Furnival 1869 - Arthur - A Short Sketch

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A SHORT SKETCH OF HIS LIFE AND HISTORY
IN ENGLISH VERSE
OF THE FIRST HALF OF THE FIFTEENTH CENTURY.
COPIED AND EDITED FROM THE MARQUIS OF BATH'S MS.,
Liber Rubens Bathonim, 1428 A.l>.
FREDERICK J. FURNIVALL, M.A., Oamb.,
EDITOR OP DB BO&RON'S AND LONELICH'S "HISTORY OF THE HOLT GRAAL," WAITER XAP'fi
"QUESTS del saiht qraal," ETC- ETC.
[Sttowb (Bbiiion, 1869.]
LONDON:
PUBLISHED FOR THE EARLY ENGLISH TEXT SOCIETY,
BY K TRUBNEE & CO., 60, PATERNOSTER ROW.
Generated on 2014-10-19 07:50 GMT / http://hdl.handle.net/2027/uva.x030556847

Public Domain, Google-digitized / http://www.hathitrust.org/access_use#pd-google
MDCCQLXIV.
PEEFACE.
As one of the chief objects of the Early English Text Society
is to print every Early English Text relating to Arthur, the
Committee have decided that this short sketch of the British
hero's life shall form one of the first issue of the Society's pub-
lications. The six hundred and forty-two English lines here
printed occur in an incomplete Latin Chronicle of the Kings
of Britain, an abbreviation of the Brut, bound up with many
other valuable pieces in the Liber Rube us BatJioniw, 1428 a.d.,x
belonging to the Marquis of Batb. The old chronicler has
dealt with Uther Pendragon, and is narrating Arthur's deeds,
telling of the siege of Bath, of Brouwsteeil (Excalibur)
'caliburni, gladii Arthuri' of the conquest of Scotland, Ireland,
Gothland, and the founding of the Rotunda Tabula, made round
that none should be above, none below, but all sit equal
when, as if feeling that Latin prose was no fit vehicle for telling
of Arthur, king of men, he breaks out into English verse,
"Herkeneb, bat louef honowr,
Of kyng Arthour & hys labour."
The story he tells is an abstract, with omissions, of the
earlier version of GeofFry of Monmouth, before the love of
Guinevere for Lancelot was introduced by the French-writing

1 This 13 the date on the back of the case of the MS.
vi preface:.
English romancers of the Lionheart's time (so far as I know),
into the Arthur Tales. The fact of Mordred's being Arthur's
son, begotten by him on his sister, King Lot's wife, is also
omitted; so that the story is just that of a British king
founding the Round Table, conquering Scotland, Ireland, Goth-
land, and divers parts of France, killing a giant from Spain,
beating Lucius the Emperor of Rome, and returning home to
lose his own life, after the battle in which the traitor whom he
had trusted, and who has seized his queen and his land, was
slain.
"He that will more look,
Read on the French book"
says our verse-writer: and to that the modern reader must still
be referred, or to the translations of parts of it, which we hope
to print or reprint, and that most pleasantly jumbled abstract
of its parts by Sir Thomas Maleor, Knight, which has long
been the delight of many a reader,though despised by the
stern old Ascham, whose Scholemaster was to turn it out of the
land.There the glory of the Holy Grail will be revealed to
him; there the Knight of God made known; there the only
true lovers in the world will tell their loves and kiss their
kisses before him; and the Fates which of old enforced the
penalty of sin will show that their arm is not shortened, and
that though the brave and guilty king fights well and gathers
all the glory of the world around him, yet still the sword is
over his head, and, for the evil that he has done, his life and
vain imaginings must pass away in dust and confusion.
Of the language of the Poem there is little to say: its dialect
is mostly Southern, as shown by the verbal plural th, the ryve
for five, zyx for six, ych for I, har (their), ham (them), for her,
hem; hulle, dude, yd, for hill, did, yet, the infinitive in y
(rekeny), etc.; but Northern forms appear, as/ra, from (1. 628),
at, that (1. 640). Of its poetical merits, every reader will judge

for himself; but that it has power in some parts I hope few
PREFACE. Vll
will deny. Arthur's answer to Lucius, and two lines in the
duel with Frollo,
"There was no word y-spoke,
But eche had other by the throte,"
are to be noted. Parts of the MS. have very much faded since
it was written some ten or twenty years before 1450, so that a
few of the words are queried in the print. The MS. contains
a few metrical points and stops, whicb I have here printed
between parentheses (). The expansions of the contractions
are printed in italics, but the ordinary doubt whether the final
lined n or ufor they are often undistinguishableis to be
printed ne, mie, tin, or u, exists here too. I have generally
printed it fi.
I am indebted to Mr Sims, of the Manuscript Department
of the British Museum, for pointing out the Poem to me, and
to the Marquis of Bath for his kind permission to copy it for
printing.
Old Square, Lincoln's Inn,
London, W.C., August 30, 1864.

{Revised, March 2, 18G9.)
ARTHUR,
FROM THE MAEQUIS OF BATH'S MS.
1428 a.d.
[The Latin side-notes in italics and Clarendon, and the stops of the
text in parentheses (), are those of the MS.]
Hi
lErkenob, bat loueb honour,
Of kyng Arthour & hys labour;
And furst how he was hygete,
4 As bat we in bokis do rede.
Vther pendragon was hys fader,
And ygerne was hys Moder.
Pendragon ys in walysch
8 'Dragones heed' on Englyscfi
He maked ypeynted dragons two;
Oon sehold1 hyfore him goo
Whan he went to batayle,
12 Whan he wold hys foes sayle;
That other ahood at wynchester,
Euer-more stylle there.
Bretones jaf hym bat Name,
16 Vther Pendragon be same,
For bat skyle fer & nere
Euer-more hyt to bere.
IT
The Erles wyff of Cornewayle
20 He loued to Muche sanj fayle;
[leaf 42, back]
How Arthur was
begotten
by Pendragon on
Ygerne.
Pendragon (t.i.
Dragon's Head)
made two painted
dragons,
and thence had
his name.

