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ARthur{us} the sonne of Uter Pendra∣gon a strepelynge of .xv. yeres of age beganne his rey∣gne as kynge of Brytayne, in the yere of oure lorde v. hundred and .xvii / and the thyrde yere of Lotharius, then kynge of Fraunce, or of a parte therof, as be∣fore is declared. Of this Arthure is
by Gaufryde recyted a longe storye, and alowed by the englysh cronycle, the whyche from other wryters ys greatly dyscordaunte. But yet all au¦thours agreen that he was noble an victoryous in all his dedys.
Fayne I wolde declare the fame of this noble prynce, to the comforte of other to folowe his marcyall de∣dis / so that I myght somwhat iustly fye my reporte by some authoure of authoryte. But the more I am in doute, bycause of the sayenge of Ra¦nulphe monke of Chestre / whyche vouchyth yt vppon wyllyam wry∣ter of hystoryes of kynges, as ys re∣hersed at length in the .vi. chapyter of the .v. boke of Policronicō / which is there open to euery man that ys desyrous to knowe the sayde reporte or opynyon / the whyche for the lēgth therof I ouerpasse. And somwhat to the honour of so great a champyon as was thys Arthur, I shall lay vn∣to the reder, that he may wyth autho¦ryte shewe vnto the herers / and ther wyth gladde the welsheman that he shuld descēde of so noble a vyctour / whych so many dedys of honour exe¦cuted in his dayes.
Then as testyfyeth Polycrony∣con and other / Arthur faught .xii. no table batayllis agayne the Saxons, and of them all was victour.
wherfore the fyrste was vpon the ryuer of Cleuy / and .iiii. the nexte were foughten vpon the ryuer Dou¦glys, which rynneth vnder the town of wygan, vpon ten myles from the ryuer of Merse in Lancashyre.
The .vi. batayll was vppon the ry¦uer called Bassa.
The .vii. besyde Lyncoln̄ in a wood called Celidon̄.
The .viii. and the .ix. were fough∣ten about yorke.
The .x. was about Nycolf towne, whyche is named warwyk as after some wryters.
The .xi. was at Bathe / where he longe besegyd Cerdicus kynge of westsaxons.
The .xii. and last was at a place cal¦led Badon or Babowe hyll / in which he slewe many Saxons. But that notwythstandynge he myght not cle¦rely voyde them his lande / but that they kepte theyr coūtes, which they were before possessyd of / as Kente, Southerey, and Norff: all be it that some authours testyfy that they held these countres as trybutaryes vnto Arthure.
Thys noble warryour as wytnes¦syth holy Gildas, slew with his own hande in one daye by ye helpe of our ladye saynte Marye / whose picture he bare peynted in his shelde, a hun¦dred and .xl. Saxons. whyche shelde he called Prydwen̄ / his swerd was called Caliboure / and his spere was called Ron̄, after the brytyshe tunge or speche.
The thyrde or fourth.