Part 10

++“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.]

[Sidenote: She consents, if he will specify to her his name.] “S{ir} kny{ch}t,” q{uo}d ſhe, “I grant yow leif, w{i}t{h}thy Your name to me that ȝe wil ſpecify.” “Madem, as ȝit, ſutly I ne may Duclar my name, one be no man{er} way; 964 [Sidenote: He refuses for the present.] But I p{ro}myt, als faſt as I haue tyme Conuenient, or may vith-outen cryme, I ſhall;” and than the lady ſaith hyme tyll, “And I, ſchir kny{ch}t, one this condiſcione will 968 [Sidenote: She grants him leave, under the proposed condition.] Grant yow leve, ſo that ye obliſt bee For to Return, as ye haue ſaid to me.” Thus thei accord, the lady goith to reſt, The ſone diſcending cloſit in the veſt; 972 The ferd day was dewyſit for to bee Betuex the oſt{is} of the aſſemblee.

++And galiot Richt arly by the day, Ayane the feld he can h{is} folk aray; 976 [Sidenote: Galiot assembles 40,000 fresh men.] And fourty thouſand armyt me{n} haith he, That war not at the othir aſſemble, Co{m}mandit to the batell for to gon; “And I my-ſelf,” q{uod} he, “ſhal me diſpone 980 On to the feild aȝaine the thrid day; Whar of this were we ſhal the end aſſay.”

[Sidenote: Arthur also provides his men for the field.] ++ANd arthur{is} folk that come one eu{er}y ſyd, He for the feld can them for to p{ro}uide, 984 Wich ware to few aȝaine the gret affere Of galiot ȝit to ſuſten the were. [Sidenote: The knights of Melyhalt join him.] The kny{ch}t{is} al out of the cete roß Of melyholt, and to the ſemble gois. 988 [Sidenote: The lady secretly provides Lancelot with a red courser, and a shield and spear, both red also.] And the lady haith, in to ſacret wyß, Gart for hir kny{ch}t and preſon{er} dewyß In red al thing, that ganith for the were; His curſeir red, ſo was boith ſcheld {and} ſpere. 992

[Headnote: LANCELOT ENCOURAGES HIMSELF.]

{And} he, to qwham the preſone hath ben ſmart, With glaid deſir apone his curſour ſtart; [Sidenote: He rides towards the field, and halts in a plain by the river-side.] Towart the feld anon he gan to ryd, And in o plan houit one reu{er} syde. 996 This kny{ch}t, the wich that long haith ben i{n} cag, [Sidenote: Lancelot is encouraged, seeing the blithe morn, the mead, the river, the green woods, and the knights and banners.] He grew in to o freſch {and} new curage, Seing the morow bly{th}full and amen, The med, the Reuer, and the vodis gren, 1000 The kny{ch}t{is} in [ther] armys them arayinge, The baner{is} ayaine the feld diſplayng, [Fol. 13b.] His ȝouth in ſtrenth and in p{ro}ſperytee, And ſyne of luſt the gret aduerſytee.[T24] 1004 Thus in his tho{ch}t reme{m}bryng at the laſt, [Sidenote: Casting his eyes aside, he sees the queen looking over a parapet.] Eft{er}ward one ſyd he gan his Ey to caſt, Whar our a bertes[T25] lying haith he sen Out to the feld luking was the qwen; 1008 Sudandly with that his goſt aſtart [Sidenote: Love catches him by the heart.] Of loue anone haith caucht hyme by the hart; Than ſaith he, “How long ſhall It be so, Loue, at yow ſhall wirk me al this wo? 1012 Apone this wyß to be Infortunat, Hir for to ſ{er}ue the wich thei no thing wate What ſufferance I in hir wo endure, Nor of my wo, nor of myne aduenture? 1016 And I wnworthy ame for to attane To hir p{rese}ns, nor dare I noght complane. [Sidenote: He counsels his heart to help itself at need,] Bot, hart, ſen at yow knawith ſhe is here, That of thi lyue and of thi deith is ſtere, 1020 Now is thi tyme, now help thi-ſelf at neid, And the dewod of eu{er}y point of dred, [Sidenote: to forego cowardice,] That cowardy be none In to the señ, Fore and yow do, yow knowis thi peyne, I weyn; 1024 Yow art wnable eu{er} to attane To hir mercy, or cum be ony mayne. [Sidenote: and to deserve her thanks or die.] Tharfor y red hir thonk at yow diſſerue, Or in hir p{rese}ns lyk o kny{ch}t to ſterf.” 1028

[Footnote T24: May we read “diuerſytee”?] [Footnote T25: MS. “abertes.”]