How Uther loved
the Karl of Corn-
wall's wife,
1 'scold' over an erasure in the text; 'sehold ' in the left margin.
ARTHUR HAS THE ROUND TABLE MADE.
and begat Arthur
in adultery.
Arthur ia
crowned,
is loved of all,
is strong
and courteoua.
[leaf 12 bk, col. 20
He makes the
Round Table,
that all at it
might be equal.
After his first
conquests
Merlyn wyf hys sotelnesse
Turned vtheris lyknesse,
And maked hym lyche fe Erl anone,
24 And wy]> hys wyff (:) his wyft to done
In fe cozmtre of Corneweii:
In fe Castel of Tyntageft,
Thus vther, yf y schaft nat lye,
28 Bygat Arthour in avowtrye.
Whan vther Pendragon was deed,
Arthour anon was y-crowned;
He was courteys, large, & Gent
32 To alle puple verrament;
Beaute, Myjt, ainyable chere
To alle Men ferre and neere;
Hys port (;) hys jyftes gentyft
36 Maked hym y-loved wyft;
Ech mon was glad of hys presence,
And drade to do hym dysplesafice;
A stronger Man of hys honde
40 was neuer fouwde on any londe,
As courteys as any Mayde :
Jjus wrytef of hym fat hym a-sayde.
At Cayrlyon -wythoute fable,

44 He let make J?e Eouwde table:
And why fat he maked hyt Jus,
Jjis was fe resoura y-wyss,
Jjat no man schulde sytt aboue other,
48 ~Ne haue indignacio?m of hys broker;
And alle hadde (.)oo(.) seruyso,
For no pryde scholde aryse
For any degree of syttynge,
52 Ofer for any seruynge:
Jjus he kept fe table Rouwde
Whyle he leuyd on fe growndu.
After he hadde conquered Skotlond
56 Yrland & Gotland,
HE FIGHTS FROLLO FOR FRANCE.
}jan leuyd he at fe best
Twelf jeeris on alle reste
Wyfoute werre (:) tyff at fe laste
60 He Jroujt to make (.)a(.) nywe ctwqueste.
Into Frauwce wyf gode courcceyle
ho wolde weende (:) & hyt assayle,
Jjat Eome )>o kept vnder Myght,
64 Vnder Frollo (:) a worthy knyght
pat frauwce hadde fo to kepe,
To rywle, defende, & to lede.
Arthour and Frollo fowjt in feld;
68 Jjere deyde many vnder scheld.
Frollo in-to Paryss fly,
Wyth. strenkthe kept hyt wysely:
Arthour byseged fat Syte & town
72 Tyft feire vytayl was y-doon.
Frollo fat worthy knyght
Proferyd yvyUi Arthowr for to fyght
Vnder fis wyse & condiciouw,
76 "Ho hadde f>e Maystrie (:) haue fe crown;
And no mo men hut fey two."
Jje day was sett (:) to-geder1 fey go:
Fayr hyt was to byholde
80 In suche two knyjghtej bolde:
Jjer was no word y-spoke,
But eche hadde other by fe frote;
J3ey smote wyth trouwchouw & wyth swerd ;'.
84 pat hyt seye, were a-ferd;
Frollo fowjt wy]> hys ax (:) as men dude se;
He hytt Arthour (:) so sore (:) fat he felle on kno.
He ros vp raply (:) and smot hym futt sore;
88 He dude hym to grent a (.) souej* ferfore.
Thus they hyw on helmes hye,
And schatered on wyf scheldes.
pe puple by-gan to crye
92 pat stood on fe feldes;
he lives twelva

years ic peace,
and then invades
France.
He beats Frollo
back to Paris.
and there be-
sieges him, till
Frollo challenges
him to single
combat.
They fight:
[leaf 43.]
(Frollo with his
axe)
[* ? gone;]
ARTHUR RETURNS VICTORIOUS TO BRITAIN,
till Arthur in
wrath takes
Brownsteel,
Caliburnus
Arthur i
Gladius
[with a sketch
thereof in the
MS.]
and strikes Frollo
dead.
Arthur takeB
Paris.
Glory to God.
Say ye a Pater
Noster therefore.
Arthur conquers
the countries
around,
distributes them
among his
knights,
and returns to
Britain.
Ther ne wyst no man, as y can lere,
Who of ham two was f e betters fore.
Arthour was chafed & wexed wroth,
96 He hente brourcsteett / and to Frollo goth;
Brouwsteft was heuy & also kene;
Fraro fe schulder (:) to f e syde went bytwene
Off frollo / and fan he fell to f e grourcde
100 Ryjt as he moste / deed (.) in lyte stounde.
FrenscB men made doett & wept futt faste;
]jeir Crowne of fraurcce fere fey loste.
Than wente Arthour in-to paryse
104 And toke fe castelr & fe town at hys avyse.
Worschuped be god of hys grete grace

