'The king him bear ne would, i. . did not choose to earry so much gold on his head. And did (i. e. placed) a less crown on the king's head. • He did the same to the queen. Was the law or custom. From their elder days. ? When Britons came from thence? All the women that were well done (well educated) at their meat sate asunder by themselves. That they thought well done. Tha the king wes isete Mid alle his dugeth to his mete, At borde thas kinges, The stiward com steppen, The KAY wes ihaten, Haxt cnhit on londe, Under than kinge, Of Arthures hirede. KAY hehte him bivoren Moni heah mon iboren.* Ther weoren a thusen cnhite bald, Wunder wel italde, That theineden than kingen, And his here thringen.3 Elc cnhit hafde pal on," And mid golde bigon; 'Heap, number,-i. e. when the king was seated with all his nobility at his meat, earls and barons at the king's table, the steward came stepping, that Kay was called, the highest knight in the land, under the king, of all the number of Arthur's household. Kay summoned before him many high men born, i. c. high born men. There were a thousand bold knights, wonder well numbered, that served the king, and thronged as his servants ? * Each knight had a pall on (i. e. a mantle}, and bordered with gold. And alle heore vingeres I riven mid gold ringes, From kuchene to than kinge. An other half was BEDUER, Mid him weoren eorlene sunen, And there hehze cnihtene sunen, Seoven kingene sunen, That mid him quchten.7 Mid guldene bolle : Thrasten to hirede; 'Their fingers fastened with gold rings. That bore sundry things? or, what was sent ? 3 Kitchen. The word seems to have been pronounced cookeene. 4 On another part was Bedwer, the king's high-butler (birlian, haurire, Sax.) 5 Of noble kin born. 6 Probably for icumen-" that thither were come." * Aforemost yode, went first, with a gold bowl. Thrust, or pressed forward, to serve. And alle thas cunnes' drenche, And the quene, an hire end, A thusend hire eode bivoren, And than that mid hire weoren. Nes he nævere iboren,3 Of nane cnihte icoren, Ilæred, no lawed, Anauere n'are leode, Tha cuthe him itelle An dies cunnes spelle All kinds of drink that they could think of? or, they can drink all that they could think of? 2 Very beautiful, handsome; the construction seems to be" And the queen on her part [was with] very beau"tiful women. A thousand men, rich and well chosen, "(coren, Sax.) went before, to serve the queen, and those "that were with her." 3 "Ne was he never born of none chosen knight, learned nor lewd (ignorant), nor any where was there a people "that could tell, in any kind of spell (language), of half "the rich-dom (riches) that was in Caerlion." The second verse seems to have been introduced solely for the sake of the rhyme. 1 Good weeds, i. e. rich dresses. "Of high born men that dwelt in the king's household." The word hirede, Sax. has three interpretations; a household-service-and a palace. Hawks, Sax. The next article is deer-hounds. 4"And of all the folk that dwelt on fold (i. e. on earth) was this land's folk the handsomest (or noble) people told. "And also the women, handsome (winsome, vanlich) of hue, "and highest shrowded (most richly dressed) and best in“structed.” (itogene, peritus, Sax.) taughten, Lat. docens. |