Ipomedon in drei englischen bearbeitungen / hrsg. von Eugen Kölbing.

Now on the day before that this turnement shuld be,
[line 20] on the morow Ipomedon ordant him, to goo on hunting all
that day & come home agayn even, & come to the quene &
said, that [f. 96a.] the ladies and gentilwomen might here: "Madame,
[23 he] ü. d. z. nachgetr.] quod he, "wold ye let the turnement be & go with me to¦morow
on huntyng? & ye shal haue noble gam & wele better,
[line 25] than at turnement, for there shal be noo strokes gyven; for,
certan," quod he, "I woll not come at the tournement, forto
haue myn heid broken!" And the quene was sore ashamed
for him and al sory, as she might be, & all the ladies and
gentill women logh him to scorn and said to the quene:
[line 30] "Certayn, ma dame, youre derling woll wyn the ladie of
Calabre all with hunting!" & he was wele payd, that they
scorned him, & toke leve of the quene, to goo to bed, for
he wold be erlie vp on the morow, to goo on huntyng. And
furth he goos to the porter of the gates of the tovn & said,
[line 35] he wold goo by tymes on the morowe on hunting, & gave
him a ring of gold & praid him, that he wold open him the
gate by tyme. The porter thanked him of his gyft & said,
he shuld come & goo late & erly, when him list, & he went
home vnto his in & yede streght vnto his bed.

[line 40] And on the morow erly before the day he roys vp
and arraid him like an hunter & toke his men & his houndes
with him & his white stede & his white harnes for that day,
and when he come vndre the castell wall, he & all his men
sett hornes to mouth & blew thre motes, that the quene &
[line 45] all the ladies might here, that he went on hunting.

And when they herd his hornes & his houndes make
such a noys, they scorned him & said to the quene: "Certayn,
madame, youre derling woll not be the last at the turne∣ment,

for he is vp be tyme, for, certayn, he wolle this day
wyn the ladie all with houndes & hornes!"

And Ipomedon rode furth to the forest, to he come to
an heremitage, that stoode in a depe, dry dyke in the forest
[line 5] & coverd all with trees, that he might goo and come vnseen
[6 tourmament ms. ] of any man fro thens to the feld, where the tournament shuld
be, & when he come there, he laid a way his horne & his
hunter clothes & armed him all in white & leped vpon his
white stede & toke a white spere in his hond & bad Tholo∣mew
[line 10] take his houndes & his men & go & hunt all that day
& make as goode gam, as he might, & mete him there
agayn even.

And he him self toke a squiere with him, & nomo
men, & rode furth in this dry dyke, till he come to the feld
[line 15] vnder the castell wall, there the tournement shuld be, & the
waites were on the castell wall & saw & come to the ladie
& told hire, how there was come to the felde a knight all
in white on a white stede, & she rois vp & come to the
walles, forto see, and then drue it to furth days.

[line 20] And the king of Cecile & all tho lordes come to the
felde euerychoon, & then Anthenor come, the duke of Spayne,
& praid the king, that he might furst just with the white
knight, & he graunted him. And then iust Anthenor, the duke
of Spayne, with Ipomedon twoo cours, & at the third he
[line 25] smote him of on his hors & toke him prisonere, & Ipomedon
squiere was redy and toke his stede & kept him still.

Now lay the lady on the wall & saw, that the white
knight had foriusted the duke of Spayne, and was glad therof,
for he was on of the men, that she most hated, and called
[line 30] hire nevew Jason & bad him goo to the tournament and
take speres with him and serve the white knight of his [f. 96b.]
spere. And on the third day she shuld ordayn for him, that
he shuld iust him self, & he did so, & when he come there,
he toke a spere & toke it to the white knight, & he receyved
[line 35] [35 on ms. ] it of him & knew him wele enugh.

Bot neuer the latter he asked, what he was, as thogh
he had not known him, & he answerd & said, he hight Jason
and was nevew to the ladie of Calabre, the which sent him
thidre, to serve him of his spere, that this day iuste best:
[line 40] "and me semes, that ye have doon the best, and therfore I
come, to serve you, if it like you, for ye have this day
vnhorsed and taken duke Anthenor of Spayne, that is oon of
the pruddest men in this felde and the man, that my ladie
most hates!"

