FOOTNOTES:
[454] [bosses or buttons of gold.]
[455] [shirt.]
XIX.
THE ANCIENT FRAGMENT OF THE MARRIAGE OF SIR GAWAINE.[456]
The second poem in this volume, intitled The Marriage of Sir Gawaine, having been offered to the reader with large conjectural supplements and corrections, the old fragment itself is here literally and exactly printed from the editor's folio MS. with all its defects, inaccuracies, and errata; that such austere antiquaries, as complain that the ancient copies have not been always rigidly adhered to, may see how unfit for publication many of the pieces would have been, if all the blunders, corruptions, and nonsense of illiterate reciters and transcribers had been superstitiously retained, without some attempt to correct and emend them.
This ballad had most unfortunately suffered by having half of every leaf in this part of the MS. torn away; and, as about nine stanzas generally occur in the half page now remaining, it is concluded, that the other half contained nearly the same number of stanzas.
[The following poem is printed in Hales' and Furnivall's edition of the MS., vol. i. p. 105.]
Kinge Arthur liues in merry Carleile,
& seemely is to see,
& there he hath wth him Queene Genevr,
yt bride soe bright of blee.
And there he hath wth him Queene Genever,
yt bride soe bright in bower,
& all his barons about him stoode
yt were both stiffe & stowre.
The K. kept a royall Christmasse
of mirth & great honor,
& when....
[About Nine Stanzas wanting.]
And bring me word what thing it is
yt a woman most desire.
this shalbe thy ransome, Arthur, he sayes
for Ile haue noe other hier.
K. Arthur then held vp his hand
according thene as was the law;
he tooke his leaue of the baron there,
& homward can he draw.
And when he came to Merry Carlile,
to his chamber he is gone,
& ther came to him his Cozen Sr Gawaine
as he did make his mone.
And there came to him his Cozen Sr Gawaine
yt was a curteous knight,
why sigh you soe sore vnckle Arthur, he said
or who hath done thee vnright.
O peace, o peace, thou gentle Gawaine,
yt faire may thee beffall,
for if thou knew my sighing soe deepe,
thou wold not meruaile att all;
ffor when I came to tearne wadling,
a bold barron there I fand,
wth a great club vpon his backe,
standing stiffe & strong;
And he asked me wether I wold fight,
or from him I shold be gone,
o[r] else I must him a ransome pay
& soe dep't him from.
To fight wth him I saw noe cause,
me thought it was not meet,
ffor he was stiffe & strong wth all,
his strokes were nothing sweete.
Therfor this is my ransome, Gawaine
I ought to him to pay
I must come againe, as I am sworne,
vpon the Newyeers day.
And I must bring him word what thing it is
[About Nine Stanzas wanting.]
Then king Arthur drest him for to ryde
in one soe rich array
toward the foresaid Tearne wadling,
yt he might keepe his day.
And as he rode over a more,
hee see a lady where shee sate
betwixt an oke & a greene hollen[457]:
she was cladd in red scarlett.
Then there as shold have stood her mouth,
then there was sett her eye
the other was in her forhead fast
the way that she might see.
Her nose was crooked & turnd outward,
her mouth stood foule a wry;
a worse formed lady then shee was,
neuer man saw wth his eye.
To halch[458] vpon him, k. Arthur
this lady was full faine
but k. Arthur had forgott his lesson
what he shold say againe
What knight art thou, the lady sayd,
that wilt not speake to me?
of me be thou nothing dismayd
tho I be vgly to see;
for I haue halched you curteouslye,
& you will not me againe,
yett I may happen Sr knight, shee said
to ease thee of thy paine.
Giue thou ease me, lady, he said
or helpe me any thing,
thou shalt haue gentle Gawaine, my cozen
& marry him wth a ring.
Why, if I helpe thee not, thou noble k. Arthur
of thy owne hearts desiringe,
of gentle Gawaine....
[About Nine Stanzas wanting.]
And when he came to the tearne wadling
the baron there cold he fimde[459]
wth a great weapon on his backe,
standing stiffe & stronge
And then he tooke k. Arthur's letters in his hands
& away he cold them fling,
& then he puld out a good browne sword,
& cryd himselfe a k.
And he sayd, I haue thee & thy land, Arthur
to doe as it pleaseth me,
for this is not thy ransome sure,
therfore yeeld thee to mee.
