The alliterative Morte Arthure

Nowe bownes the bolde kynge with his [supplied by ed.] beste knyghtes,

3591

Gers trome and trusse and trynes forth aftyre;

3592

Turnys thorowe Tuskayne, taries bot littill,

3593

Lyghte noghte in Lumbarddye bot when þe lyghte failede;

3594

Merkes ouer the mowntaynes full mervaylous wayes,

3595

Ayres thurghe Almaygne evyne at the gayneste,

3596

Ferkes evyne into Flawndresche with hys ferse knyghttes.

3597

Within fyftene dayes his flete es assemblede,

3598

And thane he schoupe hym to chippe and schownes no lengere,

3599

Scherys with a charpe wynde ouer þe schyre waters.

3600

By þe roche with ropes he rydes on ankkere,

3601

Thare the false men fletyde and one flode lengede, Page 138

3602

With chefe chaynes of chare chokkode togedyrs,

3603

Charggede evyn chekeful of cheualrous knyghtes,

3604

And in þe hynter one heghte helmes and crestes;

3605

Hatches with haythen men hillyd ware tharevndyre,

3606

Prowdliche purtrayede with payntede clothys,

3607

Iche a pece by pece prykkyde tyll oþer—

3608

Dubbyde with dagswaynnes dowblede they seme;

3609

And thus þe derfe Danamarkes had dyghte all theyre chippys,

3610

That no dynte of no darte dere them ne schoulde.

3611

Than the Roye and þe renkes of the Rownde Table

3612

All ryally in rede arrayes his chippis;

3613

That daye ducheryes he delte and doubbyde knyghttes,

3614

Dresses dromowndes and dragges and drawen vpe stonys;

3615

The toppe-castells he stuffede with toyelys, as hym lykyde.

3616

Bendys bowes of vys brothly þareaftyre;

3617

Tolowris tentyly takell they ryghtten,

3618

Brasen hedys full brode buskede one flones,

3619

Graythes for garnysons gomes arrayes;

3620

Gryme gaddes of stele, ghywes of iryn,

3621

Stiȝttelys steryn one steryne with styffe men of armes;

3622

Mony lufliche launce appon lofte stondys,

3623

Ledys one leburde, lordys and oþer,

3624

Pyghte payvese one porte, payntede scheldes,

3625

One hyndire hurdace one highte helmede knyghtez.

3626

[folio 91v]

Thus they scheften fore schotys one thas schire strandys,

3627

Ilke schalke in his schrowde—full scheen ware þeire wedys.

3628

The bolde kynge es in a barge and abowtte rowes,

3629

All bare-heuvede for besye with beueryn lokkes,

3630

And a beryn with his bronde and ane helme betyn,

3631

Mengede with a mawntelet of maylis of siluer,

3632

Compaste with a coronall and couerde full riche;

3633

Kayris to yche a cogge to comfurthe his knyghttes:

3634

To Clegys and Cleremownde he cryes one lowde,

3635

"O Gawayne, O Galyran, thies gud mens bodyes."

3636

To Loth and to Lyonell full louefly he melys,

3637

And to Sir Lawncelot de Lake lordiche wordys:

3638

"Lat vs couere þe kythe—the coste es owre ownn— Page 139

3639

And gere them brotheliche blenke, all ȝone blod-hondes,

3640

Bryttyn them within bourde and brynne them þareaftyre;

3641

Hewe down hertly ȝone heythen tykes!

3642

Thay are harlotes halfe, I hette ȝow myn honnde!"

3643

Than he coueres his cogge and caches one ankere,

3644

Kaughte his comliche helme with þe clere maylis,

3645

Buskes baners one brode, betyn of gowles,

3646

With corowns of clere golde, clenliche arraiede;

3647

Bot þare was chosen in þe chefe a chalke-whitte Mayden,

3648

And a Childe in hir arme, þat Chefe es of Hevyne;

3649

Withowtten changyng in chace, thies ware þe cheefe armes

3650

Of Arthure þe auenaunt, qwhylls he in erthe lengede.

