Part 13

[Sidenote: If a king thus stood like his own degree, his people would be virtuous and wise.] Thus if o king ſtud lyk his awn degree, Wertwis and wyß than ſhuld his puple bee, Only ſet by vertew hyme to pleß, And ſore adred his wiſdom to diſpleß. 1980 And if that he towart the vicis draw, His folk ſall go on to that ilk law; What ſhal hyme pleß that wil no{ch}t ell{is} fynd, Bot ther-apon ſetith al ther mynde. 1984 [Sidenote: Thus the rule of his people and kingdom standeth only in the king’s virtue.] Thus only in the wertew of o king The reull ſtant of his puple & his ringne, If he be wyß and, but diſſemblyng, ſchewis, As I have ſaid, the vicis one to ſchrewis. 1988 And ſo thus, ſ{ir}, It ſtant apone thi will For to omend thi puple, or to ſpill; Or have thi court of vertewis folk, or fullis; [Sidenote: Since thou art wholly master of the schools, teach them, and they shall gladly learn.”] Sen yow art holl maiſt{er} of the ſcoullis 1992 Teichith them, and thei ſal gladly leir, That is to ſay, that thei may no thing heir[T46] Sauf only wertew towart thyn eſtat; And cheriß them that wertews ben algait. 1996 And thinkith what that wertew is to thee; It pleſſith god, vphaldith thi degree.” [Sidenote: Arthur considers his counsel profitable.] “Maiſt{er},” q{uo}d he, “me think ry{ch}t profitable Yowr conſeell Is, and wond{er} honorable 2000 For me, and good; ry{ch}t well I have {con}ſauit, And in myne hart{is} Inwartneß reſauit. I ſhal fulfill and do yowr ordynans Als far of wit as I have ſuffiſans; 2004 Bot y beſeich yow, in til hartly wyß, [Sidenote: He beseeches him to expound his dream,] That of my drem ȝhe ſo to me dewyß, The wich ſo long haith occupeid my mynd, [Sidenote: how he shall only find help through the water-lion, the leech, and the flower.] How that I ſhal no man{er} ſucour fynd 2008 Bot only throw the wattir lyon, & ſyne The leich that is w{i}t{h}outen medyſyne; And of the conſell of the flour; wich ayre Wond{er}is lyk that no man can duclar.” 2012

[Footnote T46: Or, “leir.” MS. apparently has “leir,” corrected to “heir.”]

[Headnote: THE WATER-LION MEANS GOD.]

++“Now, ſ{ir},” q{uod} he, “and I of them al thre, What thei betakyne ſhal I ſchaw to the, [Sidenote: The master’s explanation.] Such as the clerk{is} at them ſpecifiit; Thei vſit no thing what thei ſignefiit. 2016 [Fol. 25b.] [Sidenote: The water-lion is the very God.] The wattir lyone Is the god werray, God to the lyone is lyknyt many way; But thei have hyme In to the wattir ſeñ, Confuſit were ther wittis al, y weñ; 2020 [Sidenote: The water is men’s fragility;] The wattir was ther awn fragelitee, And thar treſpas, and thar Inequitee In to this world, the wich thei ſtond y-cloſit; That was the wattir wich thei have ſuppoſit, 2024 That haith there knowlag maad ſo Inp{er}fyt; Thar ſyne & ek ther worldis gret delyt, As clowdy wattir, was eu{er}more betweñ, [Sidenote: whereby they see not the lion perfectly.] That thei the lyone p{er}fitly hath no{ch}t ſeñ; 2028 Bot as the wattir, wich was y{er} awn ſyn{n}e, That eu{er}mor thei ſtond confuſit In. [Sidenote: Had men been always religious, they had seen the lion not in water, but clearly.] If thei haith ſtond in to religioñ clen, Thei had the lyone Not in watt{er} ſen, 2032 Bot clerly vp in to the hewyne abuf, Et{er}naly whar he ſhal not remufe. And eu{er}more in vatt{er} of ſyne vas hee, For-quhi It is Impoſſeble for to bee;[T47] 2036 [Sidenote: The world is enclosed in the darkness of their sin.] And thus the world, wich that thei ar In, Y-cloſit Is in dyrknes of ther ſyne; And ek the thikneß of the air betwen The lyone mad in vattir to be ſen. 2040 For It was no{ch}t bot ſtrenth of ther clergy Wich thei have here, and It is bot erthly, That makith them there reſou{n}s dewyß, And ſe the lyone thus in erthly wyß. 2044 [Sidenote: The lion is God’s son, Jesu Christ.] This is the lyone, god, and goddis sone, Ih{es}u criſt, wich ay in hewyne ſal won{n}e. For as the lyone of euery beſt is king, So is he lord and maiſt{er} of al thing, 2048 That of the bleſſit vyrgyne vas y-bore. Ful many a natur the lyone haith, quhar-fore That he to god reſemblyt is, bot I Lyk not mo at this tyme ſpecify. 2052 This is the lyone, thar-of have yow no dred, That ſhal the help and comfort In thi ned.

