Bope pe barres of his belt & op blype stones,
p' were richely rayled ī his aray clene,
Aboutte hy self & his fadel, vpon filk werkez,
Þat were to tor for to telle of tryfles þe halue,
Þat were enbrauded abof, wyth bryddes & flyzes,
With gay gaudi of grene, pe golde ay i myddes ;
pe pendaūtes of his payttrure, be proude cropure,
His molaynes, & alle þe metail anamayld was þēne,
pe steropes þat he stod on, stayned of þe fame,
& his arfouz al after, & his apel sturtes,
pat euer glemed & glent al of grene stones.
pe fole þat he ferkkes on, fyn of þat ilke,

A

grene hors gret & pikke,

A ftede ful stif to strayne,

i brawden brydel quik,

[fol. 93b.] To be gome he wat3 ful gayn.

|| fertayn;

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170

175

IX.

Wel gay wat; þis gome gered i grene,
& þe here of his hed of his hors swete ;
Fayre fannand fax vmbe-foldes his fchulderes ;
A much berd as a bufk ou' his breft henges,
pat wyth his hizlich here, þat of his hed reches,
Watz enefed al vmbe-torne, a-bof his elbowes,
Þat half his armes þer vnder were halched i þe wyse
Of a kigez capados, þat closes his fwyre.

pe mane of þat mayn hors much to hit lyke,
Wel crefped & cemed wyth knottes ful mony,
Folden i wyth fildore aboute þe fayre grene,

1as as, MS..

с

180

185

Ay a herle of þe here, an op9 of golde;

pe tayl & his toppyg twynen of a fute,

& bouden bope wyth a bande of a bryzt grene,
Dubbed wyth ful dere stonez, as þe dok lasted,
Sypen þrawen wyth a þwong a þwarle knot alofte,
per mony bellez ful bryzt of brende golde rungen.
Such a fole vpon folde, ne freke þat hy rydes,
Watz neu' fene i þat fale wyth fyzt er þat tyme,
He loked as layt so lyzt,

So fayd al þat hý fyze,
Hit femed as no mon my3t,
Vnd his dynttez dryze.

|| wt yze;

X.

Whep hade he no helme ne hawbrgh nau},
Ne no pyfan, ne no plate þat pented to armes,

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195

200

Ne no fchafte, ne no fchelde, to schwne ne to fmyte,
Bot i his on honde he hade a holyn bobbe,
pat is gratteft i grene, when greuez ar bare,
& an ax i his op', a hoge & vn-mete,
A fpetos fparpe to expoù i spelle quo fo myzt;
pe hede of an elnzerde þe large lenkpe hade,
pe grayn al of grene ftele & of golde hewen,
pe bit burnyft bryzt, wt a brod egge,
As wel fchapen to schere as scharp rafores;
pe stele of a stif staf þe sturne hit bi-grypte,

[fol. 94.] Pat watz wauden wyth yrn to be wandez ende,
& al bigrauen wt grene, i gcōs werkes;

A lace lapped aboute, þat louked at þe hede,

& fo aft? þe halme halched ful ofte,

Wyth tryed taffelez perto tacched i nogħe,

205

210

215

On botouz of þe bryzt grene brayden ful ryche.
pis hapel heldez hy i, & þe halle entres,
Driuande to be heze dece, dut he no wope,
Haylfed he neu ane, bot heze he ou' loked.

pe fyrst word þat he warp, "wher is," he sayd,
"pe gou'no" of þis gyg? gladly I wolde

Se þat fegg i fy3t, & wt hy self speke,
To knyztez he keft his yze,

& reled hy vp & doū,

He stemmed & con ftudie,

Quo walt þer most renou.

XI.

220

225

rayfou.

Ther watz lokýg on lenpe, þe lude to be-holde,
For vch mō had meruayle quat hit mene my3t,
pat a hapel & a horse my3t fuch a hwe lach,
As growe grene as be gres & grener hit femed,
pen grene aumayl on golde lowande bryzt";
Al studied þat þ ftod, & ftalked hý nerre,

Wyth al þe wonder of þe worlde, what he worth schulde.
For fele sellyez had þay sen, bot such neu' are,

For þi for fantoū & fayryze þe folk þere hit demed;
per fore to anfware watz arze mony apel freke,

& al stouned at his steuen, & ston-stil seten,

In a fwogħ fylence þurz þe fale riche,

As al were flypped vpon flepe fo flaked horlotez,

I deme hit not al for doute,

Bot fu for cortaysye,

Bot let hy þat al schulde loute,

Caft vnto þat wyze.

||ī hyze;

230

233

240

XII.

pen Arpo bifore þe hiz dece þat auenture byholdez,

& rekenly hy reu'enced, for-rad was he neu', & fayde, "wyze, welcu iwys to pis place, [fol. 94b.] Pe hede of þis oftel Artho" I hat;

Lizt luflych adoū, & lenge, I þe praye,

& quat fo by wylle is, we fchal wyt aft?.”

250

255

Nay as help me," q pe hapel," he þat on hyze fyttes,

To wone any quyle i þis won, hit wat3 not my ernde ;

Bot for þe los of þe lede is lyft vp so hyze,

& by burz & þy burnes best ar holden,
Stifeft vnder stel-gere on stedes to ryde,

pe wyztest & þe worþyest of þe worldes kynde,
Preue forto play wyth in op pure layke; ;

& here is kydde cortayfye, as I haf herd carp,
& þat hatz wayned me hider, I wyis, at þis tyme.

3e may be seker bi þis brauch þat I bere here,
pat I paffe as i pes, & no plyzt feche;
For had I foūded i fere, i feztyg wyse,

I haue a haubergħ at home & a helme bope,
A schelde, & a scharp spere, schinande bryzt,
Ande op9 weppenes to welde, I wene wel als,
Bot for I wolde no were, my wedez ar foft.
Bot if þu be fo bold as alle burnez tellen,
p" wyl gnt me godly be gomen þat I ask,
Artho con onfware,

& fayd, "f cortays knyzt,

If þu craue batayl bare,

Here faylez þu not to fyzt."

||bi ryzt."

260

265

270

275

XIII.

Nay, frayft I no fyzt, i fayth I be telle,

Hit arn aboute on þis bench bot berdlez chylder;
If I were hasped i armes on a heze stede,

Here is no mon me to mach, for myztez fo wayke.

For þy I craue i þis cot a crystemas gomē,
For hit is 301 & nwe 3er, & here ar 3ep mony;

If any fo hardy i pis ho9 holdez hy feluen,
Be fo bolde i his blod, brayn i hys hede,
pat dar ftifly strike a strok for an op9,

I schal gif hy of my gyft þys giferne ryche,

pis ax, þat is heue i nogh, to hondel' as hy lykes,

[fol. 95.] & I fchal bide þe fyrst bur, as bare as I fitte. If any freke be fo felle to fonde þat I telle, Lepe lyзtly me to, & lach pis weppen,

I quit clayme hit for eu?, kepe hit as his auen,

& I schal stonde hý a strok, stif on þis flet,
Ellez þu wyl dizt me pe dom to dele hy an op,
& zet gif hy refpite,

A twelmonyth & a day;

Now hyze, & let se tite

Dar any her ine o3t say."

XIV.

If he hem ftowned vpon fyrst, stiller were þāne
Alle þe hered-men i halle, þe hyz & þe loze ;
pe renk on his rouce hy ruched i his fadel,
& runifchly his rede yzen he reled aboute,
Bende his brefed brozez, blycande grene,

280

285

290

|| barlay ;

295

300

805