5 for here we ben thre on lyve,' and wyth Syr Mordred is none on lyve. And yf ye leve of 2 now, thys wycked day of desteynye is paste." "Tyde me deth, betyde me lyf," sayth the kyng, "now I see hym yonder allone, he shal never escape myn handes; for at a better avaylle shal I never have hym." "God spede you wel," sayd Syr Bedwere. Thenne the kyng gate hys spere in bothe his handes, and ranne toward Syr Mordred cryeng, "Tratour, now is thy deth day come." And whan Syr Mordred herde Syr Arthur, he ranne untyl hym Iwith his swerde drawen in his hande. And there kyng Arthur smote Syr Mordred under the shelde wyth a foyne of his spere thorughoute the body more than a fadom. And whan Syr Mordred felte that he had hys dethes wounde, he thryst hym self wyth the myght that he had up to the bur' of kynge Arthurs spere. And right so he smote his fader Arthur wyth his swerde holden in bothe his handes, on the syde of the heed, that the swerde persyd the helmet and the brayne panne, and therwythall Syr Mordred fyl 10 starke deed to the erthe. And the nobyl Arthur fyl in a swoune to the erthe, and there he swouned ofte tymes. And Syr Lucan de Butlere and Syr Bedwere oftymes heve" hym up; and soo waykely " they ledde hym betwyxte them bothe to a lytel chapel not ferre 13 from the see syde. And whan the kyng was there, he thought hym wel eased. 14 5 16 8 Thenne herde they people crye in the felde. "Now goo thou, Syr Lucan," sayd the kyng, "and do me to wyte 15 what bytokenes that noyse in the felde." So Syr Lucan departed, for he was grevously wounded in many places. And so as he yede, he sawe and herkened by the mone lyght, how that pyllars and robbers were comen in to the felde to pylle and robbe many a ful noble knyghte of brochys and bedys, of many a good rynge, and of many a ryche jewel; and who that were not deed al oute," there they slewe theym for theyr harneys18 and theyr rychesse. Whan Syr Lucan understode thys werke, he came to the kyng assone as he myght, and tolde hym al what he had herde and seen. "Therfore, be my rede," 19 sayd Syr Lucan, "it is beste that we brynge you to somme towne." "I wolde it were soo," sayd the kyng. CAPITULUM V 4 1 "But I may not stonde, myn hede werches soo. A, Syr Launcelot," sayd kyng Arthur, "thys day have I sore myst the. Alas! that ever I was ayenst2 the, for now have I my dethe, wherof Syr Gauwayn me warned in my dreme." Than Syr Lucan took up the kyng the one parte, and Syr Bedwere the other parte, and in the lyftyng the kyng sowned, and Syr Lucan fyl in a sowne wyth the lyfte, that the parte of his guttes fyl oute of his bodye. And therwyth the noble knyghtes herte braste." And whan the kyng awake, he behelde Syr Lucan how he laye foomyng at the mowth, and parte of his guttes laye at his feet. "Alas!" sayd the kyng, "thys is to me a ful hevy syght to see thys noble duke so deye for my sake, for he wold have holpen me that had more nede of helpe than I. Alas! he wold not complayne hym, hys herte was so sette to helpe me. 6 8 Now Jhesu have mercy upon hys soule." Than Syr Bedwere wepte for the deth of his brother. "Leve thys mornyng and wepyng," sayd the kyng, "for al this wyl not avaylle me; for wyte thou wel, and ' I myght lyve my self, the deth of Syr Lucan wolde greve me ever more, but my tyme hyeth fast," sayd the kyng. "Therfore," sayd Arthur unto Syr Bedwere, "take thou Excalybur, my good swerde, and goo with it to yonder water syde, and whan thou comest there, I charge the throwe my swerde in that water, and come ageyn and telle me what thou there seest." "My lord," sayd Bedwere, "your commaundement shal be doon, and lyghtly brynge you worde ageyn." So Syr Bedwere departed, and by the waye he behelde that noble swerde, that the pomel and the hafte was al of precyous stones; and thenne he sayd to hym self, "Yf I throwe this ryche swerde in the water, therof shal never come good, but harme and losse." And thenne Syr Bedwere hydde Excalybur under a tree. And so as sone as he myght he came ageyn unto the kyng, and sayd he had ben at the water, and had throwen the swerde in to the water. "What sawe thou there?" sayd the kyng. "Syr," he sayd, "I sawe no thygne but wawes 10 and wyndes." "That is untrewly sayd of the,' ," sayd the kynge. "Therfore goo thou lyghtelye" ageyn, and do my com 5 maundemente; as thou arte to me leef1 and dere, spare not but throwe it in." Than Syr Bedwere retorned ageyn, and took the swerde in hys hande, and than hym thought synne and shame to throwe awaye that nobyl swerde; and so efte he hydde the swerde, and retorned ageyn and tolde to the kyng that he had ben at the water, and done his commaundemente. "What sawe thou there?" sayd the kyng. "Syr," he sayd, "I sawe no thynge but the waters wappe3 and wawes wanne." 