Part 8

[Sidenote: nor of his suffering caused by love’s wound;] Nor of the ſufferans that by louis wounde 272 He in his trawel ſufferith au{er} more; Nor in the quenis p{rese}ns how tharfor [Sidenote: nor how he was nearly drowned at Camelot;] By camelot, in to that gret Revare, He was ner dround. I wil It not declare 276 How that he was in louis hewy tho{ch}t [Sidenote: nor how he was brought to court by Dagenet;] By dagenet in to the court I-bro{ch}t; Nor how the kny{ch}t that tyme he cane p{er}ſew, [Sidenote: nor of the giants he slew at Camelot;] Nor of the gyant{is} by camelot he ſlew; 280 Nor wil I not her tell the man{er} how He ſlew o kny{ch}t, by nat{ur} of his wow, [Sidenote: nor how he slew a knight of Melyholt;] Off melyholt; nore how in to that toune Thar came one hyme o gret confuſione 284 Of pupil {and} [of] kny{ch}t{is}, al enarmyt, [Sidenote: and there defended himself against a crowd;] Nor how he thar haith kepit hyme wnharmyt; Nor of his worſchip, nor of h{is} gret prowes, Nor his defens of armys in the pres. 288 [Sidenote: whereupon the lady of Melyhalt prayed him to yield his sword to her; and kept him in her power.] Nor how the lady of melyhalt y{a}t ſche Came to the feild, and pray[i]th hyme that he As to o lady to hir[T7] his ſuerd hath ȝold, Nor how he was in to hir keping hold; 292

[Footnote T7: MS. “his.”]

And mony vthir nobil deid alſo I wil report quharfor I lat ourgo. [Sidenote: Whoever likes, might make of these things a long story.] For quho thai{m} lykith for to ſpecyfy, Of one of thai{m} my{ch}t mak o gret ſtory; 296 Nor thing I not of his hye renōwn My febil wit to makin menſioune; [Sidenote: But I think to tell of the wars between Arthur and Galiot;] Bot of the wer{is} that was ſcharp {and} ſtrong, Richt p{er}ellouß, and hath enduryt long, 300 Of Arthur In defending of his lond [Fol. 5.] Frome galiot, ſone of the fair gyonde, That bro{ch}t of kny{ch}t{is} o paſing confluens; [Sidenote: wherein Lancelot won renown by his defence of Arthur;] And how lancelot of arthur{is} hol defens 304 And of the ver{is} berith the renowñ; And how he be the wais of fortou{n}e [Sidenote: and at last made peace between the two princes.] Tuex the two princ{is} makith the accorde, Of al there mortall wer{is} to concorde; 308 [Sidenote: I shall also tell how Venus rewarded him.] And how that venus, ſiting hie abuf, Reuardith hyme of trauell in to loue, And makith hyme his ladice grace to have, And thankfully his ſ{er}uice cane reſave; 312 This is the mat{er} quhich I think to tell. Bot ſtil he mot ry{ch}t w{i}t{h} the lady duell, Quhill tyme cu{m} eft that we ſchal of hy{m} ſpek. [Sidenote: My summary must end for the present.] This p{ro}ceß [now] mot cloſine beñ and ſtek; 316 And furth I wil one to my mat{er} go.

[Headnote: THE DEDICATION.]

[Sidenote: But I pray for the support of a very great poet,] Bot first I pray, and I beſek also, One to the moſt conpilour to ſupport, Flour of poyet{is}, quhois nome I wil report 320 To me nor to noñ vthir It accordit, [Sidenote: whose name I may not mention;] In to our rymyng his nam̅ to be recordit; For ſum ſuld deme It of preſumpſioune, [Sidenote: for our riming is but derision, when his excellence is remembered.] And ek our rymyng is al bot deryſioune, 324 Quhen that reme{m}brit is his excellens, So hie abuf that ſtant in reu{er}ans. Ye freſch enditing of h{is} laiting toung [Sidenote: The world knows his eloquence in inditing Latin;] Out throuch yis world ſo wid is yroung, 328 Of eloquens, and ek of retoryk; Nor is, nor was, nore neu{er} beith hyme lyk, [Sidenote: and none can ever gladden the world like him:] This world gladith of h{is} ſuet poetry. His ſaul I blyß conſeruyt be for-thy; 332 [Sidenote: to him be the thanks for my success.] And yf that ony lusty terme I wryt He haith the thonk y{er}of, {and} this endit.

