Sir Beues of Hamtoun

Lordinges, herkneþ to me tale {f.176ra}

4500 Of Souþhamtoun. {f.176rb}

And on min helf þow grete wel {f.176va}

1250 And þederwardes he gan gon

þederwardes: MS reads þederwarder.

And bad þe in þe ferþe day {f.176vb}

Ase hit wer nede. {f.177ra}

In þat forest he wolde chace

he: MS reads ȝhe.

And þe wif, þat is so fre, {f.177rb}

2650 For þine men þat ichaue slawe, {f.177va}

Of Beues, þat was Guis sone,

Beues: MS reads beueþ.

To holde bordel, {f.177vb}

A þouȝte to his moder hem schewe, {f.178ra}

Go hom, truant,’ þe porter sede {f.178rb}

Hit schel þe rewe fele siþe

Hit: MS reads his.

Boute þow þe raþer hennes te

te: MS reads to.

And to him a wond; {f.178va}

Wo hem was for þe childes sake,

hem: MS reads him.

4850 Boute þow me to him take {f.178vb}

Whaþer ȝe haue for him mor or lesse,

or: MS reads &.

Þe king þarof was glad & bliþe {f.179ra}

And þow schelt, whan þow ert dobbed kniȝt, {f.179rb}

5850 His ferste bataile for soþ te say

Fiȝte wiþ ȝow euerichon, {f.179va}

6450 Beues hom began to ride,

Ac, fader’ ȝhe seide ‘be me red, {f.179vb}

7050 Forþ þai wente al isame {f.180ra}

‘Lemman’ ȝhe seide ‘gent and fre,

and: d is superscript.

Him self was fel and kouþe fiȝte, {f.180rb}

Now al toborste is Beues spere, {f.180va}

A stiward was wiþ king Ermin {f.180vb}

To hem faste he gan ride. {f.181ra}

9250 And after I wile þe douȝter ȝeue {f.181rb}

King Ermin þo anonriȝte {f.181va}

Wiþ Morgelay him self alone {f.181vb}

Til þat þe sonne set [in þe west].

set: MS reads riȝt.

Brademond answerde anonriȝte {f.182ra}

In al þis world nis þer man, {f.182rb}

1145 Al togedre of word & dede {f.182va}

‘Merci’ ȝhe seide ‘lemman þin ore.’ {f.182vb}

And in þe letter þe schelt saie {f.183ra}

Terri, is sone, is forþ ifare, {f.183rb}

In al heþenes nas toun non,

nas: MS reads nan.

Terri on Beues beheld {f.183va}

For þow miȝt haue gret doute

For: MS reads Fer.

1345 Let we now ben is em Saber

1365 Vnneþe I scapede among þat þring {f.183vb}

So wiþinne a lite stounde {f.184ra}

Comen a is Iosian to wedde. {f.184rb}

Of þat feste nel ich namor telle

Of: MS reads If.

‘Sone’ a sede ‘haue þis stede, {f.184va}

1535 Now is Iosian a quene,

Þat in þe prisoun were wiþ him {f.184vb}

1575 On a dai ase he was mad & feint

1585 Ich bedde þe, lord, for þe pite {f.185ra}

Þe gailers þat him scholde ȝeme,

gailers: s is superscript.

‘ȝis’ queþ Beues, al for gile,

ȝis: MS reads ȝif.

Þat oþer gailer no leng abod {f.185rb}

1635 Now er þai ded þe geilers tweie

1655 He lokede aboute fer & ner,

& is superscript.

Ase þai sete in here ragin[g]; {f.185va}

1675 And for þai scholde him nouȝt wrain,

scholde: e in much darker ink.

1715 Erles, barouns lasse & more,

barouns: MS reads kinges.

To hem Brademond tolde þare {f.185vb}

1745 King Grander was of herte grim

And wiþ is swerd a hitte is scheld,

scheld: originally sheld.

Hauberk, plate and aktoun, {f.186ra}

And smot of king Grander is heued,

heued: ed is superscript.

And Brademond wiþ al is ost

ost: MS reads bost.

1805 And bete þe body to þe deþe, {f.186rb}

‘Be God.’ queþ Beues ‘I swere an oþe: {f.186va}

And for me gilt min hors aqueld; {f.186vb}

Þe blo(l)d ran doun to Beues fet.

This line located at the end of the column, its correct position marked by a-b and crosses.

1920 Þe geaunt fel to grounde anon.

geaunt: MS reads graunt.

