Book III (concluded), lines 2981–3487

And so beholdyne In the samyne plañ,
As to the feld hyme lykit nocht aȝañ.
Sir gawan saw, and saith on to the quen,
“Madem, yhone knycht disponit [not], I weyñ,
To help ws more, fore he so is awysit;
As I presume, he thinkith hyme dispisit
Of the mesag that we gart to hyme mak;
Yhowre-self yhe have so specialy out-tak,
He thinkith ewill contempnit for to bee,
Considering how that the necessitee
Most prinspally to yhowr supporting lyis.
Tharfor my consell is, yhow to dewyß,
And ek ȝhowre-self in yhowr trespas accuß,
And ask hyme mercy, and yhour gilt excuß.
For well it oucht o prince or o king
Til honore and til cheriß in al thing
O worthi man, that is in knychthed prewit.
For throw the body of o man eschevit
Mony o wondir, mony one aduenture,
That merwell war til any creature.
And als oft-tyme is boith hard & sen,
Quhar xl thousand haith discumfit ben
Vith v thousand, and only be o knycht;
For throw his strenth, his vorschip, & his mycht,
His falowschip sich comfort of hym tais
That thai ne dreid the danger of thar fays.
And thus, madem, I wot, withouten were,
If that ȝhone knycht this day will persywere
With his manhed for helping of the king,
We sal have cauß to dred in to no thing.
Our folk of hyme thai sal sich comfort tak,
And so adred thar ennemys sal mak,
That sur I am, onys or the nycht,
Of forß ȝhone folk sal tak one them the flycht:
Wharffor, madem, that ȝhe have gilt to mend,
My consell is one to ȝhon knycht ȝe send.”
“Sir,” quod sche, “quhat plessith yhow to do
Ȝhe may dewyß, and I consent thar-to.”
Than was the lady of melyhalt content,
And to sir gawan in-to-contynent
Sche clepit the maid, wich that passit ar;
And he hir bad the mesag thus duclar.
“Say [to] the knycht, the quen hir recommendith,
And sal correk in quhat that sche offendith
At his awn will, how so hyme list dewyß;
And hyme exortith, in most humyll wyß,
As euer he will, whar that sche can or may,
Or powar haith hir charg, be ony way,
And for his worschip and his hie manhede,
And for hir luf, to helpen in that ned
The kingis honore, his land fore to preserf,
That he hir thonk for euer may deserf.”
And four squyaris chargit he also
With thre horß and speris x to go
Furth to the knycht, hyme prayng for his sak,
At his raquest thame in his ned to tak.
The maden furth with the sqwyaris is went
One to the knycht, and schawith yar entent.
Tho mesag hard, and ek ye present señ,
He answerit, and askith of the qwen;
“Sir,” quod sche, [“sche] in to ȝhone bartiis lyis,
Whar that this day yhour dedis sal dewyß,
Yhowr manhed, yhour worschip, and affere,
How ȝhe conteñ, and how yhe armys bere;
The quen hir-self, and many o lady to,
Sal Iugis be, and vitnes how yhe do.”
Than he, whois hart stant in o new aray,
Saith, “damyceyll, on to my lady say,
How euer that hir lykith that it bee,
Als far as wit or powar is in me,
I am hir knycht, I sal at hir command
Do at I may, withouten more demand.
And to sir gawan, for his gret gentriß,
Me recommend and thonk a thousand syß.”
With that o sper he takith in his hond,
And so in to his sterapis can he stond
That to sir gawan semyth that the knycht
Encresyng gon o larg fut one hycht;
And to the ladice saith he, and the qwen,
“Ȝhon is the knycht that euer I have sen
In al my tyme most knychtly of affere,
And in hyme-self gon farest armys bere.”
The knycht that haith Remembrit in his thocht
The qwenys chargis, & how sche hym besocht,
Curag can encresing to his hart;
His curser lap, and gan onon to start;
And he the sqwaris haith reqwyrit so,
That thai with hyme one to the feld wald go.
Than goith he one, withouten mor abaid,
And our the reuar to the feld he raid;
Don goith his spere onone In to the Rest,
And in he goith, withouten mor arest,
Thar as he saw most perell and most dred
In al the feld, and most of help had ned,
Whar semblyt was the first-conquest king
With mony o knycht that was in his leding.
The first he met, doune goith boith horß & man;
The sper was holl, and to the next he Rañ
That helpit hyme his hawbrek nor his scheld,
Bot throuch and throuch haith persit in the feld.