EXPLICIT P{RO}LOG{US}, ET INCIPIT P{RI}M{US} LIBER.

[Headnote: ARTHUR AT CARLISLE.]

[BOOK I.]

[Sidenote: When Titan, being in Aries, had apparelled the fields,] ++Quhen [that] tytan, withe his lusty heit, [Fol. 5b.] Twenty dais In to the aryeit 336 Haith maid his courß, and all with diu{er}ß hewis Aparalit haith the feldis and the bewis; [Sidenote: and birds began to make their bowers;] The bird{is} amyd the erbis {and} the flour{is}, And one the branchis, makyne gone thar bour{is}, 340 And be the morow ſinging in ther chere Welcum to the luſty ſeſſone of the ȝere. In to this tyme the worthi conqueroure [Sidenote: king Arthur was at Carlisle.] Arthure, wich had of al this worlde the floure 344 Of cheuelry auerding to his crown, So paſing war his kny{ch}t{is} in renoune, Was at carlill; and hapy{n}nit ſo that hee Soiornyt well long in that faire cuntree. 348 [Sidenote: His knights, hearing of no adventure, were annoyed.] In to whilk tyme In to the court thai heire None awenture, for wich the knyght{is} weire Anoit all at the abiding thare. For-why, beholding one the ſobir ayre 352 And of the tyme the paſing luſtynes, Can ſo thir knyghtly hart{is} to encreß, [Sidenote: They therefore sent Sir Kay to pray the king to go to Camelot.] That thei ſhir kay one to the king haith ſende, Beſeiching hyme he wold wichſaif to wende 356 To camelot the Cetee, whare that thei Ware wont to heryng of armys day be day. The king forſuth, heryng thare entent, To thare deſir, be ſchort awyſment, 360 [Sidenote: The king proposed to do so on the morrow.] Ygrantid haith; and ſo the king p{ro}ponit And for to pas hyme one[T8] the morne diſponit.

[Footnote T8: MS. “to pas one hyme one,” with first “one” lightly crossed out.]

[Headnote: ARTHUR’S TWO DREAMS.]

Bot ſo befell hyme [on] that nycht to meit An aperans, the wich one to his ſpreit 364 [Sidenote: That night he dreamt that his hair all fell off;] It ſemyth that of al his hed ye hore Of fallith and maid deſolat; wharfore The king therof was pensyve in his mynd, That al the day he couth no reſting fynde, 368 [Sidenote: which made him delay his journey.] Wich makith hyme his Iorneye to delaye. And ſo befell apone the thrid day, The bricht ſone, paſing in the weſt, Haith maid his courß, and al thing goith to Reſt; 372 [Sidenote: Again he dreamt, that his bowels fell out, and lay beside him.] The king, ſo as the ſtory can dewyß, He thoght aȝeine, apone the ſamyne wyß, His vombe out fallith vith his hoil syde [Fol. 6.] Apone the ground, {and} liging hyme beſid; 376 Throw wich anon out of his ſlep he ſtert, Abaſit and adred in to his hart. [Sidenote: He told the queen, who answered, “No man should respect vain dreams.”] The wich be morow one to the qwen he told, And ſhe aȝeine to hyme haith anſuer ȝolde; 380 “To dremys, ſ{ir}, ſhuld no man have Reſpek, For thei ben thing{is} weyn, of non affek.” “Well,” q{uo}d the king, “god grant It ſo befall!”

[Headnote: HE SENDS FOR HIS CLERKS.]

[Sidenote: The king next shewed his dream to a clerk,] Arly he roß, and gert one to hyme call 384 O clerk, to whome that al his hewynes Tweching his drem ſhewith he expreß, [Sidenote: who said, “Sir, such things testify nothing.”] Wich anſuer yaf and ſeith one to the kinge; “Shir, no Record lyith to ſuch thing; 388 Wharfor now, ſhir, I praye yow tak no kep, Nore traiſt in to the vanyteis of slep; For thei are thing{is} that aſkith no credens, But cauſith of ſum maner influe{n}s, 392 Empriß of thoght, ore ſup{er}fleuytee, Or than ſum othir caſualytee.” [Sidenote: “Yet,” replied he, “I shall not leave it so.”] “Ȝit,” q{uo}d the king, “I ſal no{ch}t leif It so;” And furth he chargit meſinger{is} to go 396 Throgh al his Realm, w{i}t{h}outen more demande, [Sidenote: He bade all the bishops and clergy come to Camelot within twenty days.] And bad them ſtratly at thei ſhulde comande All the biſhopes, and makyng no delay The ſhuld appere be the tuenty day 400 At camelot, with al thar hol clergy That moſt expert war, for to certefye A mat{er} tueching to his goſt be nyght; The meſag goith furth with the l{ett}res Right. 404

