The Lyfe of Ipomydon / Hue de Rotelande

Line group 7

Ipomydon rose erly there, Line 1077 As he was wonte to done ere; Line 1078 Forthe he rode blowyng his horne, Line 1079 That all the maydens gan hym scorne Line 1080 And sayd, "Your leman gothe to playe, Line 1081 For he wille wynne vp all to-daye.' Line 1082 The quene hem blamyd wondir faste, Line 1083 Hyr hert to hym was somwhat caste. Line 1084 To hys master he went in hye Line 1085 And prayd hym full hertely Line 1086

To take more dere, yf he myght, Line 1087 Than he dyd þe tother day-light. Line 1088 Anone his hors he gan dighte Line 1089 And rode to þe feld forthe-ryght, Line 1090 Armure blak lyke the stede, Line 1091 To þe ermytage forthe he yede; Line 1092 Anone his stede he bestrode, Line 1093 Amonge hem all in he rode. Line 1094 He was sone warre of a knyght Line 1095 That in rede atyre was dight-- Line 1096 "This rede knyght was here yisterday, Line 1097 He justid for þat feyre may. Line 1098 There was none bare hym so feyre, Line 1099 Of Calabre he wille wynne þe eyre.' Line 1100 The lady lay on toure on hye, Line 1101 The rede knyght full sone she see; Line 1102 She wende it were þe strange squyere Line 1103 Þat she hopid shuld be hyr fere. Line 1104 Her purpos was to hym to wende, Line 1105 Whan the justes come to ende, Line 1106 And brynge hym with feyre manere, Line 1107 To hyr was none so leffe ne dere. Line 1108 Right as the quene in thoght stode, Line 1109 The rede knyght anone in rode; Line 1110 The blake toke a spere in honde, Line 1111 To just with hym he thoght in londe, Line 1112

[folio 69r] And eyther with othyr sone they mette, Line 1113 In-myd the sheld the stroke they sette. Line 1114 The blak knyghtes spere was stiffe and stronge, Line 1115 And therwith he gan fast thronge Line 1116 The knyght and stede within a stounde, Line 1117 That they lay bothe vppon the ground. Line 1118 Ipomydon toke þe rede stede, Line 1119 To hys men he gan hym lede. Line 1120 Than come forthe syr Caymys, Line 1121 A proude knyght and a daynous; Line 1122 Just he wold with þe blak knyght, Line 1123 But all to lytelle was hys myght; Line 1124 With a spere þat welle wold laste, Line 1125 Knyght and hors downe he caste. Line 1126 Sir Caymys hors he toke in hye, Line 1127 The rede knyghtes he sette hym bye. Line 1128 Sir Campaynus hym faste byhelde, Line 1129 He thoght to just with hym in felde; Line 1130 Hys thoght was to wynne þe maye, Line 1131 But he fayled foule of his praye. Line 1132 Forthe they rode togedyr faste Line 1133 That there sperys asondre braste; Line 1134 Bothe they were stiffe and stronge, Line 1135 Þey luste to ryde, þey taryed not longe, Line 1136 And eyther of theym toke a spere; Line 1137 Campaynus þoght hym downe to bere. Line 1138 In-mydde þe place þe knyghtes mette, Line 1139 Ipomydon so Campanus grette, Line 1140 That knyght and stede in þat case Line 1141

Felle on hepe in-midde þe place. Line 1142 The blake knyght toke hys stede goode, Line 1143 The kynge thereof began to wode Line 1144 That his knyghtes bore downe were. Line 1145 He folowyd þe knyght with a spere; Line 1146 He had thoght to done hym harme, Line 1147 For he smote hym throw þe arme. Line 1148 Ipomydon with þat stroke abrayde Line 1149 And to þe kynge þus he sayde: Line 1150 "As þou arte kynde, gentille and free, Line 1151 Abyde and juste a cours with me, Line 1152 And I foryiffe þis vilanye!' Line 1153 The kynge sayd, "Therto grant I!' Line 1154 Full fayne he wold haue bene away, Line 1155 But for shame he sayd not nay. Line 1156 The kynge and he, in place þey mette, Line 1157 The blake knyght suche a stroke hym sette, Line 1158 That kynge and hors downe he caste, Line 1159 That hym thoght hys nekke tobraste. Line 1160 The kynges stede he ledde away, Line 1161 Þat euery man to other gan saye: Line 1162 "He may wele be kynge of londe Line 1163 For the doughtyeste man of hand Line 1164 That any man sawe euer ere.' Line 1165 And so sayd all þat there were, Line 1166 They gaffe hym þe gre of felde Line 1167 For þe doughtyest vndyr shelde. Line 1168 Herawdis discryued hys arme blake Line 1169 And sayd, in þe world was not his make, Line 1170

