The alliterative Morte Arthure

About this Item

Title

Author

Anonymous

Publication

New York: Burt Franklin

c.1976

Rights/Permissions

Oxford Text Archive number: U-1675-A

The University of Michigan Library provides access to these materials for educational and research purposes. These materials are in the public domain. If you have questions about the collection, please contact [email protected]. If you have concerns about the inclusion of an item in this collection, please contact [email protected].

DPLA Rights Statement: No Copyright - United States

Link to this Item

http://name.umdl.umich.edu/AllitMA

Cite this Item

"The alliterative Morte Arthure." In the digital collection Corpus of Middle English Prose and Verse. https://name.umdl.umich.edu/AllitMA. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed June 6, 2025.

Pages

Lines 4113 through 4154

                  
                    Þan Sir Arthure oste his enmye askryes,
                    Line 4113 
                  
                    And in they schokke theire scheldes, schontes no lengare;
                    Line 4114 
                  
                    Schotte to þe schiltrons and schowttes full heghe,
                    Line 4115 
                  
                    Thorowe scheldis full schene schalkes they touche.
                    Line 4116 
                  
                    Redily thas rydde men of the Rownde Table
                    Line 4117 
                  
                    With ryall raunke stele rittys theire mayles;
                    Line 4118 
                  
                    Bryneys browdden they briste and burneste helmys,
                    Line 4119 
                  
                    Hewes haythen men down, halses in sondre.
                    Line 4120 
                  
                    Fyghtande with fyne stele, þe feye blod rynnys;
                    Line 4121 
                  
                    Of þe frekkeste of frounte, vnfers ere belevede.
                    Line 4122

                  
                    Ethyns of Argayle and Irische kynges
                    Line 4123 
                  
                    Enverounes oure avawmwarde with venymos beryns;
                    Line 4124 
                  
                    Peghttes and paynymes with perilous wapyns, 
                    Line 4125

Page 152

                  
                    Line 4125 
                  
                    With speres disspetousely disspoylles oure knyghttes,
                    Line 4126 
                  
                    And hewede down the hendeste with hertly dynttys;
                    Line 4127 
                  
                    Thorow the holle batayle they holden theire wayes.
                    Line 4128 
                  
                    Þus fersly they fyghte appon sere halfes,
                    Line 4129 
                  
                    That of þe bolde Bretons myche blode spillis;
                    Line 4130 
                  
                    Thare durste non rescowe them for reches in erthe,
                    Line 4131 
                  
                    Þe steryn ware þare so stedde and stuffede with othire;
                    Line 4132 
                  
                    He durste noghte stire a steppe, bot stodde for hym seluen,
                    Line 4133 
                  
                    Till thre stalis ware stroyede be strenghe of hym one.
                    Line 4134

                  
                    "Idrous," quod Arthure, "ayre the byhoues;
                    Line 4135 
                  
                    I see Sir Ewayne ouersette with Sarazenes kene.
                    Line 4136 
                  
                   [folio 96v] 
                  
                    Redy the for rescows, arraye thee sone;
                    Line 4137 
                  
                    Hye þe with hardy men in helpe of thy fadire.
                    Line 4138 
                  
                    Sett in one the syde and socoure ȝone lordes:
                    Line 4139 
                  
                    Bot they be socourrede and sownde, vnsawghte be I euer."
                    Line 4140 
                  
                    Idrous hym ansuers ernestly þareaftyre:
                    Line 4141 
                  
                    "He es my fadire, in faithe—forsake sall I neuer;
                    Line 4142 
                  
                    He has me fosterde and fedde and my faire bretheren.
                    Line 4143 
                  
                    Bot I forsake this gate, so me Gode helpe,
                    Line 4144 
                  
                    And sothely all sybredyn bot thy selfe one;
                    Line 4145 
                  
                    I breke neuer his biddyng for beryn one lyfe,
                    Line 4146 
                  
                    Bot euer bouxvm as beste blethely to wyrke.
                    Line 4147 
                  
                    He comande me kyndly, with knyghtly wordes,
                    Line 4148 
                  
                    That I schulde lelely one þe lenge and one noo lede ells;
                    Line 4149 
                  
                    I sall hys comandement holde, ȝif Criste wil me thole.
                    Line 4150 
                  
                    He es eldare than I, and ende sall we bothen:
                    Line 4151 
                  
                    He sall ferkke before, and I sall come aftyre;
                    Line 4152 
                  
                    Ȝiffe hym be destaynede to dy todaye one þis erthe,
                    Line 4153 
                  
                    Criste comly with crown take kepe to hys saule."
                    Line 4154

The alliterative Morte Arthure

About this Item

Pages

Lines 4113 through 4154

description Page 152

Page 152