[The Second Part.]

S i r Lybius now rideth on his way,
& soe did tha t ffaire may,
the dwarffe alsoe rode them beside,
till itt beffell vpon the 3 day
vpon the K nigh t all the way
ffast they gan to chide,
& said, " Lorell and Caitiue!
tho thow were such ffiue,
Lost is all thy pride!
This way keepeth a Knight
tha t w i th euery man will ffight,
his name springeth wyde;

" his name is W illia m de la Braunche,
his warres may noe man staunche,
he is a warryour of great pride;
Both through hart & hanch
swithe hee will thee Launche,
all tha t to him rides. "
then said S i r Lybius,
" I will not Lett this nor thus
to play w i th him a ffitt!
ffor any thing tha t may betide,
I will against him ryde
to looke if tha t he can sitt! "
the rode on then all 3:
vpon a ffaire Causye.
beside the aduenturous chappell
a knight anon they can see
w i th armes bright of blee,
vpon the bridge of perrill.
he bare a sheeld all of greene
w i th 3 Lyons of gold sheene,
right rich and p re cyous.
well armed was tha t K nigh t
as he shold goe to ffight,
as itt was his vse.

when he saw S i r Lybius w i th sight,
anon he went to him arright,
& said to him there,
" who passeth here by day or night,
certer w i th me must ffight,
or leaue his harnesse here. "
then answered S i r Libyus
& said, " ffor the loue of Iesus
lett vs passe now here!
wee be ffarr ffroe our ffreind,
& haue ffarr ffor to wend,
I and this mayden in fere. "

S i r Will iam answered thoe
& said, " thou shalt not scape soe!
soe god giue me good rest,
thow & I will, or wee goe,
deale stroakes betweene vs tow
a litle here by west. "
S i r Libyus sayd, " now I see
tha t itt will none other bee;
goe fforth and doe thy best;
take thy course w i th thy shafft
if thou can well thy crafft,
ffor I ame here all prest "

then noe longer they wold abyde,
but the one to the other gan ryde
w i th greatt randaun
S i r Libyus there in that tyde
smote S i r will ia m on his side
w i th a speare ffelon;
but S i r will ia m sate soe ffast
tha t his stirropps all to-brast,
he leaned on his arsowne;
S i r Lybius made him stoupe,
he smote him over the horse croupe
in the ffeeld a-downe;

his horsse ran ffrom him away.
S i r will ia m not long Lay,
but start anon vpright,
and said, " S i r, by my-in ffay,
neuer beffore this day
I ffound none soe wight!
now is my horsse gone away!
ffight on [foot], I thee pray,
as thou art a K nigh t worthye "
then sayd S i r Lybius,
" by the leaue of Sweete Iesus
therto ffull ready I am. "

then together they went as tyte,
& w i th their swords they gan smite;
they ffought wonderous Longe;
stroakes together they lett fflinge
tha t they ffyer out gan springe
ffrom of their helmes strong
but S i r will ia m de la braunche
to Sir Lybius gan he launche,
& smote on his sheild soe ffast
tha t one cantell ffell to the ground;
& S i r Lybius att tha t sonde
in his hart was agast.

then S i r Lybius w i th all his might
defended him anon-right,
was warryour wight & slye;
coyfe & crest downe right,
he made to ffly w i th great might,
of S i r Will ia ms helme on hye;
& w i th the point of his sword
he cut of S i r will ia ms berd,
and touched him ffull nye.
S i r Will ia m smote S i r Lybius thoe
as tha t his sword brast in tow
tha t many men might see w i th eye.

then S i r Will ia m began to crye
& sayd, " ffor the Loue of Marrye,
on liue let mee weelde!
itt were great villanye
ffor to make a K nigh t dye
weponlesse in the feeld "
then spake S i r Lybius
& sayd, " by the leaue of Iesus!
of liffe gettest thou no space
but if thou wilt sweare anon,
or thou out of the ffelld gone,
here before my fface,

" & on knees kneele downe,
& swere by my sword browne
tha t thou shalt to Arthur wend,
& say, " Lord of great renowne!
I am in battell ou er throwne;
a knight me hither doth send
that men cleped thus,
S i r Lybius Disconius,
vnknowen k nigh t and hend." "
S i r will ia m mett him on his knee;
& the othe there made hee,
& fforward gan he wend.

thus dep ar ted all the rout.
S i r will ia m to Arthurs court
he tooke the ready way;
a sorry case there gan ffall:
3 knights proude and tall
S i r will ia m mett tha t day;
the 3 K nigh ts all in ffere
where his emes sonnes deere,
stout they were and gay
when they saw S i r will ia m bleed,
& alway hanged downe his head,
they rode to him w i th great array,

& said, " Cozen will!
who hath done to you this shame?
& why bleedest thou soe long? "
hee said, " Sirs, by St. Iame!
one tha t is not to blame;
a stout K nigh t & a stronge —
S i r Lybius disconius hee hight —
to ffell his enemyes in ffight;
he is not ffarr to Learne;
a dwarfe rydeth w i th him in fere
as he was his Squier;
they ride away ffull yarne.

