Nowe thankes, nowe thankes, good sir Gawaine,

And there sir Gawaine he her wed,
And married her with a ringe.

And when they were in wed-bed laid,

And all were done awaye:

"Come turne to mee, mine owne wed-lord,

95

Come turne to mee I praye."

Sir Gawaine scant could lift his head,

For sorrowe and for care;

When, lo! instead of that lothelye dame,

Hee sawe a young ladye faire.

100

Sweet blushes stayn'd her rud-red cheeke,
Her eyen were blacke as sloe:

The ripening cherrye swellde her lippe,

And all her necke was snowe.

Sir Gawaine kiss'd that lady faire,
Lying upon the sheete:

And swore, as he was a true knighte,

The spice was never so sweete.

105

Sir Gawaine kiss'd that lady brighte,

Lying there by his side:

"The fairest flower is not soe faire: Thou never can'st bee my bride."

I am thy bride, mine owne deare lorde,
The same whiche thou didst knowe,
That was soe lothlye, and was wont

Upon the wild more to goe.

Nowe, gentle Gawaine, chuse, quoth shee,
And make thy choice with care ;
Whether by night, or else by daye,
Shall I be foule or faire?

"To have thee foule still in the night,

When I with thee should playe!

I had rather farre, my lady deare,
To have thee foule by daye."

110

115

120

What when gaye ladyes goe with their lordes 125
To drinke the ale and wine;

Alas! then I must hide myself,
I must not goe with mine?

"My faire ladyè, sir Gawaine sayd,

I yield me to thy skille; Because thou art mine owne ladyè Thou shalt have all thy wille."

130

Nowe blessed be thou, sweete Gawaine,

And the daye that I thee see;

For as thou seest mee at this time,

135

Soe shall I ever bee.

My father was an aged knighte,

And yet it chanced soe,
He tooke to wife a false ladyè,

Whiche broughte me to this woe.

Shee witch'd mee, being a faire yonge maide,

In the greene forèst to dwelle;

And there to abide in lothlye shape,

Most like a fiend of helle.

140

Midst mores and mosses; woods, and wilds; 145

To lead a lonesome life :

Till some yong faire and courtlye knighte
Wolde marrye me to his wife :

Nor fully to gaine mine owne trewe shape,
Such was her devilish skille;

Until he wolde yielde to be rul'd by mee,
And let mee have all my wille.

150

She witchd my

brother to a carlish boore,

And made him stiffe and stronge;

And built him a bowre on magicke grounde, 155

To live by rapine and wronge.

But now the spelle is broken throughe,
And wronge is turnde to righte;

Henceforth I shall bee a fair ladyè,

And hee be a gentle knighte.

160

III.

King Ryence's Challenge.

This song is more modern than many of those which follow it, but is placed here for the sake of the subject. It was sung before Queen Elizabeth at the grand entertainment at Kenilworth Castle in 1575, and was probably composed for that occasion. In a letter describing those festivities it is thus mentioned: "A Minstral came forth with a sollem song, warranted for story out of K. Arthur's acts, whereof I gat a copy, and is this:

"So it fell out on a Pentecost," &c.

After the song the narrative proceeds: "At this the Minstrell made a pause and a curtezy for Primus Passus. More of the song is thear, but I gatt it not."

The story in Morte Arthur, whence it is taken, runs as follows: "Came a messenger hastely from king Ryence of North Wales,-saying, that king Ryence had discomfited and overcomen eleaven kings, and everiche of them did him homage, and that was this: they gave him their beards cleane flayne off,-wherefore the messenger came for king Arthur's beard, for king Ryence had purfeled a mantell with kings beards, and there lacked for one a place of the mantell, wherefore he sent for his beard, or

else he would enter into his lands, and brenn and slay, and never leave till he have thy head and thy beard. Well, said king Arthur, thou hast said thy message, which is the most villainous and lewdest message that ever man heard sent to a king. Also thou mayest see my beard is full young yet for to make a purfell of, but tell thou the king that—or it be long he shall do to me homage on both his knees, or else he shall leese his head." [B. i. c. 24. See also the same Romance, b. i. c. 92.]

The thought seems to be originally taken from Jeff. Monmouth's Hist. b. x. c. 3, which is alluded to by Drayton in his Poly-Olb. Song iv., and by Spenser in Faer. Queen, vi. 1, 13, 15. See Warton's Observations on Spenser, vol. ii. page 223.

The following text is composed of the best readings selected from three different copies. The first in Enderbie's Cambria Triumphans, p. 197. The second in the Letter above mentioned. And the third inserted in MS. in a copy of Morte Arthur, 1632, in the Bodl. library.

Stow tells us, that king Arthur kept his round table at "diverse places, but especially at Carlion, Winchester, and Camalet, in Somersetshire.' This Camalet, sometimes a famous towne or castle, is situate on a very high tor or hill," &c. [See an exact description in Stow's Annals, ed. 1631, p. 55.]

As it fell out on a Pentecost day,

King Arthur at Camelot kept his court royall,
With his faire queene dame Guenever the gay;
And many bold barons sitting in hall;
With ladies attired in purple and pall;