University of Virginia Library

Vter.

O cler leom wiþoute mo þer stod fram him wel pur
Yfourmed as a dragon as red ase fur
Out of þe dragons mouþe tueye leomes þer stode þere
Þe grettore tylde euene est ouer france as it were
Þe oþer adde seue branches alle clere ynowe
& toward þe yrisse se westward euene drowe
Þo þis sterre was yseye men wondrede ynou
Vter þe kinges broþer mid is ost þo drou
To walis to þis strange men to asayli hom & fiȝte
Adrad he was sore ynou of þis wonder siȝte
Merlin he clupede & esste anon hou it miȝte þer of be
Merlin wep anon so vaste þat reuþe it was to se
Alas he sede þe deoluul harm þat ys endeles
Alas þat folc of brutaine þat is nou help les
Ded he is þe noble king aurely þi broþer
Ac þe sterre þat me ysey bitokneþ anoþer
Hye nou þou noble duc þat þe batayle were ysmite
Vor king þou worst of brutayne & þe maistrie bi ȝite
Vor þe sterre bitokneþ þe & þe fury dragon al so
Þe lem þat out of is mouþ ouer france is ydo
Þat bitokneþ a child þat þou ssalt biȝite ywis
Þat ssal biȝite france & oþer londes in þe world such mon nis
Þe lem þat tylþ westward a doȝter þat is
Þat þou ssalt biȝite & ȝo ssal abbe sones ywis
Þat ssal ech after oþer king of bruteine be
Of som oþer al in contek & þis me ssal yse
Þe noblemon of wam he spac þat he ssolde biȝite
Þat was þe king arþure as ȝe ssolleþ ywite
Vter let al þis be vor he ne leuede it noȝt anon
& wende toward seint dauid to mete wiþ is fon
Þe oþer were of hom ywar & ȝarkede in hor side
Hor ost & let hom army wel bataile uor to abide
Hii come & smite þis bataile & vaste slowe to grounde
In eyþer side moche folc in a lutel stounde
Kniȝtes & oþer folc ac attelaste vre louerd þoȝte
In is cristine folc & þe maistrie hom broȝte
Vor þer was gynemon aslawe king of yrlonde
& pascence vortigeres sone þat so moche poer adde an honde