Nowe reste yee all, brave knights, he said,
Soe true and faithful to your trust:
And must yee then, ye valiant hearts, 75
Be lefte to moulder into dust!
Most loyal have yee been to mee,
Most true and faithful unto deathe:
And, oh! to rayse yee up againe,
How freelye could I yield my breathe!] 80
But see the traitor's yet alive,
Lo where hee stalkes among the deade!
Nowe bitterlye he shall abye:[61]
And vengeance fall upon his head.
O staye, my liege, then sayd the duke; 85
O staye for love and charitìe;
[Remember what the vision spake,
Nor meete your foe, if it may bee.
O, staye mee not, thou worthye wight,
This debt my loyal knights I owe: 90
Betide me life, betide me death,
I will avenge them of their foe.]
Then straite he grasp'd his trustye speare,
And on his horse then mounted hee:
As his butler holpe him to his horse, 95
His bowels gushed to his knee.
Alas! then sayd the noble king,
That I should live this sight to see!
To see this good knight here be slaine,
All for his love in helping mee! 100
He put his speare into his reste,
And to sir Mordred loud gan crye;
[Nowe sette thyself upon thy guarde,
For, traitor, nowe thy death is nye.
Sir Mordred lifted up his sworde, 105
And fierce to meet the king ran hee:]
The king his speare he through him thrust;
A fathom thorow his bodìe.
When Mordered felt the stroke of death,
And found that he was wounded soe; 110
He thruste himselfe upon the speare,
And strucke the king a deadlye blowe.