As I p{re}?ume, he thinkith hyme di?pi?it Of the me?ag that we gart to hyme mak; Yhowre-?elf yhe have ?o ?pecialy out-tak, 2988 He thinkith ewill contempnit for to bee, Con?id{er}ing how that the nece??itee Mo?t prin?pally to yhowr ?upporting lyis.

Tharfor my con?ell is, yhow to dewy, 2992 And ek ?howre-?elf i{n} yhowr t{r}e?pas accu, [Sidenote: ask him mercy, therefore, and excuse your guilt.]

And a?k hyme mercy, and yhour gilt excu.

For well it oucht o prince or o king Til honore and til cheri in al thing 2996 O worthi man, that is in kny{ch}thed p{re}wit.

For throw the body of o man e?chevit Mony o wondir, mony one aduenture, That m{er}well war til any creature. 3000 And als oft-tyme is boith hard & ?en, [Sidenote: For often, by one knight's prowess, have 40,000 been worsted by 5,000.]

Quhar xl thou?and haith di?cu{m}fit ben Vith v thou?and, and only be o kny{ch}t; For throw his ?trenth, his vor?chip, & h{is} my{ch}t, 3004 His falow?chip ?ich comfort of hym tais That thai ne dreid the dang{er} of thar fays.

And thus, madem, I wot, w{i}t{h}outen were, [Sidenote: If yon knight will continue to help the king,]

If that ?hone kny{ch}t this day will p{er}?ywere 3008 W{i}t{h} his manhed for helping of the king, We ?al have cau to dred in to no thing.

Our folk of hyme thai ?al ?ich comfort tak, And ?o adred thar ennemys ?al mak, 3012 That ?ur I am, onys or the ny{ch}t, [Sidenote: yon folk shall perforce take to flight."]

Of for ?hone folk ?al tak one them the fly{ch}t: Wharffor, madem, that ?he have gilt to mend, My con?ell is one to ?hon kny{ch}t ?e ?end." 3016

[Headnote: THE SECOND MESSAGE TO THE BLACK KNIGHT.]

[Sidenote: She consents to send a message.]

"S{ir}," q{uod} ?che, "quhat ple??ith yhow to do ?he may dewy, and I con?ent thar-to."

Than was the lady of melyhalt {con}tent, And to ?{ir} gawan in-to-{con}tynent 3020 Sche clepit the maid, wich that pa??it ar; [Fol. 37b.]

[Sidenote: A maiden is therefore sent to say,]

And he hir bad the me?ag thus duclar.

"Say [to][T70] the kny{ch}t, the quen hir reco{m}mendith, And ?al correk in quhat that ?che offendith 3024 At his awn will, how ?o hyme li?t dewy; [Sidenote: that the queen humbly exhorts him]

And hyme exort.i.th, in mo?t humyll wy, As eu{er} he will, whar that ?che can or may, Or powar haith hir charg, be ony way, 3028 And for his wor?chip and his hie ma{n}hede, [Sidenote: to help in that need to preserve the king's honour, and to deserve her thanks.]

And for hir luf, to helpen i{n} that ned The king{is} honore, his land fore to pre?erf, That he hir thonk for eu{er} may de?erf." 3032

[Footnote T70: "to" seems required.]

[Headnote: SIR GAWANE SENDS HIM TEN SPEARS MORE.]

And four ?quyaris chargit he al?o [Sidenote: Sir Gawane also sends four squires with three horses and ten spears.]

W{i}t{h} thre hor and ?peris x to go Furt{h} to the knycht, hyme prayng for his ?ak, At his raque?t thame in his ned to tak. 3036

[T]he maden furt{h} w{i}t{h} the ?qwyar{is} is went One to the kny{ch}t, and ?chawith y{ar} entent.

[Sidenote: The message heard, he inquires about the queen,]

Tho me?ag hard, and ek ye pre?ent ?en, He an?werit, and a?kith of the qwen; 3040 [Sidenote: and is told that from yon parapet she can witness his deeds.]

