Arthur

Herkeneþ, þat loueþ honour,
Of kyng Arthour & hys labour;
And furst how he was bygete,
As þat we in bokis do rede.
Vther pendragone was hys fader,
And ygerne was hys Moder.
Pendragone ys in walysche
'Dragones heed' on Englysche;
He maked ypeynted dragones two;
Oon schold byfore him goo
Whan he went to batayle,
Whan he wold hys foes sayle;
That other abood at wynchester,
Euermore stylle there.
Bretones ȝaf hym þat Name,
Vther Pendragone þe same,
For þat skyle fer & nere
Euer-more hyt to here.
The Erles wyff of Cornewayle
He loued to Muche sanz fayle;
Merlyn wyþ hys sotelnesse
Turned vtheris lyknesse,
And maked hym lyche þe Erl anone,
And wyþ hys wyff (:) his wylle to done
In þe countre of Cornewelle:
In þe Castel of Tyntagelle,
Thus vther, yf y schalle nat lye,
Bygat Arthour in avowtrye.
Whan vther Pendragone was deed,
Arthour anon was y-crowned;
He was courteys, large, & Gent
to alle puple verrament;
Beaute, Myȝt, amyable chere
To alle Men ferre and neere;
Hys port (;) hys ȝyftes gentylle
Maked hym y-loved wylle;
Ech mon was glad of hys presence,
And drade to do hym dysplesaunce;
A stronger Man of hys honde
was neuer founde on any londe,
As courteys as any Mayde:--
Þus wryteþ of hym þat hym a-sayde.
At Cayrlyone, wythoute fable,
he let make þe Rounde table:
And why þat he maked hyt þus,
Þis was þe resoun y-wyss,--
Þat no man schulde sytt aboue other,
ne haue indignacioun of hys broþer;
And alle hadde (.)oo(.) seruyse,
For no pryde scholde aryse
For any degree of syttynge,
Oþer for any seruynge:--
Þus he kept þe table Rounde
Whyle he leuyd on þe grounde.
After he hadde conquered skotlond
yrland & Gotland,
Þan leuyd he at þe best
twelf ȝeeris on alle reste
Wyþoute werre (:) tylle at þe laste
he þouȝt to make (.)a(.) nywe conqueste.
Into Fraunce wyþ gode counceyle
he wolde weende (:) & hyt assayle,
Þat Rome þo kept vnder Myght,
Vnder Frollo (:) a worthy knyght
Þat fraunce hadde þo to kepe,
To rywle, defende, & to lede.
Arthour and Frollo fouȝt in feld;
Þere deyde many vnder scheld.
Frollo in-to Paryss fly,
Wyth strenkthe kept hyt wysely:
Arthour byseged þat Syte & town
Tylle þeire vytayl was y-doon.
Frollo þat worthy knyght
Proferyd wyth Arthour for to fyght
Vnder þis wyse & condicioun,--
"Ho hadde þe Maystrie (:) haue þe crown;
And no mo men but þey two."
Þe day Was sett (:) to-geder þey go:
Fayr hyt was to byholde
In suche two knyȝghteȝ bolde:
Þer was no word y-spoke,
But eche hadde other by þe þrote;
Þey smote wyth trounchoun & wyth swerd;
Þat hyt seye were a-ferd;
Frollo fouȝt wyþ hys ax (:) as men dude se;
He hytt Arthour (:) so sore (:) þat he felle on kne.
He ros vp raply (:) and smot hym fulle sore;
He dude hym to grent a (.) soueȝ þerfore.
thus they hyw on helmes hye,
And schatered on wyþ scheldes.
Þe puple by-gan to crye
Þat stood on þe feldes;
ther ne wyst no man, as y can lere,
Who of ham two was þe bettere þere.
Arthour was chafed & wexed wrothe,
He hente brounsteelle | and to Frollo gothe
Brounstelle was heuy & also kene;
Fram þe schulder(:) to þe syde went bytwene
Off frollo | and þan he fell to þe grounde
Ryȝt as he moste | deed(.) in lyte stounde.
Frensche men made doelle & wept fulle faste;
Þeir Crowne of fraunce þere þey loste.
Than wente Arthour in-to paryse
And toke þe castelle & þe town at hys avyse.