[Footnote T47: “see”(?).]

[Headnote: THE LEECH WITHOUT MEDICINE IS CHRIST.]

++The ſentens here now woll I the defyne [Sidenote: The leech without medicine is also God.] Of hyme, the lech w{i}t{h}outen medyſyne, 2056 Wich is the god that euery thing hath vroght. For yow may know that vther Is It noght, [Fol. 26a.] [Sidenote: Not as surgeons,] As ſurgynis and feſicianis, wich that delith W{i}t{h} mortell thing{is}, and mortell thing{is} helyth, 2060 [Sidenote: whose art is in medicine,] And al thar art is in to medyſyne, As it is ordanit be the my{ch}t dewyne, [Sidenote: and in plaisters, drinks, and various anointments; who know the quality of the year, and the disposition of the planets.] As plaſt{er}is, drink{is}, and anouy{n}tme{n}t{is}[T48] ſeir, And of the qualyte watyng of the yher; 2064 And of the planet{is} diſpoſiciou{n}e, And of the naturis of compleccyoune, And in the diu{er}ß changing of hwmowr{is}. Thus wnd{er} reull lyith al there cwris; 2068 And yhit thei far as blynd man In the way, Oft quhen that deith thar craft liſt to aſſay. Bot god, the wich that is the ſou{er}an lech, Nedith no man{er} medyſyne to ſech; 2072 For ther is no Infyrmyte, nore wound, Bot as hyme lykith al is holl and ſound. [Sidenote: But God can heal infirmity of thought,] So can he heill Infyrmytee of thoght, Wich that one erdly medeſyne can noght; 2076 [Sidenote: and also the soul that goeth to confusion.] And als the ſaul that to confuſioune goith, And haith with hyme and vther p{ar}teis boith, His dedly wound god helyth frome the ground; On to his cure no medyſyne is found. 2080 This Is his my{ch}t that neu{er} more ſhall fyne, This is the leich w{i}t{h}outen medyſyne; And If that yhow at confeſſioune hath ben And makith the of al thi ſyn{n}is clen, 2084 [Sidenote: He shall be thy leech in all necessity.] Yow art than holl, and this ilk ſamyn is he Schall be thi leich In al neceſſitee.

[Footnote T48: MS. “anoñytmēt{is},” or “anoūytmēt{is}.”]

[Headnote: THE FLOWER IS THE VIRGIN MARY.]

++Now of the flour y woll to the diſcerñ: This is the flour that haith[T49] the froyt eterñ, 2088 This is the flour, this fadith for no ſchour, This is the flour of euery flouris floure;

[Footnote T49: The word, though indistinct, is almost certainly “haith.” Stevenson has “high;” but this gives no sense.]

