¶Capitulum primum

IN the begynnynge of Arthur after he was cho∣sen kyng by aduēture and by grace for the most party of the barons knewe not that he was V∣ther pendragons sone / But as Merlyn made it openly knowen / But yet many kynges & lordes helde grete werre ayenst hym for that cause / But wel Arthur ouercame hem alle / for the mooste party the dayes of his lyf he was ruled moche by the counceil of Merlyn / Soo it fell on a tyme kyng Arthur sayd vnto Merlyn / my barons wille lete me haue no rest but nedes I muste take a wyf / and I wylle none take / but by thy counceill and by thyne aduys / it is wel done said Merlyn / that ye take a wyf / for a man of your boun¦te and noblesse shold not be without a wyf / Now is ther ony that ye loue more than another / ye said kyng Arthur / I loue gweneuer the kynges doughter Lodegrean of the land of Ca¦melerd / the whiche holdeth in his hows the table round that ye told he had of my fader Vther / And this damoysel is the mo∣ost •alyaunt and fayrest lady that I knowe lyuynge or yet that euer I coude fynde / Syre sayd Merlyn as of her beaute and fayrenes she is one of the fayrest on lyue / But and ye loued her not so wel as ye doo / I shold fynde yow a damoy∣sel of beaute and of goodenesse that shold lyke yow & ple∣se yow and your herte were not sette / But there as a mans herte is set / he wylle be lothe to retorne / that is trouth said kyng Arthur / but Merlyn warned the kynge couertly that gwene∣uer was not holsome for hym to take to wyf / for he warned hym that launcelot shold loue her and she hym ageyne / and so he torned his tale to the auentures of Sancgreal / Thenne mer¦lyn desyred of the kynge for to haue men with hym that shold enquere of gweneuer / and so the kyng graunted hym / & Mer¦lyn wente forth vnto kyng Lodegrean of Camyllerd / & told hym of the desyre of the kyng that he wold haue vnto his wyf Gweneuer his doughter / that is to me sayd kyng Lodegreans the best tydynges that euer I herd that so worthy a kyng of prowesse and noblesse wille wedde my doughter / And os for my landes I wylle gyue hym wys• I it myght please hym / Page  [unnumbered] but he hath londes ynowe / hym nedeth none / but I shalle sende hym a gyfte shalle please hym moche more / for I shalle gyue hym the table round / the whiche Vtherpendragon gaue me / & whan it is ful complete / ther is an C knyghtes & fyfty / And as for on C good knyghtes I haue my self / but I fawte / l / for so many haue ben slayne in my dayes / and so Ladegreans delyuerd his doughter Gweneuer vnto Merlyn / and the table round with the C knyghtes / and so they rode fresshly with gre¦te royalte / what by water and what by land / tyl that they came nyghe vnto london