UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA 
 AT LOS ANGELES
 
 THREE 
 
 EARLY ENGLISH METRICAL 
 
 ROMANCES. 
 
 Ufj
 
 THREE 
 
 EARLY ENGLISH METRICAL ROMANCES. 
 
 WITH AN 
 
 INTRODUCTION AND GLOSSARY. 
 
 EDITED FROM A MS. IN THE POSSESSION OF J. I. BLACKBURNE, K.scj. M.l>. 
 
 BY JOHN ROBSON, ESQ. 
 
 LONDON: 
 PRINTED FOR. THE CAMDEN SOCIETY, 
 
 BY JOHN BOWYER NICHOLS AND SON, PARLIAMENT STREET. 
 
 M.DCCC.XL1I. 
 
 
 '
 
 • •• ••• 
 
 ' « • • • 
 
 • • • • • • 

 
 s 
 
 i 
 
 COUNCIL 
 
 OF 
 
 THE CAMDEN SOCIETY, 
 
 FOR THE YEAR 1841-2. 
 
 
 Prcsidciil. 
 
 d THE RIGHT HON. LORD FRANCIS EGEUTON, M.P. 
 
 THOMAS AMYOT, ESQ. F.R.S. Treas. S.A. Director. 
 
 THE RIGHT HON. LORD BRAYBROOKE, F.S.A. 
 
 JOHN BRUCE, ESQ. F.S.A. Treasurer. 
 
 JOHN PAYNE COLLIER, ESQ. F.S.A. 
 
 C. PURTON COOPER, ESQ. Q.C., D.C.L., F.R.S., F.S.A. 
 
 T. CROFTON CROKER, ESQ. F.S.A., M.R.I.A. 
 
 SIR HENRY ELLIS, K.H., F.R.S., Sec. S.A. 
 
 JAMES ORCHARD HALLIWELL, ESQ. F.R.S., F.S.A 
 
 THE REV. JOSEPH HUNTER, F.S.A. 
 
 SIR FREDERICK MADDEN, K.H., F.R.S., F.S.A. 
 
 JOHN GAGE ROKEWODE, ESQ. F.R.S., Dir. S.A. 
 
 THOMAS STAPLETON, ESQ. F.S.A. 
 
 WILLIAM J. THOMS, ESQ. F.S.A. Secretary. 
 
 ALBERT WAY, ESQ. M.A., F.S.A. 
 
 THOMAS WRIGHT, ESQ. M.A.. F.S.A.
 
 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 The ancient minstrels, as a body, were editors and 
 publishers, rather than original composers. They had 
 to perform duties which, in these days, are divided 
 amongst various caterers for the public in matters of 
 taste. The office of minstrel was neither that of poet, 
 editor, actor, nor musician, but a .compound of all. To 
 him it was indifferent where, or how, he acquired the tales, 
 which it was his business to enact or recite, and upon 
 which his popularity and living depended ; general 1\ 
 speaking, we may imagine that it was a safer game to 
 repeat well-known and popular stories, than to try a 
 doubtful hazard with something new, or original. At the 
 same time, it would be most desirable to give to the old 
 tales an air of novelty, by introducing appropriate va- 
 riations, and that he should, as far as possible, accommo- 
 date to his hearers, what had, perhaps, been composed 
 for their fathers or grandfathers. We may sec how this 
 has been done in the two ballads of Chevy Chace : — and 
 through how many phages must the talc of Anns and
 
 Vlll INTRODUCTION. 
 
 Amelion have passed before it assumed the form of 
 Alexander and Lodowicke ! 
 
 But the minstrels were also representatives of publishers, 
 and from a very picturesque passage in one of Petrarch's 
 letters to Boccacio we find a more intimate connection be- 
 tween them and the great lights of that age, than we 
 might otherwise have supposed. 
 
 " Nosti quidem hoc vulgare ac vulgatum genus, vitam 
 verbis agentium, nee suis, quod apud nos usque ad fasti- 
 dium percrebuit. Sunt homines non magni ingenii, 
 magnse vero memorise, magnseque diligentiae, sed majoris 
 audacise ; regum ac potentium aulas frequentant, de 
 proprio nudi, vestiti autem carminibus alienis, dumque 
 quid ab hoc aut ab illo exquisitius materno prsesertim 
 charactere dictum sit, ingente expressione pronunciant, 
 gratiam sibi nobilium, et pecunias quserunt, et vestes 
 et munera. Hujuscemodi autem instrumenta vivendi, 
 nunc ab aliis passim, nunc ab ipsis inventoribus, aut prece 
 mercantur aut pretio, si quando id exigit, vendentis vel 
 cupiditas vel paupertas, quod ultimum et Satyricus norat 
 ubi ait, 
 
 " Esurit, intactam Paridi nisi vendat Agaven. 
 
 " Et hi quidem, quotiens putas mihi, credo idem aliis, 
 blande in portum, molestique sint, quamvis jam mihi solito 
 rarius, seu mutati studii atque setatis reverentia, seu re-
 
 INTRODUCTION. l\ 
 
 pulsus. Saepe cnim ne esse mihi trrdio insuesennt, nego 
 acriter, nee ulla fleeter install tia; nonnunquam trero, 
 maxime ubi petentis inopia et humilitas nota est, cogit 
 me eharitas qiuedam ut ex ingenio ineo (pialieunque, il- 
 loruni victui opem ferain, in Longum percipientibus 
 utilein, mihi non nisi ad horam brevissimi temporis 
 onerosam ; fueruntque horuni alic^ui a me quem precibus 
 vicerant voti compotes, illi quidem, sed alioquin nudi 
 atque inopes digressi, non multo post ad me induti sericis 
 atque onusti et divites remearent, gratiasque agerent, 
 quod me auspice paupertatis gravem sarcinam abjecis- 
 sent : quo interdum sic permotus sum, ut eleemosinre spe- 
 ciem rarus, nulli talium me negare decreverim, donee 
 rursum tsedio affectus, id decretum sustuli. Caeterum 
 cum ex nonnullis horum qurererem, (pud ita me semper 
 et non alios, teque in primis, pro iis rebus impeterent, 
 tale te responsum reddidere, et fecisse eos saepe quod 
 dicerem, et nihil unquam profecisse : eumque ego mira- 
 rer quid ita rerum largus, verborum parcus existeres, ad- 
 didere hoc etiam combussisse quiequid omnino vulgatum 
 poema turn habuisses, quo nihil admirationi mese 
 demptum, sed nonnihil additum. Cumque ex illis faeti 
 tui causam qusererem fassi omnes ignorantiam, siluere, 
 nisi unus qui opinari se ait, nescioan etiam audivisse, esse 
 tibi in animo, ut hsec omnia adolescentulo primum. post 
 et juveni elapsa, prsesenti solido, et jam cano ingenio re- 
 formares." Rerum Senilium, Lib. V. Ep. 3. p. 793. 
 
 CAMD. SOC. I>
 
 X INTRODUCTION. 
 
 How far this description may apply to the minstrels of 
 the north, it would be, perhaps, presumptuous to say ; 
 the internal evidence of some of the Metrical Romances 
 goes far to prove that they were composed in the Cloister, 
 and, like the poems which Petrarch gave to his friends 
 the Troubadours, must have been given to the minstrel 
 to publish, aut prece aut pret'io. 
 
 The three poems now printed very probably formed 
 part of the stock of some individual of this by-gone pro- 
 fession. They have been apparently written from recita- 
 tion, and are remarkable for the complete contrast of 
 matter, style and diction. The first two or three pages 
 have evidently been taken down by one who was not in- 
 timate with the form of the stanza ; some lines are di- 
 vided, and some run into each other, just as we might 
 suppose would be the case till the writer had made him- 
 self acquainted with the intricacies of the versification. 
 A professed minstrel, or even a person who had read the 
 poem through, would have avoided such irregularities. 
 
 It may be too, that the recitation of these and similar 
 productions, was accompanied by something of dramatic 
 action, as the " he sayd," and " ho sayd," are very fre- 
 quently additions which the metre itself will not allow. 
 
 All the three poems are written in the same strong, 
 coarse hand, and, from the peculiar dialect, by a native of 
 Lancashire. In the County Palatine there are two forms
 
 INTRODUCTION. \i 
 
 of the Saxon language ; one in the South-eastern district, 
 
 which is well known by Tim Bobbin's works : the other 
 is used in the North-western division, and, as far as I am 
 aware, has not hitherto been noticed. It is characterized 
 especially by the termination of the past tenses and par- 
 ticiples in -ltd or -ut 3 and the plural of nouns in -us : pe- 
 culiarities which distinguish the Ireland MS. from 
 Weber's copy of " Sir Amadas ;" and from the two MSS. 
 of " Sir Gawan," which have been so admirably collated 
 by Sir Frederick Madden. 
 
 Besides the poems, the Ireland manuscript contains a 
 number of documents, connected with the Magna Curia 
 de Hale, of the 14th and 1.5th centuries, and in describing 
 these we shall have an opportunity hereafter, of ascer- 
 taining;, with some degree of precision, its date. 
 
 The first poem, which in the Lincoln MS. is entitled 
 " The Awntyrs of Arthure at the Tame Wathelynne," 
 maybe considered as approaching to tragedy ; the second, 
 " Sir Amadace," as a melodrama ; and the third, to which 
 I shall give the title, " The Avowynge of King Arther, 
 Sir Gawan, Sir Kaye, and Sir Bawdewyn of Bretan." will 
 serve, not unfitly, to represent the genteel comedy of the 
 period to which it belongs. 
 
 There are no fewer than three copies known, of the 
 •• A.NTURS;" the Thornton MS. in Lincoln Cathedral, the 
 date of which is 1430—1440: the Douce MS. in the
 
 Xll INTRODUCTION. 
 
 Bodleian Library, supposed to be somewhat later ; and the 
 Ireland MS. at Hale, the subject of the present inquiry. 
 It was first printed by Pinkerton in his Scottish Bal- 
 lads, 1792, from Douce's MS. which Ritson says was his 
 property, and " which the say'd Pinkerton came by very 
 dishonestly." However Pinkerton came by it, he made 
 a very blundering copy of it. The Lincoln MS. was 
 edited by Mr. Laing in his Ancient Popular Poetry 
 of Scotland, 1822 : and in 1839 Sir Frederick Madden 
 collated both MSS. most carefully, for his splendid work, 
 Syr Ga wayne, printed by the Bannatyne Club. 
 
 The origin of the early English Romances is still a 
 subject of controversy, and likely to remain so. Accord- 
 ing to Tyrwhitt, all the romances before Chaucer were 
 translations from, or imitations of, the French, and in 
 this opinion he has been followed by Ritson and most other 
 writers. But on the contrary, we find Marie de France 
 acknowledging her obligations to the Welsh and Bretons. 
 
 " Qui que des Lais tigne a menconge 
 Sacies je nes' tiens pas asonge; 
 Les A ventures trespassees 
 Que diversement ai contees, 
 Nes' ai pas dites sans garant; 
 Les estores en trai avant ; 
 Ki encore sont a Carlion, 
 Ens le Monstier Saint Aaron, 
 Et en Bretaigne sont seues 
 Et en pluisors lius conneues." 
 
 Lai deVEspine, T. 1. 542.
 
 INTRO I) I ("HON. Mil 
 
 Roquefort basilic following note upon this passage : 
 
 " // e.v/stoit en France une Ue Saint Aaron. Kile a etc 
 renfermce dans la mile de Saint Malo, an moyen (Tune 
 chausse'e." 
 
 There can however be no doubt that Carbon is Caer- 
 leon upon Usk in Monmouthshire, where Giraldus Cam- 
 brensis informs us, w T as a chureh with a famous order of 
 Canons, dedicated to St. Aaron. 
 
 That the Welsh were also called Bretons, we have the 
 evidence of Robert of Brunne. 
 
 " to Cadwaladres 
 
 The last Briton that the land lees, 
 All that kind and all that frute 
 That came of Brutus, that is the Brute ; 
 After the Bretons the Inglis camen, 
 The lordschip of this land that namen ; 
 AVhen they first among the Bretons, 
 That now are Inglis then were Saxons." 
 
 That there was a very intimate connection between the 
 inhabitants of Wales, Cumberland, Cornwall, and Bretagne 
 is acknowledged by all; and that they hadtraditions, perhaps 
 poems, relating to their struggles with the Saxons, which 
 were a common property, admits of little doubt. That the 
 Saxon Gleemen had availed themselves of these sources, 
 as well as those from which they drew Havelok and 
 Horn Child, seems highly probable : — and that after the
 
 XIV INTRODUCTION 
 
 Conquest, the Norman Trouveurs reaped a plentiful har- 
 vest from the labours of their Saxon predecessors, is more 
 likely than that they should have troubled themselves 
 with the scarcely accessible and difficult ground of ancient 
 British traditions. Certain it is, however, that immedi- 
 ately after the Conquest this species of Literature be- 
 came very fashionable, and while the manuscript-remains 
 of the Trouveurs, who composed and sang for Royal 
 Court or Baronial Hall, are almost innumerable, those of 
 the native poet, whose auditors were the Franklin, the 
 Burgess, or the Peasant, are few and scattered ; owing 
 their preservation perhaps most frequently, to the poor 
 monk who saw in them better, or at all events more at- 
 tractive, sermons than he himself could give. 
 
 There is no appearance of the Anturs having been a 
 translation from, or an imitation of, a French poem. The 
 incidents are so common- place, and the story itself so 
 simply put together, that we can see no necessity for the 
 poet borrowing either one or the other ; and the loca- 
 lities mentioned evidently point out Cumberland or 
 Westmoreland as his native soil. The scene is laid in the 
 neighbourhood of Carlisle, and all the places named, ex- 
 cept one, are still recognisable, and apparently well 
 known to the writer. Indeed his knowledge of Ingle- 
 wood Forest, Tarn Wadling, and Plumpton, contrasts 
 strangely with his Southern Geography, of which it
 
 INTRODUCTION. w 
 
 seems difficult, if not utterly impossible, to make any 
 thing. Plumpton, or Plumpton Wall, is about six miles 
 from Penrith on the road to Carlisle, and three or four 
 from Tarn Wadling. It was a Roman town, the Voreda 
 of the Itineraries, and is said to have been destroyed by 
 the Piets, when the inhabitants removed to Penrith ; but 
 the original site retained the appellation of Old Penrith in 
 the time of Camden. The camp or station, which hangs 
 over the little river Petril, is one of the most remarkable 
 in Cumberland; a portion of one of the gates was uncovered 
 about twenty-five years ago. The town extended into 
 the fields, south and east of the station, and foundations 
 of buildings may still be traced : some statues of hea- 
 then deities were discovered there, and bought by Sir 
 Walter Scott. A square well of Roman masonry is on 
 the right of the road, and in a wall nearly opposite is a 
 tragic mask of similar workmanship, very much defaced. 
 Plumpton Park belonged and still belongs to the Crown, 
 and Rondall-sete Hall may have been the mansion apper- 
 taining to it ; Ranulph, eldest son of Iladulf de Meschines, 
 was Earl of Cumberland in the reign of William Rufus, 
 and a place in Scotland, not far from the border, was 
 called llandallstede, from a certain Ranulph its founder. 
 
 The South-western part of Scotland is also very accu- 
 rately, if not minutely, described in St. XXXIII. and 
 LIII. Carrick, Kyle, and Cunningham, are still divisions
 
 XVI INTRODUCTION. 
 
 of Galloway ; " Laudowne hillus," means evidently Loudon 
 Hill, celebrated by Scott in " Old Mortality." Lonwick, 
 I suspect, is a mistake for Lanark, and " Lennax" is pro- 
 bably the Lennox, north of the Clyde. " Logher" is 
 found in Lochermoss, which extends from Solway Sea to 
 Lockerbrigg hill, and, according to tradition, was once 
 an arm of the sea ; carved beaks, boat keels, &c. are said 
 to have been dug out of it ; while Lockerbrigg hill, four 
 miles from Dumfries, has acquired a still more doubtful 
 fame as the trysting-place of the Nithsdale and Galloway 
 witches. " Layre" is of course Ayr, and a line drawn 
 from " Logher to Layre" would include all the above- 
 named districts except Lennox. The fifth line of the 
 fifty-third stanza is taken from the Douce MS. and the 
 variations are merely blunders of the scribe. 
 
 But what are we to do with the claim which Scotland 
 has made to the " Maker" of the Anturs ? Pinkerton 
 published it as a Scotish ballad, and succeeding editors 
 and critics have acquiesced in his decision. But can we 
 really imagine that a Seotish Bard would represent his 
 native country as conquered by the English — and the 
 right heir, when he makes a formal challenge for his in- 
 heritance, as beaten by the Southern Knight upon whom 
 the Conqueror had bestowed it ? Nay, he would ac- 
 tually have gone out of his way to insult his own land, as 
 the other Romances make Sir Gawan the son of Lot,
 
 INTRODUCTION. wii 
 
 King of Galloway and Orkney, the very country in 
 dispute. 
 
 There is a circumstance which it would not be right 
 to omit, though I confess I do not lay much stress 
 upon it. Robert of Brunne speaks of a poet named 
 Kendale in conjunction with Ereildon, and in the Records 
 of the Court of Hale we find a William Kendale, chaplain, 
 who was living there at the commencement of the fif- 
 teenth century. As the name points to a Northern origin, 
 and as the nature of the stanza in which the poem is 
 composed, suits well enough with the old Chronicler's 
 description, is it not possible that the MS. may have be- 
 longed to, or have been written by, the officiating priest of 
 the village, — perhaps a descendant of the ancient poet t 
 
 The external evidence as to the age of the poem is not 
 of much importance. Sir Gawan, as a knight of the 
 Round Table, was distinguished from the earliest period 
 of Romance, for his courtesy and gallantry ; and in the 
 oldest English poems extant, his name appears as having 
 been the subject of more ancient ones. There is, how- 
 ever, a great difference in the character of the knight as 
 depicted in the later Romances, — the Morte d'Arthir 
 for instance, where he is represented by no means in 
 favourable colours. 
 
 Wyntown mentions Huchown of the Awle Ryale, as 
 having amongst other poems " Made the Awntyre of Ga- 
 
 cam. soc. c
 
 XV111 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 wayn ;" and Dunbar, in his " Lament for the Death of the 
 
 Makars," says, 
 
 " Clerk of Tranent eik he lies tane 
 That made the auntris of Gawane" — 
 
 having in a previous verse named Sir Hugh of Eglinton, 
 who is supposed to have been the same as Wyntown's 
 Huchown. Of Clerk's works none are known to exist; 
 and of Huchown's — besides the circumstance of his also 
 being a native of Scotland, — " the Pistil of Swete Susane," 
 could hardly have been written by the author of the 
 " Anturs at Tame Wathelan," 
 
 " He wes curyows in his style, 
 Fair of Facund and subtile ;" 
 a criticism correct enough as regards the " Pistil," but 
 not at all applicable to the other. 
 
 Sir Walter Scott, where he alludes to this poem in his 
 Minstrelsy, asserts that it is not prior to the reign of 
 James the Fifth of Scotland ; but in his Introduction to 
 Sir Tristrem, he is satisfied that it was written long 
 before the conclusion of the thirteenth century. Sib- 
 bald, in one place, supposes that it is of the age of David 
 II. but in another he says it ought to be placed before 
 1300. Mr. Laing's opinion (in which Chalmers coin- 
 cided) was that it was written by Sir Hugh of Eglinton, 
 who is supposed to have died about 1381. Mr. Guest, in 
 his History of English Rhythms, gives it to Clerk of 
 Tranent, and says. " There is one peculiarity in these
 
 INTRODUCTION. xix 
 
 poems (the Anturs, Gawan and Gologras, the Howlat and 
 
 Gawin Douglas's Prologue to the Sth Eneid,) which 
 should not pass unnoticed. The short line, or, in tech- 
 nical language, the bob, which (in the Pistil of Swete Su- 
 sane,) introduces the wheel, is Lengthened out into a full 
 alliterative verse, and is always closely connected with the 
 wheel, instead of being separated from it by a stop. The 
 same peculiarity is found in every Scotch poem of the 
 fifteenth century that admits a wheel of this kind, — a 
 strong argument to show that the poems from which we 
 have quoted (the Green Knight and the Pistil) are of ear- 
 lier date." A still higher authority ohserves, that the 
 structure of the versification, and the language, present 
 insuperable difficulties to its being considered of the pe- 
 riod of Henry III. 
 
 The first thing that strikes us in the Poem itself, is the 
 extreme rudeness of its language, and the equal artlessness 
 of the story ; these circumstances, especially when con- 
 nected with the fact of its popularity, which is shown by 
 three copies of the fifteenth century being yet in existence, 
 are evidences of a very early origin. King Arthur i> hunt- 
 ing in Inglewood Forest ; a storm comes on : Sir Gawan and 
 the Queen are separated from the rest of the company, 
 her mother's ghost appears to her, gives her some advice, 
 and utters a prophecy. The ghost vanishes, the storm 
 ceases, and the King and his retinue adjourn to supper ;
 
 XX INTRODUCTION. 
 
 Sir Galrun of Galway with a lady enters the hall, claims 
 his inheritance, and challenges the knights present to 
 single combat, in defence of his claim. The King ac- 
 cepts the challenge, affords the strange knight the rights 
 of hospitality, and the following morning Sir Gawan meets 
 him in the lists, overcomes him, — but at the request of 
 King Arthur, resigns the possessions in dispute, and in 
 return receives additional estates and honours. 
 
 But the versification is as artificial and complicated as 
 the tale itself is simple. The stanza consists of eight 
 alliterative verses (usually with four alliterative syllables 
 in each) with four alternate rhymes ; the ninth verse is of 
 a similar description, and with three verses of six sylla- 
 bles each rhyming together, and another of five syllables, 
 rhyming with the ninth — forms the wheel. 
 
 Not the least remarkable part of the history of the 
 English language is, that the earlier poets appear to have 
 studied its rhythmical powers more attentively and suc- 
 cessfully than those of a later date ; as may be seen even 
 in the fragments of popular songs of the 13th and 14th 
 centuries ; and the curious stanza of Sir Tristrem 
 may be adduced as another specimen. There is how- 
 ever a poem published by Mr. Wright in his Political 
 Songs of England, under the title of the Song of the 
 Husbandman, which has a structure very similar to the 
 present Romance. It is of the time of Edward II. and quite
 
 INTRODUCTION'. \\i 
 
 fatal to Mr. Guest's hypothesis. The stanza is alliterative ; 
 the first eight verses, with four alternate rhymes, are fol- 
 lowed hy a quatrain in the same metre; and the iteration 
 at the beginning of the quatrain and the commencem< nt 
 of the stanza, exactly resembles that of the Anturs. The 
 language of the two poems is also very similar, several 
 passages being hardly intelligible, although Sir Gawan 
 must have had a certain portion of rust rubbed away by 
 his successive editors through eighty or one hundred 
 years. 
 
 An argument also for fixing the date of the poem be- 
 fore the assumption of the Scotish Crown by Edward I. 
 is the absence of any expressions of that fierce and un- 
 controlable hatred, which prevailed during his reign, and 
 those of his successors, between the two kingdoms. The 
 ghost's prophecy afforded a fair opportunity of giving it 
 utterance, and the choice of a hero from the territory of 
 Robert Bruce himself, is certainly against the supposition 
 of a later period. 
 
 The costume, which is still more important and more 
 decisive, as far as it can be traced, is of the end of the 
 thirteenth century ; and here I beg leave to express 
 my best acknowledgements to Albert Way, Esq. F.S.A. 
 for the information he has most kindly afforded me, re- 
 gretting only that I could not make use of it in the note-. 
 
 The poem seems evidently to belong to the com-
 
 XX11 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 mencement of a transition from defences of mail to de- 
 fences of plate ; the first appearance of the latter being 
 the elbow-cap and poleyn ; these were soon followed by 
 the shin-piece, which most likely is here termed the 
 " schinbande," and of course has nothing to do with the 
 Saxon cross-gartering. The first positive evidence of the 
 spike or anlas on the chanfron is in the Assisee Hierosol. 
 {temp. Edw. III.) The chanfron itself was used at the 
 Windsor Tournament, 6 Edward I. it was made oicuirbouilli, 
 and the anlas, which with a shew of offence, could only have 
 been used as an ornament, might easily have been fixed 
 thereon. The " colours," in which the knight was armed 
 " ful clene," were the armorial surcote. The epithet 
 " milk white," as applied to mail armour, is singular, and 
 means bright, polished ; it was generally vermillion- 
 coloured, yellow, or such like : white armour at a later 
 period, is commonly applied to plate, in contradistinc- 
 tion to black or russeted suits. In illuminated manu- 
 scripts, about this period, we find the armour covered 
 with bright red spots, hence probably Sir Galrun's golden 
 stars, and glowing gambeson. The Pusane was only a 
 variety of the Camail or mail tippet ; it was appended to 
 the Basinet and defended the neck. The Beryls on the 
 border of the Basinet were Rock Crystal, cut en cabochon. 
 The Byrny is here the hauberk, which consisted in all
 
 INTIUMHCTION. Will 
 
 cases of interlaced mail; it existed from the Roman times, 
 and formed the Lorica Catena : 
 
 " riget his molli torica catena. 
 
 Val. Flacc, 6. 23a 
 
 There is not the slightest proof that any mailed armour 
 was formed of rings stitched on cloth or leather. 
 
 The Dramatis Persona? are not many. King Arthur, 
 Queen Gaynour (Guenever), Sir Gawan " the courteous," 
 and his opponent, Sir Galrun, are the principal. The 
 others are merely names familiar to readers of the old 
 romances — Sir Kay, the " crahbit," always overbearing 
 and always beaten ; Sir Cador, Sir Clegius, Sir Costan- 
 tyne or Constantyne, who are classed together in the 
 same order, in the Morte d' Arthur ; the Earl of Kent, 
 alias " Krudeli the Erie's son of Kent," as he is called in 
 the other MSS. ; Sir Lote and Sir Lake, the first father 
 of Sir Gawan according to the romances, the second I 
 presume the celebrated Sir Lancelot du Lake. The 
 scribe has made sad work with the names in Stanza LI., 
 it is one of several passages that might be adduced to 
 shew that the poem was written as recited, — the first is 
 intended for Ywain fitz Urien, the second for Harre le 
 rise-Lake of the Morte d' Arthur ; Sir Menegalle, of the 
 Lincoln MS. may be intended for Sir Menealfe of the 
 third poem. For a more particular account of these per- 
 sonages I beg to refer to Ritson's Metrical Romances,
 
 XXIV INTRODUCTION. 
 
 the Morte d'Arthur, and, above all, to the Syr Ga- 
 wayne of Sir Frederick Madden. 
 
 I have not been able to identify any of the places named 
 in Stanza LIII. Ramsay and Cornwall, as named in St. 
 XXIII. XXIV., are evidently false geography, and a new 
 name, " Desesde," takes the place of Dorset of the other 
 MSS. Brittany, Burgundy, Guienne, the Romans and 
 Tuscany are mentioned : Frol, or Frollo, was a governor 
 of Gaul under the Romans, (see Sir F. Madden's note) 
 and the " Farnet " is named " Farnaghe" in the Lincoln 
 MS. 
 
 Sir Am ad ace was published by Weber in the third 
 volume of his Metrical Romances (1810) from a manu- 
 script, supposed unique, in the Advocates' Library at 
 Edinburgh, — which he says was probably written by a monk 
 at the end of the fifteenth century. It is an odd coinci- 
 dence, that, while the manuscripts differ in almost every 
 line, they should be alike deficient in the commencement, 
 Weber's having the advantage in one line. It begins 
 
 " Thoffe Y owe syche too ! 
 Downe sate Sir Amadas and hee 
 And kast how that best myghte bee 
 
 Both far and nere :" 
 
 It has been conjectured that this is the Romance of 
 Idoyne and Amadas, so frequently referred to by the early 
 romancers and poets, but at present not known to exist.
 
 INTRODUCTION. x\v 
 
 The romance, however, was a love-story, and is generally 
 coupled with that of Tristram and Isoude — Grower's ac- 
 count of it is not very distinct, but sufficient to shew that 
 it was a different tale to Sir Amadace. 
 
 " Full oft tyme it falleth so, 
 My ere with a good pittance 
 Is fed with redynge of romance, 
 Of Idoyne and Amadas 
 That whilom were in my cas ; 
 And eke of other, many a score, 
 That loved long ere I was bore ; 
 For when I of her loves rede, 
 Myn ere with the tale I fede ; 
 And with the lust of her histoire, 
 Sometime I draw into mcmoire, 
 Howe sorrow may not ever last, 
 And so hope cometh in at last." 
 
 Conf. Amant. Lib. 6. 
 
 They are also named in the Romance of Emare. 
 
 " In that on korner made was 
 Idoyne and Amadas, 
 
 With love that was so trewe, 
 For they loveden hem wit honour, 
 Portrayed they were with trewe-love flour 
 Of stones bryght of hewe." 
 
 Ritson, Metr. Rom. 2, 209. 
 
 This can hardly be applicable to the present poem, 
 where love, either in prosperity or adversity, has little to 
 do with the story. Its object seems to be, to hold the 
 
 CAMD. SOC. d
 
 XXVI INTRODUCTION. 
 
 mirror up to knighthood, and shew it reflected in the 
 generous, the loyal, the devout, and the brave. It is 
 written in the same metre as Sir Cleges, and there is a 
 considerable similarity in the style and diction of the two 
 poems. 
 
 The Canon Law is said to have authorised the arrest of 
 the dead body of a debtor. Burn's account of the matter 
 is, " By the civil law dead bodies ought not to be hin- 
 dered from burial for debt, as vulgarly supposed ; which 
 seemed to be allowed by the law of the Twelve Tables. 
 And Lyndewood says, Heretofore the law was, that the 
 burial of a dead person might be delayed for debt ; but 
 this was afterwards abolished, for death dissolved all 
 things ; and albeit a man in his lifetime may, in some 
 cases, be imprisoned for debt, yet his dead body shall not 
 be disturbed." — Eccles. Laiv, 1. 248. 
 
 It is still, however, a vulgar error, and dead bo- 
 dies have been arrested even in late years. Lydgate's (?) 
 Tale of the Pryorys and her Thre Wooyrs, turns upon a 
 similar incident. 
 
 The third of the poems, the Avowynge, is now printed 
 for the first time, and is, in all respects, the most extra- 
 ordinary of the three. To combine a number of separate 
 tales so as to form one narrative, without introducing 
 the episodes unnaturally, breaking the unity, or de- 
 stroying the interest of the original plot, may be con-
 
 INTRODUCTION*. xxvii 
 
 sidered as the highest reach of art ; and various are the 
 ways in which it has been attempted, from the Sbvyn 
 Sages and the Canterbury Tales to Lalla Roohk 
 and the Queen's Wake. In the whole range, however, 
 it will not be easy to rind an instance displaying so much 
 art and judgment, in this respect, as the Avowynge. 
 Sir Bawdewyn's three tales are brought to bear so happily 
 upon the original plot, as to increase the interest to the 
 end, and in these subordinate parts the poet has shewn 
 consummate artistic skill. 
 
 In this Romance too, there is a more delicate tracing 
 of character, with sufficient contrast and individuality : 
 the King, with a shade of cunning and fond of practical 
 jokes ; Sir Gawan, always courteous and stately ; Sir 
 Menealfe, brave but hardly loyal ; Sir Bawdewyn, who is 
 the hero of the piece, and whose character is still further 
 developed in the Morte d' Arthur; and Sir Kaye, 
 crabbit and unlucky, — all are strongly and clearly de- 
 lineated. 
 
 The description of Sir Bawdewyn's household is 
 curious and characteristic, and, without dwelling upon 
 the particular incidents, all must acknowledge the value 
 of the school in which the knight gained his practical 
 philosophy. He appears at an early period in the Morte 
 d' Arthur as one of the guardians of King Arthur. 
 "Thenne the Archebisshop of Caunterbury, by Merlyns
 
 XXV111 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 prouydence lete purueye themme of the best knyghtes 
 that they myghte gete. And suche knygtes as Uther- 
 pendragon loued best and moost trusted in his dayes. 
 And suche knyghtes were put aboute Arthur as Syr 
 Bawdewyn of Bretayn, Syre Kaynes, Syre Ulfyus, Syre 
 Barcias." — Lib. 1. cap. 6. After King Arthur's corona- 
 tion Sir Bawdewyn was made Constable, and distinguished 
 himself in a subsequent encounter, where various kings 
 formed an alliance against Arthur. In the fifth book, King 
 Arthur is represented as holding a parliament at York, 
 previous to attacking Lucius, Emperor of Rome. " There 
 he ordeyned two governours of this royame, that is to say, 
 Syre Bawdewyn of Bretayne for to counceille to the best, 
 and Syr Constantyn, son to Syre Cador of Cornewaylle, 
 which after the death of x\rthur was kyng of this Roy- 
 amme." He is again described as a councillor in the 
 sixth book, " Thenne said Syr Gawayne and his brethren 
 unto Arthur, Syre, and ye wil gyue vs leue we wille go 
 and seke oure brother. Nay, said Syr Launcelot, that 
 shalle ye not nede ; and so said Syr Bawdewyn of Bre- 
 tayne, for, as by oure aduys," &c. 
 
 He appears again in the eighteenth book in a new cha- 
 racter : — 
 
 " Lance, shield, and sword relinquished — at his side 
 A bead-roll, in his hand a clasped book 
 Or staff more harmless than a shepherd's crook, 
 The war-worn Chieftain quits the world"- —
 
 INTRODUCTION'. \\i\ 
 
 and it would be difficult to imagine a more appropriate 
 termination of the career of the hero of the AvoWYNGB. 
 At the conclusion of a tournament, where Sir Lancelot has 
 taken a principal part in disguise, three kings and Sir 
 Galahaut, the haute prince, thus addressed him : " Fayre 
 knyght, God the blesse, for moche haue ye done this day 
 for vs ; therfor we praye yow that ye wille come with vs, 
 that ye may receyue the honour and the pryce as ye haue 
 worshipfully deserued it. My faire lordes, saide Syre 
 Launcelot, wete yow wel yf I haue deserued thanke, I 
 haue sore bought hit, and that me repenteth, for I am 
 lyke neuer to escape with my lvf, therfor, faire lordes, I 
 pray yow that ye wille suffer me to departe where me 
 lyketh, for I am sore hurte. I take none force of none 
 honour, for I had leuer to repose me than to be lord of 
 alle the world ; and there with al he groned pytously, 
 and rode a grete wallop away ward fro them vntyl he 
 came vnder a woodes syde. And whan he sawe that he 
 was from the felde nyghe a myle, that he was sure he 
 myghte not be sene, thenne he said, with an hy3 voys, 
 
 gentyl knyght, Sir Lauayne, help me, that this trun- 
 cheon were oute of my syde, for it stycketh so sore that 
 it nyhe sleeth me. O myn owne lord, said Sir Lauayne, 
 
 1 wold fayn do that mj}t please yow, but I drede me sore, 
 and I pulle oute the truncheon that ye shalle be inperylle 
 of dethe. I charge you, said Sir Launcelot. as ye lone
 
 XXX INTRODUCTION. 
 
 me drawe hit oute, and there with alle he descended from 
 his hors, and ryght soo dyd Sir Lauayn, and forth with 
 al 5 Sir Lauayn drewe the truncheon out of his syde, and 
 gaf a grete shryche and a merueilous grysely grone, and 
 the blood braste oute nyghe a pynt at ones, that at the 
 last he sanke down vpon his buttoks and so swouned pale 
 and dedely. Alias, sayd Sire Lauayne, what shalle I doo. 
 And thenne he torned Sir Launcelot in to the wynde, but 
 soo he laye there nyghe half an houre, as he had ben dede. 
 And so at the laste Syre Launcelot caste vp his eyen, 
 and sayd, O Lauayn, helpe me, that I were on my hors, for 
 here is fast by, within this two myle, a gentyl heremyte, 
 that somtyme was a fulle noble knyghte, and a grete lord 
 of possessions. And for grete goodenes, he hath taken 
 hym to wylful pouerte, and forsaken many landes, and 
 his name is Sire Baudewyn of Bretayn, and he is a ful 
 noble surgeon and a good leche. Now lete see, help me 
 vp that I were there, for euer my herte gyueth me that I 
 shalle neuer dye of my cosyn germayns handes, and 
 thenne with grete payne Sir Lauayne halpe hym vpon his 
 hors. And thenne they rode a grete wallop to gyders, 
 and euer Syr Launcelot bledde, that it ranne downe to 
 the erthe, and so by fortune they came to that hermytage 
 the whiche was vnder a wood, and a grete clyf on the 
 other syde, and a fayre water rennynge vnder it. And 
 thenne Sire Lauayn bete on the gate with the but of his
 
 [NTRODUCTION. \\\1 
 
 spere, and cryed fast, Lete in for Jhesus sake, and there 
 came a fair chyld to them, and asked hem what they wold. 
 I' aire sone, said Syr Lauayne, goo and pray thy lord, the 
 heremyte, for Goddcs sake to lete in here a knyghte thai 
 is ful sore wounded, and this day, telle thy lord, I sawe 
 hym do more dedes of amies than euer I herd say that 
 ony man dyd. Soo the chyld wente in lyghtely, and 
 thenne he brought the heremyte, the whiche was a pass- 
 ynge good man. Whan Syr Lauayne saw hym, he prayd 
 hym for Goddes sake of socour. What knyght is he. sayd 
 the heremyte, is he of the hows of Kyng Arthur or not ? 
 I wote not, said Sire Lauayne, what is he, nor what is his 
 name, but wele I wote I sawe hym doo merueylously this 
 daye as of dedes of armes. On whos party was he, sayd 
 the heremyte ? Syre, said Syre Lauayne, he was this daye 
 ageynst Kynge Arthur, and there he wanne the pryce of 
 alle the knyghtes of the round table. I haue sene the 
 daye, sayd the heremyte, I wold haue loued hym the 
 werse, by cause he was ageynst my lord Kynge Arthur, 
 for somtyme I was one of the felauship of the round table, 
 but I thanke God now I am otherwise disposed. But 
 where is he, lete me see hym ? Thenne Sir Lauayne 
 broughte the heremyte to hym. 
 