[Sidenote: The flower is she of whom the eternal fruit was born,] This is the flour, of quhom the froyt vas borñ, This ws redemyt eft{er} that we war lorñ; 2092 This Is the flour that eu{er} ſpryngith new, This is the flour that changith neu{er} hew; [Sidenote: the virgin that bore the Saviour,] This is the vyrgyne, this is the bleſſit flour That Ih{es}u bur is our salweour, 2096 This flour wnwe{m}myt of hir wirginitee; This is the flour of our felicitee, This is the flour to quhom ve ſhuld exort, [Sidenote: that ceaseth not to support us caitiffs,] This is the flour not ſeſſith to ſupport 2100 In prayere, conſell, and in byſſynes, Vs catifis ay In to our wrechitnes [Fol. 26b.] On to hir sone, the quich hir conſell herith; This is the flour that al our gladneß ſterith, 2104 [Sidenote: through whose prayer are many saved.] Throuch whois prayer mony one is ſawit, That to the deth et{er}naly war reſawit, Ne war hir hartly ſuplicatioune. This is the flour of our ſaluatioune, 2108 Next hir sone, the froyt of euery flour; This is the ſam that ſhal be thi ſuccour, If that the lykith hartly Reu{er}ans And ſ{er}uice ȝeld one to hir excellens, 2112 Syne worſchip hir w{i}t{h} al thi byſſyneß; Sche ſal thi harm, ſche ſall thi ned redreß. [Sidenote: She shall so counsel the lion and the leech, that thou need not despair.] Sche ſall ſice conſell if one to the two, The lyone and the ſou{er}ane lech alſo, 2116 Yow ſall not Ned yi drem̅ for to diſpar, Nor ȝhit no thing that is in thi contrare. Now--q{uo}d the maiſt{er}--yow may well wnd{er}ſtand Tueching thi drem as I have born on hande; 2120 And planly haith the mat{er} al declarith, That yhow may know of wich yow was diſparith. The lech, the lyone, and the flour alſo, Yow worſchip them, yow ſerve them eu{er}mo; 2124 And ples the world as I have ſaid before; In gou{er}nans thus ſtondith al thi glore. [Sidenote: Do now as thou list, for all is in thy hand.] Do as yow liſt, for al is in thi honde, To tyne thi-ſelf, thi honore, and thi londe, 2128 Or lyk o prince, o {con}querour, or king, In honore and in worſchip for to Ringe.”

[Headnote: ARTHUR IS COMFORTED.]

[Sidenote: The king replies,] “Now,” q{uod} the king, “I fell that the ſupport Of yhour conſell haith don me ſich comfort, 2132 [Sidenote: that his heart is eased from fear;] Of euery raddour my hart is In to eß, To ȝhour {com}mand, god will, y ſal obeß. Bot o thing is yneuch wn to me, [Sidenote: but inquires if Galiot will win over the red knight, and what is his name.] How galiot makith his awant that he 2136 Shall have the kny{ch}t, that only by his honde And manhed, was defendour of my londe; If that ſhall fall y pray yhow tellith me, And quhat he hecht, and of quhat lond is hee?” 2140 “What that he hecht yow ſhall no fory{er} know, [Sidenote: The master evades reply.] His dedis ſall her-eft{er}wart hyme ſchaw; Bot {con}trar the he ſhall be found no way. No more thar-of as now y will the ſay.”[T50] 2144 With that the king haith at his maiſtir tone [Fol. 27a.] [Sidenote: The king and the host return home.] His leve, one to to his cuntre for to goñe; And al the oſt makith none abyde, To paſſing home anone thei can p{ro}wid; 2148 And to ſ{ir} gawane thei haith o lytt{er} maad, Ful ſore ywound, and hyme on w{i}t{h} them haade.

[Footnote T50: At the bottom of the page is the catch-word, “With that the king.”]

