidenote: to say that Galiot has entered Arthur’s land,]
For galiot, ſone of the fare gyande,
Enterit Is by armys in your land,
And ſo the lond and cuntre he anoyth,
That quhar he goith planly he diſtroyth, 640
And makith al obeiſand to his honde,
[Sidenote: and has conquered all but two castles belonging to his
mistress.]
That nocht is left wnconqueſt i{n} that lond,
Excep two caſtell{is} longing to hir cwre,
Wich to defend ſhe may no{ch}t long endure. 644
Wharfor, ſ{ir}, in word{is} plan {and} ſhort,
Ye mon diſpone your folk for to ſupport.”
[Headnote: ARTHUR’S READINESS FOR WAR.]
[Sidenote: The king promises not to delay, and inquires the number
of the foe.]
“Wel,” q{uod} the king, “one to thi lady ſay
The neid is myne, I fall It not delay; 648
But what folk ar thei ne{m}myt for to bee,
That in my lond is cu{m}yne in ſich degree?”
[Sidenote: “A hundred thousand,” is the reply.]
“An hundreth thouſand boith vith ſheld {and} ſpere
On hors ar armyt, al redy for the were.” 652
“Wel,” q{uo}d the king, “and but delay this ny{ch}t,
Or than to morn as that the day is lycht,
[Sidenote: The king says he will set off that very night.]
I ſhal remuf; ther ſhal no thing me mak
Impedyme{n}t, my Iorney for to tak.” 656
Than ſeith his kny{ch}t{is} al w{i}t{h} one aſſent,
[Sidenote: His knights advise him to wait till he has raised an
army.]
“Shir, that is al contrare our entent;
For to your folk this mater is wnwiſt,
And ye ar here our few for to reciſt 660
Ȝone power, and youre cuntre to defende;
Tharfor abid, and for your folk ye send,
That lyk a king and lyk a weriour
Ye may ſuſten in armys your honoure.” 664
“Now,” q{uod} the king, “no langer that I ȝeme
My crowne, my ſepture, nor my dyademe,
Frome that I here, ore frome I wnd{er}ſtand,
That ther by fors be entrit in my land 668
Men of armys, by ſtrenth of vyolens,
[Sidenote: He refuses to wait longer than till the morrow.]
If that I mak abid or reſydens
In to o place langar than o ny{ch}t,
For to defend my cuntre {and} my ry{ch}t.” 672
The king that day his meſage haith furth sent [Fol. 9b.]
Throuch al his realme, and ſyne to reſt is went.
++Up goith the morow, wp goith the bry{ch}t day,
Wp goith the sone in to his freſh aray; 676
Richt as he ſpred his bemys frome northeſt,
[Sidenote: The king arises next morning without delay,]
The king wpraß w{i}t{h}outen more areſt,
And by his awn conſeil and entent
His Iornaye tuk at ſhort awyſment. 680
And but dulay he goith frome place to place
Whill that he cam nere whare[T16] the lady was,
[Sidenote: and reaches a plain by the river side,]
And in one plane, apone o reuer ſyde,
He lichtit doune, and ther he can abide; 684
And yit w{i}t{h} hyme to batell fore to go
[Sidenote: having only seven thousand with him.]
Vij thousand fechter{is} war thei, {and} no mo.
[Footnote T16: MS. “whare that,” with slight scratch through
“that.”]
[Sidenote: Lancelot, having been imprisoned by the lady of
Melyhalt,]
++This was the lady, of qwhome befor I tolde,
That lancilot haith in to hir kepinge holde; 688
But for to tell his paſing hewyneſſe,
His peyne, his ſorow, and his gret diſtreſſe
Of preſone and of loues gret ſuppris,
It war to long to me for to dewys. 692
When he reme{m}brith one his hewy charge
Of loue, wharof he can hyme not diſcharge,
He wepith and he ſorowith in his chere,
And euery nyght ſemyth hyme o yere. 696
Gret peite was the ſorow that he maad,
[Sidenote: laments his fate.]
And to hyme-ſelf apone this wiß he ſaade:
[Headnote: LANCELOT’S LAMENT.]
[Sidenote: Lancelot’s lament; his pleasure is gone;]
++“Qwhat haue y gilt, allace! or qwhat deſ{er}uit?
That thus myne hart ſhal vondit ben {and} carwit 700
One by the ſuord of double peine and wo?