Worschuped be god of hys grete grace
Þat þus ȝeueþ fortune(:) and worschup to þe Reme;
Thanke ȝe hym alle þat beþ on þis place,
And seyeþ a Pater noster wythout any Beeme.
Arthour fram paryse went wyth hys Rowte,
And conquered þe Countre on euery syde aboute;
Angeoy, Peytow, Berry, & Gaskoyne,
Nauerne, Burgone | Loreyn & Toreyne;
He daunted þe proude | & hawted þe poure;
He dwelt long in Paryss after in honoure;
He was drad and loued in countreis abowte;
Heyest & lowest hym Loved & alowte;
And vpon an Estour tyme sone afterward
He fested hys knyghtis & ȝaf ham gret reward;
To hys styward he ȝaf Angers & Aungeye;
To Bedewer hys botyler he ȝaf Normandye;
He ȝaf to Holdyne flaundrys parde;
To Borel hys Cosyn, Boloyne þe cyte;
And eche man, after þe astat þat he was,
He rewarded hem alle, boþe More & lasse,
And ȝaf hem reward, boþe lond and Fee,
And turned to Breteyn, to Carlyone ayhe.
Arthour wolde of honour
Hold a fest at Eestour
Of regalye & worthynesse,
And feede alle hys frendess;
And sende Messanger
To kynges ferre & neer
Þat were to hym Omager,
to come to þis Dyner.
And alle at oo certeyn day
They come þyder in gode aray,
And kept þeire Cesone
At þe Castelle Cayrlyone.
Thys fest was Muche Moore
Þan euere Arthour made a-fore;
For þere was Vrweyn þe kynge
Of scottes at þat dynynge,
Stater þe kyng of south wales,
Cadwelle þe kyng of north waleȝ,
Gwylmar þe kyng of yrland,
Dolmad þe kyng of guthland,
Malgan of yselond also,
Archyl of Denmarch þerto,
Alothe þe kyng of Norwey,
Souenas þe kyng of Orkenye,
Of Breteyn þe kyng Hoel,
Cador Erl of Cornewelle,
Morice þe Erl of Gloucestre,
Marran Erl of Wynchestre,
Gwergound Erl of herford,
Booȝ Erl of Oxenford,
Of bathe vngent þe Erl also,
Cursal of Chestre þer-to,
Euerad Erl of salesbury,
Kynmar Erl of Canterbury,
Jonas þe Erl of Dorcestre,
Valence þe Erl of sylchestre,
Jugeyn of Leyccer [?] þerto,
Argal of warwyk also,--
Kynges & Erles Echon
Þes were; & many anoþer goom
Gret of astaat, & þe beste,
Þes were at þe Feste.
Other also gentyls grete
Were þere at þat Meete,
Sauer appon Donand,
Regeym & Alard,
Reyneȝ fitȝ Colys,
Tadeus fitȝ Reis,
Delyn fitȝ Dauid,
Kymbelyn le fitȝ Gryffith,
Gryffitȝ þe Sone of Nagand,
Þes were þere also theoband:
Alle þes were þere wythoute fable,
Wythoute ham of þe rounde table.
Thre archebusschopes þer were also,
And other busschopes many mo--
Alle þis mayne were nat al-oone;
Wyth ham com many a Goome.
Þis feste dured dayes þre
In reuelle & solempnite.
Of by ȝonde þe See also
Many lordez[?] were þere þo.
Now resteþ alle wyþ Me,
And say a Pater & Ave.
The þrydde day folowyng
Then coom nywe tydynge,
Þe whyle þey sete at þe Mete
Messagers were In ylete;
Welle arayd forsoþe þey come,
& send fram cite of Rome
Wyþ lettres of þe Emperoures
Whas name was Lucies.
Þes lettres were opened & vnfold,
And þe tydynge to alle men told,
Whas sentence, yf y ne lye,
Was after þat y can aspye:
¶ Lucius þe grete Emperour
To hys Enemy Arthour:--
We woundereþ of þi wodeness
And also of þy Madnesse!
How darst þow any wyse
Aȝenst the Emperour þus aryse,
And ryde on Remes on eche wey,
And make kyngeȝ to þe obey?