And they sayd, withoute lettynge, Line 1171 He was worthy to be kynge. Line 1172 Whan euery man homeward gan draw, Line 1173 Jason went to his felawe: Line 1174 "Come home, syr, I you pray, Line 1175 To youre owne, I darre wele say. Line 1176 Ye shal be made kynge of lond Line 1177 For þe doughtiest man of hand. Line 1178 Thou hast no pere, I darre wele say, Line 1179 So sayd all þat were here to-day.' Line 1180 "Jason,' he sayd, "God yeld it the, Line 1181 The grete honoure þou proferist me.' Line 1182 Jason sayd, "If your willis bee, Line 1183 What ar ye þat knowis me?' Line 1184 "Somme-tyme I was þi felaw dere Line 1185 Þat callyd was þe strange squyere; Line 1186 I haue bene hereexpand_less þese thre dayes, Line 1187 But now no lenger dwelle I maye.' Line 1188 "For Goddis loue,' sayd Jason there, Line 1189 "Come brynge my lady oute of care Line 1190 And comforte hyr in all thynge, Line 1191 And thynke also ye shal be kynge.' Line 1192 He sayd, "Jason, þi wordis þou spare, Line 1193 That wold me torne to myche care; Line 1194 I haue dwellyd here to longe, Line 1195 [folio 70r] The whiche will cause me travaile stronge. Line 1196

Recomaund me to hyr anone-right, Line 1197 For I must travaile day and nyght.' Line 1198 He toke hys leve and forthe ganne fare; Line 1199 Jason tornyd home full of care, Line 1200 And whan he come into the halle, Line 1201 He tolde þe lady what was byfalle, Line 1202 The blak knyght was þe squyer stronge, Line 1203 That had dwellyd with hyr so longe, Line 1204 And how he wanne hyr with his hand: Line 1205 "But he is passid oute of þis lande.' Line 1206 The lady mornyd and was full woo Line 1207 And thoght hyr hert wold brest on two, Line 1208 But yit she trowed in hyr thoght, Line 1209 So lightly wold he leve hyr noght, Line 1210 Sithe þat he had, withoute fayle, Line 1211 For hyr loue so grete travaile. Line 1212 Ipomydon forthe is goone Line 1213 With his stedis euerychone; Line 1214 He fonde his master with flesshe inoughe Line 1215 Hovynge vndir the grene wodde-boughe; Line 1216 He toke hym þe stedis euerychone Line 1217 And to his inne he bad hym gone. Line 1218 He toke his houndis and his horne Line 1219 And leyd the flesshe hym beforne; Line 1220 Byfore the quene he it leyd, Line 1221 And in his game þus he sayd: Line 1222 "Know ye any at þe justynge Line 1223 Hathe wonne halfe so myche thynge?' Line 1224 The quene, as she was wonnt to done, Line 1225

To hyr soper she went sone, Line 1226 And hyr leman hyr byforne; Line 1227 Scantly had þey the mete corvyn Line 1228 Þat in comyth kyngis messyngere Line 1229 And grette þe lady in thys manere: Line 1230 "Wele you gretiþe my lord, þe kynge. Line 1231 He byddythe you for any thynge Line 1232 That ye be to-morow erely Line 1233 At þe chalenge of þe lady.' Line 1234 The quene than ganne saye: Line 1235 "Hathe the rede knyght wonne hyr to-day?' Line 1236 "I say, madame, so God me spede, Line 1237 The rede knyght hathe lost his stede, Line 1238 My lord, þe kyng, hathe his also, Line 1239 Campaynnus, Caymes and oth[e]r mo; Line 1240 The blakke knyght hathe wonne hem alle, Line 1241 Moche honour to hym ys falle.' Line 1242 Than byspake Ipomydon: Line 1243 "Bettyr is on huntynge to goone Line 1244 In the forest, so God me spede, Line 1245 Than þus lyghtly to lese a stede. Line 1246 Wherefore, messyngere, I þe pray, Line 1247 In my byhalfe þat þou say, Line 1248 When þou comyst to þe kynge, Line 1249 Grete hym wele in all thynge, Line 1250 And say my blak greyhound, Gilmyn, Line 1251