"S{ir}," q{uod} ?che, ["sche][T71] in to ?hone bartiis lyis, Whar that this day yhour dedis ?al dewy, Yhowr manhed, yhour wor?chip, and affere, How ?he {con}ten, and how yhe armys bere; 3044 The quen hir-?elf, and many o lady to, Sal Iug{is} be, and vitnes how yhe do."

Than he, whois hart ?tant in o new aray, [Sidenote: He returns a message that he is the queen's knight.]

Saith, "damyceyll, on to my lady ?ay, 3048 How eu{er} that hir lykith that it bee, Als far as wit or powar is in me, I am hir kny{ch}t, I ?al at hir {com}mand Do at I may, w{i}t{h}outen more demand. 3052 And to ?{ir} gawan, for his gret gentri, Me reco{m}mend and thonk a thou?and ?y."

W{i}t{h} that o ?per he takith in his hond, [Sidenote: He stands in his stirrups; and seems to increase a foot in height.]

And ?o in to his ?terapis can he ?tond 3056 That to ?{ir} gawan ?emyth that the kny{ch}t Encre?yng gon o larg fut one hycht; And to the ladice ?aith he, and the qwen, "?hon is the kny{ch}t that eu{er} I have ?en 3060 In al my tyme mo?t kny{ch}tly of affere, And in hyme-?elf gon fare?t armys bere."

[Footnote T71: A second "sche" is here required.]

[Headnote: THE BLACK KNIGHT'S CHARGE.]

[Sidenote: Greatly encouraged,]

[T]he kny{ch}t that haith Reme{m}brit in his tho{ch}t [Fol. 38a.]

The qwenys charg{is}, & how ?che hy{m} be?o{ch}t, 3064 Curag can encre?ing to his hart; His cur?er lap, and gan onon to ?tart; And he the ?qwaris haith reqwyrit ?o, That thai w{i}t{h} hyme one to the feld wald go. 3068 [Sidenote: without delay he crosses over the river to the field;]

Than goith he one, w{i}t{h}outen mor abaid, And our the reuar to the feld he raid; Don goith his ?pere onone In to the Re?t, [Sidenote: and goes in wherever he sees most peril.]

And in he goith, w{i}t{h}outen mor are?t, 3072 Thar as he ?aw mo?t p{er}ell and mo?t dred In al the feld, and mo?t of help[T72] had ned, Whar ?emblyt was the fir?t-{con}que?t king W{i}t{h} mony o kny{ch}t that was in his leding. 3076 [Sidenote: He overthrows two knights.]

The fir?t he met, doune goith boith hor & man; The ?per was holl, and to the next he Ran That helpit hyme his hawbrek nor h{is} ?cheld, Bot throuch and throuch haith per?it i{n} the feld. 3080

[Footnote T72: MS. "held."]

[Headnote: SIX KNIGHTS FOLLOW HIM.]

[Sidenote: Sir Kay, Sir Sygramors, Sir Gresown, Sir Ywan, Sir Brandellis, and Gahers, all six in a race spur across the field with stretched spears,]

S{ir} kay, the wich haith this encontyr ?en, His hor he ?trekith our the larg gren, And ?{ir} ?ygramors ek the de?yrand, W{i}t{h} ?{ir} gre?own cu{m}myth at y{ar} honde, 3084 Son of the duk, and al?ua ?{ir} ywan The ba?tart, and ?{ir} brandellis onan, And gaher, wich that broyir was To gawan; thir ?ex in a Ra 3088 Deliu{er}ly com prekand our the feld{is} W{i}t{h} ?peris ?traucht, and cou{er}it w{i}t{h} thar ?cheldis; Sum for love, ?um honor to purche, [Sidenote: and 100 knights after them.]

And aftir them one hund{er}eth kny{ch}t{is} was, 3092 In ?amyne will, thar manhed to a??ay.

