Lancelot of the Laik Part 27

The hardy kny{ch}t{is}, that one thar wor?chip tho{ch}t, 2620 Cownt{er}it them In myddis of the ?cheld, Whar many o kny{ch}t was born don i{n} the feld; [Sidenote: Galiot's men give way.]

Bot thei wich ware on galiot{is} p{ar}t, So wnd{er}takand nor of ?o hardy hart 2624 Ne ware thei not as was i{n} ye {con}trare.

[Sidenote: Gwyans is again rescued.]

S{ir} galys gwyans was re?qwyt thare W{i}t{h} his falowis, and e?qwyris don bore.

Thar al the batell{is} cam, w{i}t{h}outen more, 2628 On ather p{ar}t, and is a??emblit ?o [Sidenote: 50,000 men are a.s.sembled.]

Whar fyfty thou?and war thei, & no mo.

[Sidenote: 30,000 on Galiot's side approach the river,]

In o plane be?yd the gret Riwere x.x.x thou?and one galiot{is} half thei vare; 2632 [Sidenote: and 10,000 on Arthur's.]

Of arthuris x thou?and and no mo Thei ware, and ?hit thai {con}tenit them ?o And in the feld ?o manly haith born, That of thar fois haith the feld for?worn. 2636

[Footnote T61: MS. has "than."]

[Headnote: SIR GAWANE'S INTREPIDITY.]

The {con}que?t king, wich the p{er}ell knowith, [Sidenote: Gawane puts the conquest-king to flight.]

Ful manly one to the feld he drowith; The lord ?{ir} gawan, cou{er}it w{i}t{h} h{is} ?cheld, He ru?chit in myddis of the feld, 2640 And haith them ?o in to his com a??ayt, That of his manhed ware thei al affrait; No lang{er} my{ch}t thei {con}trar hyme endur, Bot fled, and goith one to di?cu{m}fiture. 2644 [Sidenote: Galiot, full of anger and grief, sends out a new band.]

And galiot, wich haith the di?c{um}fit ?en, Fulfillit ful of ang{er} and of ten, In{con}tine{n}t he ?end o new poware, Whar-w{i}t{h} the feld{is} al our-cou{er}it ware 2648 Of armyt ?ted{is} bot{h} in plait and maill, [Fol. 33a.]

W{i}t{h} kny{ch}t{is} wich war reddy to a??aill.

[Sidenote: Gawane draws his men together, and shews them comfortable words.]

S{ir} gawan, ?eing al the gret ?uppris Of fois cu{m}myng In to ?ich o wys, 2652 Togiddir al his c.u.mpany he drew, And confortable word{is} to them ?chew; So at the cu{m}myng of thar ennemys [Sidenote: They receive the foe in manly wise.]

Thei them re?auf, in ?o manly wy, 2656 That many one felith deithis wound, And wnd{er} hor lyith ?obing one the ground.

This vther cu{m}myth in to gret de?ir, Fulfillit ful of matelent and Ire, 2660 So fre?chly, w{i}t{h} ?o gret o confluens, Thar ?trong a??ay hath don ?ich vyolens, And at thar come arthuris folk ?o led, That thai war ay abay?it and adred. 2664 Bot gawan, wich that, by this vorld{is} fame, Of ma{n}hed and of kny{ch}thed bur the name, Haith p{re}wit [hym] well be exp{er}iens; For only In til armys his defens 2668 [Sidenote: Gawane encourages his fellows,]

Haith maid his falowis tak ?ich hardyme{n}t, That manfully thei biding one the bent.

Of his manhed war m{er}well to raher; The kny{ch}tis throw the ?cheld{is} can he per, 2672 That many one thar dethis haith re?auit; None armour frome his my{ch}ty hond them ?auit, [Sidenote: though their foes are three to one;]

?hit ay for one ther ennemys wor thre.

Long my{ch}t thei no{ch}t endur in ?uch dugree; 2676 The pre it wos ?o creuell & ?o ?trong, In gret anoy and haith {con}tinewit longe, [Sidenote: yet his men are forced to retreat to their tents.]

That, magre them, thei ned{is} mo?t abak The way one to thar lug{is} for to tak. 2680 S{ir} gawan thar ?ufferith gret my?chef, And wond{er}is in his kny{ch}thed can he pref; His falou?chip haith m{er}well that hym ?aw, So haith his fois that of his ?uerd ?tud aw. 2684 [Sidenote: Arthur beholds the peril of the field, and sends Sir Ywan to help them,]

King arthur, that al this whill beheld The dang{er} and the p{er}ell of the feld, S{ir} ywan w{i}t{h} o falow?chip he ?ende, Them In that ned to help & to defend, 2688 Qwich fond them In to danger and in were, [Fol. 33b.]

And ent{er}it nere In to thar tentis were.

[Sidenote: who finds Sir Gawane fighting on foot with only his sword.]

