The alliterative Morte Arthure

Lines 3591 through 3779

Nowe bownes the bolde kynge with his beste knyghtes, Line 3591 Gers trome and trusse and trynes forth aftyre; Line 3592 Turnys thorowe Tuskayne, taries bot littill, Line 3593 Lyghte noghte in Lumbarddye bot when þe lyghte failede; Line 3594 Merkes ouer the mowntaynes full mervaylous wayes, Line 3595 Ayres thurghe Almaygne evyne at the gayneste, Line 3596 Ferkes evyne into Flawndresche with hys ferse knyghttes. Line 3597 Within fyftene dayes his flete es assemblede, Line 3598 And thane he schoupe hym to chippe and schownes no lengere, Line 3599 Scherys with a charpe wynde ouer þe schyre waters. Line 3600 By þe roche with ropes he rydes on ankkere, Line 3601 Thare the false men fletyde and one flode lengede, Line 3602

Line 3602 With chefe chaynes of chare chokkode togedyrs, Line 3603 Charggede evyn chekeful of cheualrous knyghtes, Line 3604 And in þe hynter one heghte helmes and crestes; Line 3605 Hatches with haythen men hillyd ware tharevndyre, Line 3606 Prowdliche purtrayede with payntede clothys, Line 3607 Iche a pece by pece prykkyde tyll oþer— Line 3608 Dubbyde with dagswaynnes dowblede they seme; Line 3609 And thus þe derfe Danamarkes had dyghte all theyre chippys, Line 3610 That no dynte of no darte dere them ne schoulde. Line 3611

Than the Roye and þe renkes of the Rownde Table Line 3612 All ryally in rede arrayes his chippis; Line 3613 That daye ducheryes he delte and doubbyde knyghttes, Line 3614 Dresses dromowndes and dragges and drawen vpe stonys; Line 3615 The toppe-castells he stuffede with toyelys, as hym lykyde. Line 3616 Bendys bowes of vys brothly þareaftyre; Line 3617 Tolowris tentyly takell they ryghtten, Line 3618 Brasen hedys full brode buskede one flones, Line 3619 Graythes for garnysons gomes arrayes; Line 3620 Gryme gaddes of stele, ghywes of iryn, Line 3621 Stiȝttelys steryn one steryne with styffe men of armes; Line 3622 Mony lufliche launce appon lofte stondys, Line 3623 Ledys one leburde, lordys and oþer, Line 3624 Pyghte payvese one porte, payntede scheldes, Line 3625 One hyndire hurdace one highte helmede knyghtez. Line 3626 [folio 91v] Thus they scheften fore schotys one thas schire strandys, Line 3627 Ilke schalke in his schrowde—full scheen ware þeire wedys. Line 3628 The bolde kynge es in a barge and abowtte rowes, Line 3629 All bare-heuvede for besye with beueryn lokkes, Line 3630 And a beryn with his bronde and ane helme betyn, Line 3631 Mengede with a mawntelet of maylis of siluer, Line 3632 Compaste with a coronall and couerde full riche; Line 3633 Kayris to yche a cogge to comfurthe his knyghttes: Line 3634 To Clegys and Cleremownde he cryes one lowde, Line 3635 "O Gawayne, O Galyran, thies gud mens bodyes." Line 3636 To Loth and to Lyonell full louefly he melys, Line 3637 And to Sir Lawncelot de Lake lordiche wordys: Line 3638 "Lat vs couere þe kythe—the coste es owre ownn— Line 3639

Line 3639 And gere them brotheliche blenke, all ȝone blod-hondes, Line 3640 Bryttyn them within bourde and brynne them þareaftyre; Line 3641 Hewe down hertly ȝone heythen tykes! Line 3642 Thay are harlotes halfe, I hette ȝow myn honnde!" Line 3643

Than he coueres his cogge and caches one ankere, Line 3644 Kaughte his comliche helme with þe clere maylis, Line 3645 Buskes baners one brode, betyn of gowles, Line 3646 With corowns of clere golde, clenliche arraiede; Line 3647 Bot þare was chosen in þe chefe a chalke-whitte Mayden, Line 3648 And a Childe in hir arme, þat Chefe es of Hevyne; Line 3649 Withowtten changyng in chace, thies ware þe cheefe armes Line 3650 Of Arthure þe auenaunt, qwhylls he in erthe lengede. Line 3651

