Some threw them under the table,
And faid they had none.

King Arthur, and the child

Stood looking upon them;

All their knives edges
Turned backe againe,

Craddocke had a litle knive
Of iron and of fleele;

He britled the bores head

Wonderous weele;

That every knight in the kings court

Had a morffell.

The litle boy had a horne,

179

375

10. them upon. MS. Ver. 175. or birtled. MS.

Craddocke

Is chiefly taken from the fragment of an old ballad in the Editor's MS. which he has reafon to believe more ancient than the time of CHAUCER, and what furnished that bard with his Wife of Bath's Tale. The original was so extremely mutilated, half of every leaf being torn away, that without large fupplements, &c. it was at firft deemed improper for this collection: thefe it has therefore received, fuch as they are. They are not here particularly pointed out, because the FRAGMENT itself will now be found printed at the end of this volume.

KING

PART THE FIRST.

ING Arthur lives in merry Carleile,
And feemely is to fee;

And there with him queene Guenever,

That bride foe bright of blee.

And there with him queene Guenever,

That bride fo bright in bowre:

And all his barons about him stoode,
That were both ftiffe and ftowre.

The king a royale Chriftmaffe kept,
With mirth and princelye cheare

5

ΤΟ Το

To him repaired many a knighte,
That came both farre and neare,

And when they were to dinner fette,
And cups went freely round;
Before them came a faire damfèlle,

And knelt upon the gr

round.

A boone, a boone, O kinge Arthùre,
I beg a boone of thee;
Avenge me of a carlish knighte,

Who hath fhent my love and mee.

At Tearne-Wadling * his castle stands,
Near to that lake so fair,

And proudlye rise the battlements,
And ftreamers deck the air.

15

20

Noe gentle knighte, nor ladye gay,

25

May pafs that castle-walle :

But from that foule difcurteous knighte,
Mishappe will them befalle.

Hee's twyce the size of common men,

Wi' thewes, and finewes ftronge,

And on his backe he bears a clubbe,

That is both thicke and longe.

30

*Tearne-Wadling is the name of a small lake near Hesketh in Cumherland, on the road from Penrith to Carlifle. There is a tradition, that an old cafile once flood near the lake, the remains of which were not long ince vifible. Tearn, in the dialect of that country, fignifies a small lake, and is fill in ufe.

This grimme baròne 'twas our harde happe,

But yefter morne to see ;

When to his bowre he bare my

love,

And fore mifufed mee.

And when I told him, king Arthùre

As lyttle fhold him fpare;

Goe tell, fayd hee, that cuckold kinge,

To meete mee if he dare.

Upp then ferted king Arthère,
And fware by hille and dale,

He ne'er wolde quitt that grimme barone,

Till he had made him quail.

Goe fetch my fword Excalibar:

Goe faddle mee my steede;

Nowe, by my faye, that grimme bardne

Shall rue this ruthfulle deede.

And when he came to Tearne Wadlinge

Benethe the castle walle:

35

40

45

50

"Come forth; come forth; thou proude baròne,

Or yielde thyself my thralle."

Forth then rush'd that carlifh knight,
King Arthur felte the charme :

His sturdy finewes loft their strengthe,
Downe funke his feeble arme.

Nowe yield thee, yield thee, kinge Arthùre,

Now yield thee, unto mee:

Or fighte with mee, or lose thy lande,”

Noe better termes maye bee,

Unleffe thou fweare upon the rood,
And promife on thy faye,

Here to returne to Tearne-Wadling,
Upon the new-yeare's daye;

68

65

And bringe me worde what thing it is

All women mofle defyre;

70

This is thy ranfome, Arthur, he sayes,

And he rode east, and he rode weft,

And did of all inquyre,

What thing it is all women crave,

And what they most defyre.

80

Some