S{ir} gawan fechtand was one fut At erde, And no defend, but only in his ?werde, 2692 A?anis them bot{h} w{i}t{h} ?pere and ?cheld.

Of galowa the kny{ch}t goith to the erde.[T62]

[Footnote T62: Read "felde"?]

[Headnote: SIR YWAN RESCUES GAWANE.]

[Sidenote: The battle was furious and wood.]

Thar was the batell furyous and woud[T63]

Of armyt kny{ch}t{is}; to the grownde thai ?hud. 2696 S{ir} ywane, that was a n.o.ble knyght, He ?chew his ?trenth, he ?chew thar h{is} g{r}et my{ch}t, In al his tyme that neu{er} of before Off armys, nore of kny{ch}thed, did he more: 2700 [Sidenote: Sir Ywan rescues Sir Gawane,]

S{ir} gawan thar re?kewit he of fors, Magre his fois, and haith hyme ?et one hor That frome the fir?t {con}que?t king he wan; [Sidenote: who was so evilly wounded, that he was the worse thereof evermore.]

Bot ?{ir} gawan ?o ewill was wondit than, 2704 And in the feld ?upp{ri}?it was ?o ?ore, That he the wer thar-of was eu{er}more.

Thar ?chew the lord ?{ir} ywan h{is} curage, His manhed, & h{is} n.o.ble wa??olage; 2708 And gawan, in his doing, wald no{ch}t irk;

[Footnote T63: MS. "woid," but the "_i_" is undotted, and is therefore perhaps meant for the first stroke of a "_u_."]

[Headnote: END OF THE FIRST DAY'S BATTLE.]

[Sidenote: Darkness parts the combatants.]

So al the day enduring to the dyrk Sal them, magre of thar de?yre, {con}?t{r}en On ayar half fore [to] dep{ar}t in twen. 2712 And when that gawan of his hor vas ton, The blud out of his noi & mouth is gon, And largly ?o pa??ith euery wounde, [Sidenote: Sir Gawane swoons,]

In ?wonyng th.o.r.e he fell one to the ground: 2716 Than of the puple petee was to here The lemytable clamour, and the chere; [Sidenote: so that the king despairs of his "niece's" life, and laments over him.]

And of the king the ?orow and the care, That of his nec{is} lyf was in di??pare. 2720 "Far well," he ?ais, "my gladnes, & my delyt, Apone kny{ch}thed far well myne appet.i.t, Fare well of manhed al the g{r}et curage, Yow flour of armys and of va??olage, 2724 Gif yow be lo?t!"--thus til his tent hyme bro{ch}t [Sidenote: The surgeons are sought,]

W{i}t{h} wofull hart, and al the ?urry?enis ?ocht, Wich for to c.u.m was reddy at his neid; Thai fond the lord was of his lyf i{n} dreid, 2728 For wondit was he, and ek wondit ?o, [Sidenote: who found he had two broken ribs, but no mortal wound.]

And in his ?yd ware brokyne Ribys two.

Bot no{ch}t for-thi the king thai maid beleif That at that tyme he ?huld the deith e?chef. 2732 [Fol. 34a.]

[O]ff melyhalt the ladyis kny{ch}t{is} were In to the feld, and can thir t.i.thing{is} here, [Sidenote: The lady of Melyhalt's knights tell her how the battle went,]

And home to thar lady ar thai went, Til hir to ?chewing eft{er} thar entent, 2736 In euery poynt, how that the batell ?tud Of galiot, and of his mult.i.tud; [Sidenote: and how Gawane bare him in the field, and of his wounds.]

And how gawan hyme in the feld hath born, Throw quhoys ?werd ?o many o kny{ch}t vas lorn, 2740 And of the kny{ch}tly wond{er}is that he wro{ch}t, Syne how that he one to his tent vas bro{ch}t.

The lady hard, that lowit gawan so, [Sidenote: She weeps for him.]

She gan to wep, in to[T64] hir hart vas wo. 2744

[Footnote T64: MS. "in in"; but "in to" is clearly meant.]

[Headnote: LANCELOT'S LAMENT FOR GAWANE.]

[Sidenote: Lancelot requests to see the lady;]

Thir tythyng{is} one to lancelot ar gon, Whar-of that he was wond{er} wo-bygone, And for the lady ha?tely he sent, And ?che til hyme, at his co{m}mand, Is went: 2748 [Sidenote: and inquires if Gawane is really likely to die.]

He ?alu?t hir, and ?aid, "madem, Is trew Thir t.i.thing{is} I her report of new Of the a??emble, and meting of the o?t, And of ?{ir} gawan, wich that ?huld be lo?t? 2752 If that be ?wth, adew the flour of armys, [Sidenote: He laments over him,]

Now neu{er}more recou{er}yt be the harmys!