 "And whan the heremyte beheld hym as he sat len- 
 ynge upon his sadel bowe, euer bledynge pytously, and 
 euer the knyghte heremyte thoughte that he shold knowe
 
 XXX11 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 hym, but he coude not brynge hym to knouleche, by 
 cause he was soo pale for bledynge. What knyght are ye, 
 sayd the heremyte, and where were ye borne ? My fayre 
 lord, sayd Syre Launcelot, I am a straunger and a 
 knyghte auenturous, that laboureth thur3 oute many 
 Realmes for to wynne worship. Thenne the heremyte 
 aduysed hym better, and sawe, by a wound on his cheke, 
 that he was Syr Launcelot. Alias, sayd the heremyte, 
 myn owne lord, why layne you your name from me. For 
 sothe I oughte to knowe yow of ry5t, for ye are the moost 
 noblest knyghte of the world, for wel I knowe yow for Sire 
 Launcelot. Syre, said he, sythe ye knowe me, helpe me 
 and ye may for Goddes sake, for I wold be oute of this 
 payne at ones, outher to dethe or to lyf. Haue ye no 
 doubte, sayd the heremyte, ye shall lyue and fare ryght 
 wel ; and soo the heremyte called to hym two of his ser- 
 uauntes, and so he and his seruauntes bare hym in to the 
 hermytage, and lyghtlely vnarmed hym and leyd hym in 
 his bedde. And thenne anone the heremyte staunched 
 his blood and made hym to drynke good wyn, so that Sir 
 Launcelot was wel refresshed and knewe hym self. For 
 in these dayes it was not the guyse of heremytes, as is 
 now a dayes. For there were none heremytes in tho 
 dayes, but that they had ben men of worshyp and of 
 prowesse, and the heremytes helde grete housholde, and 
 refresshyd peple that were in distresse." — Vol. 2. p. 336.
 
 INTRODUCTION. wxiii 
 
 So far Sir Bawdewyn is more fortunate than any other 
 of the knights of the Round Table ; fore-shadowing, 
 indeed, the fate of the few survivors of the last tat;:! 
 battle-fields ; but unlike Sir Lancelot, who, in the words 
 of the beautiful sonnet quoted above, withdrew 
 
 " to hide 
 His thin autumnal locks where monks ahide 
 In cloistered privacy. But not to dwell 
 In soft repose he comes. Within his cell 
 Round the decaying trunk of human pride, 
 At morn, and eve, and midnight's silent hour, 
 Do penitential cogitations cling : 
 Like ivy, round some ancient elm, they twine 
 In grisly folds and strictures serpentine : 
 Yet, while they strangle without mercy, bring 
 For recompense, their own perennial bower." 
 
 It is not necessary to relate what passed at the her 
 mitage — Sir Lancelot is desirous to be gone, " Soo vpon 
 a day, by the assente of Syr Launcelot, Syre Bors and 
 Syre Lauayne they made the heremyte to seke in woodes 
 for dyuerse herbes, and so Sir Launcelot made fayre 
 Elayne to gadre herbes for hvm to make hym a bayne." 
 During their absence he armed himself and mounted his 
 steed ; the wound burst out again with the exertion, ami 
 he fell down on one side to the earth, like a dead corpse. 
 
 " With this came the holy heremyte Syr Bawdewyn of 
 Bretayne. And whan he fond Syr Launcelot in that 
 
 camd. soc. e
 
 XXXIV INTRODUCTION. 
 
 plyte, he sayd but lytel, but wete ye wel he was wrothe, 
 and thenne he bad hem, lete vs haue hym in. And so 
 they alle bare hym vnto the hermytage, and vnarmed 
 hym, and layd hym in his bedde, and euer more his 
 wound bledde pytously, but he stered no lymme of hym. 
 Thenne the knyghte heremyte put a thynge in his nose 
 and a lytel dele of water in his mouthe. And thenne Sir 
 Launcelot waked of his swoune, and thenne the heremyte 
 staunched his bledynge. And whan he myght speke, he 
 asked Sir Launcelot why he putte his lyf in jeopardy. Sir, 
 said Syre Launcelot, by cause I wende I had ben stronge, 
 and also Syre Bors told me that there shold be at al 
 halowmasse a grete justes betwixe Kynge Arthur and the 
 Kynge of Northgalys, and therfor I thoughte to assay hit 
 myself, whether I myght be there or not. A, Syr Launce- 
 lot, sayd the heremyte, your herte and your courage wille 
 neuer be done vntyl your last day, but ye shal doo now 
 by my counceylle, lete Sire Bors departe from yow, and 
 lete hym doo at that turnement what he may, and by the 
 grace of God, sayd the knyghte heremyte, by that the 
 turnement be done and ye come hydder ageyne, Syr 
 Launcelot shall be as hole as ye, soo that he wil be 
 gouerned by me." V. 2. 347- 
 
 This is done, Sir Lancelot recovers, and we hear no 
 more of the Knight Hermit. 
 
 The scene of the Avowynge, like that of the Anturs, is
 
 INTRODUCTION. xxxv 
 
 laid in Inglewood forest ; Liddel Mote is an ancient and 
 strong fortification on the Lidd, where it runs into the Eskr; 
 it was given by John, Karl of Kent, in whose family it had 
 been for some generations, to Edward III. Besides Sir 
 Bawdewyn, we have another new knight, Sir Menealfe of 
 the Mountayn. King Arthur is represented as the son of 
 the king of Constantyn, (" Constantyn besyde Bretayne." 
 Morte d' Arthur, 1. 138.) who makes war against the 
 Sowdan of Spain ; an additional proof of the loose notions 
 which the ancient minstrels had of the conventional re- 
 lationships of their heroes. 
 
 The metre is a good specimen of alliteration combined 
 with rhyme ; but, unfortunately, from its structure, tend- 
 ing to obscurity. Several poems in a similar stanza of 
 the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, are in existence ; 
 one, entitled a Disputation bytwene a Crysten 
 man and a Jewe, is extracted by Warton from the 
 Vernon MS. of which the following will be a sufficient 
 specimen. 
 
 " Forth heo wenten on the feld, 
 To an hul thei bi-heokl, 
 The eorthe clevet as a scheld, 
 
 On the grounde grene ; 
 Sone fond thei a stih, 
 Thei went theron radly ; 
 The eristene mon hedde ferly 
 What hit niihte mene.
 
 XXXVI INTRODUCTION. 
 
 Aftir that sti3 lay a strete, 
 Clere i-pavet withgrete, 
 Thei fond a maner, that was meete, 
 
 With murthes ful schene ; 
 Wei corven and wrouht, 
 With halles heije uppon loft, 
 To a place weore thei brouht, 
 As paradys the clene. 
 
 Hist. Eng. Poet. 2. 231. 
 
 In this piece, whether poet or scribe be in fault, the 
 alliteration is very negligently kept up. 
 
 In conclusion, I have to return my best acknowledg- 
 ments to Dr. Holme, of Manchester, for the assistance 
 he has rendered me, and the interest he has taken in 
 the work ; and to Dr. Kendrick and J. Fitchett Marsh, 
 Esq. of Warrington, for the loan of many valuable books. 
 
 But to Sir Frederick Madden my obligations are more 
 numerous. If the publication has any value, it is in great 
 measure owing to his suggestions, and the Glossary is, in 
 the most important parts, a literal copy of his most ex- 
 cellent one to Syr Gawayne.

 
 
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 DESCRIPTION OF THE MANUSCRIPT. 
 
 The Ireland MS. is in quarto, written on a coarse parchment,* 
 with 21 — 24 lines in a page : there are neither illuminations nor 
 ornamented capitals ; and, although each tale is divided into 
 Fittes, there is no punctuation of any kind, nor is there a title to 
 any of the poems, except at the conclusion of Sir Am a dace. 
 
 The first tale begins at the top of a page, occupies fifteen folios, 
 and ends at the bottom of a page ; one folio, if not more, appears to 
 be missing, and the tale of Sir Amadace, which begins abruptly, 
 extends over 171 folios, ending on the second page of the 
 eighteenth. The third story commences in the same page as the 
 second concludes, goes through 24 folios, and thirteen lines of the 
 next page j then follows a blank folio, and the rest of the volume 
 (40 folios) consists of records and memoranda of the court of 
 Hale. 
 
 These records have evidently been inserted at various times, and 
 apparently by William Irland, Lord of the Manor of Hale during 
 the reigns of Henry V. and VI. and at the beginning of Edward 
 IV. A careful examination has satisfied me that the first five 
 folios after the poems, were left blank by the original transcriber of 
 these excerpta, who began his labours with a pentameter, 
 " Assit principio Sancta Maria meo." 
 
 Curia de Hale in principio Rotuli, tenta ibidem die mart is 
 proximo post festum Sancti Michaelis, anno regni regis Ricardi 
 secundi tercio decimo, et super dorsum ejusdem Rotuli, pro tak. 
 Roberti Diconson, pro tribus porcis, iijd. 
 
 * A very imperfect and erroneous account of the Manuscript was 
 published in Gregson's " Fragments of a Portfolio of the History of 
 Lancashire.
 
 XXXV111 DESCRIPTION OF THE MANUSCRIPT. 
 
 To this is appended a marginal note in another hand. " Res- 
 pice bene de tak Roberti Dicunson, quia aula Johannes Leyot 
 fuit quondam tenementum dicti Roberti." It appears from vari- 
 ous entries, that John Leyot, Dean of Chester, Rector of Malpas 
 and Denforth, and Vicar of Hale, obtained possession of various 
 lands and buildings, and disputed the manorial rights ; he died, 
 as is stated in one of the memoranda, 6 Henry VI. before 
 which this note must have been written. The following page 
 begins, Rotulo vi° de festo Natalis Domini, anno Ri- 
 cardi quarto decimo ; and contains excerpts from various 
 Rolls, which are specified, but without date. In the eleventh 
 page we have, Nunc incipit quadragesime anno regni 
 
 REGIS HENRICI QUARTI SEXTO. ROTULO XI RoTUL. PAR- 
 
 gamene. In page 14 we find " Modo incipit Tractatus parvi 
 quaterni/' with dates of the 16th, 17th, and 19th of Richard II. 
 and receipt of rents of the 16th and 17th, and a heryot of the 18th 
 year of the same monarch. The extracts from this Parvus Qua- 
 ternus fill nearly six folios, and are divided into seventy sections ; 
 one only is of a later date, and this, with the concluding sections, 
 is as follows : 
 
 LXVII. Adam del Colcotes Ballivus libertatis Manerii de Hale 
 narravit Willielmo Irland, domino dicti Manerii, anno regis Henrici 
 quinti quinto, quod Thomas Layet perquesivit terras et tenementa 
 de etc. quondam terrse Johannis le Hayre ; et similiter perquesivit 
 terras de Cecilia Shipman, et Margeria sorore sua, et ilia ; et terre 
 predicte simul jacent ; et pro tenumentis Cecilie, ut de redditu, 
 solvit domino. Ideo querendum est. 
 
 LXVIII. Thomas Layet, quia pandoxavit semel, ijd. Et quia 
 concelavit le fowundynge pot, iijd. 
 
 Item, idem Thomas Layet valde juxta, viz. duodecimus pro tol de 
 uno pullo, ijd. stat super idem latus folii et ibi bene loquitur de tol. 
 
 LXVIIII. Thomas Layet pro sex porcis appreciatis ixs. in eodem 
 loco similiter fit de aliis, ut patet ibidem. 
 
 LXX. Item de tenumentis Johannis de Irland de bovat* quon- 
 dam Roberti de Chester per to turn annum, vjd. oh. quad.
 
 DESCRIPTION OF THE MANUSCRIPT. xxxix 
 
 De eodem Johanne pro tenument. in Redale, iiyd. 
 De eodem Johanne pro tenument. in Morecote, viz. quinque 
 quad ran tes vd. 
 
 De eodem Johanne pro tenument. Ranulphi Hancokson per 
 
 Cartam annuatim de proprio concessio, xixd. ob. 
 
 De eodem Johanne pro tenument. quondam David patria sui, 
 iiiJ8. et i^ta llecordacio stat in ultimo fine parvi quaterni super 
 parvum folium. Jam parvus quaternus fcnitur. 
 
 Nunc incipiunt Rotuli Antiqui de papiro scripto, qui sunt quin- 
 que de numero. 
 
 LXXI°. Curia de Hale tenta ibidem die Lune in septimana de 
 Quasimodo, anno regis Ricardi Secundi xij". 
 
 Copies of other paper rolls of the reign of Henry IV. follow ; 
 the first in his eleventh, the second in his fourth year. The third 
 entry, with a date, is, 
 
 LXXVIII . Johannes le Clerke queritur de Rieardo Brugge de 
 placito, eo quod predictus Ricardus debet et injuste detinet scrvi- 
 cium factum pro duobus annis de Officio havward, anno regis 
 Ricardi Secundi xxij° et anno regis Henrici Quarti primo, ad dam- 
 num iijs. iiijd. Et defend, negat, et ponit se ad patriam, per quam 
 quer. recuperet vjd. et predictus Ricardus in misericordia. 
 
 Feniti sunt Rotuli, qui sunt quinque de numero. 
 
 Nunc incipit Tractatus parvorum Rotulorum de extractis, un- 
 decim de numero. 
 
 These excerpts follow an inverse order, beginning with the 
 eleventh roll, 1 Henry IV '. and ending with the first, at the 86th 
 chapter. They are followed by the receipt of Rents at the Annun- 
 ciation term, 1 Henry V. and at Martinmas i Henry [V. 
 
 The next series of documents has every appearance of having 
 been entered about the period of their respective dates. They are 
 full and particular records of the proceedings, fines, presentations, 
 appointment of officers, and lists of the Juries of the Courts of 
 Hale as follows : 
 
 Tuesday after the Conception, 14 Henry IV. 
 
 Tuesday after the Annunciation, 1 Henrv V.
 
 xl DESCRIPTION OF THE MANUSCRIPT. 
 
 Thursday, St. Wilfrid, 1 Henry V. 
 
 Monday before St. Andrew, 1 Henry V. 
 
 Monday after the Annunciation, 2 Henry V. 
 
 Tuesday after St. Wilfrid, 2 Henry V. 
 
 Monday after St. Martin, 2 Henry V. 
 
 Thursday St. Martin, 3 Henry V. 
 
 Wednesday eve of St. Luke, 3 Henry V. 
 
 Tuesday before St. Andrew, 3 Henry V. 
 
 Wednesday before St. Margaret, 4 Henry V. 
 
 Thursday after St. Catharine, 4 Henry V. 
 
 As a specimen it will be sufficient to give the last of these 
 entries : 
 
 Curia de Hale tenta ibidem die Jovis proximo post festum 
 Sancte Katerine virginis anno regni regis Henrici Gtuinti quarto. 
 
 Inquisitio capta ex officio per sacramentum Willielmi Hogesone, 
 Thome Penultone, Galfridi de Penultone, Henrici de Bruge, Rogeri 
 Robynson, Willielmi de Torbok, Ricardi Henrysone, Johannis 
 Gierke, Johannis del Crosse, Roberti de Wysewalle, Willielmi de 
 Speke, Roberti Gille, Jurat, dicunt quod Robertus Gille ienvenit 
 (invenit) j swarme, et statinorto Willielmi Speke. Henricus Pogh- 
 dene pro consimili in orto suo. Willielmus de Thornetone pro con- 
 simili in orto suo. Item Jurati dicunt quod Thomas Layot obstu- 
 passet rectum cursum aque, inter predictum Thomam et Galfri- 
 dum Penultone. Item dicunt quod Alicia Pogheden obstupasset 
 rectum cursum aque, inter earn et Willielmum de Torbok. Item 
 dicunt quod Ricardus de Rygby obstupasset rectum cursum aque? 
 versus hostium Willielmi de Torbok. Item dicunt quod Ricardus 
 Rygby dolavit Sappelynges in le Wethyns. Item dicunt quod 
 Thomas Penultone dolavit iij. sappelynges in loco predicto. Item 
 dicunt quod Willielmus de Speeke pro transgressione super le lond 
 jacent. per ortum predicti Willielmi. Item dicunt quod Stephanus 
 Eliot fecit transgressionem super lond predictum. Item dicunt quod 
 uxor Willielmi Hankynsone fecit transgressionem super le mekyl 
 forlonge halond. Item dicunt quod Ricardus de Rygby fecit trans-
 
 DESCRIPTION OF T 11 F. M\\i BCBIPT. xll 
 
 grcssioncm super le a laiulcs super longehille. Item dicunt quod 
 Thomas Layat tenet a gappe appertain versus le halleyerde. 
 
 Alicia uxor Roberti Peeelle pro fraeeione sigilli, iijd. 
 
 Le Reve Willielmus de Torbok ad festum Sancti Michaelia 
 
 Archangeli, anno regis Henrici quinti quarto. 
 
 Constal)ularius Stephanus Eliot ad terminuni predictum juratus. 
 
 t, , - * Adam de Coldecotes, ) iurati ad terminum 
 
 imrelamen * nr11 . , , ,,,, ; J ■• . 
 
 \\ dhelmus de Ihorneton, ) predictum. 
 
 Johannes Thurstansone queritur de Ade de Coldecotes et de 
 
 omnibus tenentibus ville de Hale, in placito transgressionis, et 
 
 dicit quod ipsi distruct. et comederunt cum averiis suis herbagium 
 
 suum inter territorium de Hale per duos annos ultime elapsos, pro 
 
 quibus solitus fuit habere ijs. per annum. Ad dampnum iijs. iiijd. 
 
 Def. negant per inquis. diet, xiiijd, de dampno. 
 
 A rr , Willielmus de Torbok, ) T .■ 
 
 Afferatorest TV , TJ ! • Jurati. 
 
 Ricardus Henreson, ) 
 
 Joliannes Thurstansone queritur de Ade de Coldecotes in pla- 
 cito transgressionis, pro uno ferthynge accepto de manu Roberti 
 Coldecotes per xv annos, ad dampnum ixs. Def. negat per Inq. 
 cont r . usque proximam curiam. 
 
 Domina Margeria, que fuit uxor Johannis Irland militis, queritur 
 de heredibus de Johanne Johnson Atkynsone, quare *Qoluit venire 
 et solvere heriot. Def. negat per inquisitionem cont r . usque proxi- 
 mam curiam. 
 
 Several other presentations follow, but enough has been given 
 to show that, while the writer made such extracts from the earlier 
 rolls as he thought of importance, he here gives, in full detail, the 
 proceedings of each court ; the two last quoted paragraphs, where 
 the charges are referred to the next court, were evidently 
 inserted by a contemporary ; and of course we ascertain the period 
 when the parchment book, instead of recounting the wonderful 
 feats of King Arthur and his knights, became a record of the 
 
 * In another place " Burelaymen." 
 
 t Elsewhere " Affirmatores," and ■• A.ffirmatorea Curie." 
 
 (AMD. soc. /
 
 xlii DESCRIPTION OF THE MANUSCRIPT. 
 
 squabbles of alewives and tolls upon pigs. This portion occupies 
 eleven folios, and was probably begun by William Irlancl upon his 
 coming in possession of the estate, which appears to have been at 
 the commencement of the reign of Henry V. in 1413. It is pro- 
 bable that they have been continued to a later period than the 
 4 Henry V. as there seems a deficiency of one or more quires of 
 parchment in this part of the MS. The whole of this portion is 
 written in a different ink to the rest. 
 
 The remainder of the manuscript (12 folios) contains a miscel- 
 laneous assortment of memoranda of events happening within the 
 Manor, as claims of Wreck, Waythes and Strayes, Kele Toll, 
 Coroners Inquests, (the Lord of Hale is still the Coroner,) Ordi- 
 nances, and a long account of the purchases and usurpations of 
 Magister Johannes Leyot, who has been already named. These 
 are of various dates from 3 to 14 Henry VI. In these entries 
 William Irland is often personally referred to, as in the following 
 passage : 
 
 Item datum est mihi, Willielmo Irland filio Johannis Irland 
 militis, quod die Lune proximo ante festum Invencionis Sancte 
 Crucis, anno Regis Henrici sexti tercio, Johannes Leyot persona 
 Ecclesie de Malepas et Bangore, &c. Some of the documents 
 connected with Leyot go back as far as 9 Richard II. 
 
 One of these, as it names William Kendale, I shall transcribe. 
 
 Memorandum quod die Dominica proximo post festum Sancte 
 Marie Magdelane, anno regis Henrici Quinti nono, et Anno Do- 
 mini M'oCCCOoXX" 10 , Johannes Leyot Rector de Denforthe et 
 postea Decanus Cestrie, et modo Rector Ecclesie de Malepas, 
 eodem die monstravit seu protulit in Capella de Hale unam lite- 
 ram attornatoriam Johannis Ducis Berfordie (sic), fratris regis 
 Henrici quinti, sub sigillo ejusdem Ducis, et declaravit palam et 
 publice coram omnibus ibidem presentibus, quod idem Dux per li- 
 teram suam attornatoriam misit Thomam Alluerwyk, servientem Jo- 
 hannis Leyot, Attornatum ejusdem Ducis, ad recipiendum seisinam 
 in omnibus terris et tenumentis que idem Dux habuit ex dono et 
 feoffamento Willielmi Kendale Capellani, celebrantem apud Hale
 
 DESCRIPTION' OF THH MANUSCRIPT. \liii 
 
 presbiter. ejusdem Johannia Leyot, que terre el tenumenta idem 
 Johannes occulte dedit dicto Willielmo; el si aliquis infra domi- 
 nium de Hale dederil occulte dedit contra formam etconsuetudinem 
 manerii de Hale predicti ; ct in declaracione dixerunl quod Wil- 
 lielmus Kendale dedit feoffamentum predicto Duci, sed carta inde 
 Willielmua Irland, tunc temporis dominus Manerii de Hale, dixit 
 quod non videbar, sed dixit quod vidit literam attornatoriam sub 
 sigillo ejusdem Dueis. Que terre et tenements idem Johannes 
 Leyot perquisivit de diversis tenentibus Johannis Irland militis, et 
 Willielmi Irland filii ejusdem Johannis, in Hale, ut patet in Rentale 
 ejusdem ville. Et causa est liec, quia quod Johannes Leyot dedit 
 Willielmo Kendale presbitero, et similiter ordinavit quod predictus 
 Willielmus daret predicta tenumenta Duci predicto, quia dictus 
 Johannes Leyot habuit filium morantem cum predicto Duci, voca- 
 tum Magister Ricardus Leyot, et fuit Cancellarius ejusdem Ducis; 
 et pro magna affectione et fide quam habuerunt in Ducem, idem 
 Johannes Leyot constituit ordinavit et imaginavit tale feoffamen- 
 tum et donacionem factam eidem Duci, ad se manutenendum et 
 supportandum erga Willielmum Irland dominum suum, in magnum 
 prejudicium ejusdem domini sui et in subtractione servicii et 
 herieleti et consuetudinum ex antiquo usitatum. 
 
 The four first folios have been filled up afterwards with similar 
 materials ; the first memorandum bearing the latest date in the 
 book 4 Edward IV. (146*5) : the last, dated the year before, names 
 William Irland as being still Lord of Hale. At the top of the first 
 page we have what has been intended for a hexameter verse : 
 " Ad mea principia til»i dico salve Maria." 
 
 Two quires of parchment at least have been lost from the be- 
 ginning, and as many from the end of the book : and several folios 
 at the end are so faded as to be hardly intelligible. 
 
 Various marginal notes have been added at different times; 
 we find at the top of page 6^ " Tomas Yrlond," probably a Thomas 
 Ireland who was living temp. Henry VIII. At p. 18, " Mary 
 Greene Aug. y e 3, \"JMi, this book belongs to Hale Hall for ever." 
 Other references seem to have been written about the end of the 
 sixteenth century.
 
 xlv DESCRIPTION OF THE MANUSCRIPT. 
 
 The Pedigree of the Ireland family, which has been given in 
 Baines* History of Lancashire, and also as drawn up by Sir 
 Isaac Heard, in Gregson's Fragments, — so far as the present 
 work is concerned, is as follows. 
 
 Adam Irian d, living 1308, married Avena, daughter and co- 
 heiress of Sir Robert Holland, and, by the gift of her father, Lady 
 of Hale ; their son John Irland was living 23 Edward III. ; he was 
 succeeded by David Irland ; whose son John Irland, afterwards 
 knighted, was the father of William Irland, to whom we owe the pre- 
 servation of the manuscript. The last heir male of the family was 
 Sir Gilbert Ireland, who died without issue 1675. His sister mar- 
 ried Edward Aspinwall of Aspinwall near Ormskirk; — this family 
 also terminating in a female, Mary Aspinwall, who married Isaac 
 Green of Childwall— probably the lady who left her autograph as 
 above mentioned. She died in 1738, her husband in 1749, leaving 
 three daughters, coheiresses, one of whom, in 1752, married 
 Thomas Blackburne of Orford, Esq. — the grandfather of John 
 Ireland Blackburne of Hale, Esq. Lord of the Manor of Warring- 
 ton, anS now its representative in Parliament. 
 
 The binding of the MS. is of a primitive sort. Two stout oaken 
 backs, each half an inch thick and guiltless of a plane, are bound 
 together by seven thongs of white leather, which pass twice 
 through each of the boards, fixed by wooden wedges where they 
 commence on one side, and their ends nailed down on the other. 
 Two thongs of the like material kept the book close when their 
 ends were fixed on brass nails, one of which still projects from the 
 left-hand board. 
 
 With respect to the orthography, the Saxon ]? is very fre- 
 quently used at the beginning, but not more than three or four 
 times in the middle of a word. There are the usual contractions, 
 which I have given at full length ; — in every other respect I have 
 endeavoured to copy it literally. For the general character of the 
 writing, I may refer to the fac-simile (inserted before this Descrip- 
 tion.) There being no punctuation in the original, I am respon- 
 sible for the pointing, the hyphens, and the accents. 
 
 Warrington, March, 1842.
 
 EARLY 
 
 ENGLISH METRICAL ROMANCES. 
 
 THE ANTURS OF ARTHER AT THE TARNEWATHELAN. 
 
 I. 
 
 In the tyme of Arther thys antur be-tvdde, 
 
 Be-syde the Tarnewathelan, as the boke tellua ; 
 That he to Karlylle was comun, that conquerour kydde, 
 
 Wythe dukys, and with dosiperus, that with the deure dwellus, 
 For to hunte atte the herd, that lung hase bvnne hydde ; 
 
 Tyl on a day thay horn dy3t into the depe dellus, 
 Fellun to tho femalus, in forest was fredde ; 
 
 Fayre by fermesones, by frythys, and felles, 
 To the wudde thay weyndun, these wlonkes in wedes ; 
 Bothe the kyng and tlie qwene, 
 And other do3ti by-dene ; 
 Syr Gawan, graythist on grene, 
 Dame Gaynore he ledus. 
 
 II. 
 
 Thenne Syr Gawan the gode . Dame Gaynour he ledus, 
 
 Inne a gliderand gyde, that glemit so gay ; 
 That was with rebans reuersut, quo so ry5t redys 3 
 
 Arayit aure with rebans, rycheste of ray ; 
 Hur hud of a haa hew, that hur hede hidus, 
 
 Of purpure, and pallc wcrke, and perre to pay ; 
 Wos schrod in a schort cloke, that the rayn shredes, 
 
 CAMD. SOC. U
 
 EARLY ENGLISH METRICAL ROMANCES. 
 
 Set aure with saferes, quo sothely will say, 
 Safers and seledyms, serclet on sydus ; 
 
 Her sadylle sette with that ilke, 
 With ryche sa savmhellus of sylke, 
 Opun a mule as the mylke ; 
 Thus gayli ho glydus. 
 
 III. 
 
 And thus Dame Gaynour the gode, gayli ho glidus 
 
 The gatys with Syr Gawan, by a grene welle ; 
 And a byrne on a blonke, that with the quene a-bydus, 
 
 That borne was in Burgoyne, be boke and by belle ; 
 So lung he ledys that lady by that loghe sydus, 
 
 Ther at a laurialle scho ly3t, loe by a hille ; 
 The fellus, Arther and his hurles, hernestely he rydest, 
 
 To teche horn to hor tristurs, quo truly wille telle ; 
 To hor tristurs he horn ta3te, quo truly me trowes, 
 Yche lord with-outen lette, 
 Vn-to a tre ar thay sette, 
 Wyth bow and wyth berselette, 
 Vndurneth the boes. 
 
 IV. 
 
 Thus vndur boes thay byde, than byrnes so bold, 
 
 To beker atte the barrens, in bonkes so bare ; 
 -There my3te hathels on hye, herdus be-hold, 
 
 To herkyn huntyng with home, in holtis so hore ; 
 Thay kest of hor cowpullus, in cliffes so cold, 
 
 Cumfordun hor kenettes, to kele hom of care ; 
 Thay felle to the female dure, feyful thyk fold ; 
 
 With felle houundus and with fresche, thay folo the fare. 
 
 ST. II. 1. 13. Saude with sambules of sylke. MS. Douce. 
 
 III. .5.— Loghe landez, MS. Lincoln.— Lowe, MS. Douce.— V. infra, VII. .'».
 
 THE A.NTUR8 »!•' AKTIIKK AT I ill i a R m.v, a I II I I 
 
 Thay questun, thay quellun, 
 
 By frythun, by fellun, 
 
 The dere in the dellun, 
 Thay droupun and daren. 
 
 V. 
 
 Alle dyrkyns the dere, in the dym scoghes, 
 For drede of the dethe dfoupus the doe; 
 For the squyppand watur, that squytherly squoes, 
 
 Thayre werre on the wild squyne wurchis bom wo. 
 The hnnteres thay haulen, by hurstes and by hoes, 
 
 To the rest raches that releues of the roe : 
 Thay geuen no gomen, nyf no grythe, that on the grounde groes, 
 
 The grehoundys in the grene greues, so gladdely thay ^oe; 
 Thus gladdely thay goe, in greuis so grene, 
 The king blue a rechase, 
 Folut fast on the trase, 
 With niony seriandys of mase, 
 That solas to see. 
 
 VI. 
 Thus that solas to see, the semelokest of alle, 
 
 Thay so3t to thayre souerayne, undur the scha sehene ; 
 Alle butte Syr Gauan, graythest of alle, 
 
 Was laft witli Dame Gaynour, vndur the greues grene. 
 By a lauryel ho lay, vndur a lefe sale, 
 
 Of box and of barbere, byggyt ful bene ; 
 Euyn atte the mydday this ferly con falle, 
 
 And this niykyl meruel, that I of mene ; 
 
 V. 6, 7. .hid bhaoe rechas, rially thei rawne to the ro. 
 
 Thay i/afe to no gamen, that on grownde groves. MS Douce. 
 And title thaire rate, raches relyes onne thane raye ,• 
 They gafe no gamen, no grythe, that on grownde groves. MS. Lincoln. 
 " And to their resting place hounds follow, on their track (.') They garr r 
 no respite." The second line is repeated (without the negative) infra XII :, mid 
 appears to conclude with a sort of conventional or expletive phrase. 
 
 I
 
 4 EARLY ENGLISH METRICAL ROMANCES. 
 
 Nou wold I of this meruel mele, if I mo3t, 
 The day wex as dirke 
 As the mydn\ T 3te myrke, 
 Ther-of Syr Arther wos irke. 
 And lijte on his fote. 
 
 VII. 
 
 Thus on fote con thay founde, these frekes vn-fayn, 
 
 And fled to the forest fro the fau fellus ; 
 Thay ran to the raches, for redeles of rayn, 
 
 For the snyterand snaue, that snaypely horn snellus ; 
 So come a lau oute of a loghe, in lede is no3t to layn, 
 
 In lykenes of Lucifere, lauyst in hellus ; 
 Glydand to Dame Gaynour, hyre gates were gayne, 
 
 3auland ful 5amerly, with mony loude 3elles ; 
 II yt 3aulit, hit 3amurt, with wlonkes full wete, 
 And sayd with sykyng sare, 
 " I banne the byrde that me bare, 
 For noue comyn is my care, 
 I gloppen and Y grete !" 
 
 VIII. 
 
 Alle gloppuns and gretys Dame Gaynour the gay, 
 
 And sayd to Syr Gauan, " Quat is thi best rede?" 
 " Hyt is but the clyppus of the sune, I herd a clerk say ;" 
 
 And thus he cumforthes the quene, throghe his kny3t-hed ; 
 Ho sayd, " Syr Cador, Syr Clegius, Syr Costantyne, Syr Cay, 
 
 These kny3tes ar vn-curtas, by cros, and by crede ! 
 That thus haue laft me allone, at my dethe day, 
 
 With on the grymlokkest gost, that euer herd I grete I" 
 " Of the gost," quod the gome, " greue the no mare ; 
 
 VII. 2. Fawefellis, MS. Lincoln.— Fewe, MS. Douce. 
 
 3. To the rocftes,for reddoure, MS. D. to the rocks, for fear.
 
 THE ANTrits OF ABTHBB at THE TARNKWATHELAN. 
 
 For I wille Bpeke with the Bprete, 
 And of hit woe wille I wefe. 
 Gif that I may hit bales bete. 
 And the body bare." 
 
 IX. 
 
 Alle bare was the body, and blak by the bone, 
 
 Vmbcclosut in a cloude, in clething evyl clad ; 
 Hit 3aulut, hit iamurt, lykc a woman, 
 
 Nauthyr of hydc, nyf of lieue. no hillyng liit liad ; 
 Hvt stcdvt, hit stode as stylle as a stone : 
 
 Hyt menet, hit musut, hyt marret for madde. 
 Vn-to the gryselyche gost Syr Gauane is gone, 
 
 And rayket to hit in a res, for he was neuyr radde : 
 Rad was he neuyr 3ette, quo so ry3te redus ; 
 Opon the chefe of hur cholle, 
 A padok prykette on a polle, 
 Hyr enyn were holket and liolle, 
 And gloet as the gledes. 
 
 X. 
 
 Alle gloet as the gledes, the gost qwere hit glidus, 
 
 Was vmbyclosut in a cloude, in clething vn-clere 
 Was sette aure with serpentes, that sate to the sydus ; 
 To telle the todus ther opon with tang were ful tere. 
 Then this byrne braydet owtc a brand, and the body Indus ; 
 
 For alle this chiualrouse kny3t, chonget no chere; 
 The houndes hyes to the holtes, and thayre hedus hidus ; 
 
 The greundes were alle a-gast, of the grynie here. 
 Thus were the grehondes a-gast of the gryme bere ; 
 The brvddus in the boes, 
 That of the gost gous, 
 Thay scryken in the scoes, 
 
 That herdus my 5 ten horn here.
 
 EARLY ENGLISH METRICAL ROMANCES. 
 
 XI. 
 
 Alle the herdus my3tun here, the hyndest of alle, 
 
 Off the schaft and the shol, shaturt to the shin ; 
 Thenne coniurt the kny3t, and on Cryst callus, 
 
 " As Thou was claryfiet on crosse, and clanser of synne, 
 Wys me, thou waret wy3te ! quedur that thou schalle, 
 
 Querfore that thou walkes these woddes with-inne V 
 Ho sayd. ho was a figure of flesche, fayrest of alle, 
 
 " Crystunt and crisumpte with kingus in my kynne ; 
 I hade kingus in my kynne, that kyd were for kene ; 
 Thus God hase grauntut me grace, 
 To dre my penawunse in this place, 
 And I am comun in this cace, 
 To carpe with 3 our qwene. 
 
 XII. 
 
 For qwene was I sum-qwile, bri3ter of broes 
 
 Thenne Berel, or Brangeuayne, the birdus so bold ; 
 Of alle the gornun, and the grythe, that on the ground groes, 
 Grattur thenne Dame Gaynour, be grete sowmus of gold ; 
 Of palas, of parkes, of poundes, of ploes, 
 
 Of toures, of tounes, of tresurus vn-told ; 
 Of castels, of cuntrayes, of cliffes, of does, 
 
 Thus am I cachet fro kythe, to cares so kold ! 
 Thus am I cachet to care, and couchet in clay ; 
 Lo ! thou curtase kny3te, 
 Houe dylful dethe hase me dy3te, 
 To lette me onus haue a sy3te 
 Of Ganore the gay." 
 
 XIII. 
 
 Thenne Syr Gauan the gode, to Gaynour is gone, 
 
 Be-fore the body he hur bro3te, and the byrde brj^te, 
 Ho sayd, "Welcum, Waynor, i-wys, wurlok in wone 

 
 ill K ANTI'KS OP AUIIIIi: AT III I. I \ It \ I \\ \ I 1 1 I I . \ \ . 
 
 Lo ! hou (lilful dethe hase tin Dame dyjfe 
 For my rud was raddur then rose of the ron. 
 
 My lere as the lilly that lauchet so ly}te ; 
 Now I am a gryselyche gost. and griseliehe I grone. 
 
 With Lucifere, in a lake, thus lau am I ly;,ti-. 
 Thus lau am I ly}tv. take wittenessc by me ; 
 For alle 5 our fresche forur. 
 That menes of 30ur merur, 
 Kynge, Duke, and Emperoure, 
 Alle thus schalle se he. 
 
 XIV. 
 
 Thus dethe wille 30 di3te, I do 30 oute of doute, 
 
 And therfore hertely take hcde. quylcs that thou art here ; 
 Qwen thou art ray richest, and rydus in tin route, 
 Haue pete on the pore, quyl thou hase pouere : 
 Quen birdus, and birnys ar besy the aboute, 
 
 Quyl tin body be boumet, and bro3te on a here, 
 Thay wille leue the ful ly3teli, that noue wilthe loute, 
 
 And then helpes the no thing, but holi prayere. 
 For the prayer of the pore may purchase thi pece ; 
 Those at thou 3ees at thi 3 ate, 
 Quen thou art sette in thi sete, 
 With alle the myrthes at thi mete, 
 And davntethis on dese. 
 
 XV. 
 
 With alle dayntethis on dese, thi dietis ar di3te, 
 And I in dungun, and dill, is done for to duclle ; 
 
 Naxty, and nedy, and nakut, opon he5te ; 
 For in wunnyng place, is woe for to duelle ; 
 
 X I I I . 1 . For alle ^oure fresch efa uo u re 
 
 Nowe moyse on this mirrovre. MS. L. 
 
 XIV. 3. Richely arrayede. MS. L. 
 
 XV. 4. There/oh me a/erde offendu o/helle. MS. 1).
 
 8 EARLY ENGLISH METRICAL ROMANCES. 
 
 Thay hurlun me vn-hindely, thay haue me on he3te, 
 
 In brasse, and in brinstone, I brenne as a belle; 
 For I ne wotte in this word, so woful a \vi3te ; 
 
 Hit were fulle tere for a tung, my tourmentes to telle. 
 Now wold I of these tourmentes talk or I goe, 
 Thenke thou throli opon this, 
 And founde to mend of thi mys, 
 For thou art warnut i-wis ; 
 Be-war of my woe !" 
 
