Home > Navigation > General > The Literature > Specimen

An Early Middle English Text
Layamon's Brut (c.1200)

þa comen tydinge to Arðure þan kinge
þat seoc wes Howel his mæi, þerfore he wes sari
I Clud ligginde, and þer he hine bilæfde.
Hi3enliche swiðe forð he gon liðe
þat he bihalves Baðe beh to ane velde.
þer he alihte and his cnihtes alle,
And on mid heore burnen beornes sturne,
And he fif dæle dælde his ferde.
þa he hafde al iset and al hit isemed,
þa dude he on his burne ibroide of stele
þe makede on alvisc smið mid aðelen his cræfte:
Heo wes ihaten Wygar, þe Wite3e wurhte.
His sconken he helede mid hosen of stele.
Calibeorne his sweord he sweinde bi his side:
Hit wes iworht in Avalun mid wi3efulle craften.

A Late Middle English Text
The Knight of Curtesy (c.1480)

In Faguell, a fayre countré,
A great lord, sumtyme dyd dwell,
Which had a lady so fayre and fre
That all men good of hyr dyd tel.

Fayre and pleasant she was in sight,
Gentyl and amyable in eche degré,
Chaste to her lorrde, bothe day and nyght,
As is the turtyll upon the tre.

All men her loved, bothe younge and olde,
For her vertue and gantylnesse.
Also in that lande was a knight bolde,
Ryght wyse and ful of doughtinesse.