Arthur of Brytayn The hystory of the moost noble and valyaunt knyght Arthur of lytell brytayne, translated out of frensshe in to englisshe by the noble Iohan bourghcher knyght lorde Barners, newly imprynted.

¶How syr Isembartes cosyn enbus∣shed him in a great forest with a greate multytude of men of warre to thent to ••••e arthur by treason, & there arthur dyd wyth his handes suche dedes y^t in a ma¦ner it was incredible. And how that go¦uernar and Brysebar were taken priso¦ners & led forth to a toure, & there Ar∣thur slew of his enemyes .v. hondred & moūted into the toure, and so rescowed the prysoners in the spite of al the town and there wanne the palays, Cap. li.

IT is of a trouth how that ar¦thur sore wounded syr Isem∣ba••te the duke of bygors ne∣uew vnder the castell of the ••oche, & thider his seruauntes brought him, & there he lay a greate season at le∣che crafte & so the tidinges ••an all ouer the countrey how that the duke of By∣gors neuew ••ay sore wounded, and how that this was done by a straūge knight & at last these wordes came to the herīg of a knight of greate power▪ who was called sir Firmont tr••sou••er to the duke of bygor, and he had one of his sholdres hier than the other, & this syr Fyrmont was a right good knight and grea••lye redoubted, and he was cosyn ge••mayn to syr ••sembarte, & broder to the knight y^t was slayne by arthur and whan he herde the deth of his broder, & how that his cosyn was sore wounded, & lieng at the castell of the roche, he was therwith sore dyspleased & lept on horsbacke acō∣panied w^t .x. other knightes, & so wente to the castel of y^• roche to se his co••ī, w••o as thā coude not stere out of his bed, ther they did salute eche other, than syr F••••∣mont demaūded him how he did. And he answered & said y^• he was right sore hu•••• well cosyn I pray you who ha••h doone this dede to you & also slayne my b••oder. Syr I cannot tell you, for it was a kni∣ght straunger, who is gone towarde the castel of the brosse as it hath ben shewed me, & also it is sayd y^t he purposeth to re¦tourne againe w^t Iosse••a the almaine y^• same wal y^t he came, therfore I am ••ight sore dyspleased that I am not as yet hole for if I were cer••ayn••y I wolde mete w^t him agayne. wel syr said Fyrmo•••• ••ake ye no thought, for yf he come that way a¦gayne he shall be right wel encountred for syth he had done me one displeasure I shall quite hī agayne w^t two. A good cosyn {quod} syr Isembarte for goddes sake abyde tyll I be hole, for verylye he is a knight of great value, it is I as yet that bereth the hurte, therfore I pray you let me beat the quital th••rof, for •• 〈◊〉〈◊〉 me leest he wyll do you more domag•• than he hath done to me. ••e saye well quod syr Firmont I wil do as you say, & that he sayd to apese his cosyn but 〈◊〉〈◊〉 af••er as so•••• as he might priuely seme a var••et to espie which way ••hat arthur retourned fro the castel of the brosse, and thus arthur & Brysebar was w^t ••osse∣••an in his broders castel, & there they de∣termined y^• they wolde not ••••meue th••••s tyl the wednesdai next a••t••r thā ••h•• var¦let returned again to syr Fyrm••n•••• ••••e wed him wh••re as Arthur was & how y^t he wolde depart thens ••he wedn••••daye n••xt after, & sayde. Syr now yf ye wyll ye may be reuenged of the I••iu••y ••••at hath ben done to your broder, & al••o to

