Part 20 (1/2)

And fond his ?ted lying at the ground, Wich wery was, ywet w{i}t{h} mony wounde. 1192 The maden ?aith, ”vpone this hor is ?en, He in the place quhar strok{is} was hath ben; And ?hit the hor It is no{ch}t wich that hee Furt{h} w{i}t{h} hyme hade;”--the lady ?aid, ”p{er} dee, 1196 He v?yt haith mo hor than one or two; [Sidenote: Next they view his armour,]

I red one to his armys at we go.”

Tharwith one to his armys ar thei went; [Sidenote: and find his hauberk rent, and his s.h.i.+eld frushed all to naught.]

Thei fond his helm, thei fond his hawbrek rent, 1200 Thei fond his ?cheld was fru?chit al to no{ch}t; At ?chort, his armour In sich wy vas vro{ch}t In eu{er}y place, that no thing was left haill, Nore neu{er} eft accordith to bataill. 1204 [Sidenote: They think he has well used his armour.]

Than ?aith the lady to hir cu?yne, ”What ?al we ?ay, what of this mat{er} ge?”

”Madem, I ?ay, thei have no{ch}t ben abwsyt; He that them bur ?chortly he has them v?yt.” 1208 ”That may ?e ?ay, ?uppos the be?t that lewis, Or mo?t of wor?chip in til armys prewis, Or ?hit haith ben in ony tyme beforn, Had them in feld in his ma?t curag born.” 1212 [Sidenote: They next visit the knight himself,]

”Now,” q{uo}d the lady, ”will we pa, and see The kny{ch}t hyme-self, and ther the ?ut{h} may we Knaw of this thing.” Incontynent them[T27] boith [Fol. 16.]

Thir ladeis vn to his chambre goith. 1216 [Sidenote: who was now asleep.]

The kny{ch}t al wery fallyng was on ?lep; This maden pa??ith In, {and} takith kep.

[Sidenote: The lady's cousin observes his breast and shoulders b.l.o.o.d.y, his face hurt, and his fists swollen.]

Sche ?auch his bre?t w{i}t{h} al his ?chowd{er}is bare, That bludy war and woundit her and thare; 1220 His face was al to-hurt and al to-?chent, His newis ?wellyng war and al to-Rent.

Sche ?mylyt a lyt, and to hir lady ?aid, ”It ?emyth weill this kny{ch}t hath ben a??aid.” 1224

[Footnote T27: ”then” (?).]

[Headnote: THE LADY IS LOVE-SMITTEN.]

[Sidenote: The lady next observes him,]

The lady ?auch, and rewit in hir thoght The kny{ch}t{is} wor?chip wich that he haith vroght.

[Sidenote: and is smitten to the heart by the dart of love,]

In hire Reme{m}brance loues fyre dart W{i}t{h} hot de?yre hir ?mat one to the hart; 1228 And then a quhill, w{i}t{h}-outen word{is} mo, In to hir mynd thinking to and fro, She ?tudeit ?o, and at the la?t abraid [Sidenote: and prays her cousin to draw aside, while she kisses the knight.]

Out of hir tho{ch}t, and ?udandly thus ?aid, 1232 ”W{i}t{h}-draw,” q{uod} ?he, ”one ?yd a lyt[T28] the lyght, Or that I pa that I may ky the knyght.”

[Footnote T28: MS. ”alyt.”]

[Headnote: HER COUSIN REPROVES HER.]

[Sidenote: Her cousin reproves her,]

”Madem,” q{uod} ?che, ”what is It at ?e men?

Of hie wor?chip our mekill have ?e sen 1236 So sone to be ?upp{ri}?it w{i}t{h} o thoght.

[Sidenote: lest the knight should awake.]

What is It at ?he think? p{re}?wm ?e noght That if yon kny{ch}t wil walkin, and p{er}?aif, He ?hal yarof no thing bot ewill con?aif; 1240 In his entent Ruput yow therby The ablare to al ly{ch}tne and foly?

And blam the more al vther{is} in h{is} mynd, If your gret wit in ?ich de?ire he fynde?” 1244 [Sidenote: The lady replies.]

”Nay,” q{uod} the lady, ”no thing may I do For ?ich o kny{ch}t may be defam me to.”

[Sidenote: Her cousin next argues the point;]

”Madem, I wot that for to loue yone kny{ch}t, Con?idir his fame, his wor?chip, and h{is} my{ch}t; 1248 And to begyne as wor?chip wil dewy, Syne he ayaine my{ch}t lowe yow one ?uch wy, And hold yow for his lady and his loue, It war to yow no maner of Reprwe. 1252 [Sidenote: ”What if he loves another?”]

But quhat if he appelit be and thret His hart to lowe, and ellis whar y-?et?

And wel y wot, madem, if It be so, His hart hyme sal not ?uffir to loue two, 1256 For n.o.ble hart wil have no dowbilne; [Fol. 16b.]

If It be ?o, ?he tyne yowr low, I ge; Than is your-?elf, than is your loue Refu?it, Your fam is hurt, your gladne is conclu?it. 1260 My con?ell is, therfore, you to ab?ten Whill that to yow the werray Ry{ch}t be ?en Of his entent, the wich ful ?on ?he may Have knawlag, If yow lykith to a??ay.” 1264 [Sidenote: She persuades the lady to return to her chamber, without further delay.]

So mokil to hir lady haith ?he vroght That at that tyme ?he haith Ret{ur}nyt h{ir} tho{ch}t, And to hir chambre went, w{i}t{h}outen more, Whar loue of new a??aith hir ful sore. 1268 So well long thei ?peking of the kny{ch}t, [Sidenote: Her cousin labours to expel her love for Lancelot from her thoughts, but her labour is in vain.]

Hir cu?ynace hath don al at ?he my{ch}t For to expel that thing out of hir tho{ch}t; It wil not be, hir labour Is for no{ch}t. 1272 Now leif we hir In to hir newe?t pan, And to arthur we wil retwrn agan.

EXPLICIT P{RI}M{US} LIBER, INCIPIT SECUND{US}.

[Headnote: ARTHUR'S GREAT ANXIETY.]

[BOOK II.]

[Sidenote: Night.]

++The clowdy nyght, wndir whois ob?cure The re?t and quiet of euery criatur 1276 Lyith ?auf, quhare the go?t w{i}t{h} be?yne Is occupiit, w{i}t{h} thoghtfull hewynes; And, for that tho{ch}t furth ?chewing vil h{is} my{ch}t, Go fare-wel re?t and quiet of the ny{ch}t. 1280 [Sidenote: Arthur cannot rest.]

Artur, I meyne, to whome that re?t is no{ch}t, But al the ny{ch}t ?uppri?it is with tho{ch}t; In to his bed he turnyth to and fro, Remembryng the apperans of his wo, 1284 That is to ?ay, his deith, his confu?ioune, And of his realme the opin di?truccioune.

That in his wit he can no thing p{ro}wide, Bot tak his forton thar for to abyd. 1288 [Sidenote: The sun goeth up.]