Till his Collaine brand brake in his hand,
And his Millaine knife burst on his knee;
And then the Danish axe burst in his hand first,
That a sur weapon he thought shold be.
180 But now is the knight left without any weapone,
And alacke! it was the more pitty;
But a surer weapon then had he one,
Had never Lord in Christentye:
And all was but one litle booke,
185 He found it by the side of the sea.
He found it at the sea-side,
Wrucked upp in a floode;
Our Lord had written it with his hands,
And sealed it with his bloode.
[Half a page is wanting.]
190 "That thou doe....
But ly still in that wall of stone;
Till I have beene with noble King Arthur,
And told him what I have done."
And when he came to the King's chamber,
195 He cold of his curtesie
Saye, "Sleep you, wake you, noble King Arthur?
And ever Jesus watch yee!"
"Nay, I am not sleeping, I am waking,"
These were the words said hee:
200 "For thee I have car'd; how hast thou fared?
O gentle knight, let me see."
The knight wrought the King his booke,
Bad him behold, reede, and see;
And ever he found it on the backside of the leafe,
205 As noble Arthur wold wish it to be.
And then bespake him King Arthur,
"Alas! thou gentle knight, how may this be,
That I might see him in the same licknesse,
That he stood unto thee?"
210