Part 9

The kni{ch}t is gon, the king he gan Inquere At gawan, and at other kny{ch}t{is} sere, [Sidenote: Arthur asks Gawane who Galiot is.] If that thei knew or eu{er} hard recorde Of galiot, and wharof he wes lorde; 596 And ther was non among his kny{ch}t{is} all Which anſuerd o word in to the hall. Than galygantynis of walys raſe, [Sidenote: Galygantynis of Wales replies,] That trauelit in diu{er}ß lond{is} has, 600 In mony kny{ch}tly aue{n}tur haith ben; And to the king he ſaith, “ſ{ir}, I haue sen Galiot, which is the fareſt kny{ch}t, [Sidenote: that Galiot is the tallest knight by half a foot of all he ever saw; that he is wise, liberal, humble,] And hieſt be half a fut one hycht, 604 That eu{er} I saw, and ek his me{n} accordith; Hyme lakid no{ch}t that to a lord recordith. For viſare of his ag is non than hee, And ful of larges and humylytee; 608 [Sidenote: courageous, and under xxiv years of age.] An hart he haith of paſing hie curag, And is not xxiiij ȝer of age, And of his tyme mekil haith conquerit; [Sidenote: Ten kings obey him.] Ten king{is} at his {com}mand ar ſterit. 612 He v{i}t{h} his me{n} ſo louit is, y geß, That hyme to pleß is al ther beſynes. Not ſay I this, ſ{ir}, in to ye entent That he, nor none wnd{er} the firmame{n}t, 616 Shal pouere haue ayane your maieſtee; And or thei ſhuld, this y ſey for mee, Rather I ſhall kny{ch}tly in to feild Reſaue my deith anarmyt wnd{er} ſheld. 620 This ſpek y leſt;”--the king, ayan the morn, [Sidenote: The king goes again to the chase.] Haith varnit huntar{is} baith with hund {and} horne, And arly gan one to the foreſt ryd, With mony manly knyght{is} by h{is} ſid, 624 Hyme for to ſport and comfort w{i}t{h} the dere, Set contrare was the ſeſone of y^e yere. [Sidenote: He likes boar-hunting best.] His moſt huntyng was atte wyld bore; God wot a luſtye cuntree was It thoore, 628 [Fol. 9.] In the ilk tyme! weil long this noble king In to this lond haith maid his ſuiornyng;

[Headnote: THE LADY OF MELYHALT’S MESSAGE.]

[Sidenote: A messenger comes from the lady of Melyhalt,] Frome the lady was send o meſinger Of melyhalt, wich ſaith one this maner, 632 As that the ſtory ſhewith by recorde:

++“TO yow, ſ{ir} king, as to hir ſou{er}an lorde, My lady hath me chargit for to ſay How that your lond ſtondith i{n} affray; 636 [Sidenote: to say that Galiot has entered Arthur’s land,] For galiot, ſone of the fare gyande, Enterit Is by armys in your land, And ſo the lond and cuntre he anoyth, That quhar he goith planly he diſtroyth, 640 And makith al obeiſand to his honde, [Sidenote: and has conquered all but two castles belonging to his mistress.] That nocht is left wnconqueſt i{n} that lond, Excep two caſtell{is} longing to hir cwre, Wich to defend ſhe may no{ch}t long endure. 644 Wharfor, ſ{ir}, in word{is} plan {and} ſhort, Ye mon diſpone your folk for to ſupport.”

[Headnote: ARTHUR’S READINESS FOR WAR.]

[Sidenote: The king promises not to delay, and inquires the number of the foe.] “Wel,” q{uod} the king, “one to thi lady ſay The neid is myne, I fall It not delay; 648 But what folk ar thei ne{m}myt for to bee, That in my lond is cu{m}yne in ſich degree?” [Sidenote: “A hundred thousand,” is the reply.] “An hundreth thouſand boith vith ſheld {and} ſpere On hors ar armyt, al redy for the were.” 652 “Wel,” q{uo}d the king, “and but delay this ny{ch}t, Or than to morn as that the day is lycht, [Sidenote: The king says he will set off that very night.] I ſhal remuf; ther ſhal no thing me mak Impedyme{n}t, my Iorney for to tak.” 656 Than ſeith his kny{ch}t{is} al w{i}t{h} one aſſent, [Sidenote: His knights advise him to wait till he has raised an army.] “Shir, that is al contrare our entent; For to your folk this mater is wnwiſt, And ye ar here our few for to reciſt 660 Ȝone power, and youre cuntre to defende; Tharfor abid, and for your folk ye send, That lyk a king and lyk a weriour Ye may ſuſten in armys your honoure.” 664 “Now,” q{uod} the king, “no langer that I ȝeme My crowne, my ſepture, nor my dyademe, Frome that I here, ore frome I wnd{er}ſtand, That ther by fors be entrit in my land 668 Men of armys, by ſtrenth of vyolens, [Sidenote: He refuses to wait longer than till the morrow.] If that I mak abid or reſydens In to o place langar than o ny{ch}t, For to defend my cuntre {and} my ry{ch}t.” 672 The king that day his meſage haith furth sent [Fol. 9b.] Throuch al his realme, and ſyne to reſt is went.