And then bespoke him noble Arthur,
& bad him hold his hands,
& give me leave to speake my mind
in defence of all my land.
He said as I came over a More,
I see a lady where shee sate
betweene an oke & a green hollen;
shee was clad in red scarlett;
And she says a woman will haue her will,
& this is all her cheefe desire:
doe me right as thou art a baron of sckill,
this is thy ransome & and all thy hyer.
He sayes an early vengeance light on her,
she walkes on yonder more;
it was my sister that told thee this
& she is a misshappen hore.
But heer Ile make mine avow[460] to god
to do her an euill turne,
for an euer I may thate fowle theefe get,
in a fyer I will her burne.
[About Nine Stanzas wanting.]
The 2d Part.
Sir Lancelott & Sr Steven bold
they rode wth them that day,
and the formost of the company
there rode the steward Kay,
Soe did Sr Banier & Sr Bore
Sr Garrett wth them soe gay,
soe did Sr Tristeram yt gentle kt,
to the forrest fresh & gay
And when he came to the greene forrest
vnderneath a greene holly tree
their sate that lady in red scarlet
yt vnseemly was to see.
Sr Kay beheld this Ladys face,
& looked vppon her smire[461]
whosoeuer kisses this lady, he sayes
of his kisse he standes in feare.
Sir Kay beheld the lady againe,
& looked vpon her snout,
whosoeuer kisses this lady, he saies,
of his kisse he stands in doubt.
Peace coz. Kay, then said Sr Gawaine
amend thee of thy life;
for there is a knight amongst us all
yt must marry her to his wife.
What, wedd her to wiffe, then said Sr Kay,
in the diuells name anon,
gett me a wiffe where ere I may,
for I had rather be slaine.
Then soome tooke vp their hawkes in hast
& some tooke vp their hounds,
& some sware they wold not marry her
for Citty nor for towne.
And then be spake him noble k. Arthur,
& sware there by this day,
for a litle foule sight and misliking
[About Nine Stanzas wanting.]
Then shee said choose thee gentle Gawaine,
truth as I doe say,
wether thou wilt haue me in this liknesse
in the night or else in the day.
And then bespake him Gentle Gawaine,
wth one soe mild of moode,
sayes, well I know what I wold say,
god grant it may be good.
To haue thee fowle in the night
when I wth thee shold play;
yet I had rather, if I might
haue thee fowle in the day.
What, when Lords goe wth ther seires,[462] shee said
both to the Ale & wine
alas then I must hyde my selfe,
I must not goe withinne.
And then bespake him gentle gawaine,
said, Lady thats but a skill;
And because thou art my owne lady,
thou shalt haue all thy will.
Then she said, blesed be thou gentle Gawain
this day yt I thee see,
for as thou see me att this time,
from hencforth I wilbe:
My father was an old knight,
& yett it chanced soe
that he marryed a younge lady
yt brought me to this woe.
Shee witched me, being a faire young Lady,
to the greene forrest to dwell,
& there I must walke in womans liknesse,
most like a feend of hell.
She witched my brother to a Carlist B....
[About Nine Stanzas wanting.]
that looked soe foule & that was wont
on the wild more to goe.
Come kisse her, Brother Kay, then said Sr Gawaine,
& amend the of thy liffe;
I sweare this is the same lady
yt I marryed to my wiffe.
Sr Kay kissed that lady bright,
standing vpon his ffeete;
he swore, as he was trew knight,
the spice was neuer soe sweete.
Well, Coz. Gawaine, sayes Sr Kay,
thy chance is fallen arright,
for thou hast gotten one of the fairest maids
I euer saw wth my sight.
It is my fortune, said Sr Gawaine;
for my Vnckle Arthurs sake
I am glad as grasse wold be of raine,
great Ioy that I may take.
Sr Gawaine tooke the lady by the one arme,
Sr Kay tooke her by the tother,
they led her straight to k. Arthur
as they were brother & brother.
K. Arthur welcomed them there all,
& soe did lady Geneuer his queene,
wth all the knights of the round table
most seemly to be seene.
K. Arthur beheld that lady faire
that was soe faire & bright,
he thanked christ in trinity
for Sr Gawaine that gentle knight;
Soe did the knights, both more and lesse,
reioyced all that day
for the good chance yt hapened was
to Sr Gawaine & his lady gay.
Ffins.