Sir kay, the wich haith this encontyr sen,
His horß he strekith our the larg gren,
And sir sygramors ek the desyrand,
With sir gresown cummyth at yar honde,
Son of the duk, and alsua sir ywan
The bastart, and sir brandellis onan,
And gaherß, wich that broyir was
To gawan; thir sex in a Raß
Deliuerly com prekand our the feldis
With speris straucht, and couerit with thar scheldis;
Sum for love, sum honor to purcheß,
And aftir them one hundereth knychtis was,
In samyne will, thar manhed to assay.
On his v falowis clepit than sir kay,
And saith them, “siris, thar has ȝhonder ben
A courß that neuer-more farar was sen
Maid be o knycht, and we ar cummyn ilkon
Only ws one [his] worschip to dispone;
And neuer we in al our dais mycht
Have bet axampil than iffith ws ȝone knycht
Of well doing; and her I hecht for me
Ner hyme al day, if that I may, to bee,
And folow hyme at al [my] mycht I sall,
Bot deth or vthir adwentur me fall.
With that thir sex, al in one assent,
With fresch curag In to the feld Is went.
The blak knychtis spere in pecis goñe,
Frome o sqwyar oñe vthir haith he toñe,
And to the feld onone he goith ful rycht;
Thir sex with hyme ay holdith at yar mycht.
And than bygan his wonderis in the feld;
Thar was no helme, no hawbryk, nore no scheld,
Nor yhit no knycht so hardy, ferß, nore stout,
No ȝhit no maner armour mycht hald owt
His strenth, nore was of powar to withstond;
So mych of armys dyde he with his honde,
That euery wight ferleit of his deid,
And al his fois stondith ful of dreid.
So besely he can his tyme dispend,
That of the speris wich sir gawan send,
Holl of them all thar was not lewit oñe;
Throw wich but mercy to the deyth is gon
Ful many o knycht, and many o weriour,
That couth susten ful hardely o stour.
And of his horß supprisit ded ar two,
One of his awn, of gawanis one also,
And he one fut was fechtand one the gren,
When that sir kay haith with his falowis señ;
The sqwyar with his horß than to hym brocht;
Magre his fois he to his courseir socht
Deliuerly, as of o mychty hart,
Without steropis in to his sadill start,
That euery wycht beholding mervell has
Of his strenth and deliuer besynes.
Sir kay, seing his horß, and how that thai
War cled in to sir gawanis aray,
Askith at the squyar if he knewith
What that he was, this knycht? & he hym schewith
He wist no thing quhat that he was, nore hee
Befor that day hyme neuer saw with Ee.
Than askith he, how and one quhat wyß
On gawanis horß makith hyme sich seruice?
The sqw[y]ar saith, “forsuth y wot no more;
My lord ws bad, I not the cauß quharfore.”
The blak knycht, horsit, to the feld can sew
Als fresch as he was in the morow new;
The sex falowis folowit hyme ilkone,
And al in front on to the feld ar goñ;
Rycht freschly one thar ennemys thai soght,
And many o fair poynt of armys vroght.
Than hapnyt to king malangins ost
By ydras king discumfit was, & lost,
And fled, and to the conquest-king ar goñe,
Thar boith the batellis assemblit In to one;
King malengynis in to his hart was wo,
For of hyme-self no better knycht mycht go;
Thar xl thousand war thai for xv.
Than mycht the feld rycht perellus be sen
Of armyt knychtis gaping one the ground;
Sum deith, and sum with mony a grewous wond;
For arthuris knychtis, that manly war and gud,
Suppos that vthir was o multitude,
Resauit tham well at the speris end;
But one such wyß thai may not lang defend.
The blak knycht saw the danger of the feld,
And al his doingis knowith quho beheld,
And ek remembrith in to his entent
Of the mesag that sche haith to hyme sent:
Than curag, strenth encresing with manhed,
Ful lyk o knycht one to the feld he raid,
Thinking to do his ladice love to have,
Or than his deth befor hir to resave.
Thar he begynyth in his ferß curag
Of armys, as o lyoune in his rag;
Than merwell was his doing to behold;
Thar was no knycht so strong, nor yhit so bold,
That in the feld befor his suerd he met,
Nor he so hard his strok apone hyme set,
That ded or wondit to the erth he socht;
For thar was not bot wonderis that he wrocht.