4 “A, traytour, untrewe," sayd kyng Arthur, "now hast thou betrayed me twyse. Who wold have wente that thou that hast been to me so leef1 and dere, and thou arte named a noble knyghte, and wold betraye me for the richesse of the swerde? But now goo ageyn lyghtly, for thy longe taryeng putteth me in grete jeopardye of my lyf, for I have taken colde; and but-yf thou do now as I byd the, yf ever I may see the I shal slee the myn owne handes, for thou woldest for my ryche swerde see me dede." Thenne Syr Bedwere departed, and wente to the swerde, and lyghtly took hit up, and wente to the water syde, and there he bounde the gyrdyl aboute the hyltes, and thenne he threwe the swerde as farre in to the water as he myght. And there cam an arme and an hande above the water and mette it, and caught it, and so shoke it thryse and braundysshed; and than vanysshed awaye the hande wyth the swerde in the water. So Syr Bedwere came ageyn to the kyng and tolde hym what he sawe. 11 7 8 13 6 "Alas!" sayd the kyng, "helpe me hens,10 for I drede me I have taryed over longe." Than Syr Bedwere toke the kyng upon his backe, and so wente wyth hym to that water syde, and whan they were at the water syde, evyn fast 12 by the banke hoved a lytyl barge wyth many fayr ladyes in hit, and emonge hem al was a quene, and al they had blacke hoodes, and al they wepte and shryked "whan they sawe kyng Arthur. "Now put me in to the barge," sayd the kyng; and so he dyd softelye. And there receyved hym thre quenes wyth grete mornyng, and soo they sette hem doun, and in one of their lappes kyng Arthur layed hys heed, and than that quene sayd, "A, dere broder, why have ye taryed so longe from me? Alas! this wounde on your heed hath caught overmoche colde." And soo than they rowed from the londe, and Syr Bedwere behelde all tho' ladyes goo from hym. Than Syr Bedwere cryed, "A, my lord Arthur, what shal become of me, now ye goo from me and leve me here allone emonge myn enemyes?" "Comfort thy self," sayd the kyng, "and doo as wel as thou mayst, for in me is no truste for to truste in. For I wyl in to the vale of Avylyon, to hele me of my grevous wounde. And yf thou here never more of me, praye for my soule." But ever the quenes and ladyes wepte and shryched,' that hit was pyte' to here. And assone as Syr Bedwere had loste the syght of the baarge, he wepte and waylled, and so took the foreste; and so he wente al that nyght, and in the mornyng he was ware betwyxte two holtes hore of a chapel and an ermytage. 5 CAPITULUM VJ 12 13 11 6 Than was Syr Bedwere glad, and thyder he wente; and whan he came in to the chapel, he sawe where laye an heremyte grovelyng on al foure, there fast by a tombe was newe graven. Whan the eremyte sawe Syr Bedwere, he knewe hym wel, for he was but lytel tofore bysshop of Caunterburye that Syr Mordred flemed. "Syr," sayd Syr Bedwere, "what man is there entred that ye praye so fast fore?" 10 "Fayr sone," sayd the heremyte, "I wote "1 not verayly but by my demyyng. But thys nyght, at mydnyght, here came a nombre of ladyes and broughte hyder a deed cors,13 and prayed me to berye hym, and here they offeryd an hondred tapers, and they gaf me an hondred besauntes." 14 "Alas," sayd Syr Bedwere, "that was my lord kyng Arthur that here lyeth buryed in thys chapel." Than Syr Bedwere swowned, and whan he awoke he prayed the heremyte he myght abyde wyth hym stylle 15 there, to lyve wyth fastyng and prayers: "For from hens 16 wyl I never goo," sayd Syr Bedwere, "by my wylle, but al the dayes of my lyf here to praye for my lord Arthur." "Ye are welcome to me," sayd the heremyte, "for I knowe you better than ye 17 that I doo. Ye are the bolde Bedwere, and the ful noble duke Syr Lucan de Butlere was your broder." Thenne Syr Bedwere tolde the heremyte alle as ye have herde to wene 1 those 2 i.e. Bedwere shrieked 8 * pity • he perceived 7 Whoary forests 8 hermitage flight 10 for 11 know 12 supposition 13 corpse coins 15 always 16 hence 17 think fore. So there bode' Syr Bedwere with the hermyte that was tofore bysshop of Caunterburye, and there Syr Bedwere put upon hym poure clothes, and servyd the hermyte ful lowly in fastyng and in prayers. 