[T]he king, as that the ſtory can declar, [Sidenote: The king sojourns twenty-four days at Cardole, in Wales.] Paſſith to o Cete that was Right fair, 2152 And clepit cardole, In to walis, was, For that tyme than It was the n{er}eſt place, And thar he ſoiornyt xxiiijti days In ryall feſting, as the auttore ſays. 2156 So diſcretly his puple he haith cherit, That he thar hartis holy haith {con}querit. [Sidenote: Sir Gawan is healed in fifteen days.] And ſ{ir} gawan, helyt holl and ſound Be xv dais he was of euery wounde; 2160 Right blyt{h} therof in to the court war thei.

[Headnote: ARTHUR AGAIN BECOMES MOURNFUL.]

And ſo befell, the xxiiij[T51] day, [Sidenote: The king becomes mournful, as he sits at the mess.] The king to fall in to o hewynes, Right ate his table ſiting at the meß; 2164 [Sidenote: Gawan rebukes him.] And ſ{ir} gawan cu{m}myth hyme before, And ſaid hyme, “ſ{ir}, yhour thoght is al to ſore, Conſid{er}ing the diu{er}ß kny{ch}t{is} ſere Ar of wncouth and ſtrang land{is} here.” 2168 [Sidenote: The king answers in “matalent,”] The king anſuert, as in to matalent, “S{ir}, of my tho{ch}t, or ȝhit of myne entent, Yhe have the wrang me to repref, for-quhy Thar lewith none that ſhuld me blam, for I 2172 [Sidenote: that he was thinking of the worthiest knight living;] Was thinkand one the worthieſt that lewyt, That al the worſchip In to armys prewyt; And how the thonk of my defens he had, And of the wow that galiot haith mad. 2176 But I have ſen, when that of my houſhold Thar was, and of my falowſchip, that wold, If that thei wiſt, quhat thing ſhuld me pleß, Thei wald no{ch}t leif for trawell nor for eß. 2180 And ſum tyme It p{re}ſwmyt was & ſaid, [Sidenote: that he once had the flower of knighthood in his household, but now this flower is away.] That in my houſhold of al this world I had The flour of kny{ch}thed and of chevalry; Bot now thar-of y ſe the contrarye, 2184 Sen that the flour of kny{ch}thed is away.” “Schir,” q{uod} he, “of Reſone ſuth yhe ſay; And if god will, In al this warld ſo Round [Fol. 27b.] He ſal be ſoght, if that he may he found.” 2188

[Footnote T51: MS. “xxviij,” altered to “xxiiij.”]

[Headnote: GAWANE’S EXPEDITION.]

[Sidenote: Gawan departs to seek Lancelot.] Than gawan goith w{i}t{h} o kny{ch}tly chere, At the hal dure he ſaith In this maner: “In this paſag who lykith for to wend? It is o Iorne moſt for to comend 2192 That In my tyme In to the court fallith, To knyght{is} wich that chewellry lowith Or trawell In to armys for to hant; And lat no kny{ch}t fra thyne-furt{h} hyme awant 2196 [Sidenote: All the knights rise to go with him.] That it denyith;”--w{i}t{h} that onon thei roß, Al the kny{ch}t{is}, and frome the burdis goß. The king that ſauch In to his hart was wo, [Sidenote: Arthur reproves him.] And ſaid, “ſ{ir} gawan, nece, why dois yow ſo? 2200 Knowis yow no{ch}t I myne houſhold ſuld encreß, In kny{ch}thed, and in honore, and largeß? And now yow thinkith mak me diſſolat Of kny{ch}t{is}, and my houß tranſulat, 2204 To ſek o kny{ch}t, and It was neu{er} more Hard ſich o ſemble makith o before.” [Sidenote: Gawan explains.] “S{ir},” q{uod} he, “als few as may yhow pleſß; For what I said was no thing for myne eß, 2208 Nor for deſir of falouſchip, for-why To paß alone, but cumpany, think I; And ilk kny{ch}t to paß o ſundry way; The mo thei paß the fewar eſchef thay, 2212 Bot thus ſhal pas no mo bot as yhow leſt.” [Sidenote: Arthur assigns him forty companions.] “Takith,” q{uod} he, “of quhom ȝhe lykith beſt, Fourty in this paſag for to go;” At this {com}mand and gawan cheſit ſo 2216 Fourty, quhich that he louit, & that was Richt glaid in to his falowſchip to pas.

