49.

That looked soe foule, & that was wont On the wild more to goe.

50.

'Come kisse her, brother Kay,' then said Sir Gawaine, '& amend the of thy liffe; I sweare this is the same lady That I marryed to my wiffe.'

51.

Sir Kay kissed that lady bright, Standing vpon his ffeete; He swore, as he was trew knight, The spice was neuer soe sweete.

52.

'Well, cozen Gawaine,' sayes Sir Kay, 'Thy chance is fallen arright, For thou hast gotten one of the fairest maids I euer saw with my sight.'

53.

'It is my fortune,' said Sir Gawaine; 'For my Vnckle Arthur's sake I am glad as grasse wold be of raine, Great ioy that I may take.'

54.

Sir Gawaine tooke the lady by the one arme, Sir Kay tooke her by the tother, They led her straight to King Arthur As they were brother & brother.

55.

King Arthur welcomed them there all, & soe did lady Geneuer his queene, With all the knights of the round table Most seemly to be seene.

56.

King Arthur beheld that lady faire That was soe faire and bright, He thanked Christ in Trinity For Sir Gawaine that gentle knight;

57.

Soe did the knights, both more and lesse; Reioyced all that day For the good chance that hapened was To Sir Gawaine & his lady gay.

[Annotations: 34.2: 'swire,' neck: the Folio reads _smire_.

37.4: 'slaine': the Folio gives _shaine_.

41.2: 'was' (Child's suggestion): the Folio reads _with_.

43.1: 'feires,' = feres, mates: the Folio reads _seires_.

44.2: Folio: _but a skill_: see note on 28.3.

48.1: 'carlish,' churlish.]

[Illustration]

THE BOY AND THE MANTLE

+Text.+--The Percy Folio is the sole authority for this excellent lively ballad. It is here given as it stands in the manuscript, except for division into stanzas. Percy printed the ballad '_verbatim_,'--that is, with emendations--and also a revised version.

+The Story+, which exists in countless variations in many lands, is told from the earliest times in connection with the Arthurian legend-cycle.

Restricting the article used as a criterion of chastity to a mantle, we find the elements of this ballad existing in French manuscripts of the thirteenth century (the romance called _Cort Mantel_); in a Norse translation of this 'fabliau'; in the Icelandic _Mantle Rhymes_ of the fifteenth century; in the _Scalachronica_ of Sir Thomas Gray of Heton (_circ._ 1355); in Germany, and in Gaelic (a ballad known in Irish writings, but not in Scottish); as well as in many other versions.

The trial by the drinking-horn is a fable equally old, as far as the evidence goes, and equally widespread; but it is not told elsewhere in connection with the parallel story of the mantle. Other tests used for the purpose of discovering infidelity or unchastity are:-- a crown, a magic bridge (German); a girdle (English; cp. Florimel's girdle in the _Faery Queen_, Book iv. Canto 5); a bed, a stepping-stone by the bedside, a chair (Scandinavian); flowers (Sanskrit); a shirt (German and Flemish); a picture (Italian, translated to England--cp. Massinger's _The Picture_ (1630), where he localises the story in Hungary); a ring (French); a mirror (German, French, and Italian); and so forth.

Caxton, in his preface to _Kyng Arthur_ (1485), says:-- 'Item, in the castel of Douer ye may see Gauwayn's skull and Cradok's mantel.' Sir Thomas Gray says the mantle was made into a chasuble, and was preserved at Glastonbury.

Thomas Love Peacock says (_The Misfortunes of Elphin_, chap. xii.), 'Tegau Eurvron, or Tegau of the Golden Bosom, was the wife of Caradoc [Craddocke], and one of the Three Chaste Wives of the island of Britain.' A similar statement is recorded by Percy at the end of his 'revised and altered' ballad, taking it from 'the Rev. Evan Evans, editor of the Specimens of Welsh Poetry.'

THE BOY AND THE MANTLE

1.

In the third day of May to Carleile did come A kind curteous child that cold much of wisdome.

2.

A kirtle & a mantle this child had vppon, With brauches and ringes full richelye bedone.

3.

He had a sute of silke, about his middle drawne; Without he cold of curtesye, he thought itt much shame.

4.

'God speed thee, King Arthur, sitting at thy meate!

& the goodly Queene Gueneuer!

I canott her fforgett.

5.

'I tell you lords in this hall, I hett you all heede, Except you be the more surer, is you for to dread.'

6.

He plucked out of his potewer, & longer wold not dwell, He pulled forth a pretty mantle, betweene two nut-shells.

7.

'Haue thou here, King Arthure, haue thou heere of mee; Give itt to thy comely queene, shapen as itt is alreadye.

8.

'Itt shall neuer become that wiffe that hath once done amisse': Then euery knight in the King's court began to care for his wiffe.

9.

Forth came dame Gueneuer, to the mantle shee her bid; The ladye shee was new-fangle, but yett shee was affrayd.

10.

When shee had taken the mantle, shee stoode as she had beene madd; It was ffrom the top to the toe as sheeres had itt shread.

11.

One while was itt gaule, another while was itt greene; Another while was itt wadded; ill itt did her beseeme.

12.

Another while was it blacke, & bore the worst hue; 'By my troth,' quoth King Arthur, 'I thinke thou be not true.'

13.

Shee threw downe the mantle, that bright was of blee, Fast with a rudd redd to her chamber can shee flee.