2 Thus of Arthur I fynde never more wryton in boookes that ben auctorysed, nor more of the veray certente of his deth herde I never redde, but thus was he ledde aweye in a shyppe wherin were thre quenes: that one was kyng Arthurs syster quene Morgan le Fay, the other was the quene of North Galys, the thyrd was the quene of the Waste Londes. Also there was Nynyve the chyef Lady of the Lake, that had wedded Pelleas the good knyght, and this lady had doon moche for kyng Arthur, for she wold never suffre Syr Pelleas to be in noo place where he shold be in daunger of his lyf, and so he lyved to the uttermest of his dayes wyth hyr in grete reste. More of the deth of kyng Arthur coude I never fynde, but that ladyes brought hym to his buryellys," and suche one was buryed there that the hermyte bare wytnesse, that somtyme was bysshop of Caunterburye, but yet the heremyte knewe not in certayn that he was verayly the body of kyng Arthur, for thys tale Syr Bedwere, knyght of the Table Rounde, made it to be wryton. WILLIAM CAXTON (1422?-1491) PREFACE TO THE BOOKE OF ENEYDOS After dyverse werkes made, translated, and achieved, havyng noo' werke in hande, I sittyng in my studye, where-as' laye many dyverse paunflettis and bookys, happened that to my hande cam a lytyl booke in Frenshe, whiche late was translated oute of Latyn by some noble clerke of Fraunce; whiche booke is named Eneydos, made in Latyn by that noble poete and grete clerke Vyrgyle. Whiche booke I sawe over and redde therin how, after the generall destruccyon of the grete Troye, Eneas departed, berynge his olde fader Anchises upon his sholdres, his lity son Yolus on 10 his honde," his wyfe wyth moche other people folowynge; and how he shypped and departed; wyth all thystorye 12 of his adventures that he had or1s he cam to the achievement of his conquest of Ytalye, as all a-longe shall be shewed in this present boke. In whiche booke 12 1 abode 2 poor authorized 4 certainty 5 tomb 6 no 7 where 8 pamphlets 9 lately 10 in 11 hand 12 the history 13 before 3 7 1 4 I had grete playsyr by-cause of the fayr and honest termes and wordes in Frenshe; whyche I never sawe to-fore lyke, ne none so playsaunt ne so wel ordred. Whiche booke, as me semed, sholde be moche' requysyte to noble men to see, as wel for the eloquence as the hystoryes; how wel that, many honderd yerys passed, was the sayd booke of Eneydos wyth other werkes made and lerned dayly in scolis, specyally in Ytalye and other places; whiche historye the sayd Vyrgyle made in metre. And whan I had advysed me in this sayd boke, I delybered and concluded to translate it in to Englysshe, and forthwyth toke a penne and ynke and wrote a leef or tweyne, whyche I oversawe agayn to corecte it; and whan I sawe the fayr and straunge termes therin, I doubted that it sholde not please some gentylmen whiche late blamed me, sayeng that in my translacyons I had over curyous termes, which coude not be understande of comyn peple, and desired me to use olde and homely termes in my translacyons. And fayn wolde I satysfye every man; and, so to doo, toke an olde boke and redde therin; and certaynly the Englysshe was so rude and brood that I coude not wele understande it; and also my lorde abbot of Westmynster ded so shewe to me late certayn evydences' wryton in olde Englysshe for to reduce it in to our Englysshe now used, and certaynly it was wreton in suche wyse that it was more lyke to Dutche than Englysshe; I coude not reduce ne brynge it to be understonden. And certaynly our langage now used varyeth ferre 10 from that whiche was used and spoken whan I was borne. For we Englysshe men ben borne under the domynacyon of the mone, whiche is never stedfaste but ever waverynge, wexynge one season and waneth and dyscreaseth" another season. And that comyn 12 Englysshe that is spoken in one shyre varyeth from a-nother, in so moche that in my dayes happened that certayn marchauntes were in a ship in Tamyse for to have sayled over the see into Zelande, and, for lacke of wynde, thei taryed atte Forlond, and wente to lande for to refreshe them. And one of