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 p to styfe in eu'y ftour",

Was non fo douztty in dede.

Ded of arm, wtt1 out lefe,

Seche he wolde in war & pees,

In mony a stronge lede;

Sertayñly wtt outtyń fabull,

He was wtt Artt at pe Rounde Tabuйt,

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 angutt of pt yle,

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

Sic, for w' or with, passim.

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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 schaft hit doñ,
The to pe forreft woll we goñ,
All that evyr 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 Catocke,
And op9 mor" and lase.

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 Laudyan,
That hardy was & kene.

Syr Gaytefer, and fyr Galerowne,
Syr9 Coftantyn, and fyr Raynbrown,
The knyzt of arm❞ grene;

Syr Gawen was stwarde 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;

Syr Yngeles, pt genttyle knyžte,
Wtt hym he lede houndys wygst,
That well coude do her dede.
Syr9 Le Byus Dyskonus was þare,

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

Syr Grandon, & fyr Ferr'-vnkowpe,
Meryly they fewyde wtt mouthe,
Wtt houndys pt wer? wyst;
Syr Blancheles, and Iron-fyde,
Mōny a doughty pt day coñ ryde,
On hors fayr9 and lyžte.
Iroun-fyde, as I wene,

Gat pe knyst of armus grene,
On a lady brygɔ̃t;

Sertenly, as I wndur-ftonde,

The fayr may of Blanche-londe,
[fol. 13b.] In bour', pt louely wyžte.
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 aft way at þe 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 gryffyň of golde futt feyr,
I-fet full of golde flourr.

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 woñ,

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That grefely wer i-holde.

Byge barrons he hade i-bonde,

A hardyer knyt myŝt not be fonde,

Full herdy he was, and bolde;
Therfor he1 was callyd, as I hard say,

The kyng fellowe, by his day,

[fol. 14.] Wtt worthy kny3tt i-tolde.
A lyon of golde was his crefte,

He spake reyfon out of reste,

Lyftyn, and ze may her?;
3e

Wher eu? he went, be eft or wefte,

He nold for"-fake mañ nor beft,

To fyst fer or ner".

Knytt kene faft they rane,

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

Folke followyd wtt fedyrt floñ3,

Nobutt archarr for pe nons,

To fell pe fallow der fo cleyñ.
Barrons gañ 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 fay,
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.

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The reyne-der wolde not dwelle,
Herkon what avet hem befelle,
Herbrow þey wolde fayñ haue hade.
The fayde pe genty knyt 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 pis woode att nyɔ̃t,

And loge vndur þis tree;"—

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Ryde we hens," quod Keye a-non,

"We schall haue harbrowe or we goñ,

Dar no mañ wern hit me."

The fayd be befchope, "I knowe hit well,

A carle her in a caftell,

A lyttyll 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 barū so bolde,
That eu? myst gaystyn in his holde,
But evyll harbrowe he fonde;
He schall be bette, as I harde fay,
And zefe he go wtt lyfe a-way,
Hit wer but godd fonde.
Nowe ryde we pedyr att pre,”—
Ther to fayd Key, "I grant hit þe,
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 seyf he be neu' so stovte,
We woll hy bette all a-bowt,
And make his beggynge bar';

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