Classic Poem

Kinge Arthur liues in merry Carleile,
& seemely is to see,
& there he hath w i th him Qqueene Genev er ,
tha t bride soe bright of blee

And there he hath w i th Queene Genever,
tha t bride soe bright in bower,
& all his barons about him stoode
tha t were both stiffe and stowre

The K ing kept a royall Christmasse
of mirth & great honor,
& when

" And bring me word what thing it is
tha t a woman most desire.
this shalbe thy ransome, Arthur, " he sayes,
" for Ile haue noe other hier. "

K ing Arthur then held vp his hand
according thene as was the law;
he tooke his leaue of the baron there,
& homward can he draw.

And when he came to Merry Carlile,
to his chamber he is gone,
& ther came to him his Cozen S i r G AWAINE
as he did make his mone.

And there came to him his cozen S i r Gawaine
tha t was a curteous knight,
" why sigh you soe sore, vnckle Arthur, " he said,
" or who hath done thee vnright? "

" O peace, O peace, thou gentle Gawaine,
tha t faire may thee beffall,
for if thou knew my sighing soe deepe,
thou wold not meruaile att all;

" ffor when I came to tearne wadling,
a bold barron there I fand,
w i th a great club vpon his backe,
standing stiffe and strong;

" And he asked me wether I wold fight,
or from him I shold begone,
o[r] else I must him a ransome pay
& soe dep ar t him from

" To fight w i th him I saw noe cause,
methought it was not meet,
for he was stiffe & strong w i th-all,
his strokes were nothing sweete;

" Therefor this is my ransome, Gawaine,
I ought to him to pay,
I must come againe, as I am sworne,
vpon the New yeers day.

" And I must bring him word what thing it is "

Then king Arthur drest him for to ryde
in one soe rich array
toward the fore-said Tearne wadling,
tha t he might keepe his day.

And as he rode over a more,
hee see a lady where shee sate
betwixt an oke & a greene hollen:
She was cladd in red scarlett

Then there as shold haue stood her mouth,
then there was sett her eye,
the other was in her forhead fast
the way that she might see.

Her nose was crooked & turnd outward,
her mouth stood foule a-wry;
a worse formed lady than shee was,
neuer man saw w i th his eye.

To halch vpon him, K ing Arthur,
this lady was full faine,
but K ing Arthur had forgott his lesson,
what he shold say againe.

" What knight art thou, " the lady sayd,
" that will not speak to me?
Of me be thou nothing dismayd
tho I be vgly to see;

for I haue halched you curteouslyc,
& you will not me againe,
yett I may happen S i r Knight, " shee said,
" to ease thee of thy paine "

" Giue thou ease me, lady, " he said,
or helpe me any thing,
thou shalt have gentle Gawaine, my cozen,
& marry him w i th a ring. "

" Why, if I help thee not, thou noble K ing Arthur,
Of thy owne hearts desiringe,
of gentle Gawaine . . . . "

And when he came to the tearne wadling
the baron there cold he finde,
w i th a great weapon on his backe,
standing stiffe and stronge.

And then he tooke k ing Arthurs letters in his hands
& away he cold them fling,
& then he puld out a good browne sword,
& cryd himselfe a K ing

And he sayd, " I have thee & thy land, Arthur,
to doe as it pleaseth me,
for this is not thy ransome sure,
therfore yeeld thee to me. "

And then bespoke him Noble Arthur,
& bad him hold his hand,
" & giue me leaue to speake my mind
in defence of all my land. "

He said " as I came over a More,
I see a lady where shee sate
betweene an oke & a green hollen;
shee was clad in red scarlett;

" And she says " a woman will haue her will,
& this is all her cheef desire":
doe me right, as thou art a baron of sckill,
this is thy ransome & all thy hyer. "

He sayes " an early vengeance light on her!
she walkes on yonder more;
it was my sister that told thee this;
& she is a misshappen hore!

