The Lyfe of Ipomydon / Hue de Rotelande

Line group 6

Off Ipomydon and þe lady shene Line 751 That was at home with þe quene. Line 752 Whan tyme come þey shuld to mete, Line 753 Ipomydon brought hir to hyr sete; Line 754 Into the halle whan he hyr broght, Line 755 To take hys cusse forgate he noght. Line 756 Whan she had etyn, to chambre she wente, Line 757 Ipomydon to the quene he wente: Line 758 "To-morow, madame, I wold you pray, Line 759 With leve of you, whan yt is day, Line 760 Go to þe forest to take a dere. Line 761 My greyhondes ranne not þis quartere; Line 762 Whyle my lord ys at þe justynge, Line 763 My greyhoundis I wold feyne se rennynge. Line 764 O thyng, madame, I wold you pray: Line 765 If I come not be tyme of day, Line 766 Whan ye se tyme, to mete ye wend, Line 767 For I wote neuyr how long I lend.' Line 768 "Sir," she sayd, "God you spede.' Line 769 He kyssyd hyr and forthe he yede. Line 770 Ipomydon callyd his master than, Line 771 Sir Tholomew, that noble man: Line 772 "To my hostage ye go by nyght, Line 773 My white stede, loke he be dight, Line 774 And with the armure hedyr ye brynge Line 775

To-morow, or the day sprynge. Line 776 Hye you oute at þe castelle yate Line 777 And frome all syght kepe you allgate.' Line 778 Ipomydon went to þe portere Line 779 And prayd hym, if his wille were, Line 780 The yate myght by opyn or day; Line 781 Þe porter grantyd hym and toke hym þe key, Line 782 And at þe fryst cokke roose hee; Line 783 Furthe he went with greyhondis thre, Line 784 In a lesshe he dyd hem do Line 785 And blew a grete horne also; Line 786 He blew lowde and shoke it wele Line 787 That it ronge all þe castelle. Line 788 The maydenys to þe quene gan say: Line 789 "Youre lemman gothe to wynne þe may.' Line 790 [folio 65r] The quene answerd, withoute lettynge: Line 791 "All men konne not of justynge. Line 792 Thoughe he kanne not of suche dedys, Line 793 He may be gode at other nedis.' Line 794 Ipomydon is to Tholomew gone Line 795 And toke hym hys houndis euerychon. Line 796 He prayd hym, as his maister dere, Line 797 To note theyme wele in all manere, Line 798 And with the flesshe kepe theym in place, Line 799 There þat theyre stevyn sette was. Line 800 He sayd, "God spede þe, lord dere! Line 801 Thereto I shall do my deuere.' Line 802 Ipomydon went forthe and his page Line 803

Till he came to an ermytage; Line 804 He lokyd forthe and byheld, Line 805 many a knyght he saw in feld. Line 806 Iche to other fast gan ryde Line 807 With grete sperys on iche syde. Line 808 He toke his spere anone-ryght Line 809 And lepte on his stede so light; Line 810 In he come amonge hem alle, Line 811 Throw the clowdis as he had falle; Line 812 The fryst knyght he gan to ryde Line 813 With a spere, þat wold abyde, Line 814 In-myddis the sheld he sette his spere, Line 815 That hors and man he gan downe bere. Line 816 Anothir knyght he mette also, Line 817 That his bakke tobrast in two; Line 818 The thryd he sloughe, withoute lettynge, Line 819 The fourthe wente into þe same rynge. Line 820 There was no knyght þat he mette, Line 821 Þat wold hys spere on hym sette, Line 822 But if his spere all tobrakke, Line 823 He wold hym to þe ground shake. Line 824 The lady lay ouer þe castell walle Line 825 And byheld þe justis alle; Line 826 She sent speres white and blake Line 827 To all men þat wold hem take. Line 828 Jason she sent vnto þe knyght Line 829 That in white harneise was dight, Line 830 To bere hym sperys at his nede; Line 831 She thoght hym worthiest of dede, Line 832