To-day hathe bore hym welle and fyne, Line 1252 For he hathe take wild bestis, Line 1253 The grettest þat was in þe foreste, Line 1254 And therefore, madame, if youre wil be, Line 1255 Sithe we haue go grete plente, Line 1256 Send hym somme, while we may. Line 1257 He wille it quyte another day.' Line 1258 Ipomydon was sore travailed Line 1259 In the gamys þat he had; Line 1260 Hys arme vnstoppid, þe blode gan falle Line 1261 Vppon the tabyll afore hem alle; Line 1262 Than sayd þe quene, "My leman dere, Line 1263 How ar ye hurt, on what manere?' Line 1264 "Forsothe, madame, I shall you say: Line 1265 I lette renne at a dere to-daye, Line 1266 My palfrey I prekid aftir so faste Line 1267 That he stumblyd and me downe caste. Line 1268 At þat tyme I toke this harme, Line 1269 A stubbe smote me þrow þe arme, Line 1270 And þat was for, I shuld saye, Line 1271 The gree of þe feld I had to-daye.' Line 1272 So they laughyd at hym þat nyght Line 1273 That somme myght not sytte vpryght. Line 1274 The quene sayd, "My leman hende, Line 1275 To-morow wille we togedyr wende Line 1276 And see who hathe wonne þe may.' Line 1277 Ipomydon answerd and sayd, "Naye, Line 1278

Sithe I was not at þe justynge, Line 1279 [folio 71r] I wille not be at þe chalengynge, Line 1280 But one thynge, madame, I you pray. Line 1281 Delyuere my mayde to me þis day, Line 1282 For suche tithyngis is come to me Line 1283 That I muste home to my contree; Line 1284 And I shall be, bothe day and nyght, Line 1285 While þat I lyffe, your owne knyght.' Line 1286 The quene sayd, "Dwelle here stille!' Line 1287 To lette hym go she had no wille. Line 1288 He toke his leve at þe lady Line 1289 And at þe maydens þat stode hyr by; Line 1290 His owne mayde þat was so bryght, Line 1291 To his ostage she went right, Line 1292 There she nyver come byfore, Line 1293 Sithe his stedis herborowed þere. Line 1294 He sette hym downe in þe halle, Line 1295 Hys oste to hym he lette calle. Line 1296 Into þe stable he hym ledis, Line 1297 There as stode his goode stedis, Line 1298 And sayd to hym, "My frend dere, Line 1299 I wolde þe pray on þis manere, Line 1300 That þou my word vndirstand Line 1301 And this message take on hande: Line 1302 Thou haste herd speke of þe justynge Line 1303 That hathe be for the lady yonge, Line 1304 And also of þe white knyght, Line 1305 The fryst day þat justyd ryght; Line 1306 I was þat knyght þat stondythe þe by, Line 1307

And on this white stede rode I. Line 1308 Of þe rede knyght þou herd sey, Line 1309 Þat justed on þat othir daye; Line 1310 That same knyght forsothe I was, Line 1311 This rede stede I had in place. Line 1312 Vppon the þrydde day þou herd telle Line 1313 Of a blak knyght how it byfelle; Line 1314 On this blak stede þat day I satte Line 1315 And all þese othyr on hym I gatte; Line 1316 Therefore, good syr, I the pray Line 1317 That þou do, as I the saye: Line 1318 Aryse vp in the mornynge Line 1319 And go to þe maydens chalengynge! Line 1320 Take this same white stede Line 1321 And a man dight in þe same wede, Line 1322 Vnto my lord, theexpand_less kynge, þou wende Line 1323 And grete hym wele as lorde hend, Line 1324 Sey, þe quenys leman, hys owne knyght, Line 1325 Sent hym þis stede and armour bryght; Line 1326 The fryste day he rode theron thare, Line 1327 He wote wele how he hym bare; Line 1328 And say þat wele wouchesaffe I wolde, Line 1329 Thoughe euery here were syluer and golde. Line 1330 Take þe rede stede with þe armor clere Line 1331 And grete wele my lady dere; Line 1332 And say hyr leman and hyr knyght Line 1333 Sent hyr þis stede and armour bryght! Line 1334

Take þe armour and þe blak stede, Line 1335 To sir Campanus þou hym lede! Line 1336 Take here þe kyngis owne stede, Line 1337 To the eyre of Calabre þou hym lede!' Line 1338 And all togedyr he gan hym saye Line 1339 How he shuld present þe fayre may: Line 1340 "Campanus stede þou take anone Line 1341 And lede hym, to sir Jason. Line 1342 This othir rede stede, withoute drede, Line 1343 I to þe yeve for thy mede, Line 1344 On hym þou shalt before ryde Line 1345 And all these othyr be þi syde.' Line 1346 He taught hym, or he went away, Line 1347 On what wise þat he shuld say, Line 1348 And for the herbegage of his stedys Line 1349 He yaff hym twenty pound to medes. Line 1350 The burgeyse held vp his hand Line 1351 And thankyd God þat he hathe found: Line 1352 "Of Calabre I wote who shall be kynge, Line 1353 Now am I glad of my herbowrynge. Line 1354 I shall make youre presente Line 1355 Right gladly with good entente.' Line 1356 The burgeyse toke þe stedys þanne, Line 1357 On euery stede he sette a man, Line 1358 On the thre þat þe knyghtes were, Line 1359 Men armyd in all hyr gere. Line 1360 [folio 72r] Forthe they went, withoute lesynge, Line 1361

