The alliterative Morte Arthure

Lines 3206 through 3337

Than this roy royall rehersys theis wordes: Line 3206 "Now may we reuell and riste, fore Rome es oure awen! Line 3207 Make oure ostage at ese, þise auenaunt childyren, Line 3208 And luk ȝe honden them all that in myn oste lengez. Line 3209 The Emperour of Almayne and all theis este marches, Line 3210 We sall be ouerlynge of all þat on the erthe lengez! Line 3211 We will by þe Crosse Dayes encroche þeis londez, Line 3212 And at þe Crystynmesse Daye be crowned theraftyre; Line 3213 Ryngne in my ryalltés, and holde my Rownde Table, Line 3214 Withe the rentes of Rome, as me beste lykes; Line 3215 Syne graythe ouer þe grette see with gud men of armes, Line 3216 To reuenge the Renke that on the Rode dyede." Line 3217

Thane this comlyche Kynge, as cronycles tellys, Line 3218 Bownnys brathely to bede with a blythe herte; Line 3219 Of he slynges with sleghte and slakes gyrdill, Line 3220 And fore slewthe of slomowre on a slepe fallis. Line 3221 Bot be ane aftyre mydnyghte all his mode changede: Line 3222 [folio 87v] He mett in the morne-while full meruaylous dremes. Line 3223 And when his dredefull drem whas drefen to þe ende, Line 3224 The Kynge dares for dowte, dye as he scholde; Line 3225 Sendes aftyre phylosophers, and his affraye telles: Line 3226 "Sen I was formede, in fayth, so ferde whas I neuer! Line 3227 Forthy rawnsakes redyly and rede me my swefennys, Line 3228 And I sall redily and ryghte rehersen the sothe. Line 3229

Line 3229 Me thoughte I was in a wode willed myn one, Line 3230 That I ne wiste no waye whedire þat I scholde, Line 3231 Fore woluez and whilde swynne and wykkyde bestez Line 3232 Walkede in that wasternne, wathes to seche; Line 3233 Thare lyouns full lothely lykkyde þeire tuskes, Line 3234 All fore lapynge of blude of my lele knyghtez. Line 3235 Thurghe þat foreste I flede, thare floures whare heghe, Line 3236 For to fele me for ferde of tha foule thyngez; Line 3237 Merkede to a medowe with montayngnes enclosyde, Line 3238 The meryeste of medillerthe that men myghte beholde. Line 3239 The close was in compas castyn all abowte Line 3240 With clauer and clereworte clede euen ouer; Line 3241 The vale was enuerownde with vynes of siluer, Line 3242 All with grapis of golde, gretter ware neuer; Line 3243 Enhorilde with arborye and alkyns trees, Line 3244 Erberis full honeste and hyrdez þerevndyre; Line 3245 All froytez foddenid was þat floreschede in erthe, Line 3246 Faire frithed in frawnke appon tha free bowes; Line 3247 Whas thare no downkynge of dewe that oghte dere scholde: Line 3248 With þe drowghte of þe daye all drye ware þe flores. Line 3249

Than discendis in the dale, down fra þe clowddez, Line 3250 A duches dereworthily dyghte in dyaperde wedis, Line 3251 In a surcott of sylke selkouthely hewede, Line 3252 All with loyotour ouerlaide lowe to pe hemmes, Line 3253 And with ladily lappes the lenghe of a ȝerde, Line 3254 And all redily reuersside with rebanes of golde; Line 3255 Bruchez and besauntez and oþer bryghte stonys Line 3256 With hir bake and hir breste was brochede all ouer; Line 3257 With kelle and with corenall clenliche arrayede, Line 3258 And þat so comly of colour on knowen was neuer. Line 3259 Abowte cho whirllide a whele with hir whitte hondez, Line 3260 Ouerwhelme all qwayntely þe whele as cho scholde; Line 3261 The rowell whas rede golde with ryall stonys, Line 3262 Raylide with reches and rubyes inewe; Line 3263 The spekes was splentide all with speltis of siluer, Line 3264 The space of a spere lenghe springande full faire; Line 3265 Thereone was a chayere of chalke-whytte siluer, Line 3266