And magre of his fois euerilkone,
In to the feld oft tymys hyme aloñ
Throuch and throuch he passith to & fro;
For in the ward it was the maner tho
That non o knycht shuld be the brydill tak
Hyme to orest, nore cum behynd his bak,
Nor mo than on at onys one o knycht
Shuld strik, for that tyme worschip stud so rycht.
Ȝhit was the feld rycht perellus and strong
Till arthuris folk, set thai contenyt longe;
Bot in sich wyß this blak knycht can conten,
That thai, the wich that hath his manhed señ,
Sich hardyment haith takyne In his ded,
Them thocht thai had no maner cauß of dred,
Als long as he mycht owthir ryd or go,
At euery ned he them recomfort so.
Sir kay haith with his falowis al the day
Folowit hyme al that he can or may,
And wondir well thai have in armys prewit,
And with thar manhed oft thar folk relewit;
Bot well thai faucht in diuerß placis sere,
With multitud yar folk confusit were,
That long in sich wyß mycht thai nocht conteñ.
Sir kay, that hath sir gawans qsquyaris sen,
He clepit hyme, and haith hyme prayt so,
That to sir harwy the rewell wil he go,
And say to hyme, “ws think hyme ewil awysit;
For her throuch hyme he sufferit be supprisit
The best knycht that euer armys bur;
And if it so befell of adwentur,
In his defalt, that he be ded or lamyt,
This warld sal have hyme vtraly defamyt.
And her ar of the round table also
A falouschip, that sall in well and wo
Abid with hyme, and furth for to endur
Of lyf or deth, this day, thar adwentur;
And if so fal discumfyt at thai bee,
The king may say that wonder ewill haith he
Contenit hyme, and kepit his honore,
Thus for to tyne of chevalry the flour!”
The sqw[y]ar hard, and furth his way Raid,
In termys schort he al his mesag said.
Sir harwy saith, “y wytneß god, that I
Neuer in my days comytit tratory,
And if I now begyne In to myne eld,
In ewill tyme fyrst com I to this feld;
Bot, if god will, I sal me son discharg.
Say to sir kay, I sal not ber the charg,
He sal no mater have me to rapref,
I sal amend this mys if that I lef.”
The sqwyar went and tellit to sir kay;
And sir harwy, in al the hast he may,
Assemblyt hath his ostis, & onoñ
In gret desyre on the feld is gon
Before his folk, and haldith furth his way;
Don goith his sper, and ewyne before sir kay
So hard o knycht he strykith in his ten
That horß and he lay boith apone the gren.
Sir gawan saw the counter that he maad,
And leuch for al the sarues that he had:
That day sir harwy prewyt in the feld
Of armys more than longith to his eld,
For he was more than fyfty yher of ag,
Set he was ferß and ȝong in his curag;
And fro that he assemblyt his bataill
Doune goith the folk of galotis al haill;
For to withstond thai war of no poware,
And yhit of folk x thousand mo thei vare.
Kyng valydone, that sauch on such o wyß
His falowis dangerit with thar ennemys,
With al his folk, being freß and new,
Goith to the feld onon, them to resskew;
Thar was the feld rycht perellus aȝañe,
Of arthuris folk ful many on var slan.
Bot angus, quhich that lykith not to bid,
And saw the perell one the tother sid,
His sted he strok, and with his ost is gon
Whar was most ned, and thar the feld has ton.
Kyng clamedyus makith non abaid,
Bot with his ost one to the sid he raid.
And ywons king, that haith his cummyn sen,
Encounterit hyme in myddis of the greñ.
The aucht batellis assemblyt one this wiß;
On ather half the clamore and the cryiß
Was lametable and petws for til her,
Of knychtis wich in diuerß placis sere
Wondit war, and fallyng to and fro,
Ȝhit galyotis folk war xx thousand mo.
The blak knycht than on to hyme-self he said:
“Remembir the, how yhow haith ben araid,
Ay sen ye hour that yow was makid knycht,
With love, aȝane quhois powar & whois mycht
Yow haith no strenth, yow may It not endur,
Nor ȝhit non vthir erthly creatur;
And bot two thingis ar the to amend,
Thi ladice mercy, or thi lyvys end.
And well yhow wot that on to hir presens,
Til hir estat, nor til hir excellens,
Thi febilneß neuermore is able
For to attan, sche is so honorable.
And sen no way yow may so hie extend,
My verray consell is, that yow pretend
This day, (sen yow becummyne art hir knycht
Of hir comand, and fechtit in hir sycht),
And well yow schaw, sen yow may do no mor,
That of resone sche sal the thank tharfore;
Of euery poynt of cowardy yow scham,
And in til armys purcheß the sum nam.”