" But heer Ile make mine avow to god
to doe her an euill turne,
for an euer I may thate fowle theefe get[t],
in a fyer I will her burne. "

THE 2 d PART

Sir: Lancelott & S i r Steven bold
they rode with them that day,
and the formost of the company
there rode the steward Kay

Soe did S i r Banier & S i r Bore,
S i r Garrett w i th them soe gay,
soe did S i r Tristeram tha t gentle k nigh t,
to the forrest fresh & gay.

And when he came to the greene forrest,
vnderneath a greene holly tree
their sate that lady in red scarlet
tha t vnseemly was to see.

S i r Kay beheld this Ladys face,
& looked vppon her smire,
" whosoeuer kisses this lady, " he sayes
" of his kisse he stands in feare. "

S i r Kay beheld the lady againe,
& looked vpon her snout,
" whosoeuer kisses this lady, " he saies,
" of his kisse he stands in doubt "

" Peace co zen Kay, " then said S i r Gawaine,
" amend thee of thy life;
for there is a knight amongst vs all
tha t must marry her to his wife. "

" What! wedd her to wiffe! " then said S i r Kay,
" in the diuells name anon,
gett me a wiffe where-ere I may,
for I had rather be shaine! "

Then some tooke vp their hawkes in hast,
& some tooke vp their hounds,
& some sware they wold not marry her
for Citty nor for towne

And then be-spake him Noble k ing Arthur,
& sware there by this day,
" for a litle foule sight & misliking

Then shee said " choose thee, gentle Gawaine,
truth as I doe say,
wether thou wilt haue me in this liknesse
in the night or else in the day. "

And then bespake him Gentle Gawaine,
w i th one soe mild of Moode,
sayes, " well I know what I wold say,
god grant it may be good!

" To haue thee fowle in the night
when I w i th thee shold play;
yet I had rather, if I might,
haue thee fowle in the day. "

" What! when Lords goe w i th ther seires, " shee said,
" both to the Ale & wine;
alas! then I must hyde my selfe,
I must not goe withinne. "

And then bespake him gentle gawaine,
said, " Lady, thats but a skill;
And because thou art my owne lady,
thou shalt haue all thy will "

Then she said, " blesed be thou gentle Gawain[e],
this day tha t I thee see,
for as thou see me att this time,
from hencforth I wilbe:

" My father was an old knight,
& yett it chanced soe
that he marryed a younge lady
tha t brought me to this woe

" Shee witched me, being a faire young Lady,
to the greene forrest to dwell,
& there I must walke in womans liknesse,
Most like a feend of hell.

" She witched my brother to a Carlist B . . . "

" that looked soe foule, & that was wont
on the wild more to goe.

" Come kisse her, Brother Kay, " then said S i r Gawaine,
" & amend the of thy liffe;
I sweare this is the same lady
tha t I marryed to my wiffe. "

S i r Kay kissed that lady bright,
standing vpon his ffeete;
he swore, as he was trew knight,
the spice was neuer soe sweete.

" Well, Coz en Gawaine, " sayes S i r Kay,
" thy chance is fallen arright,
for thou hast gotten one of the fairest maids
I euer saw w i th my sight. "

" It is my fortune, " said S i r Gawaine;
" for my vnckle Arthurs sake
I am glad as grasse wold be of raine,
great Ioy that I may take. "

S i r Gawaine tooke the lady by the one arme,
S i r Kay tooke her by the tother,
they led her straight to K ing Arthur
as they were brother & brother.

K ing Arthur welcomed them there all,
& soe did lady Geneuer his queene,
w i th all the knights of the round table
most seemly to be seene.

K ing Arthur beheld that lady faire
that was soe faire and bright,
he thanked christ in trinity
for S i r Gawaine that gentle knight;

Soe did the knights, both more and lesse,
reioyced all that day
for the good chance tha t hapened was
to S i r Gawaine & his lady gay.