Classic Poem

[The Ninth Part.]

Now is Mabam slaine;
& to Irom he went againe,
w i th sword drawne to ffight;
ffor to haue Clouen his braine,
I tell you ffor certaine
he went to him ffull right;
but when he came there,
away he was bore,
into what place he nist
he sought him ffor the nones
wyde in many woones;
to ffight more him List.

as he stood, & him bethought
tha t itt wold be deere bought
tha t he was ffrom him fare,
ffor he wold w i th sorcerye
doe much tormenrtye,
& tha t was much care
he tooke his sword hastilye,
& rode vpon a hill hye,
& looked round about
then he was ware of [a] valley;
thitherward he tooke the way
as a sterne K nigh t and stout.

as he rode by a riuer side
he was ware of him tha t tyde
vpon the riuer brimm:
He rode to him ffull hott,
& of his head he smote,
ffast by the Chinn;
& when he had him slaine,
ffast hee tooke the way againe
for to haue tha t lady gent.
as soone as he did thither come,
of his horsse he light downe,
and into the hall hee went

& sought tha t ladye ffaire and hend,
but he cold her not find;
therfor he sighed ffull sore.
still he sate mourni[n]g
ffor tha t Ladye ffaire & young;
for her was all his care;
he ne wist what he doe might;
but still he sate, & sore he sight,
of Ioy hee was ffull bare

but as he sate in tha t hall,
he heard a window in the wall,
ffaire itt gan vnheld; —
great [wonder] there w i th-all
in his hart gan ffall; —
as he sate & beheld,
a worme out gan pace
w i th a womans fface
tha t was younge & nothing old.
the wormes tayle & her winges
shone ffayre in all thinges,
& gay ffor to beholde.

grislye great was her taile,
the clawes large w i thout ffayle;
Lothelye was her bodye.
S i r Lybius swett for heate,
there sate in his seate
as all had beene a ffire him by
then was S i r Lybius euill agast,
& thought his body wold brast
then shee neighed him nere;
& or S i r Lybius itt wist,
the worme w i th mouth him Kist,
& colled about his lyre.

& after tha t kissing,
the wormes tayle & her wing
ffell away her ffroe;
she was ffaire in all thing,
a woman w i thout Leasing;
fairer he saw neuer or thoe
shee stood vpp al soe naked
as christ had her shaped.
then was S i r Lybius woe.
shee sayd, " god tha t on the rood gan bleed,
S i r K nigh t, quitt thee thy meede,
ffor thou my ffone wold sloe.

" thou hast slaine now ffull right
2 clarkes wicked of might
tha t wrought by the ffeende.
East, west, north and south,
they were m aster s of their mouth;
many a man they haue shend.
through their inchantment,
to a worme the had me meant,
ne woe to wrapp me in
till I had k[i]ssed S i r Gawaine
tha t is a noble K nigh t certaine,
or some man of his kinn.
ffor thou hast saued my liffe,
Castles 50 and ffiue
take to thee I will,
& my selfe to be thy wiffe
right w i thout striffe,
if itt be your will. "

then was he glad & blythe,
& thanked god often sythe
That him tha t grace had sent,
& sayd, " my Lo rd faire & ffree,
all my loue I leaue w i th thee,
by god omnipotent!
I will goe, my La dye bright,
to the castle gate ffull right,
thither ffor to wend
ffor to feitch yo u r geere
tha t yee were wont to weare,
& them I will you send.

" alsoe, if itt be yo u r will,
I pray you to abyde still
till I come againe "
" S i r, " shee said, " I you pray
wend fforth on your way,
therof I am ffaine. "

S i r Lybius to the castle rode,
there the people him abode;
to Iesu chr[i]st gan they crye
ffor to send them tydings glad
of them tha t Long had
done them tormentrye.
S i r Lybius is to the Castle come,
& to S i r Lamberd he told anon,
and alsoe the Barronye,
how S i r Mabam was slaine
& S i r Iron, both twayine,
by the helpe of mild Marye.

when tha t K nigh t soe keene
had told how itt had beene
to them all by-deene,
a rich robe good & ffine,
well ffurred w i th good Ermine,
he sent tha t Ladye sheene;

Kerchers and garlands rich
he sent to her priuiliche,
tha t mayd ho wold home bring
& when shee was readye dight,
thither they went anon-right,
both old and young,

& all the ffolke of Sinadowne
w i th a ffaire p ro cession
the Ladye home they ffett.
& when they were come to towne,
of p re cyous gold a rich crowne
there on her head the sett.

they were glad and blythe,
& thanked god often sithe
tha t ffrom woe them had brought
all the Lo rd s of dignitye
did him homage and ffealtye,
as of right they ought.

they dwelled 7 dayes in the tower
there S i r Lamberd was gouernor,
w i th mirth, Ioy, and game;
& then they rode w i th honor
vnto King Arthur,
the Knights all in-same.