\)at f us jeuef fortune (:) and worschup to f e Eeme;
Thanke je hym aft fat bef on fis place,
108 And seyef a Pater noster wyt7iout any Beeme.
IT // |ater noster. //
Arthowr fram Paryse went wyth hys Rowte,
And corequered f e Contre on euery syde aboute;
Angeoy,1 Peytow, Berry, & Gaskoyne,
112 Nauerne, Burgon / Loreyn & Toreyne;
He dauwted f e proude / & hawted f e poure;
He dwelt long in Paryss after in honoure;
He was drad and loued in contreis abowte;
116 Hey est & lowest hym Loved & alowte;
And vp-on an Estowr tyme sone afterward
He fested hys knyght/s & }af ham gret reward;
To hys Styward he $af Angers & Angeye;
120 To Bedewer hys botyler he jaf Norniarcdye;
He jaf to Holdyne flauwdrys parde;
To Borel hys Cosyn, Boloyne f e Cyte;
And eche man, after fe astat fat he was,
124 He rewarded hem alle, bofe More & lasse,
And jaf hem reward, bofe lond and Fee,
And turned to Breteyn, to Carlyon ayhe.
1 ? MS. perhaps Angecye. Sec Angeoy, 1. 312. .
AND THEN HOLDS A'GREAT FEAST.
Axthour wolde of honour
128 Hold a fest at Eestour
Of regalye & worthynesse,
And feede alle hys frendess;
And sende Messanger
132 To kynges ferre & neer
Jjat were to hym Omager,
to come to fis Dyner.
And alle at oo certeyn day
136 They come byder in gode aray,
And kept beire Cesofl
At be Casteft Carlyoii.
Thys fest was Muche Moore
140 Jjan euere Arthowr made a-fore;
For bere was Vrweyn be kynge
Of scottes at bat dynynge,
Stater fe kyng of south wales,
144 Cadwett be kyng of north wale},
Gwylmar be kyng of yrland,
Dolmad be kyng of guthland,
Malgan of yselond also,
148 Archyl of Dewmarch perto,
AlotE be kyng of Norwey,
Souenas fe kyng of Orkenye,
Of Breteyn be kyng Hoel,
152 Cador Erl of Cornewett,
Morice be Erl of Gloucestre,
Marran Erl of Wywchestre,
Gwergownd Erl of herford,
156 B00j Erl of Oxenford,
Of bathe vngent be Erl also,
Cursal of Chestre ber-to,
Euerad Erl of Salesbury,1
160 Kynmar Erl of Canterbury,
Ionas be Erl of Dorcestro,
1 The s is rubbed: the word may be "onlesbury.'
pf. 43 bk( col. 1.]

Arthur gives an
Easter Feast
at Carlyon,
greater than ere
before.
Ten kings wero
there,
and thii teen earls
(including him
of Bath),
with many other
gentles great,
Df. 43 bk, ool. 2.J
besides the
Round Tablers,
Archbishops,
Bishops,
and many from
beyond the sex
To (lie fcasters
came messengers
from the
Roman Emperor,
ARTHURS GUESTS AT CARLYONE.
Valence f e Erl of Sylchestre,
Iugeyn of Leyccer [?] perto,
164 Argal of warwyk also,
Kynges & Erles Echon
Jjes were; & many anoper goom
Gret of astaat, & fe beste,
168 Jjes were at fe Feste.
Other also gentyls grete
Were fere at fat Meete,
Sauer appon Donand,
172 Regeym & Alard,
Eeynej nt3 Colys,
Tadeus fitj Reis,
Delyn fi^ Dauid,
176 Kymbelyn le fitj GryffitK,
Gryffitj f e sone of Nagand,
Jjes were fere also theoband:
Alle f es were fere wytAoute fable,
180 W?/t/toute ham of fe rouwde table.
Thre archebusschopes per were also,
And other busschopes many mo
Aft f is mayne were nat al-oone;
184 Wyth ham com many a Goome.
Jjis feste dured dayes f re

In reuelt & solempnite.
Of byjonde pe See also
188 Many lordej were fere fo.
Now restef alle wyf Me,
And say a Pater & Aue.
11 |)afr rtoste.
The f rydde day folowyng
192 There coom nywe tydynge,
Jje whyle fey sete at f e Mete
Messagers were In ylete;
Weft arayd forsofe fey come,
196 Y-send fram cite of Rome
LUCIUS S MESSAGE TO ARTHUR.
Wy]> lettiea of fe Emperoures
Whas name was Lucies.
Joes lettiea were opened & vnfold,
200 And fe tydyng1 to alle men told,
Whas sentence, yf y ne lye,
Was after fat y can aspye:
1T Luciws fe grete Emperour
204 To hys Enemy Arthour :
We woiideref of fi wodeness
And also of fy Madnesse!
How darst fow any wyse
208 Ajenst the ~Emperour pus aryse,
And ryde on Eemes on eche wey,
And make kyngej to fe obey 1
Jju art wood on fe Nolle!
212 Jju hast Scley owre cosyn frolle;
Jju schalt be tawjt at a schort day
for to make such aray.
Oure cosyn Iuliws cesar
216 So?me tyme conquered far;
To Rome fu owest hys trybut;
We chargeJ> f e to paye vs hyt.
Thy pryde we wott alaye
220 Jjat makest so gret aray:
We commandef f e on haste
To paye owre trybut faste;
Jju hast scley frolle in frauwce
224 Jjat hadde vnder vs fere goueraauwce,
And wyf holdest oure tribute perto:
Jju schalt be tawjt f u hast mysdo:
We commandef f e in haste soone
228 Jjat fu come to vs at Eome
To vnderfang oure ordynawnce
For f y dysobediazmce;
As f u wold nat le;e f y lyf,
232 Fulfylle fys wytAoute stryff."
(f 11 f IT)

