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 bode.
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.
Then grimmlye dyed Sir Mordered, Presentlye upon that tree: And b.l.o.o.d.y streames ranne from the kinge, 115 Ere to the duke returned hee.
Sir Lukyn then he thus bespake: "Sir knighte, thou hast been faithfulle tryde; Nowe take my sword Excalibar[L119], That hangs so freelye by my syde, 120
"O take my sword Excalibar, And there into the river throwe: For here, henceforth, benethe this tree, All use of weapons I foregoe.
"And fare thee well, thou trustye sword, 125 A better neer had valiant knighte; With thee full ofte, and many a daye, Have I withstood my foe in fighte.
"With this good fauchion in my hande, Oft have I reapd the b.l.o.o.d.y feelde: 130 But nowe the fatalle houre is come, That never more I may thee weelde."
The duke to the river side he went, And there his owne sword in threwe he; But he kept back Excalibar, 135 He kept it back in privitie.
For all of coleyne was the blade, And all the hilte of precious stone: "And ever alacke!" then sayd the knighte, "Must such a sword awaye be throwne?" 140
Then backe he came unto the kinge, Who sayd, "Sir Lukyn, what did yee see?"
"Nothing, my liege, save that the winde Blewe oer the waters faire and free."
"O goe againe," then said the kinge, 145 "O good Sir Lukyn, goe againe: Into the rivere throwe my sword, Nor keepe me lingering here in paine."
The duke then to the river went, And the kings scabbard in threwe hee; 150 But hee kept backe Excalibar, And hid it undernethe a tree.
Then backe he came to tell the kinge, Who sayde, "Sir Lukyn, sawe ye oughte?"
"Nothinge, my liege, save that the winde 155 Nowe with the angrye waters fought."
"O Lukyn, Lukyn," said the kinge, "Twice haste thou dealt deceytfullye: Alacke, whom may wee ever truste, When suche a knighte soe false can bee! 160
"Saye, wouldst thou have thy master dead, All for a sword that wins thine eye?
Now goe againe, and throwe it in, Or here the one of us shall dye."
The duke, all shent with this rebuke, 165 No aunswere made unto the kinge; But to the rivere tooke the sworde, And threwe it far as he coulde flinge.
A hande and an arme did meete the sworde, And flourishd three times in the air; 170 Then sunke benethe the renninge streme, And of the duke was seene noe mair.
All sore astonied stood the duke, He stood as still, as still mote bee; Then hastend backe to tell the kinge, 175 But he was gone from under the tree.
But to what place, he cold not tell, For never after hee did him see; But hee sawe a barge goe from the land, And hee heard ladyes howle and crye. 180
And whether the kinge were there, or not, Hee never knewe, nor ever colde; For from that sad and direfulle daye, Hee never more was seene on molde.
7. Sir Gawaine had been killed at Arthur"s landing on his return from abroad. See the next ballad, ver. 73. P.
41, 42, the folio MS. reads father ... sonne.
119. More commonly called _Caliburn_. In the folio MS. _Escalberd_. P.
THE LEGEND OF KING ARTHUR.
_Reliques of English Poetry_, iii. 76.
"We have here a short summary of King Arthur"s History as given by Jeff. of Monmouth and the old Chronicles, with the addition of a few circ.u.mstances from the romance _Morte Arthur_.--The ancient chronicle of Ger. de Leew (quoted above in p. 40,) seems to have been chiefly followed: upon the authority of which we have restored some of the names which were corrupted in the MS., and have transposed one stanza, which appeared to be misplaced: _viz._, that beginning at v.
49, which in the MS. followed v. 36.
"Printed from the Editor"s ancient folio MS."
PERCY.
Of Brutus"[L1] blood, in Brittaine borne, King Arthur I am to name; Through Christendome and Heathynesse Well knowne is my worthy fame.
In Jesus Christ I doe beleeve; 5 I am a Christyan bore; The Father, Sone, and Holy Gost, One G.o.d, I doe adore.
In the four hundred ninetieth yeere[L9], Oer Brittaine I did rayne, 10 After my Savior Christ his byrth, What time I did maintaine
The fellowshipp of the Table Round, Soe famous in those dayes; Whereatt a hundred n.o.ble knights 15 And thirty sat alwayes:
Who for their deeds and and martiall feates, As bookes done yett record, Amongst all other nations Wer feared through the world. 20
And in the castle off Tyntagill King Uther mee begate, Of Agyana[L23], a bewtyous ladye, And come of "hie"[L24] estate.
And when I was fifteen yeere old, 25 Then was I crowned kinge: All Brittaine, that was att an uprre, I did to quiett bringe;
And drove the Saxons from the realme, Who had opprest this land; 30 All Scotland then, throughe manly feates, I conquered with my hand.
Ireland, Denmarke, Norwaye, These countryes wan I all; Iseland, Gotheland, and Swetheland; 35 And made their kings my thrall.
I conquered all Gallya, That now is called France; And slew the hardye Froll in feild[L39], My honor to advance. 40
And the ugly gyant Dynabus[L41], Soe terrible to vewe, That in Saint Barnards mount did lye, By force of armes I slew.
And Lucyus, the emperour of Rome, 45 I brought to deadly wracke; And a thousand more of n.o.ble knightes For feare did turne their backe.
Five kinges of Pavye I did kill[L49]
Amidst that b.l.o.o.d.y strife; 50 Besides the Grecian emperour, Who alsoe lost his liffe.
Whose carca.s.se I did send to Rome, Cladd poorlye on a beere; And afterward I past Mount-Joye 55 The next approaching yeere.
Then I came to Rome, where I was mett Right as a conquerour, And by all the cardinalls solempnelye I was crowned an emperour. 60