++The king eft ſone, w{i}t{h}in a litill ſpace, His Iornay makith haith frome place to place, [Sidenote: He goes to Camelot, and finds the clerks assembled.] Whill that he cam to camelot; and there The clerk{is} all, as that the chargit were, 408 Aſſemblit war, and came to his preſens, Of his deſir to viting the ſentens. To them that war to hyme moſt ſpeciall Furth his entent ſhauyth he al hall; 412 [Sidenote: He discloses all to the ten that are most expert,] By whois conſeil, of the worthieſt He cheſith ten, yclepit for the beſt, And moſt expert and wiſeſt was ſuppoſit, 415 To qwhome his drem all hail he haith diſcloſſit; [Fol. 6b.] The houre, the nyght, and al the c{er}cumſtans; [Sidenote: and beseeches them to explain the dreams.] Beſichyne them that the ſignifycans Thei wald hyme ſhaw, that he my{ch}t reſting fynde Of It, the wich that occupeid his mynde. 420 [Sidenote: One of them asks for nine days to advise upon the matter.] And one of them with[T9] al ther holl aſſent Saith, “ſhire, fore to declare our entent Vpone this matere, ye wil ws delay Fore to awyſing one to the ix day.” 424 The king ther-to grantith haith, bot hee [Sidenote: The king complies, but shuts them up in a strong place.] In to o place, that ſtrong was and hye, He cloſith them, whare thei may no whare get, Vn to the day, the wich he to them set. 428 Than goith the clerk{is} ſadly to awyß Of this mat{er}, to ſeing in what wyß The king{is} drem thei ſhal beſt ſpecefy. [Sidenote: The masters of astronomy fetch their books,] And than the maiſtris of aſtronomy 432 The book{is} longyne to ther artis set;[T10] Not was the buk{is} of arachell forget, Of nembrot, of danȝhelome, thei two, Of moyſes, {and} of herynes all soo; 436 [Sidenote: and calculate the disposition of the planets.] And ſeking be ther calcolaciou{n}e To fynd the planet{is} diſpoſiciou{n}e, The wich thei fond ware wond{er} ewill yſet The ſamyne nyght the king his ſweuen met. 440

[Footnote T9: MS. “saith with” (with a very slight scratch through “saith”).] [Footnote T10: So in MS. Read “fet.”]

[Headnote: THEY REFUSE TO EXPLAIN THEM.]