3651

Thane the marynerse mellys and maysters of chippis;

3652

Merily iche a mate menys till oþer:

3653

Of theire termys they talke, how þay ware tydd,

3654

Towyn trvssell one trete, trvssen vpe sailes,

3655

Bet bonettez one brede, bettrede hatches,

3656

Brawndeste brown stele, braggede in trompes,

3657

Standis styffe one the stamyn, steris one aftyre,

3658

Strekyn ouer þe streme thare stryvynge begynnes.

3659

Fro þe wagande wynde owte of þe weste rysses,

3660

Brethly bessomes with byrre in beryns sailles;

3661

With hir bryngges one burde burliche cogges,

3662

Qwhylls þe bilyge and þe beme brestys in sondyre;

3663

So stowttly þe forsterne one þe stam hyttis,

3664

Þat stokkes of þe stere-burde strykkys in peces.

3665

Be than cogge appon cogge, krayers and oþer,

3666

Castys crepers one crosse als to þe crafte langes.

3667

Thane was hede-rapys hewen þat helde vpe þe mastes;

3668

Thare was conteke full kene and crachynge of chippys:

3669

Grett cogges of kampe crasseches in sondyre;

3670

Mony kaban clevede, cabills destroyede.

3671

Knyghtes and kene men killide the braynes;

3672

Kidd castells were corven with all theire kene wapen,

3673

Castells full comliche þat coloured ware faire.

3674

Vptyhes eghelyng þay ochen þareaftyre:

3675

With þe swynge of þe swerde sweys þe mastys, Page 140

3676

Ovyrefallys in þe firste frekis and othire;

3677

Frekke in þe forchipe fey es byleuefede.

3678

[folio 92r]

Than brothely they bekyre with boustouse tacle;

3679

Bruschese boldlye on burde brynyede knyghtes,

3680

Owt of botes one burd was buskede with stonys,

3681

Bett down of þe beste, brystis the hetches;

3682

Som gomys thourghegyrde with gaddys of yryn:

3683

Gomys gayliche clede englaymes wapen.

3684

Archers of Inglande full egerly schottes,

3685

Hittis thourghe þe harde stele full hertly dynttis.

3686

Sone hotchen in holle the heþene knyghtes—

3687

Hurte thourghe þe harde stele, hele they neuer.

3688

Than they fall to þe fyghte, foynes with sperys,

3689

All the frekkeste one frownte þat to þe fyghte langes;

3690

And ilkon frechely fraystez theire strenghes,

3691

Were to fyghte in þe flete with theire fell wapyn.

3692

Thus they dalte þat daye, thire dubbide knyghtes,

3693

Till all þe Danes ware dede and in þe depe throwen.

3694

Than Bretons brothely with brondis they hewen,

3695

Lepys in vpone lofte lordeliche berynes;

3696

When ledys of owt-londys leppyn in waters,

3697

All oure lordes one lowde laughen at ones.

3698

Be thane speris whare sprongen, spalddyd chippys,

3699

Spanyolis spedily sprentyde ouer burdez;

3700

All þe kene men of kampe, knyghtes and oþer,

3701

Killyd are colde dede and castyn ouer burdez.

3702

Theire swyers sweyftly has þe swete leuyde;

3703

Heþen heuande on hatche in þer hawe ryses,

3704

Synkande in þe salte see seuen hundrethe at ones.

3705

Thane Sir Gawayne the gude, he has þe gree wonnen,

3706

And all þe cogges grete he gafe to his knyghtes,

3707

Sir Geryn and Sir Grisswolde and othir gret lordes,

3708

Garte Galuth, a gud gome, girde of þaire hedys.

3709

Thus of þe false flete appon þe flode happenede,

3710

And thus þeis feryne folke fey are beleuede.

3711

Ȝitt es þe traytoure one londe with tryede knyghttes,

3712

And all trompede they trippe one trappede stedys, Page 141

3713

Schewes them vndir schilde one þe schire bankkes—

3714

He ne schownttes for no schame but schewes full heghe.

3715

Sir Arthure and Gawayne avyede them bothen,

3716

To sexty thosandez of men þat in theire syghte houede.

