[The Seventh Part.]

till itt beffell vpon a day
he mett w i th Ellen tha t may
betwene the Castle and the tower;
Then vnto him shee gan say,
" thou art ffalse of thy ffay
vnto King Arthur!
ffor the loue of that Ladye
that can soe much curtesye,
thou doest thee dishonor!
My Ladye of Sinadon
may long lye in prison,
& tha t is great dolour! "

S i r Lybius hard her speake,
him thought his hart wold breake
ffor sorrow & ffor shame.
att a posterne there beside
by night they gan out ryde
ffrom tha t gentle dame.
hee tooke w i th him his good steede,
his sheeld & his best weede,
& rode fforth all in-same;
& the steward stout in ffere,
he made him his Squier,
S i r Geffelett was his name.
they rode fforth on their way,
but lightly on their Iourney,
on bay horsses and browne;
till itt beffell vpon a day
they saw a Citye ffaire and gay,
men call itt Sinadowne,
w i th a Castle hye & wyde,
and pauillyons of much pride
tha t were of ffaire ffashyon
then said S i r Lybius
" I haue great wonder of an vse
tha t he saw in the towne; "

they gathered dirt & mire ffull ffast:
w hi ch beffore was out cast,
they gathered in I-wis
S i r Lybius said in hast,
" tell me now, mayd chast,
what betokeneth this?
they take in all their hore
tha t was cast out beffore!
methinke they doe amisse. "
then sayd Mayd Ellen,
" S i r Lybius, w i thout Leasing
I will tell thee why itt is.

" there is no K ing soe well arrayed,
tho he had before payd,
tha t there shold take ostell,
ffor a dread of a steward
tha t men call S i r Lamberd;
he is the constable of the Castle.
but ride into the Castle gate,
& aske thine inne theratt
both ffaire and well;
& or he bidd thee nede,
Iusting he will thee bedd,
by god & by S t Michaell!

" & if he beare thee downe,
his trumpetts shalbe bowne,
their beaugles ffor to blow;
then ouer all this towne,
both mayd & garsowne
but dirt on thee shall throwe;
& but thou thither wend,
vnto thy liues end
cowarde thou shalt be know;
& soe may King Arthur
losse all his great honor
for thy deeds slowe! "

S i r Lybius sayd, " tha t were despite!
thither I will goe ffull tyte,
if I be man on liue;
ffor to doe Arthurs delight,
& to make tha t Lady quite,
to him I will driue.
S i r Geffelett, make thee ready,
& lett vs now goe hastilye,
anon tha t wee were bowne. "
they rode fforth on their gate
till they came to the Castle gate
That was of great renowne,

& there they asked Ostell
in tha t ffaire Castell
ffor a venturous knight.
the porter ffaire & well
lett them in ffull snell,
& asked anon-right,
" who is yo u r gouernor? "
they sayd, " King Arthur,
a man of much might.
to be a king he is worthye,
he is the fflower of Chiualrye,
his ffone to ffell in ffight. "

the porter went w i thout ffable
to his lord the Constable,
& this tale him told:
" S i r, w i thout any ffable,
of Arthurs round table
be comen 2 knights bold.
the one is armed ffull sure
w i th rich & royall armoure,
w i th 3 Lyons of gold. "
the Lo rd was gladd & blythe,
& said to them ffull swythe,
Iust w i th them hee wold:

" bidd them make them yare
into the ffeeld ffor to ffare
w i thout the Castle gate. "
the porter wold not stent,
but euen anon went
to them lightlye att the yate,
& sayd anon-rightes,
" yee aduenturous knights,
ffor nothing tha t yee Lett;
Looke yo u r sheelds be good & strong,
& yo u r speres good and long,
sheild, plate, & Basnett,

" & ryde you into the ffeild;
my Lord w i th speare and sheild
anon w i th you will play. "
S i r Lybius spake words bold,
& said, " this tale is well told,
& pleasant to my pay "
into the feld the rode,
& boldlye there abode
in their best array.
S[ir] Lamberd armed ffull weele
both in Iron and in steele
tha t was both stout & gay;

his sheeld was sure & ffine,
3 bores heads was therin
as blacke as brond brent,
the bordure was of rich armin, —
there was none soe quent a ginn
ffrom Carlile into Kent, —
& of the same paynture
was his paytrell & his armoure.
in lande where euer he went,
2 squiers w i th him did ryde,
& bare 3 speares by his side
to deale w i th doughtye dint.

then tha t stout stewared
tha t hight S i r Lamberd
armed him ffull well & bright,
& rode into the ffeild ward —
ffeircely as any Libbard —
there abode him tha t knight.
him tooke a speare of great shape;
he thought he came to Late.
when he him saw w i th sight,
soone he rode to him tha t stond
w i th a speare tha t was round,
as a man of much might.