In hyme was manhed, curte??y, and trouth, Be?y trawell In kny{ch}thed, ay but ?leuth, 2756 Humilyte, [and] gentrice, and cwrag; In hyme thar was no man{er} of outrage.

[Sidenote: first apostrophizing himself,]

Allace! kny{ch}t, allace! what ?hal yow ?ay?

Yow may complen, yow may bewail the day 2760 As of his deith, and glad?chip aucht to ?es, Baith men?tra?y and fe?ting at the des; For of this lond he was the holl comfort, In tyme of ned al kny{ch}thed to ?upport! 2764 [Sidenote: and next blaming the lady for not having allowed him to be present in the battle.]

Allace! madem, and I dur?t ?ay at ?he Al yhour behe?t not kepit haith to me, Whar-of that I was in to full belef A?ane this day that I ?chuld have my lef, 2768 And no{ch}t as cowart thus ?chamfully to ly Excludit in to cage frome chewalry, Whar othir kny{ch}t{is} anarmyt on thar ?tedis Hawnt{is} ther ?houthhed in to kny{ch}tly dedis." 2772 "S{ir}," q{uo}d ?che, "I red yhow not di?ple, ?he may In tyme her-eft{er} c.u.m at es; [Fol. 34b.]

[Sidenote: She promises he shall go to the next battle,]

For the thrid day Is ordanit, & ?hal be Of the o?t{is} a new a??emble, 2776 And I have gart ordan al the gere That longith to ?our body for to were, [Sidenote: saying that his sable armour is ready.]

Boith hor and armour In the ?amyne wy Of ?able, ewyne aftir ?hour awn dewy; 2780 And yhe ?al her remayne one to the day; Syne may ?he pa, fore well ?he knaw the way."

"I will obey, madem, to yhour entent."

W{i}t{h} that ?che goith, and to hir re?t is went: 2784 [Sidenote: In the morn she takes her leave, to go to the court.]

One the morn arly vp ?che ro W{i}t{h}out delay, and to the kny{ch}t ?che gois, And twk hir lef, and ?aid that ?cho vald fare On to the court, w{i}t{h}-outen any mare. 2788 [Sidenote: He kneels, and thanks her often.]

Than knelit he, and thankit hir oft-?ys, That ?che ?o mych hath done hyme of ge{n}tri, And hir byhecht eu{er}, at his myght, To be hir awn trew & ?tedfa?t kny{ch}t. 2792 [Sidenote: She goes unto the king,]

Sche thonkith hyme, and ?yne ?che goith h{er} way On to the king, w{i}t{h}-owten more delay, Whar that i{n}[T65] honour w{i}t{h} king & qwen ?che ?all Ry{ch}t thonkfully re?auit be w{i}t{h}-all. 2796 Eft to ?{ir} gawan thai hir led, & ?che Ryght gladly hyme de?yrit for to ?ee, [Sidenote: and finds Sir Gawane quite different from what had been told her.]

And ?che hyme fond, and ?che was glad tharfore, All vthir ways than was hir told before. 2800 The kny{ch}t, the wich in to hir keping vas, [Sidenote: The lady's cousin cherishes Lancelot in her best manner.]

Sche had {com}mandit to hir cu??ynece, Wich cheri?t hyme apone hir be?t manere, And comfort hyme, and maid hy{m} ry{ch}t gud chere. 2804

[Footnote T65: MS. "w{i}t{h};" which is crossed out, and "i{n}"

inserted above, rather minutely written.]

[Headnote: LANCELOT PREPARES FOR BATTLE.]

[T]he days goith, ?o pa??ith als the ny{ch}t, [Sidenote: The third day, the maiden goes to his chamber, and fastens on his armour.]

The thrid morow, as that the ?one vas ly{ch}t, The kny{ch}t onon out of his bed aro, The maden ?one one to his chalm{er} go, 2808 And ?acretly his armour one hyme ?pent.

He tuk his lef, and ?yne his way he went [Sidenote: He goes to the same green, beside the river, as before.]

Ful prewaly, ry{ch}t to the ?amyne gren One the rewere, whar he befor had ben, 2812 Ewyne as the day [he] the first cour hath maad.

Alone ry{ch}t thar he howit, and abaade, Behalding to the bertes, whar the qwen [Fol. 35a.]

[Sidenote: He abides there alone, looking towards the parapet where he saw the queen.]

Befor at the a??emble he had sen 2816 Ry{ch}t ?o the ?one ?chewith furt{h} his ly{ch}t, And to his armour went is euery wy{ch}t; [Sidenote: The jousting begins.]

One athir half the Iusting is bygon, And many o fair and knych[t]ly cour is rown. 2820 [Sidenote: The black knight still halts on his steed.]

The blak kny{ch}t ?hit howyns on his ?ted, Of al thar doing takith he no hed, Bot ay, apone the be?ynes of tho{ch}t, In beholding his ey dep{ar}t.i.t no{ch}t. 2824