[The Fourth Part.]

now S i r Lybius and his May
tooke their leaue, & rode their way
thither as they had hight
Then they saw in a parke
a Castle stiffe & starke,
tha t was ffull maruelouslye dight;

wrought itt was w i th lime & stone, —
such a one saw he neuer none, —
with towers stiffe & stout
S i r Lybius said, " soe haue I blis!
worthy dwelling here itt is
to them tha t stood in doubt! "
then laughed tha t Maiden bright,
& sayd, " here dwelleth a K nigh t,
the best tha t here is about
who-soe will w i th him ffight, —
be he Baron or be he knight, —
he maketh him to loute.

" soe well he loueth his Leman
tha t is soe ffaire a woman,
& a worthy in weede,
who-soe bringeth a ffairer then,
a ioly ffawcon as white as swan
he shall haue to his meede.
& if shee be not soe bright,
w i th S i r Gefferon he must ffight;
& if he may not speed,
his [head] shall be ffrom him take,
& sett ffull hye vpon a stake,
trulye w i thouten dread.

" the sooth you may see and heere;
there is on euery corner
a head or tow ffull right "
S i r Lybius sayd al soe soone,
" by god & by S t Iohn!
w i th S i r Gefferon will I ffight,
& chalenge the Iolly ffawcon,
& say tha t I haue one in the towne,
a lemman al soe bright;
& if hee will her see,
then I will bring thee,
be itt day or by night. "

the dwarffe sayd, " by Sweete Iesus!
gentle S i r Lybyus Disconiys,
thou puttest thee in great p er ill.
S i r Giffron La ffraudeus,
in ffighting he hath an vse
Knights ffor to beguile. "
S i r Lybius answered and sware,
& said, " therof I haue no care!
by god & by S t Gyle,
I will see him in the fface
or I passe out of this place,
ffor all his subtulle wile! "

w i thout any more questyon
the dwelled still in the towne
all night there in peace.
on the morrow he made him readie
ffor to winne him the Masterye
certes w i thouten Lease.
he armed him ffull sure
in the sayd Armor
tha t K ing Arthurs was,
& his horsse began he to stryde;
the dwarffe rod by his syde
to tha t strong palace.

S i r Gyffron la ffraudeus
rose vp, as itt was his vse,
in the morrow tyde
ffor to honor sweete Iesus
then he was ware of S i r Lybius;
as a prince of much pryde
ffast he rode into tha t place.
S i r Ieffron maruailed att tha t case,
& loud to him did crye
w i th voyce loud and shrill:
" comest thou ffor good or ill?
tell me now on hye "

S i r Lybius said al soe tyte,
" certes I haue greate delight
w i th thee ffor to ffight!
thou hast [said] great despite;
thou hast a Leman, none so whyte
by day or by night
as I haue one in the towne,
ffairer of ffashyon
for to see with sight.
therfore thy Iolly ffawcowne,
to K ing Arthur w i th the crowne
bring I will by right. "

S i r Geffron said al soe right,
" where shall wee see tha t sight,
whether the ffairer bee? "
S i r Lybius said, " wee will ffull right
in Cardigan see tha t sight,
there all men may itt see;
in the middes of tha t Markett,
there shall they both be sett
to looke on them soe ffree;
& if my Leman be browne,
ffor thy Iolly ffawcowne
iust I will w i th thee "

S i r Geffron said alsoe then,
" I wold ffaine as any man
to-day att yondertyde.
all this I grant thee well,
& out of this Castell
to Cardigan I will ryde. "
their gloues were there vp yold,
tha t fforward to hold,
as princes proud in pryde.
S i r Lybius wold no longer blinn,
but rode againe to his inn
& wold no longer abyde.

he said to maid Ellen
tha t was soe bright & sheene,
" looke thou make thee bowne!
I thee say, by S t Quintin,
S i r Gefferons Leman I will winn:
to-day shee will come to towne,
in the midds of this cytye,
tha t men may you see,
& of you bothe the ffashyon;
& if thou be not soe bright,
w i th S i r Geffron I shall ffight
to winne the Iollye ffawcowne. "


the dwarffe answered, " for-thy
tha t thou doest a deed hardye
ffor any man borne
thou wilt doe by no mans read
for thou fforest in thy child head
as a man tha t wold be lorne!
& therfore I thee pray
to wend fforth on thy way,
& come not him beforne. "
S i r Lybius said, " tha t were great shame!
I had leuer w i th great grame
w i th wild horsses to be torne. "

maid Ellen, ffaire and free,
made hast sickerlye
her ffor to attyre
in Keicheys tha t were white,
for to doe all his delight,
w i th good gold wyer
a vyolett mantle, the sooth to say,
ffurred well w i th gryse gay,
shee cast about her Lyer;
the stones shee had about her mold
were p re cyous & sett w i th gold,
the best in tha t shire.