Thane the marynerse mellys and maysters of chippis; Line 3652 Merily iche a mate menys till oþer: Line 3653 Of theire termys they talke, how þay ware tydd, Line 3654 Towyn trvssell one trete, trvssen vpe sailes, Line 3655 Bet bonettez one brede, bettrede hatches, Line 3656 Brawndeste brown stele, braggede in trompes, Line 3657 Standis styffe one the stamyn, steris one aftyre, Line 3658 Strekyn ouer þe streme thare stryvynge begynnes. Line 3659

Fro þe wagande wynde owte of þe weste rysses, Line 3660 Brethly bessomes with byrre in beryns sailles; Line 3661 With hir bryngges one burde burliche cogges, Line 3662 Qwhylls þe bilyge and þe beme brestys in sondyre; Line 3663 So stowttly þe forsterne one þe stam hyttis, Line 3664 Þat stokkes of þe stere-burde strykkys in peces. Line 3665 Be than cogge appon cogge, krayers and oþer, Line 3666 Castys crepers one crosse als to þe crafte langes. Line 3667 Thane was hede-rapys hewen þat helde vpe þe mastes; Line 3668 Thare was conteke full kene and crachynge of chippys: Line 3669 Grett cogges of kampe crasseches in sondyre; Line 3670 Mony kaban clevede, cabills destroyede. Line 3671 Knyghtes and kene men killide the braynes; Line 3672 Kidd castells were corven with all theire kene wapen, Line 3673 Castells full comliche þat coloured ware faire. Line 3674 Vptyhes eghelyng þay ochen þareaftyre: Line 3675 With þe swynge of þe swerde sweys þe mastys, Line 3676

Line 3676 Ovyrefallys in þe firste frekis and othire; Line 3677 Frekke in þe forchipe fey es byleuefede. Line 3678 [folio 92r] Than brothely they bekyre with boustouse tacle; Line 3679 Bruschese boldlye on burde brynyede knyghtes, Line 3680 Owt of botes one burd was buskede with stonys, Line 3681 Bett down of þe beste, brystis the hetches; Line 3682 Som gomys thourghegyrde with gaddys of yryn: Line 3683 Gomys gayliche clede englaymes wapen. Line 3684 Archers of Inglande full egerly schottes, Line 3685 Hittis thourghe þe harde stele full hertly dynttis. Line 3686 Sone hotchen in holle the heþene knyghtes— Line 3687 Hurte thourghe þe harde stele, hele they neuer. Line 3688 Than they fall to þe fyghte, foynes with sperys, Line 3689 All the frekkeste one frownte þat to þe fyghte langes; Line 3690 And ilkon frechely fraystez theire strenghes, Line 3691 Were to fyghte in þe flete with theire fell wapyn. Line 3692

Thus they dalte þat daye, thire dubbide knyghtes, Line 3693 Till all þe Danes ware dede and in þe depe throwen. Line 3694 Than Bretons brothely with brondis they hewen, Line 3695 Lepys in vpone lofte lordeliche berynes; Line 3696 When ledys of owt-londys leppyn in waters, Line 3697 All oure lordes one lowde laughen at ones. Line 3698 Be thane speris whare sprongen, spalddyd chippys, Line 3699 Spanyolis spedily sprentyde ouer burdez; Line 3700 All þe kene men of kampe, knyghtes and oþer, Line 3701 Killyd are colde dede and castyn ouer burdez. Line 3702 Theire swyers sweyftly has þe swete leuyde; Line 3703 Heþen heuande on hatche in þer hawe ryses, Line 3704 Synkande in þe salte see seuen hundrethe at ones. Line 3705 Thane Sir Gawayne the gude, he has þe gree wonnen, Line 3706 And all þe cogges grete he gafe to his knyghtes, Line 3707 Sir Geryn and Sir Grisswolde and othir gret lordes, Line 3708 Garte Galuth, a gud gome, girde of þaire hedys. Line 3709 Thus of þe false flete appon þe flode happenede, Line 3710 And thus þeis feryne folke fey are beleuede. Line 3711

Ȝitt es þe traytoure one londe with tryede knyghttes, Line 3712 And all trompede they trippe one trappede stedys, Line 3713

