7. This begane in Chyviat the hyls abone,5

yerly on a Monnyn-day;

Be that it drewe to the oware off none,'

a hondrith fat hartës ded ther lay.

8. The blewe a mort9 uppone the bent, the semblyde10 on sydis11 shear; To the quyrry then the Persë went, to se the bryttlynge12 off the deare.

9. He sayd, "It was the Duglas promys, this day to met me hear;

But I wyste he wolde faylle, verament;"

a great oth the Persë swear.

18. Then sayd the doughtë Doglas unto the lord Persë:

"To kyll alle thes giltles men, alas, it wear great pittë!

19. "But, Persë, thowe art a lord of lande, I am a yerle callyd within my contrë; Let all our men uppone a parti stande, and do the battell off the and of me.'

20. "Nowe Cristes cors on his crowne," sayd the lord Persë, "who-so-ever ther-to says nay!

Be my troth, doughttë Doglas," he

says,

"thow shalt never se that day,

21. "Nethar in Ynglonde, Skottlonde, nar

France,

nor for no man of a woman born, But, and fortune be my chance,

I dar met him, on man for on."

4 darted.

5 above. 8 they. 14 bows.

15 coal of fire.

announcing the deer's death.

12 butchering. 13 in the.

22. Then bespayke a squyar off Northombarlonde,

Richard Wytharyngton was his

nam:

"It shall never be told in SotheYnglonde," he says,

30. Thorowe ryche male and myneyeple, many sterne the strocke done streght;

Many a freyke10 that was fulle fre,
ther undar foot dyd lyght.

lyk to captayns of myght and of

33.

And youe wyll here any mor a the

"Yelde the, Perse," sayde the Doglas, "and i feth I shalle the brynge

hountyng a the Chyviat,

yet ys ther mor behynde.

Wher thowe shalte have a yerls wagis of Jamy our Skottish kynge.

yebent,

ther hartes wer good yenoughe; The first off arros that the shote off,

seven skore spear-men the sloughe.2

I hight 15 the hear this thinge; For the manfullyste man yet art

thowe

that ever I conqueryd in filde
fighttynge."

35. "Nay," sayd the lord Persë,
"I tolde it the beforne,
That I wolde never yeldyde be

to no man of a woman born."

36. With that ther cam an arrowe hastely, forthe off a myghttë wane; 16

Hit hathe strekene the yerle Duglas
in at the brest-bane.

37. Thorowe lyvar17 and longës bathe1 the sharpe arrowe ys gane,

That never after in all his lyffe-days
he spayke mo wordës but ane:
That was, "Fyghte ye, my myrry
men, whyllys ye may,

for my lyff-days ben gan."

38. The Persë leanyde on his brande, and sawe the Duglas de;

He tooke the dede mane by the hande, and sayd, "Wo ys me for the!

have partyde with

my landes for years thre,

For a better man, of hart nare of hande,

was nat in all the north contrë."

45. An arow, that a cloth-yarde was lang, to the harde stele halyde he;

A dynt that was both sad and soar
he sat on Ser Hewe the Monggom-
byrry.

46. The dynt yt was both sad and sar,
that he of Monggomberry sete;
The swane-fethars that his arrowe bar
with his hart-blood the wear wete.

47. Ther was never a freake wone foot wolde fle,

but still in stours dyd stand,

myghte dre,"

with many a balfull brande.

that never a foot wolde fle; Ser Hewe Maxwelle, a lorde he was,

with the Doglas dyd he dey.

that tear begane this spurn, Old men that knowen the grownde well yenoughe

call it the battell of Otterburn.

66. At Otterburn begane this spurne

non.

59. Word ys commen to Eddenburrowe, to Jamy the Skottische kynge, That dougheti Duglas, lyff-tenant of the Marches,

he lay slean Chyviot within.

60. His handdës dyd he weal1 and wryng, he sayd, "Alas, and woe ys me! Such an othar captayn Skotland within,"

he sayd, "ye-feth shuld never be."

61. Worde ys commyn to lovly Londone, till the fourth Harry our kynge, That lord Persë, leyff-tenante of the Marchis,

he lay slayne Chyviat within.

62. "God have merci on his solle," sayde Kyng Harry,

"good Lord, yf thy will it be!

I have a hondrith captayns in Ynglonde," he sayd,

"as good as ever was he:

But, Persë, and I brook" my lyffe,
thy deth well quyte shall be."

