University of Virginia Library

[Chapter IX]

Now Scheweth Forthere this Storye
that from Arthewr the messengeris gonnen hye,
and stuffeden thanne every garnesown,
every good cyte, and every town,
with arblasteris and seriawntis also;
thus merlynes comandement dyde they tho.
For he knew alle tho that trewe were,
lik as this Storye Reporteth here,
For merlyne knew ful wel that compeyne,
that be hem Treson scholde neuere non be.
and whanne they hadden thus j-don,
thanne to hem cam merlyne anon,
and seide they hadden ryht wel j-do.
thanne tolden they to merlyne vnto
how that be the weye assaylled they were,
and hou of vij knyhtes they deliuered hem there,
ek with the two kynges j-spoken also,
and how here londys they hadde deliuered tho
To tweyne barouns of that contre,
and the tokene of the ryng also tolden hee.
Anon seide merlyne to kyng Arthewr thanne:
“Goth, ordeyne ȝow to meten these worthy menne,
For thin owne men ful Syker they be,
and Born of hygh lynage, ful Sykerle,
and ek here wyves Jn that same wyse
hyghe Born as ony man kan devyse.”
thanne answeryd the kyng to merlyne ageyne:
“As thou me redest, j wyl don, certeyne.”
thanne quod merlyne jn alle haste:
“that the weyes ben clensid ful faste,
and þerto alle the maidenis that þou miht gete
hem to meten dawnsing jn that strete,
& thus with songe & dawnsyng with-owten þe town
hym so to meten in merie processiown,
and thanne ȝoure-self with alle ȝoure chevalrye
ek hem to meten ful worschepfullye.”
“Now, goode merlin,” quod Artheur the kyng,
“whanne mai j be seker of here comeng?”
“a sondai next comeng, er þe owr of Tyerce,
hidyr scholen thei comen bothe heyl & ferce.”
whanne that kyng Arthewr vndirstood al this,
thanne aftir merlines wil he wrowhte, j-wys,
and merline him tawhte what he scholde do,
and hou to the kynge he scholde speken vnto,
that jn non wise jnterupt scholde he not ben
Jn non thing that he Scholde don other sen.
Vppon this him ordeyned Artheur the kyng
aȝens these kynges to gon encowntryng.
thus abyden they stille til vppon the sonday.
thanne myht me sen men there jn good aray:
the kyng Artheur & al his Baronye,
therchebisschope of dover with his clergye,
thus with processioun they hem metten, sykerle.
thanne gret kysseng & joye there men myhten se.
thus toward the cyte passeden they there,
where as dawnsyng many maidenis were
with many karoles & ryht merye song,
at that tyme was these maidenis among.
and thus thorugh the cyte thei gonne to ride
To the grete towr that ilke tyde.
Anon as these kynges to þe paleis weren browht,
grete jewelis and ȝiftis sone weren vpe sowht
and to the kinges presentyd there;
also cowrseris, palfreyes, & with destrere,
ek robes, and armures bothe goode & riche
To these kynges he ȝaf and to oþer j-lyche.
and al this wrowht he be merlines cownsaille,
For aftyr hit dede hym gret availle.
So that gret love he gat him there
Of Riche and powre thanne Every-Where,
and of hem that neuere hym sye
Toforn tyme ne aftyr with here eye.
Ful mochel merveylleden the peple tho
whens that alle tho jewelis comen fro,
and jn so schort time hit was j-don,
bothe to hye and to lowe þere riht anon.
So that eche man jn his degre
kyng Artheuris man swor forto be,
and for nothing hym Neuere to faylle
jn pes, in werre, nethir jn bataille.
Whanne that these kynges jn þe cite were,
daunsyng of ladies Syen thei there,
Torneyeng of Bacheleris ȝonge,
that alday lasted jnto evensonge.
more ouer alle the stretis of the cyte
with clothis of Sylk weren hanged, sikerle.
and bothe fayr wedyr and cler hyt was,
For nethyr rein ne hayl þat day þere nas.
and alle the stretys with lampes hanged were,
and euerich lampe ful of Bawm was there,
whiche that brenden so Swetely,
that al the cyte þere-offen savourede, trewly,
So that the swete odowr smellyd myhte han be
half a myle thanne, ful certeinle.
So that the barouns forth wenten in fere
To the chyf mynstre anon ryht there.
there met weren they with processioun,
with cros, Baneris, and gomfanoun.
Therchebisschope the masse sang, veramente,
and aftyr masse to paleys they wente,
the thre kynges al jn Fere
with alle the baronage þat was there,
where as manye worthy viandes weren dyht
þerwith the kynges to serven, as hit was ryht.
and alle thre kynges to-gederis they sete,
with hem therchebisschope, as hit was mete;
at on table alle J-Served they were
with rial deyntes whiche weren there.
thanne weren there two ȝonge knyhtes
that thyke day the halle serveden outrihtes
with sire kay, sire Vlphin, and sire Bretel;
that day they deden wondirly wel.
the names of thes knyhtes so ȝonge
J schal ȝow declaren Jn Englysch tonge.
the ton hyhte Lucans the Botelers,
the tothir sire Gyrfles, a knyht ful fers.
thus with these knyhtes the halle served was
with gret deyntes thike day jn that plas.
Aftyr noon was vpe set the qwyntyn,
the ȝonge knyhtes þere justed wel and fyn,
and Boordeieden there alle theke day,
and aftyrward to torneyeng, with-owten nay.
