Classic Poem

Off Bruite his blood in Brittaine borne,
King Arthur I am to name;
through christendome & heathynesse
well knowen is my worthy fame.

In Iesus christ I doe beleeue,
I am a christyan borne;
the father, sone, & holy gost,
one god, I doe adore.

in the 490 yeere
over Brittaine I did rayne
after my savior christ his byrth,
What time I did maintaine

the fellow-shipp of the table round,
soe ffamous in those dayes,
wheratt 100 Noble K nigh ts
& 30: sitt alwayes,

who for their deeds & Martiall ffeates —
as bookes done yett record —
amongst all Nations
wer feared throwgh the world.

& in the castle of Tyntagill
K ing Vther mee begate
of Agyana, a bewtyous Ladye,
& come of his estate.

& when I was 15 yeere old,
then was I crowned K ing ;
all Brittaine was att an vprore,
I did to quiett bringe,

& droue the Saxons from the realme,
who had opprest this Land;
& then I conquered througe Manly feats
all Scottlande w i th my hands.

Ireland, Denmarke, Norway,
these countryes wan I all,
Iseland, Gotheland, & Swethland,
& made their K ing s my thrall.

5 K ing s of Pauye I did kill
amidst tha t bloody strife;
besides the grecian Emperour,
who alsoe Lost his liffe.

I conquered all Gallya
tha t now is called ffrance,
& I slew the hardy froland feild,
My honor to advance;

& the vgly Gyant Danibus
soe terrible [to] vewe,
tha t in St Barnards mount did Lye,
by force of armes I slew;

& Lucyes the Emperour of Roome,
I brought to deadly wracke;
& a 1000 more of Noble K nigh ts
for feare did turne their backes,

whose carkasse I did send to Roome,
cladd poorlye on a beere.
& afterward I past Mountioye,
the next approching yeere;

then I came to roome, where I was mett
right as a conquerour,
& by all the cardinalls solempnelye
I was crowned an Emperour.

one winter [there] I made abode,
& then word to me was brought
how Mordred, my sonne, had oppressed the crowne,
what treason he had wrought

att home in Brittaine heere w i th my Queene;
therfore I came w i th speede
to Brittaine backe w i th all my power,
to quitt tha t traiterous deede.

& when att Sandwiche I did Land,
where Mordred me w i th-stoode;
but yett att last I landed there
w i th effusion of Much blood,

ffor there my nephew S i r Gawaine dyed,
being wounded on tha t sore
tha t S i r Lancelott in fight
had giuen him before.

thence chased I Mordred away,
who ffledd to London wright;
ffrom London to winchester,
& to Cor[n]walle, hee tooke his flyght;

& still I him pursued w i th speed
till at the Last wee mett,
wherby appointed day of fight
was agreede & sett,

where wee did fight soe Mortallye
of liue eche other to depriue,
tha t of 100:1000 men
scarce one was left aliue;

there all the Noble chiualrye
of Brittaine tooke their end!
O! see how fickle is their state
tha t doe vpon feates depend!

there all the traiterous men were slaine,
not one escaped away;
& there dyed all my Vallyant K nigh ts!
alas tha t woefull day!

but vpon a Monday after Trinity sonday
this battaile foughten cold bee,
where many a K nigh t cryed well-away!
alacke, the more pittye!

but vpon Sunday in the euening then,
when the K ing in his bedd did Lye,
he thought S i r Gawaine to him came,
& thus to him did say:

" Now as you are my vnckle deere,
I pray you be ruled by mee,
doe not fight as to-morrow day,
but put the battelle of if you may;

" for S i r Lancelott is now in france,
& many K nigh ts w i th him full hardye,
& w i th-in this Month here hee wilbe,
great aide wilbe to thee. "

hee wakened forth of his dreames:
to his Nobles tha t told hee,
how he thought S i r Gawaine to him came,
& these words sayd Certainly.

& then the gaue the K ing councell all,
vpon Munday Earlye
tha t hee shold send one of his heralds of armes
to p ar le w i th his sonne, if itt might bee.

& 12 knights K ing Arthur chose,
the best in his companye,
tha t they shold goe to meete his sonne,
to agree if itt cold bee.

& the K ing charged all his host
in readynesse for to bee,
tha t Noe man shold noe weapons sturr
with-out a sword drawne amongst his K nigh ts the see.