[Headnote: GAWANE AND HIS FELLOWS DEPART.]

[Sidenote: These knights arm themselves,] [A]nd furth thei go, and al anarmyt thei Come to the king, w{i}t{h}outen more delay, 2220 [Sidenote: and bring the relics, whereon to swear to shew the truth.] The relyk{is} bro{ch}t, as was the man{er} tho, When any knyght{is} frome the court ſuld go. Or when the paſſit, or quhen thei com, thei ſwor The trouth to ſchaw of euery aduentur. 2224 S{ir} gawan knelyng to his falowis ſais, “Yhe lord{is}, wich that in this ſeking gais, So many noble and worthi kny{ch}t{is} ar ȝhe, Me think in wayne yhour t{ra}uel ſhuld no{ch}t be, 2228 For aduentur is non so gret to pref, [Fol. 28a.] As I ſuppone, nor ȝhe ſal It eſſchef, And if ȝhe lyk as I that ſhal dewyß, Yhour oth to ſwer In to the ſamyne wyß 2232 Myne oith to kep;”--and that thei vnd{er}tak, How eu{er} ſo that he his oith mak It to conſerf, and that thei have all ſworñ. Than gawan, wich that was the king beforn, 2236 [Sidenote: Gawane swears not to return till he has found Lancelot, or evidence of him.] On kneis ſwore, “I ſal the ſuth duclar Of euery thing when I agan Repar, Nor neu{er} more aȝhane ſal I returñ, Nore in o place long for to ſuiorñ 2240 Whill that the kny{ch}t or verray evydens I have, that ſhal be toknis of credens.” His falouſchip abaſit of that thing, And als therof anoyt was the king, 2244 [Sidenote: Arthur reproves him for forgetting the coming day of battle.] Sayng, “Nece, yow haith al foly vroght And wilfulneß, that haith no{ch}t in thi thoght The day of batell of galot and me.” [Sidenote: Gawane says it must be so.] Q{uod} gawan, “Now non other ways ma be.” 2248 [Sidenote: Gawane and his fellow lace their helms, and take their leave.] Thar-w{i}t{h} he and his falowſchip alſo Thar halmys laſit, on to ther horß thei go, Syne tuk ther lef, and frome the court the fare, Thar names ware to long for to declar. 2252 Now ſal we leif hyme and h{is} cumpany, That in thar ſeking paſſith biſſely; [Sidenote: The story returns to the lady of Melyhalt.] And of the lady of melyhalt we tell, W{i}t{h} whome the kny{ch}t mot ned alway duell. 2256

[T52] [O] day ſhe mayd hyme on to h{ir} p{re}ſens fet, And on o ſege be-ſid hir haith hyme ſet, “S{ir}, in keping I have yow halding long,” And thus ſche ſaid, “for gret treſpas & wrong, 2260 Magre my ſtewart, in worſchip, and for-thi Ȝhe ſuld me thonk;”--“madem,” q{uod} he, “and I Thonk yhow ſo that eu{er}, at my mycht, Whar-ſo I paß that I ſal be yhour kny{ch}t.” 2264

[Footnote T52: Room is here left in the MS. for an illuminated letter, and a small “o” inserted as a note.]

[Headnote: THE LADY ASKS LANCELOT HIS NAME.]