My comfort and my pleſans is ago,
To me is nat that ſhuld me glaid reſeruit.
[Sidenote: he curses his natal day;]
I curß the tyme of myne Natiuitee, 704
Whar in the heuen It ordinyd was for me,
In all my lyue neu{er} til haue eeß;
But for to be example of diſeß,
And that apperith that eu{er}y vicht may see. 708
[Sidenote: he has never spent a single day free from anxiety,]
Sen thelke tyme that I had ſufficians
Of age, and chargit thoght{is} ſufferans,
Nor neu{er} I {con}tinewite haith o day
With-out the payne of thoght{is} hard aſſay; 712
Thus goith my youth in tempeſt {and} penans.
[Sidenote: and is now in prison; and invokes Death.]
And now my body is In preſone broght;
But of my wo, that in Regard is noght, [Fol. 10.]
The wich myne hart felith euer more. 716
O deth, allace! whi hath yow me forbore
That of remed haith the ſo long beſoght!”
[Sidenote: Thus the smart of love’s sorrow pricketh him.
He is kept by her from the exercise of knighthood;
and there we let him dwell.]
Thus neu{er}emore he ſeſith to compleine,
This woful knyght that felith not bot peine; 720
So prekith hyme the ſmert of loues ſore,
And eu{er}y day encreſſith more and more.
And with this lady takine is alſo,
And kepit whar he may no whare go 724
To haunt knychthed, the wich he moſt deſirit;
And, thus his hart w{i}t{h} dowbil wo yfirite,
We lat hyme duel here with the lady ſtill,
Whar he haith laiſere for to compleine his fyll. 728
[Headnote: GALIOT BESIEGES A CASTLE.]
[Sidenote: Meanwhile, Galiot besieged a castle.]
++And galiot in this meyne tyme he laie
By ſtrong myght o caſtell to aſſay,
With many engyne and diu{er}ß wais ſere,
For of fute folk he had a gret powere 732
That bowis bur, and vther Inſtrument{is},
[Sidenote: His army had pavilions, tents, and iron-wheeled
chariots.]
And with them lede ther palȝonis {and} ther te{n}t{is},
With mony o ſtrong chariot and cher
With yrne qwhelis and barris long {and} ſqwar; 736
Well ſtuffit with al maner apparell
That longith to o ſege or to batell;
Whar-with his oſt was cloſit al about,
That of no ſtrenth nedith hyme to dout. 740
[Sidenote: When he heard of Arthur’s coming,]
And when he hard the cu{m}yne of the king,
And of his oſt, and of his gaderyng,
The wich he reput but of febil myght
Ayanis hyme for to ſuſten the ficht, 744
His conſell holl aſſemblit he, but were,
[Sidenote: he assembled his council,]
Ten knight{is} with other lord{is} ſere,
And told theme of the cu{m}ing of the king,
And aſkit them there conſell of that thing. 748
[Sidenote: who thought it would degrade him, to fight in proper
person against so few.]
Hyme thoght that it his worſchip wold degrade,
If he hyme ſelf in p{ro}pir p{er}ſone raide
Enarmyt ayane ſo few menye
As It was told arthur[{is}] fore to bee; 752
And thane the kyng-An-hund{er}eth-kny{ch}t{is} cold,
(And ſo he hot, for neu{er}more he wolde
Ryd of his lond, but In his cu{m}pany
O hundyre knyght{is} ful of chiuellry). 756
[Headnote: PREPARATION FOR THE BATTLE.]
[Sidenote: The king of a hundred knights (Maleginis) undertakes
the exploit;]
He ſaith, “shir, ande I one hond [may] tak, [Fol. 10b.]
If It you pleß, this Iorney ſhal I mak.”
Quod galiot, “I grant It yow, but ye
Shal firſt go ryd, yone kny{ch}t{is} oſt {and} see.” 760
With-outen more he ridith our the plan,
And ſaw the oſt and is returnyd ayañ;
And callit them mo than he hade ſen, for why
He dred the reprefe of his cumpany. 764
[Sidenote: who reconnoitres Arthur’s host, and says it is 10,000
strong: whereon Galiot charges him to take the same number.]
And to his lord apone this wys ſaith hee,
“Shir, ten thouſand y ges them for to bee.”
And galiot haith chargit hyme to tak
Als fell folk, and for the feld hyme mak. 768
And ſo he doith and haith them wel Arayt;
Apone the morne his banaris war diſplayt.