63. As our noble kynge mayd his avowe,
lyke a noble prince of renowen,
For the deth of the lord Persë

he dyde the battell of Hombylldown;

64. Wher syx and thritte Skottishe knyghtes

on a day wear beaten down: Glendale glytteryde on ther armor bryght,

over castille, towar, and town.

1 mates, husbands.

• clench.

uppone a Monnynday;

Ther was the doughtë Doglas slean, the Persë never went away.

Ther was never a tym on the Marchepartës

sen the Doglas and the Persë met, But yt ys mervele and the rede blude ronne not,

as the reane doys in the stret.

68. Jhesue Crist our balys bete!9

and to the blys us brynge!

Thus was the hountynge of the Chivyat:

God sent us alle good endying!

• relieve. 11 tearing.

12 empty.

13 to be built.

5

ΙΟ

15

20

SIR THOMAS MALORY (1400?-1470) From LE MORTE DARTHUR

PREFACE OF WILLIAM CAXTON

After that I had accomplished and finished divers histories, as well of contemplation as of other historial and worldly acts of great conquerors and princes, and also certain books of ensamples and doctrine, many noble and divers gentlemen of this realm of England came and demanded me many and ofttimes, wherefore that I have not do made and imprint the noble history of the Saint Greal and of the [10 most renowned Christian king, first and chief of the three best Christian, and worthy, king Arthur, which ought most to be remembered among us Englishmen tofore all other Christian kings; for it is notoriously known through the universal world that there be nine worthy and the best that ever were, that is to wit three Paynims, three Jews, and three Christian men. As for the Paynims they were [20 tofore the Incarnation of Christ, which were named, the first Hector of Troy, of whom the history is come, both in ballad and in prose; the second Alexander the Great, and the third Julius Cæsar, Emperor of Rome, of whom the histories be well known and had. And as for the three Jews, which also were tofore the incarnation of our Lord, of whom the first was duke Joshua which brought the chil- [30 dren of Israel into the land of behest, the second David king of Jerusalem, and the third Judas Maccabæus. Of these three the Bible rehearseth all their noble histories and acts. And since the said incarnation have been three noble Christian men stalled and admitted through the universal world into the number of the nine best and worthy. Of whom was first the noble Arthur, whose noble acts I pur- [40 pose to write in this present book here following. The second was Charlemain, or Charles the Great, of whom the history is had in many places, both in French and in English. And the third and last was Godfrey of Boloine, of whose acts and life I made a book unto the excellent prince and king of noble memory, king Edward

the Fourth. The said noble gentlemen instantly required me to imprint the his- [50 tory of the said noble king and conqueror king Arthur, and of his knights, with the history of the Saint Greal, and of the death and ending of the said Arthur; affirming that I ought rather to imprint his acts and noble feats, than of Godfrey of Boloine, or any of the other eight, considering that he was a man born within this realm, and king and emperor of the same; and that there be in French divers and [60 many noble volumes of his acts, and also of his knights. To whom I answered, that divers men hold opinion that there was no such Arthur, and that all such books as been made of him be feigned and fables, because that some chronicles make of him no mention, nor remember him nothing, nor of his knights. Whereto they answered, and one in special said, that in him that should say or think that there [70 was never such a king called Arthur, might well be aretted great folly and blindness. For he said that there were many evidences of the contrary. First ye may see his sepulchre in the monastery of Glastingbury. And also in Polichronicon, in the fifth book the sixth chapter, and in the seventh book the twenty-third chapter, where his body was buried, and after found, and translated into the [80 said monastery. Ye shall see also in the history of Bochas in his book De Casu Principum part of his noble acts, and also of his fall. Also Galfridus in his British book recounteth his life; and in divers places of England many remembrances be yet of him and shall remain perpetually, and also of his knights. First in the abbey of Westminster, at Saint Edward's shrine, remaineth the print of his seal in red [90 wax closed in beryl, in which is written Patricius Arthurus, Britannie, Gallie, Germanie, Dacie, Imperator. Item in the castle of Dover ye may see Gawaine's skull and Cradok's mantle: at Winchester the Round Table: in other places Launcelot's sword and many other things. Then all these things considered, there can no man reasonably gainsay but that there was a king of this land named Arthur. [100 For in all places, Christian and heathen, he is reputed and taken for one of the