Classic Poem

[saies, " come here Cuzen gawaine so gay]
my sisters sonne be yee;
ffor you shall see one of the fairest round tables,
that euer you see w i th your eye. "

then bespake Lady Qu een Gueneuer,
& these were the words said shee:
" I know where a round table is, thou noble K ing ,
is worth thy round table & other such 3.

" The trestle that stands vnder this round table, " she said,
" lowe downe to the mould,
it is worth thy round table, thou worthy K ing ,
thy halls, and all thy gold;

" the place where this round table stands in,
it is worth thy castle, thy gold, thy fee;
and all good litle britaine. "
" where may that table be, Lady? " q uo th hee,
or where may all that goodly building be? "
" you shall it seeke, " shee says, " till you it find,
for you shall neuer gett more of me. "

then bespake him Noble K ing Arthur,
these were the words said hee;
" Ile make mine avow to god,
& alsoe to the trinity,

" Ile never sleepe one night, there as I doe another,
till tha t Round Table I see!
S ir Marramiles and S ir Tristeram,
fellowes tha t ye shall bee;

" weele be clad in palmers weede,
5 palmers we will bee;
There is noe outlandish man will vs abide,
Nor will vs come nye. "
then they riued east & the riued west,
in many a strange country;

then they tranckled a litle further,
they saw a battle new sett;
" now, by my faith, " saies Noble King Arthur,
. . . . . . . . . well [mett]

But when he cam to this . . C . .,
& to the palace gate,
soe ready was ther a proud porter,
& met him soone therat.

shooes of gold the porter had on,
& all his other rayment was vnto the same;
" now, by my faith, " saies Noble K ing Arthur,
" yonder is a minion swaine. "

Then bespake Noble K ing Arthur,
these were the words says hee:
" come hither, thou proud porter,
I pray thee come hither to me.

" I haue 2 poore rings of my finger,
they better of them Ile giue to thee;
tell who may be Lord of this castle, " he sayes,
" or who is lord in this cuntry? "

" Cornewall K ing , " the porter sayes,
" there is none soe rich as hee;
neither in christendome, nor yet in heathennest,
none hath soe much gold as he. "

& then bespake him Noble K ing Arthur,
these were the words sayes hee:
" I haue 2 poore rings of my finger,
the better of them Ile giue thee
if thou wilt greete him well, cornewall K ing ,
and greete him well from me,

" pray him for one nights lodging, & 2 meales meate,
for his love that dyed vppon a tree;
A vne ghesting, & two meales meate,
for his loue that dyed vppon a tree,

" A vne ghesting of 2 meales meate,
for his love that was of virgin boirne,
& in the morning tha t we may scape away,
either w i thout scath or scorne. "

then forth his gone this proud porter,
as fast as he cold hye;
& when he came befor cornewall K ing ,
he kneeled downe on his kneo.

sayes, " I haue beene porter-man, at thy gate,
this 30 winter and three ...

. . . . . . . our Lady was borne.
then thought cornewall K ing these palmers had beene in Britt aine .

then bespake him Cornwall King,
these were the words he said there:
" did you euer know a comely K ing ,
his name was King Arthur? "

& then bespake him Noble K ing Arthur,
these were the words said hee:
" I doe not know that comly K ing ,
but once my selfe I did him see. "
then bespake cornwall K ing againe,
these were the words said he:

sayes, " 7 yeere I was clad & fed,
in Litle Brittaine, in a bower;
I had a daughter by K ing Arthurs wife,
tha t now is called my flower;
for K ing Arthur, that kindly Cockward,
hath none such in his bower;

" for I durst sweare, & saue my othe,
tha t same lady soe bright,
that a man tha t were laid on his death bed
wold open his eyes on her to haue sight. "
" Now, by my faith, " sayes noble K ing Arthur,
" & thats a full faire wight! "

&then bespake cornewall againe,
& these were the words he said:
" Come hither, 5 or 3 of my knights,
& feitch me downe my steed;
King Arthur, that foule Cocke-ward,
hath none such, if he had need

" for I can ryde him as far on a day,
as King Arthur can doe any of his on 3.
& is it not a pleasure for a K ing
when he shall ryde forth on his Iourney?

" for the eyes that beene in his head,
the glister as doth the gleed. "
" Now, by my faith, " says Noble King Arthur,
tha t is a well faire steed. "
" nobody say . . . . . . . .
but one that s learned to speake. "

Then K ing Arthur to his bed was brought,
a greeiued man was hee;
& soe were all his fellowes w i th him,
from him the thought neuer to flee.

then take they did that lodly boome,
& under thrub chadler closed was hee;
& he was set by K ing Arthurs bed-side,
to heere theire talke & theire comu n ye;

tha The might come forth, and make p ro clamation,
long before it was day.
it was more for K ing cornwalls pleasure,
then it was for K ing Arthurs pay.

& when K ing Arthur in his bed was laid,
these were the words said hee:
" Ile make mine avow to god,
and alsoe to the trinity,
that Ile be the bane of Cornwall Kinge,
litle brittaine or euer I see! "

" it is an vnaduised vow, " saies Gawaine the gay,
" as ever K ing hard make I;
but wee tha t beene 5 christian men,
of the christen faith are wee;
& we shall fight against anoynted K ing
& all his armorie. "

& then bespake him Noble Arthur,
& these were the words said he:
" why, if thou be afraid, S ir Gawaine the gay,
goe home, and drinke wine in thine owne country. "

The 3 d PART

And then bespake S i r Gawaine the gay,
and these were the words said hee:
" nay, seeing you have made such a hearty vow,
heere another vow make will I

" Ile make mine avow to god,
and alsoe to the trinity,
tha t I will haue yonder faire lady
to litle brittaine w i th mee.