Line 3266 And chekyrde with charebocle, chawngynge of hewes. Line 3267 Appon þe compas ther clewide kyngis one rawe, Line 3268 With corowns of clere golde þat krakede in sondire; Line 3269 Sex was of þat setill full sodaynliche fallen, Line 3270 Ilke a segge by hym selfe, and saide theis wordez: Line 3271 'That euer I rengnede on þir roo me rewes it euer! Line 3272 [folio 88r] Was neuer roye so riche that regnede in erthe; Line 3273 Whene I rode in my rowte, roughte I noghte ells, Line 3274 Bot reuaye and reuell and rawnson the pople; Line 3275 And thus I drife forthe my dayes, whills I dreghe myghte, Line 3276 And therefore derflyche I am dampnede for euer.' Line 3277

The laste was a lityll man that laide was benethe; Line 3278 His leskes laye all lene and latheliche to schewe, Line 3279 The lokkes lyarde and longe, the lenghe of a ȝerde, Line 3280 His lire and his lygham lamede full sore; Line 3281 Þe tone eye of þe byeryn was brighttere þan siluer, Line 3282 The toþer was ȝalowere then the ȝolke of a naye. Line 3283 'I was lorde,' quod the lede, 'of londes inewe, Line 3284 And all ledis me lowttede that lengede in erthe; Line 3285 And nowe es lefte me no lappe my lygham to hele, Line 3286 Bot lightly now am I loste, leue iche mane the sothe.' Line 3287

The secunde sir, forsothe, þat sewede them aftyre, Line 3288 Was sekerare to my sighte and saddare in armes; Line 3289 Ofte he syghede vnsownde and said theis wordes: Line 3290 'On ȝone see hafe I sitten als souerayne and lorde, Line 3291 And ladys me louede to lappe in theyre armes; Line 3292 And nowe my lordchippes are loste and laide for euer.' Line 3293

The thirde thorowely was throo and thikke in the schuldyrs, Line 3294 A thra man to thrette of, there thretty ware gaderide; Line 3295 His dyadem was droppede down, dubbyde with stonys, Line 3296 Endente all with diamawndis and dighte for þe nonis; Line 3297 'I was dredde in my dayes,' he said, 'in dyuerse rewmes, Line 3298 And now dampnede to þe dede, and dole es the more.' Line 3299

The fourte was a faire mane and forsy in armes, Line 3300 Þe fayreste of fegure that fourmede was euer: Line 3301 'I was frekke, in my faithe,' he said, 'whills I one fowlde regnede, Line 3302

Line 3302 Famows in ferre londis and floure of all knyges; Line 3303 Now es my face defadide, and foule es me hapnede, Line 3304 For I am fallen fro ferre and frendles byleuyde.' Line 3305

The fifte was a faire man þan fele of þies oþer, Line 3306 A forsy man and a ferse, with fomand lippis; Line 3307 He fongede faste on þe feleyghes and falded his armes, Line 3308 Bot ȝit he failede and fell a fyfty fote large; Line 3309 Bot ȝit he sprange and sprente and spradden his armes, Line 3310 And one þe spere-lenghe spekes, he spekes þire wordes: Line 3311 'I was in Surrye a syr and sett be myn one, Line 3312 As souerayne and seyngnour of sere kynges londis; Line 3313 Now of my solace I am full sodanly fallen, Line 3314 And for sake of my syn, ȝone sete es me rewede.' Line 3315

The sexte hade a sawtere semliche bownden, Line 3316 With a surepel of silke sewede full faire, Line 3317 A harpe and a hande-slynge with harde flynte stones; Line 3318 What harmes he has hente he halowes full sone: Line 3319 'I was demede in my dayes,' he said, 'of dedis of armes, Line 3320 One of the doughtyeste that duellede in erthe; Line 3321 [folio 88v] Bot I was merride one molde in my moste strenghethis, Line 3322 With this mayden so mylde, þat mofes vs all.' Line 3323

Two kynges ware clymbande and clauerande one heghe, Line 3324 The creste of þe compas they couette full ȝerne; Line 3325 'This chaire of charbokle,' they said, 'we chalange hereaftyre, Line 3326 As two of þe cheffeste chosen in erthe.' Line 3327 The childire ware chalke-whitte, chekys and oþer, Line 3328 Bot the chayere abownne cheuede they neuer; Line 3329 The forthirmaste was freely, with a frount large, Line 3330 The faireste of fyssnamy þat fourmede was euer; Line 3331 And he was buskede in a blee of a blewe noble, Line 3332 With flourdelice of golde floreschede al ouer; Line 3333 The toþer was cledde in a cote all of clene siluer, Line 3334 With a comliche crosse coruen of golde, Line 3335 Fowre crosselettes krafty by þe crosse ristes, Line 3336 And therby knewe I the kyng, þat crystnede hym semyde. Line 3337