S i r Lybius sett tha t ffaire May
on a right good Palffrey,
& rode fforth all three.
euery man to other gan say,
" heere cometh a ffaire May,
And louelye ffor to see! "
into the Markett hee rode,
& boldly there abode
in the middes of tha t citye.
anon the saw Geffron come ryde,
& 2 squiers by his side,
& na more meanye:

he bare a sheelde of greene,
richelye itt was to be seene;
of gold was the bordure,
dight itt was w i th fflowers
& alsoe w i th rich colours,
like as itt were an Emperour
the squiers did w i th him ryde;
the one bare by his side
3 shafts good & stoure,
the other bare, his head vpon,
a gentle Iolly ffawcon
tha t was laid to wager;

& after did a Lady ryde,
ffaire & bright, of Much pryde,
cladd in purple pall
the people came ffarr & wyde
to see tha t Ladye in tha t tyde,
how gentle shee was and small;
her mantle was of purple ffine,
well ffurred w i th good Armine,
itt was rich and royall;
a sercotte sett about her necke soe sweete
w i th dyamond & w i th Margarett,
& many a rich Emerall;

her colour was as the rose red;
her haire tha t was on her head,
as gold wyer itt shone bright;
her browes were al soe silke spread,
ffaire bent in lenght & bread;
her nose was ffaire and right;
her eyen gray as any glasse;
milke white was her fface
the said tha t sawe tha t sight,
her body gentle and small,
" her beautye ffor to tell all,
noe man w i th tounge might."

unto the Markett men gan bring
2 Chaires ffor to sitt in,
their bewtye ffor to descrye.
then said both old & younge, —
fforssooth w i thout Leasing
betweene them was p ar tye, —
Geffrons Leman was ffaire & cleere
as euer was any rose on bryer,
fforsooth w i thout Lye.
Maid Ellen, the Messenger,
seemed to her but a Launderer
in her nurserye

then said S i r Geffron la ffraudeus,
" S i r Knight, by Sweet Iesus,
thy head thou hast fforlore! "
" nay! " said S i r Lybius,
" tha t was neuer my vse!
iust I will therfore;
" & if thou beare me downe,
take my head on thy ffawchyon,
& home w i th thee itt lead;
& if I beare downe thee,
the Ierffaucon shall goe w i th mee
maugre thy head indeed.

" what needeth vs more to chyde?
but into the saddle let vs glyde,
to proue our mastery. "
either smote on others sheeld the while
w i th crownackles tha t were of steele,
w i th great envye.
then their speares brake assunder;
the dints ffared as the thunder
tha t cometh out of the skye.
trumpetts & tabours,
herawdyes & good desoures,
Their stroakes ffor to descrye.

Geffron then began to speake:
" bring me a spere tha t will not breke,
a shaft w i th one crownall!
ffor this young ffeley ffreke
sitteth in his saddle steke
as stone in Castle wall.
I shall make him to stoope
swithe ouer his saddle croope,
& giue him a great ffall,
tho he were as wight a warryour
as Alexander or Arthur,
S i r Lancelott or S i r Perciuall. "

then the K nigh ts both tow
rode together swithe thoe
w i th great ren[d]owne:
S i r Lybius smote S i r Geffron soe
tha t his sheild ffell him ffroe
into the ffeeld againe
then laughed all tha t was there,
& said w i thout more,
Duke, Erle, or Barron,
tha t " the saw neuer a K nigh t,
ne noe man abide might
a course of S i r Geffron. "

another course gan the ryde:
S i r Geffron was aggreeued tha t tyde
ffor hee might not speede.
he rode againe al soe tyte,
& S i r Lybius he gan smite
as a doughtye man of deed.

S i r Lybius smote him soe ffast
tha t S i r Geffron soone he cast
him and his horsse a-downe;
S i r Ieffrons backe bone he brake
tha t the ffolkes hard itt cracke;
lost was his renowne.
then they all said, lesse & more,
tha t Sir Geffrons had Lore
the white Gerffawcon
the people came S i r Lybius before,
& went w i th him, lesse & more,
anon into the towne;
& S i r Geffron ffrom the ffeeld
was borne home on his sheild
w i th care and rueffull mone
the Gerffawcon sent was,
by a knight tha t hight Chaudas,
to bring to Arthur w i th the crowne;

& rote to him all tha t dead,
& w i th him he gan to leade
the ffawcon tha t S i r Lybius wan.
when the K ing had heard itt read,
he said to his k nigh ts in tha t stead,
" S i r Lybius well warr can!
he hath me sent w i th honor
tha t he hath done battells 4
since tha t he began;
I will him send of my treasure,
ffor to spend to his honor,
as ffalleth ffor such a man. "

a 100 ready prest
of ffloryins to spend w i th the best,
he sent to Cardigan towne.
then S i r Lybius held a feast
tha t lasted 40 dayes att Least
w i th Lords of renowne.
& att the 6: weeke end
hee tooke his leaue, ffor to wend,
of duke, Erle, and Barron.