[Headnote: THE RED KNIGHT’S TRANCE.]

[Sidenote: Confused with a heavy thought,] With that confuſit w{i}t{h} an hewy tho{ch}t, Wich ner his deith ful oft tyme haith hyme ſo{ch}t, Deuoydit was his sprit{is} and his goſt, He wiſt not of hyme-ſelf nor of his oſt; 1032 [Sidenote: he [sits] on his horse as still as stone.] Bot one his horß, als ſtill as ony ſton. When that the kny{ch}t{is} armyt war ilkon, [Sidenote: The bugles are blown, and the knights are ready on horseback, 20,000 in number.] To warnnyng them vp goith the bludy ſown, And eu{er}y knyght vpone his horß is bown; 1036 Twenty thouſand armyt men of were. The king that day he wold non armys bere; His batell{is} ware devyſit eu{er}ilkon, [Sidenote: They are forbidden to cross the fords, but cannot be restrained.] And them forbad out our the furd{is} to gon. 1040 Bot frome that thei ther ennemys haith sen, In to ſuch wys thei cout{h} them noght ſuſteñ; Bot ovr thei went vithouten more delay, [Fol. 14.] And can them one that oy{er} sid aſſay. 1044 [Sidenote: The red knight still halting by the ford, a herald seizes his bridle, and bids him awake.] The red kny{ch}t ſtill in to his hewy thoght Was hufyng ȝit apone the furd, {and} noght Wiſt of hime ſelf; with that a harrold com, And ſone the kny{ch}t he be the brydill nom, 1048 Saying, “awalk! It is no tyme to ſlep; Your worſchip more expedient vare to kep.” No word he ſpak, ſo prikith hyme the ſmart Of hevynes, that ſtood vnto his hart. 1052 [Sidenote: Two shrews next approach; one takes his shield off his neck,] Two ſcrewis cam with that, of quhich [that] oñ The kny{ch}t{is} ſheld ry{ch}t frome his hals haith toñ; [Sidenote: the other casts water at his ventayle, which causes him to wink, and arouse himself.] That vthir watt{er} takith atte laſt, And in the kny{ch}t{is} wentail haith It caſt; 1056 When that he felt the vatt{er} that vas cold, He wonk, and gan about hyme to behold, And thinkith how he ſum-quhat haith myſgoñ. With that his ſpere In to his hand haith ton, 1060 [Sidenote: He goes to the field, and sees the first-conquest king.] Goith to the feild w{i}t{h}outen vordis more; So was he vare whare that there cam before, O manly man he was in to al thing, And clepit was the ferſt-conquest king. 1064 The Red kny{ch}t w{i}t{h} [the] ſpur{is} ſmat the ſted, The tother cam, that of hyme hath no drede; [Sidenote: They meet.] With ferß curag ben the kny{ch}t{is} met, The king his ſpere apone the kny{ch}t hath set, 1068 That al in peciß flaw in to the felde;

[Headnote: THE RED KNIGHT FIGHTS LIKE A LION.]

[Sidenote: The red knight, though shieldless, overthrows his foe.] His hawbrek helpit, ſuppos he had no ſcheld. And he the king in to the ſcheld haith ton, That horß and man boith to the erd ar gon. 1072 [Sidenote: The shrew restores his shield.] Than to the kny{ch}t he cu{m}myth, that haith tan His ſheld, to hyme deliu{er}ith It ayane, Beſiching hyme that of his Ignorance, That knew hyme nat, as takith no grewance. 1076 The kny{ch}t h{is} ſche[l]d but mor delay haith tak, And let hyme go, and no thing to hyme ſpak. Than thei the[T26] wich that ſo at erth haith ſen [Sidenote: The men of the first-conquest king come to the rescue.] Ther lord, the ferſt-conqueſt king, y meñ, 1080 In haiſt thei cam, as that thei var agrevit, And manfully thei haith ther king Releuit.

[Footnote T26: MS. “thei,” altered to “thee,” which is still wrong.]