On his v falowis clepit than ?{ir} kay, [Sidenote: Sir Kay exhorts them]

And ?aith them, "?{ir}is, thar has ?hond{er} ben A cour that neu{er}-more farar was ?en 3096 Maid be o kny{ch}t, and we ar cu{m}myn ilkon Only ws one [his] wor?chip to di?pone; And neu{er} we in al our dais my{ch}t Have bet axampil than iffith ws ?one kny{ch}t 3100 [Sidenote: to keep near the black knight, and follow his guidance all day.]

Of well doing; and her I hecht for me Ner hyme al day, if that I may, to bee, And folow hyme at al [my] my{ch}t I ?all, Bot deth or vthir adwentur me fall. 3104 W{i}t{h} that thir ?ex, al in one a??ent, W{i}t{h} fre?ch curag In to the feld Is went.

The blak kny{ch}t{is} ?pere in pec{is} gone, [Fol. 38b.]

[Sidenote: With a second spear, the black knight seeks the field, closely followed by the six.]

Frome o ?qwyar one vthir haith he tone, 3108 And to the feld onone he goith ful ry{ch}t; Thir ?ex w{i}t{h} hyme ay holdith at y{ar} my{ch}t.

And than bygan his wond{er}is in the feld; Thar was no helme, no hawbryk, nore no ?cheld, 3112 [Sidenote: No knight nor armour can withstand him.]

Nor yhit no kny{ch}t ?o hardy, fer, nore ?tout, No ?hit no man{er} armour my{ch}t hald owt His ?trenth, nore was of powar to w{i}t{h}?tond; So mych of armys dyde he w{i}t{h} his honde, 3116 [Sidenote: Every wight wonders at his deeds.]

That euery wight ferleit of h{is} deid, And al his fois ?tondith ful of dreid.

So be?ely he can his tyme di?pend, That of the ?peris wich ?{ir} gawan ?end, 3120 [Sidenote: He uses up all Gawane's spears.]

Holl of them all thar was not lewit one; Throw wich but m{er}cy to the deyth is gon Ful many o kny{ch}t, and many o weriour, That cout{h} ?u?ten ful hardely o ?tour. 3124 [Sidenote: Two horses of his are killed, and he fights on foot.]

And of his hor ?upp{ri}?it ded ar two, One of his awn, of gawanis one al?o, And he one fut was fechtand one the gren, When that ?{ir} kay haith w{i}t{h} his falowis ?en; 3128 [Sidenote: The squire brings him a fresh horse;]

The ?qwyar w{i}t{h} his hor than to hy{m} bro{ch}t; Magre his fois he to his cour?eir ?o{ch}t Deliu{er}ly, as of o my{ch}ty hart, [Sidenote: he leaps into the saddle without stirrups.]

W{i}t{h}out ?teropis in to his ?adill ?tart, 3132 That euery wycht beholding m{er}vell has Of his ?trenth and deliu{er} be?ynes.

[Headnote: SIR KAY ASKS WHO THE BLACK KNIGHT IS.]

[Sidenote: Sir Kay asks who he is,]

S{ir} kay, ?eing his hor, and how that thai War cled in to ?{ir} gawanis aray, 3136 A?kith at the ?quyar if he knewith What that he was, this kny{ch}t? & he hym ?chewith [Sidenote: but the squire cannot tell.]

He wi?t no thing quhat that he was, nore hee Befor that day hyme neu{er} ?aw w{i}t{h} Ee. 3140 Than a?kith he, how and one quhat wy On gawanis hor makith hyme ?ich ?{er}uice?

The ?qw[y]ar ?aith, "for?uth y wot no more; My lord ws bad, I not the cau quharfore." 3144 [Sidenote: The black knight returns to the field.]

The blak kny{ch}t, hor?it, to the feld can ?ew Als fre?ch as he was in the morow new; [Sidenote: The six comrades follow him.]

The ?ex falowis folowit hyme ilkone, And al in front on to the feld ar gon; 3148 Ry{ch}t fre?chly one thar ennemys thai ?oght, [Fol. 39a.]