So weren they devyded on partyes tweyne,
on eche side vij hundred, jn certeingne,
of whyche of the rem of Baynoic, vtterlye,
thre hundred weren in that compenye.
and whanne these parties assembled were,
alle thre kynges weren they there.
and mochel of the clergye þere was also,
and of astronomers that jn þe rewm was tho.
ȝit vndir hem alle cowden they not telle
on whiche syde the better befelle,
Sauf only merlyne he cowde declare,
whiche side the bettere scholde han thare.
Thus the thre Kynges And therchebysschope tho
at Fenestris and wyndowes lokeden tho,
and hou to-gederys they gonnen torneye,
ek hou that here hors gonnen for to neye,
and hou that the erthe hyt denede also,
So faste to torneyeng gonn they to go.
Thanne thus whiles they torneyed there,
Jnto a renge aperyd thanne there
Sire Gyrfleȝ, the sone of cardwelle,
vppon a stede that was stowt & felle;
jnto that renge he rod ful faste.
& aȝens hym cam on atte laste:
a knyht of Baynoic, that hyht Ladmas,
with sire Gyrfles mette jn that plas;
and assone as they to-gederis mette,
Grete strokes on ech other there sette;
with sperys and scheldes toforn here breest
To-gedires they mettyn at here Treest.
and so sore to-gederis they ronnen there,
that ech vppon other barst his spere,
For worthy knyhtes they weren bothe two,
and eche be hym-self desirede also:
the toon desired worschepe, trewelye,
The toþer richesse and Seygnourye.
So sore they torneyeden togederis thanne,
that hem thowhte the brayn was owt of h[er]e panne,
and ek the eyen owt of here hed,
So sore they torneyed jn that sted.
and ech of hem to erthe oþer there bar,
that jn Swowneng stille they lyen thar.
So that the peple wenden, þat stoden abowte,
that bothe hadden ben ded, with-owten dowte.
For so crwel a fyht Syen they neuere ere
be-twixen two men that knyhtes were.
Thussone to-broken the renges anon;
to rescwen these knyhtes wenten they ful son.
there on partye with anothyr to-gederis gonne mete,
that on eyther partye lay jn the strete.
ek so sore to-gederis metten they there,
that eche man on othyr brak his spere.
whanne that here sperys to-broken were,
anon here swerdis they pulden owt there.
So that there a melle began ful strong,
betwixen tho knyhtes hem among.
ȝyt was there thanne anothyr knyht,
that ful merveillously bar hym in fyht,
that Lucans le boteler was his name,
cosin germayn to Gyrfles, a man of fame.
This Lucans so on gan taken there,
that bothe hors and knyhtes he gan to fere.
For so harde he took on thanne,
that his strok ne dorsten abyden non manne.
he rente the helmes of hedis adown,
here scheldes caste ouer here arsown,
and swiche maistryes werken þere he began,
that of hym merveillede many a man.
and so deden these kynges thre,
and of hym merveilleden jn many degre.
These jostes beheld wel Artheur þe kyng,
kyng Ban and kyng Boors, with-owten lesyng,
and behelden the chevalrye of syre kay,
that he there dyde that ylke day,
and seiden he was a worthy knyht,
vayllaunt & vysable jn every fyht.
and whanne Lwcans the Botelers Sawgh kay so do,
hym forto helpe hym nede not to go.
Thanne took He His Hors With His spores Anon,
and jnto the grettest pres he gan to gon,
and smot Syre Bloys so sore there,
that al on peces to-barst his spere,
and to the grownde him bar down ryht,
and his swerd owt drowgh þere forto fyht.
thanne began þere gret Torneyenge
here felawes to socowr forto brynge.
Thanne cam Sire Gyrfleȝ, armed ful bryht,
as faste prekinge as that he myht,
and Sawgh there Blyobers & his felawes tweye,
that abowten Sire kay weren, trewelye.
and with here swerdes on hym they leyden faste,
that wondyr hit was he myhte hit laste,
For grete nede of socour there hadde he,
For he was but on aȝens hem thre,
and thike thre þe best men were
of Baynoykes meyne þat was there.
thanne mette he there with placydes,
and his helm to-barst jn that pres.
Aftyr Rod he to Blyobers,
that thike tyme was bothe stordy & fers,
and smot evene a-myddes þe scheld,
that he there fyl doun jn the feld,
and drowh owt his swerd anon thanne,
and smot sire placydes so on þe panne,
So that sore astoned þere he was,
and from his hors fyl down jn that plas.
Thanne what tyme Syre kay beheld al this,
vp ful sone he hym dressed, j-wys,
and beheld sire Gyrfleȝ, his socourer,
and thowhte that kyndenesse to qwyten owher.
So from that day evere aftyr-warde
they loveden to-gederis ful strong & harde;
Al the whyle they leveden here,
myht non man departin hit fer ne nere.
Thanne whanne the tables j-drawen were,
jnto a chambre the kynges wenten there,
Therchebisschope and Antron ek also,
whiche chambre on þe rever stood tho.
and with hem these two knyhtes wente,
Sire Vlphyn and sire Bretel, veramente.
thanne thus of manye thinges they spooke,
and atte laste kyng Artheur gan loke,
and aspyde these two knyhtes with-jnne a whyle.
thanne anon kyng artheur be-gan to smyle,
whanne he bethowhte hym vppon the jorne,
as merlyne hadde hym told, ful Sykerle,
whanne that on his message þey wenten, apert,
hou that they thanne spedden jn desert,
& hou from vij knyhtes deliuered they were.
he preyde hem to þe kynges to tellen hit þere.
and thanne the kynges preyden hem also
The sothe hem to telle—“er that ȝe go.”