Classic Poem

I ESUS christ, Christen Kinge,
& his mother tha t sweete thing,
helpe them att their neede
tha t will listen to my tale!
of a knight I will you tell,
a doughtye man of deede,
his name was cleped Ginglaine;
gotten he was of S i r Gawaine
vnder a fforrest side;
a better knight w i thout ffable,
W i th Arthur att the round table,
yee heard neuer of read.

Gingglaine was ffaire & bright,
an hardye man and a wight,
bastard thoe hee were.
his mother kept him w i th all her might,
ffor he shold not of noe armed K nigh t
haue a sight in noe mannere
but he was soe sauage,
& lightlye wold doe outrage
to his ffellowes in ffere.
his mother kept him close
ffor dread of wicked losse,
as hend child and deere.

ffor hee was soe ffaire & wise,
his mother cleped him beufise,
& none other name;
& himselfe was not soe wise
tha t hee asked not I-wis
what hee hight of his dame.
soe itt beffell vpon a day
Gingglaine went to play,
wild deere to hunt ffor game;
& as he went ouer the Lay,
he spyed a knight was stout & gay,
tha t soone he made ffull tame.

then he did on tha t K nigh ts weede,
& himselfe therin yeede,
into tha t rich armoure;
& when he had done tha t deede,
to Glasenbury swithe hee yeede,
there Lay K ing Arthur.
& when he came into the hall
amonge the Lords and Ladyes all,
he grett them w i th honore,
And said, " K ing Arthur, my Lord!
suffer me to speake a word,
I pray you p ar amoure:

" I am a child vncouthe;
come I am out of the south,
& wold be made a knight.
14 yeere old I am,
& of warre well I cann,
therfore grant me my right. "
then said Arthur the K ing strong
to the child tha t was soe younge,
" tell me what thou hight;
for neu er sithe I was borne
sawe I neuer heere beforne
noe child soe ffaire of sight. "

the child said, " by St Iame,
I wott not what is my name!
I am the more vnwise;
but when I dwelled att home,
my mother in her game
cleped mee beaufise. "
then said Arthur the K ing ,
& said, " this is a wonderous thing,

by god & by S t . Denise,
tha t thou wold be a K nigh t,
& wott nott what thou hight,
& art soe ffaire and wise!

" now I will giue thee a name
heere amonge all you in-same;
for thou art soe ffaire and free, —

I say, by god & by S t Iame,
soe cleped thee neuer thy dame,
what woman tha t euer shee bee; —
call yee him all thius,
Lybius Disconius;
ffor the loue of mee
looke yee call him this name;
both in ernest & in game,
certes, soe hight shall hee. "

K ing Arthur anon-right
w i th a sword ffaire & bright,
trulye tha t same day
dubbed tha t Child a knight,
And gaue him armes bright;
fforsooth as I you say,
hee gaue to him in tha t ilke
a rich sheeld all ou er gilte
w i th a griffon soe gay,
& tooke him to S i r Gawaine
ffor to teach him on the plaine
of euery princes play.

when hee was made a knight,
of the boone he asked right,
& said, " my Lord soe ffree,
in my hart I wold be glad
the ffirst battell if I had
tha t men asked of thee. "
then said Arthur the King,
" I grant thee thine askinge,
whatt battell tha t euer itt bee;
but euer methinke thou art to young
ffor to doe a good ffighting,
by ought tha t I can see.

when he had him thus told,
Dukes, Erles, and Barons bold,
washed & went to meate;
of wild ffoule and venison,
as lords of great renowne,
inoughe they had to eate.
they had not sitten not a stoure,
well the space of halfe an hower,
talking att their meate,
there came a damsell att tha t tyde,
& a dwarffe by her side,
all sweating ffor heate;

the Maidens name was Hellen;
sent shee was vnto the King,
a Ladyes messenger.
the maiden was ware & wise,
& cold doe her message att device,
shee was not to ffere;
the maid was ffaire & sheene,
shee was cladd all in greene;
& ffurred w i th Blaundemere;
her saddle was ouergilte,
& well bordered w i th silke,
& white was her distere.

the dwarfe was cladd w i th scarlett ffine,
& ffured well w i th good Ermine;
stout he was & keene;
amonge all christen kind
such another might no man find;
his cercott was of greene;
his haire was yellow as fflower on mold,
to his girdle hang shining as gold,
the sooth to tell in veretye;
all his shoone w i th gold were dight,
all as gay as any knight,
there sseemed no pouertye.