3717

Be this the folke was fellyde, thane was þe flode passede;

3718

Thane was it slyke a slowde in slakkes full hugge,

3719

That let þe Kyng for to lande in the lawe watyre;

3720

Forthy he lengede on laye for lesyng of horsys,

3721

To loke of his legemen and of his lele knyghtes,

3722

Ȝif any ware lamede or loste, life ȝife they scholde.

3723

Than Sir Gawayn þe gude a galaye he takys,

3724

And glides vp at a gole with gud men of armes;

3725

When he growndide, for grefe he gyrdis in þe watere,

3726

That to þe girdyll he gos in all his gylte wedys;

3727

Schottis vpe appon þe sonde in syghte of þe lordes,

3728

Sengly with hys soppe—my sorowe es the more.

3729

[folio 92v]

With baners of his bagys, beste of his armes,

3730

He braydes vp on the banke in his bryghte wedys;

3731

He byddys his baneoure," Buske þow belyfe

3732

To ȝone brode batayle that one ȝone banke houes,

3733

And I ensure ȝow sothe I sall ȝowe sewe aftyre.

3734

Loke ȝe blenke for no bronde, ne for no bryghte wapyn,

3735

Bot beris down of þe beste and bryng them o dawe;

3736

Bees noghte abayste of theire boste, abyde on þe erthe.

3737

Ȝe haue my baneres borne in batailles full hugge;

3738

We sall fell ȝone false, þe Fende hafe theire saules!

3739

Fightes faste with þe frape, þe felde sall be owres;

3740

May I þat traytoure ouertake, torfere hym tyddes,

3741

That this treson has tymbyrde to my trewe lorde.

3742

Of siche a engendure full littyll joye happyns,

3743

And þat sall in this journée be juggede full euen."

3744

Now they seke ouer þe sonde þis soppe at þe gayneste,

3745

Sembles one þe sowdeours and settys theire dyntys:

3746

Thourghe þe scheldys so schene schalkes þey towche,

3747

With schaftes scheueride schorte of þas schene launces;

3748

Derfe dynttys they dalte with daggande sperys.

3749

One þe danke of þe dewe many dede lyggys: Page 142

3750

Dukes and duszeperis and dubbide knyghttys;

3751

The doughttyeste of Danemarke vndone are for euer.

3752

Thus thas renkes in rewthe rittis theire brenyes,

3753

And rechis of þe richeste vnreken dynttis;

3754

Thare they thronge in the thikke and thristis to þe erthe

3755

Of the thraeste men thre hundrethe at ones.

3756

Bot Sir Gawayne for grefe myghte noghte agayne-stande,

3757

Vmbegrippys a spere and to a gome rynnys,

3758

Þat bare of gowles full gaye with gowtes of syluere;

3759

He gyrdes hym in at þe gorge with his grym launce,

3760

Þat þe grownden glayfe graythes in sondyre;

3761

With þat boystous brayde he bownes hym to dye—

3762

Þe Kyng of Gutlande it was, a gude man of armes.

3763

Thayre avawwarde than all voydes þareaftyre,

3764

Alls venqueste verrayely with valyant beryns.

3765

Metis with medilwarde, that Modrede ledys;

3766

Oure men merkes them to, as them myshappenede.

3767

For hade Sir Gawayne hade grace to halde þe grene hill,

3768

He had wirchipe, iwys, wonnen for euer.

3769

Bot þan Sir Gawayne, iwysse, he waytes hym wele

3770

To wreke hym on this werlaughe þat þis werre mouede;

3771

And merkes to Sir Modrede amonge all his beryns,

3772

With the Mownttagus and oþer gret lordys.

3773

Þan Sir Gawayne was greuede and with a gret wyll

3774

Fewters a faire spere and freschely askryes:

3775

"Fals fosterde foode, the Fende haue thy bonys!

3776

Fy one the, felone, and thy false werkys!

3777

Thow sall be dede and vndon for thy derfe dedys,

3778

Or I sall dy this daye, ȝif destanye worthe!"

3779

Lines 3591 through 3779