Fit I
SIÞEN þe sege and þe assaut watz sesed at Troye, Þe borȝ brittened and brent to brondeȝ and askez, Þe tulk þat þe trammes of tresoun þer wroȝt Watz tried for his tricherie, þe trewest on erþe: Hit watz Ennias þe athel, and his highe kynde, Þat siþen depreced prouinces, and patrounes bicome Welneȝe of al þe wele in þe west iles. Fro riche Romulus to Rome ricchis hym swyþe, With gret bobbaunce þat burȝe he biges vpon fyrst, And neuenes hit his aune nome, as hit now hat; Tirius to Tuskan and teldes bigynnes, Langaberde in Lumbardie lyftes vp homes, And fer ouer þe French flod Felix Brutus On mony bonkkes ful brode Bretayn he settez wyth wynne, Where werre and wrake and wonder Bi syþez hatz wont þerinne, And oft boþe blysse and blunder Ful skete hatz skyfted synne.
Ande quen þis Bretayn watz bigged bi þis burn rych, Bolde bredden þerinne, baret þat lofden, In mony turned tyme tene þat wroȝten. Mo ferlyes on þis folde han fallen here oft Þen in any oþer þat I wot, syn þat ilk tyme. Bot of alle þat here bult, of Bretaygne kynges, Ay watz Arthur þe hendest, as I haf herde telle. Forþi an aunter in erde I attle to schawe, Þat a selly in siȝt summe men hit holden, And an outtrage awenture of Arthurez wonderez. If ȝe wyl lysten þis laye bot on littel quile, I schal telle hit as-tit, as I in toun herde, with tonge, As hit is stad and stoken In stori stif and stronge, With lel letteres loken, In londe so hatz ben longe.
Þis kyng lay at Camylot vpon Krystmasse
With mony luflych lorde, ledez of þe best, Rekenly of þe Rounde Table alle þo rich breþer, With rych reuel oryȝt and rechles merþes. Þer tournayed tulkes by tymez ful mony, Justed ful jolilé þise gentyle kniȝtes, Syþen kayred to þe court caroles to make. For þer þe fest watz ilyche ful fiften dayes, With alle þe mete and þe mirþe þat men couþe avyse; Such glaum ande gle glorious to here, Dere dyn vpon day, daunsyng on nyȝtes, Al watz hap vpon heȝe in hallez and chambrez With lordez and ladies, as leuest him þoȝt. With all þe wele of þe worlde þay woned þer samen, Þe most kyd knyȝtez vnder Krystes seluen, And þe louelokkest ladies þat euer lif haden, And he þe comlokest kyng þat þe court haldes; For al watz þis fayre folk in her first age, on sille, Þe hapnest vnder heuen, Kyng hyȝest mon of wylle; Hit were now gret nye to neuen So hardy a here on hille.
Wyle Nw Ȝer watz so ȝep þat hit watz nwe cummen, Þat day doubble on þe dece watz þe douth serued. Fro þe kyng watz cummen with knyȝtes into þe halle, Þe chauntré of þe chapel cheued to an ende, Loude crye watz þer kest of clerkez and oþer, Nowel nayted onewe, neuened ful ofte; And syþen riche forth runnen to reche hondeselle, Ȝeȝed ȝeres-ȝiftes on hiȝ, ȝelde hem bi hond, Debated busyly aboute þo giftes; Ladies laȝed ful loude, þoȝ þay lost haden, And he þat wan watz not wrothe, þat may ȝe wel trawe. Alle þis mirþe þay maden to þe mete tyme; When þay had waschen worþyly þay wenten to sete, Þe best burne ay abof, as hit best semed, Whene Guenore, ful gay, grayþed in þe myddes, Dressed on þe dere des, dubbed al aboute, Smal sendal bisides, a selure hir ouer Of tryed tolouse, and tars tapites innoghe, Þat were enbrawded and beten wyth þe best gemmes Þat myȝt be preued of prys wyth penyes to bye, in daye. Þe comlokest to discrye Þer glent with yȝen gray, A semloker þat euer he syȝe Soth moȝt no mon say.
Bot Arthure wolde not ete til al were serued, He watz so joly of his joyfnes, and sumquat childgered: His lif liked hym lyȝt, he louied þe lasse Auþer to longe lye or to longe sitte, So bisied him his ȝonge blod and his brayn wylde. And also an oþer maner meued him eke Þat he þurȝ nobelay had nomen, he wolde neuer ete Vpon such a dere day er hym deuised were Of sum auenturus þyng an vncouþe tale, Of sum mayn meruayle, þat he myȝt trawe, Of alderes, of armes, of oþer auenturus, Oþer sum segg hym bisoȝt of sum siker knyȝt To joyne wyth hym in iustyng, in jopardé to lay, Lede, lif for lyf, leue vchon oþer, As fortune wolde fulsun hom, þe fayrer to haue. Þis watz þe kynges countenaunce where he in court were, At vch farand fest among his fre meny in halle. Þerfore of face so fere He stiȝtlez stif in stalle, Ful ȝep in þat Nw Ȝere Much mirthe he mas withalle.