Lucixxs.
litem Lucii
imperatoris.
saying, that to
have invaded
France, etc., and
made kings,
Arthur must be
mad in his noil;
[leaf<4, col. 1J
that he must pay
his tribute,
and come to
Rome to be pun-
ished for his dis-
obedience.
aethub's answer to lucius.
The Britons pur-
pose to kill the
messengers,
but Arthur for-
bids it,
and resolves to
invade Rome.
IT Whan fis lettie was open & rad,
Jje bretons & aft men were mad,
And wolde fe messager scle :
236 "Nay," seyd Arthour, "per de,
That were ajenst aft kynde,
A messager to bete or bynde;
Y charge alle men here
240 For to make ham good chere."
And after Mete sanj fayl
Wyf hys lordes he hadde couwsayl;
And alle asented fer-to,
244 Arthowr to Eome scholde go;
And fey ne wolde in hys trauayle
Wyf strenkf & good neuer fayle.
Than Arthowr wroot to Eome a lettm,
248 Was sentence was so?nm-what byttere,
And seyde in fis manere
As $e may hure here :
Litem Regis
Arthuri.
Arthur's answer
to the Emperor
Lucius,
[leaf 44, col. !.]
claiming tribute
from him.
Ji.]STC
lowef weft je of Eomayne,
252 Y am kyng ArthoMr of Bretayne.
France, y haue conquered hyt,

Y schaft defende & kepe hyt jut,
Y come to Eome, as y am tryw,
256 To take my trybut (.) to me dywe,
But noon fere for to paye,
By my werk je schaft asay;
For fe Emperour Constantyne
260 Jjat was fe Soone of Elyne,
Jjat was a Breton of fis lond,
Conquered Eome wytA hys hond,
And so je owef me tribut:
264 Y charge 30W fat je pay me hyt.
IT
Also Maximian kyng of Bretamgne
Co[]quered al france & Almayne,
Lombardye, Eome, & ytalye
TUB MESSENGERS REPORT OP ARTHUR.
268 By joure hokis je may a-spye.
Y am Jeir Eyr & feyre lynago,
Y aske jow my trywage."
Jjis lettre was colyd fast,
272 Y-take the Message^ on hast;
Arthour jaf ham 3yftj grete,
And chered ham wyf drynk and Mete.
pay hasted ham to come hoom;
276 Byfor fe Emperowr fey be]j coom;
Saluted hym as reson ys,
And toke hym fes letterys.
Jjey seyde to fe Empenrar
280 ""We have bo wyf kyng Axthour;
But such anofer as he ys oon,
Say neuer no Man.
He ys serued on hys howshold
284 Wyf kynges, Erles, worthy & hold;
Hys worthynesse, sur Emperour,
Passef Much aft yovrre;
He seyde he wolde hyder come
288 And take trywage of aft Rome,
We dowtef last he wol do soo,
For he ys Myghty ynow fer-too."
Now, erst fan we goo ferfer,
292 Every man fat ys here
Sey a Pater noster
And ave wyf gode chere. Amew.
IT |)ata watti
$bs. Paris.
Now stureth hym self Arthowr
296 Jjenkyng on hys labottr,
And gaderyf to hym strenghth abouto,
Hys kynges & Erles on a rowte
A fayr syjt to Mannes ye
300 To see such a cheualryo,
Lucius's messen-
gers return to

and give liirn
Arthur's mes-
-' . - 11; ''it
-'.[hjafft,backj -' .
[|U.
Qz? /orftis expecli-
1 1 , 'tion to Rome,
V.V3 N. tmfr- ./
10
THE NUMBER OF ARTHUR'S HOST.
Has five kings,
with 30,000 men,
80,000 Normans
and
12,000 from
Chartres,
10,000 Bretons,
and 40,000
British:
in all 200,000.
Britain is left in
Mordred's
charge.
Arthur ships at
Southampton,
The kyng of Gotland,
Also fe kyng of Irland,
The kyng of ysland / & of Orkonye,
304 Jjis was worthy Maynye;
The kyng1 of Denmark also was fore,
Jjis was a worthy chere:
Eche of fese vyve at her venyw
308 Broujt zyx fousand at har retenyw;
xxx" J>owsand, jch vnderstand,
Jjes vyf kyng?'s hadde on honde.
Than hadde he out of Normandye,
312 Of Angeoy & of Almanye,
Boloyne (.) Peytow & flauwdres
Fowre skore fowsand harneys.
Geryn of Chartej .xij. fowsand
316 fat went wyf Artow euer at honde;
Hoel of bretayn, fowsandej ten
Of hardy & welt fyghtyng Men;
Out of Bretaygne hys owne land
320 He passed fourty fowsand
Of Aroherys & off Arblastere