++Up goth the trumpet{is} with the clariou{ni}s,
Ayaine the feld blawen furth ther ſownis, 772
[Sidenote: Galiot’s host set out.]
Furth goth this king w{i}t{h} al his oſt anon.
Be this the word wes to king arthur gone,
That knew no thing, nor wiſt of ther entent,
[Sidenote: Arthur’s host don their armour.]
But ſone his folk ar one to armys went; 776
But arthur by Report hard saye
[Sidenote: Arthur, hearing that Galiot is unarmed, will not arm
himself;]
How galiot non armys bur that day,
Wharfor he thoght of armys nor of ſheld
None wald he tak, nor mak hyme for the feld. 780
[Sidenote: but calls Gawane, and tells him how to order his
battalions.]
But gawane haith he clepit, was hyme by,
In qwhome Rignith the flour of cheuelry;
And told one what man{er}, and one what wyß
He ſhuld his batelles ordand and dewys; 784
Beſeching hyme, [hyme] wiſly to for-see
Aȝaine thei folk, wich was far mo than hee.
He knew the charg and paſſith one his way
Furth to his horß, and makith no dulay; 788
The clariou{n}is blew and furth goth al onoñ,
[Sidenote: Gawane and his men cross over the water at the ford.]
And our ye watt{er} and the furd ar goñe.
[Headnote: GAWANE HARANGUES HIS MEN.]
Within o playne vpone that other ſyd
Ther gawan gon his batellis to dewide, 792
As he wel couth, and set them i{n} aray,
Syne with o manly contynans can ſay,
[Sidenote: He harangues his men.]
“Ye falowis wich of the round table beñ,
Through al this erth whois fam is hard {and} ſen, 796
Reme{m}brith now It ſtondith one the poynt,
For why It lyith one your ſperis poynt,[T17]
The well-fare of the king and of our londe; [Fol. 11.]
And ſen the ſucour lyith in your honde, 800
And hardement is thing ſhall moſt awaill
Frome deth ther men of armys in bataill,
Lat now your ma{n}hed and your hie curage
The pryd of al thir multitude aſſuage; 804
Deth or defence, non other thing we wot.”
[Sidenote: Maleginis and all his host come over the plain, and
Gawane sends a company against them.]
This freſch king, that maleginis was hot,
With al his oſt he cu{m}myne our the plañ,
And gawan ſend o batell hyme agañ; 808
In myde the borde,[T18] and feſtinit in the ſtell
The ſperithis poynt, that bitith ſcharp {and} well;
[Sidenote: But they were all too few; wherefore Gawane sends
a second company;]
Bot al to few thei war, and my{ch}t no{ch}t leſt
This gret Rout that cu{m}myth one ſo faſt. 812
Than haith ſ{ir} gawan ſend, them to ſupport,
One othir batell with one kny{ch}tly sorte;
[Sidenote: then a third; then a fourth; and then sets out himself,
to resist the 10,000.]
And ſyne the thrid, and ſyne the ferde alſo;
And ſyne hyme-ſelf one to the feld can go, 816
When that he ſauch thar latt{er} batell ſteir,
And the ten thouſand cu{m}myne al thei veir;
Qwhar that of armes prewit he so well,
His e{n}nemys gane his mortall [ſtrokis] fell. 820
[Footnote T17: At the bottom of this page appears for the
first time a catchword, which is-- “The wel fare.”]
[Footnote T18: Or “berde.”]
[Headnote: GAWANE DEFEATS MALEGINIS.]
[Sidenote: He goes among them in his courage,]
He goith ymong them in his hie curage,
As he that had of knyghthed the wſage,
And couth hyme weill {con}ten i{n} to on hour;
Aȝaine his ſtrok reſiſtit non armour; 824
[Sidenote: and many other of Arthur’s knights perform wonders.]
And mony kny{ch}t, that worth ware and bolde,
War thore with hyme of arthur{is} houſhold,
And knyghtly gan one to the feld them bere,
And mekil wroght of armys In to were; 828
S{ir} gawan than vpone ſuch wyß hyme bure,
[Sidenote: Maleginis goeth to discomfiture, and 7,000 of his men
flee.]
This othere goith al to diſcu{m}fitoure;
Sewyne thouſand fled, {and} of the feld thei go,
Whar-of this king in to his hart was wo, 832
For of hyme ſelf he was of hie curage.