So ner the point ſocht thei have the thing, [Sidenote: They found the matter heavy for the king, and doubted if they should tell him so.] Thei fond It wond{er} hewy to the king, Of wich thing thei waryng in to were To ſhew the king, for dreid of his danger. 444 Of ane accorde thei planly haue p{ro}ponit No worde to ſhow, and ſo thei them diſponit. [Sidenote: Being sent for,] The day is cu{m}yng, and he haith fore them ſent, Beſichyne them to ſhewing ther entent. 448 [Sidenote: they all spake, “Sir, we can find no evidence.”] Than ſpak they all, and that of an accorde; “Shir, of this thing we can no thing Recorde, For we can noght fynd in til our ſciens Tweching this mater ony ewydens.” 452 [Sidenote: “Ere we part,” quoth the king, “ye shall witness something.”] “Now,” q{uo}d the king, “and be the glorius lorde, Or we depart ye ſhall ſum thing recorde; So pas yhe not, nor ſo It ſall not bee.” “Than,” q{uo}d the clerk{is}, “grant ws dais three.” 456 [Sidenote: He grants them three days more.] The wich he grantid them, and but delay, [Fol. 7.] The term paſſith, no thing wold the ſay, Wharof the king ſtondith heuy cherith, And to the clerk{is} his viſag ſo apperith, 460 That all thei dred them of the king{is} myght. [Sidenote: They pray for a further delay of three days.] Than ſaith o clerk, “s{ir}, as the thrid nyght Ye dremyt, ſo [now] giffis ws delay The thrid tyme, and to the thrid day.” 464 By whilk tyme thei fundyng haith the ende Of this mater, als far as ſhal depend To ther ſciens; yit can thei not awyß To ſchewing to the king be ony wyß. 468 [Sidenote: They still refuse to declare their thought.] The day is cum, the king haith them beſocht, But one no wyß thei wald declar ther thoght; Than was he wroth in to his ſelf and noyt, [Sidenote: The king vows to destroy them;] And maid his wow that thei ſhal[T11] ben diſtroyt. 472 His baronis he co{m}mandit to gar tak Fyve of them one to the fir-ſtak, And vther fyue be to the gibbot tone; And the furth w{i}t{h} the king{is} charg ar gone. 476 [Sidenote: but secretly charges his knights not to harm them.] He bad them in to ſecret wyß that thei Shud do no harm, but only them aßey. The clark{is}, dredful of the king{is} Ire, And ſaw the p{er}ell of deth and of the fyre, 480 Fyve, as thei can, has grantit to record; That vther herde and ben of ther accorde; And al thei ben yled one to the king, [Sidenote: They yield at last, and say,] And ſhew hyme thus as tueching of this thing. 484

[Footnote T11: MS. “ſhat.”]

[Headnote: INTERPRETATION OF THE DREAMS.]

“Shir, ſen that we conſtrenyt ar by myght To ſhaw that wich[T12] we knaw no thing aricht; For thing to cum preſeruith It allan To hyme the wich is euery thing c{er}tañ, 488 Excep the thing that til our knawleg hee Hath ordynat of certan for to bee; Therfor, ſhir king, we your magnificens Beſeich It turne till ws to non offens, 492 [Sidenote: “Hold us not as liars, though it happen not as we say.] Nor hald was no{ch}t as lear{is}, thoght It fall Not in this mat{er}, as that we telen ſhall.” And that the king haith grantit them, {and} thei Has chargit one, that one this wiß ſall ſeye. 496 “Preſumyth, ſhir, that we have fundyne so; [Sidenote: You must forego all earthly honour;] All erdly honore ye nedis[T13] moſt for-go, [Sidenote: and those on whom you most rely, will fail you.”] And them the wich ye moſt affy in-tyll [Fol. 7b.] Shal failye ȝow, magre of ther will; 500 And thus we haue in to this matere founde.” The king, quhois hart was al wyth dred ybownd, And aſkit at the clerk{is}, if thei fynde By there clergy, that ſtant i{n} ony kynde 504 [Sidenote: The king asks if his destiny can be altered.] Of poſſibilitee, fore to reforme His deſteny, that ſtud in ſuch a forme; If in the hewyne Is preordynat On ſuch o wiß his honor to tranſlat. 508 The clerk{is} ſaith, “forſuth, and we haue ſene [Sidenote: They reply, that the matter is dark.] O thing whar-of, if we the trouth ſhal meñ, Is ſo obſcure and dyrk til our clergye, That we wat not what It ſhal ſignefye, 512 Wich cauſith ws we can It not furth ſay.” “Yis,” q{uo}d the king, “as lykith yow ye may, For wers than this can nat be ſaid for me.”

[Footnote T12: MS. “wich that.”] [Footnote T13: MS. “nediſt;” but see l. 518.]

[Headnote: THE CLERKS GIVE MYSTERIOUS ADVICE.]

