APPENDIX TO GROUP A.

THE TALE OF GAMELYN.

LITHETH, and lesteneth and herkeneth aright,

And ye schulle heere a talking・ of a doughty knight;

Sire Iohan of Boundys ⚫ was his righte name,

He cowde of norture y-nough and mochil of game.

and sone he bigan.

and of him were agast,
and had it at the last.

livede so yore,

Thre sones the knight hadde that with his body he wan;
The eldest was a moche schrewe
His bretheren loved wel here fader
The eldest deserved his fadres curs
The goode knight his fader
That deth was comen him to
The goode knight cared sore
How his children scholde
He hadde ben wyde-wher
Al the lond that he hadde
Fayn he wolde it were

and handled him ful sore.
syk ther he lay,
liven after his day.

but non housbond he was,
it was verrey purchas.
dressed among hem alle,

That ech of hem hadde his part as it mighte falle.
Tho sente he in-to cuntre after wyse knightes,

To helpe delen his londes
He sente hem word by lettres
If they wolde speke with him

they schulden hye blyve,
whyl he was on lyve.

Tho the knightes herden syk that he lay,
Hadde they no reste nother night ne day,
Til they comen to him ther he lay stille
On his deth-bedde to abyde goddes wille.
Than seyde the goode knight syk ther he lay,
'Lordes, I you warne
I may no lenger liven

for soth, withoute nay,

heer in this stounde;

5

IO

15

20

25

N.B.-HI. = Harleian MS. no. 7334 (taken as the foundation of the text); Harl. = Harleian MS. no. 1758; Cp. = MS. Corp. Chr. Coll. Oxford; Ln. Lansdowne MS. no. 851; Pt. = Petworth MS.; Rl.=MS. Royal 18 c. ii; Sl. = MS. Sloane, no. 1685. Note that Cp. and Ln. are next in value to Hl., and often agree with it as against the rest.

3. HI.

1. Cp. lesteneth; Sl. Ln. listeneth; Hl. lestneth. Cp. herkeneth; RI. SI. herkenyth; Hl. herkneth. 2. Cp. schulle; Ln. schullen; Hl. schul. Hl. a talkyng; rest om. right; rest om. ; read righte. 4. Hl. ynough; rest om. had; Hl. om. 14. Cp. RI. hadde; HI. had (and in l. 16). Hl. amonges; rest among; see l. 36. 16. Hl. might. sent. So in l. 19, where the MSS. wrongly have sent. Cp. lengere; Ln. longer; rest lenger.

5. Cp. hadde; R1. S1. Pt. Ln. 15. Cp. Ln. wolde; Hl. wold. 17. Cp. Sl. RI. Pt. Ln. sente; Hl. 21. Hl. ther; rest that. 27. HL

For thurgh goddes wille deth draweth me to grounde.'

Ther nas non of hem alle that herde him aright,

That they ne hadden reuthe⚫ of that ilke knight,

And seyde, 'sir, for goddes love · ne dismay you nought;
God may do bote of bale that is now y-wrought.'

30

syk ther he lay,

I wot it is no nay;

35

for the love of me,
among my sones three.

And sires, for the love of god · deleth hem nat amis,
And forgetith nat Gamelyn

my yonge sone that is.

Taketh heed to that on as wel as to that other;

Selde ye see ony eyr helpen his brother.'

Tho leete they the knight lyen that was nought in hele, And wenten in-to counsel his londes for to dele;

For to delen hem alle to oon, that was her thought,

And for Gamelyn was yongest

Al the lond that ther was

.

he schulde have nought.

they dalten it in two,

And leeten Gamelyn the

yonge withoute londe go,

And ech of hem seyde to other ful lowde,

His bretheren mighte yeve him lond・ whan he good cowde.

40

45

They comen ayein to the knight

And tolden him anon-right how they hadden wrought;

For Gamelynes love that my queste stonde.'
Thus dalte the knight • his lond by his day,
Right on his deth-bedde・ syk ther he lay;

And sone aftirward he lay stoon-stille,

And deyde whan tyme com as it was Cristes wille.