" but one thing greeueth me sore,
tha t he hath made me sweare
on his sord soe bright,
tha t I shold neuer more,
till I come to K ing Arthur,
Stint by day nor night;
and alsoe to him I ame yeelde
as ou er come into the ffeelde
by power of his might;
nor against him ffor to beare
neither sheeld nor speare;
thus I haue him hight. "

then said the K nigh ts 3:
" well auenged shalt thou bee
certes w i thout ffayle!
ffor hee one against vs 3,
hee is not worthe a fflee
ffor to hold battell!
goe fforth & keepe thine othe
tho ugh thou be neuer soe wroth;
wee will him assayle.
or he this fforrest passe,
wee will his armour vnlace,
tho itt were double maile. "

theroff wist nothing tha t wight
S i r Lybius, tha t gentle K nigh t,
but rode a well good pace;
he & that maiden bright
made together tha t night
game & great solace.
shee cryed him mercye
ffor shee had spoken him villanye;
shee prayed him to fforgiue her tha t tyde;
the dwarffe was their squier,
& serued them both in ffere
off all tha t they had need.

on the morrow when itt was day,
fforthe the rode on their way
towards Sinadowne
then they say in their way
3 K nigh ts stout and gay
came ryding ffrom Caerleon;
to him they sayd anon-right,
" Traitor, turne againe and ffight!
thou shalt lose thy renowne!
& tha t maide ffaire & bright,
wee will her lead att night
herby vnto a towne. "

S i r Lybius to them gan crye,
" ffor to ffight I am all readye
against you all in-same. "
a prince proude of pride,
he rode against them tha t tyde
w i th mirth sport and game.
the Eldest brother then beere
to S i r Lybius w i th a Spere,
S i r Baner was his name
Sir Lybius rode att him anon
& brake in tow his thigh bone,
& lett him Lye there lame.

the K nigh t mercy gan crye
when S i r Lybius certainely
had smitten him downe
the dwarffe tha t hight Teodline
tooke his horsse by the raine,
he lept into the arsoone;
he rode anon w i th that
vnto the mayd where shee sate
soe ffayre of ffashyon.
then laughed tha t Maiden bright,
& said, " fforssooth this young Knight
is a ffull good Champyon! "

the 2 brother, he beheld
how is brother lay in the ffeild
& had lost strenght & might;
he smote S i r Lybius in tha t tyde
on the sheeld w i th much pride,
w i th his speare ffull right.
S i r Lybius away gan beare
w i th his good speare
the helme of tha t knight.
the youngest brother then gan ride,
& hitt S i r Lybius in tha t tyde
as a man of much might,

& said to him then anon,
" S i r, thou art by St. Iohn
a ffell Champyowne;
by god tha t sitteth in trinitye,
ffight I will w i th thee,
I hope to beare thee downe. "
as warryour out of witt,
on S i r Lybius then hee hitt
w i th a ffell ffauchyon;
soe stifflye his stroakes hee sett,
tha t through helme & basenett
he carued S i r Lybius crowne.

S i r Lybius was served in tha t stead
when hee ffelled on his head
tha t the sword had drawen blood;
about his head the sword he waued, —
all tha t hee hitt, fforsoothe hee cleeued,
as warryour wight and good; —
S i r Lybius said swithe thoe,
" one to ffight against 2
is nothing good. "
ffast they hewed then on him
w i th stroakes great and grim;
against them he stifflye stood,

& through gods grace
he smote the eldest in tha t place
vpon the right arme thoe;
hee hitt him soe in tha t place, —
to see itt was a wonderous case, —
his right arme ffell him ffroe.
the youngest saw tha t sight,
& thought hee had noe might
to ffight against his ffoe;
to S i r Lybius hee did vp-yeeld
his good Speare & sheeld;
mercy he cryed him thoe.

anon S i r Lybius said, " nay,
thou shalt not passe this away —
by him tha t bought mankind —
but thou & thy brethren twayne
plight yo u r trothes w i thout Layine
tha t yee will to K ing Arthur wende,
& say, " Lord of great renowne!
in battaill wee be ouercome;
a Knight vs hither hath send
ffor to yeeld thee tower & towune,
& to bee att thy bandowne
euermore w i thouten end"

" & but if you will doe soe,
certes I will you sloe
as I am true Knight. "
anon they sware to him thoe;
tha t they wold to Arthur goe,
their trothes anon the plight
S i r Lybius & that ffaire May
rode fforth on the way
thither as they had hight;
till itt beffell on the 3 day
the ffell together in game & pley,
hee and tha t Maiden bright

they rode fforthe on west
into a wyde fforrest,
& might come to noe towne;
the ne wist what way best,
ffor there they must needs rest,
& there they light a-downe.
amonge the greene eues
they made a lodge w i th bower & leaues,
w i th swords bright and browne
S i r Lybius & that maiden bright
dwelled there all night,
tha t was soe ffaire of ffashyon.

then the dwarffe began to wake,
ffor noe theeues shold take
away their horsses w i th guile;
then ffor ffeare he began to quake;
a great ffyer hee saw make
ffrom them but a mile.
" arise, " he said, " worthy K nigh t!
to horsse tha t wee were dight
ffor doubt of more perill!
certes I heare a great bost;
alsoe I smell a savor of rost,
by god & by S t Gyle! "