And every man till othir gan saye, Line 833 He was þe manlyest there þat day. Line 834 Than all þe peple homeward went Line 835 And Jason to þe knyght hym bente, Line 836 Praying hym, "As lord dere, Line 837 Come home here to thyne owne manere, Line 838 For wele I wote thou shalt be kynge, Line 839 The whiche is gretly to my lykynge!' Line 840 "Jason,' he sayd, "God þe foryelde Line 841 Thy grete servyce to-day in þe felde, Line 842 That þou hast done me in þis place.' Line 843 Jason merveyled of þat case: Line 844 "Sir,' he sayd, "for charyte, Line 845 What man be ye þat knoweth me?' Line 846 "it were merveile but I þe knew. Line 847 Somme-tyme þou were my felow trewe. Line 848 I am,' he sayd, "þe strange squyere Line 849 That servyd my lady þis endris yere; Line 850 Grete hyr wele on all manere. Line 851 This day for hyr I haue bene here, Line 852 But lenger dwelle here may I noght, Line 853 Suche tithyngis to me is broght Line 854 Home frome myne owne contre, Line 855 And forth I most, as I telle the.' Line 856 "A sir,' he sayd, "art thou he? Line 857 For God þat dyed vppon a tree, Line 858 Come now and with my lady speke, Line 859 Or ellis I wote hyr herte will breke, Line 860

For and she knew þou went away, Line 861 She lyveth nevir to-morow day.' Line 862 "Thou shalt, Jason, vndirstond Line 863 I wold not tarye for all þis land.' Line 864 He toke his leve and went his way. Line 865 Jason to þe quene gan say Line 866 Word for word euerydele: Line 867 [folio 66r] "The strange squyer grette you wele. Line 868 He was þat ylke whyte knyght Line 869 That in þe feld so richely was dight.' Line 870 This lady to hyr chambre ys gone; Line 871 A sory woman was she one. Line 872 Vppon hyr bedde she gan downe falle Line 873 On swoune afore hyr maydens alle, Line 874 And whan she roos of swounynge Line 875 Hir handis fast gan she wrynge: Line 876 "Allas,' she sayd, "what I was wode, Line 877 A witteles thyng, and cowde no goode! Line 878 My witte myght haue seruyd me Line 879 That suche a man doughty most be.' Line 880 But yit she trowyd in hyr thoght, Line 881 So lightly wold he leve hyr noght; Line 882 That was hyr comfort most in care, Line 883 And ellis she had hyrself forfare. Line 884 Ipomydon to his maister camme, Line 885 He found hym and his houndes anone; Line 886 Plente of flesshe had he caught, Line 887

Hors and harneyse he hym bytaught, Line 888 And eyther passyd to hyr inne. Line 889 Ipomydon the flesshe toke with hym, Line 890 Byfore the quene he ganne it bere, Line 891 As she was sette at hyr sopere. Line 892 "Madame,' he sayd, "my lord, þe kynge, Line 893 Hathe not þus sped with hy[s] justynge.' Line 894 All the halle that þere were insame, Line 895 At hym they loughe and had game. Line 896 Ipomydon went to his mete, Line 897 Faste he brake and faste he ete, Line 898 For he had fasted all þat day; Line 899 Suche a lykynge he had in pley. Line 900 As they satte at there sopere, Line 901 In comythe the kyngis messyngere; Line 902 Vppon his knee he hym sette Line 903 And þe quene feyre he grette. Line 904 To hyr sent word hyr lord, þe kynge, Line 905 How they had done at þe justynge; Line 906 Tho askyd þe quene anone-right: Line 907 "Was there any with Campanyus dyd fight, Line 908 That was so doughty in þe felde, Line 909 Outher with spere or with shelde?' Line 910 "Ya, madame, so mot I thee, Line 911 Ther was oone worthe suche thre: Line 912 In white armure he was dight, Line 913 In all þe feld was none so wight, Line 914

