Without he could of courtesy,
He thought it much [scorn]

"God speed thee, King Arthur!
Sitting at thy meat;

And the goodly Queen Guenever,
I can not her forget.

"I tell you, Lords! in this hall,
I hett you all heed,

Except you be the more surer
Is for you to dread."

He pluck'd out of his porterver,
And longer would not dwell,—
He pull'd forth a pretty mantle
Between two nutshell.

"Have thou here, King Arthur!
Have thou here of me;
Give it to thy comely Queen!
Shapen it is ready.

"It shall never become that wife

That hath once done amiss."

Then every knight in the King's Court
Began to care for his.

Forth came dame Guenever;
To the mantle her belaid:
The Lady she was new-fangle,
But yet she was affray'd.

When she had ta'en the mantle

She stood as she had been mad:
It was from the top to the toe
As shears had it shred.

One while was it gule,

Another while was it green,

Another while was it [woaded]:
Ill it did her beseem.

Another while it was black

And bore the worsest hue: "By my troth," quoth King Arthur, "I think thou be not true."

She threw down the mantle,
That bright was of blee;
Fast with a rudd red

To her chamber can she flee.

She cursed the weaver and the walker
That cloth that had wrought;
And bade a vengeance on his crown
That hither hath it brought.

"I had rather be in a wood,
Under a greenè tree,

Than in King Arthur's Court
Shamed for to be."

Kay call'd forth his lady

And bade her come near; Says "Madam! an thou be guilty I pray thee hold thee there."

Forth came his lady,

Shortly and anon;
Boldly to the mantle

Then is she gone.

When she had ta'en the mantle

And cast it her about

Then was she bare

[Half her body out].

Then every knight

That was in the King's Court

Talk'd, laugh'd, and shouted
Full oft at that sport.

She threw down the mantle,
That bright was of blee;
Fast with a red rudd

To her chamber can she flee.

Forth came an old knight,
Pattering o'er a creed ;

And he proffer'd to this little boy
Twenty marks to his meed,

And all the time of the Christmas
Willingly to feed,

For why this mantle might

Do his wife some need.

When she had ta'en the mantle,
Of cloth that was made,
She had no more left on her

But a tassel and a thread:

Then every knight in the King's Court Bade evil might she speed.

She threw down the mantle,
That bright was of blee,

And fast with a red rudd

To her chamber can she flee.

Craddock call'd forth his lady,
And bade her come in ;
Saith-"Win this mantle, Lady!
With a little din !

"Win this mantle, Lady!
And it shall be thine
If thou never did amiss

Since thou wast mine."

Forth came Craddock's lady,

Shortly and anon;

But boldly to the mantle

Then is she gone.

When she had ta'en the mantle,
And cast it her about,

Up at her great toe

It began to crinkle and crowt: She said "Bow down, mantle ! And shame me not for nought!

"Once I did amiss,

I tell you certainly,

When I kiss'd Craddock's mouth
Under a greenè tree,—

When I kiss'd Craddock's mouth

Before he married me."

When she had her shriven
And her sin had told,
The mantle stood about her

Right as she would,

Seemély of colour,

Glittering like gold:

Then every knight in Arthur's Court

Did her behold.

KING ARTHUR'S DEATH.

On a Monday after Trinity Sunday,
This battle foughten could be,
Where many a knight cried Well-away!
Alack, the more pity!

But upon Sunday, in the evening then,
When the King in his bed did lie,

He thought Sir Gawaine to him came,
And thus to him did [cry] :

“Now as you are my uncle dear,

Do not fight as to-morrow day,— But I pray you to be ruled by me,Put off the battle if you may!

"For Lancelot is now in France

And many with him full hardy;
And within this month he will be here:
Great aid will be to thee."

He wakened forth of his dreams :

To his nobles that told he,

How he thought Sir Gawaine to him came
And those words said certainly.

And then they gave the King counsel all,
Upon Monday early,-

He should send one of his heralds of arms
To parle with his son, if it might be.

And twelve knights King Arthur chose,
The best in [all] his company,
That they should go to meet his son,
To agree, if it could be.

And the King chargèd all his host

In readiness for to be,

But no man should no weapons stir

Without sword drawn 'mongst [them] they see.

And Mordred upon the other part
Twelve of his knights chose he,
That they should go to meet his father
Between those two hosts fair and free.

And Mordred charged his host

In like manner most certainly,