Þu art wood on þe Nolle!
Þu hast scley owre cosyn frolle;
Þu schalt be tawȝt at a schort day
for to make suche aray.
Oure cosyn Iulius cesar
Somme tyme conquered þar;
To Rome þu owest hys trybut;
We chargeþ þe to paye vs hyt.
Thy pryde we wolle alaye
Þat makest so gret aray:
We commandeþ þe on haste
To paye owre trybut faste;
Þu hast scley frolle in fraunce
Þat hadde vnder vs þere gouernaunce,
And wyþholdest oure tribute þerto:
Þu schalt be tawȝt þu hast mysdo:
We commandeþ þe in haste soone
Þat þu come to vs at Rome
To vnderfang oure ordynaunce
For þy dysobediaunce;
As þu wold nat leze þy lyf,
Fulfylle þys wythoute stryff."
When þis lettre was open & rad;
Þe bretouns & alle men were mad,
And wolde þe messager scle:--
"Nay," seyd Arthour, "per de,
That were aȝenst alle kynde,
A messager to bete or bynde;
y charge alle men here
for to make ham good chere."
And after Mete sanz fayl
Wyþ hys lordes he hadde counsayl;
And alle asented þer to,
Arthour to Rome scholde go;
And þey ne wolde in hys trauayle
Wyþ strenkþ & good neuer fayle.
Than Arthour wroot to Rome a lettre,
Was sentence was somm-what byttere,
And sayde in þis manere
As ȝe may hure here:--
"Knoweþ welle ȝe of Romayne,
Y am kyng Arthour of Bretayne.
Fraunce, y haue conquered hyt,
Y schalle defende & kepe hyt Ȝut,
Y come to Rome, as y am tryw,
To take my trybut (.) to me dywe,
But noon þere-for to paye,
By my werk ȝe schalle asay;
For þe Emperour Constantyne
Þat was þe Soone of Elyne,
Þat was a Bretone of þis lond,
Conquered Rome wyth hys hond,
And so ȝe oweþ me tribut:
Y charge ȝow þat ȝe pay me hyt.
Also Maximian kyng of Bretaigne
Co[n]quered al fraunce & Almayne,
Lombardye Rome & ytalye--
By ȝoure bokis ȝe may a-spye.
Y am þeir Eyr & þeyre lynage,
Y aske ȝow my trywage."
Þis lettre was celyd fast,
Y-take the Messagerez on hast;
Arthour ȝaf ham ȝyftez grete,
And chered ham wyþ drynk and Mete.
Þey hasted ham to come hoom;
Byfor þe Emperour þey beþ coom;
Saluted hym as resoun ys,
And toke hym þes letterys.
Þey seyde to þe Emperour
"We have be wyþ kyng Arthour;
But such anoþer as he ys oon,
Say neuer no Man.
He ys serued on hys howshold
Wyþ kynges, Erles, worthy & bold;
Hys worthynesse, sur Emperour,
Passeþ Muche alle ȝowre;
He seyde he wolde hyder come
And take trywage of alle Rome,
We dowteþ last he wel do soo,
For he ys Myghty ynow þer-too."
Now, erst þan we goo ferþer,
Every man þat ys here
Sey a Pater noster
And ave wyþ gode chere; Amen.
Now stureth hym self Arthour
Þenkyng on hys labour,
And gaderyþ to hym strenghth aboute,
Hys kynges & Erles on a rowte--
A fayr syȝt to Mannes ye
to see suche a cheualrye,--
The kyng of Gotland,
Also þe kyng of Irland,
the kyng of ysland | & of Orkenye,
Þis was worthy Maynye;
The kyng of Denmark also was þere,
Þis was a worthy chere:
Eche of þese vyve at her venyw
Brouȝt zyx þousand at har retenyw;
xxx{ti} þowsand, ych vnderstand,
Þes vyf kyngis hadde on honde.
Than hadde he out of Normandye,
Of Angeoy & of Almanye,
Boloyne(.) Peytow & flaundres
Fowre skore þowsand harneys--
Geryn of Chartez .xij. þowsand
þat went wyþ Artour euer at honde;
Hoel of bretayn, þowsandez ten
Of hardy & welle fyghtyng Men;
Out of Bretaygne hys owne land
He passed fourty þowsand
Of Archerys & off Arblastere
Þat Cowþ welle þe craft of werre.