Line 3713 Schewes them vndir schilde one þe schire bankkes— Line 3714 He ne schownttes for no schame but schewes full heghe. Line 3715 Sir Arthure and Gawayne avyede them bothen, Line 3716 To sexty thosandez of men þat in theire syghte houede. Line 3717 Be this the folke was fellyde, thane was þe flode passede; Line 3718 Thane was it slyke a slowde in slakkes full hugge, Line 3719 That let þe Kyng for to lande in the lawe watyre; Line 3720 Forthy he lengede on laye for lesyng of horsys, Line 3721 To loke of his legemen and of his lele knyghtes, Line 3722 Ȝif any ware lamede or loste, life ȝife they scholde. Line 3723

Than Sir Gawayn þe gude a galaye he takys, Line 3724 And glides vp at a gole with gud men of armes; Line 3725 When he growndide, for grefe he gyrdis in þe watere, Line 3726 That to þe girdyll he gos in all his gylte wedys; Line 3727 Schottis vpe appon þe sonde in syghte of þe lordes, Line 3728 Sengly with hys soppe—my sorowe es the more. Line 3729 [folio 92v] With baners of his bagys, beste of his armes, Line 3730 He braydes vp on the banke in his bryghte wedys; Line 3731 He byddys his baneoure," Buske þow belyfe Line 3732 To ȝone brode batayle that one ȝone banke houes, Line 3733 And I ensure ȝow sothe I sall ȝowe sewe aftyre. Line 3734 Loke ȝe blenke for no bronde, ne for no bryghte wapyn, Line 3735 Bot beris down of þe beste and bryng them o dawe; Line 3736 Bees noghte abayste of theire boste, abyde on þe erthe. Line 3737 Ȝe haue my baneres borne in batailles full hugge; Line 3738 We sall fell ȝone false, þe Fende hafe theire saules! Line 3739 Fightes faste with þe frape, þe felde sall be owres; Line 3740 May I þat traytoure ouertake, torfere hym tyddes, Line 3741 That this treson has tymbyrde to my trewe lorde. Line 3742 Of siche a engendure full littyll joye happyns, Line 3743 And þat sall in this journée be juggede full euen." Line 3744

Now they seke ouer þe sonde þis soppe at þe gayneste, Line 3745 Sembles one þe sowdeours and settys theire dyntys: Line 3746 Thourghe þe scheldys so schene schalkes þey towche, Line 3747 With schaftes scheueride schorte of þas schene launces; Line 3748 Derfe dynttys they dalte with daggande sperys. Line 3749 One þe danke of þe dewe many dede lyggys: Line 3750

Line 3750 Dukes and duszeperis and dubbide knyghttys; Line 3751 The doughttyeste of Danemarke vndone are for euer. Line 3752 Thus thas renkes in rewthe rittis theire brenyes, Line 3753 And rechis of þe richeste vnreken dynttis; Line 3754 Thare they thronge in the thikke and thristis to þe erthe Line 3755 Of the thraeste men thre hundrethe at ones. Line 3756

Bot Sir Gawayne for grefe myghte noghte agayne-stande, Line 3757 Vmbegrippys a spere and to a gome rynnys, Line 3758 Þat bare of gowles full gaye with gowtes of syluere; Line 3759 He gyrdes hym in at þe gorge with his grym launce, Line 3760 Þat þe grownden glayfe graythes in sondyre; Line 3761 With þat boystous brayde he bownes hym to dye— Line 3762 Þe Kyng of Gutlande it was, a gude man of armes. Line 3763 Thayre avawwarde than all voydes þareaftyre, Line 3764 Alls venqueste verrayely with valyant beryns. Line 3765 Metis with medilwarde, that Modrede ledys; Line 3766 Oure men merkes them to, as them myshappenede. Line 3767 For hade Sir Gawayne hade grace to halde þe grene hill, Line 3768 He had wirchipe, iwys, wonnen for euer. Line 3769

Bot þan Sir Gawayne, iwysse, he waytes hym wele Line 3770 To wreke hym on this werlaughe þat þis werre mouede; Line 3771 And merkes to Sir Modrede amonge all his beryns, Line 3772 With the Mownttagus and oþer gret lordys. Line 3773 Þan Sir Gawayne was greuede and with a gret wyll Line 3774 Fewters a faire spere and freschely askryes: Line 3775 "Fals fosterde foode, the Fende haue thy bonys! Line 3776 Fy one the, felone, and thy false werkys! Line 3777 Thow sall be dede and vndon for thy derfe dedys, Line 3778 Or I sall dy this daye, ȝif destanye worthe!" Line 3779