II. Ande quen þis Bretayn wat3 bigged bi þis burn rych, In mony turned tyme tene þat wrozten; þat a felly in fizt fume men hit holden, & an outtrage awenture of Arthurez wondez; 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, p' to nayed tulkes bi tymez ful mony, 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; Dere dyn vp on day, daufyg on nyztes, 45 . 40 Al watz hap vpon heze i hallez & chambrez, With all þe wele of þe worlde þay woned p' famen, þe moft kyd knyztez vnder kryst seluen, For al wat; þis fayre folk i her first age, Kýg hyeft mō of wylle, Hit were now gret nye to neuē 50 || on fille; 55 IV. Wyle nw 3er watz fo 3ep þat ht watz nwe cumen, & fyben riche forth runen to reche honde-felle, Ladies lazed ful loude, poz pay loft haden, & he þat wan watz not wrothe, þt may ze wel trawe. 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, 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, 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 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, 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, þat mony hert ful hize hef at her towches; 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, 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, 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 ; 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, |