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قراءة كتاب Arthur A Short Sketch of His Life and History in English Verse of the First Half of the Fifteenth Century
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Arthur A Short Sketch of His Life and History in English Verse of the First Half of the Fifteenth Century
for to make suche aray.
Oure cosyn Iulius cesar
Somme tyme conquered þar; 216
To Rome þu owest hys trybut; that he must pay his tribute,
We chargeþ þe to paye vs hyt.
Thy pryde we wolle alaye
Þat makest so gret aray: 220
We commandeþ þe on haste
To paye owre trybut faste;
Þu hast scley frolle in fraunce
Þat hadde vnder vs þere gouernaunce, 224
And wyþholdest oure tribute þerto:
Þu schalt be tawȝt þu hast mysdo:
We commandeþ þe in haste soone
Þat þu come to vs at Rome 228 and come to Rome to be punished for his disobedience.
To vnderfang oure ordynaunce
For þy dysobediaunce;
As þu wold nat leze þy lyf,
Fulfylle þys wythoute stryff." 232
[pg 8 - Arthur's Answer to Lucius.]
When þis lettre was open & rad;
Þe bretouns & alle men were mad, The Britons purpose to kill the messengers,
And wolde þe messager scle:—
"Nay," seyd Arthour, "per de, 236 but Arthur forbids it,
That were aȝenst alle kynde,
A messager to bete or bynde;
y charge alle men here
for to make ham good chere." 240
And after Mete sanz fayl
Wyþ hys lordes he hadde counsayl;
And alle asented þer to,
Arthour to Rome scholde go; 244 and resolves to invade Rome.
And þey ne wolde in hys trauayle
Wyþ strenkþ & good neuer fayle.
Than Arthour wroot to Rome a lettre,
Was sentence was somm-what byttere, 248
And sayde in þis manere
As ȝe may hure here:—
"Knoweþ welle ȝe of Romayne, Litera Regis Arthuri.
Y am kyng Arthour of Bretayne. 252 Arthur's answer to the Emperor Lucius,
Fraunce, y haue conquered hyt,
Y schalle defende & kepe hyt ȝut, [Fol. 44, col. 2.]
Y come to Rome, as y am tryw,
To take my trybut (.) to me dywe, 256 claiming tribute from him.
But noon þere-for to paye,
By my werk ȝe schalle asay;
For þe Emperour Constantyne
Þat was þe Soone of Elyne, 260
Þat was a Bretone of þis lond,
Conquered Rome wyth hys hond,
And so ȝe oweþ me tribut:
Y charge ȝow þat ȝe pay me hyt. 264
Also Maximian kyng of Bretaigne
Co[n]quered al fraunce & Almayne,
Lombardye Rome & ytalye—
[pg 9 - The Messenger's Report of Arthur.]
By ȝoure bokis ȝe may a-spye. 268
Y am þeir Eyr & þeyre lynage,
Y aske ȝow my trywage."
Þis lettre was celyd fast,
Y-take the Messagerez on hast; 272
Arthour ȝaf ham ȝyftez grete,
And chered ham wyþ drynk and Mete.
Þey hasted ham to come hoom; Lucius's messengers return to him.
Byfor þe Emperour þey beþ coom; 276
Saluted hym as resoun ys,
And toke hym þes letterys.
Þey seyde to þe Emperour
"We have be wyþ kyng Arthour; 280
But such anoþer as he ys oon,
Say neuer no Man.
He ys serued on hys howshold
Wyþ kynges, Erles, worthy & bold; 284
Hys worthynesse, sur Emperour,
Passeþ Muche alle ȝowre;
He seyde he wolde hyder come and give him Arthur's message.
And take trywage of alle Rome, 288
We dowteþ last he wel do soo,
For he ys Myghty ynow þer-too."
Now, erst þan we goo ferþer,
Every man þat ys here 292
Sey a Pater noster
And ave wyþ gode chere; Amen.
Pater noster
Ave Maria.
Now stureth hym self Arthour [Fol. 44b.]
Þenkyng on hys labour, 296
And gaderyþ to hym strenghth aboute, Arthur prepares for his expedition to Rome.
Hys kynges & Erles on a rowte—
A fayr syȝt to Mannes ye
to see suche a cheualrye,— 300
[pg 10 - The Number of Arthur's Host.]
The kyng of Gotland, Has five kings,
Also þe kyng of Irland,
the kyng of ysland | & of Orkenye,
Þis was worthy Maynye; 304
The kyng of Denmark also was þere,
Þis was a worthy chere:
Eche of þese vyve at her venyw
Brouȝt zyx þousand at har retenyw; 308
xxxti þowsand, ych vnderstand, with 30,000 men,
Þes vyf kyngis hadde on honde.
Than hadde he out of Normandye,
Of Angeoy & of Almanye, 312 80,000 Normans and
Boloyne(.) Peytow & flaundres
Fowre skore þowsand harneys—
Geryn of Chartez .xij. þowsand 12,000 from Chartres,
þat went wyþ Artour euer at honde; 316
Hoel of bretayn, þowsandez ten 10,000 Bretons.
Of hardy & welle fyghtyng Men;