the Round Table Made.]

Merlyn wyþ hys sotelnesse

Turned vtheris lyknesse,

And maked hym lyche þe Erl anone,

And wyþ hys wyff (:) his wylle to done 24

In þe countre of Cornewelle:

In þe Castel of Tyntagelle,

Thus vther, yf y schalle nat lye,

Bygat Arthour in avowtrye. 28 and begat Arthur in adultery.

Whan vther Pendragone was deed,

Arthour anon was y-crowned; Arthur is crowned,

He was courteys, large, & Gent

to alle puple verrament; 32

Beaute, Myȝt, amyable chere

To alle Men ferre and neere;

Hys port (;) hys ȝyftes gentylle

Maked hym y-loved wylle; 36 is loved of all,

Ech mon was glad of hys presence,

And drade to do hym dysplesaunce;

A stronger Man of hys honde is strong

was neuer founde on any londe, 40

As courteys as any Mayde:— and courteous.

Þus wryteþ of hym þat hym a-sayde. [Fol. 42b. col. 2.]

At Cayrlyone, wythoute fable,

he let make þe Rounde table: 44 He makes the Round Table,

And why þat he maked hyt þus,

Þis was þe resoun y-wyss,—

Þat no man schulde sytt aboue other, that all at it might be equal.

ne haue indignacioun of hys broþer; 48

And alle hadde (.)oo(.) seruyse,

For no pryde scholde aryse

For any degree of syttynge,

Oþer for any seruynge:— 52

Þus he kept þe table Rounde

Whyle he leuyd on þe grounde.

After he hadde conquered skotlond After his first conquests

yrland & Gotland, 56

[pg 3 - He Fights Frollo for France.]

Þan leuyd he at þe best he lives twelve years in peace,

twelf ȝeeris on alle reste

Wyþoute werre (:) tylle at þe laste

he þouȝt to make (.)a(.) nywe conqueste. 60

Into Fraunce wyþ gode counceyle and then invades France.

he wolde weende (:) & hyt assayle,

Þat Rome þo kept vnder Myght,

Vnder Frollo (:) a worthy knyght 64

Þat fraunce hadde þo to kepe,

To rywle, defende, & to lede.

Arthour and Frollo fouȝt in feld; He beats Frollo back to Paris,

Þere deyde many vnder scheld. 68

Frollo in-to Paryss fly,

Wyth strenkthe kept hyt wysely:

Arthour byseged þat Syte & town and there besieges him, till

Tylle þeire vytayl was y-doon. 72

Frollo þat worthy knyght Frollo challenges him to single combat.

Proferyd wyth Arthour for to fyght

Vnder þis wyse & condicioun,—

"Ho hadde þe Maystrie (:) haue þe crown; 76

And no mo men but þey two."

Þe day Was sett (:) to-geder þey go: They fight:

Fayr hyt was to byholde

In suche two knyȝghteȝ bolde: 80

Þer was no word y-spoke,

But eche hadde other by þe þrote;

Þey smote wyth trounchoun & wyth swerd;

Þat hyt seye were a-ferd; 84 [Fol. 43.]

Frollo fouȝt wyþ hys ax (:) as men dude se; (Frollo with his axe)

He hytt Arthour (:) so sore (:) þat he felle on kne.

He ros vp raply (:) and smot hym fulle sore;

He dude hym to grent a (.) soueȝ1 þerfore. 88

thus they hyw on helmes hye,

And schatered on wyþ scheldes.

Þe puple by-gan to crye

Þat stood on þe feldes; 92

[pg 4 - Arthur Returns Victorious to Britain,]

ther ne wyst no man, as y can lere,

Who of ham two was þe bettere þere.

Arthour was chafed & wexed wrothe, till Arthur in wrath takes Brownsteel,

He hente brounsteelle | and to Frollo gothe 96

Brounstelle was heuy & also kene; Caliburnus Arthuri Gladius [with a sketch thereof in the MS.]

Fram þe schulder(:) to þe syde went bytwene

Off frollo | and þan he fell to þe grounde

Ryȝt as he moste | deed(.) in lyte stounde. 100 and strikes Frollo dead.

Frensche men made doelle & wept fulle faste;

Þeir Crowne of fraunce þere þey loste.

Than wente Arthour in-to paryse Arthur takes Paris.

And toke þe castelle & þe town at hys avyse. 104

Worschuped be god of hys grete grace Glory to God.

Þat þus ȝeueþ fortune(:) and worschup to þe Reme;

Thanke ȝe hym alle þat beþ on þis place,

And seyeþ a Pater noster wythout any Beeme. 108 Say ye a Pater Noster therefore.

Pater noster.