¶ In Foot other Many a Man Moo
Able to feyght(:) as welle as þo:
Two hunderd þousand
Went wyþ hym out of lond,
And Many moo sykerly
That y can not nombrye.
Arthour toke þan þe lond
To Moddredes owne hond;
He kept al oþer þyng
Saue þo Corowne weryng;
But he was [fals] of hys kepynge,
As ȝe schalle hure here folewynge.
Now thanne ys Artour y-Come
And hys Ost to Sowthamptone:
Ther was Many a Man of Myghte
Strong & bold also to fyghte.
Eche man hath take his schuppynge,
And ys at hys loghynge.
Vp goþ þe sayl(:) þey sayleþ faste:
Arthour owt of syȝt ys paste.
Þe ferst lond þat he gan Meete,
Forsoþe hyt was Bareflete;
Ther he gan vp furst aryve.
Now welle Mote Arthour spede & thryve;
And þat hys saule spede þe better,
Lat eche man sey a Pater noster.
Now god spede Artour welle!
hym ys comyng a nyw batelle.
Ther coom a gyant out of spayne,
And rauasched had fayr Elayne;
He had brouȝt heore vp on an hulle--
Mornyng hyt ys to hure or telle--
Cosyn heo was to kyng hoell,
A damesel fayr and gentelle;
And ȝut ferþermore to,
He rauasched heore Moder also.
He dude þe damesel for to dye
for he myght not lygge heor bye.
Whan þis was told to Artour,
He maked Much dolour,
And send Bedewer for to spye
How he myght come hym bye;
And he was nat sclowh,
But to þe hulle hym drowh
Þat Closed was wyþ water stronge,
Þe hulle a-Mydde gret & longe;
He went ouer to þe hulle syde,
And þere a fonde a wommane byde
Þat sorwedd & wept Mornynge
For Eleynes deþ & departynge,
And bad Bedewer to fle also
Last he were ded more to;
"For yf þe Gyant fynde þe,
Wythoute dowte he wylle þe scle."
Bedwer wyþ alle hastynge
Tolde Arthour alle þis þynge.
Amorwe whan þat hyt was day
Arthour toke þyder hys way,
Bedewer wyþ hym went, & keye,--
Men þat cowþe welle þe weye,--
And broute Arthour Meyntenaunt,
Euen byfore þe Gyant.
Arthour fowȝt wyþ þat wyght;
He had almost ylost hys Myght:
Wyþ Muche peyne, þruȝ goddez grace
He sclowh þe Geant in þat place,
And þan he made Bedewere
To smyte of hys heed þere.
To þe Ost he dude hyt brynge,
And þeron was gret woundrynge,
Hyt was so oryble & so greet,
More þan any Horse heed.
Than hadde hoel Ioye ynowh
For þat Arthour so hym sclowh;
And for a perpetuel Memorie
He Made a chapelle of seynt Marye
In þe hulle vpon þe pleyne,
Wyþ-Inne þat (:) þe tumbe of Eleyne;
And þat name wyþoute nay
Hyt bereþ ȝut in-to þis day.
Now ys an ende of þis þynge,
And Artour haþ nyw tydynge,--
Lucy þe Emperour wyþ hys host
Comeþ fast in gret bost;
Þey helyþ ouer alle þe lond,
Fowre hundred þowsand
An hunderd and foure & twenty,
Thus herawdes dude ham rekeny;
Thus he hadde gadered to hym
Of cristien and of Sarasyn,
Wyþ alle hys wytt & labour
To destroyen Arthour.
Arthour dude wyselye,
And hadde euer gode aspye
Of lucyes gouernynge
And of hys þyder comynge;
But somme seyde hyt were folye
To fyght aȝenst Emperour lucie,
For he hadde sepe euere aȝenst oon,
& counceyled Arthour to fle & goon.