But if it were my lord, þe kynge, Line 915 For he is passand in euery thynge.' Line 916 The quene asked, "what was hee?' Line 917 The messyngere sayd, "So mot I the, Line 918 At þat tyme knew hym no man.' Line 919 Than byspake Ipomydon, Line 920 And sayd, "Messyngere, I the pray, Line 921 Vnto my lorde, þe kyng, þou saye Line 922 That my good whyte greyhound Line 923 Hathe sleyne more dere and broght to ground Line 924 Than wold hys haue done to-daye.' Line 925 Ipomydon to þe quene gan saye, Line 926 Praying he moste þe kyng somme bere, Line 927 To wete þat he was no lyere. Line 928 The quene ys to hyr chambre gone, Line 929 Thedir ledithe hyr Ipomydon; Line 930 He prayd leue on þe morow to play, Line 931 As he had done þat othir day. Line 932 The quene hym grauntyd curtessly; Line 933 To hys maister he dyd hym hye, Line 934 And prayd hym sone and anone Line 935 To his ostage þat he shuld gone Line 936 And brynge hym his rede stede, Line 937 Foryete noght þe same wede, Line 938 In the place þat they were ere, Line 939 And þat he shuld be erly there. Line 940 Ful erly roos Ipomydon, Line 941 His horne, hys greyhond he toke þan. Line 942 He blew it lowde and wele gan shake, Line 943

That all þe maydens þo gan awake. Line 944 Than sayd all þat were þerinne: Line 945 "Your lemman gothe þe mayd to wynne.' Line 946 The quene answeryd, as she dyd ere: Line 947 "He may more wynne þan he were þere.' Line 948 [folio 67r] The kyngis messengere forthe went Line 949 And toke hym hole his present; Line 950 Euery word þe kynge he tolde, Line 951 Than seyd þe knyghtys þat were bolde: Line 952 "Allas, þat suche a knyght shuld leve Line 953 But he to manhode wold hym yeve!' Line 954 Ipomydon to his maister wente, Line 955 His armure and his stede he hent, Line 956 Þe rede greyhound he toke hym ryght. Line 957 That day he prayd hym do his myght, Line 958 And in þat place kepe þe fleshe Line 959 With þe greyhoundis in þe lesshe. Line 960 Forthe he went in þat stounde Line 961 And to þe ermytage he came sound, Line 962 Into þe feld he lokyd þanne, Line 963 He saw many an armyd man, Line 964 Hym he armyd and forthe gan ryde. Line 965 Faste they justyd on euery syde, Line 966 And euyr byheld þe lady bryght, Line 967 If she myght se þe whyte knyght; Line 968 For she on hym non eye myght caste, Line 969 She thoght hyr hert wold tobreste. Line 970 Jason þat day was made knyght Line 971 And richely in þe feld was dight; Line 972

Ipomydon, this case he sawe Line 973 Þat Jason was knyght, his owne felawe; Line 974 To hym he prekyd faste in hye; Line 975 Whan he shulde mete, he rode hym by. Line 976 That day he taught hym so to done Line 977 That worthely he wanne his shone. Line 978 But Ipomydon, as I you saye, Line 979 Many a knyght he fellyd þat day, Line 980 So many sperys he brakke onsondre Line 981 That all folke on hym had wondere. Line 982 They sayd there nas in all þat lande Line 983 Noon so manly man of hande, Line 984 For all they sayd þo full tyte, Line 985 The rede was better þan þe white, Line 986 And so he bare hym þat daye Line 987 That knyghtys wexe wery of his playe. Line 988 Whan euery knyght to hys inne gan ryde, Line 989 Sir Jason dyd with hym abyde Line 990 And sayd, "Syr knyght, God þe foryelde Line 991 Thy grete helpe to-day in þe felde! Line 992 Thrughe the the more loue þat I wanne, Line 993 That more desyre I ne canne. Line 994 I wote þou shalt be lord here, Line 995 For I know noon þat is þi pere, Line 996 Saffe yistyrday the whyte knyght, Line 997 But he is oute of lond dight.' Line 998 "Nay, Jason, my trew fere, Line 999 Thou shalt se þat I am here. Line 1000 But grete wele my lady dere, Line 1001