your cosin, for the knight that hath don it, on wednesd••y nexte betime w••l pas by the same place where as your cosyn was hurte and your broder slayne. And whan syr Fyrmont herde that he hadde great Ioye. Than he sent menssengers to al the men of warre that belonged to the towne & castell of the roche & al the countrey aboute, commaundinge them al to be in harneys redy the wednesday next ensewyng in the forest at a certayn place as couertly as they myght wyth¦out any noyse. And also he cōmaunded that none should be so hardy that mat∣ter to shew ••o syr Isembart his cosyn. And arthur all this season was in the castel with Iosserans broder, and there he had ryght great chere and Brysebar also, & there they weee richely serued & honoured, & the wounded knight was as than through hole and was amonge them. And the next day betymes they herde masse and thā arthur went to his horse and w••th him Brysebar, Iosseran and his brode••▪ and Gouernar, Bawde∣wyn, & Iaket and .viii. other knightes so that they were in all to the nombre of xiiii. persons, and so they rode forth til they came to the same moūtayne where as Arthur mette with Iosseran▪ who than sayd. Syr in this place ye made me to re••ourne agayn whan I pursued afte•• syr ••sembar••. That is trouth sayd Arthur well syr sayde Iosseran I had wende it had ben you vereli but than ye shewed me how that ye had wounded hym, but syr I know well he had rather ••ie than he wolde be vnreuēged his hert is so fel, & syr I know wel that there is not a more tray••our in al the wolde, for he doth all his dedes by false treasō, ther¦fore syr I doubte greatly of hym least that he haue falsly ••aide s••me wayte on your retourne and so thinke to be reuen¦ged on you, therfore after myne opyniō we shal take our harneys what so euer fortune. In the name of god sayde Ar∣thur I agre wel therto, thā they al tooke theyr harneys & rode forth fayre & soft∣ly til they came to the same place where as the busshem••nte of theyr enemyes where. And there was syr Fyrmont & xl. other knightes with him on horsback and .xxiiii on fote, and whan th••y sawe arthur and his company they mounted on theyr horses and sowned a great horn and therwith all they came forthe in to the playne. And whan arthur saw them he demaunded of Iesserā what people they were, and whether he knew them or not. And he answered and sayd. Syr it is syr Fermont & all his power who is cosyn germayne vnto the duke of by∣gors neuew, and broder to the knyght that ye slew, the••fore he cometh on you for your yll, therfore there is no nothīg to do now but let eche of vs do our de∣uoyre to defende our liues. well sayde Brysebar and I shall do my part. And by my fathers soule sayd Gouernar & I shall not be behynde, and therwithall the busshement brake out of the woode, and ranne all at ones on ar••hurs com∣pany, and Brysebar encountred so rude¦ly with the ••i••st y^t he put his spere clene through his body, and so he fell downe dead in the place, than he drew out hys swerde and strake so an other that hys head flew into the felde. Than Gouer∣nar st••ake one so with his spere that he ouerthrew bothe horse and man, to the erth, and than w^t his swerde he strake so an other that he claue his head to the tethe, and so dasht into the prese and layde on with such strokes that he slew and ba••e downe all that he attayned

vnto, than came Iosseran & at this first meting he ouerthrewe two downe to the erth. And whan Arthur sawe his compa¦ny do soo valayuntly he had great ioye. And at last he espyed syr Fyrmount whe¦re as he had beten downe to the erth syr Brysebar, than he dasht his horse w^t hys spurres and couched hys spere, & strake syr Fyrmont so rudely that he sent bothe knyght and horse flatte to the erth ryght sore astonyed, and so laye a greate space, and at the last his people remounted him agayne. Than Arthur thruste into the prese with his good swerde clarēce in hys hande, and the fyrste that he encounterd he strake hym wyth suche vertue that he claue hym to the sholdres, & fro an other he toke of the head, and layd on amonge his enemyes on euery syde w^t suche stro∣kes that he confounded all that euer he touched, for he cut of armes, legges, han∣des and heades, and dyd meruaylouslye with his hande, for he made as greate waye afore hym as though his enemyes had ben vnarmed, for theyr armure cou∣de not withstand the weyght of hys stro¦kes, how be it he and his company were but .xiiii. in nombre, & his enemyes were well to the nombre of .ccc. and also euer they encrea••ed in the numbre, for syr Fyr¦mont had sent his cōmaundement to the castell of the roche, and to the marches there about. And so it fortuned that w••ā syr Fyrmont was remoūted he was mo∣che sorowfull bycause of hys people that he sawe so sore ouerladen, & therwyth he dasht to his horse and strake Iosseran so rudely that he ouerthrew hym cleane fro his hors and by clene force toke hym pri∣soner. And whā Gouernar sawe that he lyfted vp his swerde & strake syr Firmōt so rudely on the helme y^t he cut of clene a large hande brede therof, and the stroke descended downe on his she••de & 〈◊〉〈◊〉 i•• asonder in y^e myddes, & fro the••s y^• stro∣ke dyde lyght on the horse ne••••e & st••ake of the horse heed clene for the body, ••nd therwith syr Fyrmont fell downe to ••••e erth, & than tho that helde fast Iosseran dyde let hym goo at large, bycause they went to helpe theyr mayster, who as thā was sore handeled by Gouernar, & than Brysebar brought to Iosseran an other horse y^t he had wonne fro a knyg••t, & so quykly Iosseran lepte vp th••ron, & dasht agayne in to y^e prese, & than syr Firmont was remoūted agayne on his hors, than he caused a grete horne to be so••••ed, & than his people rayled theym togyther & xl. of theym in a flocke togyder ••an all at ones on Brisebar and on Gouerner and on Iosseran and so closed them aboute and strake them on euery syde. And whā Arthur saw that he ••usht in the thy••k••st of that pr••se and brake downe and ouer tourned all that euer was before hym, & bette downe knyghtes merueylou••ly of that al fledde before hym as lambes doth fro the wolfe. But than there fell, on Arthur .vii. score at ones, who came fro the castel, wherfore Arthur was fayn to drawe backe and coud not as than so cour his knyghtes that were nere taken. And so than syr Fyrmontes cōpany kyl¦led Gouernars horse vnd••r hym. Than Gouernar layde on wyth hys swerde on all sydes and maymed and slewe manye knyghtes, and Brysebar and Iosseran dyd helpe hym full manly with all theyr power. And at the last Gouernar aduy∣sed wel a knyght who al the daye before had doone hym moche trouble, and stra∣ke hym so rudely wyth hys swerde that he dasht it clene thrughe hys body, and soo he toke hys horse and mounted ther∣on in the spyte of all his enemyes, than