& Mordred vpon the other p ar t,
12 of his K nigh ts chose hee
tha t they shold goe to meete his father
betweene those 2 hosts fayre & free.

& Mordred charged his ost
in like mannor most certainely,
tha t noe man shold noe weapons sturre
w i th-out a sword drawne amongst them the see;

for he durst not his father trust,
nor the father the sonne certainley.
alacke! this was a woefull case
as eu er was in christentye!

but when they were mett together there,
& agreed of all things as itt shold bee,
& a monthes League then there was
before the battele foughten shold bee,

an Adder came forth of Bush,
stunge one of k ing Arthirs K nigh ts below his knee:
alacke! this was a woefull chance
as eu er was in christentye!

the K nigh t he found him wounded there,
& see the wild worme there to bee;
his sword out of his scabberd he drew;
alas! itt was the more pittye!

& when these 2 osts saw they sword drawen,
the Ioyned battell certainlye,
Till of a 100:1000: men
of one side was left but 3.

but all were slaine tha t durst abyde,
but some awaye tha t did flee.
K ing Arthur vpon his owne p ar tye
himselfe aliue cold be,

& Lukin the Duke of Gloster,
& Bedever his Butler certainlye
the K ing looked about him there,
& saw his K nigh ts all slaine to bee;

" Alas! " then sayd Noble K ing Arthur
" tha t eu er this sight I see!
to see all my good K nigh ts lye slaine,
& the traitor yett aliue to bee!

" loe where he leanes vpon his sword hillts
amongst his dead men certainlye!
I will goe slay him att this time;
neu er att better advantage I shall him see. "

" Nay! stay here, my Leege! " then said the Duke,
" for loue & charitye!
for wee haue the battell woone,
for yett aliue wee are but 3: "

the K ing wold not be p er swaded then,
but his horsse then Mounted hee;
his Butler t[hat] helped him to horsse,
his bowells gushed to his knee.

" alas! " then said noble k ing Arthur,
" tha t this sight I eu er see,
to see this good k nigh t for to be slaine
for loue for to helpe mee! "

he put his speare into his rest,
& att his sonne he ryd feirclye,
& through him there his speare he thrust
a fatham thorrow his body.

the sonne he felld him wounded there,
& knew his death then to bee;
he thrust himselfe vpon his speare,
& gaue his father a wound certainlye.

but there dyed S i r Mordred
p re sently vpon tha t tree.
but or ere the K ing returned againe,
his butler was dead certainlye.

then bespake him Noble K ing Arthur,
these were the words sayd hee,
sayes, " take my sword Escalberd
from my side fayre & free,
& throw itt into this riuer heere;
for all the vse of weapons Ile deliuer vppe,
heere vnderneath this tree. "

the Duke to the riuer side he went,
& his sword in threw hee;
& then he kept Escalberd,
I tell you certainlye;

& then he came to tell the K ing .
the k ing said, " Lukin, what did thou see? "
" noe thing, my leege, " the[n] sayd the duke,
" I tell you certainlye. "

" O goe againe, " said the k ing ,
" for loue & charitye,
& throw my sword into tha t riuer,
tha t neu er I doe itt see. "

the Duke to the riuer side he went,
& the k ing s scaberd in threw hee;
& still he kept Escalbard
for vertue sake faire & free.

he came againe to tell the K ing ;
the K ing sayd, " Lukin, what did thou see? "
" nothing, my leege, " then sayd the Duke,
" I tell you certainlye. "

" O goe againe, Lukin, " said the K ing ,
" or the one of vs shall dye. "
then the Duke to the riuer sid went,
& then K ing s sword then threw hee:

a hand & an arme did meete tha t sword,
& flourished 3 times certainlye.
he came againe to tell the K ing ,
but the K ing was gone from vnder the tree,

but to what place, he cold not tell,
for neu er after hee did him see,
but he see a barge from the land goe,
& hearde Ladyes houle & cry certainlye;

but whether the k ing was there or noe
he knew not certainlye.
the Duke walked by tha t Riuers side
till a chappell there found hee,

& a preist by the aulter side there stood.
the Duke kneeled downe there on his knee
& prayed the preists, " for christs sake
the rights of the church bestow on mee! "

for many dangerous wounds he had vpon him,
& liklye he was to dye.
& there the Duke liued in prayer
till the time tha t hee did dye.

K ing Arthur liued K ing 22 yeere
in honor and great fame,
& thus by death suddenlye
was depriued from the same.