[Sidenote: She inquires Lancelot’s name.] “Grant mercy, ſ{ir}, bot o thing I ȝow pray, What that ȝhe ar ȝhe wold w{i}c{h}sauf to ſay.” [Sidenote: He refuses to tell.] “Madem,” q{uod} he, “yhour mercy aſk I, quhy That for to ſay apone no wyß may I.” 2268 “No! wil ȝhe not? non oy{er} ways as now [Sidenote: She vows to keep him in thrall till the day of combat;] Ȝhe ſal repent, and ek I mak awow One to the thing the wich that I beſt love, 2271 Out frome my keping ſal ȝhe not Remuf [Fol. 28b.] Befor the day of the aſſemblee, Wich that, o ȝher, is n{er}eſt for to bee; And if that ȝow haith pleſſit for to ſay, Ȝhe had fore me deliu{er}it ben this day; 2276 [Sidenote: and to go to the court to try and learn it.] And I ſal knaw, quhey{er} ȝhe wil or no, For I furt{h}-w{i}t{h} one to the court ſal go, Whar that al thithing{is} goith & cu{m}yth ſoñ.” “Madem,” q{uod} he, “yhour pleſance mot be doñe.” 2280 [Sidenote: The knight retires.] W{i}t{h} that the kny{ch}t one to his chalm{er} goith, And the lady hir makith to be wroith Aȝanis hyme, but ſuthly vas ſche not, For he al-out was mor in to hir thoght. 2284 Than ſchapith ſhe aȝane the ferd day, And richly ſche gan hir-ſelf aray; Syne clepit haith apone her cuſynes, [Sidenote: Before going to the court,] And ſaith, “y will one to the court me dreß; 2288 And malice I have ſchawin on to ȝhon kny{ch}t, For-quhy he wold no{ch}t ſchew me quhat he hicht, Bot ſo, I-wyß, It is no{ch}t in my tho{ch}t, For worthyar non In to this erth is wro{ch}t. 2292 [Sidenote: she prays her cousin to take care of him.] Tharfor I pray, and hartly I requer Ȝhe mak hyme al the cu{m}pany and chere, And do hyme al the worſchip and the eß, Excep his honore, wich that may hym pleß; 2296 And quhen I cum deliu{er}ith hyme als fre As he is now;”--“ne have no dred,” q{uod} ſche.

[Headnote: SHE GOES TO SEE ARTHUR.]

[T]he lady p{ar}tit, and hir lef hath ton, And by hir Iorne to the court Is gon. 2300 [Sidenote: The lady meets Arthur at Logris;] The king hapnit at logris for to bee, Wich of his realme was than the chef cete; And haith hir met, and In til hartly wyß Reſauit her, and welcu{m}myt oft-ſyß; 2304 [Sidenote: who brings her home to his palace;] And haith hir home one to his palice bro{ch}t, Whar that no dante nedith to be ſocht, And maid hir cher w{i}t{h} al his ful entent. Eft fupir one to o chalm{er} ar thei went, 2308 The king and ſche, and ek the quen al thre; Of hir tithand{is} at hir than aſkit hee, [Sidenote: and inquires what has brought her.] And what that hir one to the court had bro{ch}t? “S{ir},” q{uod} ſche, “I come[T53] not al for no{ch}t; 2312 [Sidenote: She says she has a friend who has made a challenge,] I have o frend haith o dereyne ydoo, And I can fynd none able kny{ch}t tharto; [Fol. 29a.] For he the wich that in the {con}trar Is Is hardy, ſtrong, and of gret kyne, I-wyß; 2316 Bot, It is ſaid, If I my{ch}t have w{i}t{h} me Ȝour kny{ch}t, quich in the last aſſemble [Sidenote: which the red knight could best maintain.] Was in the feld, and the red armys bur, In his manhed y my{ch}t my cauß aſſur; 2320 And yhow, ſ{ir}, richt hartly I exort In to this ned my myſt{er} to ſupport.” “Madem, by faith one to the quen I aw

[Footnote T53: MS. “conne.”]

[Headnote: ARTHUR CAN TELL HER NOTHING.]