Toward þe maydens chalengynge. Line 1362 Sone they come to þe cyte Line 1363 There lordis were grete plente. Line 1364 Sone the lordis dyd theyme see, Line 1365 There they satte in companye, Line 1366 They had wondyr of þe stedys Line 1367 And of þe men in dyuerse wedis; Line 1368 The kynge knew þe burgeyse at alle, Line 1369 Anone to hym he lette hym calle: Line 1370 "Whose be these stedis þat be so stronge? Line 1371 Myne I know welle hem amonge.' Line 1372 "Sir, with youre leue stille ye sytte, Line 1373 And the troughe ye shall wetee. Line 1374 The quenys leman, syr, iwis, Line 1375 Gretythe þe wele with joy and blysse Line 1376 And sendithe the this whyte stede, Line 1377 And with hym þe same wede, Line 1378 That he rode on the fryste day. Line 1379 Hym to take he wolde you praye, Line 1380 Wouche hym saffe on you he wolde, Line 1381 Thowȝ euery here were syluer and golde; Line 1382 He prayd God kepe you hole and sounde, Line 1383 For þe beste lord þat euyr he fownde.' Line 1384 To þe quene he wendithe there: Line 1385 "Wele you gretith your leman dere. Line 1386 This rede stede þat is so swyfte, Line 1387 He prayeth you take hym of his gifte. Line 1388 On you he woucheþ saff, be seynt Martyn, Line 1389

Though euery here were syluer and gold fyne, Line 1390 For his lady gode and trewe Line 1391 And þe curteyseste þat euer he knewe.' Line 1392 To syr Campanus forthe he went: Line 1393 "The quenys leman, syr, you sente Line 1394 This blak stede with þe atyre, I say, Line 1395 Þat he rode on þe laste day; Line 1396 He prayes you ye wold hym take, Line 1397 For a doughty knyght, by Goddis sake.' Line 1398 To þe mayde he wente there Line 1399 And grete hyr on this manere: Line 1400 "The strange squyer hathe you sent Line 1401 Thys ilke stede to present; Line 1402 He stale hym nat he bad me say, Line 1403 He wanne hym vppon the light-day, Line 1404 And if ye leve hym not bydene, Line 1405 He bad yow axe þe kynge, youre eme, Line 1406 And hold vp that ye haue hight, Line 1407 To take no man but he were wight.' Line 1408 The kynge sayd, "I felt full wele Line 1409 How he bare hym euerydele; Line 1410 Of his dedis I am full sore, Line 1411 Suche a stroke I bare neuer are. Line 1412 I darre wele say, by Goddis myght, Line 1413 That he is a doughty knyght, Line 1414 Withoute boste, stalworth of hand. Line 1415 A queynter knyght is not in land.' Line 1416 Sir Campanus spake wordis þan Line 1417 And sayd, "He is a doughty man, Line 1418

To juste he lette as heexpand_less were ferd, Line 1419 But foule he hathe oure eyne bleryd.' Line 1420 The burgeyse to Jason sayd þus: Line 1421 "This stede aught sir Campanus. Line 1422 He sent hym the for hys fere, Line 1423 To loke wele to his lady dere.' Line 1424 To sir Caymes gan he say: Line 1425 "He gretyth þe wele by me to-day. Line 1426 He wold haue sent you stedis mo, Line 1427 But he had none he myght forgo. Line 1428 This rede stede he gaffe to me, Line 1429 Hys messyngere for to bee, Line 1430 And for the harbegage of his stedis Line 1431 He yaff me twenty pound to medis.' Line 1432 All they sayd there they stode, Line 1433 He was come of gentill blode. Line 1434 Than sayd þe eyre of Calabre bright: Line 1435 "Help to gete me þat gentill knyght! Line 1436 [folio 73r] But I hym haue þat in feld me wanne, Line 1437 Forsothe, I shall nevir haue man.' Line 1438 Anone gan sir Caymes say: Line 1439 "Is he stolyn thus away Line 1440 And broke my ladyes boure, þe quene, Line 1441 And ledde away hyr mayden shene? Line 1442 Worthe I nevir glad ne fayne, Line 1443 But I brynge theym bothe agayne.' Line 1444

The kynge was bothe curteyse and gente, Line 1445 Full goodly he reseyved his present; Line 1446 Hertely he thankid þe gentill knyght Line 1447 And sayd in lond was none so wight. Line 1448 He yaff þe burgeyse for his message Line 1449 An hundreth pound to herytage. Line 1450