XIX.
THE ANCIENT FRAGMENT OF THE MARRIAGE OF SIR GAWAINE.[456]
The second poem in this volume, intitled _The Marriage of Sir Gawaine_, having been offered to the reader with large conjectural supplements and corrections, the old fragment itself is here literally and exactly printed from the editor's folio MS. with all its defects, inaccuracies, and errata; that such austere antiquaries, as complain that the ancient copies have not been always rigidly adhered to, may see how unfit for publication many of the pieces would have been, if all the blunders, corruptions, and nonsense of illiterate reciters and transcribers had been superstitiously retained, without some attempt to correct and emend them.
This ballad had most unfortunately suffered by having half of every leaf in this part of the MS. torn away; and, as about nine stanzas generally occur in the half page now remaining, it is concluded, that the other half contained nearly the same number of stanzas.
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[The following poem is printed in Hales' and Furnivall's edition of the MS., vol. i. p. 105.]
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Kinge Arthur liues in merry Carleile, & seemely is to see, & there he hath w^{th} him Queene Genev^r, y^t bride soe bright of blee.
And there he hath w^{th} him Queene Genever, y^t bride soe bright in bower, & all his barons about him stoode y^t were both stiffe & stowre.
The K. kept a royall Christmasse of mirth & great honor, & when....
[_About Nine Stanzas wanting._]
And bring me word what thing it is y^t a woman most desire. this shalbe thy ransome, Arthur, he sayes for Ile haue noe other hier.
K. Arthur then held vp his hand according thene as was the law; he tooke his leaue of the baron there, & homward can he draw.
And when he came to Merry Carlile, to his chamber he is gone, & ther came to him his Cozen S^r Gawaine as he did make his mone.
And there came to him his Cozen S^r Gawaine y^t was a curteous knight, why sigh you soe sore vnckle Arthur, he said or who hath done thee vnright.
O peace, o peace, thou gentle Gawaine, y^t faire may thee beffall, for if thou knew my sighing soe deepe, thou wold not meruaile att all;
ffor when I came to tearne wadling, a bold barron there I fand, w^{th} a great club vpon his backe, standing stiffe & strong;
And he asked me wether I wold fight, or from him I shold be gone, o[r] else I must him a ransome pay & soe dep't him from.
To fight w^{th} him I saw noe cause, me thought it was not meet, ffor he was stiffe & strong w^{th} all, his strokes were nothing sweete.
Therfor this is my ransome, Gawaine I ought to him to pay I must come againe, as I am sworne, vpon the Newyeers day.
And I must bring him word what thing it is
[_About Nine Stanzas wanting._]
Then king Arthur drest him for to ryde in one soe rich array toward the foresaid Tearne wadling, y^t he might keepe his day.
And as he rode over a more, hee see a lady where shee sate betwixt an oke & a greene hollen[457]: she was cladd in red scarlett.
Then there as shold have stood her mouth, then there was sett her eye the other was in her forhead fast the way that she might see.
Her nose was crooked & turnd outward, her mouth stood foule a wry; a worse formed lady then shee was, neuer man saw w^{th} his eye.
To halch[458] vpon him, k. Arthur this lady was full faine but k. Arthur had forgott his lesson what he shold say againe
What knight art thou, the lady sayd, that wilt not speake to me? of me be thou nothing dismayd tho I be vgly to see;
for I haue halched you curteouslye, & you will not me againe, yett I may happen S^r knight, shee said to ease thee of thy paine.
Giue thou ease me, lady, he said or helpe me any thing, thou shalt haue gentle Gawaine, my cozen & marry him w^{th} a ring.
Why, if I helpe thee not, thou noble k. Arthur of thy owne hearts desiringe, of gentle Gawaine....
[_About Nine Stanzas wanting._]
And when he came to the tearne wadling the baron there cold he fimde[459] w^{th} a great weapon on his backe, standing stiffe & stronge
And then he tooke k. Arthur's letters in his hands & away he cold them fling, & then he puld out a good browne sword, & cryd himselfe a k.
And he sayd, I haue thee & thy land, Arthur to doe as it pleaseth me, for this is not thy ransome sure, therfore yeeld thee to mee.
And then bespoke him noble Arthur, & bad him hold his hands, & give me leave to speake my mind in defence of all my land.
He said as I came over a More, I see a lady where shee sate betweene an oke & a green hollen; shee was clad in red scarlett;
And she says a woman will haue her will, & this is all her cheefe desire: doe me right as thou art a baron of sckill, this is thy ransome & and all thy hyer.
He sayes an early vengeance light on her, she walkes on yonder more; it was my sister that told thee this & she is a misshappen hore.
But heer Ile make mine avow[460] to god to do her an euill turne, for an euer I may thate fowle theefe get, in a fyer I will her burne.