[A]nd Arthuris folk, that lykith not to byde, In goith the spur{is} in the ſted{is} syde; 1084 To-giddir thar aſſemblit al the oſt: [Fol. 14b.] At whois meting many o kny{ch}t was loſt. [Sidenote: The battle was right cruel to behold.] The batell was richt crewell to behold, Of kny{ch}t{is} wich that haith there lyvis ȝolde. 1088 One to the hart the ſpere goith throw the ſcheld, The kny{ch}t{is} gaping lyith in the feld. The red kny{ch}t, byrnyng in loues fyre, Goith to o kny{ch}t, als ſwift as ony vyre, 1092 The wich he perſit throuch {and} throuch the hart; [Sidenote: The red knight loses his spear, but draws his sword, and roams the field like a lion.] The ſpere is went; w{i}t{h} that anon he ſtart, And out o ſuerd in to his hond he tais; Lyk to o lyone in to the feld he gais, 1096 In to his Rag ſmyting to and fro Fro ſum the arm, fro ſum the nek in two, Sum in the feild lying is in ſwou{n}, [Sidenote: Some he cleaves to the belt.] And sum his ſuerd goith to the belt al douñe. 1100 For qwhen that he beholdith to the qwen, Who had ben thore his manhed to haue sen, His doing in to armys and his myght, Shwld ſay in world war not ſuch o wight. 1104 [Sidenote: His fellows take comfort from his deeds,] His falouſchip siche comfort of his dede Haith ton, that thei ther ennemys ne dreid; But can them-self ay manfoly conten In to the ſtour, that hard was to ſuſten; 1108 [Sidenote: though Galiot’s host was a surpassing multitude.] For galyot was O paſing multitude Of prewit men in armys that war gude, The wich can w{i}t{h} o freſch curag aſſaill Ther ennemys that day In to batell; 1112 [Sidenote: Had it not been for the manhood of the red knight, Arthur’s folk had been in peril.] That ne ware not the vorſchip {and} manhede Of the red kny{ch}t, in p{er}ell and in dreid Arthur{is} folk had ben, vith-outen vere; Set thei var good, thei var of ſmal powere. 1116

[Headnote: GAWANE BEHOLDS THE RED KNIGHT.]

[Sidenote: Gawane is led to the parapet,] And gawan, wich gart bryng hyme-ſelf befor To the bertes, set he was vondit sore, Whar the qwen vas, and whar that he my{ch}t see The manere of the oſt and aſſemble; 1120 And when that he the gret manhed haith sen [Sidenote: and saith to the queen, that none ever did better than yon red knight.] Of the red kny{ch}t, he ſaith one to the qwen, “Madem, ȝone knyght in to the armys Rede, Nor neu{er} I hard nore ſaw in to no ſted 1124 O kny{ch}t, the wich that in to ſchortar ſpace In armys haith mor forton nore mor grace; Nore bettir doith boith with ſper and ſcheild, He is the hed and comfort of our feild.” 1128 [Fol. 15.] [Sidenote: The queen prays for Lancelot.] “Now, ſ{ir}, I traiſt that neu{er} more vas ſen No man in feild more knyghtly hyme {con}ten; I pray to hyme that eu{er}y thing hath cure, Saif hyme fro deth or wykit aduenture.” 1132 [Sidenote: The field was perilous on both sides,] The feild It was ry{ch}t p{er}ellus and ſtrong On boith the ſydis, and continewit long, [Sidenote: from early morn till the sun had gone down.] Ay from the ſone the varld{is} face gan licht Whill he was gone {and} cu{m}yne vas the nycht; 1136 And than o forß thei my{ch}t It not aſſtart, On eu{er}y ſyd behouit them depart. [Sidenote: Every knight then returns home, and the red knight privily goes back to the city.] The feild is don and ham goith eu{er}y kny{ch}t, And prevaly, unwiſt of any wicht, 1140 The way the red kny{ch}t to the cete taiis, As he had hecht, {and} in h{is} chambre gais. When arthure hard how the kny{ch}t Is gon, He blamyt ſore his lordis eu{er}ilk-one; 1144 And oft he haith remembrit in his thoght, [Sidenote: Arthur, seeing the multitude of Galiot’s men, recalls his dream, saying,] What multitud that galiot had broght; Seing his folk that ware so ewil arayt, In to his mynd he ſtondith al affrayt, 1148 And ſaith, “I traiſt ful ſuth It ſal be founde My drem Richt as the clerk{is} gan expounde; [Sidenote: “My men now fail me at need.”] For why my men failȝeis now at neid, My-ſelf, my londe, in p{er}ell and in dreide.” 1152

[Headnote: GALIOT PROPOSES A TRUCE.]

