Now god spede Artour welle!

hym ys comyng a nyw batelle. A new foe appears, a Spanish Giant,

Ther coom a gyant out of spayne,

And rauasched had fayr Elayne; 352

He had brouȝt heore vp on an hulle—

Mornyng hyt ys to hure or telle—

Cosyn heo was to kyng hoell,

A damesel fayr and gentelle; 356

And ȝut ferþermore to,

He rauasehed heore Moder also. who has slain fair Elayne.

He dude þe damesel for to dye

for he myght not lygge heor bye. 360

Whan þis was told to Artour,

He maked Much dolour,

And send Bedewer for to spye Arthur sends Bedwere first as a spy,

How he myght come hym bye; 364

And he was nat sclowh,

But to þe hulle hym drowh

Þat Closed was wyþ water stronge,

Þe hulle a-Mydde gret & longe; 368

He went ouer to þe hulle syde,

And þere a fonde a wommane byde

Þat sorwedd & wept Mornynge

[pg 12 - Arthur's Fight with the Giant.]

For Eleynes deþ & departynge, 372

And bad Bedewer to fle also

Last he were ded more to;

"For yf þe Gyant fynde þe,

Wythoute dowte he wylle þe scle." 376

Bedwer wyþ alle hastynge

Tolde Arthour alle þis þynge.

Amorwe whan þat hyt was day

Arthour toke þyder hys way, 380 and then (with Bedwere and Key) starts on his adventure.

Bedewer wyþ hym went, & keye,—

Men þat cowþe welle þe weye,— [Fol. 45.]

And broute Arthour Meyntenaunt,

Euen byfore þe Gyant. 384

Arthour fowȝt wyþ þat wyght;

He had almost ylost hys Myght:

Wyþ Muche peyne, þruȝ goddez grace

He sclowh þe Geant in þat place, 388 He kills the Giant,

And þan he made Bedewere

To smyte of hys heed þere.

To þe Ost he dude hyt brynge,

And þeron was gret woundrynge, 392

Hyt was so oryble & so greet, whose horrible head is shown to the host,

More þan any Horse heed.

Than hadde hoel Ioye ynowh

For þat Arthour so hym sclowh; 396

And for a perpetuel Memorie

He Made a chapelle of seynt Marye and St. Mary's Chapel is built in honour of the victory.

In þe hulle vpon þe pleyne,

Wyþ-Inne þat (:) þe tumbe5 of Eleyne; 400 tombe

And þat name wyþoute nay

Hyt bereþ ȝut in-to þis day.

Now ys an ende of þis þynge,

And Artour haþ nyw tydynge,— 404 News of Lucius's approach is brought,

Lucy þe Emperour wyþ hys host

Comeþ fast in gret bost;

Þey helyþ ouer alle þe lond,

[pg 13 - Arthur's Men Pray to God.]

Fowre hundred þowsand 408 with an army of 400,124 men.

An hunderd and foure & twenty,—

Thus herawdes dude ham rekeny;

Thus he hadde gadered to hym

Of cristien and of Sarasyn, 412

Wyþ alle hys wytt & labour

To destroyen Arthour.

Arthour dude wyselye,

And hadde euer gode aspye 416

Of lucyes gouernynge

And of hys þyder comynge;

But somme seyde hyt were folye Some advise Arthur to turn and flee,

To fyght aȝenst Emperour lucie, 420

For he hadde sepe