theym named Sheffelde, a mercer, cam in to an hows and axed for mete and specyally he axyd after eggys, and the goode wyf answerde that she could speke no Frenshe. And the marchaunt was angry, for 1 very liberated 8 broad 13 3 he also coude speke no Frenshe, but wolde have hadde egges; and she understode hym not. And thenne at laste a-nother say that he wolde have eyren.' Then the good wyf sayd that she understod hym wel. Loo,' what sholde a man in thyse dayes now wryte, egges, or eyren? Certaynly it is hard to playse every man, by-cause of dyversite and chaunge of langage; for in these dayes every man that is in ony reputacyon in his countre wyll utter his commynycacyon and maters in suche maners and termes that fewe men shall understonde theym. And som honest and grete clerkes have ben wyth me and desired me to wryte the moste curyous termes that I coude fynde. And thus, betwene playn, rude, and curyous, I stande abasshed. But in my judgemente the comyn termes that be dayly used ben lyghter to be understonde than the olde and auncyent Englysshe. And, foras-moche as this present booke is not for a rude uplondyssh man to laboure therein ne rede it, but onely for a clerke and a noble gentylman that feleth and understondeth in faytes of armes, in love, and in noble chyvalrye, therfor in a meane bytwene bothe I have reduced and translated this sayd booke in our Englysshe, not over rude ne curyous, but in suche termes as shall be understanden, by Goddys grace accordynge to my copye. And yf ony man wyll entermete in redyng of hit and fyndeth suche termes that he can not understande, late hym goo rede and lerne Vyrgyll or the Pystles of Ovyde, and ther he shall see and understonde lyghtly all, if he have a good redar and enformer. For this booke is not for every rude and unconnynge man to see, but to clerkys and very gentylmen, that understande gentylnes and scyence. Thenne I praye all theym that shall rede in this lytyl treatys to holde me for excused for the translatynge of hit, for I knowleche myselfe ignorant of conynge to enpryse on me so hie 12 and noble a werke. But I praye mayster John Skelton, late created poete laureate in the unyversite of Oxenford, to oversee and correcte this sayd booke and taddresse1 and expowne where-as "shalle be founde faulte to theym that shall requyre it, for hym I knowe for suffycyent to expowne and englysshe every dyffyculte that is therin, for he hath late translated the Epystlys of Tulle and the boke of Dyodorus Syculus and diverse 10 ornate, artificial easily ignorant 8 13 to arrange 11 7 8 country & deeds true, real 10 ability 14 wherever other werkes oute of Latyn in-to Englysshe, not in rude and olde langage, but in polysshed and ornate termes, craftely,' as he that hath redde Vyrgyle, Ovyde, Tullye, and all the other noble poetes and oratours to me unknowen; and also he hath redde the IX muses and understande theyr musicalle scyences and to whom of theym eche scyence is appropred,' I suppose he hath dronken of Elycons well. Then I praye hym and suche other to correcte, adde or mynysshe,3 where-as he or they shall fynde faulte, for I have but folowed my copye in Frenshe as nygh as me is possyble. And yf ony worde be sayd therin well, I am glad; and yf otherwyse, I submytte my sayde boke to theyr correctyon. Whiche boke I presente unto the hye born my tocomynge nature!! and soverayn lord Arthur, by the grace of God Prynce of Walys, Duc of Cornewayll, and Erle of Chester, fyrst bygoten sone and heyer" unto our most dradde naturall and soverayn lorde and most Crysten Kynge, Henry the VII, by the grace of God Kynge of Englonde and of Fraunce and lorde of Irelonde, byseching his noble grace to receyve it in thanke of me, his moste humble subget and servaunt; and I shall praye unto almyghty God for his prosperous encreasyng in vertue, wysedom, and humanyte, that he may be egal' wyth the most renommed of alle his noble progenytours, and so to lyve in this present lyf that after this transitorye lyfe he and we alle may come to everlastynge lyf in heaven. Amen! 8 6 knightes, and so rowed downe alonge Thames to Redereth,' where as was discended downe the hyll a x.M.2 men to se the kyng and to speke with him. And whan they sawe the kynges barge comyng, they beganne to showt, and made suche a crye, as though all the devylles of hell had ben