36. Hl. thre.

50

55

60

65

37. HI. 46. Pt. londe; Ln. lande; rest omit azein, and read 56. Hl. Pt. om. right. 61. Ln. and of ledes.

29. Sl. Cp. Ln. herde; H1. herd. 30. Harl. Pt. ne; rest om. And sires; rest om. sires. 44. Hl. schuld; Cp. scholde. rest lond. 48. HI. might; read mighte. 50. Hl. come azein; comen, camen, commen. 51. Hl. anon right; rest anon, anoon. 59. Hl. fyf; rest fyue; see l. 57. 60. Read righte; MSS. right. 64. Cp. bequeste. 66. Hl. bed; Cp. bedde; see l. 24.

And anon as he was deed and under gras y-grave,

gyled the yonge knave;

his lond and his leede,

He took into his hond
And Gamelyn himselfe ⚫ to clothen and to feede.
He clothed him and fedde him

And leet his londes for-fare
His parkes and his woodes
And seththen he it aboughte

yvel and eek wrothe,

and his houses bothe,

and dede nothing wel;

on his faire fel.
brotheres halle,

they doutiden him alle;

So longe was Gamelyn in his
For the strengest, of good wil
Ther was non ther-inne nowther yong ne old,
That wolde wraththe Gamelyn

Gamelyn stood on a day in his brotheres yerde,

And bigan with his hond
He thoughte on his londes

And his faire okes that down were y-drawe;
His parkes were y-broken
Of alle his goode steedes
His howses were unhiled

Tho thoughite Gamelyn it wente nought aright.

Afterward cam his brother

'Thou schalt go bake thy-self. I wil nought be thy cook!' 'How? brother Gamelyn how answerest thou now?

My parkes ben to-broken and my deer bireved,

Of myn armure and my steedes · nought is me bileved;
Al that my fader me biquath al goth to schame,
And therfor have thou goddes curs brother by thy name!'
Than bispak his brother that rape was of rees,

'Stond stille, gadeling Iand hold right thy pees;

Thou schalt be fayn for to have thy mete and thy wede;
What spekest thou, Gamelyn of lond other of leede?'

Thanne seyde Gamelyn the child that was ying,

'Cristes curs mot he have that clepeth me gadeling!

I am no worse gadeling ne no worse wight,

But born of a lady and geten of a knight.'

Ne durste he nat to Gamelyn

But clepide to him his men

100

105

110

73. Hl. fed; rest

fedde. 76. Cp. aboughte; Ln. abouhte; rest abought, abowght. 79, 80. RI. Sl. old, bold; rest olde, bolde.

byreeued; rest om. by-. Ln. dorste.

83. Ln. pouhte; rest om. the final e; see l. 88.
85. HI.
103. RI. Sl. Pt. Harl. om. for. 109. Hl. durst; Cp. durste;

'Goth and beteth this boy and reveth him his wit,
And lat him lerne another tyme to answere me bet.'
Thanne seyde the child yonge Gamelyn,
'Cristes curs mot thou have brother art thou myn!
And if I schal algate be beten anon,
Cristes curs mot thou
And anon his brother in that grete hete
Made his men to fette staves

have but thou be that oon!'

.

come⚫

Gamelyn to bete.

and thider gan he lepe, men right on an hepe.

Whan that everich of hem a staf hadde y-nome,
Gamelyn was war anon tho he seigh hem come;
Tho Gamelyn seigh hem
he loked over-al,
And was war of a pestel stood under a wal;
Gamelyn was light of foot
And drof alle his brotheres
He loked as a wilde lyoun
Tho his brother say that
He fley up in-til a loft
Thus Gamelyn with the
Some for Gamelynes love
Alle they drowe by halves

115

120

and leyde on good woon; he bigan to goon;

125

and schette the dore fast; pestel

made hem alle agast.

and some for his eye,

tho he gan to pleye.

'What! how now?' seyde Gamelyn 'evel mot ye thee!