Jjat Cowf welt fe craft of werro.
f In Foot other Many a Man Moo
324 Able to feyghte (:) as weft as \>o:
Two hunderd J>ousand
Went wyf hym out of lond,
And Many moo sykerly
328 That y can nat nombrye.
Aithour toke fan fe lond
To Moddredes owne hond;
He kept al of>er fyng
332 Saue )>e Corowne weryng;
But he was [fals] of hys kepynge,
As je schaft hure here folewynge.
Now than ys Artoiw y-Come,
336 And hys Ost, to Sowthamptone:
THE GIANT THAT RAVISHED FAIR ELAYNE.
11
Thcr was Many a Man of Myghte ^^u^tolfie0'"
Strong & bold also to fyghte.
Eche man hath take his schuppynge,
340 And ys at hys loghynge.
Vp go]> f e sayl (:) fey saylef faste:
Arthour owt of syjt ys paste.
fio ferst lond fat he gan Meete,
344 Forsof hyt was Barefiete;
Ther he gan vp furst aryve.
Now weft Mote Arthowr spede & thryve!
And fat hys saule spede f e better,
348 Lat eche man sey a pater noster.
IT |)ater naskx.
Now god 'spede Artour weft!
Hym ys comyng a nyw batett.
Ther coom a gyant out of spayne,
352 And rauasehed had fayr Elayne;
He had broujt boor1 vp on an hulle
Mornyng hyt ys to hure or telle
Cosyn heo was to kyng Hoell,
356 A damesel fayr and genteft;
And jut ferf ermore to,
He rauasehed heore Moder also.
He dude f e damesel for to dye,
360 For he myght not lygge heor1 bye.
Whan fis was told to Artour,
He maked Much dolour,
And send Bedower for to spye
364 How he myght come hym bye;
And he was nat Sclowh,
But to f e hulle hym drowh
fiat Closed was wyf water stronge,
368 fie hulle a-Mydde gret & longe;
He went ouer to fe hulle syde,
And fere a fonde a womman) byde,
Jjat sorwedd & wept Mornynge

lleafWbk, col. 2.]
and lands at Bar-
fleet.
God speed him!
A new foe ap-
pears, a Spanish
Giant,
who has slain
fair Elayne.
Arthur sends
Bedwere first as
a spy,
12
ARTHURS FIGHT WITH THE GIANT.
and then (with
Bedwere and
Key) startB on
his adventure.
[i hy in a later
hand, above.]
He kills the
Giant,
whose horrible
head is shown to
the host.
and St. Mary's
Chanel is built
in honour of the
victory.
News of Lucius's
approach ib
brought,
372 For Eleynos def & departyngc,
And bad Bedewef to fle also
Last he were ded more to;
"For yf f e Gyant fynde f e,
376 WytAoute dowte he wyft fe sclo."
Bedwer wyf att hastynge
Tolde Arthowr air fis fynge.
Amorwe whan fat hyt was day
380 Arthour toke fyder hys way,
Bedewer wyf hym wente, & keye,
Men fat cowfe weft pe weye,
And broute Arthojw Meyntenaiit
384 Euen 'byfore pe gyant.
Arthour fowjt wyf fat wyght;
He had almost ylost hys Myght:
Wyf Muche peyne, fruj goddej grace
388 He sclowh pe Geant in fat place,
And fan he made Bedewere

To smyte of hys heed fere.
To fe Ost he dude hyt brynge,
392 And feron was gret wofidrynge,
Hyt was so oryble & so greet,
More fan any Horse heed.
Than hadde hoel Ioye ynowh
396 For fat Arthour so hym sclowh;
And for a perpetuel Memorie
He Made a chapelr of seynt Maryo
In f e hulle vpon f e pleyne,
400 Wyf-Inne fat (:) fe tumhe of Eleyne;
And fat name wyfoute nay
Hyt beref jut in-to fis day.
Now ys an ende of f is f ynge,
404 And artour haf nyw tydynge:
Lucy f e Emperour wyf hys host
Comef fast in gret bost;
Jjey helyf ouer alt fe lond,
[leaf 45]
Arthur's men pray to god.
13
408 Fowre hunderd bowsand
An hunderd & i'oure & twenty,
Thus herawdes dude ham rekeny ;
Thus he hadde gadered to hym
412 Of cristiens and of Sarasyn,
Wyf aft hys wytt & labour
To destroyen Arthour.
Arthour dude wyselye,
416 And hadde euer gode aspye
Of lucyes gouernynge
And of hys byder comynge;
But somme seyde hyt were folye
420 To fyght ajenst Emperowr lucie,
For he hadde sexe' euere ajenst oon,
& cou/iceyled Arthow to fie & goon.
Wyf be Emperowr come kynges Many oon,
424 And aft beire power hooft & soom;
Stronger men Myjt no man see,
As futt of drede as bey myght be;
But / Arthour was nat dysmayd,
428 He tryst on god, & was wel payd,
And prayd be hye trynyte
Euer hys help forto be;
And aft hys Men wyb oo voyso
432 Cryede to god wyf Oo noyse,
"Fader in heuene, by wyft be doou;
Defende by puple fram beire foon,
And lat nat be hebofi Men
436 Destroye be puple crystien:
Haue Mercy on by so[r]uantis bonde,
And kepe ham fram be heboS honde;
with an army of
100,124 men.
Some advise
Arthur to turn
and flee,

[leaf 45, cot. 2.]
but he trusts in
God,
to whom his
soldiers pray
1 I read this sepe before; but now I read it sexe; for though the llan'18-
x is not like that of ax, 1. 85, or of axes, 1. 463, Maxymyan, 607,
next 508, Saxoynes, 521, &c., yet it is something like that of the
'Xristianitas durat' of the headlines of the English pages, and the
'Destructt'o xn'anitatts' of the headline on the back of leaf 46, and
Sexaginta, leaf 66, back. But as Arthur had 200,000, and Lucius
only 400,124, sexe should be two.
to keep them from
the heathen's
14
THE BATTLE BETWEEN ARTHUR AND LUCIUS.
Arthur's " For-
ward!"
Maledtetus qui
confidct in
homine.
The battle be-
gins.
[leaf 45, back.]
Men are wetehod
with brains and
blood.
Lucius is slain,
Jje Muchelnesse of Men sainfayle
440 Ys nat Victoria in Batayle;
But after pe wyft pat in heuene ys,
So pe victorie fallef y-wys."
Than seyd Arthour, "hyt ys so:
444 Auant Baner, & be Goo."
Now frendes aft, for goddes loue,
Eeref jowre hertes to god aboue,
And sejep 30wre prayeris faste,
448 Jjat we weft spede furst & laste.
IT |Snta ixosttt.
The eniperour tryst on hys men,
And fat ha]> bygyled bym;
Forsothe hyt most nedej bo so,
452 For pej bef cursed fat weft hyt do,
Such aft myght comeJ> of god;
To tryst on hym, y hold hyt good,
Lucye haf pyght his pauelon
456 And sprad wyf pryde his guwfanon;
His claryons blastes fuft grete blywe,
Archeris schot (:) Men oucr-thrywe;
Bowes, arwes, & arblastere
460 Schot sore all y-vere;
Quarels, arwes, fey fly smerte;