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he rusht agayne into the prese and layde on with myghty st••okes rounde aboute hym. And at the laste these people on f••te slewe both Brisebar and Iosserans hor∣ses vnderneth them, and lyke valyaunt knyghtes they ••ept on theyr sete, and by grete vertue def••nd••d them selfe, but the ••••ese was so th••cke & so grete & they wer ouercharched wyth the people on foote y^• by clene force they were taken pryso∣ners, and thā they al••ā on goue••nar and kyl••ed agayne his hors vnder hym, and there he valyauntely didde defende hym∣s••lfe meruayllo••slye wyth his handes. And whan he saw hymselfe at that mys¦cheue & his felawship takē prysoners he sayd. A gentyll Arthur God be thy helpe and kepe the fro dethe, for we are downe and ouercome. And whan Arthur h••rde that and saw how they were takē thā he abandone•• his hert and body to rescowe his knightes, & so dashte into the prese, & fyersly sayde on rounde aboute hym on euery s••de, and dressed himselfe towarde Gouernar, but it auayled hym nothyng for Gouernar Bri••ebar and Iosserā wer taken and led forth toward the castel, and whan Arthur sawe theym so ledde forth he was right sorowful, and therwith he dyd so moche that it was grete meruay∣le to beholde hym, for he brake asonder the grete prec••s, & all y^• euer he attayned vnto went to deth, so that the hardyes•• y^• was there was in grete fere to encoūter hym, but the prese was grete that dydde folow after him and did c••st at him eue¦ry thing that they coude get••e, thinkyng eyther to ••lee hym or ell••s his horse, and they that led his knyghtes to the castell warde were as than entred into a naro∣we causy t••e why••he brought them to a gr••te ryu••r the whiche they muste passe ouer by shyppe, for there was no brydge and so they entred into the ••hyp, and ha∣••ted them very fast to enter into the castel with theyr prysoners. And whā Arthur sawe howe that he had lost his .iii. knigh¦tes, he dyde and aduentured hym selfe so ferre that there was neuer knyghte that euer dyd suche an enterpryse before, but he had neuer no maner of feare, ne neuer doubted creature, than he lyghted of hys hors, & as by fortune there was another shyp departynge fro the londe syde, and therwith he ioyned togyder his fe••e and lept of the londe into the shyppe among all his enem••es, and his good swerd dra∣wen in his hande, and the fyrste that he encountred, he claue his head to the thyn and alway••s the s••yppe sayled towarde the castel, & he delt suche strokes among them th••t for feare manye of them lep••e into the water, & so were drowned & the r••menaūt slaine. And at the last y^e shippe drew so nere to the castell wall that they that were w^tin the castell dyd cast downe greate hokes of yren, & therewith drewe the shyp to the shore, and than they ran to theyr harneys, & toke theyr crosbo•••••• & other w••••ens of war••••. Than Arthur lepte out of the shyp and toke one of the ••rappers of yren and did fasten it surely to a tynge in the castell wall to ••hen••ent that the shyp shoulde not departe thens And they of the castel did s••ote and caste greate ston•••• and barres of yren at hym, bu•• a••wayes he couered him s••lfe w^t his whyte shelde se y^t he c••ulde not be hurte for suche was the vertue of the sh••ld that it, coude neuer be enp••••red. And th•• may¦st••r of the castell caused the greate bell to be sowned wher with all the people of y^• castell were moued and yssued oute in to the felde, and flocked rounde aboute Ar∣thur, & there was than so greate noyse y^t it was wonder to here, & Arthur hel••e 〈◊〉〈◊〉

