is thus mentioned; “A minstral came forth with a sollem "song, warranted for story out of K. Arthur's acts, whereof "I gat a copy, and is this:

So it fell out on a Pentecost &c."

After the song the narrative proceeds: "At this the 5 "minstrell made a pauze and a curtezy for primus passus. "More of the song is thear, but I gatt it not."

The story in Morte Arthur, whence it is taken, runs as follows, "Came a messenger hastely from king Ryence of North"Wales, saying, that king Ryence had discomfited 10 "and overcomen eleaven kings, and everiche of them did him "homage, and that was this; they gave him their beards "cleane flayne off, wherefore the messenger came for "king Arthur's beard, for king Ryence had purfeled a "mantell with kings beards, and there lacked for one place 15 "of the mantell, wherefore he sent for his beard, or else he "would enter into his lands, and brenn and slay, and never "leave till he have thy head and thy beard. Well, said "king Arthur, thou hast said thy message, which is the most "villainous and lewdest message that ever man heard sent 20 "to a king. Also thou mayest see my beard is full young yet "for to make a purfell of, but tell thou the king that "or it be long he shall do to me homage on both his knees, "or else he shall leese his head." [B. 1. c. 24. See also the same Romance, B. 1. c. 92.]

-

The thought seems to be originally taken from Jeff. Monmouth's hist. B. 10, c. 3. which is alluded to by Drayton in his Poly. Olb. Song 4. and by Spenser in Faer. Qu. 6. 1. 13. 15. See the Observations on Spenser.

25

[The 26] The following text is composed of the best 30 readings selected from three different copies. The first in Enderbie's Cambria Triumphans, p. 197. The second in the Letter abovementioned. And the third inserted in MS. in a copy of Morte Arthur, 1632, in the Bodl. Library.

"N. B. Stow tells us, that king Arthur kept his round 35 "table at "diverse places, but especially at Carlion, Winchester, "and Camalet in Somersetshire. This Camelet sometimes "a famous towne or castle, is situate on a very [high] tor or "hill, &c." [See an exact description in Stowe's Annals, Ed. 1631. p. 55.]

40

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15

20

25

30

35

S it fell out on a Pentecost day,

King Arthur at Camelot kept his court royall,
With his faire queene dame Guenever the gay;
And many bold barons sitting in hall;
With ladies attired in purple and pall;
And heraults in hewkes, hooting on high,
Cryed, Largez, Largez, Chevaliers tres-hardie.

A doughty dwarfe to the uppermost deas

Right pertlye gan pricke, kneeling on knee,
With steven fulle stoute amids all the preas,

Sayd, Nowe sir king Arthur, God save thee, and see!
Sir Ryence of North-gales greeteth well thee,
And bids thee thy beard anon to him send,

Or else from thy jaws he will it off rend.

For his robe of state is a rich scarlet mantle,

With eleven knights (l. kings corr.) beards bordered *
[And 27] And there is room lefte yet in [a] kantle, [about,
For thine to stande, to make the twelfth out:
This must be done, be thou never so stout;

This must be done, I tell thee no fable,
Maugre the teethe of all thy round table.

When this mortal message from his mouthe past,
Great was the noyse bothe in hall and in bower:
The king fum'd; the queene screecht; ladies were aghast;
Princes puff'd; barons blustred; lords began lower;
Knights stormed; squires startled, like steeds in a stower;
Pages and yeomen yell'd out in the hall,
Then in came sir Kay, the 'king's' seneschal.

Silence, my soveraignes, quoth this courteous knight,
And in that stound the stowre began still:
"Then' the dwarfe's dinner full deerely was dight,
Of wine and wassel he had his wille;

And, when he had eaten and drunken his fill,

An hundred pieces of fine coyned gold
Were given this dwarf for his message bold.

*Perhaps 'broidered: so "purfelled" signifies.