[Sidenote: A master says, there is no help but in the true watery lion, and in the leech, and in the flower.] Thane ſaith o maiſtir, “than ſuthly th{us} finde we; 516 Thar is no thing ſal ſucour nor reſkew, Your worldly honore nedis moſt adew, But throuch the watrye lyone {and} ek fyne, On throuch the liche {and} ek the wattir ſyne, 520 [Sidenote: God knows what this should mean.] And throuch the conſeill of the flour; god wot What this ſhude meñ, for mor ther-of we not.” No word the king anſuerid ayane, For al this reſone thinkith bot i{n} weyne. 524 [Sidenote: The king shews no outward grief,] He ſhawith outwart his contenans As he therof takith no greuans; [Sidenote: but is not rid of anxiety all night.] But al the nyght it paſſid nat his thoght. The dais courß w{i}t{h} ful deſir he ſocht, 528 And furth he goith to bring his mynd i{n} reſt [Sidenote: Next day he goes to the forest.] W{i}t{h} mony O knyght vn to the gret foreſt; The rachis gon wn-copelit for the deire, That in the wodis makith nois {and} cheir: 532 The knycht{is}, w{i}t{h} the grewhund{is} in aweit, Secith boith the planis and the ſtreit. [Sidenote: The chase.] Doune goith the hart, doune goith the hynd alſo; [In to the feld can ruſching to and fro][T14] 536 The ſwift grewhund, hardy of aſſay; Befor ther hedis no thing goith away. The king of hunting takith haith his ſport, [Sidenote: The king returns.] And to his palace home he can Reſort, 540 Ayan the noon; and as that he was set [Sidenote: As they sit at meat, an aged knight enters, fully armed.] Vith all his noble knyght{is} at the met, [Fol. 8.] So cam ther in an agit knyght, {and} hee Of gret eſſtat ſemyt for to bee; 544 Anarmyt all, as tho It was the gyß, And thus the king he ſaluſt, one this wiß,

[Footnote T14: A line must here be lost, but there is nothing to shew this in the MS. The inserted line is imitated from l. 3293.]

[Headnote: GALIOT’S MESSAGE.]

[Sidenote: The knight’s message is that king Galiot bids Arthur to yield to him his kingdom.] ++“Shir king, one to yow am y ſende Frome the worthieſt that i{n} world is kend, 548 That leuyth now of his tyme and age, Of manhed, wiſdome, {and} of hie curag, Galiot, ſone of the fare gyande; And thus, at ſhort, he bid{is} yow your londe 552 Ye yald hyme our, w{i}t{h}out Impedyment; Or of hyme holde, and if tribut and rent. This is my charge at ſhort, whilk if youe leſt For to fulfill, of al he haith conqueſt 556 He ſais that he moſt tendir ſhal youe hald.”

[Headnote: ARTHUR DEFIES GALIOT.]

[Sidenote: The king refuses.] By ſhort awys the king his anſuer yald; “Shir kny{ch}t, your lorde wondir hie pretendis, When he to me ſic ſalutatioune send{is}; 560 For I as yit, in tymys that ar gone, Held neu{er} lond excep of god alone, Nore neu{er} thinkith til erthly lord to yef Trybut nor rent, als long as I may lef.” 564 [Sidenote: The knight replies, that his lord bids him defiance, and will invade his land in a month;] “Well,” q{uo}d the kny{ch}t, “ful ſor repentith me; Non may reciſt the thing the wich mone bee. To yow, ſ{ir} king, than frome my lord am I With diffyans ſent, and be this reſone why; 568 His purpos Is, or this day moneth day, With all his oſt, planly to aſſay Your lond, w{i}t{h} mony ma{n}ly man of were, [Sidenote: not to return till he has conquered;] And helmyt kny{ch}t{is}, boith with ſheld {and} ſpere; 572 And neu{er} thinkith to retwrn home whill That he this lond haith conqueſt at his will; [Sidenote: and he intends to possess queen Vanour.] And ek vanour the quen, of whome that hee Herith report of al this world that ſhee 576 In fairhed and in wertew doith excede, He bad me ſay he think{is} to poſſede.” [Sidenote: Arthur returns his defiance.] “Schir,” q{uod} the king, “your meſag me behuf{is} Of reſone and of curtaſy excuſß; 580 But tueching to your lord {and} to his oſt, His powar [and] his meſag and his boſt, That pretendith my lond for to diſtroy, Thar-of as ȝit tak I non anoye; 584 And ſay your lord one my behalf, when hee [Fol. 8b.] Haith tone my lond, that al the world ſhal see That It ſhal be magre myne entent.” [Sidenote: The knight departs, lamenting Arthur’s adventurous spirit.] With that the kny{ch}t, w{i}t{h}outen leif, is went, 588 And richt as he was paſing to the dure, He ſaith, “a gode![T15] what wykyt aduenture Apperith!” w{i}t{h} that his hors he nome, Two knicht{is} kepit, waiting h{is} outcome. 592

[Footnote T15: MS. “agod^e.”]