[Sidenote: Galiot tells his council] And galiot vpone hie worſchip set, And his conſell anon he gart be fet, To them he ſaith, “with arthur weil ȝe see How that It ſtant, and to qwhat degre, 1156 Aȝanis ws that he is no poware; [Sidenote: that there is no honour in conquering Arthur,] Wharfor, me think, no worſchip to ws ware In conqueryng of hyme, nor of his londe, He haith no ſtrenth, he may ws not vithſtonde. 1160 Wharfor, me think It beſt is to delay, [Sidenote: and proposes a twelvemonth’s truce.] And reſput hyme for a tuelmoñeth day, Whill that he may aſſemble al his myght; Than is mor worſchip aȝanis hyme to ficht;” 1164 And thus concludit thoght hyme for the beſt. The very kny{ch}t{is} paſſing to there Reſt; Of melyholt the ladeis kny{ch}t{is} ilkone Went home, and to hir p{rese}ns ar thei gon; 1168 [Sidenote: The lady of Melyholt asks her knights who hath won most honour.] At qwhome ful ſone than gan ſcho to Inquere, And al the maner of the oſt{is} till spere; How that It went, and in what man{er} wyß, Who haith moſt worſchip, {and} who is moſt to pryß? 1172 “Madem,” q{uod} thei, “O kny{ch}t was In the feild, [Fol. 15b.] [Sidenote: They reply, that a red knight had exceeded all others.] Of Red was al his armour and his ſheld, Whois manhed can al otheris to exced, May nan report in armys half his deid; 1176 Ne wor his worſchip, ſhortly to conclud, Our folk of help had ben al deſtitud. He haith the thonk, the vorſchip in hyme lyis, That we the feld defendit in ſich wyß.” 1180 [Sidenote: The lady wonders if her prisoner is meant.] The lady thane one to hir-ſelf haith tho{ch}t, “Whether Is ȝone my p{re}ſonar, ore noght? The ſuthfaſtneß that ſhal y wit onon.” When euery wight vn to ther Reſt war gon, 1184

[Headnote: THE LADY VISITS LANCELOT.]

[Sidenote: She calls her cousin,] She clepith one hir cwſynes ful nere Wich was to hir moſt ſpeciall and dere, And ſaith to hir, “qwheyar if yone bee Our preſoner, my consell Is we see.” 1188 [Sidenote: who takes a torch, and they go to the stable,] With that the maden In hir hand hath ton O torche, and to the ſtabille ar thei gon; [Sidenote: and find his steed wounded.] And fond his ſted lying at the ground, Wich wery was, ywet w{i}t{h} mony wounde. 1192 The maden ſaith, “vpone this horß is ſen, He in the place quhar strok{is} was hath beñ; And ȝhit the horß It is no{ch}t wich that hee Furt{h} w{i}t{h} hyme hade;”--the lady ſaid, “p{er} dee, 1196 He vſyt haith mo horß than one or two; [Sidenote: Next they view his armour,] I red one to his armys at we go.” Tharwith one to his armys ar thei went; [Sidenote: and find his hauberk rent, and his shield frushed all to naught.] Thei fond his helm, thei fond his hawbrek rent, 1200 Thei fond his ſcheld was fruſchit al to no{ch}t; At ſchort, his armour In sich wyß vas vro{ch}t In eu{er}y place, that no thing was left haill, Nore neu{er} eft accordith to bataill. 1204 [Sidenote: They think he has well used his armour.] Than ſaith the lady to hir cuſyneß, “What ſal we ſay, what of this mat{er} geß?” “Madem, I ſay, thei have no{ch}t ben abwsyt; He that them bur ſchortly he has them vſyt.” 1208 “That may ȝe ſay, ſuppos the beſt that lewis, Or moſt of worſchip in til armys prewis, Or ȝhit haith ben in ony tyme beforñ, Had them in feld in his maſt curag borñ.” 1212 [Sidenote: They next visit the knight himself,] “Now,” q{uo}d the lady, “will we paß, and see The kny{ch}t hyme-self, and ther the ſut{h} may we Knaw of this thing.” Incontynent them[T27] boith [Fol. 16.] Thir ladeis vn to his chambre goith. 1216 [Sidenote: who was now asleep.] The kny{ch}t al wery fallyng was on ſlep; This maden paſſith In, {and} takith kep. [Sidenote: The lady’s cousin observes his breast and shoulders bloody, his face hurt, and his fists swollen.] Sche ſauch his breſt w{i}t{h} al his ſchowd{er}is bare, That bludy war and woundit her and thare; 1220 His face was al to-hurt and al to-ſchent, His newis ſwellyng war and al to-Rent. Sche ſmylyt a lyt, and to hir lady ſaid, “It ſemyth weill this kny{ch}t hath ben aſſaid.” 1224

[Footnote T27: “then” (?).]