 XVI. 
 
 " Ways me for thi wirde !" cothe Waynor, " i-wis, 
 
 But on thing wold I wete, and thi wille ware, 
 Quethir authir matyns, or masse, my}t mend the of mys, 
 
 Or any mubulle on the muld, my myrthe were the more ; 
 Or bedus of these bischoppus, my3te bringe the to blis, 
 
 Or couand in the cloystur, my3t kele the of care, 
 For giffe the were my modur, grete wundur hit ware, 
 
 That euyr thy burliche body bry3te is so bare !" 
 Ho sayd, u I bare the of my body, quat bote is to layne ? 
 By a token thou me troue, 
 I breke a solem adecoue, 
 That non wist but I and thou, 
 Quo sotheli wille sayne !" 
 
 XVII. 
 
 " Say me,'' quod Gaynour, " quat my3te saue the from site 
 Fro cite I schalle sayntes ger seke sone for thi sake ; 
 
 For tho baleful bestus that on thi body bites ; 
 Alle blynde is my ble, thi blode is so blake !" 
 
 " These ar luf peramourus, that listus and likes. 
 Dose me ly3te, and lynd lau in in a lake ; 
 
 XVI. 11. I brake a solempne a-vowe. MSS. D. and L. 
 
 
 I
 
 THE ANTURS OF ARTHEB AT Tin PARNBWATHBLAN. 9 
 
 Alle the wclthe of this worde thus a-wav wvtcs, 
 
 With these wrechut wurmus, that wurrhcn mo this wrake. 
 Tims to wrake am I wro}tc, Waynor, i-wis ; 
 
 Were thritte trcntes of masse 'lone, 
 Bc-twyx vndur and none, 
 My saulc were socurt ful sone, 
 And bro3te un-to blys." 
 
 XVIII. 
 
 Ho sayd, "To that blys bring the that birne that lm.U va with 
 his blode, 
 As he was clarifiet on crosse, and crounet with thornr, 
 Cristunt and crisumte, with condul and with code, 
 
 Folut in a fontestone, frely biforne ; 
 And Mary, his modur, that mylde is of mode, 
 
 Of qwom that blisfulle barne in Bedelem was born ; 
 He gif me grace, to grete thi saule with the gode, 
 
 And myn the with massus, and matins, on moron." 
 " To mynne me with massus, grete mestur hit were ; 
 For him that rest on the rode, 
 Thou dele fast of thi gode, 
 To tho that fales the fode, 
 Qwillus that thou art here." 
 
 XIX. 
 " Here I hete the my hond, thi hestus to hold, 
 
 With a miliun of masse to make thi mynnyng ; 
 But on thing," [cothe] Waynour, " that I wcte wold, 
 
 Quat wrathes Crist most at thi weting }" 
 Ho sayd, " Pride with his purtenans, base prophetes hauc told. 
 
 And enperit to the pepulle in hor preching ; 
 These ar the branches full bittur, thcr-of be thou bold. 
 
 XIX. 6. By-fore the pople appertly, in thaire prechynge. MS. L. Fo >• appntly" 
 the Douce MS. has " apt in />e>-re." 
 
 CAMP. SOC. (
 
 10 EARLY ENGLISH METRICAL ROMANCES. 
 
 Makes mony byrne full boune, to breke Goddus bidding, 
 Quo his bidding brekes, bare is of blis ; 
 
 But if thay saluen hom of ther sare, 
 Certis or thay hethun fare, 
 Thay knaue of mekil care, 
 3e Waynore, i-wis !" 
 
 XX. 
 
 " Now wis me," quod Waynor, " gif that thou wost, 
 
 Quat bedus that my3te best vs to blis bring?" 
 Ho sayd, " Mesure and mekenes, that is the most, 
 
 Haue pete of the pore, that plesus the kinge ; 
 Sethyn charite is chefe to those that wyn be chast, 
 
 Almesdede, that is aure alle other thingus. 
 These ar the gracilis giftus of the Holi Gost. 
 
 That enspires iche sprete, with-oute spilling, 
 Off this spirituality speke we no more ; 
 
 Quyll thou art quene in thi quarte, 
 Hald these wurdus in thi herte, 
 For thou mun lyf butte a starte, 
 And hethun schalle thou fare." 
 
 A Fytte. 
 
 XXI. 
 
 " HOW schalle we fare/' quod Gauan, " that foundus to these 
 fi3tus, 
 
 And defoules these folk, in fele kynjnis londus ; 
 Riche remus orerennus, agaynes thp ry3tus, 
 
 Wynnes wurschip, and wele, throghe wy3tenes of hondus?" 
 Scho sayd, " Yaure king is to couetus, and his kene kny3tus, 
 
 Ther may no stren3the him stir, quen the quele stondus ; 
 Quen he is in his mageste, most in his my3tus, 
 
 Then schalle he li3te fulle lau, bi the see sondus. 
 Thus 3 our chiualreis kynge, chefe schalle a chaunse;
 
 THE ANTUR8 OF ARTHUR AT THE TABNEWATHBLAN. II 
 
 Folk's fortune in (yyU-, 
 That wundurfulle quele-wry3te, 
 That lau %ville lordis gerc li}te, 
 Take wittenessc be Fraunse ! 
 
 XXII. 
 
 For Fraunse haue }e frely with }aure fi3te wonnen, 
 
 Frol, and his Farnet, ful fery haue 3c leuyt ; 
 Bretan, and Burgoyn, is bothe in 30111- bandum; 
 
 And alle the Duseperis of Fraunse with 30m dyn deuyt. 
 Now may Gian grete, that euyr hit was begonun, 
 
 Ther is no3te lede on leue, in that lond leuet. 
 3ette schalle the riche Romans be with 30U aure-runnun, 
 And atte the Rountabulle, the rentus schalle be reuet, 
 Hit schalle be tynte, as I troue, and timburt with tene. 
 Gete the wele, Sir Gauan, 
 Turne the to Tuscan, 
 Or lese schalle 3e Bretan, 
 Thrive a kny}te kene ! 
 
 XXIII. 
 
 A kny3te schalle kenely croyse the croune, 
 
 And at Carlit be crounet for king, 
 That segge schalle ensese him, atte a session ; 
 
 Mykille barette, and bale, to Bretan schalle bring ; 
 3e schalle be told in Tuskan, of that tresun, 
 
 And be turnut a-gaynne with that tithing; 
 Ther schalle the Rountabulle lese the renowun, 
 
 Be-syde Ramsay the riche, atte a ryding ; 
 In Desesde schalle dee the du3ty of alle. 
 
 XXII. 2. The Frolo, and the Famaghe, es frely by-leuede. M.S. L. 
 Freol and hisfolke,/ey ar they leued. MS. D. 
 
 XXIII. 2. Carelyon. MS. L. Carlele. MS. D. 
 9. And at Domett. MS. L.
 
 12 EARLY ENGLISH METRICAL ROMANCES. 
 
 Gete the wele, Syr Gauan, 
 The baldest of Bretan ! 
 For in a slac thou schalle be slayn, 
 Seche ferles schyn falle ! 
 
 XXIV. 
 
 Seche ferles schalle [falle] with-outen any fabull, 
 Opon Corneuayle cost, with kny3tus fulle kene ; 
 Ther Arthore auenant, onest, and abulle, 
 
 Schalle be woundut, i-wis, wothelik I-wene ; 
 Alle the rialle route of the Rountabulle 
 
 Thay schalle dee that day, tho du}ti be-dene ! 
 Sussprisut with a subiecte, that bere schalle of sabulle, 
 
 With a sauter engralet, of siluer so schene ; 
 He berus hit of sabulle, quo sotheli wille saye ; 
 In Kyng Arther's halle, 
 The child playes atte the balle, 
 That outray schalle 30 alle, 
 Derfly that daye ! 
 
 XXV. 
 
 Ho sayd, " Haue gode day, Syr Gauan, and Gaynour the gode ! 
 
 I have no lengur tyme 30 tithinges to telle, 
 For I mun walke on my way, thro3e-oute 3ondurwud, 
 
 For in my wunnyng place is wo for to welle. 
 For him that ry3tewis rest, and rose on the rode, 
 
 Thenke quat dounger, and dele, that I inne duelle ; 
 Funde to grete my saule with sum of thi gode, 
 
 And myn me with massus, and matyns i-mele. 
 For massus ar medesins for us in bales bides ; 
 Vs thing a masse als squete, 
 As any spyce that euyr thou ete."-^- 
 Thus with a grysliche grete, 
 The gost a-way glidus. 

 
 * 
 
 THE ANTURB OF ARTHBR at in i; TARNBWATHBLAN. IS 
 
 XXVI. 
 Nouc with a griseliche grete, the gost away glidus, 
 
 And a sore gronyng, with a grym here; 
 The wynd and the welkyn, the wethur in that tide, 
 
 The cloude vnclosut, the sune wex clere. 
 The kynge his bugul con blau, opon the bent bides. 
 His fayre folke on the fuilde, they flocken in fere, 
 And alle the rial route to the queue ridus ; 
 
 Meles to hur mildely, opon thayre nianere ; 
 Tlio wees of the wederinges forwondret thay were ; 
 Princys, pruddust in palle, 
 Gay Gaynoure and alle, 
 Thay wente to Rondalle-sete halle, 
 Vn-to thayre sopere. 
 
 XXVII. 
 
 Quen he to sopere was sette, and seruut in his sale, 
 
 Vndur a seler of sylke, with dayntethis di;,te; 
 With alle welthis to wille, and wynua to wale, 
 
 Briddes bacun in bred, on brent gold bry3te, 
 So come in a seteler, with a symbale, 
 
 A lufsum lady ledand a kny}te ; 
 Ridus to the he dese, be-fore the rialle, 
 
 And hailsutte King Arthore hindely on he}te ; 
 Sayd to the soueran, wlonkest in wede, 
 
 " Thou mon, makeles of niy5t, 
 This is a nayre, and a kny3t, 
 Thou do him resun and ry}te, 
 For thi mon-hed." 
 
 XXVIII. 
 
 Monli in his mantille he sate atte his mete. 
 With palle puret in poon, Mas prudliche piste, 
 
 Trowlt with trulufes and tranest be-tuene,
 
 14 EARLY ENGLISH METRICAL ROMANCES. 
 
 The tassellus were of topeus, that was ther-to ti3te ; 
 He glysset up with his ene, that gray were and grete, 
 
 With his beueren berd, opon the birne bry3te ; 
 He was the semelist soueran on sittand in his sete, 
 
 That euyr segge hade so3te, or seen him sy3te. 
 Thenne oure comeliche King carpus hur tille, 
 And sayd, " Thou wurlych wi3t, 
 Li3te, and leng alle ny3t, 
 Quethun is that ay re and that kny3t, 
 And hit were thi wille V 
 
 XXIX. 
 
 Ho wos the wurliche wi3te, that any wee wold ; 
 
 Hir gide that was glorius, was of a gresse-grene ; 
 Her belte was of blenket, with briddus ful bold, 
 
 Beten with besandus, and bocult ful bene : 
 Her fax in fyne perre, was frettut and fold, 
 
 Her countur-felit and hur kelle were colurt ful clene, 
 With a croune cumly, was clure to be-hold ; 
 
 Hur kerchefes were curiouse, with mony a proud prene ; 
 Hur enparel was a-praysut, with princes of my3te ; 
 Bry3te birdus and bold, 
 Hade i-nu3he to be-hold, 
 Of that freli to fold, 
 And the kene kny3te. 
 
 XXX. 
 
 Than the kny3te in his colurs was armit ful clene, 
 With a crest comely, was clure to be-hold, 
 
 His brene, and his basnet was busket ful bene, 
 With a bordur a-boute, alle of brent gold : 
 
 His mayles were mylke quyte, enclawet full clene, 
 
 His stede trapput with that ilke, os true men me told; 
 
 With a schild on his shildur, of siluer so schene, 

 
 THE ANIMUS OF A Kill Kit AT NIK 1 A K \ K W A I II 1. 1. \ N . 1 j 
 
 With bore-hedia of blakke, and brees full hold   
 His stede with sandelle of Trise was trapput to the hele. 
 Opon his cheueronne be-forn, 
 Stode as a vnicorn, 
 Als scharpe as a thorn, 
 An nanlas of stele. 
 
 XXXI. 
 
 In stele was he stuffut, that sterne on his stede, 
 
 With his sternes of gold, stanseld on stray ; 
 His gloues and his gamesuns gloet as the gledes, 
 
 A-rayet aure with rebans, rychist of raye ; 
 With his schene schinbandes, scharpest in schredus. 
 
 His polans with his pelidoddcs were poudert to pay, 
 Thus launce opon lofte that louely he ledus ; 
 
 A fauyn on a fresun him folut, in fay, 
 The freson was afrayet, and ferd of that fare ; 
 For he was syldun wunte to se 
 A tablet flourre; 
 Seche game, and siche glee, 
 Se3he he neuyr are. 
 
 XXXII. 
 
 Then the king carput him tille, on hereand horn alle, 
 
 " Qwethun art thou, wurliche we, and hit were thi wille ? 
 Tell me quethun thou come, and quethir thou schalle, 
 Quy thou stedis in that stid, and stondus so stille ':" 
 Then he auaylet vppe his viserne fro his ventalle, 
 
 With a knyiteliehe countenaunse, he carpes him tille; 
 Sayd, " Quethir thou be Cayselle or Kyng, here I the be-calle, 
 
 For to fynde me a freke to fe3te on my fille ; 
 For fe3ting thus am I fraest and foundut fro home." 
 Then speke the kynge opon he3te, 
 Sayd, " Li3te, and leng alle ny3te ; 
 As thou art curtase kny5te, 
 Thou telle me thi name."
 
 16 EARLY ENGLISH- METRICAL ROMANCES. 
 
 XXXIII. 
 
 He sayd, e< My nome is Syr Galrun, with-outen any gile, 
 
 The grattus of Galway, of greuys and of gillus ; 
 Of Carrake, of Cummake, of Conyngame, of Kile, 
 
 Of Lonwik, of Lannax, of Laudoune hillus ; 
 That thou hase wonun on werre with thi wrang wiles, 
 
 Gif hen horn to Syr Gauan, that my hert grillus ; 
 3ette schalle thou wring thi hondus, and wary the quiles, 
 
 Or any we schild hom weld, atte my unnewilles ; 
 Atte my unnewilles, i-wis, he schalle hom neuyr weld. 
 Qwil I the hed may bere, 
 With schild and with scharpe spere, 
 Butte he may wynne hom on were, 
 Opon a fay re fylde. 
 
 XXXIV. 
 
 For in a fyld wille I fe3te, ther-to I make faythe, 
 
 With any freke opon fuld, that is fre born ; 
 To lose suche a lordschip, me wold thinke laythe, 
 
 And iche lede, opon lyue, wold laghe me to scorne." 
 "3e, we ar in wudlond," cothe the king, "and walkes on owre 
 wayth, 
 For to hunte atte the herd, with houunde and with home ; 
 Gyf thou be gome gladdest, now haue we no graythe, 
 
 3et may thou be machet be mydday to morne ; 
 For-thi I rede, rathe mon, thou rest the all ny3te." 
 Thenne Gauan, graythest of alle, 
 Lad him furthe thru3he the halle, 
 Vn-tylle a pauelun of palle 
 Was prudlyche i-py3te. 
 
 XXXV. 
 
 Hit was prudlyche y-pi3te, of purpure and palle, 
 
 With beddus brauderit o brode, and bankers y-dy3te ;
 
 THB ANTUBfl OK AKTIIKIt AT TIM I MtNKWATIIII. \N. 17 
 
 Ther-inne was a schapelle, a cliambur, and a liallc 
 
 A schimnay of charcole, to chaufen the knvUc. 
 Thay lialen vppc his stedc, had him to stalle, 
 
 Hay hely thay hade in baches vn-hi3te ; 
 Prayd vp with a burd, and clothes couthe calle, 
 
 With salers and sanapus, thay serue tlie knv5te, 
 With troches and broches and stondartis bi-twene ; 
 For to serue the knv5te, 
 And the wurliche wi3te, 
 With ryche dayntethis dy3te, 
 In syluyr so schene. 
 
 XXXVI. 
 
 Thus in siluyr so schene, thay serue of the best, 
 
 With vcrnage, and verrcs, in coupus fid clene ; 
 With lucius drinkes, and metis of the best, 
 
 Ryche dayntes en-doret, in dysshes bi-dene. 
 As tyde as that rialle was rayket to his rest, 
 
 The kinge callut his councelle, the do}ti be-dene, 
 And bede, " Vmloke 30, lordinges, oure lose be notte lost, 
 
 Quo schalle countur with 5ondur kny3te, cast 30 bi-tuene." 
 Thenne sayd Syr Gauan, " Hit schalle vs no3te greue ; 
 I wille countur with the kny3te, 
 For to maynteine my ry3te, 
 Ther-to my trothe y the ph'5te, 
 3e, Lord, with tin leve." 
 
 XXXVII. 
 
 " I leue wele," quod the kinge, " thi lates ar h'3te, 
 But I wold notte for no lordschip se thi life lorne ;" 
 
 " Lette go," cothe Sir Gauan, " God stond with the ry3te ! 
 For and he scapette scatheles, hit wore a gret scorne." 
 
 XXXV. 6. One hyghte. MS. L. 
 
 XXXVI. 2. /'/ verrys and cowppjfs. MSS. I-. and D. 
 
 CAMl). soc. n
 
 18 EARLY ENGLISH METRICAL ROMANCES. 
 
 And in the dayng of day ther do3ty were dy3te, 
 
 Herd matyns [and] mas, myldelik on morun ; 
 In myd Plumtun Lone, hor paueluns were pi3te, 
 
 Quere neuyr frekes opon fulde hade f 03 tun be forne. 
 Thay sette listes on lenthe, olong on the lawnde ; 
 Thre soppus of demayn, 
 Wos bro3te to Sir Gauan, 
 For to cumford his brayne, 
 The king gart cummaunde. 
 
 XXXVIII. 
 
 The kinge commawundet kindeli the Erie of Kente, 
 
 For his meculle curtasy, to kepe the tother kny3te 3 
 And made him with dayntethis to dine in his tente, 
 
 And sythun this rialle men a-rayut horn o-ry3te. 
 And aftur Quene Way nor warly thay wente, 
 
 And be-leues in hur warde, that wurlyche wi3te ; 
 Sethin the hathels in hie, hor horses haue hente, 
 
 In mydde the lyste of the lawunde, the lordus doune li3te i 
 Alle butte the stithest, in steroppus that stode ; 
 King Arther schayer was sette, 
 O-boue in his chaselette, 
 And thenne Dame Gaynour grette, 
 For Gauan the gode. 
 
 A Fitte. 
 
 XXXIX. 
 [GAWAYNE and Galleronne gurdenne here stedis, 
 
 Alle in gleterande golde, gaye was here gere ; 
 The lordes be-lyfe horn to list ledis, 
 
 Withe many seriant of mace, as was the manere. 
 The burnes broched the blonkes, that the side bledis j 
 
 XXXVIII. 1. Krudely, the erics sonne of Kent. MS. D. 
 
 XXXIX. This stanza is given from the Douce MS. 
 
 I
 
 TIIK ANTURS OP ARTHEH AT THE TARNEWATHELAN. I!) 
 
 Aythire frekeapponne fold hasfartned his gpere; 
 Sehaftis in stride wode thay shindre in schides : 
 
 So jolyly thes gentillc justede one wen ' 
 Sehaftis thay sliiiulr, in sheldcs so schene ; 
 
 And sithenne with brandes bryghte, 
 Richc maylcs thay righte ; 
 There encontrcs the knyghte 
 With Gawayne. one grene.] 
 
 XL. 
 
 Thennc Syr Gauan the gode was graythct in grene, 
 
 With his griffuns of gold engrelet fulle gay, 
 Trowlt with trnlofes, and tranest he-twene ; 
 
 Opon a startand stede he strikes oute of straw 
 The tother in his turnyng, he talkcs tillc him in tene, 
 
 And sayd, " Querto draues thou so drcighe, and mace suche 
 deray ?" 
 He sqwapputte him in at the squyre, with a squrd kene, 
 
 That greuut Syr Gauan euer tille his dethe day. 
 The dyntus of that du3t\ T were douteouse be-dene ; 
 Syxti maylis and moe, 
 The squrd squappes in toe, 
 His canel-bone allsoe, 
 
 And cleuet his sehild clene. 
 
 XLI. 
 
 He keruet of the cantel, that couurt the kny3tc. 
 
 Thro his shild and liis shildur, a schaft-mun lie share ; 
 Then the latelest lord loghe opon he}te, 
 
 And Gauan grechut ther with, and greuut wundur sore : 
 Sayd, "he shuld rewarde the this route, and I con rede o-ry^te.' 
 
 He foundes into the freke with a fresche fare ; 
 Thro5t l>asynet and breny, that burnyschet WOS bryite. 
 
 With a bytand brand euyn throghct he him bare ; 
 He bare thrive his brcnys, that l)urncyst were bryjte,
 
 20 EARLY ENGLISH METRICAL ROMANCES. 
 
 Then gloppunt that gaye, 
 Hit was no ferly, in faye, 
 His stedes startun on straye, 
 With steroppus fulle stry3te. 
 
 XLII. 
 
 Thenne with steroppus fulle stre3te, stifly he strikes, 
 Waynes atte Sir Wawane, ry3te as he were wode ; 
 Thenne his lemmon on lofte scrilles and scrykes, 
 
 Quenne the balefulle birde blenked on his blode. 
 Other lordus and lades, thayre laykes welle likes, 
 
 Thonked God of his grace, for Gawan the gode. 
 With a squappe of his squrde, squeturly him strykes, 
 
 Smote of Gauan stede heued, in styd quere he stode ; 
 The fayre fole foundret, and felle bi the rode ; 
 Gauan was smyther and smerte, 
 Owte of his steroppus he sterte, 
 As he that was of herte, 
 Fro Greselle the gode. 
 
 XLIII. 
 
 " Greselle," quod Gauan, " gone is, God ote ! 
 
 He wos the burlokke[st] blonke, ther euyr bote brede ! 
 By him that inne Bedelem wasse borne for oure bote, 
 
 I schalle reuenge the to day, and I con ry3t rede." 
 " Foche the my fresun/' quod the freke, " is fayrest on fote, 
 
 He wulle stond the in stoure, in-toe so mycul styd/' — 
 " No more for thi fresun, then for a rysche rote, 
 
 Butte for dylle of a dowmbe best, that thus schuld be ded ; 
 I mowrne for no matyttory, for I may gete more." 
 And as he stode bi his stede, 
 That was gud in iche nede, 
 Ne3tehond Syr Wauan wold wede, 
 So wepputte he fulle sore. 
 
 XLIII. 9. I monrnefor no monture. MSS, L. and D.
 
 TIIK ANTURS OF ABTHBB AT THE TABNEWATHBLAN. 21 
 
 XLIV. 
 Sore wepput for woe, Syr Wauan the wi3te, 
 
 Bouun to his enmy, that woondut was sore; 
 The tother drosgbe him o-dreghe, for drede of the kny3te, 
 
 Then he brochet liis blonke, opon the bente bare. 
 "Thus may we dry lie furthe the day," quod (iaium, "to the 
 dirke ny3te, 
 Tlie sun is past the merke of mydday and more," 
 In myddes the lyist on the lawunde, this lordes doun l\ T 5te ; 
 
 A-gayn the byrne with his brand, he busket him 3are: 
 Thus to batelle thay boune with hrandis so bry3te; 
 Shene schildus thay shrede, 
 Welle ryche mayles wexun rede, 
 And mony du3ty hadun drede, 
 So fursely thai fo3tun. 
 
 XLV. 
 
 Thus on fote con thai fe3te, opon the fayre fildus, 
 
 As fresch as ij lions, that fawtutte the fille : 
 Witturly ther weys, thayre weppuns thay weld ; 
 
 Wete 3e wele, Sir Wauan, him won tut no wille, 
 He berus to him with his brand, vndur his brode shild, 
 
 Thro the wast of the body wowundet him ille ; 
 The squrd styntet for no stuffe, he was so wele stelet, 
 
 The tother startes on bakke, and stondus stone stille ; 
 If he were stonit in that stounde, 3ette strykes he sore ; 
 He girdus to Syr Gauane, 
 Thro3he ventaylle and pusane, 
 That him lakket no more to be slayne, 
 Butte the brede of hore. 
 
 XLVI. 
 
 And thus the hardy on heyte, on helmis thai heuen, 
 Betun downe berels, in bordurs so bry3te,
 
 22 EARLY ENGLISH METRICAL ROMANCES. 
 
 That with stones iraille were strencult and strauen, 
 
 Frettut with fyne gold, that failis in the fi3te. 
 With schildus on ther schildurs, schomely thay shewen, 
 
 Stythe stapuls of stele, thay striken doune stre3te. 
 Thenne byernes bannes the tyme, the bargan was bruen, 
 
 That evyr these du3ti with dyntus, so dulfuly were di}te. 
 Hit hurte King Artherin herte, and mengit his mode; 
 Bothe Sir Lote, .and Sir Lake, 
 Meculle menyng con make ; 
 Thenne Dame Gaynor grette for his sake, 
 For Gawan the gode ! 
 
 XLVII. 
 
 Thenne grette Dame Gaynour, with hur gray een, 
 
 For grefe of Sir Gauan grimliche wouundes ; 
 Thenne the kny3te, that was curtase, cruail, and kene. 
 
 With a stelun brand, he strikes in that stounde ; 
 Alle the cost of the kny3te, he keruys doune clene, 
 
 Thro the riche mayles, that ronke were and rouunde ; 
 Suche a touche in that tyde, he ta3te hym in tene, 
 
 And gurdes me Sir Gallerun, euyn grouelonges on grounde. 
 Alle grouelonges in grounde, gronet on grene, 
 Als wowundut as he wasse, 
 Wundur rudely he rose, 
 Fast he foundes atte his face, 
 With a squrd kene. 
 
 XLVIII. 
 
 Thus that cruelle and kene, kerues on he3te, 
 
 With a cast of the carhonde, in a cantelle he strikes ; 
 3orne waitis with woe, Sir Wauan the wi3te, 
 
 XLVIII. 2. With a caste of the care, in kantelle he strikes. MS. L, The other 
 MS. for caste reads seas.
 
 THE ANTURS OK ARTHBB AT THE TABNBWATHELAN. 
 
 Butte ictte him timpus the wurs, and thai me wele likes. 
 He wend with a slyuyng, hade slayn him with sly5t, 
 The squrd slippua On slonte, and on the mayle slike8, 
 
 Thenne Sir Gauan hi the coler, clechia the kindle, 
 Thenne hislemmon on lofte, ho seniles and Bcrikes, 
 
 And sayd to Dame Gaynour, with grones full grille, 
 " Thou Lade, makclest of my3te ! 
 Haue pety of jondur nohulle kny5te, 
 That is so dilfully dy5tc, 
 And hit were thi wille." 
 
 XLIX. 
 
 Thenne wilfulle Waynour to the king wente, 
 
 Ke3te of hur curonalle, and knelit him tille ; 
 Sayd, " As thou art ray richist, and rialle in rente, 
 
 And I thi wedut wife, atte thi none wille ; 
 3ondur byrnesin batelle, that bidus on the bent, 
 Thay ar were i-wisse, and woundut fulle ille ; 
 Thro}ghe schildus, and shildurs, schomfully shente ; 
 The grones of Sir Gauan, hit dose my hert grille, 
 The gronus of Sir Gauan the gode, hit greuis me sore : 
 "Wold }e, luflyche Lord ! 
 Make 5ondur kny}tes at a-cord, 
 Hit were a grete cumford, 
 For alle that ther ware." 
 
 L. 
 
 But thenne speke Sir Galrun to Gawan the gode, 
 " I wende neuyr we 3ette, hade bene so wi5te;' , 
 
 And sayd, " Here I make the relesche, rengtlie, bi the rode ! 
 Before this rialle route resigne the my ri3te : 
 
 And sithin I make the monraden, mildist of mode, 
 As mon on this mydlert that most is of myjte." 
 
 He stalket touward the king, in stid quere he stodr.
 
 24 EARLY ENGLISH METRICAL ROMANCES. 
 
 And bede the burlyche his brand, that burneschit was bri3t ; 
 And sayd, " Of rentis and of richas, I make the relesche." 
 Doune knelis the kny3te, 
 And speke these wurdis opon hi3te ; 
 The king stode vppe ry3te 3 
 And cummawundut pese. 
 
 LI. 
 
 The king cummawundut pese, and stode vp-ry3te, 
 
 And Gauan godely he sesutt for his sake ; 
 And then these lordus so lele, thai lepe vp I13 te, 
 
 Huaya Fus-uryayn, and Arrake Fy-lake, 
 Sir Meliaduke the Marrake, that mekille wasse of my3te, 
 
 These ij traueling men, truly vppe thay take. 
 Vnnethe my3te these sturun men stond vppe ry3te, 
 
 So for-brissutte, and for-bled, thayre blees were so blake ; 
 Alle blake was thayre blees, for-betun with brandis. 
 With-outun any hersing, 
 There di3te was thayre sa3tenyng, 
 Be-fore the comeliche king, 
 
 Thay heldun vppe thayre hondus. 
 
 LII. 
 
 " Now here I gife the," quod the king, " Gauan the bold ! 
 
 Glawmorgan londus, with greuys fulle grene ; 
 The wurschip of Wales, to weld and thou wold, 
 
 Kirfre Castelle with colurs ful clene ; 
 Iche Hulkershome, to haue and to hold, 
 
 LI. 4. Sir Owayne fytz-Vryene, and Arrake full rathe 
 
 Marrake and Menegalle. MS. L. 
 
 Ewaynne Jiz-Erian and Arrake fiz-Lake 
 
 Sir Drurelat and Moylard. MS. D. 
 LII. 4. Griffon's Castelle. MSS. L. and D. 
 5. The Hustershaulle. MSS. L. and D. 

 
 THE ANTURS OF ARTHBH AT TIIK TARN SWATH B LAN. 29 
 
 Wayiffortheand Waturfbrthe, wallet, I wene; 
 Toe baroners in Bretan, with burgesse fulle bold, 
 
 Thai is batelt aboute, andbiggutte fulle bene. 
 Hero I done the as Duke, and dub the with my tiondus ; 
 With tin, thou sa}tun with 3ondur kn\ }U\ 
 That is so hardi and so wi3te, 
 And rosingne him thi ry3te, 
 And graunte him his londus." 
 
 LIII. 
 
 " Nowe here I gif the, Galrun," quod Gauan, u with-outyri 
 
 any gile 
 Alle the londus for-sothe fro Logher to Layre ; 
 Carrake, Cummake, Conyngame and Kile, 
 
 [That if he of cheualry, chalange ham for aire 
 The Lother, the Lemmok, the Loynak, the Lile,] 
 
 Sir, to thi seluun, and sithun to thine ayre, 
 With thi, tille oure lordschip, thou leng in a qwile, 
 
 And to the Roundtabulle to make thi rcpare ; 
 Here I feffe the in hid, frely and fayre." 
 Bothe the king and the quene, 
 And other du}ti bi-dene ; 
 Thro3ghe owte the greuis so grenc 
 To Carlille thay kayrit. 
 
 LIV. 
 
 [The kyng to Carlele es comen, with knyghttis so kcne,] 
 
 Throghe greuis so grcne, held the Rountabulle with rialle 
 aray ; 
 These wees that were wotliely woundet, I wene, 
 
 Thenne surgens horn sauyt, quo sotheli Wynne say; 
 Cumfordun horn kindcly, the king and the quene, 
 
 And sithin dubbut horn Uukes, bothe on a day. 
 And thenne he weddutte his wife, wlonkest I wene, 
 
 With giftus, and with gersums. !Sire Galrun the gay. 
 CAMD. soc. E
 
 26 EARLY ENGLISH METRICAL ROMANCES. 
 
 Thus Gauan and Galrun, gode frindes ar thay j 
 Qwen thay were nolle and sownde ; 
 Thay made Galrun in that stounde, 
 A kny3te of the Tabulle Rounde, 
 Vntille his ending day. 
 
 LV. 
 
 Thenne gerut Dame Waynour to write into the west, 
 
 To alle the religeus, to rede and to sing ; 
 Prustes, prouincials, to pray were fulle preste, 
 
 With a meliun of massus, her modur mynnyng. 
 Boke-lornut byrnus, and bischoppus of the beste, 
 Thro-oute Bretan so bold, these bellus con ring. 
 And this ferli be-felle in Ingulwud forest, 
 
 Be-side holtus so hore, at a hunting : 
 Suche a hunting in a holt, aw no3te to be hidde, 
 These kny3tus, stalwurthe, and store, 
 Thro3he the forest thay fore, 
 In the tyme of King Arthore 
 This anter be-tidde. 
 
 Finis.
 
 SIR AMADACE 
 
 * 
 
 * 
 
 * 
 * 
 
 * 
 * 
 
 * 
 
 * 
 
 * 
 
 * 
 
 * 
 * 
 
 I. 
 
 Thenne the kny3t and the stuard fre, 
 Thay casten there houe hit best my3te be 
 
 Bothe be ferre and nere ; 
 The stuard sayd, i( Sir, }e awe wele more, 
 Thenne }e may of 3 our londus rere, 
 
 In faythe this seuyn 3ere : 
 Quo so may best, furste 3e mun pray, 
 A-byde 30 tille a-nothir day; 
 
 And parte 3 our cowrte in sere; 
 And putte away fulle mony of 3 our men, 
 And hald butte on, quere 3e hald ten, 
 
 Tha3ghe thay be neuyr so dere." 
 
 II. 
 
 Thenne Sir Amadace sayd, " I my3te lung spare, 
 Or alle these godus qwitte ware, 
 
 And haue no3te to spend ; 
 Sithun duelle here, quere I was borne, 
 Bothe in hething and in scorne, 
 
 And I am so wele kennit : 
 And men fulle fast wold ware me, 
 That of thayre godus hade bynne so fre, 
 
 That I haue hade in honde ;
 
 28 EARLY ENGLISH METRICAL ROMANCES. 
 
 Or I schuld hold men in awe or threte, 
 That thay my3te no3te hor awne gud gete, 
 Thenne made I a fulle fowle ende ! 
 
 III. 
 
 Butte a-nothir rede I wulle me toe, 
 Wurche a-nothir way then soe, 
 
 Bettur sayd soro thenne sene ! 
 Butte, gode stuard, as thou art me lefe, 
 Lette neuyr mon wete my grete mischefe, 
 
 Butte hele hit vs be-twene< 
 For seuyn 3 ere wedsette my lond, 
 To the godus that I am awand, 
 
 Be quytte holly bi-dene : 
 For oute of the cuntray I wille weynde, 
 Quil I haue gold, siluyr to spende, 
 
 And be owte of dette fulle clene. 
 
 IV. 
 
 3ette wulle I furst, or I fare, 
 
 Be wele more rialle then I was are, 
 
 Therfore ordan thou schalle ; 
 For I wulle gif fulle ryche giftus, 
 Bothe to squiers and to kny3tis ; 
 
 To pore men, dele a dole : 
 Suche mon my3te wete, that I were wo, 
 That fulle fayn, wold hit were suche toe, 
 
 That my3te notte bete my bale ! 
 So curtase a mon was neuyr non borne, 
 That schuld scape with oute a scorne, 
 
 Be iche mon had told his tale." 
 
 < 
 
 V. 
 
 Thanne Sir Amadase, as I 30 say, 
 Hase ordanut him opon [a] day,
 
 SIR AM \ l» \<-| . 29 
 
 Of tlic cuntray in a stowunde; 
 
 3ettc he gafe ful riche gift us, 
 Bothe to squiers, and tn ki 1^3 1 is, 
 
 Stedus, haukes and howundes. 
 Sethun afturward, as I 30 saw 
 Hase ordanut him opon [a] day, 
 
 And furthe thenne conne he foundc ; 
 Be that he toke his leue to wynde, 
 He lafte no more in his cofurs to spende, 
 
 But euyn xl. powunde. 
 
 VI. 
 
 Thenne Sir Amadace, as I 30 say, 
 Rode furthe opon his way, 
 
 Als fast as euyr he my3te ; 
 Thro owte a forest, by one cite, 
 Ther stode a chapelle of stone and tre, 
 
 And ther-inne se he a li3te. 
 Commawundut his knaue for to fare, 
 To wete quat li3te, that were thare, 
 
 And tithing bring me ry3te ; 
 The knaue did, as his maister him bade, 
 Butte suche a stinke in the chapelle he hade. 
 
 That dwelle ther he ne my3te. 
 
 VII. 
 
 He stopput his nase with his hude, 
 Nerre the chapelle dur he 3 ode, 
 
 Anturs for to lere ; 
 And as he loket in atte the glasse, 
 To wete quat meruail that ther wasse, 
 
 So see he stonde a bere. 
 Candils ther were brennyng toe, 
 A woman sittyng, and no moe ? 
 
 Lord ! carefulle wasse hur chere ;
 
 30 EARLY ENGLISH METRICAL ROMANCES. 
 
 Tithinges there conne he non frayn, 
 Butte to his lord he wente a-gayn, 
 Told him quat he see thare. 
 
 VIII. 
 
 And sayd, " Sir, atte 3ondur chapelle haue I bene, 
 A selcothe si}te ther haue I sene, 
 
 My herte is heuy as lede ; 
 Ther stondus a bere, and canduls toe, 
 Ther sittus a woman, and no moe, 
 
 Lord ! carefulle is hur rede. 
 Seche a stinke as I had thare, 
 Sertis thenne had I neuyr are, 
 
 No quere in no stid ; 
 For this palfray, that I on ryde, 
 Ther my3te I no lengur abide, 
 
 I traue I haue ke3te my dede." 
 
 IX. 
 
 Thenne Sir Amace commawundut his squier to fare, 
 To witte quat woman that there ware, 
 
 And tithinges bring thou me ; 
 As he loket in atte the walle, 
 As the knaue sayd, he fund with-alle, 
 
 Him tho3te hit grete pete : 
 Butte in his nace smote suche a smelle, 
 That there my3te he no lengur duelle, 
 
 But sone a-gayn gose he ; 
 He sayd, " Gud Lord, now with 3our leue, 
 I pray 30 take hit no3te on greue, 
 
 For 3e may notte wete for me/ 
 
 » 
 
 X. 
 