++Up goith the morow, wp goith the bry{ch}t day, Wp goith the sone in to his freſh aray; 676 Richt as he ſpred his bemys frome northeſt, [Sidenote: The king arises next morning without delay,] The king wpraß w{i}t{h}outen more areſt, And by his awn conſeil and entent His Iornaye tuk at ſhort awyſment. 680 And but dulay he goith frome place to place Whill that he cam nere whare[T16] the lady was, [Sidenote: and reaches a plain by the river side,] And in one plane, apone o reuer ſyde, He lichtit doune, and ther he can abide; 684 And yit w{i}t{h} hyme to batell fore to go [Sidenote: having only seven thousand with him.] Vij thousand fechter{is} war thei, {and} no mo.

[Footnote T16: MS. “whare that,” with slight scratch through “that.”]

[Sidenote: Lancelot, having been imprisoned by the lady of Melyhalt,] ++This was the lady, of qwhome befor I tolde, That lancilot haith in to hir kepinge holde; 688 But for to tell his paſing hewyneſſe, His peyne, his ſorow, and his gret diſtreſſe Of preſone and of loues gret ſuppris, It war to long to me for to dewys. 692 When he reme{m}brith one his hewy charge Of loue, wharof he can hyme not diſcharge, He wepith and he ſorowith in his chere, And euery nyght ſemyth hyme o yere. 696 Gret peite was the ſorow that he maad, [Sidenote: laments his fate.] And to hyme-ſelf apone this wiß he ſaade:

[Headnote: LANCELOT’S LAMENT.]

[Sidenote: Lancelot’s lament; his pleasure is gone;] ++“Qwhat haue y gilt, allace! or qwhat deſ{er}uit? That thus myne hart ſhal vondit ben {and} carwit 700 One by the ſuord of double peine and wo? My comfort and my pleſans is ago, To me is nat that ſhuld me glaid reſeruit.

[Sidenote: he curses his natal day;] I curß the tyme of myne Natiuitee, 704 Whar in the heuen It ordinyd was for me, In all my lyue neu{er} til haue eeß; But for to be example of diſeß, And that apperith that eu{er}y vicht may see. 708

[Sidenote: he has never spent a single day free from anxiety,] Sen thelke tyme that I had ſufficians Of age, and chargit thoght{is} ſufferans, Nor neu{er} I {con}tinewite haith o day With-out the payne of thoght{is} hard aſſay; 712 Thus goith my youth in tempeſt {and} penans.

[Sidenote: and is now in prison; and invokes Death.] And now my body is In preſone broght; But of my wo, that in Regard is noght, [Fol. 10.] The wich myne hart felith euer more. 716 O deth, allace! whi hath yow me forbore That of remed haith the ſo long beſoght!”

[Sidenote: Thus the smart of love’s sorrow pricketh him. He is kept by her from the exercise of knighthood; and there we let him dwell.] Thus neu{er}emore he ſeſith to compleine, This woful knyght that felith not bot peine; 720 So prekith hyme the ſmert of loues ſore, And eu{er}y day encreſſith more and more. And with this lady takine is alſo, And kepit whar he may no whare go 724 To haunt knychthed, the wich he moſt deſirit; And, thus his hart w{i}t{h} dowbil wo yfirite, We lat hyme duel here with the lady ſtill, Whar he haith laiſere for to compleine his fyll. 728

[Headnote: GALIOT BESIEGES A CASTLE.]