Wyþ þe Emperour come kynges Many oon,
And alle þeire power hoolle & soom;
Stronger men Myȝt no man see,
As fulle of drede as þey myght be;
But Arthour was not dysmayd,
He tryst on god, & was wel payd,
And prayd þe hye trynyte
Euer hys help forto be;
And alle hys Men wyþ oo voyse
Cryde to god wyþ Oo noyse,
"Fader in heuene, þy wylle be doon;
Defende þy puple fram þeire foon,
And lat not þe heþone Men
Destroye þe puple crystien:
Haue Mercy on þy se[r]uantis bonde,
And kepe ham fram þe heþone honde;
Þe Muchelnesse of Men sainfayle
Ys nat victorie in Batayle;
But after þe wylle þat in heuene ys,
So þe victorie falleþ y-wys."
Than seyd Arthour, "hyt ys so:
Auaunt Baner, & be Goo."
Now frendes alle, for goddes loue,
Rereþ ȝowre hertes to god aboue,
And seyeþ ȝowre prayeris faste,
Þat we welle spede furst & laste.
The emperour tryst on hys men,
And þat haþ bygyled hym;
Forsothe hyt most nedez be so,
For þey beþ cursed þat welle hyt do,
Suche alle myght comeþ of god;
To tryst on hym, y hold hyt good.
Lucye haþ pyght his paueloun
And sprad wyþ pryde his gunfanoun;
His claryouns blastes fulle grete blywe,
Archeris schot(:) Men ouer-thrywe;
Bowes, arwes, & arblastere
Schot sore alle y-vere;
Quarels, arwes, þey fly smerte;
Þe fyched Men þruȝ heed & herte;
Axes, sperys, and gysarmes gret,
Clefte Many a prowt Mannes heed:
Hors & steedes gan to grent,
And deyde wyþ strokis þat þey hente;
Many a man þere lost hys lyf,
Many on was wedyw þat was wyff;
Þere men were wetschoede
Alle of Brayn & of blode;
Gret rywthe hyt was to seyn
Þe feltes fulle of men y-scleyn;
Lucy þe Emperour also was dede;
But ho hym sclowh, y can nat rede;
He, for alle hys grete Renoun,
Aȝenst Arthour hadde no fusoun,
No more þan haue twenty schep
Aȝenst vyve wolfez greet.
To god be euere alle honourez!
The falde was hys & Arthourez.
Arthour, as he scholde done,
Sende lucyes body to Rome;
Whan þe Romeynes say þis,
Þo þey dradde Arthour & hys.
Also he buryed Bedewere
Hys frend and | hys Botyler,
And so he dude other Echon
In Abbeys of Relygyoun
Þat were cristien of name;
He dude to alle þe same;
And dude for ham Masse synge
wyth solempne song & offrynge,
And bood þere for to rest,
Tylle þat wynter was past,
Boþe he (.) hys Men echone
Seruyd god in deuocione,
Þankyng god of hys Myȝt
Þat kepeþ hys seruauntez ryȝt,
And suffreþ noon for to spylle
Þat hym loueþ & tryste wylle:
Þus worschup god dude certeyn
To Englond, þat þo was Bretayn;
Þe More Breteyn Englond ys--
As men may rede on Cronyclys--
Byȝend þe See Bretayne þer ys,
Þat haþ hys name forsoþe of þis,
For þe kyng Maxymyan,--
Þe next after Octauyan,--
He conquered alle Armoryk,
And to þe Reme named hyt lyk:
Amorica on latyn me cl[e]ped þat lond,
Tyl Maxymyan co[n]queryd hyt wyth honde,
And called hyt lyte bretayne þan,
So hyȝt þis lond þat he coom fram;
For perpetuelle Mynde of grete Bretayne
He called hyt lyte Bretayne,
Þat Men schulde kepe in Mynde & wytt
How þis lond conqueryd hytt;
For Walsche Men beþ Bretouns of kynde--
Know þat welle fast on Mynde--
Englische men beþ Saxoynes,
Þat beþ of Engistes Soones;
There-fore þe walsch man Bretoun
Seyþ & clepeþ vs "Sayson"
And seyþ (.) "taw or (.) peyd Sayson brount"
Whan he ys wroth (;) or ellys drounke;
Hauyng Mynde of Engystis Men
Þat wyth gyle sclow þeyre kyn:
At þe place of þe Stonehenge
Ȝut þey þenkeþ for to venge:
And þat hyt neuere be so,
Seyþ a Pater noster more to.
