No. I.

Syre Gawene and the Carle of Carelyle.

[MS. Porkington, fol. 12.]

L

YSTENNYTH, lordyng, a lytty stonde,

Of on pt was fekor and founde,

And douzgty in his dede;

He was as meke as mayde in bour",
And p2 to ftyfe in eu'y ftour",

Was non fo douзtty in dede.

Ded of arm, wtt1 out lefe,

Seche he wolde in war & pees,

In mony a ftronge lede;

Sertayñly wtt outtyń fabuйt,

He was wtt Artt at pe Rounde Tabutt,

In romans as we reede.

His name was fyr Gawene,

Moche worfchepe in Brette he wañ,

And hardy he was and wyzte;

The yle of Brettayñ i-cleppyde ys,

Betwyn Skotlond & Ynglonde, I wys,
In ftorry i-wryte a-ryžte.

Wallys ys an anguft of pt yle,

At Cardyfe foiornde pe kynge a whylle,
Wtt mony a gentyй knyŝte;

Sic, for wt or with, passim.

That wolde to Ynglonde, to honte, As grete lordys dothe, and be wonte, [fol. 12b.] Wtt hardy lordys and wygɔ̃te.

Kynge Arttor to his lordis gañ faye,
As a lorde ryatt þt well maye,
"Do vs to haue a masse;
Byfchope Bawdewyn fchaft hit don,
The to pe forreft woll we gon,
All that evyr9 her ys.

For nowe ys grece tyme of pe1 zeer",
That barūs bolde fchulde hont pe der",
And reyfe hem of her refte;"-
Wōder glad was fyr' Mewreke,
So was pe knyzt fyr Key Cātocke,
And op mor and lafe.

Glade was Launccelet de Lacke,
So was f Percivalt, I vndor-take,

And Lanfalle, I wene;

So was fyr Eweyn þe Vytt yan,
And fyr Lot of Laudyañ,
That hardy was & kene.

Syr Gaytefer?, and fyr Galerowne,

Syr Coftantyn, and fyr Raynbrown,
The knyst of arm9 grene;

Syr Gawen was ftwarde of pe halle,
He was maft of hem att,

And buskyde hem be-dene.

[fol. 13.] The kyng vncull fyr Mordrete,

Nobull knytt9 wtt hym gañ lede,
In romans as men rede ;
Syr9 Yngeles, pt genttyle knyžte,
Wtt hym he lede houndys wygŝt,
That well coude do her dede.
Syr9 Le Byus Dyfkonús was þare,

1 1pā, MS.

Wtt proude men les & mare,
To make pe doune der blede;
Syr Petty-pas of Wynchylfe,
A nobutt knyŝt of cheualre,
And ftout was on a stede.

Syr Grandon, & fyr Ferr-vnkowpe,
Meryly they fewyde wtt mouthe,
Wtt houndys pt wer' wyŝt;
Syr Blancheles, and Iron-fyde,
Mōny a doughty pt day coñ ryde,

On hors fayr and lyžte.

Iroun-fyde, as I wene,

Gat pe knyzt of armus grene,
On a lady brygɔ̃t;
Sertenly, as I wndur"-ftonde,

The fayr may of Blanche-londe,
[fol. 13b.] In bour", pt louely wyste.
Iron-fyde, as I wene,

I-armyd he wolde ryde futt clene,
Wer pe foun nevyr fo hoot1;
In wyntt? he wolde arm bere,
Gyantt & he wer eu? at were,
And all way at pe de-bate.
Fabele-honde hyst ys stede,
His armys and his odir wede,
Full fayr and goode hit was;
Of afur for fothe he bare,
A gryffyn of golde futt feyr,
I-fet fult of golde flourr3.

He coude mor' of venery & of wer",
The aft pe kyng9 pt wer ther",
Fult oft a-fay hem he wolde;
Brennynge dragons hade he flayñ,
And wylde bull mony won,

That grefely wer i-holde.

90

Byge barrons he hade i-bonde,

A hardyer knyt myst not be fonde,
Full herdy he was, and bolde;
Therfor he1 was callyd, as I hard fay,

The kyng fellowe, by his day,
[fol. 14.] Wtt worthy knytt i-tolde.
A lyon of golde was his crefte,
He fpake reyfon out of refte,
Lyftyn, and ze may her? ;

Wher eu? he went, be eft or wefte,
He nold for"-fake mañ nor beft,
To fyst fer or ner?.

Knytt kene fast they rane,

The kynge followyd wtt mony a mā,
V. C. and moo, I wene;

Folke followyd wtt fedyrt floñ3,

Nobutt archarr for be nons,

To fell pe fallow der fo cleyn.
Barrons gan her hornn blowe,
The der cam reykynge on a rowe,
Bothe hert and eke heynde;

Be that tyme was pryme of pe day,
V. C. der dede on a lond lay,

Alonge vndur" a lynde.

The fyr Gawen & fyr9 Key,

And befchope Bavdewyn, as I yow say,
Aft' a rayn-der they rode;

Frowe pt tym was prym of pe day,

[fol. 14b.] Tyl myde vndur-noñ, as I yow faye, Neu' ftyll hit abode.

A myft gañ ryfe in a mor",

Barrons blowe her hornis store,

Meche mon fyr Key made;

1 hea, MS.

The reyne-der wolde not dwelle,
Herkon what avet hem befelle,
Herbrow þey wolde fayñ haue hade.
The fayde pe gentyĦ knyŝt f Gawen,
"Att þis labur ys in wayne,

For certen trowe hit me;

The dere ys paffyde out of our fyzt,
We mete no mor' wtt hy to nyt,
Hende, herkon to me.

I reede pt we of our hors a-lyst,

And byde in þis woode att nyɔ̃t,
And loge vndur þis tree;"—

"Ryde we hens," quod Keye a-non,

"We fchatt haue harbrowe or we gon,
Dar no mañ wern hit me."

The fayd pe befchope, "I knowe hit well,

A carle her in a caftell,

A lytty her ner honde;

[fol. 15.] The Karl of Carllyt ys his nam,
He may vs herborow, be fent Jame!
As I vndur-ftonde.

Was p' nevyr baru fo bolde,
That eu' myst gaystyn in his holde,
But evyll harbrowe he fonde;
He schall be bette, as I harde fay,
And 3efe he go wtt lyfe a-way,
Hit wer but godd fonde.
Nowe ryde we þedyr att pre,”—
Ther to fayd Key, "I grant hit pe,
Alfo mot I well far?!

And as pu feyft hit schall be holde,

Be pe Carle neu' fo bolde,

I count hy not worthe an har.
And зeyf he be neu? fo ftovte,
We woll hy bette all a-bowt,
And make his beggynge bar

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