 He sayd, " Sir, ther stondus a bere, and candils toe, 
 A woman sittyng, and no moe,
 
 SIR AM A DACE. ■> 1 
 
 Lord ! carefullc is hur chcrc ; 
 Sore ho sikes, and hondus wringus, 
 
 And euyr ho crius on hcuyn kynges, 
 
 How lung ho schalle l)e thare ! 
 Ho says, Derc God, quat may that be, 
 The grete soro, that ho opon him se, 
 
 Stingcand opon his bere ! 
 Ho says, ho wille notte leue him alleone, 
 Till ho falle dede downe to the stone, 
 
 For his life was hur fulle dere." 
 
 XL 
 
 Thenne Sir Amadace smote hispalfray with liis spur. 
 And rode vn-to the chapelle dur, 
 
 And hastele doune he I13 te ; 
 As his menne sayd, so con him thinke, 
 That he neuyr are hade suche a stynke, 
 
 And inne thenne wente that kny3te. 
 He sayd, "Dame, God rest with the!" 
 Ho sayd, "Sir, welcum most 3e be \" 
 
 A[nd] saUt him anon ry3te; 
 He sayd, " Dame, quy sittus thou here, 
 Kepand this dede cors opon this bere, 
 
 Thus onyli vpon a ny3te ?" 
 
 XII. 
 
 Ho sayd, " Sir, nedelonges most I sitte him by, 
 Hi-fath, ther wille him non mon butte I, 
 
 For he wasse my wedutte fere." 
 Thenne Sir Amadace sayd, " Me likes full ille, 
 3e ar bothe in plyit to spille, 
 
 He Use so lung on bere. 
 Quat a mon in his lyue wasse he ?"
 
 32 EARLY ENGLISH METRICAL ROMANCES. 
 
 " Sir, a marchand of this cite, 
 
 Hade riche rentus to rere ; 
 And euiryche 3 ere thre hundrythe pownde, 
 Of redy monay and of rowunde, 
 
 And for dette 3ette Use he here." 
 
 XIII. 
 
 Thenne Sir Amadace sayd, " For the rode, 
 On quat maner spendutte he his gud, 
 
 That thusgate is a-way }" 
 " Sir, on gentilmen and officers, 
 On grete lordus, that was his perus. 
 
 Wold giffe horn giftus gay ; 
 Riche festus wold he make, 
 And pore men, for Goddus sake, 
 
 He fed horn euyriche day : 
 Quil he hade any gud to take, 
 He wernut no mon, for Goddus sake, 
 
 That wolnotte onus say nay. 
 
 XIV. 
 
 3ette he didde as a fole, 
 
 He cladde mo men a-gaynus a 3ole, 
 
 Thenne did a nobulle kny3te ; 
 For his mete he wold not spare, 
 Burdes in the halle were neuyr bare, 
 
 With clothes richeli di3te, 
 Giffe I sayd he did n©3te wele, 
 He sayd, God send hit eueryche dele, 
 
 And sette my wurdus atte li3te ; 
 Bi thenne he toke so mycul opon his name, 
 That I dar notte telle 30, lord, for schame, 
 
 The godus now that he a3te. 

 
 S1U A.MAI). \(K. 
 
 XV. 
 
 And thenne come dethe, wo hvni be ' 
 
 And partutt my lord and me, 
 
 Lafte me in alle the care; 
 Quen my nc3tcburs herd telle, that he seke lay, 
 Thay come to me, as thay best may, 
 
 Thair gud aschet thai thare : 
 Alle that euyr was his and invnc, 
 Hors and naute, shepe and sqwyne, 
 
 A-way thay drafe and bare ; 
 My do wary to my lyxie I sold, 
 And alle the peneys to horn told, 
 
 Lord ! 3ette a3te lie wele mare. 
 
 XVI. 
 
 Quen I hade quytte alle that I my5te gete, 
 3ette a5te he thritte powunde bi grete, 
 
 Holly tille a stydde ; 
 Tille a marchand of this cite, 
 Was fer oute in a-nothir cuntre, 
 
 Come home quen he was dede. 
 And quenne he herd telle of my febulle fare, 
 He come to me as breme as bare, 
 
 This corse the erthe forbede ; 
 And sayd, howundus schuld his bodi to-draw, 
 Then on the hid his bonus to-gnaue, — 
 
 Thus carefulle is my rede. 
 
 XVII. 
 
 And this xvi. weke I haue setyn here, 
 Kepand this dede cors opon this bere, 
 
 With candils brennand bry3te ; 
 And so schalle I euyr more do, 
 Till dethe cum. and take me to. 
 
 CAMD. SOC. i.
 
 34 EARLY ENGLISH METRICAL ROMANCES. 
 
 Bi Mary, most of my3te \" 
 Thenne Sir Amadace franut hur the marchandes name, 
 That hade done hur alle that schame, 
 
 Ho told him a-non ry3te; 
 He sayd, " God, that is bote of alle bale, 
 Dame, cumford the, and so he schale, 
 
 And, Dame, haue thou gud ny3te !" 
 
 A Fitte. 
 
 XVIII. 
 THENNE Sir Amadace on his palfray lepe, 
 Vnnethe he my3te forgoe to wepe, 
 
 For his dedus him sore for-tho3te; 
 Sayd, "3ondur mon, that lise 3ondur chapelle with-inne, 
 He my3te fulle wele be of my kynne, 
 
 For ry3te so haue I wro3te \" 
 Thenne he told his sometour quat the marchand he3t, 
 And sayd, " [I] wille sowpe with him to-ny3te, 
 
 Be God, that me dere bo3te ! 
 Go, loke thou di3te oure soper syne, 
 Gode ryalle metis and fyne, 
 
 And spicis thenne spare thou no3te." 
 
 XIX. 
 
 And sone quen the sometour herd, 
 To the marchandus howse he ferd, 
 
 And ordanut for that kny3te ; 
 Thenne Sir Amadace come riding thoe, 
 But in his hert was him fulle woe, 
 
 And hasteli dowun he li3te. 
 Sithun in-tylle a chambur the kny3te 3ede, 
 And kest opon him othir wede, 
 
 With torches brennyng bry3te ; 
 He. cummawundutte his squier for to goe,
 
 Sill AM A I >. UK. 
 
 To pray the marchand and his wife allsoe, 
 To soupe with him that nv}tt\ 
 
 XX. 
 
 Thenne the squier weyndut vpon liis \\ aw 
 And to the marchand conne he sav. 
 
 His ernde told he thenne ; 
 He squere, " Be Jhesu, Marc Bone ! 
 Tin lordus wille hit schalle be done, 
 
 Of cumford was that man. 
 Thenne thayre sopor was ncre di}te, 
 Burdes were houyn hee on hi3te, 
 
 [The] marchand [the] dees be-gan ; 
 Sir Amadace sate, and made gud chere, 
 Butte on the dede cors, that lay on here, 
 
 Ful myculle his tho3te was on ! 
 
 XXI. 
 
 Sir Amadace sayd, "To ny5te, as I come bi the strete, 
 I see a si3te I thenke on 3ete, 
 
 That sittus me nowe fulle sore ; 
 In a chapelle, be-side a way, 
 A dede cors opon a here lay, 
 
 A womon alle mysfare/' 
 "3e/' the Marchand sayd, " God gif him a sore grace, 
 And alle suchc waist ers as he wasse, 
 
 For he sittus me nowe sarc ; 
 For he lise there with my thritti powunde, 
 Of redy monay and of rowunde, 
 
 Of hitte gete I ncuyr more." 
 
 XXII. 
 
 Thenne Sir Amadace sayd, ''Take the tille abetturredc, 
 Thenke that Code for-gaue his dede, 
 Grette merit thou may haue ;
 
 3G EARLY ENGLISH METRICAL ROMANCES. 
 
 Thenke how God ordant for the, 
 Bettur grace then euyr had he ; 
 
 Lette the cors go inne his graue." 
 Thenne he squere, " Be Jhesu, Mare sun, 
 That body schalle neuyr in the erthe come, 
 
 My siluyr tille that I haue ; 
 Tille ho be dede as wele as he, 
 That howundus schalle, that I may se, 
 
 On tilde thayre bonus to-gnaue !" 
 
 XXIII. 
 
 Quen Sir Amadace herd that he hade squorne, 
 He cald his stuard him beforne, 
 
 Of kyndenesse that kny3te con kithe; 
 And bede, " Go foche me thritti powunde, 
 Of redy monay and of rowunde, 
 
 Hastely and be-lyue." 
 The stuard tho3te hit was a-gaynus skille, 
 Butte he most nede do his maistur wille, — 
 
 Now listun and ye may lithe ; 
 Ther Sir Amadace payd him thritti powund of monay fyne, 
 And thenne Sir Amadace asket to wyne, 
 
 And prayd the Marchand be blythe. 
 
 XXIV. 
 
 Then Sir Amadace asket, " Awe he the any mare ?" 
 " Nay, Sir," he sayd, " wele most 3e fare ! 
 
 For thus muche he me a^te." 
 Thenne Sir Amadace sayd, " As furthe as x. pounde wille take, 
 I schalle lette do for his sake, 
 
 Querthro3e he haue his ri3te. 
 I schalle for him gere rede and singe, 
 Bringe his bodi to Cristun berunge, 
 
 That schalle thou see wythe siste ;
 
 SI i; \ M All W'K. 
 
 Go, pray alle the religiua of this cite*, 
 
 To mornc that (hay wold dyne with me, 
 And loke thayre mete be dy3te." 
 
 XXV. 
 Howe erly quen the day con spring, 
 Then holli alle the bellus con ring, 
 
 That in the cite was ; 
 Religras men euirichon, 
 Toward this dede cors are thay gone, 
 
 With mony a riche burias. 
 Thritty prustus that day con sing, 
 And thenne Sir Amadace offurt a ring, 
 
 Atte euyriche mas; 
 Quen the seruise was alle done, 
 He prayd horn to ete with him atte none, 
 
 Holli more and lasse. 
 
 XXVI. 
 
 Thenne the march and wente tille one pillere, 
 Mony a mon dro5he him nere, 
 
 To wete quat he wold say ; 
 He sayd, " Sirs, there hase byn here, 
 A ded cors opon a here, 
 
 3e wotte querfore hit lay. 
 And hase comun a fulle rialle kny3te, 
 Of alle the godes the cors me hc3te, 
 
 Hase made me redi pay ; 
 Vnto his cofurs he hase sente, 
 And geuyn x. powunde to his termente, 
 
 Wythe riche ringus to day. 
 
 XXVII. 
 
 Hit is on his nome that I say. 
 He prays 50 holly to mete to day. 
 
 -• •
 
 38 EARLY ENGLISH METRICAL ROMANCES. 
 
 Alle that ther bene here 
 
 3 
 
 Thay did as the marchand bade, 
 Mete and drinke y-nu3he thay hade, 
 
 With licius drinke and clere. 
 And Sir Amadace wold no3te sitte downe, 
 Butte to serue the pore folke he was fulle bowne, 
 
 For thay lay his hert nere ; 
 And quen thay hade etun with inne that halle, 
 Thenne Sir Amadace toke leue atte alle, 
 
 Vn-semand with fulle glad chere. 
 
 XXVIII. 
 
 Quen Sir Amadace hade etun, 
 
 To sadulle his horse was no3te for3etun, 
 
 Thay bro3te hym his palfray ; 
 Thenne his sometour-mon before was dy3te, 
 Ther as that lord schuld leng alle ny3te, 
 
 And hade nothing to pay. 
 Quat wundur were hit, tha3he him were wo, 
 Quen alle his godus were spend utte him fro, 
 
 The sothe gif I schuld say ? 
 Thenne Sir Amadace kidde he was gentilman bornne, 
 He come the grattust maystur be-forne, 
 
 Toke leue, and wente his way. 
 
 XXIX. 
 
 Qwen he was gone on this kin wise, 
 Thenne iche mon sayd thayre deuise, 
 
 Quen he wasse passutte the 3ate ; 
 Sum sayd, " This gud fulle I13 teli he wan, 
 That thusgate spendutte hit on this man, 
 
 So H3 tely lete hit scape." 
 Sum sayd, " In gud tyme were he borne, 
 That hade a peny him bi-forne, 
 
 That knew fulle litulle his state."
 
 siu AM VDACE. 
 
 Lo, how thay di'inun the gentille knvilc, 
 Quen he hade spendul alle thai he invite '. 
 
 Butte the trauthe fulle litulle thay wote. 
 
 XXX. 
 
 Quen he come sex mile the cite fro, 
 A crosse partut the way a-toe, 
 
 Thenne speke Sir Amadace: 
 To his stuard he sayd fulle rathe, 
 His sometour and his palfray-mon bothe, 
 
 And alle ther euvr was, 
 Sayd, f * Gode Sirs, take no}te on greue, 
 For }e most noue take 30ur leue, 
 
 For 3oure seluun knauyn the cace ; 
 For I may lede no mon in londe, 
 Butte I hade gold [and] siluyr to spende, 
 
 Neuyr no quere in no place. 
 
 )> 
 
 XXXI. 
 
 Now the hardust hertut men that there ware, 
 For to wepe thai my3t notte spare, 
 
 Quen thay herd him say so; 
 He sayd, " Gode Sirs, haue 3e no care, 
 For 3e mone haue maysturs euvrqware. 
 
 As wele wurthi 3c ar soe : 
 3ette God may me sende of his sele, 
 That I may keuyr of this fulle wele, 
 
 And cum owte of this wo ; 
 A mery mon 3ette may 3e se me, 
 And he fulle dere welcum to me, 
 
 Bothe 3e and mony moe !" 
 
 XXXII. 
 
 [Sir Amadas seyd in that stonde : 
 "The warst hors is worthe tin pownde, 
 
 St. XXXII. From Weber's edition.
 
 40 EARLY ENGLISH METRICAL ROMANCES. 
 
 Of horn all that here gon ; 
 Sqwyar, yomon, and knave, 
 Ylke mon his owne schall have, 
 
 That he syttes apon, 
 Sadyll, brydyll, and oder geyre, 
 Fowre so gud thoffe hit were, 
 
 I woch hit save, bi Sen Jon ! 
 God mey make yo full gud men! 
 Cryst of hevon, Y yo beken !" 
 
 Thei weped, and partyd ylke on.] 
 
 XXXIII. 
 
 Quen alle his men wos partutte him fro, 
 The kny3te lafte stille in alle the woe, 
 
 Bi him seluun allone ; 
 Thro3he the forest his way lay ri3te, 
 Of his palfray doune he H3 te, 
 
 Mournand and made grete mone, 
 Quen he tho3te on his londus brode, 
 His castels hee, his townus made, 
 
 That were a-way euyrichon ; 
 That he had sette, and layd to wedde, 
 And was owte of the cuntray for pourte fledde, 
 
 Thenne the kny3te wexe wille of wone. 
 
 XXXIV. 
 
 Thenne be-speke Sir Amadace, 
 " A mon that litul gode hase, 
 
 Men sittus ry3te 1103 te him bye ; 
 For I hade thre hundrythe powunde of rente, 
 I spendut two in that entente. 
 
 Of suche forloke was I ! 
 Euyr quylle I suche housold hold, 
 For a grete lord was I tellut,
 
 Ml{ \\i VDACB. | | 
 
 Muclic holdun vppe thare-by ; 
 
 No we may wist- men sittc atte home, 
 Quen folus may walkc full wille of WOne, 
 And, Crist wotte, so may hi ! 
 
 XXXV. 
 
 He sayd, " Jhcsu, as thou deet on the rode, 
 And for me sched tin precius blode, 
 
 And alle this word thou wanne; 
 Thou lette me neuyr come in that sy^te, 
 Tlier I haue bene knauen for a kny3te, 
 
 Butte if I may avoue hit thanne ; 
 And gif me grace to somun alle tho, 
 That wilsumly ar wente me fro, 
 
 And alle that me gode ons hasc done ; 
 Or ellus, Lord, I aske the rede, 
 Hastely that I were dede, 
 
 Lord, wele were me thanne ! 
 
 XXXVI. 
 
 " For alle for wonting of my witte, 
 Fowle of the lond am I putte, 
 
 Of my frindes I haue made foes ; 
 For kyndenes of my gud wille, 
 I am in poynte my selfe to spille; 5 ' 
 
 Thus rlote Syr Amadace. 
 He sayd, " Jhesu, as thou deut on trc, 
 Summe of thi sokur send thou me, 
 
 Spcdely in this place ! 
 For summe of thi sokur and thou me send, 
 And 3ett I schuld ful gladcly spende, 
 
 On alle that mestur hase." 
 
 CAMD. SOC. G
 
 42 EARLY ENGLISH METRICAL ROMANCES. 
 
 XXXVII. 
 
 Now thro the forest as he ferd, 
 
 He wende that no mon hade him herd, 
 
 For he se3he non in si3te; 
 So come a mon ryding him bye, 
 And speke on him fulle hastely, 
 
 Ther-of he was a-fry3te. 
 Milke quyte was his stede, 
 And so was alle his othir wede, 
 
 Hade conciens of a kny3te; 
 Now tho3he Sir Amadace wasse in mournyng bro3te, 
 His curtase for3ete he no3te, 
 
 He saylut him anon ry3te. 
 
 XXXVIII. 
 
 Quod the quite kny3te, " Quat mon is this, 
 That alle this mowrnyng makes thus, 
 
 With so simpulle chere V 3 
 Thenne Syr Amadace sayd, " Nay \" 
 The quite kny3te bede " do way, 
 
 For that quile haue I bene here. 
 Thowe schild no3te mowrne no suche wise, 
 For God may bothe mon falle and rise, 
 
 For his helpe is euyr more nere ! 
 For gud his butte a lante lone, 
 Sum tyme men [haue] hit, sum tyme none, 
 
 Thou hast fulle mony a pere ! 
 
 XXXIX. 
 
 " Now thenke on him, that deut on rode, 
 That for vs sched his precius blode, 
 
 For the and monkynd alle ! 
 For a mon that geuees him to gode thewis, 
 Authir to gentilmen or to schrewis,
 
 BIB AM Ali.\( I . 
 
 On summe side wille hit falle. 
 A mon that hase allc way bynne kynde, 
 
 Sum curtas mon 3ettc may lie fvndc, 
 
 That mckille may stonde in stalle; 
 Repente the no3te, that thou hase done, 
 For he that schope bothe suinic and mono, 
 
 Fulle wele may pay for alle V 
 
 XL. 
 
 Quod the quite kny3te, " Wold thou luffc him aure alle thing, 
 That wold the owte of thi moifrnyng bringe, 
 
 And keuvr the owte of kare ? 
 For here be-side duellus a rialle king, 
 And hase a do}tur fay re and 3inge, 
 
 He luffis nothing mare. 
 And thou art one of the semelist kny3te, 
 That euyr 3ette I see with sy3te, 
 
 That any armes bare ; 
 That mun no mon hur wedde ne weld, 
 Butte he that furst is inne the fild, 
 
 And best thenne Justus thare. 
 
 XLI. 
 
 " And thou schalt cum thedur als gay 
 Als any erliche mon may, 
 
 Of thi sute schalle be non ; 
 Thou schalle haue for thi giftus geuand, 
 Grete lordus to thi honde, 
 
 And loke thou spare ri3te none. 
 Thou say the menne that come with the, 
 That thay were drounet on the see, 
 
 With wild waturs slone ; 
 Loke that thou be large of feyce, 
 Tille thou haue wonun gode congrece, 
 
 xVnd I schalle pay ichone."
 
 44 EARLY ENGLISH METRICAL ROMANCES. 
 
 XLII. 
 
 He sayd, "That thou be fre of wage, 
 And I schalle pay for thi costage, 
 
 x. thowsand gif thou ladde ; 
 Ther schalle thou wynne fulle mekille honowre, 
 Fild and frithe, towne and towre, 
 
 That lady schalle thou wedde ! 
 And sithun I schalle come a-3ayne to the, 
 Qwen thou hase come thi frindus to see, 
 
 In stid quere thou art stadde ; 
 Butte a forwart make I with the or that thou goe, 
 That euyn to part be-twene vs toe, 
 
 The godus thou hase wonun and spedde." 
 
 XLIII. 
 
 Thenne be-speke Sir Amadace, 
 
 "And thou haue my3te thrive Goddus grace, 
 
 So to cumford to me ; 
 Thou schalt fynde me true and lele, 
 And euyn, lord, for to dele, 
 
 Be-twix the and me \" 
 " Fare wele," he sayd, " Sir Amadace ! 
 And thou schalle wurche thru3e Goddus grace, 
 
 And hit schalle be with the." 
 Sir Amadace sayd, " Haue gode day, 
 And thou schalle fynde me, and I may, 
 
 Als true as any mon may be \" 
 
 A Fitte. 
 
 XLIV. 
 
 NOW als Sir Amadace welke bi the se sonde, 
 The broken schippus he ther fonde, 
 
 Hit were meruayl to say ; 
 He fond wrekun a-mung the stones,
 
 silt AM AD AC! . 
 
 k'nv3tcs in mcncucrc for the nones, 
 
 Stedes quite, and gray. 
 With alle kynne maner of richas, 
 That any mon my^te deuise, 
 
 Castun vppe with waturs lay ; 
 Kistes and cofura bothe therstode, 
 Was fulle of gold precius and gode, 
 
 No mon bare no3te a- way ! 
 
 XLV. 
 
 Thenne Sir Amadace lie him cladde, 
 And that was in a gold web be, 
 
 A bettur my3te none be ; 
 And the stede that he on rode, 
 Wasse the best that euyr mon hade, 
 
 In iusting for to see. 
 Ther he wanne fulle mecul honoure, 
 Fild and frithe, toune and towre, 
 
 Castelle and riche cite ; 
 Aure that gud he houet fulle ry3te, 
 That see the king and his do3tur brjftte, 
 
 The iusting furthe schild be. 
 
 XLVI. 
 
 The kinge sayd to his do3tur bry3te, 
 " Lo, 3ond houes a rialle kny5te !" 
 
 A messyngere he ches ; 
 His aune squier, and kny}tes thre, 
 And bede, " Go loke, quat 3one may be, 
 
 And telle me quo hit is. 
 And his gud hitte schalle be tente, 
 Holly to his cummawundemente, 
 
 Certan with owtun lesse ; 
 Go we to his coinyng alle to-gethir.
 
 46 EARLY ENGLISH METRICAL ROMANCES. 
 
 And say that he is welcum hethir, 
 And he be comun o pese !" 
 
 XLVII. 
 
 As the messingerus welke bi the see sonde, 
 Thay toke Sir Amadace bi the quite honde, 
 
 And tithinges conne him fraynne ; 
 And sayd, " Oure lord, the king, hase send vs hethir. 
 To wete 3 oure comyng alle to-gethir, 
 
 And 3e wold vs sayn. 
 He says, 3 ore gud hitte schalle be tente, 
 Holly atte 3aure commawundemente, 
 
 Sertan is no3te to layne ; 
 Quat-seuer 3e wille with the kingus men do, 
 30 thar butte commawunde hom ther to, 
 
 And haue seruandis fulle bayne.' 
 
 » 
 
 XLVIII. 
 
 And Sir Amadace sayd, " I wasse a prinse of mekil pride, 
 And here I hade tho3te to ryde, 
 
 For-sothe atte this iournay ; 
 I was vetaylet with wyne and flowre, 
 Hors, stedus, and armoure, 
 
 Kny3tus of gode a-ray. 
 Stithe stormes me ore-drofe, 
 Mi nobulle schippe hit all to-rofe, 
 
 Tho sothe 30ure seluun may say ; 
 To spend, I haue enu3he plente, 
 Butte alle the men that come with me, 
 
 For-sothe, thai bynne away." 
 
 XLIX. 
 
 Then Sir Amadace, that wasse so stithe on stede, 
 To the castelle 3ates thay conne him lede,
 
 sin AMADACE. >7 
 
 And told the king allc tlie race ; 
 Tlie king sayd, " Thou art welcum here, 
 I rede tlie be of fulle gud chere, 
 
 Thonke Jhesu of his grace ! 
 Seche a storme as thou was inne. 
 That thou my3te any socur wynne, 
 
 A fulle fayre happe hit wase ! 
 I see neuyr man that sete in sete, 
 So muche of my lufue my3te gete 
 
 As thou thi seluun base/' 
 
 L. 
 
 Thenne the king for Sir Amadace sake, 
 A rialle cri thenne gerutte he make, 
 
 Thro-oute in that cite ; 
 To alle that ther wold seruyse haue, 
 Kny3te, squiere, 3oman and knaue, 
 
 Iche mon in thayre degre. 
 That wold duelle with Sir Amadace, 
 Hade lost his men in a cace, 
 
 And drownet horn on the se ; 
 He wold gif horn toe so muche, or ellus more, 
 As any lord wold euyr or qware, 
 
 And thay wold with him be. 
 
 LI. 
 
 Quen gentilmen herd that cry, 
 Thay come to him full hastely, 
 
 With him for to be ; 
 Be then the iusting wase alle cryed, 
 There was no lord ther be-syde, 
 
 Had halfe as mony men as he. 
 Ther he wanne so myculle honoure,
 
 48 EARLY ENGLISH METRICAL ROMANCES. 
 
 Fild and frithe, towne and toure, 
 Castelle and riche cite ; 
 A hundrithe stedis he wan and moe, 
 And gaue the king the ton halue of thoe, 
 
 Butte ther othir til his felo keput he. 
 
 LII. 
 
 Quen the iusting was alle done, 
 To vnarme horn they wente a-none, 
 
 Hastely and be-lyue ; 
 Then sayd the king a-non ry3te, 
 And bede, " Gromersy, gentulle kny3te !" 
 
 Ofte and fele sithe. 
 Then the kingus do3tur that wasse gente, 
 Vnlasutte the kny3te, to mete thay wente, 
 
 Alle were thay gladde and blithe ; 
 Quen aythir of othir hade a si3te, 
 Suche a lufue be-tuene horn li3te, 
 
 That partutneuyr thayre lyue. 
 
 LIII. 
 
 Quen thay hade etun, I vndurstonde, 
 
 The king toke Sir Amadace bi the quite honde, 
 
 And to him conne he say ; 
 " Sir," he sayd, " with-outun lesse, 
 I haue a do3tur, that my nayre ho isse, 
 
 And ho be to 3aure pay. 
 And 3e be a mon that wille wedde a wife, 
 I vouche hur safe, be my life, 
 
 On 30 that fayre may ; 
 Here a gifte schalle I 30 gife, 
 Halfe my kyndome, quiles I life, 
 
 Take alle aftur my daye."
 
 SIR AMAD.UK. |9 
 
 LIV. 
 
 [" Gramarcy," seyd Sir Amadas, 
 And thonkyd the kyng of that grace, 
 
 Of his gyfftes gudde ; 
 Sone after, as y yow sey, 
 To the kyrke yode thei, 
 
 To wedde that frcly fode. 
 Ther was gold gyffon in that stonde, 
 And plenty of syluer, mony a ponde, 
 
 Be the way as thei yode; 
 And after in hall thei satte all, 
 The lordes and the lades small 
 
 That comon wer of gentyll blode.] 
 
 LV. 
 
 Thus is Sir Amadace keuyrt of his wo, 
 That God lene grace, that we were so ! 
 
 A rialle fest gerut he make ; 
 Ther weddut he that lady bri}te, 
 The maungery last a faurteny3te, 
 
 With schaftes for to schake. 
 Othir halfe 3 ere thay lifd in gomun, 
 A fayre knaue child hade thay somun, 
 
 Grete myrthes con thay make. 
 Listuns now, lordinges, of anters grete, 
 Quylle on a day before the mete, 
 
 This felau come to the 3ate. 
 
 LVI. 
 
 He come in als gay gere, 
 Ry3te as he an angel le were, 
 
 Cladde he was in quite ; 
 Vn-to the porter speke he thoe, 
 Sayd, " To thi lord myn ernde thou go, 
 
 CAMD. SOC. u
 
 50 EARLY ENGLISH METRICAL ROMANCES. 
 
 Hasteli and alstite. 
 And if he frayne 03 te aftur me, 
 For quethun I come, or quat cuntre, 
 
 Say him my sute is quite ; 
 And say we haue to-gethir bene, 
 I hope fulle wele he haue me sene, 
 
 He wille hitte neuyr denyte." 
 
 LVII. 
 
 Thenne the porter wente in-to the halle, 
 Alsone his lord he metes with-alle, 
 
 He sailles him as he conne ; 
 Sayd, " Lord, here is comun the fayrist kny3te, 
 That euyr 3ette I see with sy3te, 
 
 Sethen I was market mon. 
 Milke quite is his stede, 
 And so is alle his other wede, 
 
 That he hase opon : 
 He says 3e haue to-gethir bene, 
 I hope fulle welle 3e haue him sene, 
 
 Butte with him is comun no mon." 
 
 LVIII. 
 
 "Is he comun/' he sayd, " my nowun true fere ? 
 To me is he bothe lefe and dere, 
 
 So aghet him wele to be ! 
 Butte, alle my men, I 30 cummawunde, 
 To serue him wele to fote and honde, 
 
 Ry3te as 3e wold do me/' 
 Then Sir Amadace a-3aynus him wente, 
 And allso did that ladi gente, 
 
 That was so bry3te of ble ; 
 And did wele that hur aghte to do, 
 Alle that hur lord lufd wurschipput ho, 
 
 Alle suche wemen wele my3te be.
 
 SIR A MA DACE. 5 I 
 
 LIX. 
 Quo Bchuld his stede to stabulle haue - 
 
 Kny3te, squier, 3oman, ne knauc, 
 
 Nauthir with him he brojte; 
 Thenne Sir Amadace wold haue takyun his stede, 
 And to the halle him seluun lede, 
 
 Butte so wold he no3te. 
 He sayd, "Sertan, the sothe to telle, 
 I wille nauthir ete, drinke, nc duelle, 
 
 Be God, that me dere bo3te ! 
 Butte take and dele hit euun in toe, 
 Gif me my parte, and lettc me goe, 
 
 Gif I be wurthi 05 te !" 
 
 LX. 
 
 Thenne speke Sir Amadace so fre, 
 
 et For Goddus luffe, lette suche wurdus be ! 
 
 Thav irreuun niv herte fulle sore : 
 For we my}te no3te this faurteny3te, 
 Owre riche londus dele and di3te, 
 
 Thay liun so wide quare. 
 Butte lette vs leng to-gethir here, 
 Ri3te as we brethir were, 
 
 As alle thi none hit ware ; 
 And othir gates no3te part wille wee, 
 Butte att thi wille, Sir, alle schalle bee, 
 
 Goddes forbote, Sir, thou hit spare '" 
 
 LXI. 
 
 He sayd, " Broke wele thi londus brode, 
 Thi castels hee, the townus made, 
 
 Of horn kepe I ri5te none ; 
 Allso thi wuddus, thi waturs clere, 
 Thi frithis, thi forestus, fer and nere, 
 
 Thi ringus with riche stone,
 
 b'2 EARLY ENGLISH METRICAL ROMANCES. 
 
 Allso thi siluyr, thi gold rede, 
 
 For hit may stonde me in no stidde, 
 
 I squere, bi Sayn John ! 
 But, be my faythe, with-outun stryue, 
 Half thi child, and halfe thi wyue, 
 
 And thay schalle with me gone.' 
 
 5J 
 
 LXII. 
 
 " Alas \" sayd Sir Amadace than, 
 " That euyr I this woman wan, 
 
 Or any wordes gode ! 
 For his lufe, that deet on tre, 
 Quat-seuer }e wille, do with me, 
 
 For him that deet on rode ! 
 3e, take alle that euyr I haue, 
 Wythe thi, that 3e hur life saue !" 
 
 Thenne the kny3te wele vndurstode, 
 And squere, " Be God, that me dere bo3te, 
 Othir of thi thinge then kepe I no3te, 
 
 Of alle thi wordes gode ! 
 
 LXIII. 
 
 Butte thenke on thi couenand, that thou made. 
 In the wode, quen thou rnestur hade, 
 
 How fayre thou hettus me thare !" 
 Sir Amadace sayd, " I wotte, hit was soe, 
 But my lady for to sloe, 
 
 Methinke grete synne hit ware." 
 Then the lady vndurstode a-non, 
 The wurd that was be-twene hom, 
 
 And greuyt hur neuyr the more ; 
 Then ladi sayd, " For his luffe that deut on tre, 
 Loke 3 ore couandus holdun be, 
 
 Goddes forbotte 3e me spare I"
 
 SIK A MA DACE. 
 
 LXIV. 
 
 Thenne be-spcke that lruli br'^te, 
 
 Sayd, " Ye schalle him hold that 3c liaue hi}tc, 
 
 Be God, and Sayn Dri3tine ! 
 For his lufe that deet on tre, 
 Loke 3aure couandus liuldun be, 
 
 3 ore forward was fulle fyne. 
 Sithun Crist wille that hit be so, 
 Take and parte me euun in toe, 
 
 Thou -wan me and I am thine ! 
 Goddus forbotte that 3e hade wyuut, 
 That I schuld 30 a lure makette, 
 
 3ore wurschip in londe to tyne \" 
 
 LXV. 
 
 Still ho stode, with-outun lette, 
 Nawthir changet chere, ne grette, 
 
 That lady myld and dere ! 
 Bede, "Foche me my 3img sun me be-forne, 
 For he was of my bodi borne, 
 
 And lay my herte fulle nere." 
 " Now," quod the quite kny5te thare, 
 " Quethur of horn luffus thou mare ?" 
 
 He sayd, " My wife, so dere !" 
 " Sithun thou luffus hur the more, 
 Thou schalt parte hur euyn before, 
 
 Hur quite sidus in sere." 
 
 LXVI. 
 
 Thenne quen Sir Amadace see, 
 That no bettur hitte my3te bee, 
 
 He ferd as he were wode ; 
 Thenne all the mene in that halle, 
 Doune on squonyng ther con thay falh .
 
 54 EARLY ENGLISH METRICAL ROMANCES. 
 
 Be-fore thayre lord thay stode. 
 The burd was bro3te, that schuld hur on dele, 
 Ho kissutte hur lord sithis fele, 
 
 And sithun therto ho 3 ode; 
 Ho layd hur downe mekely enu3he, 
 A clothe then aure hur enyn thay dro3he, 
 
 That lady was myld of mode ! 
 
 LXVII. 
 
 Thenne the quite kny3te, " I wille do the no vnskille, 
 Thou schalt dele hit atte thi wjlle, 
 
 The godus that here now is." 
 Thenne speke Sir Amadace so fre, 
 Sayd, " Atte 3 our wille, lord, alle schalle be, 
 
 And so I hope hit is/' 
 Then Sir Amadace a squrd vppe-hente, 
 To strike the ladi was his entente, 
 
 And thenne the quite kny3te be[de] sese ! 
 He toke vppe the ladi, and the litulle knaue, 
 And to Sir Amadace ther he horn gaue, 
 
 And sayd, " Now is tyme of pees !' 
 
 i» 
 
 LXVIII. 
 
 He sayd, " I con notte wite the, gif thou were woe, 
 Suche a ladi for to slo, 
 
 Thi wurschip thus wold saue ; 
 3ette I was largely as gladde, 
 Quen thou gafe alle that euyr thou hade, 
 
 My bones for to graue. 
 In a chapelle quere I lay to howundus mete, 
 Thou payut furst thritty powund by grete, 
 
 Sethun alle that thou my3tus haue ; 
 Ther I be-so3te God, schuld keuyr the of thi care, 
 That for me hade made the so bare, 
 
 Mi wurschip in loud to saue."
 
 SIR A MA I) \( I . 55 
 
 LXIX. 
 
 " Fare-wele now," he sayd, " mynne awne true fere ' 
 For my lenging is no lengur her, 
 
 With tunge sum I the telle ; 
 Butte loke thou lufe this lady as tin lviu\ 
 That thus mekely, with-outen stryue, 
 
 Thi fonvardus wold fultillc \" 
 Thenne he wente oute of that toune, 
 He glode a-way as dew in towne, 
 
 And thay a-bodc ther stille ; 
 Thay kneluttc downe opon thayre kne, 
 And thonket God and Mary fre, 
 
 And so thay hade gud skille ! 
 
 LXX. 
 
 Thenne Sir Amadace and his wiue, 
 With joy and blis thay ladde thayre hue, 
 
 Vnto thayre ending daye ; 
 Ther is ladis now in lond fulle foe, 
 That wold haue seruut hor lord soe, 
 
 Butte sum wold haue sayd nay. 
 Botte quo-so serues God truly, 
 And his modur, Mary fre, 
 
 This dar I sauely say ; 
 Gif horn sumtyme like fulle ille, 
 3ette God will graunte horn alle hor wille, 
 
 Tille heuyn the redy waye. 
 
 LXXI. 
 
 Then Sir Amadace send his messingerus, 
 Alle the londus ferre and nere, 
 
 Vnto his awne cuntre ; 
 Till all that euyr his lond with-held, 
 Frithe or forest, towne or filde,
 
 56 EARLY ENGLISH METRICAL ROMANCES. 
 
 With tresur owte bo3te he. 
 His stuard and othir, that with him were, 
 He send aftur horn, as 3e may here, 
 
 And gafe hom gold and fee ; 
 And thay ther with him for to leng, 
 Euyrmore tille thayre lyuus ende, 
 
 With myrthe and solempnite! 
 
 LXXII. 
 
 Thenne sone aftur the kinge deet, at Goddus wille, 
 And thay a-bode thare stille, 
 
 As 3e schalle vndurstond; 
 Thenne was he lord of toure and towne, 
 And alle thay comun to his somoune, 
 
 Alle the grete lordus of the londe. 
 Thenne Sir Amadace, as I 30 say, 
 Was crownette kinge opon a day, 
 
 Wyth gold so clure schinand ; — 
 Jhesu Criste in Trinite, 
 Blesse and glade this cumpany, 
 
 And ore vs halde his hande ! 
 
 Finis de Sir Amadace.
 
 THE AVOWYNGE OF KIN(i ARTHUR, SIR (.WWW, SIB 
 k WYE, AND SIR BAWDEWYN OF BRETAN. 
 
 I. 
 
 He that made vs on the mulde, 
 And fair fourmet the folde, 
 Atte his wille, as he wold ; 
 
 The see, and the sande ; 
 Giffe horn joy, that wille here, 
 Of du3ti men, and of dere, 
 Of haldurs, that be-fore vs were, 
 
 That lifd in this londe. 
 One was Arther the kinge, 
 With-owtun any letting, 
 With him was mony lordinge, 
 
 Hardi of honde ; 
 Wite and war ofte thay were, 
 Bold vndur banere, 
 And wi3te weppuns wold were, 
 
 And stifly wold stond. 
 
 II. 
 