[Headnote: THE LADY IS LOVE-SMITTEN.]

[Sidenote: The lady next observes him,] The lady ſauch, and rewit in hir thoght The kny{ch}t{is} worſchip wich that he haith vroght. [Sidenote: and is smitten to the heart by the dart of love,] In hire Reme{m}brance loues fyre dart W{i}t{h} hot deſyre hir ſmat one to the hart; 1228 And then a quhill, w{i}t{h}-outen word{is} mo, In to hir mynd thinking to and fro, She ſtudeit ſo, and at the laſt abraid [Sidenote: and prays her cousin to draw aside, while she kisses the knight.] Out of hir tho{ch}t, and ſudandly thus ſaid, 1232 “W{i}t{h}-draw,” q{uod} ſhe, “one ſyd a lyt[T28] the lyght, Or that I paß that I may kyß the knyght.”

[Footnote T28: MS. “alyt.”]

[Headnote: HER COUSIN REPROVES HER.]

[Sidenote: Her cousin reproves her,] “Madem,” q{uod} ſche, “what is It at ȝe meñ? Of hie worſchip our mekill have ȝe señ 1236 So sone to be ſupp{ri}ſit w{i}t{h} o thoght. [Sidenote: lest the knight should awake.] What is It at ȝhe think? p{re}ſwm ȝe noght That if yon kny{ch}t wil walkin, and p{er}ſaif, He ſhal yarof no thing bot ewill conſaif; 1240 In his entent Ruput yow therby The ablare to al ly{ch}tneß and foly? And blam the more al vther{is} in h{is} mynd, If your gret wit in ſich deſire he fynde?” 1244 [Sidenote: The lady replies.] “Nay,” q{uod} the lady, “no thing may I do For ſich o kny{ch}t may be defam me to.” [Sidenote: Her cousin next argues the point;] “Madem, I wot that for to loue yone kny{ch}t, Conſidir his fame, his worſchip, and h{is} my{ch}t; 1248 And to begyne as worſchip wil dewyß, Syne he ayaine my{ch}t lowe yow one ſuch wyß, And hold yow for his lady and his loue, It war to yow no maner of Reprwe. 1252 [Sidenote: “What if he loves another?”] But quhat if he appelit be and thret His hart to lowe, and ellis whar y-ſet? And wel y wot, madem, if It be so, His hart hyme sal not ſuffir to loue two, 1256 For noble hart wil have no dowbilneß; [Fol. 16b.] If It be ſo, ȝhe tyne yowr low, I geß; Than is your-ſelf, than is your loue Refuſit, Your fam is hurt, your gladneß is concluſit. 1260 My conſell is, therfore, you to abſten Whill that to yow the werray Ry{ch}t be ſeñ Of his entent, the wich ful ſon ȝhe may Have knawlag, If yow lykith to aſſay.” 1264 [Sidenote: She persuades the lady to return to her chamber, without further delay.] So mokil to hir lady haith ſhe vroght That at that tyme ſhe haith Ret{ur}nyt h{ir} tho{ch}t, And to hir chambre went, w{i}t{h}outen more, Whar loue of new aſſaith hir ful sore. 1268 So well long thei ſpeking of the kny{ch}t, [Sidenote: Her cousin labours to expel her love for Lancelot from her thoughts, but her labour is in vain.] Hir cuſynace hath don al at ſhe my{ch}t For to expel that thing out of hir tho{ch}t; It wil not be, hir labour Is for no{ch}t. 1272 Now leif we hir In to hir neweſt pan, And to arthur we wil retwrn agañ.

EXPLICIT P{RI}M{US} LIBER, INCIPIT SECUND{US}.

[Headnote: ARTHUR’S GREAT ANXIETY.]

[BOOK II.]