And many o fair poynt of armys vroght.

[Sidenote: Malangin's host is discomfited by king Ydras; and retreats to join the second line, commanded by the Conquest-king;]

[T]han hapnyt to king malangins o?t By ydras king di?cu{m}fit was, & lo?t, 3152 And fled, and to the {con}que?t-king ar gone, Thar boith the batell{is} a??emblit In to one; King malengynis in to his hart was wo, For of hyme-?elf no bett{er} kny{ch}t my{ch}t go; 3156 [Sidenote: so that 40,000 are now opposed to 15,000 of Arthur's.]

Thar xl thou?and war thai for xv.

Than my{ch}t the feld ry{ch}t p{er}ellus be ?en Of armyt kny{ch}t{is} gaping one the ground; Sum deith, and ?um w{i}t{h} mony a grewous wond; 3160 For arthuris kny{ch}t{is}, that manly war and gud, Suppos that vthir was o mult.i.tude, Re?auit tham well at the ?peris end; But one ?uch wy thai may not lang defend. 3164

[Headnote: THE BLACK KNIGHT'S PROWESS.]

[Sidenote: The black knight, knowing who is beholding him,]

The blak kny{ch}t ?aw the dang{er} of the feld, And al his doing{is} knowith quho beheld, And ek reme{m}brith in to his entent Of the me?ag that ?che haith to hyme ?ent: 3168 Than curag, ?trenth encre?ing w{i}t{h} ma{n}hed, Ful lyk o kny{ch}t one to the feld he raid, [Sidenote: thinks to have his lady's love, or die before her.]

Thinking to do his ladice love to have, Or than his deth befor hir to re?ave. 3172 Thar he begynyth in his fer curag Of armys, as o lyoune in his rag; Than m{er}well was his doing to behold; Thar was no kny{ch}t ?o ?trong, nor yhit ?o bold, 3176 That in the feld befor his ?uerd he met, Nor he ?o hard his ?trok apone hyme ?et, That ded or wondit to the erth he ?o{ch}t; [Sidenote: He works nothing but wonders;]

For thar was not bot wond{er}is that he wro{ch}t. 3180 And magre of his fois eu{er}ilkone, [Sidenote: and often pa.s.ses alone through the field.]

In to the feld oft tymys hyme alon Throuch and throuch he pa??ith to & fro; For in the ward[T73] it was the man{er} tho 3184 That non o kny{ch}t ?huld be the brydill tak Hyme to ore?t, nore c.u.m behynd h{is} bak, Nor mo than on at onys one o kny{ch}t Shuld ?trik, for that tyme wor?chip ?tud ?o ry{ch}t. 3188 ?hit was the feld ry{ch}t p{er}ellus and ?trong Till arthuris folk, ?et thai {con}tenyt longe; Bot in ?ich wy this blak kny{ch}t can {con}ten, [Fol. 39b.]

[Sidenote: He fights in such wise as to encourage all who see his deeds.]

That thai, the wich that hath his manhed ?en, 3192 Sich hardyment haith takyne In his ded, Them tho{ch}t thai had no man{er} cau of dred, Als long as he my{ch}t owthir ryd or go, At euery ned he them recomfort ?o. 3196 [Sidenote: Sir Kay and his fellows follow him all day.]

S{ir} kay haith w{i}t{h} his falowis al the day Folowit hyme al that he can or may, And wondir well thai have in armys p{re}wit, And w{i}t{h} thar manhed oft thar folk relewit; 3200 Bot well thai faucht in diu{er} placis ?ere, [Sidenote: But at last they are nearly all overpowered by numbers.]

W{i}t{h} mult.i.tud y{ar} folk confu?it were, That long in ?ich wy my{ch}t thai no{ch}t {con}ten.

[Footnote T73: Another spelling of _warld_, i.e. world, which occurs in the fuller form in l. 3212.]