" Ile hose her homly to my hurt,
& w i th her Ile worke my will; "

these were the words sayd hee:
" befor I wold wrestle with yonder feend,
it is better be drowned in the sea. "

and then bespake S i r Bredbeddle,
& these were the words said he:
" why, I will wrestle w i th yon lodly feend,
god! my gouernor thou wilt bee. "

Then bespake him Noble Arthur,
& these were they words said he:
" what weapons wilt thou haue, thou gentle knight?
I pray thee tell to me. "

he sayes, " Collen brand Ile haue in my hand,
& a Millaine knife fast by me knee;
& a Danish axe fast in my hands,
tha t a sure weapon I thinke wilbe. "

Then w i th his Collen brand tha The had in his hand,
the bunge of the trubchandler he burst in 3;
w i th that start out a lodly feend,
w i th 7 heads, & one body.

the fyer towards the element flew
out of his mouth, where was great plentie;
the knight stoode in the middle, & fought,
tha t it was great Ioy to see,

till his collaine brand brake in his hand,
& his millaine knife burst on his knee;
& then the danish axe burst in his hand first,
that a sur weapon he thought shold be.

but now is the knight left w i thout any weapons,
& alacke! it was the more pitty;
but a surer weapon then had he one,
had neuer L ord in Christentye
& all was but one litle booke,
he found it by the side of the sea.

he found it at the sea-side,
wrucked upp in a floode;
Our L ord had written it w i th his hands,
& sealed it w i th his bloode.

" That thou doe not s . . . . .
but ly still in that wall of stone;
till I haue beene with Noble K ing Arthur,
& told him what I haue done. "

And when he came to the K ing s chamber,
he cold of his curtesie,
says, " sleepe you, wake you, noble K ing Arthur?
& euer Iesus waken yee! "

" Nay, I am not sleeping, I am waking, "
these were the words said hee:
" ffor thee I haue card; how hast thou fared?
O gentle knight, let me see. "

the knight wrought the K ing his booke,
bad him behold, reede, and see;
& euer he found it on the backside of the leafe,
as Noble Arthur wold wish it to be.

& then bespake him K ing Arthur,
" alas! thow gentle knight, how may this be,
that I might see him in the same licknesse
tha The stood vnto thee? "

and then bespake him the greene knight,
these were the words said hee:
" if youle stand stifly in the battell stronge,
for I haue won all the victory. "

then bespake him the K ing againe,
& these were the words said hee:
" if wee stand not stifly in this battell strong,
wee are worthy to be hanged all on a tree. "

then bespake him the greene Knight,
these were the words said he:
saies, " I doe coniure thee, thou fowle feend,
in the same licknesse thou stood vnto me. "

w i th that start out a lodly feend,
with 7 heads, & one body;
the fier towards the element flaugh
out of his mouth, where was great plenty.

the knight stood in the Middle p . . . . .

... they stood the space of an houre,
I know not what they did.

And then bespake him the greene knight,
& these were the words said he:
saith, " I coniure thee, thou fowle feend,
tha t thou feitch downe the steed that we see. "

& then forth is gone B URLOW-BEANIE ,
as fast as he cold hie;
& feitch he did tha t faire steed,
& came againe by & by.

Then bespake him S ir Marramiles,
& these were the words said hee:
" Riding of this steed, brother B REDBEDDLE ,
the mastery belongs to me. "

Marramiles tooke the steed to his hand,
to ryd him he was full bold;
he cold noe more make him goe
then a child of 3 yeere old.

he laid vppon him w i th heele and hand,
w i th yard that was soe fell;
" helpe! brother Bredbeddle, " says Marramile,
" for I thinke he be the devill of hell

" helpe! brother Bredbeddle, " says Marramile,
" helpe! for christs pittye;
ffor w i thout thy help, brother Bredbeddle,
he will neuer be rydden p ro me "

Then bespake him S ir Bredbeddle,
these were the words said he:
" I coniure thee, thou Burlow-beane,
thou tell me how this steed was riddin in his country. "
he saith, " there is a gold wand
Stands in K ing Cornwalls study windowe;

" let him take that wand in tha t window,
& strike 3 strokes on that steed;
& then he will spring forth of his hand
as sparke doth out of Gleede "

& then bespake him the greene knight,

A lowd blasThe may blow then
& then bespake S ir Bredebeddle,
to the ffeend these words said hee:
says, " I coniure thee, thou Burlow-beanie,
the powder-box thou feitch me. "

Then forth is gone Burlow-beanie
as fast as he cold hie;
& feich he did the powder-box,
& came againe by & by.

Then S ir . Tristeram tooke powder forth of tha t box,
& blent it w i th warme sweet milke;
& there put it vnto that horne,
& swilled it about in that ilke.

then he tooke the horne in his hand,
& a lowd blasThe blew;
he rent the horne vp to the midst,
all his ffellowes this the knew.

Then bespake him the greene knight,
these were the words said he:
saies, " I coniure thee, thou Burlow-beanie,
tha t thou feitch me the sword tha t I see. "

Then forth is gone Burlow-beanie,
as fast as he cold hie;
& feitch he did that faire sword,
& came againe by & by.

Then bespake him Sir B REDBEDDLE ,
to the K ing these words said he:
" take this sword in thy hand, thou noble K ing a rthur !
for the vowes sake tha t thou made Ile giue it th[ee;]

and goe strike off K ing Cornewalls head,
in bed were he doth lye. "
Then forth is gone Noble K ing Arthur,
as fast as he cold hye;
& strucken he hath off K ing Cornwalls head,
& came againe by and by.

he put the head vpon a swords point,