[The Eighth Part.]

& after they went to rest,
& tooke their likeing as them list
in tha t Castell all night
On the morrow anon-right
S i r Lybius was armed bright;
ffresh he was to ffight.
S i r Lamberd led him algate
right vnto the Castle gate;
open they were ffull right;
no man durst him neere bringe
fforsooth, w i th-out Leasing,
Barron, Burgess, ne K nigh t,

But turned home againe.
S i r Gefflet his owne swaine
wold w i th him ryde,
but S i r Lybius ffor certaine
Sayd he shold backe againe,
and att home abyde.
S i r Gefflett againe gan ryde
w i th S i r Lamberd ffor to abyde;
& to Iesu christ they cryed,
ffor to send them tydings gladd
of them tha t long had
destroyed their welthes wyde.

S i r Lybius, K nigh t curteous,
rode into tha t proud palace,
& att the hall he light.
trumpetts, hornes, & shaumes ywis
he ffound beffore the hye dese,
he heard, & saw w i th sight
a ffayre ffyer there was stout & stowre
in the midds of the flore,
brening ffaire and bright.
then ffurther in hee yeed,
& tooke w i th him his steede
tha t helped him to ffight.

ffurthermore he began to passe,
& beheld then euerye place
all about the hall;
of nothing, more ne lesse,
he saw no body tha t there was,
but minstrells cladde in pall,
w i th harpe, ffidle & note,
& alsoe w i th Organ note, —
great mirth they made all, —
& alsoe fiddle and sautrye;
soe much of minstrelsye
ne say he neuer in hall.

before euery man stood
a torch ffayre and good,
brening ffull bright.
S i r Lybius Euermore yode
ffor to witt w i th Egar mood
who shold w i th him ffight
hee went into all the corners,
& beheld the pillars
tha t seemelye were to sight;
of Iasp er ffine & Cristall,
all was fflourished in the hall;
itt was ffull ffaire & bright.

the dores were all of brasse,
& the windowes of ffaire glasse,
tha t ymagyrye itt was driue
the hall well painted was;
noe ffairer in noe place;
maruelous ffor to descriue.
hee sett him on the hye dese:
then the minstrells were in peace
tha t made the mirth soe gay,
the torches tha t were soe bright
were quenched anon-right,
& the minstrells were all away;

the dores & the windowes all,
the bett together in the hall
as it were strokes of thunder;
the stones in the Castle wall
about him downe gan ffall; —
thereof he had great wonder; —
the earth began to quake,
& the dese ffor to shake
tha t was him there vnnder;
the hall began for to breake,
& soe did the wall eke,
as they shold ffall assunder.

as he sate thus dismayd,
he held himselfe betrayd.
then horses heard hee nay:
to himselfe then he sayd,
" now I am the better apayd,
for yett I hope to play. "
hee looked fforth into the ffeild,
saw there w i th speare and sheild
men of armes tway,
in purple & pale armoure
well harnished in tha t stoure,
w i th great garlands gay.

The one came ryding into the hall,
& to him thus gan call,
" S i r K nigh t aduenturous!
such a case there is befall;
tho thou bee proude in pall,
ffight thou must w i th vs
I hold thee quent of ginne
if thou my Ladye winne
tha t is in p r ison. "
S i r Lybius sayd anon-right,
" all ffresh I am ffor to ffight,
w i th the helpe of goddes sonne. "

S i r Lybyus w i th good hart
ffast into the saddle he start;
in his hand a speare he hent,
& ffeircly he rode him till,
his enemyes ffor to spill;
ffor tha t was his entent
but when they had together mett,
either on others helme sett
w i th speares doughtye dent.
Mabam his speare all to-brast;
then was Mabam euill agast,
& held him shameffully shent.

& w i th tha t stroke ffelowne
S i r Lybius bare him downe
ouer his horsse tayle;
ffor Mabams saddle arsowne
brake there-with, & fell downe
into the ffeild w i thout ffayle.
well nye he had him slone;
but then came ryding Iron
In a good hawberke of mayle;
all ffresh he was to ffight,
& thought he wold anon-right
S i r Lybius assayle.

S i r Lybius was of him ware,
& speare vnto him bare,
& left his brother still.
such a stroke he gaue hime thore
tha t his hawberke all to-tore;
tha t liked him ffull ill.
their speares brake in 2;
swords gan they draw tho
w i th hart grim and grill,
& stifflye gan to other ffight;
either on Other proued their might,
eche other ffor to spill.

then together gan they hew.
Mabam, the more shrew,
vp he rose againe;
he heard & alsoe knew
Iron gaue strokes ffew;
therof he was not ffaine;
but to him he went ffull right
ffor to helpe Iron to ffight,
& auenge him on his enemye.
tho he were neuer soe wroth,
S i r Lybius fought against them both
and kept himselfe manlye.

when Mabam saw Iron,
he ffought as a Lyon
the k nigh t to slay w i th wreake.
beffore his ffardar arsowne.
soone he carued then downe
S i r Lybius steeds necke.
S i r Lybius was a worthy warryour,
& smote a 2 his thye in tha t stoure,
skine, bone, and blood.
then helped him not his clergye,
neither his ffalse Sorcerye,
but downe he ffell w i th sorry moode.

S i r Lybius of his horsse alight,
w i th Mabam ffor to ffight.
in the ffeild both in ffere
strong stroakes they gaue w i th might,
tha t sprakeles sprang out ffull bright
ffrom helme and harnesse cleere.
as either ffast on other bett,
both their swords mett,
As yee may now heare
Mabam, tha t was the more shrew,
the sword of S i r Lybius he did hew
in 2 quite and cleare.

then S i r Lybius was ashamed,
& in his hart euis agramed
ffor he had Lost his sword,
& his steed was lamed,
& he shold be defamed
to K ing Arthur his lord.
to Iron lithelye he ran,
& hent vp his sword then
tha t sharpe edge had & hard,
& ran to Mabam right
& ffast on him gan ffight,
& like a madman he ffared.

but euer then ffought Mabam,
as he had beene a wyld man,
S i r Lybius ffor to sloe.
but S i r Lybius carued downe
his sheild w i th tha t ffawchowne
tha t he tooke Iron ffroe:
true tale ffor to be told,
the left hand w i th the sheild
away he smote thoe
then sayd Mabam him till
" S i r! thy stroakes beene ill!
gentle K nigh t, now hoe,

" & I will yeeld me to thee
in loue and in Loyaltye
att thine owne will,
& alsoe tha t Lady ffree
tha t is in my posstee,
take her I will thee till;
ffror through tha t sh[r]ueed dint
my hand I haue tint;
the veinim will me spill;
fforsooth without othe
I venomed them both,
our enemyes ffor to kill. "

S i r Lybius sayd, " by my thrifft
I will not haue of thy gift
ffor all this world to w[i]nn!
therfore lay on stroakes swythe!
the one shall cut the other blythe
the head of by the Chin! "
then S i r Lybius and Mabam
ffought together ffast then,
& lett ffor nothing againe;
tha t S i r Lybius tha t good K nigh t
carued his helme downe right,
& his head in twayne.