Sire Arthur hadde weder at wille,

Saflyk he seyled, wythouten ylle;

Hys folk was ioiful & gl[a]dly let,

ffor þeire pathe fare to Bareflet.*. [þei red þam right to barbflete.]

Atte midnyght men gaf god kep,

Arthur fel on slomber & slep;

In his slepyng als he gan*. [slepe as he gon.] lye,

Hym þoughte he sey a Bere flye

An hugely gret, a lothly best,*. [a long & an vgly beste.]

& fley faste towardes*. [flouh fast towàrd.] þe est. Page  424

O þat oþer syde a Dragon vp stey;

In to þe west hym þoughte he fley;*. [it flegh.]

Of his mouþ a flaume cam out,

Þe lond, þe water, schon al about.

Þe bere assailled þe dragoun,

& he defended hym as a lyoun;

Wonderly ilk oþer gan assaille,

& strong was þanne þer bataille;*. [ll. 12,113-12,114. The Petyt MS. leaves out this line.]

Scharply þer ilk oþer smot,

. Bitterly boþe þey blewe & bot.

Þe dragon was swyft, & sleyly*. [suyftly. (Wace has for the three lines before, only "Mais li dragons "l'ours enversoit," ii. 143, l. 12,540.)] swypte,

Þe bere in his clawes he clypte,

& þriste hym so þat he to-barst,*. [to braste.]

& doun vnto þe erþe hym cast.

Arthur of his slepyng wok,

Gret tent of his drem he tok;

He askede clerkes sete*. [sat.] hym aboute, [Lambeth folio 52b:1]

Wheþer hit mente drede or doute:

" Y wolde wyte what hit wolde*. [wild wit what it mot.] mene,

" & wheþer hit tokned ioye or tene,

" & wheþer hit was help or dere,

. " Þat þe dragoun slow þe bere."