Wil ye biginne contek · and so sone flee?'
Gamelyn soughte his brother

And saugh wher he loked out at a windowe.
'Brother,' sayde Gamelyn 'com a litel ner,
And I wil teche thee a play · atte bokeler.'
His brother him answerde
'Whyl the pestel is in thin hond I wil come no neer:
Brother, I wil make thy pees I swere by Cristes ore;
Cast away the pestel and wraththe thee no-more.'
'I mot neede,' sayde Gamelyn⚫ 'wraththe me at oones,
For thou wolde make thy men to breke myne boones,
Ne hadde I had mayn and might in myn armes,
To have y-put hem fro me
'Gamelyn,' sayde his brother
For to seen thee have harm
I ne dide it nought, brother
For to loken if thou were
'Com a-doun than to me
Of thing I wil thee aske
Doun than cam his brother

they wolde have do me harmes.'

130

135

140

145

150

131. 138.

119. Hl. a staf had; rest hadde (had) a staf. 123. Hl. of foot; rest om. 124. Hl. Ln. on; 129, 130. Hl. eyze, pleyze; rest eye, pleye. final e in soughte. 137. Hl. Rycher. 143. Cp. hadde I had; Hl. had I hadde. Pt. wher; rest or. 150. Hl. Cp. Ln. Of; Harl. 151, 152. Ln. fel, pestel; rest felle, pestelle.

144.

'That schalt thou have, Gamelyn I swere by Cristes ore!

Al that thy fader thee biquath
Thy lond, that lyth laye · ful
And thyn howses reysed up・

155

though thou woldest have more; 160
wel it schal be sowe,
that ben leyd so lowe.'

Thus seyde the knight to Gamelyn with mowthe,
And thoughte eek of falsnes

as he wel couthe.

And wente and kiste his brother and, whan they were at oon,
Allas! yonge Gamelyn nothing he ne wiste
With which a false tresoun

his brother him kiste !

Litheth, and lesteneth and holdeth your tonge,

And ye schul heere talking

Ther was ther bisyden cryed a wrastling,

165

170

of Gamelyn the yonge.

a ram and a ring;

to wende therto,

175

And therfor ther was set up
And Gamelyn was in good wil
For to preven his might what he cowthe do.
'Brother,' seyde Gamelyn

by seynt Richer,

a litel courser

on for to ryde;
her bisyde.'

of steedes in my stalle and spare non of alle

180

Thou most lene me to-night
That is freisch to the spore
I most on an erande a litel
'By god!' seyde his brother
Go and chese thee the best
Of steedes or of coursers
And tel me, goode brother
'Her bisyde, brother is cryed a wrastling,
And therfor schal be set up a ram and a ring;
Moche worschip it were brother, to us alle,
Might I the ram and the
A steede ther was sadeled
Gamelyn did a paire spores
He sette his foot in the styrop

154. Hl. I; rest I it. 157. Hl. whil. 161. Hl. Cp. laye; Rl. leie; S1. leye; Pt. Ln. ley. 164. Cp. boughte; rest om. final e. Hl. eek; rest om. Hl. Cp. Ln. of; rest on. 165. For knight, Hl. wrongly has king. MSS. omit e in thoughte. 166. Pt. Harl. wente; rest went. Hl. kist; rest kissed; see l. 168. 169. RI. lysteneth; Cp. lesteneth; Pt. listeneth; Hl. lestneth. 171. Hl. wrastlyng; Cp. wrasteling; Rl. wrastelynge; Pt. wrastelinge. 172. Hl. sette (wrongly); see l. 184. 173. Hl. good wil; Ln. wil; rest wille. 177. Hl. Pt. spore; rest spores. 178. Hl. byside; so in 183. 179. Hl. seyd; rest have final e. 181. For coursers, Hl. wrongly has course. 183. Pt. wrasteling; Ln. warsteling; rest wrastlyng, wrastlynge. 184. Hl. vp; rest om. 189. Hl. set; Ln. sete; rest sette. Hl. om. 1st the.

180. Hl, the the.