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;
Then sunke benethe the renninge streme,
And of the duke was seene noe mair.

170

All sore astonied stood the duke;

He stood as still, as still mote bee:
Then hastend backe to telle the kinge;

But he was gone from under the tree.

But to what place he cold not tell,

For never after hee did him spye:

175

But hee sawe a barge goe from the land,
And hee heard ladyes howle and crye3.

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.

V. 178, see. MS.

3 Not unlike that passage in Virgil:

Summoque ulularunt vertice nymphæ.

Ladies was the word our English writers used for nymphs: as in the following lines of an old song in the Editor's folio MS.

"When scorching Phoebus he did mount,

Then Lady Venus went to hunt:

To whom Diana did resort,

With all the Ladyes of hills, and valleys,
Of springs, and floodes," &c.

V.

The Legend of King Arthur.

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 circumstances from the romance Morte Arthur. The ancient chronicle of Ger. de Leew (quoted above in p. 55), 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.

OF Brutus' 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:

I am a christyan bore:

5

V. 9, He began his reign A. D. 515, according to the Chronicles.

15

Who for their deeds and martiall feates,
As bookes done yett record,

Amongst all other nations

Wer feared through the world.

And in the castle off Tyntagill
King Uther mee begate
Of Agyana a bewtyous ladye,
And come of 'hie' estate.

And when I was fifteen yeere old,
Then was I crowned kinge:

All Brittaine that was att an upròre;
I did to quiett bringe.

And drove the Saxons from the realme,
Who had opprest this land;

All Scotland then throughe manly feates
I conquered with my hand.

Ireland, Denmarke, Norwaye,
These countryes wan I all;
Iseland, Gotheland, and Swetheland;
And made their kings my thrall.

I conquered all Gallya,

That now is called France;

And slew the hardye Froll in feild

My honor to advance.

And the ugly gyant Dynabus

Soe terrible to vewe,

That in Saint Barnards mount did lye,

By force of armes I slew:

V. 23. She is named Igerna in the old Chronicles.

V. 24, his. MS.

V. 39, Froland field. MS. Froll, according to the Chronicles, was a Roman

knight, governor of Gaul.

V. 41, Danibus. MS.

E

And Lucyus the emperour of Rome
I brought to deadly wracke;
And a thousand more of noble knightes
For feare did turne their backe:

Five kinges of 'paynims' I did kill
Amidst that bloody strife;

Besides the Grecian emperour

Who alsoe lost his liffe.

Whose carcasse 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.

One winter there I made abode:

60

Then word to mee was brought

Howe Mordred had oppressd the crowne:
What treason he had wrought

For there my nephew sir Gawaine dyed,
Being wounded in that sore,

V. 49, of Pavye. MS.

70