[_About Nine Stanzas wanting._]
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THE 2D PART.
Sir Lancelott & S^r Steven bold they rode w^{th} them that day, and the formost of the company there rode the steward Kay,
Soe did S^r Banier & S^r Bore S^r Garrett w^{th} them soe gay, soe did S^r Tristeram y^t gentle k^t, to the forrest fresh & gay
And when he came to the greene forrest vnderneath a greene holly tree their sate that lady in red scarlet y^t vnseemly was to see.
S^r Kay beheld this Ladys face, & looked vppon her smire[461] whosoeuer kisses this lady, he sayes of his kisse he standes in feare.
Sir Kay beheld the lady againe, & looked vpon her snout, whosoeuer kisses this lady, he saies, of his kisse he stands in doubt.
Peace coz. Kay, then said S^r Gawaine amend thee of thy life; for there is a knight amongst us all y^t must marry her to his wife.
What, wedd her to wiffe, then said S^r Kay, in the diuells name anon, gett me a wiffe where ere I may, for I had rather be slaine.
Then soome tooke vp their hawkes in hast & some tooke vp their hounds, & some sware they wold not marry her for Citty nor for towne.
And then be spake him noble k. Arthur, & sware there by this day, for a litle foule sight and misliking
[_About Nine Stanzas wanting._]
Then shee said choose thee gentle Gawaine, truth as I doe say, wether thou wilt haue me in this liknesse in the night or else in the day.
And then bespake him Gentle Gawaine, w^{th} one soe mild of moode, sayes, well I know what I wold say, god grant it may be good.
To haue thee fowle in the night when I w^{th} thee shold play; yet I had rather, if I might haue thee fowle in the day.
What, when Lords goe w^{th} ther seires,[462] shee said both to the Ale & wine alas then I must hyde my selfe, I must not goe withinne.
And then bespake him gentle gawaine, said, Lady thats but a skill; And because thou art my owne lady, thou shalt haue all thy will.
Then she said, blesed be thou gentle Gawain this day y^t I thee see, for as thou see me att this time, from hencforth I wilbe:
My father was an old knight, & yett it chanced soe that he marryed a younge lady y^t brought me to this woe.
Shee witched me, being a faire young Lady, to the greene forrest to dwell, & there I must walke in womans liknesse, most like a feend of hell.
She witched my brother to a Carlist B....
[_About Nine Stanzas wanting_.]
that looked soe foule & that was wont on the wild more to goe.
Come kisse her, Brother Kay, then said S^r Gawaine, & amend the of thy liffe; I sweare this is the same lady y^t I marryed to my wiffe.
S^r Kay kissed that lady bright, standing vpon his ffeete; he swore, as he was trew knight, the spice was neuer soe sweete.
Well, Coz. Gawaine, sayes S^r Kay, thy chance is fallen arright, for thou hast gotten one of the fairest maids I euer saw w^{th} my sight.
It is my fortune, said S^r Gawaine; for my Vnckle Arthurs sake I am glad as grasse wold be of raine, great Ioy that I may take.
S^r Gawaine tooke the lady by the one arme, S^r Kay tooke her by the tother, they led her straight to k. Arthur as they were brother & brother.
K. Arthur welcomed them there all, & soe did lady Geneuer his queene, w^{th} all the knights of the round table most seemly to be seene.
K. Arthur beheld that lady faire that was soe faire & bright, he thanked christ in trinity for S^r Gawaine that gentle knight;
Soe did the knights, both more and lesse, reioyced all that day for the good chance y^t hapened was to S^r Gawaine & his lady gay.
Ffins.
FOOTNOTES:
[456] [Printed for the first time in the fourth edition.]
[457] [holly.]
[458] [salute.]
[459] Sic MS. = finde.
[460] [my vow.]
[461] [qy. for swire = neck.]
[462] Sic in MS. pro _feires_, i.e. Mates.
THE END OF THE THIRD BOOK.
[Illustration]
APPENDIX I.
THE WANTON WIFE OF BATH.
[Illustration]
[Illustration]
APPENDIX I.
THE WANTON WIFE OF BATH.
From an ancient copy in black-print, in the Pepys Collection. Mr. Addison has pronounced this an excellent ballad: see the _Spectator_, No. 248.
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[This ballad was printed in the third volume of the first edition of the _Reliques_, Book ii. No. 12, but was afterwards expunged by Percy. Professor Child gives the following references in his collection of _English and Scottish Ballads_, vol. viii. p. 152:--"The same story circulates among the peasantry of England and Scotland in the form of a penny tract or chap-book, _Notices of_ _Popular Histories_, p. 16, (_Percy Soc._ vol. xxiii.); _Notes and Queries_, New Series, vol. iii. p. 49. This jest is an old one. Mr. Halliwell refers to a fabliau in Barbazan's Collection, which contains the groundwork of this piece, _Du Vilain qui Conquist Paradis par Plait_, Meon's ed. iv. 114."]