With that of love in to o new desir
His spere he straucht, and swift as any wyre
With al his forß the nerest feld he soght;
His ful strenth in armys thar he vroght,
In to the feld rusching to and fro,
Doune goith the man, doune goith the horß also;
Sum throw the scheld is persit to the hart,
Sum throw the hed, he may It not astart.
His bludy suerd he dreuch, that carwit so
Fro sum the hed, and sum the arm in two;
Sum in the feld fellit is in swoñ,
Throw sum his suerd goith to the sadill doune.
His fois waren abasit of his dedis,
His mortell strok so gretly for to dred Is;
Whar thai hyme saw, within a lytall space,
For dreid of ded, thai levyng hyme the place,
That many o strok ful oft he haith forlorñ;
The spedy horß away the knycht hath borñ.
In to his wyrking neuermore he sest,
Nor non abaid he makith, nor arest.
His falowis, so in his knychthed assuryd,
Thai ar recomfort, thar manhed is recoueryt,
And one thar fois ful fersly thai soght,
Thar goith the lyf of many o knycht to nocht.
So was the batell wonderful to tell,
Of knychtis to se the multitud that fell,
That pety was til ony knycht to señ
The knychtis lying gaping on the gren.
The blak knycht ay continewit so fast,
Whill many one, discumfit at the last,
Are fled, and planly of the feld thei pas:
And galyot haith wondyr, for he was
Of mor powar, and askit at them qwhy
As cowartis thai fled sa schamfully?
Than saith o knycht, sor wondit in the brayne,
“Who lykith, he may Retwrn aȝayne
Frome qwhens we come, merwalis for to see,
That in his tyme neuer sich sauch hee.”
“Marwell,” quod he, “that dar I boldly say
Thay may be callit, and quhat thai ar, I pray?”
“Schir, in the feld forsuth thar is o knycht,
That only throw his body and his mycht
Wencussith all, that thar may non susten
His strokis, thai ar so fureows and ken.
He farith as o lyone or o beyre,
Wod in his rag, for sich is his affere.
Nor he the knycht in to the armys Red,
Wich at the first assemble in this sted
Wencussith all, and had the holl renown,
He may to this be no comparysoune,
Fore neuer he sesith sen the day vas goñ,
Bot euermore continewit in to one.”
Quod galiot, “in nome of god and we
Al, be tyme, the suthfastneß sal see.”
Than he in armys that he had is gon,
And to the feld with hyme aȝane hath ton
Al the flearis, and foundyne [in] sich aray
His folk, that ner discumfyt al war thay;
Bot quhen thai saw cummyne our the plan
Thar lord, thai tuk sich hardement aȝañ,
That thar essenȝeis lowd thai gon to cry.
He chargit tham to go, that ware hyme by,
Straucht to the feld, with al thar holl forß;
And thai, the wich that sparit not the horß,
All redy war to fillyng his command,
And freschly went, withowten more demand:
Throw qwich thar folk recoueryt haith thar place,
For al the feld preswmyt that thar was
O new ost, one such o wyß thai soght;
Whar arthuris folk had passith al to nocht,
Ne war that thai the better war ilkoñe,
And at thai can them vtraly dispoñe
Rathar to dee than flee, in thar entent,
And of the blak knycht haith sich hardyment;
For at al perell, al harmys, and myschef,
In tyme of ned he can tham al ralef.
Thar was the batell dangerus & strong,
Gret was the pres, bath perellus & throng;
The blak knycht is born on to the ground,
His horß hyme falyth, that fellith dethis wound.
The vi falowis, that falowit hyme al day,
Sich was the preß, that to the erth go thay;
And thar in myd among his ennemys
He was about enclosit one sich wyß
That quhare he was non of [his] falowis knew,
Nor mycht nocht cum to help hyme, nore reskew.
And thus among his ennemys allon
His nakid suerd out of his hond haith ton;
And thar he prewit his wertew & his strenth;
For thar was none within the suerdis lenth
That came, bot he goith to confusioune.
Thar was no helme, thar was no habirioune,
That may resist his suerd, he smytith so;
One euery syd he helpith to and fro,
That al about the compas thai mycht ken;
The ded horß lyith virslyng with the men.