‘Dame, dame’ Beues sede {f.187ra}

He þouȝte þat he wolde an hie {f.187rb}

2025 Ac er hii wonne þe stede {f.187va}

Whan he com to þe castel gate {f.187vb}

¶ Þe leuedi gan to þe gate te, {f.188ra}

Whan þat hors herde neuene {f.188rb}

¶ ‘Merci’ ȝhe seide ‘lemman fre, {f.188va}

2245 Al þai seide þat hii no siȝe {f.188vb}

Stoutliche þe liounesse þan {f.189ra}

His berd was boþe gret & rowe, {f.189rb}

A dromond hii fonde þer stonde {f.189va}

After Iosian is cristing {f.189vb}

2465 Þat oþer dragoun is fliȝt nome {f.190ra}

Þan comeþ a roke & a stink

Þan: MS reads Þanke.

Þe her, þe cholle vnder þe chin,

chin: MS reads ching.

Him þouȝte a king þat was wod {f.190rb}

Bote ne tit me neuer non.’

non: MS reads mo.

And gerte him wiþ a gode bronde {f.190va}

And tobarst on pices fiue. {f.190vb}

A nemenede sein Gorge, our leuedi kniȝt, {f.191ra}

2685 ‘Help’ a seide ‘Godes sone, {f.191rb}

Þo þe bischop hadde of him a siȝt {f.191va}

2735 On a dai sire Beues sede

Ich take þe God & seinte Marie, {f.191vb}

2775 Beues wente forþ anon

His sone, þat was a proud garsoun, {f.192ra}

And spente his panes in scham & schonde

in: MS reads &.

Þat þemperur wiþ is ost come, {f.192rb}

2905 Forþ a wente also whate {f.192va}

Faire a spak to terne hire þouȝt {f.192vb}

‘Y schel þe wedde aȝenes þe wille, {f.193ra}

Ase y neuer ȝet ne dede.’ {f.193rb}

Iosian lai in hire bed;

Change in script evident from this line.

Al hii made meche sorwe; {f.193va}

3125 Þai wente to schip anonriȝte {f.193vb}

Ne noman of flesch ne felle {f.194ra}

Twei ostes þai gonne make; {f.194rb}

Vpon þe helm in þat stounde {f.194va}

Ful of pich and of bremston,

pich: MS reads bich.

And spusede Beues & Iosiane. {f.194vb}

Tweie children on hir he beȝat

hir: MS reads him.

3335 In somer aboute Whitsontide,

3345 Amorwe, whan hit was dai cler, {f.195ra}

3365 Wiþ þat and wiþ mor catel

catel: MS reads gatel.

¶ Men made del & gret weping {f.195rb}

3420 ‘Treitour, whar hastow be þus ȝore?’

He ouercom me ones in bataile, {f.195va}

God forbede for is pite

God: MS reads for.

For bounte ich dede þe while {f.195vb}

¶ Ascopard answerde hire þo

Change of script evident from this line.

3495 While ȝhe was in Ermonie,

To Ascopard a seide þore

To: T and o separated by two rubricated punctus marks.

Swiche a leuedi me to bringe, {f.196ra}

3565 ‘Sire, what schel it hote ȝet?’ {f.196rb}

Þe chaumpe of gold ful faire tolede, {f.196va}

Hire hertte gan to him acorde, {f.196vb}

3665 Saber at Hamtoun lai in is bed,

Iosian lay in a tour an hiȝ, {f.197ra}

Ne miȝte he out of is bed arise,

This line copied at the end of the column with four dots to the left.

Þus Iosian was in swiche destresse {f.197rb}

3785 And to þe iustes þai gonne ride {f.197va}

Now let we be of king Yuore {f.197vb}

Er þan he Saber eft ise.

Saber: MS reads Beues.

‘Be þe sweuene ful wel I wat {f.198ra}

Ferst smot out þe ȝonge king Gii {f.198rb}

Here glouen þai gonne vp holde {f.198va}

4005 Ac þourȝ þe help of Godes grace {f.198vb}

Þat neuer nas atamed in feld.

atamed: d is superscipt.

Þo Beues herde him so grede

catchword: he seyd uyour let be þat.

He seide ‘Yuor, let be þat cri {f.199ra}

Þat was ycome wiþ king Yuore,

wiþ is written superscript.

And sire Beues corteis & hende {f.199rb}

And ȝif a mot forþer gon {f.199va}

He askede at þe tauarnere, {f.199vb}

4225 Þo com þer fomen mani & fale {f.200ra}

Of þe strengeste þat þer wore {f.200rb}

And made of hem so clene werk {f.200va}

And also sone so hit was niȝt {f.200vb}

And schipede at Hamtoun hastely, {f.201ra}