Chapter 2

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

2. ? MS. perhaps _Angecye_.

3. The _s_ is rubbed: the word may be "onlesbury."

5. _sepe_, ? for _seue_, seven. It is _p_ not _x_ (six) in the MS. But as Arthur had 200,000, and Lucius only 400,124, _sepe_ should mean _two_.

6. Pughe's abridged Dictionary gives _tau_, _v.a._ be still; _taw_, _s.m._ and _adj._ quiet, silence, silent; _paid_, _s.m._ a cessation, quiet; _bront_, _a._ nasty, filthy, surly. _Or_, says Dr. Benj. Davies, you must take as equal to the modern Welsh _wr_, man, if it is not English; _peyd_ is cease, pause; _taw_, be silent. ]

WORDS

a, he, l. 370. aspye, _sb._ espial, l. 416. ayhe, again, l. 126.

beeme, _sb._ ? noise, display, from A.S. _béme_, a trumpet, l. 108.

falde, l. 480, felt, l. 472; field. fusoun, gain, victory, l. 476. L. _fusio_, outpouring, plenty. fyched, pierced, l. 462.

goom, man, l. 166. gysarme, l. 463. _Hallebarde, pique, hache_. Roquefort.

hadde wyste, l. 546, had I known (how it would have turned out). See Nares, and the Poem "Beware of had-I-wyst," that he quotes. "Beware of _had-I-wyst_, whose fine bringes care and smart." hawted, exalted, l. 113. he, she, l. 582. helyth, cover, l. 407.

last, lest, l. 289. loghynge, lodging, l. 344. lynage, descendant, l. 269.

muchelnesse, _sb._ muchness, number and power, l. 439. mynde, remembrance, l. 527.

oo, one, l. 49.

sayle, assail, attack, l. 12. scley, slain, l. 212. skyle, _sb._ reason, l. 17. soueȝ (?), sough, moan, l. 88.

that, ye who, l. 1; those who, l. 42, 84. theoband (l. 178), is, I expect, miswritten for theo_d_and; A.S. _þeodan_, to join; _ge-þeod-an_, to join, associate. therhenne, thence, l. 591. toke, gave, l. 329.

venge, have revenge, take vengeance, l. 530. verrament, truly, l. 32.

was, whose, l. 248. wood, wild, mad, l. 211.

ydoon, done, spent, l. 72. ylete, let, l. 194. ytake, taken to, given to, l. 272. y-vere, together, l. 460. ywyss, certainly, l. 46.