The story of England

¶ De nobilitate Arthury.

But in þyse twelf ȝeres tyme ffel auentures þat men rede in ryme; . In þat tyme were herd & sen Line 10,581 Þat somme seye, þat neuere haþ [had.] ben. Of Arthur ys seid many selcouþ . In diuerse landes northe & souþ Line 10,584 Þat men holdeþ now for fable,

Be þey neuere so trewe ne stable. Al ys nought soþ, ne nought al lye, Ne al wysdam, ne al folye; Line 10,588 [See the lines 10,040-7 in Wace, ii. 76-7 from MS. du Roi, 73, Cangé, against the embellishers of the Arthur story throwing discredit on it by their fables.] Þer nys no þyng of hym seyd þat hit ne may be to godnesse leyd. [þat ne it may to gode laid.] More þan oþere were his dedes, . Þat men of hym so mykel redes; Line 10,592 Ne were his dedes hadde be writen, [P. leaves out this line and the next.] Of hym no þyng men scholde haue wyten. [MS. wryten.] Geffrey Arthur of Monemu, . He wrot his dedes þat were of pru, Line 10,596 & blamed boþe Gyldas & Bede, Why þey wolde nought of hym rede, Syn he bar þe pris of alle cristen [siþen he was pris of all.] [Petyt folio 63a:1] kynges, . & write so litel of [þei wild not write.] his preysynges, Line 10,600 & more worschip of hym spoke þer was [of him was.] Þat of any of þo þat spekes Gildas, Or of any þat Bede wrot, . Saue holy men þat we wot. Line 10,604 In alle landes wrot men of Arthur, Hys noble dedes of honur: In ffraunce men wrot, & ȝit men wryte, . But herd haue we of hym but lyte; [Here haf we of him bot lite.] Line 10,608 Þere-fore of hym more men fynde In farre bokes, als ys kynde, Þan we haue in þys lond: [Lambeth folio 46a:2] . Þat we haue, þer men hit fond; [ll. 10,609-10,612. The Petyt MS. leaves out this line.] Line 10,612 Til Domesday men schalle spelle, & of Arthures dedes talke [MS. takke. P. talk.] & telle.

Now ys Arthur of pleyn age, . He conseilled wyþ his baronage; Line 10,616 & his gode knyghtes hym redde, Þat he had fostred & forþ fedde. He seyde he wolde ouer se [he wald wend.] to Fraunce, & wynne hit al wyþ dynt of launce. Line 10,620 But first he seide 'he wolde [bot first he wild.] to Norweye, ' Þe kyng had sent hym bode [þe kyng sent. (Sicelins li rois mors estoit, Wace, ii. 77, l. 10,052.)] he hoped to deye; " & Loth, myn neuew, schal he his eyr; " To make hym kyng y am in speyr; Line 10,624 " His neuew he ys, of next degre, " Of blod ys non nerrer þan [non heire bot.] he." Right as he seyde, also he [Sichelyn said & þus.] þought, He wende þe barons wolde so haue wrought; But when þey seye þat he was ded, Line 10,629 Þey toke þem til anoþer red: Loth to haue, þey hym forsok, . & anoþer kyng þey tok; Line 10,632 ffor alle [þus.] þey seide wyþ o mouþ, ' Þey wolde haue no kyng [man.] vncouþ; 'Þey hoped nought þey schold hym fynde . 'Als godliche as þer owen kynde. [ll.10,635-10,636. The Petyt MS. leaves out this line.] Line 10,636 ' Alyens,' þey seyde, 'he wolde auaunce, ' Þat schulde be þeire appurtynaunce. ' A heued þey wolde haue þem aboue, ' Þat hem wolde auaunce & loue.' Line 10,640 Þorow þat consail & þat reson, Rycolf þey ches, was a baron, & coroned hym, & now ys [mad him.] kyng; & þus haþ Lot [þus gate hast.] lorn þat þyng. Line 10,644

Line 10,644 " ffor help," seid Arthur, "Loth haþ bysought; [has souht.] " ffaille hym by no weye wol y nought; " Y wolde his honur & [his] [his.] [Petyt folio 63a:2] right, " & þat schal y he[l]pe at my [& help þerto þat .I.] myght. Line 10,648 " Rycolfes coroune y wolde abate, " Þat þe Noreys gef hym so late."