Thai hyme assalȝeing both with scheld & spere,
And he aȝane; as at the stok the bere
Snybbith the hardy houndis that ar ken,
So farith he; for neuer mycht be sen
His suerd to rest, that in the gret rout
He rowmyth all the compas hyme about.
And galiot, beholding his manhed,
Within his-self wonderith of his ded,
How that the body only of o knycht
Haith sich o strenth, haith sich affere & mycht;
Than said he thus, “I wald not that throw me,
Or for my cauß, that such o knycht suld dee,
To conquer all this world that is so larg.”
His horß than can he with his spuris charg,
A gret trunsioune In to his hond hath ton,
And in the thikest of the preß is goñ,
And al his folk chargit he to seß.
At his command thai levyng al the preß;
And quhen he had departit all the rout,
He said, “sir knycht, havith now no dout.”
Wich answerit, “I have no cauß to dred.”
“Ȝis,” quod he, “sa euer god me sped,
Bot apone fut quhill ȝe ar fechtand here,
And yhow defendith apone sich manere,
So hardely, and ek so lyk o knycht,
I sal my-self with al my holl mycht
Be yhour defens, and varand fra al harmys;
Bot had yhe left of worschip In til armys,
What I have don I wold apone no wyß;
Bot sen yhe ar of knychthed so to prys,
Ȝhe sal no maner cauß have for to dred:
And set yhour horß be falit at this ned,
Displeß yhow not, for-quhy ȝe sal not want
Als many as yhow lykith for to hawnt;
And I my-self, I sal yhowr sqwyar bee,
And, if god will, neuer more sal wee
Depart;” with that, anon he can to lycht
Doune frome his horß, and gaf hyme to y^e knycht.
The lord he thonkit, and the horß hath ton,
And als so fresch one to the feld is gon,
As at no strokis he that day had ben.
His falowis glad, one horß that hath hym sen,
To galiot one vthir horß thai broght;
And he goith one, and frome the feld he socht,
And to the plan quhar that his ostis were;
And brandymagus chargit he to stere
Efter hyme, within a lytill space,
And x thousand he takyne with hym haß.
Towart the feld onon he can to Rid,
And chargit them befor ye ost to byd.
Wp goith the trumpetis, and the claryownis,
Hornys, bugillis blawing furth thar sownis,
That al the cuntre resownit hath about;
Than arthuris folk var in dispar & dout,
That hard the noys, and saw the multitud
Of fresch folk; thai cam as thai war wod.
Bot he that was withowten any dred,
In sabill cled, and saw the gret ned,
Assemblyt al his falowis, and arayd;
And thus to them in manly termes said:
“What that ȝe ar I knaw not yhour estat,
Bot of manhed and worschip, well I wat,
Out throuch this warld yhe aw to be commendit,
This day ȝe have so knychtly yhow defendit.
And now yhe see how that, aȝanis the nycht,
Yhour ennemys pretendit with thar myght
Of multitud, and with thar new ost,
And with thar buglis and thar wyndis bost
Freschly cummyng In to sich aray,
To ifyne yhow one owtrag or affray.
And now almost cummyne Is the nycht,
Quharfor yhour strenth, yhour curag, & yhovr mycht
Yhe occupye in to so manly wyß,
That the worschip of knychthed & empryß
That yhe have wonyng, and ye gret renown
Be not ylost, be not ylaid doune.
For one hour the sufferyng of distreß,
Gret harm It war yhe tyne the hie encreß
Of vorschip, seruit al this day before.
And to yhow al my consell is, tharfore,
With manly curag, but radour, yhe pretend
To met tham scharply at the speris end,
So that thei feil the cold speris poynt
Out-throw thar scheldis, in thar hartis poynt.
So sal thai fynd we ar no-thing affrayt;
Whar-throuch we sall the well leß be assayt.
If that we met them scharply in the berd,
The formest sal mak al the laif afferd.”
And with o woyß thai cry al, “sir knycht,
Apone yhour manhed, and yhour gret mycht,
We sal abid, for no man shall eschef
Frome yhow this day, his manhed for to pref.”
And to his ost the lord sir yvane said,
“Yhe comfort yow, yhe be no-thing affrayd,
Ws ned no more to dreding of suppriß;
We se the strenth of al our ennemys.”
Thus he said, for he wend thai var no mo,
Bot sir gawan knew well It vas not so;
For al the ostis mycht he se al day,
And the gret host he saw quhar yat it lay.
And galiot he can his folk exort,
Beseching them to be of good comfort,
And sich enconter