 This is no fantum, ne no fabulle, 
 }e wote wele of the Rowuntabulle, 
 Of prest men, and priueabulle, 
 Was holdun in prise ; 
 camd. soc.
 
 58 EARLY ENGLISH METRICAL ROMANCES. 
 
 Cheuetan of chiualry, 
 Kyndenesse of curtesy, 
 Hunting fulle warly, 
 
 As wayt men and wise, 
 To the forest tha fare, 
 To hunte atte buk, and atte bare, 
 To the herte, and to the hare, 
 
 That bredus in the rise ; 
 The king atte Carlele he lay, 
 The hunter cummys on a day, 
 Sayd, " Sir, ther walkes in my way, 
 
 A welle grim gryse ! 
 
 III. 
 
 He is a balefulle bare, 
 
 Secheon seghe I neuyr are ! 
 
 He hase wro3te me myculle care, 
 
 And hurte of my howundes ; 
 Slayn horn downe slely, 
 With fe3ting fulle furcely, 
 Wasse ther none so hardi, 
 
 Durste bide in his bandus. 
 On him spild I my spere, 
 And myculle of my nothir gere, 
 Ther mone no dintus him dere, 
 
 Ne wurche him no wowundes ; 
 He is masly made, 
 Alle of fellus that he bade, 
 Ther is no bulle so brade, 
 
 That in frithe foundes. 
 
 IV. 
 
 He is he3er thenne a horse, 
 
 That vn-cumly corse, 
 
 In fayth, him faylis no force,
 
 THE AVOWYNQE OF kim, akiiii.u. BIB OAWAN 1 BTC. 59 
 
 Quen that he Bchalle fejte : 
 
 And ther-to, blakc as a bere, 
 
 Feye folke will lie fere ; 
 
 Thcr may no dyntus him deiv. 
 
 Ne him to dethc CI13 tc-. 
 Quen he quettus his tusshes, 
 Tlienne he betus on the busshea ; 
 Alle he riues and he russhes. 
 
 That the rote is vnry}te ; 
 He hase a laythelyche lufte, 
 Quen he castus vppe his stufl'e ; 
 Quo durst a-bide him a buffe, 
 
 I-wisse he were wi3te \" 
 
 V. 
 
 He sais, in Inguhvode is hee, 
 The tother biddus lette him bee ! 
 We schalle that Sat n ace see, 
 
 Giffe that he be thare. 
 The king callut on kny3tis thre; 
 Him seluun wold the fuyrthe be ; 
 He sayd, " There schalle o mo mene 
 
 Wvnde to the bore " 
 Bothe Kay and Sir Gauan. 
 And Bowdewynne of Bretan, 
 The hunter and the howundus-squavn. 
 
 Hase }arket horn 3 are ; 
 The kinge hase armut him in hie, 
 And tho thre biurnes him bie, 
 Now ar thay fawre alle redie, 
 
 And furthe conne thay fare. 
 
 VI. 
 Vn-to the forest thay weynde,
 
 60 EARLY ENGLISH METRICAL ROMANCES. 
 
 That was hardy and heynde, 
 The hunter atte the northe ende, 
 
 His bugulle con he blaw ; 
 Vn-coupult kenettis as he couthe, 
 Witturly thay S03te the southe, 
 Raches with opon mouthe, 
 
 Rennyng on a raw, 
 Funde fute of the bore, 
 Faste folutte to him thore, — 
 Quen that he herd, he hade care. 
 
 To the denne conne he draw ; 
 He slo3e horn downe slely, 
 With fe3ting fulle fuyrsly, 
 But witte 3e, Sirs, witturly, 
 
 He stode butte litulle awe. 
 
 VII. 
 
 Thay held him fast in his hold, 
 He brittunt bercelettus bold, 
 Bothe the 3unge and the old, 
 
 And raste horn the rest ; 
 The raches comun rengnyng him by, 
 And bayet him fulle boldely, 
 Butte ther was non so hardy, 
 
 Durste on the fynde fast. 
 Thenne the hunter sayd lo him thare, 
 "3aw thar suche him no mare, 
 Now may 3e sone to him fare, 
 
 Lette see quo dose beste ? 
 3aw thar suche him neuyr more, 
 Butte sette my hed opon a store, 
 Butte giffe he flaey 30 alle fawre, 
 
 That griseliche geste !
 
 THE AVOWY.VOE OF KING AUTMKK. BIB GAWANj IK. 'I 
 
 VIII. 
 Tlienne the hunter tunics home a-gayn. 
 The king callut on Sir Gauan, 
 On Bawdewin of Bretan, 
 
 And on kene Kav ; 
 He sayd, "Sirs, in }our cumpany 
 Myne a-vow make I, 
 Were he neuyr so hardy, 
 
 3 one Satenas to say, 
 To brittun him, and downe bringe, 
 With-oute any helpinge, 
 And I may haue my leuynge, 
 
 Her tille to-morne atte day ; 
 And now, Sirs, I cummaunde 50, 
 To do as I haue done nowe, 
 Ichone make 3 our a-vowe ;" — 
 
 Gladdely grawuntutte thav. 
 
 IX. 
 
 Tlien vnsquarut Gauan, 
 
 And sayd godely a-gayn, 
 
 " I a-vowe to Tarnewathelan, 
 
 To wake hit alle ny3te." 
 "And I a-vow/' sayd Kaye, 
 "To ride this forest or daye; 
 Quo- so wernes me the wave, 
 
 Hym to dethe di3te \" 
 Quod Baudewyn, "To stynte owre strife, 
 I a-vow, bi my life, 
 Neuyr to be jelus of my wife, 
 
 Ne of no birde bry3te ; 
 Nere werne nomon my mete, 
 Quen I gode may gete, 
 Ne drede my dethe for no threte, 
 
 Nauthir of king ner kny.Uc."
 
 62 EARLY ENGLISH METRICAL ROMANCES. 
 
 X. 
 
 Butte now thay haue thayre vowes made, 
 Thay buskutte horn, and furthe rade, 
 To hold that thay he3te hade, 
 
 Ichone sere way ; 
 The king turnus to the bore, 
 Gauan, with any more, 
 To the tame con he fore, 
 
 To wake hit to day. 
 Thenne Kay, as I conne roune, 
 He rode the forest vppe and downe, 
 Boudewynne turnes to toune, 
 
 Sum that his gate lay ; 
 And sethun to bed bownus he, 
 Butte carpe we now of ther othir thre, 
 How thay preuyd hor wedde-fee, 
 
 Tho sothe for to say. 
 
 XI. 
 
 Furst to carpe of oure kinge, — 
 Hit is a kyndeliche thinge, 
 Atte his begynnyng, 
 
 Howe he dedde his dede ; 
 Tille his houndus con he hold, 
 The bore with his brode schilde, 
 Folut hom fast in the filde, 
 
 And spillutte on hom, gode spede, 
 Then the kinge con crye, 
 And carputte of venerie, 
 To make his howundus hardi, 
 
 Houut on a stede ; 
 Als sone as he come thare, 
 A-3aynus him rebowndet the bare ; 
 He se neuyr no sy3te are 
 
 So sore gerutte him to drede.
 
 THE AVOWYNGB OP KING Ainili.i;, snt QAWAK, K'l'f . 
 
 Ml. 
 He hade drede and doute, 
 Of him that was stirrun, and stowte. 
 lie be-gan to romy and rowtc. 
 
 And gapes and gones ; 
 Men my3te no}te his cowche kenne 
 For howundes and for slayn men, 
 That he hade draun to his denne, 
 
 And brittunt alle to bonus, 
 Thenne his tusshes con he quette, 
 Opon the kinge for to sette, 
 He liftis vppe, with-outun lette, 
 
 Stokkes and stonis ; 
 With wrathe lie be-gynnus to wrote, 
 He ruskes vppe mony a rote, 
 With tusshes of iij. fote, 
 
 So grisly he gronus ! 
 
 XIII. 
 
 Thenne the kinge spanos his spere, 
 Opon that bore for to bere, 
 Ther may no dyntus him dere, 
 
 So sekir was his schilde ! 
 The grete schafte that was longe, 
 Alle to spildurs hit spronge, — 
 The gode stede that was stronge, 
 
 Was fallun in the filde ! 
 As the bore had mente, 
 He gaue the king suche a dinte, 
 Or he my3te his bridulle hente, 
 
 That he my3te euyr hit fele ; 
 His stede was stonet, starke ded, 
 He sturd neuyr owte of that sted, 
 To Jhesu a bone he bede, 
 
 Fro wothes hvm wevlde !
 
 64 EARLY ENGLISH METRICAL ROMANCES. 
 
 XIV. 
 
 Thenne the king in his sadul sete, 
 And \vi3tely wan on his fete, 
 He prays to Sayn Margarete, 
 
 Fro wathes him ware ! 
 Did as a du3ty kny3te, 
 Brayd oute a brand bry3te, 
 And heue his schild opon hi3te, 
 
 For spild was his spere. 
 Sethun he buskette him 3 are, 
 Squithe with-outun any mare, 
 A-3aynus the fynde for to fare, 
 
 That hedoes was of hiere ; 
 So thay cowunturt in the fild, — 
 For alle the weppuns that he my3te weld, 
 The bore brittunt his schild, 
 
 On brest he conne bere. 
 
 XV. 
 
 There downe knelus he, 
 
 And prayus tille him that was so fre, 
 
 " Send me the vittore, 
 
 This Satanas me sekes !" 
 Alle wrothe wex that sqwyne, 
 Blu, and brayd vppe his bryne, 
 As kylne other kechine ; 
 
 Thus rudely he rekes. 
 The kynge my5te him no3te see, 
 Butte lenyt him doune bi a tree, 
 So ny3e discumford was hee, 
 
 For smelle other smekis ; 
 And as he neghet bi a noke, 
 The king sturenly him stroke, 
 That bothe his brees con blake, 
 
 His maistry he mekes.
 
 TIIK aviiwvmik OP KING AitrilKi:, BIB OAWAN, ETC. 65 
 
 XVI. 
 
 Thus his raaistry mekes he, 
 With dyntus that worun dii3te, 
 Were he neuyr so hanlr. 
 
 Thus hidus that hrotlie ; 
 The kinge with a nobulle brande, 
 He mette the bore comande, 
 On his squrd tille his hande, 
 
 He rennes fulle rathe. 
 He bare him inne atte the throte, 
 He hade no myrthe of that mote, 
 He began to dotur and dote, 
 
 Os he hade keghet scathe ; 
 With sit siles he a-downe, — 
 To brittun him the king was bowne. 
 And sundurt in tliat sesun, 
 
 His brode schildus bothe. 
 
 XVII. 
 
 The king couth e of venery, 
 Colurt him fulle kyndely, 
 The hed of that hardy. 
 
 He sette on a stake ; 
 Sethun brittuns he the best, 
 As venesun in forest, 
 Bothe the 3onge and lees, 
 
 He hongus on a noke. 
 There downe knelys hee, 
 That loues her that is free, 
 Sayd, " This socur thou hasc send me, 
 
 For thi Sune sake !" 
 If he were in a dale depe, 
 He hade no kny3te him to kepe, 
 For werre slidus he on slepe, 
 
 No lcngur myite ho wake. 
 camd. soc. k
 
 66 EARLY ENGLISH METRICAL ROMANCES. 
 
 XVIII. 
 
 The king hase fillut his avowe ; — 
 
 Of Kay carpe we nowe, 
 
 How that he come fro his pro we, 
 
 3e schalle here more ; 
 Als he rode in the ny3te, 
 In the forest he mette a kny3te, 
 Ledand a birde bry3te, 
 
 Ho wepputte wundur sore. 
 Ho sayd, " Sayn Mare my3te me spede, 
 And saue me my madun-hede, 
 And giffe the kny3te, for his dede, 
 
 Bothe soro and care !" 
 
 XIX. 
 
 Thus ho talkes him tille, 
 
 Quille ho hade sayd alle hur wille, 
 
 And Kay held him fulle stille, 
 
 And in the holte houes ; 
 He prekut oute prestely, 
 And aure-hiet him radly, 
 And on the kny3te conne cry, 
 
 And pertely him reproues. 
 And sayd, " Recraiand kny3te ! 
 Here I profur the to 63 te, 
 Be chesun of that biurde bri3te, 
 
 I bede the my glouus \" 
 The tother vnsquarut him with skille, 
 And sayd, " I am redy, at thi wille, 
 That forward to fulfille, 
 
 In alle the me be-houus."
 
 THE AVOWYNGB OF KING AETHER, BIB OAWAN, in. 67 
 
 XX. 
 
 " Now quethun art thou !" quod Kav. 
 " Or quethur is thou on way ? 
 Tin ri3te name thou me say, — 
 
 Quere wan thou that wi,te ?" 
 The tother vnsquarut him agavn, 
 "Mi ri3te name is, no}te to layn, 
 Sir Menealfe of the Mountayn, 
 
 My gode-fadur hi3te. 
 And this lady sum I the telle, 
 I fochet hur atte Ledelle, 
 Ther hur frindus con he felle, 
 
 As foes in a 63 te ; 
 So I talket horn tille, 
 That muche blode conne I spille, 
 And all a-3aynus thayre awne wille, 
 
 There wan I this wi3te." 
 
 XXI. 
 
 Quod Kay, " The batelle I take, 
 Be chesun of the hirdus sake, 
 And I schalle wurche the wrake !" 
 
 And sqwithely con squere ; 
 Thenne thay rode to-gedur ry3te, 
 As frekes redy to 63 te, 
 Be chesun of that birde bry5te, 
 
 Gay in hor gere ! 
 Menealfe was the more niyitv. 
 He stroke Kay stirly, 
 Witte 3e, Sirs, witturly, 
 
 With a scharpe spere ; 
 All to-schildurt his schilde, 
 And aure his sadulle gerut him to held. 
 And felle him flatte in the tilde. 
 
 And toko him vppe on werre.
 
 68 EARLY ENGLISH METRICAL ROMANCES. 
 
 XXII. 
 
 Thus hase he wonun Kay on werre, 
 And alle to-spild in his spere, 
 And mekille of othir gere, 
 
 Is holden to the pees ; 
 Thenne unsquarut Kay a3ayn, 
 And sayd, " Sir, atte Tarnewathelan, 
 Bidus me Sir Gauan, 
 
 Is derwurthe on dese ! 
 Wold }e thethur be bowne, 
 Or 3e turnut to the towne, 
 He wold pay my rawunsone, 
 
 With-owtyn delees." 
 He sayd, " Sir Kay, thi lyfe I the hejte, 
 For a cowrce of that kny3te;" 
 3ette Menealfe, or the mydny3te, 
 
 Him ruet alle his rees. 
 
 XXIII. 
 
 Thus thay turnut to the Torne, 
 With the thriuand thorne, 
 Kay callut on Gauan 3orne, 
 
 Asshes, " Quo is there ?" 
 He sayd, " I, Kay, that thou knawes, 
 That owte of tyme bostus and blawus, 
 Butte thou me lese with thi lawes, 
 
 I lif neuyr more. 
 For as I rode in the ny3te, 
 In the forest I mette a kny3te, 
 Ledand a birde bry3te, 
 
 Ho wepput wundur sore; 
 There to-gedur fa3te we, 
 Be chesun of that lady free, 
 On werre thus hase he wonun me, 
 
 Gif that me lothe ware !
 
 THE WOWYXGE OF KlXfi ARTIIKR, sir QAWANj 1. 1 ( . 69 
 
 XXIV. 
 
 This kny3tc, that is of renowun, 
 Hase takyn me to presowun, 
 And thou rami pay my rawunsun, 
 
 Gawan, with tin leue." 
 Tlien vnsquarutte Gauan, 
 And sayd godcly agayn, 
 " I wille, wundur fayne, 
 
 Quatt schalle T geue ?" 
 "Quen thou art armut in tin gere, 
 Take tin schild and tin spere, 
 And ride to him a course on werre, 
 
 Hit schalle the no}te greue." 
 Gauan asshes, " Is hit soe ?" 
 To tother kny3t grauntus, 3oe, 
 He sayd, " Then to-gedur schulle we goe, 
 
 How-sumeuyr hit cheuis." 
 
 XXV. 
 
 And these kny3tus kithum hor crafte, 
 And aythir gripus a schafte, 
 Was als rude as a rafte, 
 
 So runnun thay to-gedur ; 
 So somun conne tha hie, 
 That nauthir scaput for-bye, 
 Gif Menealfe was the more my5tk\ 
 
 3ette dyntus gerut him to dedur. 
 He stroke him sadde and sore, 
 Squithe squonut he thore, 
 The blonke him a-boute bore, 
 
 AViste he neuyr quedur ! 
 Quod Kay, " Thou hase that thou hase sojte, 
 Mi rauunsun is alle redy bo3te, 
 Gif thou were ded I ne ro5te, — 
 
 For-thi come I hedur.
 
 70 EARLY ENGLISH METRICAL ROMANCES. 
 
 XXVI. 
 
 Thus Kay scornus the kny3te, 
 And Gauan rydus to him ry3te, 
 In his sadul sette him on hi3te, 
 
 Speke gif he may ; 
 Of his helme con he draw, 
 Lete the wynde on him blaw, 
 He speke with a vois law, 
 
 u Delyueryt hase thou Kay. 
 With thi laa hase made him leyce, 
 Butte him is lothe to be in pece, 
 And thou was aye curtase, 
 
 And prins of iche play ; 
 Wold thou here a stowunde bide, 
 A-nother course wold I ride, 
 This that houes by my side, 
 
 In wedde I wold hur lay !" 
 
 XXVII. 
 
 Then vnsquarut Gauan, 
 Sayd godely a-gayn, 
 " I am wundur fayn, 
 
 For hur for to £3 te." 
 These kny3tus kithum thay gere, 
 And aythir gripus a spere, 
 Runnun to-gedur on werre, 
 
 Os hardy and wi3te. 
 So somen that thay 3 ode, 
 That Gauan bare him fro his stede, 
 That bothe his brees con blede, 
 
 On growunde qwen he li3te ; 
 Thenne Kay con on him calle, 
 And sayd, " Sir, thou hade a falle, 
 And thi wenche lost with-alle, 
 
 Mi trauthe I the pli3te !"
 
 THE A.VOWYNGB OF KING A KIM Kit, sir i.aww. ETC. 
 
 XXVIII. 
 
 Quod Kay, " Tin leue base thou loste, 
 For alle thi brag or tlii boste, 
 If thou haue 0}te on lmr coste, 
 
 I telle hit for tente !" 
 Thenne speke Gauan to Kay, 
 " A mon's happe is notte ay, 
 Is none so sekur of a say, 
 
 Butte he may harmes hentr." 
 Gauan rydus to him ry3te, 
 And toke vppe the tother kny3te, 
 That was dilfully dy3te, 
 
 And stonet in that stynte ; 
 Kay wurdus tenut him mare, 
 Thenne alle the harmes that he hente thare, 
 He sayd, " And we allone ware, 
 
 This stryf schuld I stynte." 
 
 XXIX. 
 
 "3e, hardely !" quod Kay, 
 
 " Butte thou hast lost thi fayre may, 
 
 And thi liffe I dar lay,"— 
 
 Thus talkes he him tille; 
 And Gauan sayd, " Gode forbede ! 
 For he is dii3ti in dede," — 
 Prayes the kny}te gud spede, 
 
 To take hit to none ille, 
 If Kay speke wurdes kene, — 
 " Take thou this dameselle schene, 
 Lede hur to Gaynour the quene, 
 
 This forward to fulrille ; 
 And say, that Gawan hur knyite. 
 Sende hur this byurde bn3te, 
 And rawunsun thea-non r i 3 1 ». . 
 
 Atte hur awnc wille."
 
 72 EARLY ENGLISH METRICAL ROMANCES. 
 
 XXX. 
 
 Ther-to grawuntus the kny3te, 
 
 And truly his trauthe pli3te, 
 
 Inne saue-ward that byurde bry3te, 
 
 To Carlele to bringe ; 
 And as thay houet and abode, 
 He squere on the squrd brode ; — 
 Be he his othe hade made, 
 
 Thenne waknut the king. 
 
 Thenne the day be-ganne to daw, 
 
 The kinge his bugulle con blaw, 
 
 His kny3tus couthe hitte welle knaw, 
 
 His was a sekurthinge; 
 
 Sethun thay busket horn 3 are, 
 
 Sqwith with owtun any mare, 
 
 To wete the kingus welefare, 
 
 With-owtun letting. 
 
 Primus Passus. 
 
 XXXI. 
 
 TO the forest thay take the way, 
 Bothe Gawan and Kay, 
 Menealfe and the fare May, 
 
 Comun to the kinge ; 
 The bore brittunt thay funde, 
 Was colurt of the kingus hunde, 
 If he were lord of that londe, 
 
 He hade no horsing. 
 Downe thay take that birde bry3te, 
 Sette hur one, behinde the kny3te, 
 Hur horse for the king was dy3te, 
 
 With-outun letting ; 
 Gaue Kay the venesun to lede, 
 And hiet hamward, gode spede, 
 Bothe the birde and the brede, 
 
 To Carlele thay bringe.
 
 THE AVOWYNGB OF KINO A Kill l. It, BID QAWAN, KTC. ~' 
 
 XXXII. 
 Now as thay rode atte the way, 
 The kynge him solium con Bay, 
 Bothe to Gauan and to K;iv, 
 
 " Quere wan }e this wi>te >" 
 Thenne Kay to the king spake, 
 lie sayd, " Sir, in the forest ;is I con wake. 
 Atte the Anturis hoke, 
 
 Ther mette me tliis knvite. 
 Ther to-gedur fa3te we, 
 Be chesun of this lady fre, 
 On werre hase he thus wonun me, 
 
 "With mayn and wythe my5tc; 
 And Gawan hase my rawunsun made. 
 For a course that lie rode, 
 And felle him in the fild brode, 
 
 He wanne this biurde bry3te. 
 
 XXXIII. 
 
 " He toke him there to presunnere ;" — 
 Then loghe that dameselle dere, 
 And louet with a mylde chere, 
 
 God and Sir Gawan ! 
 Thenne sayd the king opon hi3te, 
 Alle sqwithe to the kny3te, 
 " Quat is thi rawunsun opon rv3te, 
 
 The sothe thou me sayn ?" 
 The tothir vnsquarut him with skille, 
 " I conne notte say the ther-tille, 
 Hit is atte the quene wille, 
 
 Qwi schuld I layne ? 
 Bothe my dethe and my lyfe, 
 Is inne the wille of thi wife, 
 Quethur ho wulle stvnte me of mv strife. 
 
 Or putte me to payne !" 
 camd. soc. ,
 
 74 EARLY ENGLISH METRICAL ROMANCES. 
 
 XXXIV. 
 
 " Grete God !" quod the king, 
 
 " Gif Gawan gode endinge, 
 
 For he is sekur in alle kynne thinge, 
 
 To cowuntur with a kny3te ! 
 Of alle playus he berus the prise, 
 Loos of ther ladise, — 
 Menealfe, and thou be wise, 
 
 Hold that thou be-he}te. 
 And I schalle helpe that I maye," 
 The king him seluun con saye, — 
 To Carlele thay take the waye, 
 
 And inne the courte is li3te ; 
 He toke this dameselle gente, 
 Be-fore the quene is he wente, 
 And sayd, " Medame, I am heclur sente 
 
 Fro Gawan, jour kny3te. 
 
 » 
 
 XXXV. 
 
 He sayd, " Me-dame, Gawan 30ur kny3te > 
 On werre hase wonun me to-ny3te, 
 Be chesun of this birde bri3te, 
 
 Mi pride conne he spille ; 
 And gerut me squere squyftely, 
 To bringe the this lady, 
 And my nowne body, 
 
 To do hit in thi wille, 
 And I haue done as he me bade," — 
 " Now," quod the quene, " and I am glade, 
 Sethun thou art in my wille stade, 
 
 To spare or to spille ; 
 I giffe the to my lord, the kinge, 
 For he hase mestur of suche a thinge, 
 Of kny3tus in a-cowunturinge, 
 This forward to fullfille/'
 
 THE A.VOWYNGE OF KING aktiikk, BIR i;.\ua\. ETC. 
 
 X \ XVI. 
 
 "Now," the quene sayd, " God Almyste ' 
 Sauc mc Gawan, my knyjte, 
 That thus for women con rnte, 
 
 Fro wothus him were \ 3i 
 Gawan sayd, " Mcdamc, as God me spede. 
 He is du3ti of dede, 
 A blithe burne on a stede. 
 
 And gravthe in liis irere." 
 Thenne thay fochet furthe a boke, 
 Alle thayre laes for to loke, 
 The kinge sone his othe toko. 
 
 And squithely gerut him sqnere ; 
 And sekirly, with-onten fabulle, 
 Tims dwellns he atte the Rowuntabulle, 
 As prest kny3te, and preuabulk-. 
 
 With schild and with spere. 
 
 XXXVII. 
 
 Nowe gode frindus ar thay, 
 Then carpus Sir Kay, 
 To the king con he say, 
 
 " Sire, a mervaelle thinke me, 
 Of Bowdewyn's avouyng, 
 5iistur euyn in the eunyng, 
 With-owtun any lettyng, 
 
 Wele more thenne we thre." 
 Quod the king, " Sothe to savn, 
 I kepe no lengur for to layn. 
 I wold wete wundur fayn. 
 
 How best invite be." 
 Quod, Kay, " And 3c wold gif me leue, 
 And sithun take hit o no greue, 
 Now schuld I propurly preue, 
 
 As euyr my3te I thee."
 
 76 EARLY ENGLISH METRICAL ROMANCES. 
 
 XXXVIII. 
 
 " 3isse/' quod the king, " on that couande, 
 That o payn on life and on londe, 
 That 3e do him no wrunge, 
 
 Butte saue wele my kny3te ; 
 As men monly him mete, 
 And sithun for-sette him the strete, 
 3e fynde him 1103 te on his fete 
 
 Be warre, for he is wy3te ! 
 For he is horsutte fulle wele, 
 And clene clad in stele, 
 Is none of 30 but he mun fele, 
 
 That he may on-ly3te ; 
 3e wynnun him no3te owte of his way/' 
 The king him seluun con say, 
 " Him is lefe, I dar lay, 
 
 To hald that he he3te." 
 
 XXXIX. 
 
 Thenne sex ar atte on assente, 
 Hase armut hom, and furthe wente, 
 Brayd owte aure a bente, 
 
 Bawdewyn to mete ; 
 With scharpe weppun and schene, 
 Gay gownus of grene, 
 To hold thayre armur clene, 
 
 And were hitte fro the wete. 
 Thre was sette on iche side, 
 To werne him the wayus wide, 
 Quere the kny3te schuld furthe ride, 
 
 For-sette hym the strete ; 
 With copus couert thay hom thenne, 
 Ry3te as thay hade bene vncowthe men, 
 For that thay wold no3te be kennet, 
 
 Euyn downe to thayre fete.
 
 THE AVOWYNGE OP KING AETHER, BIB QAWAN, BTC. 77 
 
 XL. 
 
 Now as thay houut, and thav hvild, 
 Thay so a schene radar schilcl, 
 Come prekand fast aurc the filde, 
 
 On a fayre stcde ; 
 Wele armut and dy3te, 
 \s freke redy to f\'3te, 
 Toward Carlele ry3te, 
 
 He hies, gode spede. 
 He see ther sixe in his way, 
 Thenne to thayrn seluun con thay say, 
 " Now he is ferd, I dar lay, 
 
 And of his lyfe dredus;" 
 Then Kay crius opon he3te, 
 Alle squythe to the kny3te, 
 " Othir flee or fi5te, 
 
 The tone be-houus the nede !" 
 
 XLI. 
 
 Thenne thay kest thayre copus horn fro. 
 Sir Bawdewyn se that hit wasse so, 
 And sayd, " And 3e were als mony mo, 
 
 3e gerutte me notte to flee ; 
 I haue my ways for to wevnde, 
 For to speke with a frynde, 
 As 3e ar herdmen hinde, 
 
 3e marre notte me !" 
 Thenne the sex sembult horn in fere, 
 And squere, " By him that bo3te vs dere ' 
 Thou passus neuyr a-way here, 
 
 Butte gif thou dede be !" 
 "3isse ! hardely," quod Kav. 
 " He may take a-nothir way, 
 And ther schalle no mon do nere say, 
 
 That schalle greue tin-. "
 
 78 EARLY ENGLISH METRICAL ROMANCES. 
 
 XLII. 
 
 " Gode the fo^ilde," quod the kny3te, 
 " For I am in my wais ri3te, 
 3istur euyn I the king hi3te, 
 
 To cumme to my mete ; 
 I warne 30, frekes, be 3e bold, 
 My ry3te ways wille I holde ;" — 
 A spere in fewtre he foldes, 
 
 A gode and a grete. 
 Kay stode nexte him in his way, 
 He jorputhim aure on his play, 
 That heuy horse on him lay, 
 
 He squonet in that squete ; 
 He rode to there othir fyue, 
 Thayre schene schildus con he riue, 
 And faure felle he belyue, 
 
 In hie in that hete ! 
 
 XLIII. 
 
 Hardely, with-outen delay, 
 
 The sex to hom hase takyn vppe Kay, 
 
 And thenne Sir Bawdewin con say, 
 
 " Wille 3e any more V 
 The tother vnsqaarutte him ther tille, 
 Sayd, " Thou may weynd quere thou wille, 
 For thou hase done vs no3te butte skille, 
 
 Gif we be wowundut sore." 
 He brayd aure to the kinge, 
 With-owtun any letting, 
 He asshed, if he hade herd any tithing, 
 
 In thayre holtus hore ? 
 The kny3te stedit and stode, 
 Sayd, " Sir, as I come thro 3ondur wode, 
 I herd ne se butte gode, 
 
 Quere I schuld furthe fare."
 
 THE A.VOWYNGE OF KING AKi'ilKlt. SIR QAWAN, I PC, 79 
 
 XLIV. 
 
 Thanne was the kinge ameruavlel thare, 
 
 That he wold telle him do inmv, — 
 A Is squithur thay ar 3 are, 
 
 To masse ar thay wente ; 
 By the masse wasse done. 
 Kay come home sone, 
 Told the king he-fore none 
 
 " We ar alle schente. 
 Of Sir Baudewyn, 5 our kny3te, 
 He is nohulle in the fi^te, 
 Bold hardy and wijte, 
 
 To hide on a hente ; 
 Fie wille he neuyr more, 
 Him is muche leuyr dee thore, 
 I may hanne hur that him bore, 
 
 Suche harmes haue I hente '." 
 
 XLY. 
 
 Noue the king sayd, " Fie he ne can, 
 Ne werne his mete to no man, 
 Gife any biurne schuld him ban, 
 
 A meruail hit ware !" 
 Thenne the king cald his mvnstrelle, 
 And told him holly his wille, 
 Bede him layne atte hit were stille. 
 
 That he schuld furthe fare, 
 To Baudewins of Bretan, 
 " I cummawunde the or thou cum a-gayne, 
 Faurty days o payne, 
 
 Loke that thou duelle there ; 
 And wete me preuely to say, 
 If any raon go meteles away, 
 For thi wareson for ay. 
 Do thou me neuyrmore*"
 
 80 EARLY ENGLISH METRICAL ROMANCES. 
 
 XLVI. 
 
 Then the mynstrelle weyndus on his way, 
 
 Als fast as he may, 
 
 Be none of the thryd day 
 
 He funde thaym atte the mete ; 
 The lady and hur mene, 
 And gestus grete plente, 
 Butte porter none funde he, 
 
 To werne him the 3ate. 
 Butte rayket in-to the halle, 
 Emunge the grete and the smalle, 
 And loket a-boute him aure alle, 
 
 He herd of no threte ; 
 Butte rialle seruys, and fyne 
 In bollus birlutte thay the wyne, 
 And cocus in the kechine, 
 
 Squytheli con squete ! 
 
 XLVII. 
 
 Then the ladi conne he loute, 
 And the biurdes alle a-boute, 
 Bothe with-inne and with-oute, 
 
 No faute he ther fonde : 
 Kny3te, squyer, 3oman, ne knaue, 
 Horn lacket no3te that thay schuld haue, 
 Thay nedut notte aftur hit to craue, 
 
 Hit come to hor honde. 
 Thenne he wente to the dece, 
 Be-fore the pruddust in prece, 
 That lady was curtase, 
 
 And bede him stille stonde ; 
 He sayd, he was knoun and couthe, 
 And was comun fro bi-southe, 
 And ho had myrthe of his mouthe 
 
 To here his tithand.
 
 TIIK AVOWYXGF. OF KING A.BTHER, silt QAWAN, ETC. 1 
 
 XLVIII. 
 A sennyjt duellut he tliaiv, 
 Ther was no spense for to spare, 
 Burdes thay were neuyr bare. 
 
 Butte euyr couurt clene ; 
 Bothc kny3te and squiere, 
 Mynstrclle and messy ngcrc, 
 Pilgreme and palmere, 
 
 Was welcum, I wene. 
 Ther was plenty of fode, 
 Pore men hade thayre gode, 
 Mete and drinke or thay 3ode, 
 
 To wete, wythe-outyn wene ; 
 The lord lenge wold 1105 te, 
 Butte come home, qwen him gode tho3te, 
 And l)othe he hase with him bn^te 
 
 The kinge and the quene. 
 
 A Fitte. 
 
 XLIX. 
 
 NOW ther come fro the kechine 
 
 Rialle seruice and fine, 
 
 Ther was no wonting of wine, 
 
 To lasse ne to mare ; 
 Thay hade atte thayre sopere, 
 Riche metes and dere, 
 The king with a blythe chere, 
 
 Bade horn sle care ! 
 Then sayd the kinge opon hi5te, 
 Alle sqwithe to the kny3te, 
 " Suche a seruice on a ny5te 
 
 Se I neuyr are !" 
 Thenne Bawdewyn smylit, and on him loghe, 
 Sayd, "Sir, God liase a gud plu3e, 
 He may send vs alle cnughe, 
 
 Qwy schuld we spare ?" 
 
 CAMD. SOC. M
 
 82 EARLY ENGLISH METRICAL ROMANCES. 
 
 L. 
 
 " Now I cummawunde the," quod the king, 
 To-morne in the mornyng, 
 That thou weynde on huntyng, 
 
 To wynne vs the dere ; 
 Fare furthe to the fenne. 
 Take with the howundus and men, 
 For thou conne horn best kenne, 
 
 Thou knoes best here. 
 For alle day to-morne wille I bide, 
 And no forthir wille I ride, 
 Butte with the lades of pride, 
 
 To make me gud chere/' 
 To bed bownut thay that ny3te, 
 And atte the morun atte days h^te, 
 Thay blew hornys opon hi3te, 
 
 And ferd furthe in fere. 
 
 LI. 
 
 Thenne the kynge cald his huntere, 
 And sayd, " Felaw, come here ;" — 
 The tother, with a blithe chere, 
 
 Knelet on his kne; 
 Dowun to the kinge con he lowte, 
 " I commawunde the to be alle ny3te oute, 
 Bawdewyn, that is sturun and stowte, 
 
 With the schall he be. 
 Erly in the dawyng, 
 Loke that 3e come fro huntyng, 
 If 3e no venesun bring, 
 
 Full litille rechs me \" 
 The tother vnsquarut him ther tille, 
 Sayd, "Sir, that is atte 3 our aune wille, 
 That hald I resun and skille, 
 
 As euyr my3te I the \"
 
 THE AVOWYNGE OF KINO AUTMI.K, BIB GAWAN, III. 
 
 LII. 
 
 And atte euyn the king con him dy}te, 
 
 And callut to him a knv;,te, 
 And to the chambur full ri3te, 
 
 lie hiees, gode waye ; 
 Qvvere the lady of the howse, 
 And maydyns ful beuteowse, 
 Were curtase and curiowse, 
 
 For sothe in bed lav. 
 The kyng bede " Vndo ;"— 
 The lady asshes, u Querto ?" — 
 He sayd, " I am comun here loe, 
 
 In derne for to play •" 
 Ho sayd, " Haue }C notte 30ur aune queue here, 
 And I ray lord to my fere, 
 To ny3te more ne}e 3e me nere, 
 In fay the gif I may [" 
 
 LIII. 
 
 "Vndo the dur,^ quod the kinge, 
 " For bi him that made alle thinge, 
 Thou schalle haue no harmynge, 
 
 Butte in thi none wille !" 
 Vppe rose a dameselle squete, 
 In the kinge that ho lete, 
 He sette him downe on hur beddus fete, 
 
 And talkes so hur tillo. 
 Sayd, "Medame, my kny5te 
 Mun lye with the alle ny3te, 
 Til to-morne atte days li}te, 
 
 Take hit on non ille ; 
 For als euyr my5te I the, 
 Thou schalle harmeles l)e, 
 We do hit for a weddc-fee, 
 
 The stryue for to stylle."
 
 84 EARLY ENGLISH METRICAL ROMANCES. 
 
 LIV. 
 
 Thenne the kyng sayd to his kny3te, 
 " Sone that thou were vndy3te, 
 And in 3ondur bedde ry3te, 
 
 Hie the, gud spede !" 
 The kny3te did as he him bade, 
 And qwenne ho se him vnclad, 
 Then the lady wex drede, 
 
 Worlyke in wede. 
 He sayd, " Lye downe preuely hur by, 
 Butte neghe no3te thou that lady, 
 For and thou do, thou schalle dey, 
 
 For thi derfe dede ; 
 Ne no3te so hardy thou stur, 
 Ne onus turne the to hur ; 
 The tother sayd, " Nay, Sur," 
 
 For him hade he drede. 
 
 LV. 
 
 Thenne the kyng asshet a chekkere, 
 And cald a damesel dere, 
 Downe thay sette horn in fere, 
 
 Opon the bed syde ; 
 Torches was ther mony h"3te, 
 And laumpus brennyng fulle br3te, 
 Butte notte so hardy was that kny5te. 
 
 His hede onus to hide. 
 Butte fro thay be-gan to play, 
 Quyle on the morun that hit was day, 
 Euyr he lokette as he lay, 
 Baudewynne to byde ; 
 And erly in the dawyng, 
 Come thay home from huntyng, 
 And hertis conne thay home bring, 
 And buckes of pride.
 
 THE AVOWYXGE OF KINO ARTIII.lt. 1 1 R f.AWAN. FTC. 
 