Teddelyne was his name,
wide sprang of him the fame,
East, west, North & south;
much he cold of game & glee,
ffiddle, crowde, and sowtrye,
he was a merry man of mouth;
harpe, ribble & sautrye,
he cold much of Minstrelsye,
he was a good Iestoure,
there was none such in noe country;
a Iolly man fforsooth was hee
w i th Ladyes in their bower.

then he bade maid Hellen
ffor to tell her tale by-deene,
& kneele before the King.
the maid kneeled in the hall
among the Lords & Ladyes all,
& said, " my Lord! w i thout Leasing.

" There is a strong case toward;
there [is] none such, nor soe hard,
nor of soe much dolour.
my Lady of Sinadone
is brought to strong prison,
tha t was of great valoure;
shee prayes you of a Knight
ffor to win her in ffight
w i th ioy & much honor. "
vp rose tha t younge Knight,
in his hart he was ffull light,
& said, " my Lord Arthur,

" my couenant is to haue tha t fight
ffor to winne tha t Lady bright,
if thou be true of word. "
the King said w i thout othe,
" thereof thou saiest soothe,
thereto I beare record;

" god thee giue strenght & might
ffor to winne tha t Ladye bright
w i th sheeld & w i th speare dint! "
then began the maid to say,
& said, " alas tha t ilke day
tha t I was hither sent! "
shee said, " this word will spring wyde;
S i r King, lost is all thy pride,
and all thy deeds is shent,
when thou sendest a child
tha t is wittlesse & wild,
to deale doughtilie w i th dint!
thou hast K nigh ts of mickle maine,
S i r Perciuall & S i r Gawaine,
ffull wise in Turnament. "
tho the dwarffe w i th great error
went vnto King Arthur,
& said, " S i r! verament

" this child to be a warryour,
or to doe such a Labor,
itt is not worth one ffarthing!
or hee tha t Ladye may see,
hee shall haue battells 5 or three
trulye w i thout any Leasinge;
" att the bridge of perill
beside the aduenturous chappell,
there is the ffirst begining. "
S i r Lybius anon answered
& said, " I was neuer affeard
ffor no mans threatninge!

" somewhat haue I lerd
ffor to play w i th a swerd
there men hath beene slowe
the man tha t ffleethe ffor a threat
other by way or by streete,
I wold he were to-draw.
I will the battell vndertake;
I ne will neuer fforsake,
ffor such is Arthurs Lawe. "
the made answered alsoe snell,
& said, " tha t beseemeth thee well!
who-soe looketh on thee may know

" thou ne durst for thy berde
abyid the wind of my swerde,
by ought tha t I can see! "
then said tha t dwarffe in tha t stond,
" dead men tha t lyen on the ground,
of thee affrayd may bee;
but betweene ernest & game,
I counsell thee goe souke thy dame,
& winne there the degree. "
the K ing answered anon-right,
and said, " thou gettest noe other K nigh t,
by god tha t sitteth in Trinytye!

If thou thinke he bee not wight,
Goe and gett thee another Knight
tha t is of more power. "
the maid ffor ire still did thinke,
shee wold neither eate nor d[r]inke
ffor all tha t there were;
shee sate still, w i thout ffable,
till they had vncouered the table,
she and the dwarffe in ffere
K ing Arthur in tha t stond
comanded of the table round,
4 knights in ffere,

of the best tha t might be found
in armes hole & sound,
to arme tha t child ffull right;
& said " through the might o Christ
tha t in fflome Iordan was baptiste,
he shold doe tha t he hight,
& become a Champyon
to the Lady of Sinadon,
& ffell her ffoemen in ffight. "
to arme him they were ffaine,
S i r Perciuall & S i r Gawaine,
& arrayed him like a knight;

the 3 was S i r Agrauaine,
& the 4 was S i r Ewaine,
them right ffor to behold.
they cast on him right good silke,
a sercote as white as any milke
tha t was worth 20 of golde;

alsoe an hawberke ffaire & bright,
w hi ch was ffull richelye dight
w i th nayles good and ffine.
S i r Gawaine, his owne ffather,
hange about his necke there
a sheeld w i th a griffon,
& a helme tha t was ffull rich,
in all the Land there was none such.
S i r Perciuall sett on his crowne,
S i r Agrauaine brought him a speare
tha t was good euery where
& of a ffell ffashion
S i r Ewaine brought him a steede
tha t was good in euery neede,
& as ffeirce as any Lyon
S i r Lybyus on his steede gan springe,
& rode fforth vnto the King,
& said, " Lord of renowne!

" giue me yo u r blessinge
w i thout any Letting!
my will is fforth me to wend. "
the K ing his hand vpp did lifft,
& his blessing to him gaue right
as a K nigh t curteour & hende,
& said, " god tha t is of might,
& his mother Marry bright,
tha t is fflowre of all women,
giue thee gracce ffor to gone
ffor to gett the ouerhand of thy fone,
& speed thee in thy iourney! Amen! "