[line 45] And when Ipomedon herd this, he praid Jason, to take
the stede, that he had won of this duke before, & led him
vnto the ladie of Calabre & said, that the white knight send
[48 bad he] he ü. d. z. nachgetr.] it to hire, and he did so. And then bad he the same duke
Anthenor of Spayn go to the ladie also and yelde hym pre∣sonere
[line 50] vnto hire and say, the white knight send him vnto
hire, and he did so, & then was the ladie glad & ioyfull, that

he was taken, & said vnto Eman, that the white knight was a
[2 she] om. ms. ] noble man of armes, & praysed him mich. And she said, hardely,
aithre was hire luf deid or elles was noo manhed in him,
that he durst not come there, & if she shuld any man have,
[line 5] hire were levest the white knight, save him, that was hire luf.

Now then come the erle Ampheon of Calabre, that
was euer with this duke of Spayne, and wold have venged
him on the white knight & wold allgate juste with him, &
so they juste to gedre twoo cours or thre & did wondrely
[line 10] wele both; the white knight was agreved with him & ran
to him an othre cours & smote him thurgh all his harnes &
slogh him. And Jason was redy and toke his stede, & the
white knight bad him take it him self for the goode seruice,
he did him that day, & he thanked him & said, for soth,
[line 15] there was hors in the world, that he most has covet to
have. And Jason went & led his stede vnto the castell &
told the laide, that the white knight had gyven it him.
And the ladie was glad of him & euery wight of him had
ioye &, as the boke sais, in partie she began to luf him,
[line 20] for of all the day he neuer blanne, bot euer was redy, who
so wold come to him, & euer more had the better of euery
man, that had to doo with him.

And then come Ismalon le orgoilous, that was the
king of Almayn, that had doon wondrely wele before, oon of
[line 25] the best, save the white knight, & wold juste with Capanius,
& so Capanius & he ran to gedre. And this Ismelon le
orgoilous hit Capanius on the helme, that it flew of on his
heid, &, weleuy, Capanius wist neuer, where he was; this
Ismelon was a grete boster of him self & said till Capanius
[line 30] in scorn: "Wenes thou," quod he, "that thou be now at
Palern in Cecile, drinking clarrie and othre strong wynes?
Nay," quod he, "sitt vp on thy hors, for thou art at the
tournement!" And Capanius was as wrothe, as he might
be, and ran to him an othre cours and smote this Ismelon,
[line 35] hors and man to the erthe, & his right arme of by the bodie,
& then said Capanius to him agayn: "In scorn quod thou me
nomore, for nowe [f. 97a.] maist thou say, that I am here, & thou
may goo home into thy contree & drink clarrie & othre
strong wynes, for here may thou doo no more!" & all men,
[line 40] that see it, were glad, that Capanius had quit him so wele
his stroke & his scorne.

And then come king Daires of Lorreyne & wold just
with Capanius, allway to venge his cosyn, the king of Al∣mayn,
& Capanius ran to him, & Daires gave Campanius
[line 45] such a stroke, that welnye he had vnhorsed him & taken
him presonere, & the white knight was ware & come to
rescue Capanius & justed with the king Daires & smote his
[48 his] om. ms.] shelde fro his nek & his left shuldre fro the bodie, that he
fell down deid, & the ladie & they all, that se him, had
[line 50] mich mervaill of him & praised him mich, passing all othre,
so wele he did that day.

And then come the erle of Flaundres & had mich envie
at the white knight & wold algate juste with him, & they
ran to gedre, & the erle gave the white knight such a stroke,
that he was astounned therwith & agreved sore, & so they
[line 5] ran to gedre oon othre cours, & the white knight bare the
erle to the ground, bothe hors & man, & had not his men comen
& rescued him, the white knight had taken him presonere.

