The story of England

¶ De crudelitate fortissimi belly inter Arthurum & Inperatorem.

He smot his stede, & forþ to [gon.] go, Romayns to felle, Romayns to slo; Line 13,880 Þo þat hit seye, myght hit wel seye, [saugh it mot wele say.] So mykel folk for hym gan deye, So many helmes for hym þorow dryuen, Scheldes clouen, hauberks ryuen, Line 13,884 Þat Caliborne hadde þorow byten, Hedes, armes, legges, [schankes armes.] of smyten; I may nought seye al, ne how,

At ilka dynt a man he slow. Line 13,888 As þe lyon for hunger snacches & sleþ [slos.] þe best þat he first lacches, [katches.] So ferd Arthur wyþ ilkon, Many hors, men, a [man ne hors.] lyue left non; Line 13,892 Wham-so he myghte reche or smyte, Þough [þof.] he hym wounded neuere so lyte, Leche craft couþe hym nought seye; [saue.] . ffor any medisine, nede most he deye: [no medicyne þat he mot haue.] Line 13,896 ⁷As þe wolf chaseþ þe schep, He dide þe Romayns by-fore hym lep;⁷ [^7-7

all for drede befor him fleih.as schepe agayn þe woulf ne deih.

This simile is in the MS. du Roi, 73, Cangé, of Wace, though not in De Lincy's 27, Wace, ii. 214, note (a).] And als Arthur after þem schok, Sertor of Lubye he ouer-tok; Line 13,900 His hed he smot of at o dynt, ffor non armure þe swerd ne stynt; Seide Arthur þen to þo þer ware, [The four lines 13,903-6, are in the MS. du Roi, 73, Cangé, of Wace, though not in De Lincy's No. 27 Wace, ii. 214, note (b).] " Schame þe tyme þou armes bare! Line 13,904 " & þat þou come me so ney, " Caliborne to make blody!" Arthur ouer-gat in [ouertoke.] [Petyt folio 80b:1] anoþer pres Þe kyng of Bythayne, [bitinie.] Pollydetes, Line 13,908 Of a lond of Payenye: A wonder strok [a selcouth.] Arthur let flye! By þe schuldres þe hed of plat; Þe hed fel doun, þe body vp sat. Line 13,912 Þorow Arthures wordes & dedes trayst, Þe Bretons [MS. Romayns. P. bretons.] bolded, & Romayns abaischt;

Netheles þe Romayns wel abod, Ageyn þe Bretons stifly rod, Line 13,916 & foughten [laid at.] as þey were wod, Wiþ gret strengþe a-geyn þem [þei.] stod. ffor Arthur saw þey wolde nought scurne, He gaf þem strokes wyþ Caliborne. Line 13,920 Þemperour þenne taried [soiorned.] nought, On Arthures folk ful sore he sought, But þemperour ne Arthur þe kyng Mighte nought mete for no þynge; Line 13,924 Mikel was þe pres, ful þykke þe þro, Þey myghte nought mete; Arthur was wo. [ll. 13,925-13,926. The Petyt MS. leaves out this line.] Wel faught þe Breton, & wel þe Romayn; A þousand wyþynne a þrowe were slayn; Line 13,928 Might noman wyte ho schulde ȝut wynne, Ne whiche of hem wer oute ne inne; [ne whas was ouer no whilk was In.] Þer was þe flour of boþe partis, . & neyþer side bar [noiþer bare.] ȝit þe pris. Line 13,932 Moreont, [Morinth.] of Gloucetre cheftayn, Meoued aboue vpon [aboun on.] þe montayn; He sey þe bataille was ful long, . Ne non ne fledde out of þe þrong; Line 13,936 He hadde a legion of folk þat wex Sex þousand, sex hundred, sexti & sex; And alle knyghtes wyþ helm on stede; [Lambeth folio 59b:1] . & þoughte þat Arthur hadde nede; Line 13,940 He sey non þat hym ne [sauh þat non.] gaf þe feld, & til þe Bretons þer owen held; He þoughte þorow help of a lite . Þey scholde þe Romayns desconfite, Line 13,944 & for to venge Arthures [maynten Arthure.] [Petyt folio 80b:2] tene,

Of þe Romayns þey schuld make clene. He com doun al pryuely, Þat non ne herde noyse ne cry; Line 13,948 Byhynde þe bank he cam al hot, & on þe Emperours side he smot, & his [þer.] bataille perced þorow out. . Þen gon þey baysche þat er wer [þan þei bessed þat are was.] stout, Line 13,952 Þe Romayns þenne no lenger [langer.] byden, Þe Bretons folewed, & þem ouer ryden, & al fleynge [& fleand.] lightly þem slow, & spoyled hem, & al to-drow; Line 13,956 Syn had þey no grace to stande, Ne myghte relye, [recouer.] but euere fleande. Þer was þemperour slayn of chaunce Þorow-out þe body wiþ a launce;— Line 13,960 Y can nought seye ho dide hym falle, But sire Wawayn, men seide hit [said þei. (See Langtoft, i. 216.)] alle; Y þe laste bataille þat in sprong, . He was slayn þer [þam.] among; Line 13,964 Þe certeyn can þer noman ame, [P. leaves out this line.] But sire Wawayn bar þe name;— [P. leaves out this line.] Among þe dede þey hym founde, [amang þe dede þei him fonde.] & wiþ a spere was his wounde. [lance was his wonde.] Line 13,968 Þe Romayns alle faste þey fledde, & þe Payens for drede spredde; Whilk of þem þat swyþest nam, Þe Bretons kept þem as þey cam; Line 13,972 Þey were wery alle to slo, ffor wery, manion let [Many of þam lete. P. trans|poses this line and the one above it.] þey go; Þe blod ran þer [doun.] as water stremes

. In chynes, in creuesses, [kynnes in creuesse.] & in semes; Line 13,976 Gode stedes & palfrays ȝede o stray, ilk his [þer.] ways. Arthur was glad þat þorow here dome Had so abated þe pride [he had abatid þe pris.] of Rome; Line 13,980 ffor byforn, seyden [so said.] alle þe Romayns, Þat non myght standen þem ageyns; Þerfore þanked Arthur God Almyght, Line 13,983 Þat gaf hym þe maistri of hem þorow fight.