amonge them. And they had brought with them sir Johan Moton, to the entent that if the kynge had nat come, they wolde have stryken hym all to peces, and so they had promysed hym. And whan the kynge and his lordes sawe the demeanour of the people, the best assured of them were in drede. And so the kynge was counsayled by his barownes nat to take any landynge there, but so rowed up and downe the ryver. And the kyng demaunded of them what they wolde, and sayd, howe he was come thyder to speke with them; and they said all with one voyce, “We wolde that ye shulde come a lande, and than we shall shewe you what we lacke." Than the erle of Salisbury aunswered for the kyng and sayd, Sirs, ye be nat in suche order nor array that the kynge ought to speke with you;" and so with those wordes, no more sayd. And than the kyng was counsayled to returne agayne to the towre of London, and so he dyde. And whan these people sawe that, they were enflamed with yre, and retourned to the hyll where the great bande was, and ther shewed them what answere they had, and howe the kynge was retourned to the towre of London. Than they cryed all with one voyce, "Let us go to London;" and so they toke their way thyder. And in their goyng they beate downe abbeyes and houses of advocates, and of men of the courte, and so came into the subbarbes of London, whiche were great and fayre, and ther bete downe dyvers fayre houses. And specially they brake up the kynges prisones, as the Marshalse and other, and delyvered out all the prisoners that were within, and there they dyde moche hurt; and at the bridge fote they thret them of London, bycause the gates of the bridge were closed, sayenge, howe they wolde brenne1 all the subarbes, and so conquere London by force, and to slee and brenne all the commons of the cytie. There were many within the cytie of their accorde," and so they drewe toguyder, and sayde, "Why do we nat let these good people entre into the cyte? They are our felowes, and that that they do is for us." So therwith the gates were opyned, 3 3 and than these people entred into the cytie, and went into houses, and satte downe to eate and drinke: they desyred nothynge but it was incontynent' brought to them, for every manne was redy to make them good chere, and to gyve them meate and drinke to apease them. Than the capitayns, as John Ball, Jacke Strawe, and Watte Tyler wente throughout London, and a twentie thousande with them, and so came to the Savoy, in the way to Westmynster, whiche was a goodlye house, and it parteyned to the duke of Lancastre. And whan they entred, they slewe the kepars therof, and robbed and pylled the house, and whan they had so done, than they sette fyre on it, and clene distroyed and brent it. And whan they had done that outrage, they left nat therwith, but went streight to the fayre hospytalle of the Rodes, called saynt Johans, and there they brent house, hospytall, mynster and all. Than they went fro strete to strete, and slewe all the Flemmynges that they coulde fynde, in churche or in any other place; ther was none respyted fro dethe. And they brake up dyvers houses of the Lombardes and robbed theym, and toke their goodes at their pleasur, for there was none that durst saye them nay. And they slewe in the cytie a riche marchaunt, called Richarde Lyon, to whome before that tyme Watte Tyler had done servyce in Fraunce; and on a tyme this Rycharde Lyon had beaten hym whyle he was his varlet; the whiche Watte Tyler than remembred, and sò came to his house and strake of his heed, and caused it to be borne on a spere poynt before him all about the cyte. Thus these ungracyous people demeaned themselfe, lyke people enraged and wode,' and so that day they dyde moche sorowe in London. 10 8 And so agaynst night they wente to lodge at saynt Katherins, before the towre of London, sayenge howe they wolde never depart thens tyll they hadde the kynge at their pleasure, and tyll he had accorded to them all that they wolde aske, acomptes 1o of the chauncellour of Englande, to knowe where all the good was become that he had levyed through the realme; and without he made a good acompte to them therof, it shulde nat be for his profyte. And so whan they had done all these yvels to the straungers all the day, at night they lodged before the towre. Ye may well knowe and beleve that it was |