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1: How grett glorious Godd, thurgh grace of Hym seluen,
2: And the precyous prayere of Hys prys Modyr,
3: Schelde vs fro schamesdede and synfull werkes,
4: And gyffe vs grace to gye and gouerne vs here,
5: In this wrechyd werld, thorowe vertous lywynge,
6: That we may kayre til Hys courte, the kyngdom of Hevyne,
7: When oure saules schall parte and sundyre fra the body,
8: Ewyre to belde and to byde in blysse wyth Hym seluen;
9: And wysse me to werpe owte som worde at this tym
10: That nothyre voyde be ne vayne, bot wyrchip till Hym selvyn,
11: Plesande and profitabill to the popule þat them heres.
12: 3e that liste has to lyth or luffes for to here
13: Off elders of alde tym and of theire awke dedys,
14: How they were lele in theire lawe and louede God Almyghty,
15: Herkynes me heyndly and holdys 3ow styll,
16: And I sall tell 3ow a tale þat trewe es and nobyll,
17: Off the ryeall renkys of the Rownnde Table,
18: That chefe ware of cheualrye and cheftans nobyll,
19: Bathe ware in thire werkes and wyse men of armes,
20: Doughty in theire doyngs and dredde ay schame,
21: Kynde men and courtays and couthe of courte thewes;
22: How they whanne wyth were wyrchippis many,
23: Sloughe Lucyus þe lythyre, that Lorde was of Rome,
24: And conqueryd that kyngryke thorowe craftys of armes;
25: Herkenes now hedyrwarde and herys this storye.
26: Qwen that the kyng Arthur by conqueste hade wonnyn
27: Castells and kyngdoms and contreez many,
28: And he had couerede the coroun of the kyth ryche,
29: Of all that Vter in erthe aughte in his tym:
30: Orgayle and Orkenay and all this owte iles,
31: Irelande vttirly, as occyane rynnys;
32: Scathyll Scottlande by skyll he skyftys as hym lykys,
33: And Wales of were he wane at hys will;
34: Bathe Flaundrez and Fraunce fre til him seluyn,
35: Holaund and Henawde they helde of hym bothen,
36: Burgoyne and Brabane and Bretayn the Lasse,
37: Gyan and Gothelande and Grace the ryche;
38: Bayon and Burdeux he beldytt full faire,
39: Turoyn and Tholus, with toures full hye;
40: Off Peyters and of Prouynce he was prynce holdyn,
41: Of Valence and Vyenne, off value so noble,
42: Of Ouergne and Anyou, thos erledoms ryche,
43: By conqueste full cruell þey knewe hym fore lorde;
44: Of Nauerne and Norwaye and Normaundye eke,
45: Of Almayne, of Estriche, and oþer ynowe;
46: Danmarke he dryssede all by drede of hym seluyn,
47: Fra Swynn vnto Swetherwyke, wiþ his swerde kene.
48: Qwenn he thes dedes had don, he doubbyd hys knyghtez,
49: Dyuysyde dowcherys and delte in dyuerse remmes,
50: Mad of his cosyns kyngys ennoyntede,
51: In kyth there they couaitte crounes to bere.
52: Whene he thys rewmes hade redyn and rewlyde the popule,
53: Then rystede that ryall and helde þe Rounde Tabyll;
54: Suggeourns þat seson to solace hym seluen
55: In Bretayn þe Braddere, as hym beste lykes.
56: Sythyn wente into Wales with his wyes all,
57: Sweys into Swaldye with his snell houndes,
58: For to hunt at þe hartes in thas hye laundes,
59: In Glamorgan with glee, thare gladchipe was euere.
(The Thornton Ms., Folios 53r-64r (lines 1-59)