To galiot than ſend he in meſag,
That he ſhuld help his folk for to defende;
[Sidenote: Galiot sends him 30,000 more.]
And he to hyme hath xxx^te thousand sende; 836
Whar-of this king gladith in his hart,
And thinkith to Reweng all the ſmart
That he to-for haith ſuffirit and the payne. [Fol. 11b.]
[Sidenote: His folk return across the field as thick as hail.]
And al his folk returnyt Is ayayne 840
Atour the feld, and cu{m}myne thilk as haill;[T19]
The ſwyft horß goith firſt to the aſſall.
This noble knyght that ſeith the g{r}ete forß
Of armyt men, that cu{m}myne vpone horß, 844
To-giddir ſemblit al his falowſchip,
And thoght them at the ſharp poynt to kep,
So that thar harm̅ ſhal be ful deir yboght.
This vthere folk with ſtraucht courß hath ſocht 848
Out of aray atour the larg felld;
Thar was the ſtrok{is} feſtnit i{n} the ſhelde,
Thei war Reſauit at the ſper{is} end.
[Sidenote: Arthur’s folk receive them manfully.]
So arthur{is} folk can manfully defend; 852
The formeſt can thar lyues end conclude,
Whar ſone aſſemblit al the multitude.
Thar was defens, ther was gret aſſaill,
Richt wond{er}full and ſtrong was y^e bataill, 856
[Sidenote: but sustain much pain,]
Whar arthur{is} folk ſuſtenit mekil payn,
And kny{ch}tly them defendit haith aȝaine.
[Footnote T19: MS. “thilk as (Rayne) haill,” as if it were at
first intended to find a rime to “ayayne.”]
[Headnote: GAWANE’S VALIANT DEEDS.]
[Sidenote: and cannot endure against so many.]
Bot endur thei my{ch}t, apone no wyß,
The multitude and ek the gret ſupp{ri}ß; 860
But gawan, wich that ſetith al h{is} payn
Vpone knyghthed, defendid ſo aȝaine,
That only in the manhede of this knyght
His folk reIoſit them of his gret myght, 864
And ek abaſit hath his ennemys;
For throw the feld he goith in ſuch wyß,
And in the preß ſo ma{n}fully them ſ{er}uith,
[Sidenote: Gawane carves helmets in two, and smites heads off
shoulders;]
His ſuerd atwo the helmys al to-kerwith, 868
The hed{is} of he be the ſhoud{er}is ſmat;
The horß goith, of the maiſt{er} deſolat.
But what awaleth al his beſynes,
So ſtrong and ſo inſufferable vas the preß? 872
[Sidenote: but his men recross the ford to go to their lodges.]
His folk are paſſit atour the furdis ilkon,
Towart ther bretis and to ther luges gon;
Whar he and many worthy knyght alſo
Of arthur{is} houß endurit mekill wo, 876
That neu{er} men mar in to armys vroght
Of manhed, ȝit was It al for noght.
Thar was the ſtrenth, ther was the paſing myght [Fol. 12.]
[Sidenote: Gawane fights alone till night,]
Of gawan, wich that whill the dirk nyght 880
Befor the luges faucht al hyme aloñ,
When that his falowis entrit ware ilkoñ,
On arthur{is} half war mony tan and ſlan;
[Sidenote: when Galiot’s folk return home.]
And galot{is} folk Is hame ret{u}rnyd aȝaine, 884
For it was lait; away the oſtis ridith,
And gawan ȝit apone his horß abidith,
W{i}t{h} ſuerd in hond, when thei away var gon,
And so for-wrocht hys ly{m}mys ver ilkon, 888
And wondit ek his body vp and doune,
[Sidenote: Gawane swoons upon his horse.]
Vpone his horß Right thore he fel in ſwoune;
And thei hyme tuk {and} to his lugyne bare,
[Sidenote: The king and queen fear he has brought himself to
confusion.]
Boith king and qwen of hyme vare i{n} diſpare; 892
For thei ſuppoſit, throw marwellis that he vroght,
He had hyme-ſelf to his confuſiou{n}e broght.
[Headnote: LANCELOT PRAYS TO BE RELEASED.]