 LVI. 
 Thay toke this vcnesun fync, 
 And bade hit to kechine, 
 The kinge sonde after Bawdewine, 
 
 And hede him cum sec ; 
 To the chaumbur he takes the way, 
 He fyndus the king atte his play, 
 A kny3te in his bedde lay, 
 
 With his lady. 
 Thenne sayd the king open hi3te, 
 " To ny3te myssutte I my knv3te, 
 And hithir folut I him ry3te, 
 
 Here funden is hee ; 
 And here I held hom bothe stille, 
 For to do hom in thi wille, 
 And gif thou take hit now tille ille, 
 
 No selcouthe thinge me." 
 
 LVII. 
 
 Then the king asshed, " Art thou wrothe r" 
 " Nay, Sir," he sayd, " with-outen othe, 
 Ne wille the lady no lothe, 
 
 I telle 30 as quy ; 
 For hitte was atte hur awen wille, 
 Els thurt no mon comun hur tille, 
 And gif I take hitte thenne to ille, 
 
 Much maugrcue haue Y, 
 For mony wyntur to-gedur we haue bene. 
 And 3ette ho dyd me neuyr no tene, 
 And iche syn schalle be sene, 
 
 And sette fulle sorely ;" 
 The king sayd, " And I hade tho3te, 
 Quy that thou wrathis the 1103 te, 
 And fyndus him in bed bro3te, 
 
 By thi laydy ?"
 
 86 EARLY ENGLISH METRICAL ROMANCES. 
 
 LVIII. 
 
 Quod Bawdewyn, " And 3e wille sitte, 
 I schalle do 30 wele to witte;" — 
 " 3isse," quod the king, " I the hete, 
 
 And thou wille 1103 te layne/' — 
 " Hit be-felle in 3 our fadur tyme, 
 That was the kyng of Costantyne, 
 Puruayed a grete oste and a fyne, 
 
 And wente in-to Spayne. 
 We werrut on a Sawdan, 
 And alle his londus we wan, 
 And him seluun, or we blan, 
 
 Then were we fulle fayn ; 
 I wos so lufd with the king, 
 He gafe me to my leding, 
 Lordus atte my bidding, 
 
 Was buxum and bayne. 
 
 LIX. 
 
 He gafe me a castelle to gete, 
 With alle the lordschippus grete, 
 I hade men atte my mete, 
 
 Fyue hundrythe and mo ; 
 And no wemen butte thre, 
 That owre seruandis schild be ; 
 One was bry3tur of ble 
 
 Then ther othir toe, 
 Toe were atte one assente, 
 The thrid felow haue thay hente, 
 Vnto a welle ar thay wente, 
 
 And says hur alleso ; 
 " Sithin alle the loce in the lise, 
 Thou schalle tyne thine aprise ;" 
 And wurchun as the vnwise, 
 
 And tite conne hur sloe.
 
 THE AVOWYNGE 09 Ki.\(; A.RTHEB, BIB OAWAN, kit. ~J 
 
 LX. 
 Aiul for tho werkes were we \\<>, 
 (iart threte tho othir for to slo, 
 Thenne sayd the tone of tho, 
 
 " Lette vs haue oure life ; 
 And we schalle atte 3 our bidding be, 
 As myculle as we alle thre ; — 
 Is none of 5 aw in preuete 
 
 Schalle haue wontyng of wyfe/' 
 Thay held vs wele that thay lie3te, 
 And di}te vs on the day li3te, 
 And thayre body vche nv}te, 
 
 With-outun any stryue ; 
 The tone was more louely, 
 That the tother hade enuv, 
 Hur throte in sundur preuely, 
 
 Ho cutte hitte with a knyfe. 
 
 LXI. 
 
 Muche besenes hade we, 
 How that best my3te be, 
 Thay asshed cowuncelle atte me, 
 
 To do hur to dede ; 
 And I vnsquarut, and sayd, " Nav. 
 Loke furst qwatt hur seluun wille say, 
 Quether ho may serue vs alle to pay, 
 
 That is a bettur rede. 
 Ther ho hette vs in ther halle, 
 To do alle that a woman schild falle, 
 YVele for to serue vs alle, 
 
 That stode in that stede ; 
 Ho held vs wele that ho he3te, 
 And di3te vs on the day li3tc, 
 And hur body iche ny3te, 
 
 In tille oure bed beed.
 
 88 EARLY ENGLISH METRICAL ROMANCES. 
 
 LXII. 
 
 And bi this tale I vndurstode, 
 Wemen that is of mylde mode, 
 And syne giffes horn to gode, 
 
 Meculle may ho mende ; 
 And tho that giffus horn to the ille, 
 And si thin thayre folis wille fullfille, 
 I telle 30 wele, be propur skille, 
 
 No luffe wille inne hom lenge. 
 With gode wille grathely hom gete, 
 Meke and mylde atte her mete, 
 Thryuandly with-outun threte, 
 
 And joy atte iche ende ; 
 Forthi jelius schalle I neuer be, 
 For no si3te that I see, 
 Ne no biurdes bri3te of ble, 
 
 Iche ertheli thinke hase ende !" 
 
 LXIII. 
 
 The king sayd, " Thou says wele, — 
 " Sir," he sayd, " as haue I sele, 
 I wille thou wote hit iche dele, 
 
 Therefore come Y ; 
 Thi lady gret me to squere squyftele, 
 Or I my3te gete entre, 
 That ho schuld harmeles be, 
 
 And alle hur cumpany. 
 Then gerut I my kny3te, 
 To go in bed with the biurde bry3te, 
 On the fur syde of the li3te, 
 
 And lay hur dowun by ; 
 I sette me doune hom besyde, 
 Here the for to a-bide, 
 He ne3hit neuyr no naked syde 
 
 Of thi lady.
 
 TIIF. AVOWYNGB OF KING ARTHER, SIR GAWAN, ETC. 
 
 LXIV. 
 For-tlii ofjelusnea be thou bold, 
 Thine a- vow may thou hold, 
 Butte of tho othii thingea thai thou me told, 
 
 I wold wete more ; 
 Quy thou dredus notte tin dede, 
 Ne lion that bitus on thi brede, 
 As euyr brok I my hede, 
 
 Thi }atis ar euyr }are !" 
 Quod Bawdewyn, " I schalle 30 telle ; 
 Atte the same castelle, 
 Quere this antur befelle, 
 
 Be-segitte we ware ; 
 On a day we vsshet oute, 
 And toke presonerus stoutc, 
 The tone of owre folovs had doutc. 
 
 And durst notte furthe fare. 
 
 LXV. 
 
 The caytef crope in-to a tunne, 
 
 That was sette ther owte in the sunne, 
 
 And there come fliand a gunne, 
 
 And lemet as the leuyn ; 
 Ly3te opon hitte atte the last, 
 That was fastnut so fast, 
 Alle in sundur hit brast, 
 
 In six or in seuyn. 
 And there hit slu3e him als, 
 And his hert was so fals, 
 Sone the hed fro the hals. 
 
 Hit lyputt fulle euyn ! 
 And we come fro the fc^tinu. 
 Sowunde with-outun hurting, 
 
 And then we louyd the king 
 That heghehest was in heuvn : 
 
 CAMD. SOC. N
 
 90 EARLY ENGLISH METRICAL ROMANCES. 
 
 LXVI. 
 
 Then owre feloys con say, 
 Schalle nomon dee or his day, 
 Butte he cast him selfe a-way, 
 
 Thro3he wontyng of witte ; 
 And there myne a-vow made I, 
 So dyd alle that cumpany, 
 For dede neuyr to be drery, 
 
 Welcum is hit. 
 Hit is a kyndely thing/' — 
 " Thou says sothe," quod the king, 
 " Butte of thi thryd a-vowyng, 
 
 Telle me quyche is hit ? 
 Quy thi mete thou wille notte warne, 
 To no leuand barne ? 
 Ther is no man that may hit tharne •'" — 
 
 " Lord, 3e schalle wele wete. 
 
 LXVII. 
 
 For the sege a-boute vs lay stille, 
 We hade notte alle atte oure wille, 
 Mete and drinke vs to fille, 
 
 Vs wontutte the fode ; 
 So come a messyngere, 
 Bade, " 3ild vppe alle that is here," 
 And speke with a sturun schere, — 
 
 I nyll, by the rode ! 
 I gerutte him bide to none, 
 Callud the stuard sone, 
 Told him alle as he schuld done, 
 
 As counselle is gud ; 
 Gerutte trumpe on the walle, 
 And couerd burdes in the halle, 
 And I my-self emunge hom alle, 
 
 As a king stode.
 
 THE AVOWTNGB OF KING A.RTHER, BIB QAWAN, BTC. ''I 
 
 LXVIII. 
 
 I gerut hom wasshe, to mete wentc, 
 
 Af'tur the stuard then I sente, 
 
 I bede that lie schuld take entente, 
 
 That alle schuld wellc fare ; 
 Bede bringe bred plente, 
 And wine in bollus of tre, 
 That no wontyng schuld be, 
 
 To lasse ne to mare. 
 We hade no mete, buttc for on day 
 Hit come in a nobulle arav, 
 The messyngere lokit ay, 
 
 And se hom sle care ; 
 He toke his leue atte me[te] ; 
 We gerutte him drinke atte the 3ate, 
 And gate him giftus grete, 
 
 And furthe con he fare. 
 
 LXIX. 
 
 But quen the messyngere was gone, 
 
 These officers ichone, 
 
 To me made thay grete monc, 
 
 And drerely con say • 
 Sayd, " In this howse is no bred, 
 No quyte wine nyf red, 
 30 be-houes 3ild vppe this stid, 
 
 And for oure lyuys pray." 
 3ette God helpus ay his man, 
 The messyngere come a-gayn than, 
 With-oute to the cheuytan, 
 
 And sone conne he say ; 
 "Tho3he 3e sege this seuyn 5erc, 
 Castelle gete 5e none here. 
 For thay make als mirry chere, 
 
 Als hit were 3ole day '"
 
 92 EARLY ENGLISH METRICAL ROMANCES. 
 
 LXX. 
 
 Then the messyngere con say, 
 " I rede 30, hie 30 hethinne a-way, 
 For in 3 our oste is no play, 
 
 Butte hongur and thurst ;" 
 Thenne the king con his kny3tis calle, 
 Sethinne to cowunselle wente thay alle, 
 " Sythinne no bettur may be-falle, 
 
 This hald I the best." 
 Euyn atte the mydny3te, 
 Hor lordis sembelet to a sy3te, 
 That were hardy and \vi3te, 
 
 Thay remuyt of hor rest ; 
 Mete laynes mony lakke, 
 And there mete hor sege brake, 
 And gerut horn to giffe vs the bake, 
 
 To preke thay were fulle preste ! 
 
 LXXI. 
 
 And then we lokit were thay lay, 
 And see oure enmeys a-way, 
 And then oure felawis con say, 
 
 The lasse and the mare ; 
 He that gode may gete, 
 And wernys men of his mete, 
 Gud Gode, that is grete, 
 
 Gif him sory care ! 
 For the mete of the messyngere, 
 Hitte mendutte alle oure chere." 
 Then sayd the king, that thay my3te here, 
 
 And sqwythely con squere, 
 " In the conne we fynde no fabulle, 
 Thine a-vowes arne profetabulle ;' 5 
 And thus recordus the Rowndetabulle, 
 
 The lasse and the more.
 
 THE AVOWYNQB 01 KING ART ill', it, BIB OAWAN, ETC. 
 
 LXXII. 
 
 Thenne the kinge and his kny}tis alle 3 
 Thay madun myrthe in that halle, 
 And then the lady conne thay callc, 
 
 The fayrist to fold ; 
 Sayde, " Bawdewyn, and thou he wise 
 Take thou this lady of price, 
 For muche louc in hur lyce 
 
 To thine hert hold : 
 Ho is a biurde fulle bry5te, 
 And therto semely to thy si}te, 
 And thou hase holdinne alle that thou ln3te 
 
 As a kni3te schulde !" 
 Now Jhesu Lord, Heuyn kynge, 
 He graunt vs alle his blessynge 
 And gife vs alle gode endinge, 
 
 That made vs on the mulde !
 
 NOTES. 
 
 ANTURS OF ARTHER. 
 
 St. 1, I. 7, 8. Fellun to tho femalus in forest was fredde, 
 
 Fay re by fermesones, by fry thy s, andfelles. 
 The Douce MS. reads, 
 
 To felle of the fenimales, in the foreste wele frythede, 
 Faire in the fernysone tyme, by frithis, and fellis. 
 The Lincoln, 
 
 To falle of the femmales, in foreste and frydde, 
 By the firmyschamis in frithes and fellis. 
 Fellun to tho femalus, i. e. got the scent of, or tracked. Thus iu 
 the Green Knight,* 
 
 The howndes that hit herde, hasted thider swythe, 
 And fellun as faste to the fuyt. 1425. 
 The same expression occurs in St. 4, I. 7. If fredde be not an 
 error of the scribe, we may explain it by feared, fray ed, frightened. 
 The word fermysown is also met with in the Green Knight. 
 For the fre lorde hade defende in fermysown tyme 
 Thatther schuld no mon mene to the male dere. 1156. 
 The following extract from a deed quoted in Blount's Law Dic- 
 tionary (voce Fermisona) is sufficiently explicit upon the matter of 
 the Fermysones. 
 
 Quod idem Hugo et hasredes sui de castero quolibet anno possint 
 capere in praedicto Parco (de Blore) unara damam in Fermisona 
 inter festutn Sancti Martini et Purif. Beatse Marice, et unum damum 
 
 * Sir F. Madden's Syr Gawayne.
 
 ANTTKS OP AKTIU.K. 95 
 
 in Ptngvedine inter festum Sanctffi Crucis in Maioel festum s. Cracii 
 
 in Septcinb. in pcijM'tu uiti . 
 
 St. 5. I. 12. Seriandys qfnuue. 
 
 Serjeants a mace were instituted by Philippe Auguste when in tin- 
 Holy Land (lli)O). They formed the body guard of the monarch, 
 
 and towards the end of the fourteenth century were called Serjeants 
 at Arms.* 
 
 St. 9. /. 4. There is an expression something like this in iTwaine 
 and Gawine.f 
 
 Than bigan hir noyea al new, 
 
 For sorow failed hir hide and hew. SSo. 
 
 lb. I. 12. Enyn, eyes, 
 
 Therfore he that hath a sharp sijte, 
 And cler eynyn, and as brijte, 
 As a heste that men linx callis, 
 That may se thoruh nyne ston wall is. 
 
 Hampole, Ms. 
 
 St. 18, I 11. Vndur. 
 
 " The true form is undorn or undern, i. e. unter, inter, between —   
 and means the intervening period ; it therefore sometimes denotes a 
 part of the forenoon or meal taken at that time, and sometimes a 
 period between noon and sunset. Dlphilas translates Apurrov, Luc. 14, 
 12, by unduurnimut. Lane, oandurth." Quart. Ke\ . \<d. 1\ i. p, \\'{\. 
 
 St. 28, /. 2. Trowlt with trulufes. 
 
 When the corpse of Edward the First was discovered on opening 
 his tomb in 1774, his stole of rich white tissue was found " studded 
 with gilt quatrefoils in philagree work, and embroidered with pearls 
 in the shape of what are called true-lovers' knots, 
 
 * Meyrick, Critical Enquiry, vol. i. p. 88. 
 
 t Ritson's Mt'/r. Rom. vol. i. p. 
 
 + Planche, History of Britiufi Costume, p. 104.
 
 9C NOTES. 
 
 St. 20, 7. 1. Gresse-grene. 
 
 " Green appears to have been the prevailing colour of the robe in 
 the reign of John."* 
 
 St. 30. Colurs. 
 
 In the time of Richard the First, collars were used to protect the 
 throat. The word here, however, may mean the colours of the various 
 splendid accoutrements with which the knight was equipped. 
 
 Crest. 
 
 The earliest instance of the crest with the lambrequin and wreath, 
 as heraldic insignia, is said to be found on the seal of Edmund Crouch- 
 back, Earl of Lancaster, prior to the year 1286. But a crest is also 
 exhibited on the seal of Richard the First, f 
 
 Brene. 
 
 The Saxon Birne, Byrny — the Norman Broigne — was a sort of 
 iron tunic formed of rings, or plates (the mayles) stitched upon 
 leather in various forms, fitting close to the body. It formed, in fact, 
 the coat of mail. This tunic gradually became covered with plates of 
 steel, and its use being thus superseded, it had very nearly vanished 
 by the time of Richard the Second. 
 
 Basnet. 
 
 Bascinet, or Basinet, a light helmet, shaped like a basin ; a visor 
 was sometimes added to it. The Bacinez a, visieres occur in the 
 French Romances of the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries, and they 
 were commonly worn by the English infantry in the reigns of Edward 
 II. and III. and Richard II. 
 
 Enclawet. 
 
 Perhaps riveted or nailed ; — " The chain mail consisted of four 
 rings connected by a fifth, all of which were so fastened by rivets, 
 that they formed a complete garment of themselves. "J 
 
 His Steele trapput with that ilke. 
 
 The horse of the knight also had on a coat of mail, over which was 
 a housing of silk, reaching the ground. The head was protected by 
 the cheveron or chanfron, from which the Anlas, a long, pointed 
 dagger, protruded. The cheveron first occurs in the Clause Roll of 
 
 * Planche, p. 89. f Tbid. p. 84. % Ibid. p. 97.
 
 A.NTUBI OF AUTIIKIl. 9J 
 
 the fifty- fourth of Henry III.* Armed horses were common in the 
 reign of Edward the First 
 
 And offlhaim yeil war thre thousand, 
 With helyl horss in plate and mailye. 
 
 Brace, II. 106. 
 
 St. 3], 1.2. 
 
 With his stemes of gold, gtanseld on stray. 
 
 Stanseled appears to he the English form of extencelUUut, a term 
 made use of in the Wardrobe accounts of Edward the Third : " El 
 ad faciendum unuiii harnesium de bokeram albo pro rege, extencellato 
 cum argento ; viz. tunicam et scutum operata com dictamine II ^ - 
 Hay, hay the wythe swan 
 By Godes soule I am thy man. 
 Et croparim, pectorale, testarium et arcenariuni extencellata cum 
 argento. "f Fr. etincele. 
 
 Games lots. 
 
 The Gameson or Gambeson, was a padded or quilted doublet, 
 which, ahout the middle of the fourteenth century, ga\ e place to the 
 Pourpoint. It was made, according to Sir S. M eyrie k, of leather 
 stuffed with wool.]: 
 
 Schinbandes. 
 
 In the Bayeux Tapestry, the legs of the figures art-. -> n, i ills 
 speaking, hound with bands of different colours rising out of the shoe 
 in the ancient Saxon manner, being wound round the leg to the 
 top of the calf, in imitation of the hay bands used by their rude an- 
 cestors^ 
 
 Polans. 
 
 The poleyns, or knee-pieces, were the first additions of plate to 
 the mail armour. In a manuscript entitled the Lives of the 
 Offas, written by Matthew Paris (MS. Cotton. Nero D.) and of the 
 time of Henry III. the knights appear generally in gamboised ar- 
 mour (padded work, stitched), with surcoats, and wearing Bhin- pieces 
 or greaves of steel. They have also the poleyns. || 
 
 * Sir H. Ellis, Penny Cyclop. Art. Armour. 
 
 t Warton'a History of English Poetry, i. 251. I PlancW, p 
 
 § Sir H. Ellis, loco citato. || Ibid. 
 
 CAMD. SOC. ')
 
 98 NOTES. 
 
 Pelidoddes. 
 
 In the tale of Emare we find the word perydotes apparently mean- 
 ing some sort of precious stone. 
 
 Deamondes and koralle, 
 Perydotes and crystall, 
 
 And gode garnettes bytwene. 
 
 St. 32, I. 5. 
 
 Then he auaylet vppe his visernefro his ventalle. 
 The various contrivances for defending the face, were confounded 
 together under the term aventail, or avant taille ; and even at the 
 early period when our MS. was written, at the beginning of the fif- 
 teenth century, there must have been some obscurity about this part 
 of the helmet. Amongst the earlier forms was one where the visor, 
 the part pierced for sight, was let down, availed, if the knight in- 
 tended to shew himself. If this was the practice when the poem was 
 first written, we may easily see the necessity of the posterior scribe, 
 or reciter, endeavouring to make himself intelligible by the curious 
 combination " availed up." 
 
 St. 39. 
 
 There are so many points of resemblance between the encounter of 
 Sir Gawan and Sir Galrun, and that of Governar and Sir Aunselle, 
 in the Romance of King Arthur of Little Britain, (supposed to be of 
 the 14th or 15th century) — that I shall, without apology, copy the 
 quotation from Sir S. Meyrick.* 
 
 " They drew aparte fro other, and dressed their speres to the 
 restes, and dashed theyr sporres to the horses sydes, and met togider 
 so rudely, that they frusshed their speres to theyr listes like hardye 
 knightes and ful of great valure. How be it Syr Aunselle's 
 valure was not to be compared with Governar: for Governar had 
 been a man greatly to be redoubted. And after the breking of 
 theyr speres, they past by, and in the retorninge they set theyr 
 handes to theyr swerdes. And Governar stroke Syr Aunsell so 
 rudely, that he did ryve his shelde to the bocle, and brake a 
 great part of his barneys; so that the swerde entred depe into the 
 
 * Critical Enquiry, vol. i. p. 158. 
 t Ritson's Metr. Rom. vol. ii.p. 210.
 
 Willis OP ARTHER. '.'!* 
 
 flesshe, and Syr Aunsel] Btroke again Governar on the helme, and 
 broke with the stroke man) barrea thereof; and the stroke glanced 
 down on tin- lifte Byde, and Bhare awai a Boreal parte <>i ld> barni 
 
 to the hare sadtdl, hul God k «• | > t him that it entered not into the fleahe. 
 Then Governar florysshed agayne hi> Bwerde, and Btroke Syr Aunsel] 
 on the heyght on his helme, and ent it to the harde sen le of stele, 
 and the stroke glanced downe bj the shelde bo rudelj thai he clave 
 it to the middes. And with the same Btroke the swerde did Lighte on 
 the necke of the horse, wherewyth the horse was so sore wounded 
 that he fell downe to the erthe. And when Sir Annsell felte bis 
 horse fallen under hyin, he lept on his feet with Ids swerde in his 
 hande ; wherfore he was of some greatly praysed : and some other 
 dyd greatlye prayse the stroke of Governar. And when Governar 
 saw him on the erthe, he thought that he would not renne on his 
 enemy with his horse, he being on fote. Therfore incontinent be 
 dyd alyght downe on fote, and putte bis shelde before hym and ivente 
 sekynge his enemy ; and gave hym such a stroke, that he shake a 
 waye parte of his cheke ; and the stroke dyscended to his sholder and 
 wounded him to the harde hones; wherwith Syr Aunsel was con- 
 strayned to knele, and right nere to have fallen. Then al the lordes 
 sayd that theyr was non coude longe endure the strokes of Governar. 
 Therewith Arthur laughed with a good herte, so that Governar harde 
 hym, wherby his herte douwhled in courage. And whan Syr 
 Aunsel felt hymself thus hardly bestad, he sware in his mynde that 
 he wolde be avenged of that stroke, and therwith lvt'te up hys Bwerd 
 to have stricken Governar; but when be >a\ve the stroke coming, he 
 put his shelde before hym, and advysed wel how that Syr Aunsell had 
 his arme up a loft, and with a backe stroke he stroke at Syr Annsell 
 under the armour so rudely, that the arme ami swerde and all lieu 
 into the felde ; wherof Syr Aunsel had so mnch payne, that he Fel to 
 the erth in a traunce. And then Governar lept to hym to have 
 stryken of hys head : but he cryod for God's sake mercy." 
 
 St. 45, I. 11. Pusane. 
 
 This was either the Gorget or a substitute for it. In the Acta of 
 Parliament of Scotland (anno 1429), it is ordered that e\ery one 
 worth 20/. a-year, or 1 002. in moveable goods, •• be weie horsit and
 
 100 NOTES. 
 
 haill enarmyt as a gentill man audit to be. And uther sympillare of 
 X lib. of rent or L lib. in gudes haif bat, gorgeat or pesanne, witb 
 rerebrasares, vambrasares and gluffes of plate, breast plate, and leg 
 splentes at tbe lest, or better gif bim likes."* 
 
 St. 53. 
 
 The lines in brackets are copied from the Douce MS. as is the first 
 line of the next stanza. With respect to the former, we should have 
 a somewhat more intelligible arrangement of the verse, thus, 
 
 " Nowe here I gif the, Galrun," quod Gauan, " with-outyn any gile, 
 
 That if he of cheualry, chalange ham for aire, 
 The Lother, the Lemmok, the Loynak, the Lile, 
 Alle the londus for-sothe, fro Logher to Layre, 
 Carrake, Cummake, Conyngame and Kile, 
 Sir, to tlii seluun, and sithun to thine ayre." 
 
 * Act Pari. Scot. vol. ii. p. 18.
 
 Sll! A MA HACK. 
 
 The following are a specimen of the variations in the copy pub- 
 lished by Weber. 
 St. 5. 
 
 Sir Amadas, as Y yow say, 
 Buskyd bym apon a day 
 On his way to fovncle. 
 He gaffe ther ryche gyfftes, 
 Bothe to sqwyars and to knyghttes, 
 
 Stedes, hakes, and howndes ; 
 And sythyn, apon a day, 
 He buskyd hym on hys jornay, 
 Hastely in that stonde. 
 
 St. 10. This is one of the Stanzas omitted in Weber's edition. 
 
 St. 13, I. 10. 
 
 Whoso wolde cum to is yate, 
 And aske owghth for Godes sake, 
 He cowd not say horn nay. 
 St. 14, /. 3. 
 
 Ther myghte no mon is bred sowe, 
 Nor no draper is clothe drawe, 
 
 His meyt was redy to ylka wyghth. 
 St. 16, I. 3. 
 
 Weber reads, only to a styd ; and gives as the meaning of styd, 
 steed, horse. I should rather interpret it as implying that he owed 
 thirty pounds in one place.
 
 102 NOTES. 
 
 St. 18. 
 
 Sir Amadas toke his palfrey than ; 
 He was a full sory man ; 
 
 His deydes he hym forthoght : 
 " This mon Y myght wele be sybbe 
 Thut he apon the bere thus lygkes : 
 
 For as sche says thus have Y wroght." 
 He cald apon his sompter-mon : 
 " At the marchandes hows owre yn thou tak on ; 
 
 On hym is all my thoghtt. 
 Loke thou dyght owre soper be tyme, 
 Of delycyous meytes gud and fyne, 
 
 And that thou spare ryght noght." 
 
 The mon dyd as the lord hym bad ; 
 A reyde wey to the town he had, 
 
 He spyrd to the marchandes yn : 
 And when he to his yn come, 
 His lordes soper he dyght full sone, 
 
 Of gud meytes and fyne. 
 Be that the soper was dyght, 
 Sir Amadas was com and don lyght, 
 
 And hit was soper tyme. 
 
 St. 20, I. 6. 
 
 " Y wyll com to that mon." 
 
 The bord was seyt, the cloth was layd, 
 
 The soper was all redy greythyd, 
 
 The marchandes wyfe began. 
 Sir Amadas made bot lytyll chere, 
 Bot on the deyd cors on the bere 
 
 Full mykell his thoght was than. 
 
 St. 22, I. 12. 
 
 Wastars bwones gnave. 
 Was this the proper pronunciation of the word gnaw, or are we to 
 consider it as a poetical licence ?
 
 Hill AM A U ACE. 1(1', 
 
 St. 25. 
 
 St. 34. 
 
 At morne when the dey began to spryng, 
 
 All the helles of that cety he gard to ryng 
 
 That soole tor to plese. 
 All the relegyne of that towne 
 Ageyn the cors yede with processyon, 
 
 With niony a ryche barges. 
 He gard xxxti prestes that day sing ; 
 Sir Amadas offerd, withowt lesyng, 
 
 Truly at ylke a masse; 
 And he preyd hom then also 
 That thei wold to the innesgo. 
 
 The more and the lasse ; 
 
 " Now am he Y that noghthas, 
 As of a mon that sumtyme was 
 
 Full mykyll seyt by. 
 Ther Y had an hondorthe marke of rent ; 
 Y spentte hit all in lyghtte atent, 
 
 Of suche forlok was Y." 
 
 St. 36*. — The last six lines of this stanza are not in Weber's copy ; 
 the meaning seems to be, " For if thou wert to send me socour, even 
 yet I should gladly give it to those who are in want." 
 
 St. 45, /. 7. 
 
 This betyd besyde a towre 
 After befell hym gre_\t honour, 
 
 Besyde that feyr cete. 
 The kyng hymselfe saw hym with syght, 
 And his doghtter feyr and bryght, 
 The turnament that for schuld be. 
 
 St. 53, /. (!. 
 
 In halle scho eytte to dey — 
 
 St. o4. — From M eber.
 
 104 NOTES. 
 
 St. 55, I. 7. 
 
 Thre yer thei dwellyd togeyder than 
 A feyr son on hur he wan, 
 Of no kynnes wo thei watte. 
 
 St. 69. 
 
 " Fare now wele, my frend so dere, 
 My dwellyng his no lenger here 
 
 For sothe as Y the tell. 
 Luffe wele thi chylde and thi wyfe, 
 That thus wolde, withowton stryfe, 
 
 Thi forwarde halde and fullfyll." 
 He glod away as dew in son ; 
 Ther west no mon where he become : 
 
 Sir Amadas dwellyd theyr styll ; 
 And thonkyd God with all his myght, 
 And his moder Mare bryght : 
 
 Therto he hade grete skyll. 
 
 lb. I. 8. He glode a-way as dew in towne. 
 Perhaps the correct reading is downe. 
 
 St. 71 and 72 are not in Weber.
 
 THE AVOWYNGi: OF KING A It III III, KI( . 
 
 A ballad, which was lirst published by Dr. Wnitaker in hia 
 History of Craven, and afterwards hy Evans,* under the title of the 
 " Felon Sowe and the Freeresof Richmonde," has verj much the ap- 
 pearance of having been a parody of the one now offered to the reader. 
 Dr. W hi taker says the story is told " with great spirit, and in a i ein 
 of flowing and harmonious verse. The manners are strictly correct. 
 A mendicant friar would light for a bacon hog as eagerly as a knight 
 would encounter a wild boar. The manners of chivalry too are every 
 where kept in view. The circumstances of the poem do uol enable 
 me to fix its date. * * * From the style, 1 should suppose it to be 
 prior to the reign of Henry VII." 
 
 The deficiencies and errors of the MS. are numerous, and have 
 neither been pointed out nor corrected by its editor ; but, in spite of 
 its imperfections, it affords a very curious and valuable series of illus- 
 trations to the boar-hunt in the present ballad. It commences, 
 Ye men that will of aunters wynne, 
 That late within this land hath been, 
 
 Of one I can you tell ; 
 Of a sow that was sae strong, 
 Alas, that ever she lived sae long ! 
 
 For fell folk did she whell. 
 Her walk wasendlang Greta side, 
 Was no barn that could her bide, 
 
 That was frae heaven to hell ; 
 Ne never man that had that might, 
 That ever durst come in her sight. 
 Her force it was so fell. 
 
 * Old Ballads, vol. iii. p. - 
 CAMD. SOC. P
 
 106 NOTES. 
 
 She was more than other three, 
 
 The grisliest heast that ever might be, 
 
 Her head was great and grey : 
 She was bred in Rokeby wood, 
 There were few that thither yoode, 
 
 That came on live away.* 
 
 Ralph of Rokeby, with good will, 
 The freers of Richmond yaf her tyll, 
 
 Full well to gar them fare ; 
 Freer Middleton by name, 
 He was sent to fetch her hame, 
 
 It rued him syne full sare. 
 With him he took wight men two, 
 Peter of Dale was one of tho, 
 
 T'other was Bryan of Beare, 
 That well durst strike with sword and knife, 
 .And fight full manfully for their life, 
 
 What time as musters were, 
 
 St. 6. 
 
 That the maker of the felon sow was well acquainted with this 
 or some similar ballad, and had a delicate perception of the ridiculous, 
 will be apparent on comparing the first encounter with the sow and 
 the knightly attack upon the boar. 
 
 These three men wended at their will, 
 This felon sow qwhyl they came tyll, 
 
 Liggand under a tree ; 
 Rugged and rusty was her hair, 
 She rose up with a felon fere, 
 
 To fight against the three. 
 Grisly was she for to meet, 
 She rave the earth up with her feet, 
 The bark came from the tree ; 
 
 * Some liberties have been taken in re-arranging these stanzas ; there seems to be a 
 deficiency here.
 
 AVOWYNGE OF KINO ARTIiKK. I H. I <>7 
 
 A\' 1 1 « - 1 1 Freer Middleton hersaugh, 
 
 \\ rir \ e \\ ill he li-i doI laugh, 
 Full earnsful looked he. 
 
 These men of aunters v. ere bo w ig lit, 
 Tlir\ bound them baudlj for the 6ght, 
 
 And struck ;it her full Bore : 
 Unto a kiln they garred her Bee, 
 Would God semi them the \ ictor) , 
 I* 1 1 < • \ would a>k him ao more. 
 ( 1 1 ;il t" the st;ui /a appears to he wanting.) 
 
 The sow was in that kiln hole down, 
 And they were on the hank ahoon 
 
 For hurting of their feet : 
 The) were so sauted with this sow, 
 That 'niong them was a stalwarth stew, 
 
 The kiln began to reek. 
 Durst no man uigh her with his hand, 
 But put a rope down with a wand, 
 
 And heltered her full meek : 
 They hauled her forth again her will, 
 While they came until a hill, 
 
 A little from the street. 
 
 And there she made them such a fray, 
 \- had they lived until Domesdaj 
 
 They could it ne'er forg< t. 
 She braded up on everj side. 
 And ran on them gaping full wide, 
 
 For nothing would she let. 
 She gave smdi hard brades at the hand, 
 That Peter of Dale had in his hand. 
 
 I [e might not hold his feel ; 
 She chased them bo, to ami fro, 
 The M ight men never were SO WO, 
 
 Their measure « as doI mete.
 
 108 NOTES. 
 
 She bund her boldly for to bide, 
 To Peter of Dale she came aside, 
 
 With many a hideous yell ; 
 She gaped so wide and cried so high, 
 * * * * 
 
 As if a fiend of hell. 
 Thou are corned hither for some train, 
 I conjure thee to go again, 
 
 Where thou art wont to dwell. 
 He signed him with cross and creed, 
 Took forth a book, began to read, 
 
 Of Saint John his gospel. 
 
 The sow she would no Latin hear, 
 But rudely rushed at the frere, 
 
 That blinked all his ble ; 
 And when she would have taken hold, 
 The freer leapt as Jesu wold, 
 
 And bealed him with a tree. 
 
 $k ^ yfc ^P 
 
 She was as brim as any boar, 
 And gave a grisly hideous roar, 
 
 To them it was no boot ; 
 On tree and busk that by her stood, 
 She venged her as she were woode, 
 
 And rave them up by the root. 
 
 * # * # 
 
 He said, Alas, that I was freer ! 
 I shall be lugged asunder here, 
 
 Hard is my destiny ! 
 Y-wist my brethren in this hour, 
 That I was set in sik a stour, 
 
 They would pray for me. 
 This wicked beast that wrought this woe, 
 Twan the rope from t'other two, 
 
 And then they fled all three ;
 
 AVOWYNCiE OK KING A.RTHER, I.M 109 
 
 They fled away by Watling Street, 
 Thej had no succour but their feet, 
 It was the more pity. 
 
 Friar Middleton attempted in vain to persuade the Warden thai 
 this redoubtable sow was nothing less than the fiend himself. 
 
 The warden waged on the morn 
 
 Two boldest men that ever was born, 
 I ween, or ere shall be — 
 
 # * # # 
 
 These men the battle undertook 
 Against the sow, as saith the book, 
 And sealed security 
 
 That they should boldly bide and fight, 
 And scomfit her in main and might, 
 
 Or therefore should they die : 
 The warden scaled to them again. 
 And said, It' ye in field be slain 
 
 This condition make I : 
 We shall for you sing and read, 
 Until Doomsday with hearty speed. 
 
 With all our progeny. 
 Then the letters were well made, 
 The bonds were bound with seals luade, 
 
 As deed of arms should be. 
 
 After a hard contest the two champions are victorious, and bear 
 away the conquered foe in triumph. 
 
 They hoisted her on a horse so hee, 
 On two * * * * of tree, 
 
 And to Richmond anon ; 
 When they saw the felon come 
 They sang merrily Te Deum, 
 
 The freers everichonc 
 They thanked God and Saim Francis, 
 That tbey bad won the beast of pris, 
 And ne'er a man was slain :
 
 110 
 
 NOTES. 
 
 There never did man more manly, 
 The knight Marous or Sir Guy, 
 Nor Lewis of Lorraine. 
 
 If you will any more of this 
 
 1' th' Freer at Richmond written it is, 
 
 In parchment good and fine ; 
 How freer Middleton so hende, 
 At Greta Bridge conjured a fiend, 
 
 In likeness of a swine. 
 It is well known to many a man, 
 That freer Theobald was warden then, 
 
 And this fell in his time. 
 And Christ them bless both far and near, 
 All that for solace this do hear, 
 
 And him that made the rhime.
 
 GLOSSARY 
 
 The following may he considered as general formula of the early 
 English orthography exhibited in the Ireland MS. 
 
 The plural of nouns and the third person singular oj verbs   
 
 formed in -us, -ys, -es, -is — as ledus,^)* leads, re&ysfbr reads, fyc. The 
 plural of verbs ends in -un, -en. 
 
 The perfect tense and passive jtartieiple in -ut, -uttc, as waniut. I 
 warned. 
 
 The aspirate is sometimes omitted, as onest for honest; at others 
 added, as hitte for it. 
 
 Sch- for sk or ch ; shfor eh. 
 
 Qu for w, as squete for sweets qw-, qu-,for wh-, as qyri for why, 
 quen for when ,• 5 for gh, as im^tun, might; wyjte, wight ; for y, 
 3aure, your ; 50,3/ow. 
 
 The letters A. B. C. refer severally to the " Anturs," ; ' Sir Ama- 
 dace,"' and the " Amwynge :" the figures to the stanza and line. 
 
 Adecoue ? A. 16. 11. Probably an er- 
 ror of the scribe : the other MSS. 
 read avoir. 
 
 Afrayet, afraid, frightened. A. 31. 9. 
 
 Ayre, heir. 
 
 Aythire, either. 
 
 Als, also. C. 65. 9. 
 
 Alstite, as soon as possible. IJ. 56. <>. 
 