[Sidenote: Meanwhile, Galiot besieged a castle.] ++And galiot in this meyne tyme he laie By ſtrong myght o caſtell to aſſay, With many engyne and diu{er}ß wais ſere, For of fute folk he had a gret powere 732 That bowis bur, and vther Inſtrument{is}, [Sidenote: His army had pavilions, tents, and iron-wheeled chariots.] And with them lede ther palȝonis {and} ther te{n}t{is}, With mony o ſtrong chariot and cher With yrne qwhelis and barris long {and} ſqwar; 736 Well ſtuffit with al maner apparell That longith to o ſege or to batell; Whar-with his oſt was cloſit al about, That of no ſtrenth nedith hyme to dout. 740 [Sidenote: When he heard of Arthur’s coming,] And when he hard the cu{m}yne of the king, And of his oſt, and of his gaderyng, The wich he reput but of febil myght Ayanis hyme for to ſuſten the ficht, 744 His conſell holl aſſemblit he, but were, [Sidenote: he assembled his council,] Ten knight{is} with other lord{is} ſere, And told theme of the cu{m}ing of the king, And aſkit them there conſell of that thing. 748 [Sidenote: who thought it would degrade him, to fight in proper person against so few.] Hyme thoght that it his worſchip wold degrade, If he hyme ſelf in p{ro}pir p{er}ſone raide Enarmyt ayane ſo few menye As It was told arthur[{is}] fore to bee; 752 And thane the kyng-An-hund{er}eth-kny{ch}t{is} cold, (And ſo he hot, for neu{er}more he wolde Ryd of his lond, but In his cu{m}pany O hundyre knyght{is} ful of chiuellry). 756

[Headnote: PREPARATION FOR THE BATTLE.]

[Sidenote: The king of a hundred knights (Maleginis) undertakes the exploit;] He ſaith, “shir, ande I one hond [may] tak, [Fol. 10b.] If It you pleß, this Iorney ſhal I mak.” Quod galiot, “I grant It yow, but ye Shal firſt go ryd, yone kny{ch}t{is} oſt {and} see.” 760 With-outen more he ridith our the plan, And ſaw the oſt and is returnyd ayañ; And callit them mo than he hade ſen, for why He dred the reprefe of his cumpany. 764 [Sidenote: who reconnoitres Arthur’s host, and says it is 10,000 strong: whereon Galiot charges him to take the same number.] And to his lord apone this wys ſaith hee, “Shir, ten thouſand y ges them for to bee.” And galiot haith chargit hyme to tak Als fell folk, and for the feld hyme mak. 768 And ſo he doith and haith them wel Arayt; Apone the morne his banaris war diſplayt.

++Up goth the trumpet{is} with the clariou{ni}s, Ayaine the feld blawen furth ther ſownis, 772 [Sidenote: Galiot’s host set out.] Furth goth this king w{i}t{h} al his oſt anon. Be this the word wes to king arthur gone, That knew no thing, nor wiſt of ther entent, [Sidenote: Arthur’s host don their armour.] But ſone his folk ar one to armys went; 776 But arthur by Report hard saye [Sidenote: Arthur, hearing that Galiot is unarmed, will not arm himself;] How galiot non armys bur that day, Wharfor he thoght of armys nor of ſheld None wald he tak, nor mak hyme for the feld. 780 [Sidenote: but calls Gawane, and tells him how to order his battalions.] But gawane haith he clepit, was hyme by, In qwhome Rignith the flour of cheuelry; And told one what man{er}, and one what wyß He ſhuld his batelles ordand and dewys; 784 Beſeching hyme, [hyme] wiſly to for-see Aȝaine thei folk, wich was far mo than hee. He knew the charg and paſſith one his way Furth to his horß, and makith no dulay; 788 The clariou{n}is blew and furth goth al onoñ, [Sidenote: Gawane and his men cross over the water at the ford.] And our ye watt{er} and the furd ar goñe.

[Headnote: GAWANE HARANGUES HIS MEN.]