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In Bath a wanton wife did dwelle, As Chaucer he doth write; Who did in pleasure spend her dayes; And many a fond delight.
Upon a time sore sicke she was 5 And at the length did dye; And then her soul at heaven gate, Did knocke most mightilye.
First Adam came unto the gate: Who knocketh there? quoth hee 10 I am the wife of Bath, she sayd, And faine would come to thee.
Thou art a sinner, Adam sayd, And here no place shalt have. And so art thou, I trowe, quoth shee, 15 'and eke a' doting knave.[463]
I will come in, in spight, she sayd, Of all such churles as thee; Thou wert the causer of our woe, Our paine and misery; 20
And first broke God's commandiments, In pleasure of thy wife. When Adam heard her tell this tale, He ranne away for life.
Then downe came Jacob at the gate, 25 And bids her packe to hell, Thou false deceiving knave, quoth she Thou mayst be there as well.
For thou deceiv'dst thy father deare, And thine own brother too. 30 Away 'slunk' Jacob presently, And made no more adoo.
She knockes again with might and maine, And Lot he chides her straite, How now, quoth she, thou drunken ass, 35 Who bade thee here to prate?
With thy two daughters thou didst lye, On them two bastardes got. And thus most tauntingly she chaft Against poor silly Lot. 40
Who calleth there, quoth Judith then, With such shrill sounding notes? This fine minkes surely came not here, Quoth she, for cutting throats.
Good Lord, how Judith blush'd for shame, 45 When she heard her say soe! King David hearing of the same, He to the gate would goe.
Quoth David, who knockes there so loud, And maketh all this strife; 50 You were more kinde, good sir, she sayd, Unto Uriah's wife.
And when thy servant thou didst cause In battle to be slaine; Thou causedst far more strife than I, 55 Who would come here so faine.
The woman's mad, quoth Solomon, That thus doth taunt a king. Not half so mad as you, she sayd, I trowe in manye a thing. 60
Thou hadst seven hundred wives at once, For whom thou didst provide; And yet God wot, three hundred whores Thou must maintaine beside:
And they made thee forsake thy God, 65 And worship stockes and stones; Besides the charge they put thee to In breeding of young bones.
Hadst thou not bin beside thy wits, Thou wouldst not thus have ventur'd; 70 And therefore I do marvel much, How thou this place hast enter'd.
I never heard, quoth Jonas then, So vile a scold as this. Thou whore-son run-away, quoth she, 75 Thou diddest more amiss.
'They say,' quoth Thomas, women's tongues,[464] Of aspen-leaves are made. Thou unbelieving wretch, quoth she, All is not true that's sayd. 80
When Mary Magdalen heard her then, She came unto the gate. Quoth she, good woman, you must think Upon your former state.
No sinner enters in this place 85 Quoth Mary Magdalene. Then 'Twere ill for you, fair mistress mine, She answered her agen:
You for your honestye, quoth she, Had once been ston'd to death; 90 Had not our Saviour Christ come by, And written on the earth.
It was not by your occupation, You are become divine: I hope my soul in Christ his passion, 95 Shall be as safe as thine.
Uprose the good apostle Paul, And to this wife he cryed, Except thou shake thy sins away, Thou here shalt be denyed. 100
Remember, Paul, what thou hast done, All through a lewd desire: How thou didst persecute God's church, With wrath as hot as fire.
Then up starts Peter at the last, 105 And to the gate he hies: Fond fool, quoth he, knock not so fast, Thou weariest Christ with cries.
Peter, said she, content thyselfe, For mercye may be won, 110 I never did deny my Christ, As thou thyselfe hast done.
When as our Saviour Christ heard this, With heavenly angels bright, He comes unto this sinful soul, 115 Who trembled at his sight.
Of him for mercye she did crave. Quoth he, thou hast refus'd My proffer'd grace, and mercy both, And much my name abus'd. 120
Sore have I sinned, Lord, she sayd, And spent my time in vaine, But bring me like a wandring sheepe Into thy flocke againe.
O Lord my God, I will amend 125 My former wicked vice: The thief for one poor silly word, Past into Paradise.
My lawes and my commandments, Saith Christ, were known to thee; 130 But of the same in any wise, Not yet one word did yee.
I grant the same, O Lord, quoth she; Most lewdly did I live: But yet the loving father did 135 His prodigal son forgive.
So I forgive thy soul, he sayd, Through thy repenting crye; Come enter then into my joy, I will not thee denye. 140
FOOTNOTES:
[463] Ver. 16. Now gip you, _P._
[464] Ver. 77. I think, _P._
[Illustration]
APPENDIX II.
ON THE ANCIENT METRICAL ROMANCES, &c.