 And, occasionally for An, it'. A. 16. -'. 
 
 Antur, adventure ; Anturis hoke, oak of 
 adventures? C. 32. 7. 
 
 Apraysut, valued? \. 29.9. MS. Douce 
 
 has praysed. 
 Aprise, adventure, undertaking. C. 59. 
 
 14. 
 Are, ere, before. B. I 
 \t. that. A. 14. 10. Lancashire, or. 
 Anaylet, lei down. \. 12. 5. 
 Auenant, comely, handsome. A. - 
 Avow, oath. ( . '. 6. 
 Aure, over. 
 Aure-hiet, overtook ? 1 . 19,
 
 112 
 
 GLOSSARY. 
 
 Aw, ought. A. 55. 9: owe. B. 1. 4. 
 
 p. t. a 5 te. B. 14. 12. 
 Awen, own. C. 57. 5. 
 
 Bacun, baked. A. 27. 4. 
 
 " With birdes in bread y-bake.'' 
 
 Squier of Low Degree, 319. 
 Bade, p. t. of bede, infra, shewed ? C. 
 
 3. 14. 
 Bayne, prompt, ready. B. 47. 12. 
 Bayet, baited. C. 7. 6. 
 Bake, back. C. 70. 15. 
 Bale, harm, evil, grief. B. 4. 9 : 17. 
 
 10. Bales. A. 8. 12. 
 Ban, curse. C. 45. 3. Banne. A. 7. 
 
 11 : 46. 7. 
 Bandum, disposal. A. 22. 3, h vostre 
 
 bandon. Fr. 
 Bandus, bounds, neighbourhood. C. 
 
 3. 8. 
 Banere, banner. C. 1. 14. 
 Bankers, table-clothes ? coverlets ? A. 
 
 35. 2. 
 Barbere, barberry. A. 6. 6. 
 Bare, boar. C. 2. 10. 
 Barette, grief. A. 23. 4. 
 Baroners, mistake of scribe for baro- 
 nies ? A. 52. 7. 
 Barne, child. A. 18. 6. 
 Barrens, hinds not gravid. A. 4. 2. 
 Basnet, a light helmet, worn with or 
 
 without a moveable front. A. 30. 
 
 3: Basynet. 41. 7. 
 Be, occasionally for by. 
 Be-call, require, challenge. A. 32. 7. 
 Bede, to proffer, offer. A. 50. 8, C. 
 
 19. 12. Beed, C. 61. 16. Bede do 
 
 way, asked him to do away, or leave 
 
 his grief. B. 38.5. Bedus. A. 20. 2. 
 Bedus, prayers. A. 16. 5. 
 
 Beforne, before. B. 28. 11. Biforne. 
 
 29. 8. 
 Beken, commend to. B. 32. 11. 
 — " tyl Leaute be Justice, 
 
 And have power to punyshe hem, 
 then put forth thy reson, 
 
 For Ich bykenne the Crist quath hue." 
 Piers Ploughman. 
 Beker, to attack, act hostilely against. 
 
 A. 4. 2. 
 Be-leues, leaves. A. 38. 6. 
 
 — ' ' and the lady was beleft with the 
 
 two squyres in the pavelions." Morte 
 d' Arthur, lib. 3, cap. 12. 
 Belyue, quickly. B. 23. 6. Be-lyfe. 
 
 A. 39.3. 
 Belle, bonfire. A. 15. 6. part of a 
 
 lady's dress, the mantle ? A. 29. 3. 
 Bene, well, fair. A. 6. 6 : 29. 4 : 30. 
 
 3 : 52. 8. 
 Bente, plain, fields. A. 26. 5 : 44, 4 : 
 
 49. 5. G. 39. 3. 
 Bercelettus, hounds. C. 7. 2. Berse- 
 
 lette. A. 3.11. 
 
 " The stable and the setes set, 
 
 Hymself with bow and breslet." 
 
 Wyntown. 
 Bere, noise. A. 10. 8, 9. bear, carry. 
 
 A. 33. 10. C. 14. 16. 
 Berd, beard. A. 28. 6. 
 Berels, beryls. A. 46. 2. 
 Berunge, burial. B. 24. 8. 
 Besandus, besants. A. 29. 4. 
 Besenes, business. C. 61. 1. 
 Best, beast. C. 17. 5. 
 Bete, amend. B. 4. 9. A. 8. 12. 
 Beten, inlaid, adorned. A. 29. 4. 
 
 " A coronell on hur hedd sett, 
 
 Hur clothys wyth bestes and byrdes 
 were bete." 
 
 Le Bone Florence of Rome, v. 182.
 
 GLOSSARY 
 
 1 13 
 
 Bc-tyilde, befell. A. 1.1: 55. 13. 
 Beueren, flowing? A. 28. 6. 
 
 " That many knygfates shoke and 
 
 beuered for egrenes." Morte <V Ar- 
 
 thure, book 1. cap. 15. 
 Bi-dene, continuously ? A 36. 4, toge- 
 ther ? A. 1. 11: 36. 6. moreover? 
 
 A. 24. 6: 40. 9: 53. 11. B. 3. !l. 
 Bidus, abides, waits, stays. A. 10. 5. 
 Bie, with. C. 5. 14. 
 Byernes, nobles. A. 40, 7. See Birne. 
 Birde, Byrde, (pi. Birdus,) lady. Binrde. 
 
 C.32. 16: 19.11. Byurde. C.29. 14. 
 Byggyt, built, inhabited. A. 6. 6 : 52. 8. 
 Birlutte, poured. C. 46. 14. 
 Birne, (pi. byrnes,) man, knight, noble. 
 
 Biurnes. C. 5. 14. 
 Blake, blacken. C. 15. 15. 
 Blawus, blows, puffs himself. C. 23. 6. 
 Blan, p. t. ceased, stopped. C. 58. 11. 
 Ble, hue, colour, complexion, scepe. 
 Blenket, a white stuff. A. 29. 3. written 
 
 else-where Blanket and Plonkete. 
 Blenked, glanced. A. 42. 4. 
 Blonke, steed. A. 3. 3 : 39. 5 : 43. 2. 
 Blu, blew. C. 15.6. 
 Bocult, buckled. A. 29. 4. 
 Boes, boughs. A. 4. 1. 
 Boke-lornut, book-learned. A. 55. .">. 
 Bone, prayer. C. 13. 15. 
 Bollus, bowls, cups. C. 46. 14. 
 Bordur, circlet round the helmet. A. 
 
 30. 4 : pi. 16. 2. 
 Bostus, boasts. C. 23. 6. 
 Bote, bit, ate. A. 43. 2. salvation. A. 
 
 43.3. remedy. B. 17. 10. what good 
 
 is it to hide it. A. 16. 9. 
 Boumet, embalmed. A. 14. 6. 
 Boune, ready. A. 1!». 8. B. 21. 8. 
 
 CAMD. SOC. 
 
 Houun, going, advancing } A. 4 1 
 B own us, goes. C. 10. 13. 
 i.-, broad. ' • '•• 15. 
 Brayd, dr. w. C. 14. 6 
 
 \. 10.5. bristled ? ('. 15.6. b i 
 ( . i ;. 9. 
 
 1'nil'-, breadth. A. 45. 1 '.. I I. \. 
 
 . . .'. synonymous with n 
 ( II. 15. bread. C. 64. ... 
 " They tolce lodgyng, and iras th 
 gras, otys (oats), and breed for their 
 horses." Murtiil' .Irlliuri .],. \. r. In. 
 
 Brees, brows. A. 30.8. ('. 1">. 1 "> : 
 27. II- Cheshire, eye-browi. Wil- 
 bra/iam'.s Clossary. 
 
 Breme, savage. B. 1 * » - v . 
 
 Brene, burny, hauberk, cuirass. \ 
 3. Breny. 41. 7. pi. H. 
 
 Brenne, burn. A. 1".. 6. Brent, bur- 
 nished. \- -'7 . 4. 
 
 Briddes, birds. A. .'7. 1. 
 
 Brittunt, broke in pieces. C. 14. 1~>. 
 hunting term applied to dividing 
 wild boar. C. 8. 9 : 16. 1 I. 
 
 Bred, pastry. A. -7 . 4. 
 
 Brode, Beiltlux brauderit o Lrode, beds 
 embroidered in breadth, i. e. all over. 
 A. 35. 2. 
 
 Broches, tapers. A.. 35. 
 
 Brochet, spurred. A. 1 1. 4. Broched. 
 A. 39. 5. 
 
 Broes, brow.-. A. 1 .'. 1 . 
 
 Brok, enjoy. C. 64.7. Broke. B.61.1 
 
 Brothe. enr iged, used substantively I 
 16. 4. 
 
 Bruen, brewed, made. A. 1>'.. 7. 
 
 Bryne, pi. brows or bri>tlt ~. C. 15.6. 
 
 Bard, table. A. 35. 7 : pi. B. 14. 
 
 Bnrias, burgess. B. 25. 6.
 
 114 
 
 GLOSSARY. 
 
 Burlyche, Burliche, (superl. Burlokkest. 
 
 A. 43. 2.) huge, big. A. 16. 8. used 
 
 substantively. A. 50. 8. 
 Busket, Buskutte, arrayed, prepared. 
 
 A. 44. 8. C. 10. 2. 
 But if, unless. A. 19. 10. Butte, 33. 12. 
 
 Cachet, gone. A. 12. 8. 9. 
 Canel-bone, collar-bone. A. 40. 12. 
 Cantel, corner, piece. A. 41.1. Can- 
 
 telle, 48. 2. Term in heraldry, the 
 
 dexter upper corner of the shield. 
 Carhonde ? A. 48. 2. 
 Carpe, say, tell, speak. Carputte, p. t. 
 Cast, stratagem. A. 48. 2. 
 Cayselle, for Cayser, Emperor. A. 32. 7. 
 Chaselette, the canopied platform on 
 
 which the chair of state was placed ? 
 
 A. 38. 11. In the Morte d 1 Arthur 
 
 (Southey's ed.) 2. 436, it is chafiet. 
 
 Kyng Arthur satte upon a chanet in a 
 
 chayer. 
 Chaufen, warm. A. 35. 4. 
 Chefe, upper part, top ? A. 9. 10. 
 Chefe, obtain, achieve. A. 21. 9. 
 Chekkere, chess board. C. 55. 1. 
 Ches, chose. B. 46. 3. 
 Chesun, reason, account of. C. 19. 11 : 
 
 21. 2. 
 Cheueronne, chanfron, armour for a 
 
 horse's head. A. 30. 10. 
 Cheuis, happens. C. 24. 16. 
 Cheuetan, chieftain. C. 2. 5. 
 Cholle, jowl, cheek. A. 9. 10. 
 Chonget, changed. A. 10. 6. 
 Clanser, cleanser. A. 11.4. 
 Claryfiet, glorified. A. 11. 4. 
 Clechis, clutches, seizes or strikes. A. 
 
 48. 7. 
 Clene, fail-. A. 29. 6 : 30. 1 : 40. 13. 
 
 Clething, clothing. A. 10. 2. 
 
 Cleuet, cleaved. A. 40. 13. 
 
 Clyppus, eclipse. A. 8. 3. 
 
 Cloes, valleys, doughs. A. 12. 7. 
 
 Clure, bright. A. 29. 7 : 30. 2. 
 
 Cocus, cooks. C. 46. 15. 
 
 Code, chrysom cloth, used in baptism. 
 A. 18.3. 
 
 Colurt, collared, a term of venery ap- 
 plied to the cutting up of a boar. C. 
 17. 2 : 31. 6. Coloured. A. 29- 6. 
 
 Colurs, colours. A. 52. 4. armorial sur- 
 cote. A. 30. 1. 
 
 Coler, collar. A. 48. 7. 
 
 Comande, coming. C. 16. 6. 
 
 Con, Conne, Couthe, are veryfrecpjently 
 used as auxiliaries before verbs, to 
 express a past tense : Con falle, hap- 
 pened. A. 6. 7. Conne fare, went. 
 C. 5. 16. Con blawe, blew, 6. 4. 
 Con spring, dawned. B. 25. 1. &c. 
 Couthe. A. 35. 7. C. 30. 11. 
 
 Conciens, cognizance ? B. 37. 9. 
 
 Condul, candle. A. 18. 3. 
 
 Congrece, suite of servants. B. 41. 11. 
 
 Coniurt, conjured. A. 11. 3. 
 
 Copus, clokes. C. 39. 13 : 41. 1. 
 
 Corse, body, animal. C. 4. 2. 
 
 Cost, side. A. 47. 5. 
 
 Costage, expence, cost. B. 42. 2. 
 
 Coste, spent? C. 28. 3. 
 
 Couand, agreement, covenant. B. 63. 
 11 : 64. 5. C. 38. 1. Convent. A. 
 16. 6. 
 Couchet, laid. A. 12. 9. 
 Countur-felit, the fillet which bound up 
 
 the cawl or head-tire ? A. 29. 6. 
 Coupus, cups. A. 36. 2. 
 Couurt, covered. A. 41. 1. 
 Couthe, understood. C. 17. 1. C. 6. 
 5. celebrated ? 47. 13. See Con.
 
 G LOSS \KY. 
 
 Cowche, den. C. 12. •">. 
 
 Cowpullus, couples of dogs. A. 1,5. 
 
 Croysc > L 33. 1. 
 
 Crisumte, wrapt in the chrysom cloth. 
 
 A. 18. .?. 
 Cumfordun, encouraged. A. 4. 6. 
 Cummys, comes. C. 2. 1 I. 
 Curtase, courteous, scepe. 
 
 Dayng, dawning. A. ■'<",. 5. 
 
 Dayntethis, dainties. A. 15. 1. 
 
 Daren, manifest fear, tremble. A. 4. 1   ',. 
 
 Dedde, did. C. 11. 4. 
 
 Dedur, tremble, Lane, ciither. C. 25. 8. 
 
 Dede, death. B. 8. 12. 
 
 Dee, die, p. t. Deet. B. 35. 1. Deut. 
 
 36. 7. 
 Dees, Dese, Dece, dais or table of estate. 
 
 A. 14. 13. B. 20. 9. C. 47. 9: 22. B. 
 Lordes in halle wer sette, 
 And waytes blew to the mete, 
 The two knyghtes the dese began. 
 i. e. presided. 
 
 Sir Eglamoure. 
 Defoules, conquers, vanquishes A. 2 1 . 2. 
 Dele, bestow. A. 18. 11. Divide. B. 
 
 59. 10: GG. 7- 
 Dele, part, bit. B. 14. 8. Torment. 
 
 A. 25. G. 
 Delees, delay. C. 22. I 2. 
 Dellun, dells. A. 4. 12. 
 Deraayn ? A. .17. 10. Probably an 
 
 error of the scribe. " And yafe him 
 
 mete and drink of main," i. e. of 
 
 strength. Vita in and Gattrin, 1865. 
 
 See Soppns. 
 Demun, judge, condemn. B. 29. 10. 
 Denyte, deny. B. 56. 12. 
 Deray, disorder. A. 40. 6. 
 
 i I , i l( ore, ooble, honorable. A. i . 
 
 ■I. ( . 1.6. 
 
 hurt, injure. < . .11. 
 foul. I . 54. l.'. 
 Derfly, strongly, fieri '   A. 
 
 24. 13. 
 Derne, w on t. C. 52. 1 2. 
 Derwnrth, honorable. < . -'-'• B. 
 Deuyt, confoumlcd. \. 22. 1. 
 Dill, dole, torment. A. 15. 2. Dyllc. 
 
 sorrow. A. 4 i. B. 
 Dylful, dolefoD. A. 13. 11. Dulfuly. 
 
 dolefully. 46. 8. 
 Dintus, strokes, blows. C. 3.11. A. 
 
 40. 9 : 46. 8. 
 Dyrkyns, lies hid. A. ... I. 
 I)i;ti', Dyjte, prepare, treat, >!i-; 
 
 do. A. 1.6: 12. 11. B.60. 5. I 
 Dosiperus, the Donze-Pau nee, 
 
 applied to King Arthur's k n i _^ ' 1 1 ~ . A. 
 
 1. 4. Dusiperis. -'-'. 1. 
 Dotur and dote, tremble and lose cou- 
 rage. C. 16. 11. 
 Doue, endow. A. 52. 9. 
 Douteouse, fearful. A. 4" 
 Do-way, cease. 13. 38. ">. 
 D03CJ, Dujti, doughty, b 'me- 
 
 times used subtantively. A. I»>. 9. 
 Drafe, drove. I'.. 15. 0. 
 Dre, endure, suffer. A. 1 1. 11. 
 Drerely, drearily, sorrowfully. C. 69.4. 
 Drery, sorrowful. ( . > ". 7. 
 Dri?tine, the Lord. B. 6 : 
 Dre;ghe, back ? A.. 40. 6. 0-dre;chc. 
 
 backwards. A. 44. . 
 
 The kynges doughter, which this adgh 
 
 For pure abasshe drew hir adrigh. 
 
 ./ .. 
 Droupcn, droop. A. 1. 13. 
 Dro^hc, Dro;ghe, drew. A. 44. J. B. 
 
 . . 2.
 
 116 
 
 GLOSSARY. 
 
 Duelle, dwell, abide. 
 Dure, deer. A. 4. 7. 
 
 Enyn, eyes. A. 9. 12. B. 66. 11. 
 
 Emunge, among. 
 
 Enclawet, nailed ? riveted? A. 30. 5. 
 
 Fr. Encloue'es. 
 En-doret, gilded. A. 36. 4. 
 Engrelet, interspersed. A. 40. 2. 
 Ennieys, enemies. C. 71. 2. 
 Enparel, apparel ? A. 29. 9. 
 Enperit ? A. 19.6. Perhaps for en- 
 
 sperit, i. e. inspired. 
 Ensese, take possession. A. 23. 3. 
 Ernde, errand. B. 20. 3. 
 Erliche? B. 41.2. Eyrthely, Weber. 
 
 Fay, faith. A. 41. 11 : 31. 8. 
 
 Fales, Failis, Faylis, fails, is wanting. 
 A. 18. 12 : 46. 4. C. 4. 3. 
 
 Falle, befall. A. 23. 13. 
 
 Fare, course, pursuit. A. 4. 8. unusual 
 display, entertainment. Qu. qfare, i. e. 
 ado, bustle ? 31. 9. onset. 41. 6. 
 
 Fast, liberally. A. 18. 11. 
 
 Faste, fasten. C. 7. 8. 
 
 Fau ? A. 7. 2. Fah Sax. shining, va- 
 riegated. It may be read Fan, Sax. 
 Fam, Fen, wet, fenny — used, frequent- 
 ly in composition — as Fen-land, Fen- 
 hof. 
 
 Fauyn ? A. 31. 8. Perhaps we should 
 readfanyn, i. e. /anon, the knight's 
 banner. 
 
 Fawre, four, C. 7. 15. 
 
 Fawtutte, failed, wanted. A. 45. 2. 
 " For faujte of her fode." 
 
 Deposition of K. Richard. 
 
 And as for an C good knyghtes, I 
 
 haue myself, but I fawte L, for so 
 
 many haue been slayn in my days. 
 
 Morte d'Arthure, b. 3. c. 1. 
 Fax, hair. A. 29. 5. 
 Feyce, fees, rewards. B.41. 10. 
 Feye, destined to death, fated. C. 4. 6. 
 Feyful, fatal, deadly. A. 4. 7. Feaful, 
 
 very, exceeding. — Craven Glossary. 
 Fele, many. A. 21. 2. fell, everthrow. 
 
 C. 38. 11. 
 Felle, fierce. A. 4. 8. Felle. A. 4. 
 
 7. Fellun. A. 1. 7. See note, to 
 
 fell, strike down. C. 20. 11. 
 Felles, hills, moors. A. 1. 8. Fellun. 
 
 A. 4. 11. 
 Fellus, fellows, equals, peers. A. 3. 7. 
 
 Felo. B.51.12. Felau. B. 55. 12. 
 
 Felow. C. 59. 10. Feloys. 66. 1. 
 
 Foloys. 64. 15. 
 Fellus, bristled hide? C. 3. 14. 
 Ferd, feared, frightened. A. 31. 9. 
 Ferd, fared, proceeded. B. 19. 2. C. 
 
 50. 16. acted. B. 66. 3. 
 Fere, fear. C. 4. 6. 
 Fere, companion. B. 12. 3. C. 52. 14. 
 
 In fere, together. A. 26. 6. C. 
 
 41. 9: 50. 16: 55.3. 
 Fery ? error for fey ? dead. A. 22. 2. 
 Ferly, wonder, marvel. A. 41. 11. pL 
 
 Ferles. A. 23. 13. 
 Fermysones, a hunting term applied to 
 
 the time in which the male deer were 
 
 closed, or not allowed to be killed. 
 
 A. 1. 8. 
 Ferre, far. B. 1. 3. 
 Fewtre, the lance-rest. C. 42. 7. 
 Fejte, fight. 
 
 Filde, Fyld, Fylde, field. 
 Fille, belly-full ? A. 45. 2.
 
 (il.OSSAKY. 
 
 II 
 
 Fynde, fiend. C. 7. 8. 
 Fyne, unconditional. B. 64. i>. 
 Flaey, flay, kill? C. 7. 1"). frighten. 
 Broekett. 
 
 Flourr«5, flowered, flory. A. 31. 11. 
 Flote, complained ? B. 36. 6. 
 Unto herself fast gan she flyte, 
 And said with wrang now J hir wite. 
 iirain and Gawin, 1 J 7 - 
 Fode, man, person. B. 54. 6. 
 Fold, folded. A. 29. 5. embrace. A. 
 
 29. 12. C. 73. 4. 
 Fold, earth, ground. A. 39. 6. Folde. 
 
 C. 1.2. 
 Fole, foal, horse. A. 42. 9. fool. B. 
 
 14. 1. 
 Folo, follow. A. 4. 8. Folut. 5.11. 
 Follutte. C. 6. \0.p. t. Folut, bap- 
 tised. A. 18. 4. 
 For-betun, thoroughly beaten. A. 51.9. 
 For-bye, past ? C. 25. 6. 
 For-bled, covered with blood. A. 51. 8. 
 For-bote, forbid. B. GO. 12. 
 For-brissute, broken, bruised. A. 51. 8. 
 Fore, fared, went. C. lo. 7. 
 Fore-loke, ill fortune ? B. 34. 6. 
 For-sette, obstruct, way-lay ? C. 38. 6 : 
 
 39. 12. 
 For-thi, therefore. A. 34. 9. C. 
 
 25. 16. 
 For-tho3te, repented. B. 18. 3. 
 Fonir, furs? A. 13. 10. 
 " Fleshly lustes and festes, 
 And furures of divers bestes." 
 
 Warton, 2. 200. 
 Forwart, covenant, agreement. B. 1-'. 
 
 10. 
 For-wundret, astonished. A. 26. 9. 
 For-jilde, requite. C. 42. 1. 
 Founde, to go, journey. A. 7. 1 : 21. 
 
 1. Foundut, j,. t. A. IS. 9. It. 5. 
 
 c ',. 16. Pnnde, try. 
 vour. Fond to don beter. /'. I'.'* 
 Crede. \. IS. 7. Foundry strikes. 
 47. 12. 
 Foundret, stumbled. A. i 
 Fowle? B. 36. -'. Weber'. MB. reads, 
 
 • \- i fole Y am for-flytte." 
 Fracst, seek, find? A. ;.'. 9. 
 
 n, ask, seek. 
 Fredde, frightened ? A. 1. ~. 
 Freke, man, warrior. A. .;. 
 Freli, noble, lovely, used substantively. 
 
 V 29. I.'. B. 54. 6. 
 Fresun, Friesland horse. A. 43. 5. 
 
 B. 31. 8. 
 Frettut, ornamented. A. 29. 5 : 46. 4. 
 " For round environ her crounet 
 Was full of riehe stones afret." 
 Rom. qfthe Bote, IS 
 " Attour his belte his Hart lockis laic 
 Feltrit unfaire, or-fret with frostis 
 hore." Test, of Cres. 
 
 Frythys, Frythun, inclosed woods. A. 
 
 1. 8: 4. 11. 
 Fuilde, field. 
 
 Fuld, see Fold, earth. A. 34. J. 
 Furcely, Fuyrsly, fiercely. C. 3. 6 : 6. 
 
 14. 
 Fuyrthe. fourth. C. 5. 6. 
 Funde fute, found the track by the 
 scent. C. 6. 9. 
 
 Gaye, gay, used substantively. A. 41. 1". 
 Gamesuns, quilted doublet to defend the 
 
 body. A. 31.3. 
 Gart, caused. A. 37. 13. SeeGcr. 
 Gatys, way, path. A. i. J. Her gates 
 
 were gayne, her road was straight, di-
 
 1J8 
 
 GLOSSARY. 
 
 rect. A. 7. 7. See Brockett, v. v. 
 Gate, Gain. 
 Gente, fair. B. 58. 8. 
 Ger, Gere, to cause. A. 17. 2 : 21. 12. 
 B. 24. 7. Gerutte,^. t. B. 50. 2. 
 Gret. C. 63. 5. 
 Gere, array. A. 39. 2. C. 3. 10: 
 
 21.8. 
 Gersums, treasure. A. 54. 8. 
 Geste, pi. Gestus, guest. C. 7. 16 : 
 
 46. 6. 
 Gete, get. A. 22. 10. 
 Geuen, gave. A. 5. 7. Geuees, gives. 
 
 B. 39. 4. 
 Gyde, attire, gown. A. 2. 2 : 29. 2. 
 Giffe, if. 
 Gyffon, Gifhen, given. B. 54. 7. A. 
 
 33. 6. 
 Gillus, glens. A. 33. 2. 
 Girdus, strikes, smites. A. 45. 10. 
 
 Gurdus, 47.8. 
 Gledes, burning coals, embers. A. 10. 
 
 1 : 31. 3. 
 Glemit, gleamed, shone. A. 2. 2. 
 Gilderand, glittering. A. 2. 2. 
 Glysset, looked. A. 28. 5. 
 Gloet, glowed. A. 10. 1 : 31. 3. 
 Gloppen, to wail, lament. A. 7. 13 : 
 
 41. 10. 
 Gode, good, Gode-father, God-father. 
 
 C. 20. 8. 
 Gome, man, knight, warrior. A. 34. 7 : 
 
 8. 9. 
 Gomun, Gomen, sport, pleasure, game. 
 
 B. 55. 7. A. 5.7: 12.3. 
 Gones, groans ? C. 12. 4. 
 Gous? A. 10. 11. Qu : for Glowes, looks 
 
 UpOD ? 
 
 Grattur, greater. A. 12. 4:33. 2. Grat- 
 tust. B. 28. 11. 
 
 Grayth, preparation. A. 34. 7. ready. 
 C. 36. 8. Graythist, readiest. A. 
 1. 12: 34. 10. Grathely, C. 62. 9. 
 The Lancashire word Graydely, means 
 properly, expertly. 
 Graythet, arrayed. A. 40. 1. 
 Grechut, grew angry. A. 41. 4. 
 Gresse, grass. A. 29. 2. 
 Grete, weep. A. 7. 13. Grette, ;;. t. 
 
 38. 12. 
 Greundes, greyhounds. A. 10. 8. 
 Grillus, torments. A. 33. 6. Grille, 
 
 piercing ? 48. 9. 
 Grym, Gryme, grim, hideous. A. 26. 
 
 2: 10. 8. 
 Grymlokkest, most fearful. A. 8. 8. 
 Gryse, monster? C. 2. 16. 
 Gryseliche, grisly, horrible, horribly. 
 Greuis, groves. 
 
 Grythe, respite, peace ? A. 5. 7. 
 " For bugelys blaste and brachys crye 
 With oppon mowthe full veralye 
 There myght no best have gryethe." 
 
 Ipomadon. 
 Grouelongs, grovelling. A. 47. 9. 
 Gurdes, smites. A. 47. 8. Gurdenne, 
 spur. A. 39. 1. 
 
 " A gyrd rycht to the king couthe 
 he maik." 
 
 Bruce, 5. 629. 
 
 Haa, azure. A. 2. 5. 
 
 " And in the night she listith best 
 
 t' apere, 
 Hawe as the leed, of colour nothing 
 clere." 
 
 Test, of Creseide. 
 Haches, racks for hay. A. 35. 6. 
 Hailsutte, saluted. A. 27. 8.
 
 GL0S8Am . 
 
 I 19 
 
 llalen, haul, take. \. 35. 5. 
 Halii, keep. IJ. 1.11. 
 Haldors, elders, ancestors. C. 1.7. 
 Hals, aeck. C. *>■>■ 11. 
 Happe, good fortune. C. 28. G. 
 Hase, as. A. 19. 5. 
 Hathels, noblemen, knights. 
 Haulen, halloo. A. 5. •">. 
 He, high. A. 27. 7. 
 Hedis, heads. A. 30. 8. 
 Hedoes, hideous. C. 14. 1 .'. 
 Heynde, courteous. C. 6. .'. 
 Held, to bend, go back. C. SI. 14. 
 Hele, conceal, hide. B. 3. G. 
 Hely, wholly, above? A. 35. <i. 
 Hente, received. A. 38. 7. catch, lay 
 hold of. C. 13. 11. taken. C.59. 10. 
 Herdus, nobles, courtiers, attendants. 
 
 A. in. 13 : 11. 1. 
 Here, on hereand hom alle, in the hear- 
 ing of them all. A. 32. 1. their. A. 
 39. 2. 
 Hersing, rehearsing, hesitation ? A. 51. 
 
 10. Lettynge MSS. L. and D. 
 Hestus, bidding, commands. A. 19. 1. 
 Hete, promise. A. 19. 1. 
 Hete, heat, attack ? C. 42. 1G. 
 IK thing, contempt. B. 2. 5. 
 Hethun, hence. A. 19. 11. 
 Hettus, promised. B. 63. 3. 
 Heue, complexion. A. 9. 4. 
 Heue, heaved, raised. C. 14. 7. 
 Heued, head. A. 42. 8. 
 Heuen, hew? A. 4G. 1. 
 Hejer, higher. C. 4. 1. 
 Hejte (on,) on high, aloft, above. Opon 
 he3te, aloud. A. 41. 3. 
 " Then all they leuche upon lofte." 
 Dunbar, in Sibbald, 1. 213. 
 He3te, promised. C. 10. 3. owed. B. 
 26. 8. 
 
 ii lied. Ii. l 8. 7. 
 
 Hie, ii \. i. :. < 
 
 5. 13: 1-'. 16. 
 
 . lint, hasti us, I I. A. l". 
 
 7. ('. 19. 6 : 52. 4. 
 Hiere, hair, C. 14. 19. 
 
 Hi-fath, in faith. B. Ii. 2. 
 Hyild, tarried < . 10. 1. 
 Hilling, covering. A. :>. i. 
 Hinde, courteous. ('. 41. 7. 
 Hinder/, courteously. L 27. 8. 
 Hyre, her. 
 
 Hit, its. \. -. n. i :. Lane. Hitte, it. 
 Hy;te (on), see II 
 Hoes, hills. A. :<. 5. 
 Holket, sunk. A. 9. 12. 
 
 " Full laithly thus sail ly thy lusty 
 heid 
 llolkit and how." 
 ThethreeDeidP>,wis.—Sibbald,\. 
 Holle, hollow. A. 9. 12. whole. 54. 10. 
 Ilolli, wholly. B. 25. 12. 
 Holds, forestB. A. 4. 4. 
 Horn, them. 
 Hor, tlnir. 
 
 Hore, hoary. A. 4. J. 
 Horsing, horse. C. 31. 8. 
 Hones, waits, tarries. B. 40. 2. Houet, 
 
 Houut. C. 11. 12: 19. 4. 
 Houyn, raised. B.20. 8. 
 Ho wundns-squayn, whipper-in? Co. 1 1. 
 Hud, hood. A. i 
 Hurlen, drag. A. 15. ■"•. 
 Hurles, earls. A. t. 7. 
 Hurstes, woods. A. 5. 5. 
 
 Ichone, each one. B. 41. 12. C. 10. 4. 
 like, same. A. 2. 10: 30. 6. 
 
 I-mele, together. A. 25. 8. 
 I-uu?he, enough. A. .':». 11.
 
 120 
 
 GLOSSARY, 
 
 Iopput? Iorput? C.42. 10. 
 
 Iournay, applied to the day of jousting. 
 
 B. 48. 3. 
 Iraille ? A. 46. 3. 
 Irke, incommoded. A. 6. 12. 
 I-wis, truly, certainly. A. 24. 4. 
 
 Kayrit, returned. A. 53. 13. 
 Keghet, suffered ? C. 16. 12. 
 Kele, cool, assuage. A. 4. 6 : 16. 6. 
 Kelle, caul, lady's head-dress. A. 29. 6. 
 " And on hire hed a comeli calle." 
 
 Kynge cf Tars, 365. 
 Kene, bold, brave. A. 11. 9: 47. 3. 
 Kenettes, hounds. A. 4. 6. C. 6. 5. 
 Kennit, known. B. 2. 6. 
 Keruet, carved, cut. A. 41. 1. 
 Keruys, Kerues, carves, cuts. A. 47. 5 : 
 
 48. 1. 
 Keste of, threw off. A. 4. 5. 
 Keuyr, recover. B. 40. 3 : 68. 10. 
 Keuyrt, p. t. 55. 1. 
 " That me wald help to cover of care." 
 Ywaine and Gawin, 2141. 
 Ke3te, caught. A. 49. 2. B. 8. 12. 
 Kydde, known, renowned. A. 1. 3. 
 Kyd, 11.9. Kidde, shewed. B. 28. 10. 
 Kin, kind of, Kinwise. B. 29. 1. Kynne 
 maner,44. 7. Kynne thinge. C. 34.3. 
 Kyndelich, natural. C. 11. 2. Kindely 
 
 17. 2. A. 38. 1. 
 Kithe, shewed, manifested. B. 23. 3. 
 
 Kithum, shew. C. 25. 1 : 27. 5. 
 Kythe, country. A. 12. 8. 
 
 Laa, Lawes, law? C. 26. 9 : 23. 7. 
 Ladde, p. t. led. B. 70. 2 : 42. 3. 
 Ladise, ladies. C. 34. 6. 
 Laes, laws. C. 36. 10. 
 
 Lafte, p. t. left. 
 
 Laghe, laugh. A. 34. 4. 
 
 Laykes, strife of battle. A. 42.5. Sax. 
 
 Lac. Goth. Laiks, sport. 
 Layn, conceal. A. 7. 5 : 16. 9. Laynes, 
 conceals. C. 70. 13. " Mete laynes 
 mony lakke," i. e. meat hides many a 
 want. 
 Laythe, disgraceful. A. 34. 3. 
 Laythelych luffe, horrible laugh, grin. 
 
 C. 4. 13. 
 Lante lone, lent loan. B. 38. 10. 
 Latelest, unmannerly. A. 41. 3. 
 Lates, features, countenance. A. 37. 1. 
 Lau, Law, low. A. 13. 8 : 21. 8 : C. 26. 
 
 7. Lauyst, superl. A. 7. 6. 
 Lau, a low, flame. A. 7. 5. 
 Lauchet, laughs. A. 13.6. 
 Lede, speech, language. A. 7. 5. man, 
 
 person. 22. 6. Lede, lady. 34. 4. 
 Lees? C. 17. 7. 
 Lefe, dear, agreeable. 
 Left, leafy. A. 6. 5. 
 Lele, loyal, faithful. B. 43. 4. Scot. leal. 
 Lemyt, shone. C. 65. 4. 
 Lemmon, leman, mistress. 
 Lene, lend, grant. B. 55. 2. 
 " I sal lene the her mi ring, 
 But yelde it me at myne askyng." 
 
 Ywaine and Gawin, 737. 
 Lenyt, leaned. C. 15. 10. 
 Leng, Lengur, long, longer. 
 Leng, dwell, tarry, remain. A. 28. 11: 
 
 32.11. B. 28. 5:71. 10. 
 Lere, countenance. A. 13. 6. 
 Lese, lose. A. 22. 12. release. C. 23. 
 
 7. Leyce, loose, free. C. 26. 9. 
 Lesse, falsehood. B. 46. 9 : 53. 4. 
 Lette, hindrance. A. 3. 10. B. 65. 1. 
 Letting. C. 1. 10. scepe.
 
 GLOSS \KY. 
 
 I 21 
 
 Lene.iove. C. «8. I. leave. \. •'•. ,; . I '•• 
 
 15. 5. 10. forsake, A. 14. 7. On- 
 
 lene, alive. -'-'• 6. Leoyt, left. \. 
 
 22. 2. Leuet. 22. 6. 
 
 Leuyr, rather. ('.44. 14. 
 
 Leuyng, life. C. 8.11. Leuaml, living. 
 
 C. 66. 14. 
 Leuyn, lightening. C. 65. 4. 
 Licius, delicious. B. 24. 6. 
 Lif.l. lived. C. 1.8. 
 Lynd? A.. 17.6. " And quhill him liket 
 thar to leynd," i. e. dwell. Bruce, 
 3. 747. 
 • And for tolendeby thatlak." The 
 
 Houlat. 
 " I lenyt down araangst the flowria 
 Bneit." 
 
 Henryaon, Prol. to Fables. SI. 4. 
 Lyjiutt. divided. C. 65. 12. 
 Lise, lies. B. 12. 6. Lyce. C. 7-'. 7- 
 Listus, likes. A. 17. 5. 
 Liue, Lyue, Life. B. 70. 2. Lyuus, 
 
 live's. 71. 11. Lyuys. C. 69. 8. 
 Ly3t, descend, alight, fall. A. 3. 6: 
 
 17. 6. fallen. 13. 8. 
 Loce, honor, praise. C. 59. 13. See 
 
 Loos. 
 Loe, low. A. 3. 6. 
 Loghe, loch, lake. A. 3. 5 : 7. 5. 
 
 laughed. 41.3. C. 33. 2. 
 Loket, looked. B. 7. 4. 
 Loos, renown, praise. C. 34. 6. Lose. 
 
 A. 36.7. 
 Lome, lost. A. 37. 2. 
 Lothe, harm ? C. 57. 3. 
 Louyd, praised. C. 65. 15. 
 Loute, bow down, bend to, obey. A. 
 
 14. 7. 
 Lucius, luscious. A. 36. 3. 
 Luf, Lufue, love. A. P. 5. B. 52. 11. 
 
 CAMD. SOC. 
 
 Loire, l!. 40. i. LoM, loved. B. 58. 
 
 II. ( 8. 13. 
 Loflycbi . ! -- ^ ' ''• 10 - 
 
 Lafiram,] ~ 
 
 Lure, liar. B. 64. 11. 
 
