The story of England

¶ De Tumba Elene, & de nutrice eius. [Lambeth folio 53a:1]

Beduer sey þe toumbe was newe, & of hure deol his herte gan rewe. Whan scheo perceyued sire Beduer, Scheo saide, "cheytyf, what wiltow [caitife what dos þou.] her? Line 12,244 " Som synne haþ þe hyder y-brought, " Þat þy deþ her hastow [dede here has.] sought; " Þis day ys þe schape to deye, " ȝyf þe geaunt þe se wyþ eye. Line 12,248 " Þis ilke hil swyþe þou weyue, " So þat he þe nought perceyue." " ¶ Wyf," he seide, "for [par.] charite, " Let þy gretyng, & spek wyþ me, Line 12,252 " & sey me what þou art, & why " Þou wepest here so delfully, " & ho ys leyd here on þis graue;

" & sey me soþ, so God [criste.] þe saue!" Line 12,256 ¶ " I am," scheo seyde, " a wo-bygon," " An helples þyng, a waryed on, " & grete for a maydens [I grete for mayden.] myshap [sen.] " Þat whilom y norisched at my pap, Line 12,260 " & souke y gaf hure of my brest; [^3_3

at souke .I. gaf hir of my pap.I. norissched hir of my breste.

] " & þis ys hure toumbe [One stroke too many for um in the MS.] þat þou sest; " Eleyne scheo highte, Oheles nece, . " Of flesche was non so fair a pece. Line 12,264 " To norische sche was me taught, [to me scho was bitauht.] [Petyt folio 72a:2] " Alas þe while y euere hure aught! " So cam þis fend to þys contre, " & tok boþe Eleyne [hir.] & me, Line 12,268 " & broughte vs here vnto þis hyl, " So þat noman dar come vs tyl. " Eleyne he wolde haue furlayn, " But sche ne myghte nought wyþ þat payn; " He was so huge, [grete.] ouer mesure, Line 12,273 " & scheo so ȝong, þat myght nought dure. " Þorow gret destresse hire herte brast, " In his armes scheo ȝald þe gast, Line 12,276 " & yn þys toumbe y haue hure leyd; " & þus hit was [so it is.] als y haue seid." ¶ Þen seid he, " wherto dwellest þou here, " Syþen [sen.] sche ys ded þat was þe dere?" Line 12,280 " Sire," scheo seyde, " y wil þe telle " ȝif þou durstest [durste.] so longe dwelle. " Sire, for y þe se of body auenaunt, " & gentil man by [þi] [be þi.] semblaunt, Line 12,284 " When y sey Eleyne so schamely deye, " My wit was lorn, & al a-weye;

" Wyþ force he dide me leue stille, " His lecherie in me to fulfille. Line 12,288 " On God hym selue y take witnes, " Þat al maugre myn hit es! " & ilka tyme þat y him se, . " Y wilde be sonken, for y ne may fle; Line 12,292 " & y trowe he comeþ right [hope [expect] he comes.] sone, " His lecherie wyþ me to done. " Y telle þe ded, ȝyf þou here bydes, . " No þyng ne saueþ þe, ne hides; Line 12,296 " Swyþe þou fle, y gyue þe red, " Y wolde nought þou were so [wild not se þat þou were.] ded. " ȝonder ys he, y schal þe kenne, " On ȝone hil þer þou sest brenne; Line 12,300 " Sone to come his tyme schal be, [Lambeth folio 53a:2] " Þer-fore, sire knyght, y rede þou fle, " & let me haue my self my sorewe, " My wille ys to be ded [to die.] to morewe." Line 12,304 Of hure wo sore hym ouer þought; [forþouht.] But he ne wiste what hure dought, Ne to make [ne he to mak.] [Petyt folio 72b:1] long dwellyng. He turned ageyn vnto þe kynge; Line 12,308 & als scheo seide, so he hym tolde, How Eleyne deyde, & scheo in holde, & he scholde fynde þe geaunt Y þe more hil, þer was his haunt; Line 12,312 " Out of þat stede þe smoke cam [comes.] fro, " We may hym fynde ȝif þat we go." ¶ ffor Eleyne had Arthur sorewe ynow, & abod til þe flod wyþ-drow. [widrouh.] Line 12,316 Vntil [vnto.] þe ebbe a stounde þey bod, Wiþ þer hors þen ouer þey rod,

& wenten bote a softe [schorte.] pas Tyl þei perceiued wher he [MS. scheo. P. he.] was. Line 12,320 Þeir stedes & þer palfreys Þeir squiers helde, wiþ oþer harneys; But sire Beduer & sire Kay ȝede wiþ Arthur vp þe way. Line 12,324 Arthur seide, "y wil proue my might, " Wiþ þe geaunt alone to fight; " Hold ȝow here byhynde a lyte; " Alone on hym wil y first smite; Line 12,328 " While [till.] y may my selue saue, " Oþer help wil y non haue; " Me þynkeþ hit were no vasselage, " Þre til on; hit were outrage! Line 12,332 " Nere þe les, ȝyf þat ȝe se nede, " Bettere ys help þan ouer drede; " ffor men seye, 'hit ys folye [P. leaves out this line.] . " ' In strengthe to mikel for to affye.' " [P. leaves out this line.] Line 12,336 Þey seide, 'for prowesse ne for ȝelp, ' ȝyf hit were ned, þey wolde hym help.'