For hyr to-day haue I bene here, Line 1002 The whiche I say, withouten fayle, Line 1003 Will me torne to grete travaile, Line 1004 And many an hors ryde to ded, Line 1005 Or I come there þat me most nede; Line 1006 For all my lond I lese for ay, Line 1007 But I be there by a certeyne day.' Line 1008 Jason sayd, "Syr, mercy, Line 1009 And thynke vppon my lady, Line 1010 For and ye passe hyr þus froo, Line 1011 For sorow she wille hyrselfe slo!' Line 1012 Ipomydon sayd, "By heuyn-kynge, Line 1013 At this tyme I will not lynge, Line 1014 But grete hyr wele and haue gode day, Line 1015 And I shall come whan þat I may.' Line 1016 Sir Jason passyd forthe in hyee Line 1017 And this tale tolde to the lady: Line 1018 "The rede knyght and þe whyte ys one, Line 1019 But forsothe now ys he goon!' Line 1020 Than sory was that swete thynge, Line 1021 And efte she felle in mornynge; Line 1022 But she bethought hyr, [a]s she dyd are, Line 1023 And ellis she had hyrselfe forfare. Line 1024 Ipomydo[n] to his maister yede, Line 1025 And toke his armure and his stede; Line 1026 He toke the flesshe and þe greyhound, Line 1027 [folio 68r] And gan to go toward the towne. Line 1028

His hors he had and his huntyng-wede, Line 1029 Anone into þe halle he yede, Line 1030 Byfore þe quene the flesshe he leyd, Line 1031 "Here ys my dayes jorney,' he sayd. Line 1032 At hym they loughe and made glad chere, Line 1033 The quene went to hyr sopere Line 1034 And hyr leman sat hyr by. Line 1035 The kynges messengere come in hye, Line 1036 And sayd þe kyng grete hyr wele. Line 1037 The justis he told hyr euerydele. Line 1038 The fryst word þe quene gan say: Line 1039 "Come þe white knyght there to-day?' Line 1040 "Nay,' he sayd, "By God allmyght, Line 1041 But there was a noble rede knyght, Line 1042 The whiche all men þat gan hym see, Line 1043 Said þat he was bettir þan hee.' Line 1044 Ipomydon sayd to þe messengere: Line 1045 "Recomand me to my lord so dere, Line 1046 And say that Gager, my rede greyhounde, Line 1047 Moche dere hathe broght þis day to ground. Line 1048 I had more joye at hys rynnynge Line 1049 Than to stand and stare to se þe justynge. Line 1050 "Madame,' he said, "so God me amend, Line 1051 Of youre game I rede ye hym send.' Line 1052 "Sir,' she said, "as ye thynke beste. Line 1053 Farewele for now I go to reste.' Line 1054 Vnto hyr chambre she went þan; Line 1055 Byfore hyr come Ipomydon, Line 1056 Ones of leue he wold hyr praye, Line 1057

He wold not hunte after many a day. Line 1058 She hym grantyd of his bone, Line 1059 To his master he went sone; Line 1060 He yede and fette, withoute lakke, Line 1061 Stede and harnesse þat was blakke; Line 1062 He knew þe way at þe beste, Line 1063 Where they shuld mete in þe foreste. Line 1064 The messyngere come vnto þe kynge, Line 1065 Hys present feyre he dyd hym brynge; Line 1066 What he shuld sey forgatte he noght. Line 1067 The kynge of hym wondir thoght Line 1068 And in his hert had grete pyte, Line 1069 So goodly a man as was hee, Line 1070 That euyr he was so lytell of prise Line 1071 And therto full of cowardise. Line 1072 Whateuyr they thoght in here hert, Line 1073 Many of them he made to smerte. Line 1074 Latte hym go, God hym spede, Line 1075 Till eftesone we of hym rede! Line 1076