 Mace, makes. K. W. 6. 
 
 M bet, matched in fighl k. 34 
 
 May, maiden. B. 5 '•• 9. 
 
 May] of mail, rinqs of 
 
 mail. A." 30. 5: 39. 11 : 40. 10. 
 
 47.6. 
 M ikette, in dee. B. 64. 11. 
 Makeles, matchless. A. 27. 10. M 
 
 lesl ? 48. 10. 
 
 Marre, mar, hurt, oppose. C. 11.8. 
 
 M arret, moaned ': A. 9. 6. 
 
 Mase. A'- 1-   See note. 
 
 Masly, hogelj C. 3. 1 • 
 
 Matyttoryor Matyccory, perhaps error 
 for Mantyccory.* A. 43. 9. 
 
 Maugreue, wrong. FV. l 
 
 57. 8. 
 Mauogery, feast. B.   ■•>■ • •• 
 Mekes, makes. C. 15. 16 : 16. I. 
 Mele, speak, talk. A. 6. 9: J6. 8. 
 Mene, mention, commemorate. \ 
 M,nes, reflects, minds one of? A..13. "• 
 Menet, moaned. A. 9. 6. 
 Mengit, troubled. A. 46. 9. 
 Mcnyng, moaning. A. 46. 11. 
 
 * The Mantichora a fabulous beast 
 
 described by Pliny, Lib. 8. c. 21. 
 
 " Ther he fond addren and monecore?, 
 
 And a feoll worm, Cales and Manti- 
 
 cores." 
 
 Kyng Alisaunder, 7094. 
 
 K
 
 122 
 
 GLOSSARY. 
 
 Menne, attendants. B. 41. 7. Mene. 
 66. 4. 
 
 Meruel, marvel. A. 6. 10. 
 
 Mestur, need. B. 36. 12. C. 35. 14. 
 
 Mesure, moderation. A. 20. 3. 
 
 Mete, dinner. B. 27. 2. 
 
 Mydlert, middle-earth, world. A. 50. 6. 
 
 Mykyll, Mekel, much. 
 
 Myldelik, humbly. A. 37. 6. 
 
 Myn, Mynne, mention, remember. A. 
 18. 9: 25. 8. 
 
 " He his holdinge Ich hope to have me 
 in hus masse, 
 
 And menge me in hus memorie among 
 alle Crystine." 
 
 Piers Ploughman. 
 
 Mynnyng, commemoration, anniversary. 
 A. 19. 2. 
 
 Mys, fault, offence. A. 15. 11 : 16. 3. 
 
 Mysfare, wretched. B. 21. 6. 
 
 Mo, more. C. 5. 7. 
 
 Mon, moan, mourn for. B. 12. 2. 
 
 Mone, must, may. C. 3. 11. 
 
 Monraden, homage. A. 50. 5. 
 
 Morun, morn. A. 37. 6. 
 
 Mote, note of music, used metaphori- 
 cally. C. 16. 10. 
 
 Mo3te, might. 
 
 Mubulle, property, goods. A. 16. 4. 
 
 Mulde, earth, mould. A. 16.4. C. 1. 1. 
 
 Mun, must. 
 
 Musut, looked fixedly, as out of the 
 senses. A. 9. 6. 
 
 Nayre, heir. A. 27. 11. 
 
 Nanlas, anlas, a pointed blade or spike. 
 
 A. 30. 13. 
 Nase, nose. B. 7- 1. 
 Naxty, filthy. A. 15. 3. 
 
 Nede, of necessity. C. 40. 16. Nede- 
 
 longes. B. 12. 1. 
 Nere, never. C. 52. 15. 
 Nerre, near. B. 7. 2. 
 Ne3e, come nigh, approach. Neghe. C. 
 
 54. 10. Neghet. 15. 13. 
 Nyf, nor. A. 9- 4. 
 Nyll, will not. C. 67. 8. 
 Noke, oak. C. 15. 13 : 17. 8. 
 Nome, name. B. 27. 1. 
 None, own. A. 49. 4. B. 60. 9. 
 
 Nowun. 58. 1. 
 None, noon. C. 46. 3. 
 Nones, nonce. B. 44. 5. 
 Nothir, other. C. 3. 10. 
 
 O-boue, above. A. 38. 11. 
 
 Off, of. A. 11. 2. 
 
 On, one. A. 8. 8. B. 1. 11. 
 
 On, upon. B. 66. 7. 
 
 Oneli, lonely. B. 11. 12. 
 
 On-li3te, light on. C. 38. 12. 
 
 On-lofte, on high. A. 48. 8 : 42. 3. 
 
 On-stray, apart. A. 31. 2. 
 
 Onus, once. A. 12. 12. B. 13. 12. 
 
 Or, before. A. 15. 9. till. C. 9. 6. 
 
 Or dan, take order. B. 4. 3. 
 
 Ore-drofe, overthrew, castaway. B.48.7. 
 
 Orennus, overruns. A. 21.3. 
 
 Ote, knows. A. 43. 1. 
 
 Other, or. C. 15. 7. 12. 
 
 Outray, injure, destroy. A. 24. 12. 
 
 Padok, toad. A. 9. 11. 
 
 Pay, pleasure. A. 2. 6. B. 53. 6. C. 
 
 61.7. Paye. A. 31. 6. 
 Pall, Palle, rich or fine work. A. 26. 
 
 10: 34. 12: 35. 1. 
 Palle-werke, fine cloth. A. 2. 6.
 
 GLOSS \HY. 
 
 12S 
 
 Pauelun, pavilion. \. 84. 1 .'. 
 
 Pees, peace. B. ft. IS. C. 22. 4. 
 
 Pese. B. 46. 1 2. 
 Pelidoddes ? A.. 31.6. 
 Pere, peer, in like state. B. .:-'. 1 .'. 
 Perre, jewelry. A. 3. 6: 29.5. 
 Pijte, pitched, fixed. \. 37. 7. ar- 
 
 rayed, ornann nt( (I. 28. 2: 34. 13. 
 Playus, plays, sport. ( . ; !. ... 
 Ploes, ploughs. A. 1 . 
 Plu?e, plough. (.'. 49. 1 I. 
 Polans, knee-pieces in a suit of armour. 
 
 A. 31. 6. 
 Polle, pole, head. A. !>. 11. 
 Poon, like a peacock's tail? Paon, Fr. 
 
 A. 28. .. 
 Poudert, sprinkled over. A. 31. 6. 
 Pouere, power. A. 14.4. 
 Pourte, poverty. I'.. 33. 11. 
 Poundes, ponds ? A. 12. •">. 
 Prayd ? drew. See Bray d. A. 35. 7. 
 Prece, throng, company. C. 47. 1". 
 Preke, gallop away. C. 70. 16. rode up. 
 
 19. 5. 
 Prene, pin, bodkin? A. 20. 8. 
 Presowun, prisoner. C. 24. 2. Presun- 
 
 nere. 33. 1. 
 Preste, ready, prompt. A. 5."). 3. C. 
 
 2. 3: 36. 15. 
 Prestely, promptly. C. 19. o. 
 Preuabulle, proved in war, of prowess. 
 
 C. 2.3: 36. 15. 
 Preue, prove. C.37.15. Preued. 10.15. 
 Price, Prise, price, estimation, prize. 
 
 C.34. 5 : 72. 6. 
 Prykette, gnawed? A. 9. 11. 
 Prowe, proof. C. 18.3. 
 Prudliche, proudly. A. 28. 2. 
 Prustes, prustus, priests. B. 25. 7. 
 Purteuans, appurtenances. A. 19. 5. 
 Puret, furred. A. 28. 2. 
 
 P me, gorget of mail or plate, at- 
 
 tached to tin- helm"-' \ i •. 1 1 . 
 
 Quarte, joy. A. 20. 10. 
 
 Quat, what. 
 
 Q lur, whither. V. II. whither 
 
 thou art going. Quethir. 
 Quele, whei I. \. . i . '■. qui 
 
 wheelwright. 21. 11. 
 Quellun, kill. A. 1. 9. 
 Qucn, when. C. 4. 9. 
 
 stun, hunt in full cry. A. 1. 9. 
 than, whence. \. 28. 12 
 Quettus, whets. C. 4. 9: 1 . 
 Quyli b, Qayl, Qaille, whil ■. until. I 
 
 19. -'. Quil. B. 3. 11. 
 Quyte, white. 
 
 Quo, who. Quoin, whom. 
 Qwen, w! 
 
 Qwi, why. C. 13. 12. 
 Qwitte, free, redeemed. B.2.S. Qaytte, 
 
 paid? B. 16. I. 
 
 Raches, houn<l<. A. 5.6. < . 6. 7 : 7.5. 
 
 Radde, Rad, afraid. A. !'. B, 9. 
 
 Radder, redder. A. 13. 5. 
 
 Rade, rode. C. 19. 
 
 Radly, readily, promptly. ('. 19. 6. 
 
 Rafte, rafter? ('. 25.3. deprived, be- 
 reaved. C. 7. l. 
 
 Ray, array. A. 2. 4 : 31. 4. queen ? 14. 
 3: king? 49. 3. 
 
 Raykit, went, retired. \ .   -   b. 
 
 Rath . \. : I. ;i. quickly. 
 
 B. 30. 4. C. 16. 8. 
 
 Raw, row. C. 6 
 
 ■• Lo quhair thay raik on ran ." 
 
 Robine and Makyne. Hailcs, 1-' ). 
 ms, ribbons. \. 2. 3 31. 4. 
 
 Rechase, the recheat, a hunting term np-
 
 124 
 
 GLOSSARY. 
 
 plied to the notes blown on the horn 
 
 to call the dogs. A. 5. 10. 
 Rechs, recks. C. 51. 12. 
 Recraiand, recreant. C. 19. 9. 
 Rede, n. counsel. A. 8. 2. B. 3. 1. 
 Rede, v. advise, counsel. A. 34. 9: 41. 
 
 5 : 43. 4. 
 Redeles? A. 7. 3. reddoure. MS. 
 
 Douce, fear. 
 Rees, haste. C. 22. 16. res. A. 9. 8. 
 Relesche, release. A. 50. 3. 
 Releues, follow ? continue ? A. 5. 6. 
 
 " When the chassers relyit war." 
 
 Bruce, 7. 91. 
 
 " Hereleyt to him mony a knycht.'' 
 Ibid. 2. 401. 427. 
 
 It seems the same word as rally in 
 
 these passages. 
 Remus, realms. A. 21. 3. 
 Remuyt, removed ? C. 70. 12. 
 Rennyng, runniug. C. 6. 8. Rengnyng. 
 
 7. 5. 
 Renghte, rent? A. 50. 3. rentes, 
 
 MS. L. 
 Rere, raise. B. 1. 5 : 12. 9. 
 Rest, resting place ? quarters ? A. 5. 6. 
 
 C. 7.4: 70. 12. rested? A. 25.5: 
 
 18. 10. 
 Reuersut, trimmed. A. 2. 3. 
 Reuet, bereaved. A. 22. 8. 
 Rialle, royal. A. 24. 5 : 26. 7. used sub- 
 stantively. 36. 5. 
 Ryding, encounter. A. 23. 8. 
 Ry3t, right, Ry3tewis, righteous. A. 
 
 25. 5. 
 Righte, retch, tear, cut. A. 39. 11. 
 Ri3te, rite, funeral service. B. 24. 6. 
 Rysche-rote, rush-root. A. 43. 7. 
 Rise, bushes. C. 2. 12. 
 Roe ? A. 5. 6. 
 
 Romy, growl. C. 12. 3. 
 
 " The bore rored and romed so hy- 
 dously." 
 
 Morte d' Arthur, 1.137. 
 
 Ron, rose-bush? A. 13. 5. 
 
 " The roseis reid arrayit rone and 
 ryss." Henryson, Prol. to Fa- 
 bles. Sibbald, 1. 91. 
 
 Ronke, strong. A. 47. 6. 
 
 Rote, root. C. 4. 12: 12. 14. 
 
 Roune, tell, announce. C. 10. 9. 
 
 Route, retinue. A. 14. 3. multitude. 
 24 5: 26. 7. blow. A. 41. 5. 
 
 Rowte, snort? C. 12. 3. 
 
 Ro3te, care. C. 25. 15. 
 
 Rud, complexion. A. 13. 5. 
 
 Rude, big. C. 25. 3. 
 
 Rudely, speedily. A. 47. 11. C. 15. 8. 
 
 Ruet, rued. C. 22. 16. 
 
 Ruskes, roots. 0. 12. 14. 
 
 Sa savmhellus ? A. 2. 11. Sambutes, 
 housings, MS. D. 
 
 Saferes, sapphires. A. 2. 8. 
 
 Say, essay, try. C. 8. 8. trial. C. 28. 7. 
 
 Sailles, salutes. B. 57. 3. Saylut, p. t. 
 37. 12. Salit. 11.9. 
 
 Sale, hall. A. 6. 5 : 27. 1 
 
 Salers, salt cellars. A. 35. 8. 
 
 Saluen, heal, salve. A. 19. 10. sauyt, 
 healed ? 54. 4. 
 
 Sanapus, napkins. A. 35. 8. 
 
 Sandelle, fine silk. A. 30. 9. 
 
 Sare, sore. A. 7. 10. used substan- 
 tively, 19. 10. 
 
 Satenas, Satnace, Satanas, Satan. C. 
 8. 8 : 5. 3 : 15. 4. 
 
 Saule, soul. 
 
 Saueward, safe ward. C. 30. 3.
 
 GLOSS UlY. 
 
 hi, become reconciled. A. 52. 10. 
 Sajtenyng, reconciliation. A.. 51. II. 
 Scapette, escaped. A. 37. 4. Scapnt. 
 
 ( . :... 
 Scathelesj without injury. A. .57. 4. 
 Scha, grove. A. 6. -'. 
 Schaft, chops ? jaws ? A. 11. .'. 
 Schaftes, spears. 11. 55. 6. 
 Schaftmnn, half a foot. A. 41. :. 
 Schayr, chair. A. 38. 10. 
 Schalle, acil. go, art going. A. 11. .'» : 
 
 Schapelle, chapel. A. 3.">. 3. 
 
 Schene, beautiful, bright, clear. A. 6. 
 
 31. 5. 
 Schente, disgraced. C. 44. 8. 
 Schilde, hide. C. 13. 4: 11. G? 1*;. 
 
 Hi? 
 Schimnay, chimney. A. 35. 4. 
 Schyn, shall. A. 23. 13. 
 Schinbandus, greaves ? armour for the 
 
 legs. A. 31. 5. 
 Scho, she. 
 
 Schomely? A.46..*>. Error/or Schenely ? 
 Schope, shaped, created. B. 39. 1 ! . 
 Schrede, break in pieces. A. 44. 10. 
 Shredes, shrouds, protects from. A. 
 
 2. 7. Schrod, shrouded, clothed. A. 
 
 2. 7. 
 Schredus, shreds. A. 31. 5. 
 Schrewis, knaves. B. 39. 5. 
 Scoes, Scoghes, groves. A. 10. 12:5. 1. 
 Scrillus, screams. A. 42. 3. 
 Scryken, shriek. A. 10. 12. Scrykes. 
 
 i 2. 3. 
 Se, Sejhe, saw. A. 31. 10. 13. B. 6. 6. 
 
 sea. B. 44. 1. 
 Segge, man. A. 23. 3 : 28. 8. 
 Srkur, Sekir, safe, sure, trusty. C. I". 
 
 12 : 34.3: 13. 4. 
 
 Selcouthe, in a I 
 
 16. 
 
 I fortone, prosperity I 
 
 .. B 11.7. 
 
 . 
 Seler, canopj 
 Sembnlt, assembled. C. ll . I. 
 
 *~   nnli.-t . fairest. A. 28. 7. B. 1". 7. 
 
 \ . • . I . 
 Serclet, circled. \. - 
 
 eral, divi . lo. I. Part 
 
 iii sere, divide. B. I. 9: 65. I .'. 
 mdys, sergeants. A. ... IS • I 
 int, -• rvi d. 
 Session, meeting. A. , Q 
 
 Sesciwn. /. c. season, time? 
 Sesun, time. C. 16. 1 ">. 
 t, ceased. A. 51. .. 
 Seteler, player on the citole, a sort of 
 
 hurdy-gurdy A. .' 
 Sethyn, Sethun, since, afterwards, theD. 
 
 A. 20. 5. C. 10. 13. 
 Share, cut, sheared. A. 11. .'. 
 Shatnrt, chattered ? A. 11. 2. 
 
 " His tethe chattrit and shiveret with 
 the chin." Creseide. 
 
 Shide, splintered \ A.. 39. 7. - 
 
 splinters. 
 Shildnr, shoulder. 
 Shin, chin? A. 11. J. 
 Shindre, splinter. A. 39. 7. 
 Shol, j.nvl. A. 11. 2. 
 Siking, sighing. A. 7. l". Sikes. B. 10.4. 
 Syldun, seldom. A. 31. 10. 
 Siles, Binks. C. li>. 13. 
 Site, torment \. 17. 1. Sit. C. 16. i U 
 bithe, time, I n, manj 
 
 times. 
 Sithenne, then. A. I. 8. see Sethyn. 
 Sittus, grieve-. B. 21. 3 : 34. 3.
 
 126 
 
 GLOSSARY. 
 
 Sy3te, site ? place ? C. 70. 10. 
 
 Skille, Skylle, reason. 
 
 Slac, gap or ravine between two hills. 
 
 A. 23. 12. 
 Slely, slily. C. 3. 5. 
 Slidus, falls. C. 17. 15. 
 Slikes, slides. A. 48. 0'. 
 Slyuyng, sly trick ? A. 48. 5. Slynge, 
 
 MSS. L. and D. blow. 
 Sloe, slay. B. 63. 5. Slo3e, slew. C. 
 
 6. 13. 
 Smekis, smokes. C. 15. 12. 
 Smerte, quick, prompt. A. 42. 10. 
 Smyther? A. 42. 10. 
 Snaue, snow. A. 7. 4. 
 Snaypely, nippingly ? A. 7. 4. 
 Snellus, pierces. A. 7. 4. 
 Snyterand, drifting. A. 7. 4. 
 So, saw. C. 40. 2. 
 Socurt, succoured. A. 17. 12. 
 Solas, sport. A. 5. 13. 
 Sometour, sumpter-man. B. 18. 7. 
 Somoun, summons. B. 72. 5. 
 Somun, together. B. 55. 8. C. 25. 5. 
 
 Somen, 27. 9. 
 
 " His moder and he dwellyd in same, 
 
 With moche myrtbe joye and game." 
 Weber, Ipomydon, 1555. 
 Sone, soon. C. 7. 11. 
 Soppus of demayn, strengthening 
 
 draughts or viands. A. 37. 10. 
 Sowmus, sums. A. 12. 4. 
 So3t, sought. 
 
 Spanos, grasps? C. 13. 1. 
 Spedde, profited by ? B. 42. 12. 
 Spense, expence. C. 48.2. 
 Spild, broke, injured. C. 3.9: 14. 8. 
 
 Spillutte. 11. 8. 
 Spildurs, splinters. C. 13. 6. 
 Spille, perish, destroy. B. 12. 5 : 36. 5. 
 
 C. 35. 4. Spilling, failure. A. 20. 8. 
 Squappe, blow. A. 42. 7. 
 Sqwapputte, struck. A. 40. 7. Squappes, 
 
 snaps. 40. 11. 
 Squere, swear, Squorne, p. p. B. 
 
 23. 1. 
 Squete, sweet. 
 Squyne, swine. 
 
 Squyppand, sweeping. A. 5. 3. 
 Squyre, neck. A. 40. 7. 
 Squith, soon. C. 14. 10 : 25. 10. 
 
 Sqwithely, swiftly. 21. 4. 
 Sqwithur, soon. C. 44. 3. 
 Sqwitherly, strongly, violently. A. 5. 3. 
 
 Squetturly. 42. 7. 
 Squoes, flows with noise, sweeps? A. 5.3. 
 Squonyng, swoon. 
 Stadde, placed. B. 42. 9. stade. C. 
 
 35. 11. 
 Stalle, stead, place. B. 39. 9. 
 Stanseld ? embroidered ? worked with 
 
 gold or silver thread ? A. 31. 2. Lat. 
 
 extencellatus. Fr. etinceli. 
 Stapuls, staples, fastenings. A. 46. 6. 
 
 Perhaps the Vervilles. 
 Starte, short space of time. A. 20. 12. 
 Startand, starting, spirited. A. 40. 4. 
 Stedyt, stood still? A. 9. 5. Stedis, 
 
 stands. 32. 4. studied ? stopped ? C. 
 
 43. 13. 
 Sternes, stars. A. 31. 2. 
 Stid, Styd, Stydde, place. B. 42. 9:16. 
 
 3. A. 42. 8. Q. from the Saxon 
 
 stith, stede, stiff, obstinate, used sub- 
 stantively? 
 Stynte, stop. C. 28. 12. 16 : 33. 15. 
 Stirrun, stern. C. 12. 2. Sterne, used 
 
 substantively. A. 31. 1. 
 Stythe, strong. A. 46. 6. Stithest. 
 
 38.9.
 
 0LO8SAR1 . 
 
 127 
 
 Stondartis, tapers of a large size. A 
 
 3">. 9. \I-o, stands for armour. 
 Stonet, confounded, Btnick senseless. 
 
 C. 13. 13 : 88. I-'. 
 Store, strong, brave. A. 55. 10. a stake ? 
 
 C. 7. 14. Brockett, in v. Stower. 
 Stoure, battle, conflict. A. 13. <>. 
 Stowunde, time, a while. C. 26. 13. 
 Stray, On stray, aside, apart. A. 41. 
 
 12 : 31. 2. course? 40. 4. 
 Strauen, strewn. A. 46. 3. 
 Strencult, scattered. A. 46. 3. 
 Stryue, strife. B. 69. 5. 
 Stuffe? C. 4. 14. 
 
 Stryjte, Stre^te, tight. A. 41. 13 : 42. 1. 
 Stutfut, stuffed, inclosed. A. 31. 1. 
 Suche, seek? C. 7. 10. 13. 
 Sum, where. C. 10. 12. likewise. 20. 
 
 9. B. 69. 3. 
 Sum-qwile, once. A. 12. 1. 
 Sundurt, divided. C. 16. 15. 
 Sune, sun. A. 26. 4. 
 Sute, dress. B. 56. 9. 
 Sussprisut, surprised. A. 24. 7. 
 
 Tablet, table-cloth ? A. 31. 11. 
 
 Ta3te, committed, entrusted to, gave. A. 
 
 3. 9: 47. 7. 
 
 " Sethe y tek to the lond such tene me 
 wes taht." 
 
 Song of the Husbandman. 
 Teche, entrust, appoint to. A. 3. 9. 
 Tene, sorrow, mischief. A. 22. 9. C. 
 
 57. 9. anger. A. 40. 5 : 47. 7. 
 Tente, taken care of. B. 47. 7. lost, 
 
 tint. C. 28. 4. 
 Tenut, hurt. C. 28. 13. 
 Tere, tedious. A. 10. 4. 
 
 Terment, iutcrim-nt. I'.. ... I 1. 
 Than, tho I i. l . 
 
 Tbarne, endure. < . 66. I '>. 
 Thee, The, thrive. I . 17. 16: 51. 
 
 13. 
 
 Thenne, than. r,. 
 
 Thewis, manners. B. 19. 4. 
 
 Thi, with-thi, with this condition. \. 
 52. 10. 11. 62. B. For-thi, there- 
 fore. 
 
 Thyk-fold, frequent. A. 1.7. 
 
 Thing, think, seem. A. 2o. 10. < 
 16. 
 
 Thinke, thing. C. *',:. 16. 
 
 Tho, those. 
 
 Thoe, there. B. 19. 4: 56. 4. 
 
 Thore, there. C 6. 1": 25. io. 
 
 Thome, thorn-bush. C. 23. .'. With 
 the thriuand thorne, i. e. against, 
 opposite, the spreading thorn. 
 
 Thriuandly, heartily. C. 62. 11. 
 
 Throli, thoroughly, earnestly. A. 15. 10. 
 
 Thurt, need. C. .">7. 6. 
 
 Thus-gate, in this way. B. 13. 3 : . 
 
 Tide, time. A. 26. 3. Tyde, soon. A. 
 36. 5. 
 
 Tille, to. A. 23. 9. 
 
 Timburt, built up. A. 22. 9. 
 
 " And that hathe tymberde alle my 
 
 teene." 
 
 Le Bon Florence, 560. 
 
 Tite, speedily. C. 59. 16. 
 
 Tnte, fastened. A. 28. 4. 
 
 Todus, toads. A. 10. 4. 
 
 To-draw, drag about. B. 16. 10. 
 
 " That wilde besris to-drowe and gnowe." 
 
 A". Aluaunder, 7108. 
 
 Toe, two. B. 7. 7. 
 
 To-gnaw, gnaw in pieces. B. 16. 11 : 
 
 2 '. 1 '.
 
 128 
 
 GLOSSARY. 
 
 Tone, the one. C. 64. 15. 
 
 Topeus, topas. A. 28. 4. 
 
 Torne, tarn. C. 23. 1. 
 
 To-rofe, broke in pieces. B. 48. 8. 
 
 To-schildurt, broke in pieces. C. 21 . 13. 
 
 Tranest, error for Tranes ? knots. A. 28. 
 
 3: 40. 3. 
 Trase, track of game. A. 5. 11. 
 Traue, believe. B. 8. 12. 
 Traueling, travailing, toiling. A. 51. 6. 
 Tre, wood. B. 6. 5. 
 Trise, Tars ? A. 30. 9. 
 Tristurs, appointed stations in hunting. 
 
 A. 3. 8. 9. 
 Troches, torches. A. 35. 9. 
 Troue, believe. A. 16. 10: 22. 9. 
 
 Trowes. 3. 9. 
 Trowlt, ornamented with knots. A. 28. 
 
 3 : 40. 3. 
 Trulufes, true-love-knots. A. 28. 3 : 
 
 40. 3. 
 Trumpe, blow trumpets. C. 67. 13. 
 
 Ventalle, the moveable part of a helmet, 
 allowed for breathing. A. 32. 5. 
 Ventaylle. 45. 11. 
 
 Vernage, kind of white wine. A. 36. 2. 
 
 Verres, glasses. A. 36. 2. 
 
 Vetaylet, victualed, supplied, B. 48. 4. 
 
 Viserne, vizor. A. 32. 5. 
 
 Vmbeclosut, encircled. A. 9. 2 : 10. 2. 
 
 Vmloke, look round, take care. A. 36. 7. 
 
 Vnclere, cloudy, dark. A. 10. 2. 
 
 Vnclosut, dispersed. A. 26. 4. 
 
 Vncowthe, unknown, strange. C. 39. 
 14. 
 
 Vncurtas, uncourteous. A. 8. 6. 
 
 Vndi3te, undressed. C. 54. 2. 
 
 Vndur, nine o'clock in the forenoon. A. 
 
 17. 11. " Our sovereyn Saviour * * 
 was nayled unto the cross * * hang- 
 ing thre owris of the day fro under 
 unto none." MS. Sermon, Bibl. Harl. 
 No. 2247. 
 
 Vnfayn, unwillingly. A. 7. 1. 
 
 Vnhindely, uncourteously. A. 15. 5. 
 
 Vn-hijte, they had plenty of hay, 
 loosened, shaken down, in the racks ? 
 
 A. 35. 6. 
 
 Vnlasutte, unlaced. B. 52. 8. 
 Vnnethe, hardly. A. 51. 7. B. 18. 2. 
 Vnri3te, rooted up. C. 4. 12. 
 Vn-semand, dissembling, putting on ? 
 
 B. 27. 12. 
 
 Vn-skill, wrong. B. 67. 1. 
 Vnsquarut, answered. C. 19. 13. 
 Vnnewilles, displeasure, unwillingness. 
 
 A. 33. 8. 
 Vois, voice. C. 26. 7. 
 Vouch hur safe, vouchsafe her. B. 53. 8. 
 Vppe-hent, raised. B. 67. 7. 
 Vsshet, issued. C. 64. 13. 
 
 Waynes, strikes. A. 42. 2. 
 
 Waisters, spendthrifts. B. 21. 8. 
 
 Wayt, bold, active. C. 2. 8. 
 
 Wayth, hunting. A. 34. 5. 
 
 Wale, choose. A. 27. 3. 
 
 Wan, came. C. 14. 2. 
 
 War, wary. C. 1. 13. Warly, warily. 
 
 C. 2. 7. A. 38. 5. 
 Ware, protect. C. 14. 4. 
 Ware, curse. B. 2. 7. Waret, cursed. 
 
 A. 11. 5. Wary. 33. 7. 
 Wast, waist. A. 45. 6. 
 Wathes, harms. C. 14. 4. 
 Wedde, pawn, pledge. B. 33. 10. 
 Wedde-fee, wager. C. 53. 15.
 
 GLOSSARY. 
 
   
 
 Wede, mad \. I I. I -'• 
 
 Wede, armour, clothing. A. 27. !'. 
 
 wedes. A. 1.9. 
 \\ i deringes, bad weather. A. 26. !». 
 Wcdsette, mortgage. B. 3. ?. 
 Wee, knight, man. A. 29. I : W 
 
 50. 2. Wees, pi. 54. 3: 26. '.». v. 
 
 45. 3. 
 Weylde, protect. C. 13. 1G. 
 Weyndun, wend. go. A. 1. 9. B. 20. 
 
 1. C. 6. 1. 
 Weld, possess, enjoy. A. 33. 8, 9- B. 
 
 40. 10. wield. A. 45. 3. 
 Wele, wealth, riches. A. 21. 4. 
 Welke, walked. B. 44 1. 
 Welle, grassy plain, sward. A. 3. 2. 
 Welle, flow as a spring ? wail ? A. 25.4, 
 Welthis to wille, riches at pleasure. A. 
 
 27. 3. 
 Wende, weened, thought. B. 3 7. -'- 
 
 A. 50. 2. 
 Wene, doubt. C. 48. 12. 
 Were, protect. C. 36. 4 : 39. 8. 
 Wernes, forbids, prevents. C. 9. 7. 13 . 
 
 39. 10 : 45. 2. Wernut,;;. t. B. 13. 11. 
 
 " He may nothir mete nor drink 
 Y-werne us for shame." 
 
 Cokes Tale of Gamelyn. 
 Werre, war. A. 5. 4. C. 23. 15. wea- 
 riness ? 17-14. 
 Wete, wet. A. 7. 9. C. 39. 8. 
 Wete, know. A. 8. 11. 15. 3. 5. 
 
 Wotte,/;. /. B. 26. 6. 
 Wcting, knowledge. A. 19. 4. 
 We.x will of wone, grew wild of will, 
 
 uncertain what course to pursue. B. 
 
 33. 1 J: 34. 10. 
 
 " Hym partit fra his company 
 Than was he wil of berbery." 
 
 Wyntown. 
 
 CAMP. SOC. 
 
 Wide qu u 
 
 W il-unily. \\\' i; 
 
 W\n, \\ vim.', will. A • I. 
 
 W wide go. B. 5. in. ( 
 
 Wyiiimn, fori I I '.. 
 
 \\ irde, fate. \. 16. 1. 
 
 W j b in s, tell me. A. ! 1 . 5. 
 
 Wite, blame. B. 68. 1. wiae. C. 1. 13. 
 
 Wite, know, learn. Witte. <i. 15. See 
 Y\ 
 
 Wytes, goes. A. 17. 7 . 
 
 Witturly, truly, certainly. \. 15. i. C. 
 (i (I, 15: 21. 11. 
 
 \\ j nut, married. B. 64. 10. 
 
 Wi3te, person, applied to a female. \. 
 38. 6. 
 
 Wijte, active, brave, strong. C. I. 15: 
 4. 16. 
 
 \\ ut.ly, dextronsly. C. 14. 2. 
 
 Wyjtenes, courage. A. 21. 4. 
 
 Wlonkes, fair, beautiful, used substan- 
 tively. A. 1. 9. cheeks. 7. 10. 
 
 Wlonkest, fairest. A. 27. 9: 54.7. 
 
 Woch hit save, vouchsafe it, give it. B. 
 32. 9. 
 
 Wode, mad. B. G6.1. A. 42. 2. 
 
 Wold, possessed, enjoyed,/;, t. of weld. 
 \. 29. 1. 
 
 Wone, habitation. A. 13. 3. 
 
 Word, world. B.35.3: 62.3. \. 1 J. 
 
 Worlyke in wede, worthy in attire. I 
 
 54.8. an expletive phrai '■ ur- 
 
 lych. 
 Wote, know. C. 2. 2. 
 W ithe, barm, injury, mischief. Wothes, 
 
 pi. I . 13. 16: 36. 4. 
 Wothelik, badly. A. 24. l. Wothely. 
 
 54. 3. 
 Wrake, destruction, mischief. A. 17. 
 
 8 : C. 21. 3. 
 
 S
 
 130 
 
 GLOSSARY. 
 
 Wrathes, makes angry. C. 57. 14. 
 
 Wrote, grub up the earth. C. 12. 13. 
 
 \Vr03te, wrought, driven. A. 17. 9. 
 
 Wud, Wudde, wood. 
 
 Wunnyng, dwelling. A. 15. 4 : 25. 4. 
 
 Wurche, work, cause. B. 3. 2. A. 5. 
 4. C. 3. 12: 59. 15. 
 
 Wurlych, Wurliche, worthy, honorable. 
 A. 28. 10 : 29. 1 : 32. 2 : 38. 6. 
 
 Wurlok in wone, honorable in estima- 
 tion ? A. 13. 3. 
 
 Wurs, worse. A. 48. 4. 
 
 Yaure, your. 
 
 Yche, each. 
 
 Yede, went. B. 19. 7. Yode. 54. 5. 
 
 ^amerly, lamentably. A. 7. 8. 
 
 jamurt, cried. A. 7. 9 : 9. 3. 
 
 3are, quickly. A. 44. 8. C. 14. 9. 
 
 ready, open. 64. 8. 
 3 ate, gate. A. 14. 10. ^atis, pi. 
 jauland, yelling. A. 7. 8. 3aulut. 9. 3. 
 3aw, you. C. 7. 10. 
 3e, yea. B. 62. 7. you. 1.5. 
 3ees, gives. A. 14. 10. 
 3elles, yells. A. 7. 8. 
 3inge, young. B. 40. 5. 3unge. C. 7.3. 
 3isse, yes. C. 38. 1. 
 3istur-euyn, yester evening. C. 42. 3. 
 3ode, went. B. 66. 9. 
 3oe, yea. C. 24. 14. 
 3ole, Christmas. B. 14. 2. 
 3onge, tongue? C. 17. 7- 
 3orne, earnestly, promptly. C. 23. 3. 
 
 A. 48. 3.
 
 CORRIGENDA, &c. 
 
 ERRATA. 
 
 The Anturs. 
 
 2. 10. her, read hyr. 
 
 4. 3. on, read in. 
 
 4. 7. thyk-fold. 
 
 9. 2. evyl, read euyl. 
 
 12. 6. vn-told, read un-told. 
 
 17. 1. add a note of interrogation. 
 
 19. 1. the, read the. 
 
 24. 4. I-wene, read I wene. 
 
 28. 5. up, read vp. 
 
 29. 3. belte, read belle. 
 
 30. 5, 8. full, read ful. 
 32. 1. then, read thenne. 
 42. 7- suappe, read swappe. 
 
 45. 7. tother, read tothur. 
 
 8. stounde, read stouunde. 
 
 46. 8. evyr, read euyr. 
 
 Sir Amadace. 
 
 20 5. add at the end of the Km 
 51. 6. as, read os. 
 61. 2. the, »tw/ tbi. 
 
 77<e Avowynge. 
 
 4. 16. I-wisse, rearf I wisse. 
 7.4. raste, read rafte. 
 
 ACTUAL READINGS. 
 
 The following are the actual readings of 
 the MS. 
 
 Anturs. 
 
 3. 11. Vn-to a tre an. 
 14. 5. an besy. 
 31. 6. he ledus, is repeated. 
 41. 1. He keuet. 
 
 Sir Amadace. 
 
 28. 4. sometour non. 
 36. 9. this, is repeated. 
 
 The Avou-ynge. 
 
 8. 12. hen tille. 
 
 24. 14. grauntus 3ee. 
 
 38. 1. first written couad, afterward* 
 
 comande. 
 .".:. 9. vnto. 
 
 The following words arc rither joined 
 together or separated, differently in the 
 MS. and printed copy. 
 
 Anturs. 
 
 1 . ii. in to.
 
 132 
 
 CORRIGENDA, ETC. 
 
 7. 2. faufellus. 
 
 12. 1. sumqwile. 
 32. 5. a uaylet. 
 34. 9. ratheinon. 
 37. 2. woldnotte. 
 41. 6. in to. 
 
 43. 6. in toesomycull. 
 
 Sir Amadace. 
 
 37. 2. nomon. 
 48. 10. e nv^he. 
 50. 10. toesomuch. 
 55. 11. be for. 
 
 The Avowynge. 
 
 13. 1. span os. 
 16. 11. be gan. 
 24. 6. a gayn. 
 
 CONJECTURAL READINGS. 
 
 The Anturs. 
 
 2. 11. ryche sawn, i. e. sewed. 
 
 3. 7. be rydus. 
 
 9. 10. A padok pykette. 
 16. 6. hit is. 
 20. 6. other thinge. 
 29. 1. wurlichest wi3te. 
 33. 2. The grattust. 
 
 36. 2. in verres, and. 
 41. 5. Sayd, "I. 
 
 43. 2. that euyr. 
 
 44. 13. thai fy3te. 
 53. 13. thay kayre. 
 
 Sir Amadace 
 
 3. 11. and siluyr. 
 
 4. 7. suche men. 
 
 The Avowynye. 
 
 7. 9. to him. 
 
 10. 6. with (outen.) 
 
 20. 11. con I. It has been oriyinally, 
 
 con hur selle. 
 27- 5. thay re gere. 
 62. 9. horn grete. 
 
 DOUBTFUL READINGS. 
 
 Anturs. 
 
 2. 9. seledyms, or seledynis. 
 3.7. The fellus has been added secunda 
 manu, and should probably be omitted. 
 
 In the Notes, p. 95. 
 
 The reference to Meyrick's Critical En- 
 quiry should be vol. i. p. 76. Second 
 Edit. 
 
 LONDON : J. B. NICHOLS AND SON, PRINTERS, 25, PARLIAMENT STREET. 
 
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