Now turne we to oure labour
And lat vs speke of Arthour:
He cast on herte sone
After þat to go to Rome,
And spak of Passage & hys wey
Forth ouer Mount Ioye.
And sone after vpon an owr
He horde of Mordred the tretour
That hadde alle þis loud on warde--
Euylle moot suche fare, and harde.
Who may best bygyle a man
But suche as he tryst vpon?
Þer ys no man wel nye, y tryste,
Þat can be waar of hadde wyste.--
Mordred þis falss Man
Muche sorw þo bygan;
He stuffed alle castelle
Wyþ armyre & vytelle,
And strenghthed hym on eche syde
Wyth Men of countreys ferre & wyde:
He toke þe qwene, Arthoureȝ wyff,
Aȝenst goddes lawe & gode lyff,
And putte heore to soiourne þo
At Euerwyk: god ȝyf hym wo.
Yhork ys Euerwyk:
& so me calleþ hyt.
Arthour aryved at Whytsond
Wyth gret Myght & strong hond,
And Mordred sainz fayl
Ȝaf hym þo a strong batayl;
Many a man, as y rede,
Þat day was þere dede;
Arthoures nevew Waweyn
Þat day was þere y-sclayn,
And oþer knyȝtes Many moo:
Þan Arthour was heuy & woo.
Mordred fly toward Londoun;
He most not come in þe toun:
Þan fled he to wynchester
And wyth hys Maynee kep [?] hym þere;
And Arthour on gret haste
Pursywed after hym faste.
Mordred wythoute fayle
Fled in-to Cornewayle.
The qwene wyþoute lesyng
Hurde of þis tydyng,
And how Mordred was flow,
And how to Cornewale he hym drow.
Heo of Mercy hadde noon hoope,
Ther-for he dude on a Russet cote,
And to Carlyoun ys preuyly Rounne,
And made heore self þo a Nounne;
Fro þat place neuer heo wende,
But of heore lyf þere made an ende.
Waweynes body, as y reede,
And other lordes þat weere deede,
Arthour sente in-to skotlonde,
And buryed ham þere, y vnderstonde.
Muche folke þerhenne he toke þo,
Of Northumber-lond also
Fram dyverse places to Arthour come
Hys wylle to werk & to done:
Thus he sembled a fulle gret Ost;
To Cornewayle he draweþ hym fast
After þat Mordred þe traytour
Þat hadde do hym Muche dyshonour.
That tretour hadde gret strength
And fulled þat lond on brede & lengthe,
Suche a batelle as þere was redy þo
Hadde neuer Arthour byfore y-doo:
They fowȝt tyl þer come doun bloode
As a(.) Ryver or (.)a(.) flood;
Þey fowȝt euer sorest sadde;
Men nyst ho þe betere hadde;
But at þe last Certeyn
Was Mordred & alle hys y-sclayn;
And Arthour y-bete wyþ wounde,
He Myght not stonde on grounde;
But on lyter ryȝt anon
Was browȝt to Auelone,
Þat was a place fayr & Mury;
Now hyt hooteþ Glastyngbury.
Ther Arthour þat worthy kyng
Maked hys lyues endyng;
But for he skaped þat batelle y-wys,
Bretouns & Cornysch sayeþ þus,
"Þat he leuyth ȝut parde,
And schalle come & be a kyng aȝe."
At Glastyngbury on þe qweer
Þey made Artourez toumbe þere,
And wrote wyth latyn vers þus,
Hic iacet Arthurus rex quondam
rex que futurus.
Thys was þus forsoþe ydone
Þe yheer after þe Incarnacione,
Vyf hundred (.) fourty & two.
Now saue vs alle fra woo
Ihesu cryst, heuenly kyng,
& graunt vs alle hys blessyng;
And þat hyt Moote so be,
Seyeþ alle Pater & Aue.
Ho þat wolle more loke,
Reed on þe frensch boke,
And he schalle fynde þere
Þynges þat y leete here.
But yf þat god wolle graunte grace,
y schalle rehercy in þis place
Alle þe kyngez þat after were,
And what names [þ]at þey bere;
And ho þat wolle þeyre gestes loke,
Reed on þe Frensche boke. Amen fiat.