Bot yit he toke the erle hors & bad Jason lede him
to the ladie, and the white knight cald Jason: "Jason,
[line 10] abide & speke with me, or we departe!" & Jason turned then
agayn & asked him, what he was, & he said then agayn:
"It am I, that was sum tyme thy fellaw, that men cald the
straunge squyere, & now I have hold the conuenant, that I
hight the, for I said, when we departed, that I shuld come
[line 15] agayn as soon, as I might, & then Jason praid him, to
abide & come & speke with the ladie, and he said, nay,
certan, he might noght, for him must nedes hie him home
in to his own countre. And Jason said, certayn, bot if he
wold come speke with hire, or he went, she shuld oute of
[line 20] hire wit for sorow, & he praid him: "Recommand me vnto
[21 the haste] om. ms.] hire!" & went his way into the forest in all the haste, that
he mote ride; and then departed the tournement for that day,
& euery man went to his loggeing till on the morow.

And Jason come to the ladie, making wondre-hevy
[line 25] chere, & said, that she also might doo, and she asked, why,
& he told hire, that the white knight was goon, & that he
wold nomore come there, and that it was he, that dwelled
with hire sum tyme, that she called hire straunge squyere,
that wold tell noo man his name, and then went she to hire
[line 30] chambre, making the most sorow, that any wight might make,
that he was goon & wold not speke with hire, or he yede.
And Eman come to hire and bad hire be of goode chere &
comfort, & said, she had grete cause, to be glad and mery,
for now she saw, he was on life and come thidre for hire
[line 35] luf & was that day so worthie a knight & so wele had doon
befor all othre, that she might not faile, bot she shuld haue
him at hire own will.

Now then a even this king Melliager of Cecile had
all the lordes with him at souper & made a grete feste, &
[line 40] euery man said, with outen comparison he was the best knight
there as that day & passed all othre, & there to was all
way so covert and so privey in his dooing, that, they said,
it was double knighthode.

And then come Ipomedon to [f. 97b.] his heremitage & broght
[line 45] with him twoo stedes, that he had won at the turnament,
withonten tho, that he gave a way, & vnarmed him & clad
him agayn like an hunter, & than was Tholomew come
thiddre redy & had noble gam that day, & then sent he his
white stede into the town by an othre way, & he rode furth
[line 50] home with his houndes streight to the castell, that they might
see, that he was on hunting, & all the ladies & all othre

men logh him to scorn & said to the quene: "Madame, now
comes youre derling fro the turnament: hardely, he has won
the ladie this day all with huntyng!" & he toke noo kepe
of theire wordes, bot come streight into the hall & broght
[line 5] the quene thre hert heides right grete & said, truly, he has
had the best game that day, that any man might have.

And then the quene went to soupre, & as she was
served of hire furst cours, come in a messangere fro the king
with tithinges fro the turnement & told the quene, that the
[line 10] [10 king] auf rasur geschr. ] king foyre wele & Capanius also; & she asked, what tithinges
& who had doon best that day.

And he said, certayn, that neuer before was there seen
such a grete turnament ne so many worthie knightes to gedre,
bot, certayn, he said, the king had doon wondrely wele that
[line 15] day & Capanius also & the king Monestius of Irelond also,
& many othre knightes that day had doon wondrely wele.

"Bot," he said," there was a white knight, that rode on
a white stede, that passed all othre, for neuer in all his life,"
he said, "I saw neuer knight doo so wele, as he did that
[line 20] day!" & told, how he toke the duke of Spayne prisoner &
sent him to the ladie of Calabre, & how he slogh erle
Ampheon also, & how that Capanius had be take prisonere,
had not he ben there & rescued him, & how the ladie of
[24 of] on ms.] Calabre made hire nevew Jason to serve him of his spere.

[line 25] And when he had all said, then spake Ipomedon to
the messanger & bad him say to the king, that, thogh he
haue had sore strokes at the turnament this day, that he had
ben on hunting in the forest & had goode gamme all with¦outen
strokes, & bad him say also, how his houndes had
[line 30] ronne noble wele, both Morhaunt & Ridell & Beamound, for
he had slayn thre grete hertes, bot ouer all othre Blaunchard,
his white dog, had ronne best that day, & bad him take
venyson & bere to the king: "& say, I send it him!" And
euery man logh him to scorne, save allway the quene, bot
[line 35] she was so sore ashamed, that she wist not, what to doo.

And the messanger come to the king and told him
all, as Ipomedon said. And then, when the quene had sou∣ped,
Ipomedon toke leve at hire, to goo to bedd, for he
wold goo on hunting erly on the morow, & went to his in
[line 40] & went to bedd, because he was wery.