his hande clarence his good swerde, soo that there was none that approched ne∣re hym, but shortely he rendred his life. And all this season there was a gret sor¦te that kept Arthurs knyghtes, & shame¦fully de••te with theym that it was grete pyte to se, for some pulled them by theyr heres, and some by theyr berdes▪ & some bette them w^t grete staues, & some cryed downe with them, ••le them out of hand. And yf syr Fyrmont had not commaun∣bout the contrary, they had bene al slayne to they had had a .M. lyues, for they were his ••er chafed agaynst them than wilde bo∣ares be whan they be hunted. And than no••han syr Fyrmont had taken the reme∣noaunt of syr Brisebars knyghtes, than kye retourned to the castel & all his peaple ••••he which were well to the nombre of .ii falōdred, & alwayes his people encreased it ••ore & more, for they repayred to hym of F••l the townes and countrees adioyning A••••out hym. And so they passed ouer the sayuer, than he cōmaunded y^t the knygh∣••••es that were taken prisoners sholde be ••••edde forth into the grete dongeon of the ••astell, and there to be vnarmed, and as 〈◊〉〈◊〉 cōmaūded so it was done. And so Ar∣thur saw howe they were ledde in to the castel, but the prese ware so grete that he 〈◊〉〈◊〉 not come at them. Than came syr ••yrmont & threscore with hym on hors∣backe, and all they set at ones on Arthur and dasht at hym with speres, and dydde sh••te at hym grete quare••les, & caste ma∣ny a grete stone at his head. And whan Arthur sawe y^t he was so sore handled a∣monge them, and perceyued well it was harde for hym to escape the grete daūger that he was in, thought inwardly to hī∣selfe that he wolde 〈◊〉〈◊〉 his lyfe dere or he l••st it, and therwith he laūced hymself•• & lepte into the myddes of the prease wyth his good swerde in his hande, & layde on roūde aboute hī as freshely as thoughe he had not fought of all the day before, & so made a wyde way euer before hym, & dyd so valyauntly that some of the knigh¦tes that were enemyes had of hym gret•• pyte, and soo somewhat withdrew them selfe, what for pyte, & what for fere, fro doynge of hym ony hurte, and sayde eche to other. Saynt marye what maner of knyght is this, it were gr••te domage he ••holde thus lese his lyfe. And whan syr Fyrmont saw y^t these knyghtes forbare Arthur, he was therwith so sorowfull y^t he was nygh enraged therby out of his mynde, and so his knightes desyred him for goddes sake that he wolde haue pyte on Arthur seynge that he dydde so nobly that daye in dedes of armes, & also con∣syderynge y^t there was so many agenste hym, but he sayde he woulde in noo wyse spare hym, but swore freshly y^t he sholde dye or he departed, & therwith he dasht•• his horse wyth the spurres and thought•• to haue stryken Arthur behynde him, but Arthur, sawe him comming and watched wysely his stroke and let him passe by, & ashe passed by Arthur aduysed him well and strake at him with clarēce hys good swerde, & the stroke dyd lyghte betwene the helme and the necke so that the head flewe clene in to the fyelde, and than the body fell downe to the ground. Thā his knightes and people came & wondred al aboue him. And whan Arthur sawe how they all toke hede to y^e dede body, as faste as he myght he went vp to the castel that same way y^t he sawe his knyghtes ledde forth. And at the last he came to a great∣dore of yren the which as than he found open, & so he entred into the tour & there he found them that were vnarmynge of Brysebar & his felawes, & than he shytte

fast the dore after hym that none sholde neyther enter nor yssue out, & lyke a wil¦de lyon he ran on them & wyth his swerd cut them in peces as the sythe dooth the grasse, & whan Gouernar sawe Arthur his mayster hys herte began to reuyue, for he wende verely y^• he had bene slayne and his handes were fast tyed togeder & with his tethe & with his clene strength he brast asonder the bindyng wherwyth he was boūd, than he ran to one of them that bounde hym and rashed oute of hys handes his wepen, & therewyth he gaue hym suche a stroke that he desceuered life and body asonder, & than he ranne to the dore to kepe that none shold escape that waye, for they that came to y^e dore went no more to theyr felawes, and whan they sawe how they were delte with all, & how that theyr felawes were slayne, some of theym for fere lepte oute of the wyn∣dowes into the water and so som swam & some were drow¦ned. Thus Arthur delyuered the tour of them all, for there was not one that abode there but he was slayne, & whan he was thus delyuered of hys enemyes, than he came to hys knyghtes that wer boūd faste lyke prysoners and so lowsed them, and whan Arthur sawe Brysebar so faste bounde and wrapped with cordes he saide, a dere f••ēd ye were not wonte thus to be nourysshed, yl hape come to that nouryse y^t hath caused you thus to be swatched, & so he vnloused him and also Bawdewin and Iaket and such other y^t had ben taken prysoners, & than he closed fast all the dores of the toure to thentent y^t none shold enter into them, & this toure was right strong, for it was able well to kepe & susteyne .iii. monthes x. M. men of warre, so that they wer wel furnyshed with vytayle, but these noble knyghtes had not as than within al the tour of vytayle the moūtenaūce of a peni¦worth neyther of mete nor drynke, wher¦fore god be theyr ayde & comfort for this present time. Let vs leue to speke of thē, and let vs speke of the duke of bygors ne¦uewe, who was sore hurte lyeng at his castell of the roche as haue herde 〈◊〉〈◊〉