Within o playne vpone that other ſyd Ther gawan gon his batellis to dewide, 792 As he wel couth, and set them i{n} aray, Syne with o manly contynans can ſay, [Sidenote: He harangues his men.] “Ye falowis wich of the round table beñ, Through al this erth whois fam is hard {and} ſen, 796 Reme{m}brith now It ſtondith one the poynt, For why It lyith one your ſperis poynt,[T17] The well-fare of the king and of our londe; [Fol. 11.] And ſen the ſucour lyith in your honde, 800 And hardement is thing ſhall moſt awaill Frome deth ther men of armys in bataill, Lat now your ma{n}hed and your hie curage The pryd of al thir multitude aſſuage; 804 Deth or defence, non other thing we wot.” [Sidenote: Maleginis and all his host come over the plain, and Gawane sends a company against them.] This freſch king, that maleginis was hot, With al his oſt he cu{m}myne our the plañ, And gawan ſend o batell hyme agañ; 808 In myde the borde,[T18] and feſtinit in the ſtell The ſperithis poynt, that bitith ſcharp {and} well; [Sidenote: But they were all too few; wherefore Gawane sends a second company;] Bot al to few thei war, and my{ch}t no{ch}t leſt This gret Rout that cu{m}myth one ſo faſt. 812 Than haith ſ{ir} gawan ſend, them to ſupport, One othir batell with one kny{ch}tly sorte; [Sidenote: then a third; then a fourth; and then sets out himself, to resist the 10,000.] And ſyne the thrid, and ſyne the ferde alſo; And ſyne hyme-ſelf one to the feld can go, 816 When that he ſauch thar latt{er} batell ſteir, And the ten thouſand cu{m}myne al thei veir; Qwhar that of armes prewit he so well, His e{n}nemys gane his mortall [ſtrokis] fell. 820

[Footnote T17: At the bottom of this page appears for the first time a catchword, which is-- “The wel fare.”] [Footnote T18: Or “berde.”]

[Headnote: GAWANE DEFEATS MALEGINIS.]

[Sidenote: He goes among them in his courage,] He goith ymong them in his hie curage, As he that had of knyghthed the wſage, And couth hyme weill {con}ten i{n} to on hour; Aȝaine his ſtrok reſiſtit non armour; 824 [Sidenote: and many other of Arthur’s knights perform wonders.] And mony kny{ch}t, that worth ware and bolde, War thore with hyme of arthur{is} houſhold, And knyghtly gan one to the feld them bere, And mekil wroght of armys In to were; 828 S{ir} gawan than vpone ſuch wyß hyme bure, [Sidenote: Maleginis goeth to discomfiture, and 7,000 of his men flee.] This othere goith al to diſcu{m}fitoure; Sewyne thouſand fled, {and} of the feld thei go, Whar-of this king in to his hart was wo, 832 For of hyme ſelf he was of hie curage. To galiot than ſend he in meſag, That he ſhuld help his folk for to defende; [Sidenote: Galiot sends him 30,000 more.] And he to hyme hath xxx^te thousand sende; 836 Whar-of this king gladith in his hart, And thinkith to Reweng all the ſmart That he to-for haith ſuffirit and the payne. [Fol. 11b.] [Sidenote: His folk return across the field as thick as hail.] And al his folk returnyt Is ayayne 840 Atour the feld, and cu{m}myne thilk as haill;[T19] The ſwyft horß goith firſt to the aſſall. This noble knyght that ſeith the g{r}ete forß Of armyt men, that cu{m}myne vpone horß, 844 To-giddir ſemblit al his falowſchip, And thoght them at the ſharp poynt to kep, So that thar harm̅ ſhal be ful deir yboght. This vthere folk with ſtraucht courß hath ſocht 848 Out of aray atour the larg felld; Thar was the ſtrok{is} feſtnit i{n} the ſhelde, Thei war Reſauit at the ſper{is} end. [Sidenote: Arthur’s folk receive them manfully.] So arthur{is} folk can manfully defend; 852 The formeſt can thar lyues end conclude, Whar ſone aſſemblit al the multitude. Thar was defens, ther was gret aſſaill, Richt wond{er}full and ſtrong was y^e bataill, 856 [Sidenote: but sustain much pain,] Whar arthur{is} folk ſuſtenit mekil payn, And kny{ch}tly them defendit haith aȝaine.

[Footnote T19: MS. “thilk as (Rayne) haill,” as if it were at first intended to find a rime to “ayayne.”]

[Headnote: GAWANE’S VALIANT DEEDS.]

