The Story of England :: :: University of Virginia Library

Arthur herde hit sone seye
How to Oston he tok þe wey,
& wolde nought to bataille stande
Til hym com more help til hande;
But þer-til Arthur nought ne radde,
So longe abide til he folk hadde,

462

But as priuely as men myght,
He dide his ost remue þat nyght,
& let Langres on þe left,
& þe wey til Ostum hym reft.
By o weye þat he wiste gayn,
He passed hilles, wode, & playn,
Til þey com þer þe stret lay hey,
In a valeye þat hatte Swesy;
Þorow þat veleye alle camen,
Þat fro Ostum to Langres namen.
When þey were þere he bad þem rest,
& syþen ilkon þer armure on kest,
To be redy, what tyme þey mette,
Swyþe on hem to-gydere sette.
Þer harneys & þer frapaille
Þat fel nought to be in bataille,
Vnder an hil he set þem þere,
As þey armed men alle were,
Þat when þe Romayns on þem had sight,
Þe mikelhed schuld make þem aflight.
A legion þe kyng ches & tok,
Þe Erl of Gloucestre had þo to lok,—
A legion ys of folk þat wex,
Sex þousand, sex hundred, sexti & sex,—
& tauht hym on an hil to byde:
“Meue nought, for ought þat may bytide,
“Til þat y come, when y se nede;
“Þorow þe, we may stande & spede.
“ȝyf swylk auenture bytide or be,
“Þat þe Romayns turn bak & ffle,
“ffolewe þou affter, þenne, & slo;

463

“In god tyme þider þou go.”
Sire Moronthe seide hit schold be don.
ȝit tok þe kyng a legion
Of doughti knyghtes horsed wel,—
Þey bere þe name of þe beste eschel,—
In more sight were þo set,
Hym self was chef, & he þem get;
Þey were þo þat þe rounde table preised,
Þat he had norisched & vp reysed,—
A-mong þo was þe dragoun
Þat Arthur bar for gonfanoun;—
Þat oþer was set at his pay
On eyghte batailles of gode array;
Alle were þey knyghtes gode,
& hardy men þat wel stode;
He bisoughte þem at her might,
When þe fotmen schulde fight,
Þat horsmen come ouer-þwert,
& trauersed þe Romayns smert.
In ilka bataille was teld þus euene—
Þus fond y write as y schal neuene—
ffif þousand, fif hundred, fifti & fyue,
Of þe noblest knyghtes o lyue,
Wel armed at her wille,
& hadde no doute of non ylle.
Þus were þey sett, right as y finde,
ffoure byfore, & foure byhynde;
Bytwixt þise foure was folk þe moste,
Alle þe comune of þer hoste,

464

On hors, on fote, arrayed ful wel,
Þat were nought set in non eschel.
Þe fotmen also ful doughti ware,
In ilka bataille for to fare.
In ilka bataille of lordynges,
Two cheftayns chosen, erles & kynges:

Sire Agusel hadde þe first bataille,
Wiþ sire Cador of Cornewaille;

Beofs of Oxenforde hadde þe secounde,
Erl Geryn of Chartres halp hym þat stounde;

A-child of Denmark þe þrydde conreye,
Wyþ sire Loth, kyng of Norweye;

Þe ferthe had Ohel of Bretaygne,
& wyþ hym was þe gode Wawayne.
After þo foure, oþer foure ware
Renged & set to bataille ȝare;

Of þat on, was Kay Iustiser,
& wiþ hym was sire Beduer;

Þat oþer eschele had sire Holdyn,
& sire Gwitard þe Peyteuin;

Þe seuenþe had Iugens of Leycestre,
Wyþ sire Ianatas of Dorcestre.

Þe Erl of Chestre, sire Cursalen,
Baruk of Circestre, of Baþe Vrgen,
Þe eyghteþe bataille to þem was allied,
fful mykel on þem Arthur affied;
Þe seriauntz & þe archers,

465

& oþere noble arbalasters,
Þo were set wyþoute þe pres
To kepe þe Romayns at trauers;
But bifore Arthur schuld þeos alle wende,
& Arthur was þen y þe last ende.