Jje fyched Men pra-$ heed & herte;
Axes, sperys, and gysarmes grot,
464 Clefte Many a prowt Mawnes heed:
Hors & steedes gan to grent,
And deyde wyf stroke pat pej hente;
Many a man pere. lost hys lyf,
468 Many on was wedyw pat was wytf;
Jjere men were wetschoede
AftofBrayn&ofblode;
Gret rywth liyt was to seyn
472 Jje feltes fuft of men y-scleyn;
Lucy fe Empewur also was dedo;
ARTHUR WINS, AND BURIES THE DEAD.
15
But ho hym sclowh, y can nat rede;
He, for aft hys grete Renoun,
476 Ajenst Arthour hadde no fusouw,
No more fan haue twenty schep
Ajenst vyve wolfej greet.
To god be euere alle honours^!
480 The falde was hys & Arthourej.
Arthour, as he scholde done,
Sende lucyes body to Rome.
Whan fe Romeynes say fis,
484 Jjo fey dradde Arthowr & hys.
Also he buryed Bedewere
Hys frend and / hys Botyler,
And so he dude other Echon
488 In Abbeys of Relygyon
Jjat were cristien of name;
He dude to alle fe same;
And dude for ham Masse synge
492 Wyth sole?wpne song & offrynge,
And bood fere for to rest
Tyft fat wynter was past,
Bofe he (.) hys Men echone
496 Seruyd god in deuocione,
Jjankyng god of hys Myjt
Jjat kepef hys seruawntez ryjt,
And suffref noon for to spyllo
500 pat hym loue]> & tryste wylle:
Jjus worschup god dude certeyn
To Englond, fat fo was Bretayn;
Jje More Breteyn Englond ys
504 As men may rede on Cronyclys
By-end fe See Bretayne \er ys,
Jjat ha]> hys name forsofo of fis,
For fe kyng Maxymyan,
508 Jje next after Octauyan,
He conquered aft Armoryk,

not able to stand
against Arthur.
Arthur sends
Lucius's body to
Rome,
buries Bedwere
and others
in Abbeys,
and stays the
winter,
thanking God
for His honour
to England.
[Of the difference
between More (or
Great) Britain,
and Little
Britain.]
Quomodo anplia
est Jiritannia
maior, <t quure
fnaior
[If. bk, col. 2.]
16
OP THE WELSH AND STINKING SAXONS.
Armorica.
Little Britain is
called after Great
Britain.
How the Welsh-
men call the
English "stink-
ing Saxons."
Arthur is pre-
paring to cross
the mountains to
Rome,
And to f e Eeme named hyt lyk:
Amorica on latyn me cleped pat lond,
512 Tyl Maxymyan co[]queryd hyt wytih honde,
And called hyt lyte bretayne fan,
So hyjt f is lond fat he coom fram;
For perpetuett Mynde of grete Bretayne
516 He called hyt lyte Bretayne,
Jjat Men schulde kepe in Mynde & wytt
How f is lond conqueryd hytt;
For Walsch Men hep Bretoans of kynde
520 Know fat weft fast on Mynde
Englysch men bef Saxoynes,
\)at be f of Engistes Soones;
There-fore f e walsch man Breton
524 Seyf & clepef vs "Sayson" *$&Prices'
And seyf (.) "taw or (.) Peyd Sayson brouwt" l
Whan he ys wroth (:) or ellys drownke;
Hauyng Mynde of Engystis Men
528 Jjat wytk gyle sclow f eyre kyn:
At pe place of f e Stonehenge
3ut fey fenkef for to venge:
And fat hyt neuere be so,
532 Seyf a Pater noster more to.
IT |)ata uotshr.