[T]his[T20] was nere by of melyhalt, the hyll,
Whar lanſcelot ȝit was w{i}t{h} the lady ſtill. 896
The kny{ch}t{is} of the court [can] paſing hom̅e;
This ladiis kny{ch}t{is} to hir palice com,
And told to hir, how that the feld was vent,
[Sidenote: The lady of Melyhalt hears of Gawane’s deeds;]
And of gawan, and of his hardyme{n}t, 900
That merwell was his manhed to behold;
[Sidenote: and Lancelot also,]
And ſone thir tithing{is} to the kny{ch}t vas told,
That was with wo and hewyneſs oppreſt;
So noyith hyme his ſuiorne and his reſt, 904
[Sidenote: who sends for a knight to take a message to the lady;]
And but dulay one for o kny{ch}t he send,
That was moſt ſpeciall with the lady kend.
He comyne, and the kny{ch}t vn to hyme ſaid,
“Diſpleß yow not, ſ{ir}, be ȝhe not ill paid, 908
So homly thus I yow exort to go,
To gare my lady ſpek o word or two
With me, that am a carful p{re}ſonere.”[T21]
“S{ir}, your co{m}mande y ſhall, w{i}t{h}outen were, 912
Fulfill;” and to his lady paſſit hee
In lawly wyß beſiching hir, that ſhe
Wald grant hyme to pas at his requeſt,
Vnto hir kny{ch}t, ſtood wnd{er} hir areſt; 916
And ſhe, that knew al gentilleß aright,
[Sidenote: who comes to his chamber.]
Furth to his chamber paſſit wight[T22] the licht.
[Footnote T20: See note to this line.]
[Footnote T21: MS. “preson{er}ere.”]
[Footnote T22: Read “with” (?).]
++And he aroß and ſaluſt Curtaſly [Fol. 12b.]
[Sidenote: Lancelot beseeches her to appoint his ransom,]
The lady, and ſaid, “madem, her I, 920
Your preſoner, beſekith yow that ȝhe
Wold merſy and compaſſione have of me,
And mak the ranſone wich that I may yeif;
I waiſt my tyme in presou{n}e thus to leife. 924
For why I her on be report be told,
That arthur, with the flour of his houſholde,
Is cu{m}myne here, and in this cuntre lyis,
And ſtant In danger of his ennemyis, 928
And haith aſſemblit; and eft this ſhalt bee
Within ſhort tyme one new aſſemblee.
Thar-for, my lady, y youe g{ra}ce beſech,
That I mycht pas, my Ranſon for to fech; 932
[Sidenote: presuming that some of Arthur’s knights will pay it.]
Fore I p{re}ſume thar longith to that ſort
That louid me, and ſhal my nede ſupport.”
[Headnote: THE LADY AT FIRST REFUSES;]
++“Shire kny{ch}t, It ſtant no{ch}t in ſich dugree;
[Sidenote: She replies that she does not want a ransom, but has
imprisoned him for his guilt.]
It is no ranſone wich that cauſith me 936
To holden yow, or don yow ſich offens;
It is your gilt, It is your wiolens,
Whar-of that I deſir no thing but law,
W{i}t{h}out report your awñ treſpas to knaw.” 940
“Madem, your pleſance may ye wel fulfill
Of me, that am in p{re}ſone at your will.
[Sidenote: He prays for pardon,]
Bot of that gilt, I was for til excuß,
For that I did of werrey nede behwß, 944
It tuechit to my honore and my fame;
I mycht no{ch}t lefe It but hurting of my nam,
And ek the knycht was mor to blam than I.
But ye, my lady, of your curteſſy, 948
Wold ȝe deden my Ransou{n}e to reſaue,
[Sidenote: and begs for liberty:]
Of preſone ſo I my libertee myght haue,
Y ware ȝolde eu{er}more [to be] your knyght,
Whill that I leif, w{i}t{h} al my holl myght. 952
And if ſo be ye lykith not to ma
[Sidenote: or at least to be allowed to go to the next battle,]
My ra{n}ſone, [madem,] if me leif to ga
To the aſſemble, wich ſal be of new;
[Sidenote: under a promise to return at night.]
And as that I am feithful kny{ch}t {and} trew, 956
At ny{ch}t to yow I ent{er} ſhall aȝaine,
But if that deth or other lat c{er}tañ,
Throw wich I [may] have ſuch Impediment,
That I be hold,[T23] magre myne entent.” 960 [Fol. 13.]
[Footnote T23: MS. “behold.”]
[Headnote: BUT AT LAST GRANTS HIS BOON.]