{"collection":"Northern European Mythology","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/browse/neu/arthur/art131.htm","path":"neu/arthur/art131.htm","source_url":"https://sacred-texts.com/neu/arthur/art131.htm","text":"Sacred Texts\u00a0\n Legends/Sagas\u00a0\n England\u00a0\n Index\u00a0\n Previous\u00a0\n Next\u00a0\n \n \n An Arthurian Miscellany\n THE LEGEND OF KING ARTHUR\n from RELIQUES OF ANCIENT ENGLISH POETRY \n by\n BISHOP THOMAS PERCY\n \n \n Of Brutus' blood, in Brittaine borne,\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0King Arthur I am to name;\n Through Christendome and Heathynesse\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Well knowne is my worthy fame.\n \n In Jesus Christ I doe beleeve;\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0I am a Christyan bore;\n The Father, Sone, and Holy Gost,\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0One God, I doe adore.\n \n In the four hundred ninetieth yeere,\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Oer Brittaine I did rayne,\n After my Savior Christ his byrth,\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0What time I did maintaine\n \n The fellowshipp of the Table Round,\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Soe famous in those dayes;\n Whereatt a hundred noble knights\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0And thirty sat alwayes:\n \n Who for their deeds and martiall feates,\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0As bookes done yett record,\n Amongst all other nations\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Wer feared through the world\n \n And in the castle of Tyntagill\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0King Uther mee begate,\n Of Agyana, a bewtyous ladye,\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0And come of hie estate.\n \n And when I was fifteen yeere old,\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Then was I crowned kinge:\n All Brittaine, that was att an upr\u00f2re,\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0I did to quiett bringe;\n \n And drove the Saxons from the realme,\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Who had opprest this land;\n All Scotland then, throughe manly feates,\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0I conquered with my hand.\n \n Ireland, Denmarke, Norwaye,\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0These countryes wan I all;\n Iseland, Gotheland, and Swetheland;\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0And made their kings my thrall.\n \n I conquered all Gallya,\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0That now is called France;\n And slew the hardye Froll in feild,\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0My honor to advance.\n \n And the ugly gyant Dynabus,\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Soe terrible to vewe,\n That in Saint Barnards mount did lye,\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0By force of armes I slew.\n \n And Lucyus, the emperour of Rome,\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0I brought to deadly wracke;\n And a thousand more of noble knightes\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0For feare did turne their backe.\n \n Five kinges of paynims I did kill\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Amidst that bloody strife;\n Besides the Grecian emperour,\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Who alsoe lost his liffe.\n \n Whose carcasse I did send to Rome,\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Cladd poorlye on a beere;\n And afterward I past Mount-Joye\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0The next approaching yeere.\n \n Then I came to Rome, where I was mett\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Right as a conquerour,\n And by all the cardinalls solempnelye\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0I was crowned an emperour.\n \n One winter there I made abode,\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Then word to mee was brought,\n How Mordred had oppressd the crowne,\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0What treason he had wrought\n \n Att home in Brittaine with my queene:\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Therfore I came with speede\n To Brittaine backe, with all my power,\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0To quitt that traiterous deede;\n \n And soone at Sandwiche I arrivde,\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Where Mordred me withstoode:\n But yett at last I landed there,\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0With effusion of much blood.\n \n For there my nephew Sir Gawaine dyed,\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Being wounded in that sore\n The whiche Sir Launcelot in fight\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Had given him before.\n \n Then chased I Mordered away,\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Who fledd to London right,\n From London to Winchester, and\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0To Cornwalle tooke his flyght.\n \n And still I him pursued with speed,\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Till at the last wee mett;\n Wherby an appointed day of fight\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Was there agreed and set:\n \n Where we did fight, of mortal life\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Eche other to deprive,\n Till of a hundred thousand men\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Scarce one was left alive.\n \n There all the noble chivalrye\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Of Brittaine took their end.\n O see how fickle is their state\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0That doe on fates depend!\n \n There all the traiterous men were slaine,\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Not one escapte away;\n And there dyed all my vallyant knightes.\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Alas! that woefull day!\n \n Two and twenty yeere I ware the crowne\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0In honor and great fame,\n And thus by death was suddenlye\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Deprived of the same.\n \n \n \n Next: The Marriage of Sir Gawaine, by Bishop Thomas Percy [1765]","title":"Arthurian Miscellany: The Legend of King Arthur, by Bishop Thomas Percy [1765]","type":"page"}