Now turne we to oure labowr,
And lat vs speke of Arthour:
He cast on herte sone
536 After fat to go to Eome,
And spak of Passage & hys wey
Forth ouer Mont Ioye.
And sone after vpon an owr
540 He hnrde of Mordred the tretowr
when he hears of
Mord red's
treachery j
1 Pughe's abridged Dictionary gives tau, v.a. be still; taw, s.m.
and adj. quiet, silence, silent; paid, s.m. a cessation, quiet; bront,
a. nasty, filthy, surly. Or, says Dr. Benj. Davics, you must take as
equal to the modern Welsh wr, man, if it is not English; peyd is
cease, pause; taw, be silent.
of mordred's treachery and Arthur's return.
17
That haddo att J>is lond on warde
Euyft moot such fare, and harde!
Who may best bygyle a man
544 But sucn as he tryst vpan 1
Jjer ys no man wel nye, y tryste,
Jjat can be waar of hadde wyste.
Mordred, fis falss Man,
548 Much" sorw fo bygan;
He stuffed alle castells
Wyf armyre & vytells,
And strenghthed hym on eche syde
552 Wyth Men of contreys ferre & wyde:
He toke fe qweene, Arthourej wyff,
Ajenst goddes lawe & gode lyff,
And putte heore to soiourne fo
556 At Euerwyk (:) god jyf hym wo.
Yhork ys Euerwyk (:)
& so me calleJ> hyt.
ArthoiW aryved at Whytsond
560 Wyth gret Myght & strong hond,
And Mordred sain} fayl
3af hym fo a strong batayl;
Many a man, as y rede,
564 Jjat day was fere dede;
Artboures nevew Waweyn
]jat day was fere y-sclayn,
And ofer knyjtes Many moo:
568 Jjan Arthour was heuy & woo.
Mordred fly toward Londouw;
He most nat come in fe touw:
Jjan fled he to Wywchester
572 And wyth hys Mayn" kep hym fer1;
And Arthour on gret haste
Pursywed after hym faste.
Mordred wythonte fayle
576 Fled in-to Cornewayle.

[leaf 46.]
how the traitor
had seized the
queen, his (Ar-
thur's) wife,
and put her at
York.
Arthur then
comes home,
fights Mordred,
and Gawain is
slain.
Mordred flies to
London,
and then to Corn-
wall.
IS
ARTHURS LAST BATTLE WITH MORDRED.
The Queen
turns nun at
Carlyon.
Gawain
is buried in
Scotland.
Northern men
and others come
to Arthur.
[leaf 46, col. 2.]
He gives Mor-
dred battle.
Bellum arthuri
apnd Camelerto-
um in CornuHa.
Mordred is slain,
Arthur wounded,
and carried to
Avelon, or
Auelona .i. in-
sula pomorum
Glastonia.
The qwene wyf oute lesyng
Hurde of f is tydyng,
And how Mordred was flow,
580 And how to Cornewale he hym drow.
Heo of Mercy hadde noon hoope,
Ther-for he dude on a Russet cote,
And to Carlyon ys preuyly Eofine,
584 And made heore self f o a Nonne;
Fro fat place neuer heo wende,
But of heore lyf fere made an ende.
Waweynes body, as y reede,
588 And other lordes fat weere deede,
Arthour sente in-to skotlonde,
And buryed ham fere, y vnderstonde.

Muche folke ferhenne he toke f o,
592 Of JSTorthumber-lond also
Fram dyverse places to Arthowr come
Hys wyii to werk & to done:
Thus he semhled a fuft gret Ost;
596 To Cornewayle he drawef hym fast
After fat Mordred f e traytowr
Jjat hadde do hym Much dyshonowr.
That tretow?1 hadde gret Strength
600 And fulled fat lond on brede & length,
Such a bateir as fere was redy fo
Hadde neuer Arthour byfore y-doo:
They fowjt tyl f er come doun bloode.
604 As a(.) Eyver or (.)a(.) flood;
Jjey fowjt euer sore & sadde;
Men nyst ho f e betere hadde;
But at f e last Certeyn
608 "Was Mordred & alle hys y-sclayn;
And Arthowr y-bete wyf wouwdo,
He Myght not stonde on grouwdo;
But on lyter ryjt anon
612 Was browjt to Aueloii
ARTHUR IS BURIED AT GLASTONBURY.
19
\)at was a place fayr & Mary;
Now liyt hootef Glastyngbury.
Ther Aithour pat worthy kyng
016 Maked hys lyues endyng;
But for he skaped fat batett y-wys,
Bretons & Cornysch seyef Jms,
"Jjat he leuyth jut parde,
620 And schatt come & be a kyng eye."
At glastyngbury on fe qweer
Jjey made Axtourej touwibe fere,
And wrote wyth latyn vers fus,
624 Hie iacet Arthurus, rex quondam, rex que futuriw.
Thys was fus forsofe ydone
Jje yheer after ]>e Incarnacione,
Vyf hundred (.) fourty & two.
628 Now saue vs alle fra woo
Ihesu cryst, heuenly kyng,
& grauwt vs alle hys blessyng;
And fat hyt Moote so be,
632 Seyef alle Pater & Aug.
1 fata nosier / g,ut /
Ho fat woti more loke,
Reed on fe frensch boke,
And he schatt fynde fere
636 }5ynges fat y leete here.
But yf fat god wolle grauwte grace,
y schatt rehercy in fis place
Alle fe kyngez fat after were,
640 And what names at fey here;
And ho fat wott feyre gestes loke,
Reed on fe Frensch boke. Amen fiat.
[On the back of leaf 46 follows : ' Destructio christiamtatis /
Et reformacio eiusdem. Constantinus. Post Arthurum
regnauit Constantino, Alius Cador, Comitis Cornubie,
nepos Arthuri / iste Constantino interfecit duos filios
Mordredi spurios, qui Mouerat bellum contra eum

propter pa<rem coram,' &c, &c]
Glastonbury,
where he dies.
and is buried,
a.i). 542.
Anno dffmini
quingentesimo
quadragesimo
eecun&o.
Read the French
Book for the rest.