Either smote on others sheeld
tha t the peeces ffell in the ffeild
of theire speares long.
euery man to other tolde
" tha t younge K nigh t is ffull bold "
to him w i th a speare he fflounge;
S i r Lamberd did stifflye ssitt;
he was wrath out of his witt
ffor Ire and ffor teene,
& sayd, " bring me a speare!
ffor this Knight is not to Lere,
soone itt shalbe seene. "

then they tooke shaftes round,
w i th crownalls sharpe ground,
& ffast to-gether did run;
either proued other in tha t stond
to give either theire deaths wound,
w i th harts as ffeirce as any Lyon
Lamberd smote S i r Lybius thoe
tha t his sheeld ffell him ffroe
into the ffeild a-downe;
S i r Lamberd him soe hitt
tha t vnnethes hee might sett
vpright in his arsowme,

his shaft brake w i th great power.
S i r Lybius hitt him on the visor
tha t of went his helme bright;
the pesanye, ventayle, & gorgere,
w i th the helme fflew fforth in fere,
& S i r Lamberd vpright
sate rocking in his sadle
as a chyld in a cradle
w i thout maine & might
euery man tooke other by the lappe,
& laughed and gan their hands clappe,
barron, Burgesse, and K nigh t.

S i r Lamberd, he thought to sitt bett;
another helme he made to ffett,
& a shaft ffull meete.
& when they together mett,
either other on their helmes sett
strokes grim & great
then S i r Lamberds speare brast,
& S i r Lybius sate soe ffast
in the saddle there hee sett,
that they Constable S i r Lamberd
ffell of his horsse backward,
soe sore they there mett.

S i r Lamberd was ashamed sore
S i r Lybius asked if he wold more.
he answered and said " nay!
ffor sithe tha t euer I was bore,
saw I neuer here beffore
none ryde soe to my pay!
by the faith tha t I am in,
thou art come of S i r Gawayines kin,
thou art soe stout and gay.
if thou wilt ffight ffor my Ladye,
welcome thou art to mee,
by my troth I say! "

S i r Lybius sayd, " sikerlye
I will ffight for my Ladye;
I p ro mised soe to K ing Arthur;
but I ne wott how ne why
who does her tha t villanye,
ne what is her dolor;
but this maid tha t is her mesenger,
certes has brought me here
her ffor to succour. "
S i r Lamberd said in tha t stond
" welcome, S i r K nigh t of the table round,
into my strong tower! "

then mayd Ellen anon-rightes
was ffeitched fforth w i th 5 K nigh ts
beffore S i r Lamberd.
shee & the dwarffe by-deene
told of 6 battells keene
tha t he had done thitherward:
the sayd tha t S i r Lybius then
had ffought w i th strong men,
& beene in stowers hardye.
then they were glad & blythe,
& thanked god alsoe sithe
tha t he were soe mightye.

they welcomed him w i th mild cheere,
& sett them to supp er
w i th much mirth and game
S i r Lybius & S i r Lamberd in ffere
of ancyents tha t beffore were
talked both in-same.
S i r Lybius sayd, " w i th-out ffable,
tell me now, S i r Constable,
what is the K nigh ts name
tha t hath put in prison
my Ladye of Sinadon
tha t is soe gentle a dame? "

S i r Lamberd said, " soe mote I gone,
K nigh ts there beene none
tha t dare her away Lead;
2 Clarkes beene her ffone,
ffull ffalse in body & in bone,
tha t hath done this deed.
they be men of Masterye
their artes ffor to reade of Sorcerye;
Mabam the hight one in deede,
& Iron hight the other verelye,
cla[r]ckes of Nigromancye,
of them wee haue great dread.

" this Mabam & Irowne
haue made in the towne
a palace of quent gin;
there is no Erle ne barron
tha t has hart as Lyon
tha t dare come therin;
itt is all of the ffaierye
wrought by Nigromancye,
tha t wonder it is to winne
there they keepe in prison
my Ladye of Sinadowne,
tha t is of K nigh ts kinn.

" oftentimes wee her crye;
ffor to see her w i th eye,
therto we haue no might.
this Mabam & Iron trulye
had sworene to death trulye
her death ffor to dight,
but if shee grant vntill
ffor to do Mabams will,
& giue him all her right
of all tha t Dukedome ffayre,
thereof is my ladye heyre
tha t is soe much of might.

" shee is soe meeke & soe ffaire;
therefore wee be in dispayre
ffor the dolour tha t shees in "
then sayd S i r Lybius,
" through the helpe of Iesus
that Ladye I will winne;
& Mabam & Iron,
smite of there anon
theire heads in tha t stoure,
& wine that Lady bright,
& bring her to her right
w i th ioy & much honor. "

then there was no more tales to tell
in tha t strong Castle.
to supp & make good cheere,
the Barrons & Burgesse all
came to tha t seemlye hall
ffor to listen & heare
how S i r Lybius had wrought;
& if the K nigh t were ought,
his talking for to harke.
they ffound them sitting in ffere
talking, att their supp er ,
of K nigh ts stout and starke.