II.

Ande quen þis Bretayn wat3 bigged bi þis burn rych,
Bolde bredden þer ine, baret þat lofden,

In mony turned tyme tene þat wrozten;
Mo ferlyes on þis folde han fallen here oft
pen in any op9 þat I wot, fyn þat ilk tyme.
Bot of alle þat here bult of Bretaygne kÿges
Ay watz Arthur þe hendest, as I haf herde telle ;
[fol. 91b.] For þi an aūt? in erde I attle to schawe,

þat a felly in fizt fume men hit holden,

& an outtrage awenture of Arthurez wondez;
If ze wyl lyften þis laye bot on littel quile,
I schal telle hit as tit as I i toù herde,

As hit is ftad & ftoken,

In ftori stif & stronge,

Wt lel lett'es loken,

i londe fo hatz ben longe.

I wt tonge;

III.

pis kýg lay at Camylot vpon kryst-masse,
Wt mony luffych lorde, ledez of þe best,
Rekenly of pe roude table alle po rich brep,
Wt rych reuel oryzt, & rechles m'pes;

p' to nayed tulkes bi tymez ful mony,
Iufted ful jolile þife gentyle kniztes,

Sypen kayred to be court, caroles to make.

For þer þe feft watz ilyche ful fiften-dayes,

With alle pe mete & pe mirpe þat me coupe a-vyfe;
Such glaumande gle glorio9 to here,

Dere dyn vp on day, daufyg on nyztes,

45

.

40

Al watz hap vpon heze i hallez & chambrez,
With lordez & ladies, as leueft hi þozt;

With all þe wele of þe worlde þay woned p' famen,

þe moft kyd knyztez vnder kryst seluen,
& pe louelokkeft ladies þat eu? lif haden,
& he be comlokest kýg þat þe court haldes.

For al wat; þis fayre folk i her first age,
þe hapneft vnder heuen,

Kýg hyeft mō of wylle,

Hit were now gret nye to neuē
So hardy a here ō hille.

50

|| on fille;

55

IV.

Wyle nw 3er watz fo 3ep þat ht watz nwe cumen,
þat day doubble on þe dece watz be douth ferued,
Fro pe kýg watz cùmen wt knyztę i to þe halle,
pe chautre of þe chapel cheued to an ende;
Loude crye watz þer keft of clerkez & oþer,
[fol. 92.] Nowel nayted o newe neuened ful ofte;

& fyben riche forth runen to reche honde-felle,
zezed zeres ziftes on hi3, 3elde hem bi hond,
Debated bufyly aboute po giftes;

Ladies lazed ful loude, poz pay loft haden,

& he þat wan watz not wrothe, þt may ze wel trawe.
Alle pis mirpe pay maden to be mete tyme;
When pay had waschen, worþyly pay wenten to fete,
þe best burne ay abof, as hit best semed;
Whene Guenore ful gay, grayþed i þe myddes,
Dreffed on þe dere des, dubbed al aboute,

1 werere, MS.

Smal fendal bifides, a felure hir ou

Of tryed Tolouse, of Tars tapites i nogħ,

þat were enbrawded & beten wyth þe best gemes,

þat myzt be preued of prys wyth penyes to bye,
pe comlokeft to discrye,

per glent wt yzen gray,

A femloker þat eu? he fyze,

Soth mozt no mon say.

V.

Bot Arthure wolde not ete til al were ferued,

85

He watz fo joly of his joyfnes, & fù quat child gered,
His lif liked hỹ lyzt, he louied þe lasse

Aup to lenge lye, or to longe fitte,

So bified him his 3onge blod & his brayn wylde ;

& also anop9 maner meued hi eke,

Pat he þurz nobelay had nomen, he wolde neu? ete
Vpon fuch a dere day, er hý deuised were
Of fū auentur9 þÿg an vncouþe tale,
Of fu mayn m'uayle, þat he myзt trawe,
Of1 alderes, of armes, of op auentur,
Op fù fegg hy bi-fozt of fu fiker knyzt,

To joyne wyth hy i iuftÿg in joparde to lay,

Lede lif for lyf, leue vchon op,

As fortune wolde fulfu hō þe fayrer to haue.

þis watz [the] kýges coûtenaūce where he i cot were,
At vch farand fest amōg his fre meny,

in halle;

per fore of face fo fere,

[fol. 92b.] He ftiztlez stif i stalle,

Of of, MS.

Thus p' ftondes i stale þe stif kýg his feluen,
Talkkande bifore pe hyze table of trifles ful hende;
There gode Gawan watz gyped, Gwenore bifyde,
& Agʻuayn a la dure mayn on þat op syde fittes,
Bope þe kýges fift" fues, & ful fiker kniztes;
Bifchop Bawdewyn abof bi-gine; þe table,
& Ywan, Vryn fon, ette wit hyfeluen ;
pise were dizt on þe des, & derworply ferued,
& fipen mony fiker fegge at þe fidbordez.
pē pe first cors come with crakkýg of trūpes,
Wyth mony baner ful bryzt, þat þer bi henged,
Nwe nakryn noyse wt þe noble pipes,
Wylde werbles & wy3t wakned lote,

þat mony hert ful hize hef at her towches;
Dayntes dryuen þer wyth of ful dere metes,
Foyfou of pe fresche, & on fo fele disches,
þat pine to fynde pe place pe peple bi-forne
For to fette pe fyluen?, þat fere fewes halden,
Iche lede as he loued hy felue

per laght wt outen lope,

Ay two had disches twelue,

Good ber, & bryzt wyn bope.

105

110

115

120

|| on clothe;

125

VII.

Now wyl I of hor feruise say yow no more,
For vch wyze may wel wit no wont þat þ9 were;

130

An op9 noyfe ful newe nezed biliue,

þat þe lude my3t haf leue liflode to cach. For vneþe watz þe noyce not awhyle fefed, & pe fyrft co ce i þe cot kyndely ferued, per hales i at þe halle dor an aghlich mayft", On þe most on þe molde on mesure hygħ; Fro þe fwyre to be swange so sware & so þik, & his lyndes & his lymes fo longe & so grete, [fol. 93.] Half etayn i erde I hope þat he were. Bot mon most I algate myn hỷ to bene, & þat þe myrieft i his muckel þat my3t ride; For of bak & of breft al were his bodi sturne, Bot his wombe & his waft were worthily fmale, & alle his fetures folzande, i forme þat he hade, For wonder of his hwe me hade,

Set i his femblaut fene;

He ferde as freke were fade,

& ou al enker grene.

VIII.

Ande al grayped i grene pis gome & his wedes,
A strayt cote ful strezt, þat stek on his fides,

150

A mere mantile abof, mensked wt ine,

Wt pelure pured apert þe pane ful clene,

Wt blype blaun ful bryzt, & his hod bope,

155

þat watz lazt fro his lokkez, & layde on his fchulderes ;
Heme wel haled hofe of þat fame grene,

þat spenet on his sparlyr, & clene spures vnder,

Of bryst golde, vpon filk bordes, barred ful ryche,

& fcholes vnder fchankes, pere pe schalk rides ;

160

& alle his vefture uerayly watz clene v'dure,