But say to sir Ryence, thou dwarf, quoth the king,
That for his bold message I [do] him defye;
And shortlye with basins and pans will him ring
Out of North-gales, where he and I

With swords, and not rasors, quickly shall trye, Whether he, or king Arthur will prove the best barbor. And therewith he shook his good sword Escalàbor.

5

[IV. 28]

IV.

KING ARTHUR'S DEATH.

A FRAGMENT.

10

The subject of this ballad is evidently taken from the old romance Morte Arthur, but with some variations, especially in the concluding stanzas; in which the author seems rather to follow the traditions of the old Welsh Bards, who "believed that King Arthur was not dead, but 15 "conveied awaie by the Fairies into some pleasant place, "where he should remaine for a time, and then returne "againe and reign in as great authority as ever." [Holingshed. B. 5. c. 14.] or as it is expressed in an old Chronicle printed at Antwerp 1493 [by Ger. de Leew,] "The Bretons 20 supposen, that he [K. Arthur] shall come yet and 'conquere all Bretaigne, for certes this is the prophicye of "Merlyn: He sayd, that his deth shall be doubteous; and "sayd soth, for men therof yet have doubte, and shullen "for ever more, for men wyt not whether that 25 he lyveth "or is dede." See more ancient testimonies in Selden's Notes on Polyolbion, Song III.

N. B. This ballad, which is taken from the Editor's MS. will receive illustration from that which immediately follows it.

5

N Trinitye Mondaye in the morne,

ΟΝ

This sore battayle was doom'd to bee;
Where manye a knighte cry'd, Well-awaye!
Alacke, it was the more pittie.

[Ere 29] Ere the first crowinge of the cocke,
When as the kinge in his bed laye,

5

10

He thoughte sir Gawaine to him came,
And there to him these wordes did saye.
Nowe as you are mine unkle deare,

And as you prize your life; this daye
O meet not with your foe in fighte;
Putt off the battayle, if yee maye.
For sir Launcelot is nowe in Fraunce,
And with him many an hardye knighte:
Who will within this moneth be backe,
And will assiste yee in the fighte.

The kinge then call'd his nobles all,
Before the breakinge of the daye;

10

15

And tolde them howe sir Gawaine came,
And there to him these wordes did saye.

20

25

And make with him agreement faire.

[The 30] The king he charged all his hoste,

30

In readinesse there for to bee:

But noe man sholde noe weapon sturre,

Unlesse a sword drawne they shold see.

And Mordred on the other parte,

Twelve of his knights did likewise bringe;
The beste of all his companye,

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30

To hold the parley with the kinge.

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50

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10

Alacke! it was a woefulle case,
As ere in Christentye befelle.

But when they were together mette,

And both to faire accordance broughte;
And a month's league betweene them sette,
Before the battayle sholde be foughte.

An addere crept forth of a bushe,

Stunge one o' th' king's knightes on the knee:
Alacke! it was a woefulle chance,

As ever was in Christentie.

[When 31] When the knighte found him wounded sore,
And sawe the wild-worme hanginge there;

His sworde he from his scabberde drewe:
A piteous case as ye shall heare.

For when the two hostes sawe the sworde,
They joyned battayle instantlye;

Till of soe manye noble knightes,

On one side there were lefte but three.

For all were slain that durst abide,
And but some fewe that fled awaye:

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60

Ay mee! it was a bloodye fielde,

As ere was foughte on summer's daye.

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Upon king Arthur's own partyè,

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20

Onlye himselfe escaped there,

And Lukyn duke of Gloster free,
And the king's butler Bedevere.

And when the king beheld his knightes,
All dead and scattered on the molde;
The teares fast trickled downe his face;
That manlye face in fight so bolde.

Nowe reste yee all, brave knights, he said,
Soe true and faithful to your trust:

And must yee then, ye valiant hearts,

Be lefte to moulder into dust!

[Most 32] Most loyal have yee been to mee,
Most true and faithful unto deathe:

Percy's Reliques ed. Schröer.

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