The alliterative Morte Arthure

Lines 4155 through 4261

Þan remys the riche kyng with rewthe at his herte, Line 4155 Hewys hys handys one heghte and to þe heuen lokes: Line 4156 "Qwythen hade Dryghttyn destaynede at his dere will, Line 4157 Þat he hade demyd me todaye to dy for ȝow all; Line 4158 That had I leuer than be lorde all my lyfe tym Line 4159 Off all þat Alexandere aughte qwhills he in erthe lengede." Line 4160 Sir Ewayne and Sir Errake, þes excellente beryns, Line 4161 Enters in one þe oste and egerly strykes; Line 4162

Line 4162 The ethenys of Orkkenaye and Irische kynges, Line 4163 Þay gobone of þe gretteste with growndene swerdes, Line 4164 Hewes one þas hulkes with þeire harde wapyns, Line 4165 Layed down þas ledes with lothely dynttys; Line 4166 Schuldirs and scheldys þay schrede to þe hawnches, Line 4167 And medills thourghe mayles þay merken in sondire— Line 4168 Siche honoure neuer aughte none erthely kyng Line 4169 At theire endyng daye, bot Arthure hym seluen. Line 4170 So þe droughte of þe daye dryede theire hertes, Line 4171 That bothe drynkles they dye—dole was þe more. Line 4172

Now mellys oure medillwarde and mengen togedire Line 4173 Sir Mordrede þe Malebranche, with his myche pople; Line 4174 He had hide hym behynde within thas holte eyuys, Line 4175 With halle bataile on hethe—harme es þe more; Line 4176 He hade sene þe conteke al clene to þe ende, Line 4177 How oure cheualrye cheuyde be chaunces of armes; Line 4178 He wiste oure folke was forfoughtten, þat þare was feye leuede; Line 4179 To encowntere þe Kyng he castes hym sone. Line 4180 Bot the churles chekyn hade chaungyde his armes: Line 4181 He had sothely forsaken þa sawturoure engrelede, Line 4182 And laughte vpe thre lyons all of whitte siluyre, Line 4183 Passande in purpre of perrie full riche, Line 4184 For þe Kyng sulde noghte knawe þe cawtelous wriche; Line 4185 [folio 97r] Because of his cowardys he keste of his atyre, Line 4186 Bot the comliche kyng knewe hym full swythe, Line 4187 Karpis to Sir Cadors þes kyndly wordez: Line 4188 "I see þe traytoure come ȝondyr trynande full ȝerne: Line 4189 Ȝone ladde with þe lyones es like to hym selfen; Line 4190 Hym sall torfere betyde, may I touche ones, Line 4191 For all his treson and trayne, alls I am trew lorde. Line 4192 Today Clarente and Caliburne sall kythe them togedirs, Line 4193 Whilke es kenere of kerfe or hardare of eghge; Line 4194 Fraiste sall we fyne stele appone fyne wedis. Line 4195 Itt was my derlyng daynteuous and full dere holden, Line 4196 Kepede fore encorownmentes of kynges enoynttede; Line 4197 One dayes when I dubbyde dukkes and erlles, Line 4198 It was burliche borne be þe bryghte hiltes; Line 4199 I durste neuer dere it in dedis of armes, Line 4200

Line 4200 Bot euer kepide clene, because of my seluen. Line 4201 For I see Clarent vnclede, þat crowne es of swerdes, Line 4202 My wardrop of Walyngfordhe I wate es distroyede; Line 4203 Wist no wy wone bot Waynor hir seluen; Line 4204 Scho hade þe kepynge hir selfe of þat kydde wapyn, Line 4205 Off cofres enclosede þat to þe crown lengede, Line 4206 With rynges and relikkes and þe Regale of Fraunce, Line 4207 That was fownden on Sir Froll when he was feye leuyde." Line 4208

Than Sir Marrike in malyncoly metys hym sone, Line 4209 With a mellyd mace myghtyly hym strykes; Line 4210 The bordour of his bacenett he bristes in sondire, Line 4211 Þat þe schire rede blode ouer his brene rynnys. Line 4212 The beryn blenkes for bale, and all his ble chaunges, Line 4213 Bot ȝitt he byddys as a bore and brymly he strykes; Line 4214 He braydes owte a brande, bryghte als euer ony syluer, Line 4215 Þat was Sir Arthure awen and Vtere his fadirs, Line 4216 In þe wardrop of Walyngfordhe was wonte to be kepede; Line 4217 Þarewith þe derfe dogge syche dynttes he rechede, Line 4218 Þe toþer withdrewe one dreghe and durste do non oþer; Line 4219 For Sir Marrake was man merrede in elde, Line 4220 And Sir Mordrede was myghty and in his moste strenghis; Line 4221 Come non within þe compas, knyghte ne non oþer, Line 4222 Within þe swyng of swerde, þat ne he þe swete leuyd. Line 4223

Þat persayfes oure Prynce and presses to faste, Line 4224 Strykes into þe stowre by strenghe of hys handis, Line 4225 Metis with Sir Mordrede, he melis vnfaire: Line 4226 "Turne, traytoure vntrewe—þe tydys no bettyre; Line 4227 Be gret Gode, thow sall dy with dynt of my handys! Line 4228 The schall rescowe no renke, ne reches in erthe." Line 4229 The Kyng with Calaburn knyghtly hym strykes: Line 4230 Þe cantell of þe clere schelde he kerfes in sondyre, Line 4231 Into þe schuldyre of þe schalke a schaftmonde large, Line 4232 Þat þe schire rede blode schwede one þe maylys. Line 4233 He schodirde and schrenkys and schontes bott lyttill, Line 4234 [folio 97v] Bott schokkes in scharpely in his schene wedys: Line 4235 The felone with þe fyn swerde freschely he strykes; Line 4236 The felettes of þe ferrere syde he flassches in sondyre, Line 4237

Line 4237 Thorowe jopown and jesserawnte of gentill mailes— Line 4238 The freke fichede in þe flesche an halfe fotte large; Line 4239 That derfe dynt was his dede, and dole was þe more Line 4240 That euer þat doughtty sulde dy, bot at Dryghttyns wyll. Line 4241

Ȝitt with Calyburn his swerde full knyghttly he strykes, Line 4242 Kastes in his clere schelde and coueres hym full faire; Line 4243 Swappes of þe swerde hande, als he by glentes: Line 4244 Ane inche from þe elbowe he ochede it in sondyre, Line 4245 Þat he swounes one þe swarthe and one swym fallis; Line 4246 Thorowe bracer of brown stele and þe bryghte mayles, Line 4247 That the hilte and þe hande appon þe hethe ligges. Line 4248 Thane frescheliche þe freke the fente vpe rerys, Line 4249 Brochis hym in with the bronde to þe bryghte hiltys, Line 4250 And he brawles one the bronde and bownes to dye. Line 4251 "In faye," says þe feye kynge, "sore me forthynkkes Line 4252 That euer siche a false theefe so faire an ende haues." Line 4253 Qwen they had fenyste þis feghte, thane was þe felde wonen, Line 4254 And the false folke in þe felde feye are byleuede; Line 4255 Till a foreste they fledde and fell in the greuys, Line 4256 And fers feghtande folke folowes them aftyre, Line 4257 Howntes and hewes down the heythen tykes, Line 4258 Mourtherys in the mowntaygnes Sir Mordrede knyghtes; Line 4259 Thare chapyde neuer no childe, cheftayne ne oþer, Line 4260 Bot choppes them down in the chace—it chargys bot littyll. Line 4261