[Sidenote: and cannot endure against so many.] Bot endur thei my{ch}t, apone no wyß, The multitude and ek the gret ſupp{ri}ß; 860 But gawan, wich that ſetith al h{is} payn Vpone knyghthed, defendid ſo aȝaine, That only in the manhede of this knyght His folk reIoſit them of his gret myght, 864 And ek abaſit hath his ennemys; For throw the feld he goith in ſuch wyß, And in the preß ſo ma{n}fully them ſ{er}uith, [Sidenote: Gawane carves helmets in two, and smites heads off shoulders;] His ſuerd atwo the helmys al to-kerwith, 868 The hed{is} of he be the ſhoud{er}is ſmat; The horß goith, of the maiſt{er} deſolat. But what awaleth al his beſynes, So ſtrong and ſo inſufferable vas the preß? 872 [Sidenote: but his men recross the ford to go to their lodges.] His folk are paſſit atour the furdis ilkon, Towart ther bretis and to ther luges gon; Whar he and many worthy knyght alſo Of arthur{is} houß endurit mekill wo, 876 That neu{er} men mar in to armys vroght Of manhed, ȝit was It al for noght. Thar was the ſtrenth, ther was the paſing myght [Fol. 12.] [Sidenote: Gawane fights alone till night,] Of gawan, wich that whill the dirk nyght 880 Befor the luges faucht al hyme aloñ, When that his falowis entrit ware ilkoñ, On arthur{is} half war mony tan and ſlan; [Sidenote: when Galiot’s folk return home.] And galot{is} folk Is hame ret{u}rnyd aȝaine, 884 For it was lait; away the oſtis ridith, And gawan ȝit apone his horß abidith, W{i}t{h} ſuerd in hond, when thei away var gon, And so for-wrocht hys ly{m}mys ver ilkon, 888 And wondit ek his body vp and doune, [Sidenote: Gawane swoons upon his horse.] Vpone his horß Right thore he fel in ſwoune; And thei hyme tuk {and} to his lugyne bare, [Sidenote: The king and queen fear he has brought himself to confusion.] Boith king and qwen of hyme vare i{n} diſpare; 892 For thei ſuppoſit, throw marwellis that he vroght, He had hyme-ſelf to his confuſiou{n}e broght.

[Headnote: LANCELOT PRAYS TO BE RELEASED.]

[T]his[T20] was nere by of melyhalt, the hyll, Whar lanſcelot ȝit was w{i}t{h} the lady ſtill. 896 The kny{ch}t{is} of the court [can] paſing hom̅e; This ladiis kny{ch}t{is} to hir palice com, And told to hir, how that the feld was vent, [Sidenote: The lady of Melyhalt hears of Gawane’s deeds;] And of gawan, and of his hardyme{n}t, 900 That merwell was his manhed to behold; [Sidenote: and Lancelot also,] And ſone thir tithing{is} to the kny{ch}t vas told, That was with wo and hewyneſs oppreſt; So noyith hyme his ſuiorne and his reſt, 904 [Sidenote: who sends for a knight to take a message to the lady;] And but dulay one for o kny{ch}t he send, That was moſt ſpeciall with the lady kend. He comyne, and the kny{ch}t vn to hyme ſaid, “Diſpleß yow not, ſ{ir}, be ȝhe not ill paid, 908 So homly thus I yow exort to go, To gare my lady ſpek o word or two With me, that am a carful p{re}ſonere.”[T21] “S{ir}, your co{m}mande y ſhall, w{i}t{h}outen were, 912 Fulfill;” and to his lady paſſit hee In lawly wyß beſiching hir, that ſhe Wald grant hyme to pas at his requeſt, Vnto hir kny{ch}t, ſtood wnd{er} hir areſt; 916 And ſhe, that knew al gentilleß aright, [Sidenote: who comes to his chamber.] Furth to his chamber paſſit wight[T22] the licht.

[Footnote T20: See note to this line.] [Footnote T21: MS. “preson{er}ere.”] [Footnote T22: Read “with” (?).]

++And he aroß and ſaluſt Curtaſly [Fol. 12b.] [Sidenote: Lancelot beseeches her to appoint his ransom,] The lady, and ſaid, “madem, her I, 920 Your preſoner, beſekith yow that ȝhe Wold merſy and compaſſione have of me, And mak the ranſone wich that I may yeif; I waiſt my tyme in presou{n}e thus to leife. 924 For why I her on be report be told, That arthur, with the flour of his houſholde, Is cu{m}myne here, and in this cuntre lyis, And ſtant In danger of his ennemyis, 928 And haith aſſemblit; and eft this ſhalt bee Within ſhort tyme one new aſſemblee. Thar-for, my lady, y youe g{ra}ce beſech, That I mycht pas, my Ranſon for to fech; 932 [Sidenote: presuming that some of Arthur’s knights will pay it.] Fore I p{re}ſume thar longith to that ſort That louid me, and ſhal my nede ſupport.”

[Headnote: THE LADY AT FIRST REFUSES;]