University of Virginia Library

Arthure

Þer after hii wonne denemarch uor to do seruage
To þe king arthure euermo & to bere him truage
He made Lot is oþom king of norþweye
Þer after toward france hii dude hom in þe weye
Nou adde france þulke tyme þe emperour leon
& he bi tok in warde an duc þat het ffollon
Þat hardy bodi was & god & poer adde ynou
Þo he wuste þat þe king arthur þuder drou
Alle þe kniȝtes & þat folc þat in is poer were
He nom & mette þe brutons & smite batayle þere
Ac al þat hom was lute worþ vor aȝen þe king arthure
& is poer hii miȝte lutel wule dure
Vor euere wan he nom a lond al þe bachelerie
Þat aȝt was in þe lond he nom in is compaynie
& of is mayngnage vp is coust & uor he was so hende
Ech noblemon vawe was mid him uor to wende
& þe beste party of france to him al so he drou
Vor he was so large & hende þat him com poer ynou
Vor me ne tolde wel ney of nomon noþer here ne þere
Bote he mid þe kinge arthure In som manere were
Þo þe duc follon ysey þat is poer no þing nas
He fley into paris mid wel quic pas
& astorede þen toun & strengþede him aboute
King arthure & is poer asegede hom wiþoute
So þat wiþinne a monþe þe duc follon ysey
Þat is men vor defaute & uor hunger deyde ney
& þat is poer nas noþing aȝen þe king arþure
He þoȝte do is owe body wat he miȝte dure
Vor he was strong ynou & hardy þe strengost of þis londe
To þe king arthure he sende þat he ssolde him vnder stonde
To do an batayle hom sulue tuo mid hor owe honde
& weþer so miȝte aboue be were louerd over oþeres londe
Þe king arthure hurde þis no gladdore mon nas
He sende word þat al prest to such batayle he was
Sikernesse & treuþe ypliȝt of þis voreward hii nome
So þat a certein day yset to þe batayle hii come
A lute wiþ oute paris atyled wel ynou
Moche was þat folc aboute þat to þis batayle drou