&
WORDS.
a, he, 1. 370.
alowte, L 116, bowed down to.
aspye, sb. espial, 1. 416; vb. ascer-
tain, U. 202, 268.
ayhe, again, 1. 126.
beeme, sb. ?noise, display, from
A.S. beme, a trumpet, 1. 108.
doelle, 1. 101, sorrow.
falde, 1. 480, felt, 1. 472; field.
foon, 1. 434, foes.
fusoun, gain, victory, 1. 476. L.
fusio, outpouring, plenty; com-
mon in Scotland for 'pith,
bottom.'
fyched, pierced, L 462.
goom, man, 1. 166.
gysarme,l. 463. Hallebarde,pique,
hache. Roquefort.
hadde wyste, L 546, had I known
(how it would have turned out).
See Nares, and the Poem " Be-
ware of had-I-wyst," that he
quotes. "Beware of had-I-wyst,
whose fine bringes care and
smart."
hawted, exalted, 1. 113.
he, she, 1. 582.
heo, 1. 581, she.
helyth, cover (or pour out, hele
Wilts., hale Dorset.), 1. 407.
hente, 1. 96, took; 1. 466, received.
huUe, 1. 399, hill.
last, lest, 1. 289.
leete, 1. 636, leave, omit.
loghynge, lodging, L 344.
lynage, descendant, 1. 269.

meyntenaunt, 1. 383, presently,
muchelnesse, sb. muchness, num-
ber and power, 1. 439.
mynde, remembrance, 1. 527.
nyst, 1. 606, ne wyst, knew not.
oo, one, 1. 49, 135.
pyght, 1. 455, pitched.
raply, 1. 87, quickly.
rees, 1. 524, rush, stir]
remes, 1. 209, realms.
sayle, assail, attack, 1. 12.
scley, slain, 1. 212.
skyle, sb. reason, 1. 17.
soue$ (?), sough, moan, 1. 88.
that, ye who, L 1; those who, 1.
42, 84.
theoband (1. 178), is, I expect,
miswritten for theoband; A.S.
\eodan, to join; ge-peod-an, to
join, associate.
therhenne, thence, 1. 591.
tho, 1. 138, then.
toke, gave, 1. 329.
trywage, 1. 270, 288, truage, tri-
bute.
venge, have revenge, take venge-
ance, 1.- 530.
verrament, truly, 1. 32.
was, whose, 1. 248.
whas, whose, 1. 198, 201.
wood, wild, mad, 1. 211.
ydoon, done, spent, 1. 72.

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^rifwr;

A SHORT SKETCH OF HIS LIFE AND HISTORY

OF THE FIRST HALF OF THE FIFTEENTH CENTURY.

COPIED AND EDITED FROM THE MARQUIS OF BATH'S MS.,

Liber Rubens Bathonim, 1428 A.l>.

FREDERICK J. FURNIVALL, M.A., Oamb.,

"QUESTS del saiht qraal," ETC- ETC.

[Sttowb (Bbiiion, 1869.]

PUBLISHED FOR THE EARLY ENGLISH TEXT SOCIETY,

BY K TRUBNEE & CO., 60, PATERNOSTER ROW.

Generated on 2014-10-19 07:50 GMT / http://hdl.handle.net/2027/uva.x030556847

As one of the chief objects of the Early English Text Society

is to print every Early English Text relating to Arthur, the

Committee have decided that this short sketch of the British

lications. The six hundred and forty-two English lines here

printed occur in an incomplete Latin Chronicle of the Kings

of Britain, an abbreviation of the Brut, bound up with many

other valuable pieces in the Liber Rube us BatJioniw, 1428 a.d.,x

belonging to the Marquis of Batb. The old chronicler has

dealt with Uther Pendragon, and is narrating Arthur's deeds,

telling of the siege of Bath, of Brouwsteeil (Excalibur)

'caliburni, gladii Arthuri' of the conquest of Scotland, Ireland,

Gothland, and the founding of the Rotunda Tabula, made round

of Arthur, king of men, he breaks out into English verse,

"Herkeneb, bat louef honowr,

Of kyng Arthour & hys labour."

The story he tells is an abstract, with omissions, of the

earlier version of GeofFry of Monmouth, before the love of

Guinevere for Lancelot was introduced by the French-writing

Generated on 2014-10-19 07:50 GMT / http://hdl.handle.net/2027/uva.x030556847

1 This 13 the date on the back of the case of the MS.

English romancers of the Lionheart's time (so far as I know),

into the Arthur Tales. The fact of Mordred's being Arthur's

son, begotten by him on his sister, King Lot's wife, is also

omitted; so that the story is just that of a British king

founding the Round Table, conquering Scotland, Ireland, Goth-

land, and divers parts of France, killing a giant from Spain,

beating Lucius the Emperor of Rome, and returning home to

"He that will more look,

Read on the French book"

be referred, or to the translations of parts of it, which we hope

to print or reprint, and that most pleasantly jumbled abstract

of its parts by Sir Thomas Maleor, Knight, which has long

been the delight of many a reader,though despised by the

stern old Ascham, whose Scholemaster was to turn it out of the

land.There the glory of the Holy Grail will be revealed to

vain imaginings must pass away in dust and confusion.

Of the language of the Poem there is little to say: its dialect

is mostly Southern, as shown by the verbal plural th, the ryve

Generated on 2014-10-19 07:50 GMT / http://hdl.handle.net/2027/uva.x030556847

will deny. Arthur's answer to Lucius, and two lines in the

duel with Frollo,

"There was no word y-spoke,

But eche had other by the throte,"

it was written some ten or twenty years before 1450, so that a

a few metrical points and stops, whicb I have here printed

between parentheses (). The expansions of the contractions

lined n or ufor they are often undistinguishableis to be

printed ne, mie, tin, or u, exists here too. I have generally

I am indebted to Mr Sims, of the Manuscript Department

to the Marquis of Bath for his kind permission to copy it for

Old Square, Lincoln's Inn,

London, W.C., August 30, 1864.