THE BATTLE OF BREDIGAN FOREST: FOOTNOTES
2 ordeyned her batailes, deployed their troops; wise, fashion.
3 ne toke noon hede, did not bother.
5 feire fortune, bit of good luck.
6 ne wende not, did not expect.
11 a water, i.e., a flood; drof down, destroyed; howsynge, buildings.
12 hym semed, he thought.
14 affray, state of fright; hym blissed, crossed himself.
16 yede, went; hem dide awake, awakened them.
17 fro whiche part, from what direction.
19 hastely, soon.
20-21 contré environ, surrounding country.
21 that, so that; were not, would not be.
23 araide, prepared; cowden, could.
24 governaunce, actions.
25 toke noon hede, i.e., did not stop.
25-26 were even fallen on hem, encountered them.
26 thei, i.e., the scouts of the eleven kings.
28 chalange, i.e., protect.
29 agein, against.
30 spores, spurs.
31 as armes, to arms.
33 even at, near to.
34 a fair happe, lucky.
36 araied of her harneyse, ready with their equipment.
37 fill, befell; encomberaunce, difficulty; that, because.
39 unethe, scarcely; ne heren, nor hear.
41 slowgh, slew.
42 areche, reach; departed, separated.
43 playn, open; withoute, beyond; trompe, trumpet.
46 aschape, escape.
48 well delyvered, i.e., destroyed; puyssaunce, might.
49 sowne, sound.
50 stynted, stationed.
57 herbegage, i.e., encampment.
58 how, what.
60 entende, submit.
62 astoned, surprised.
64 toon, one; yede, went.
65 ne wende, did not expect.
66 trowed hem wele to diffende, believed themselves capable of defending.
68 theras, where.
73 gate, crossed; small, few.
74 thei, i.e., Arthur's men.
75 dispite, insult; apertly, boldly.
77 leide, struck; slow, slew; raught, struck.
78 voyded, retreated from; rome, room.
78-79 pressed to, attacked.
81 ageyn, against.
82 blenche, move.
83 stynte, stood.
84 ne hadde be, had it not been for.
85 hadden be discounfited, would have been defeated.
86 odde, brave.
89 thei2, i.e., the barons.
90 sye, saw; yaf ascry, gave a shout.
95 presse, throng.
95-96 noon ne durst, no one dared.
96 moche, large.
97 neyghed ner, came near.
98 douted, feared.
99 brekynge the presse, breaking through the crowd.
101 myschef, trouble.
101-02 wax wode for ire, became enraged.
106 anoon, soon.
110 discounfited, defeated.
111 talent, desire.
112 defouled, slaughtered; distreyned, trapped.
113 yef, that if.
117 Whan, Then; Marganors, the King de Cent Chevaliers's steward; seide, addressed.
117-18 badde hem suffre, told them to persevere.
119 disconfite, defeated.
124 wolde, wished to.
125 what wilt thow do, what do you wish to do; Haste thow, Have you.
131 be aboute, been with.
134 were falle to, had happened to; seth, since; yede, went.
136 werred, fought.
138 therby, thus.
141 discounfited, defeated.
143 of that, because.
144 yove, gave.
146 leged, lodged; pight, pitched.
147 wacched, guarded.
150 vitaile, food.
152 on an hepe, in a pile; wynynge, winnings; richesse, valuable things.
153 theras, where.
154 departed aboute, distributed; as hem . . . do, as they thought fitting; on, one.
155 after that, according to.
157 hemself, themselves.
158 departed, bestowed; stedes, steeds, warhorses; palfreyes, fine riding horses.
159 ought, anything; sente agein, sent away.
160 meyné, retainers.
161 yede, went.
162 that, so that.
162-63 ne dede hem no stade, did not harm them.
164 rentes, properties.
165 aver, wealth.
166 lefte, kept.
167 in the marche, on the border.
168 abode, waited until.
169 and that, after.
171 yed, went.
173 grete karl, huge rustic.
174 girdell, belt.
175 gees, geese; kynde, nature; drough, drew.
177 shette, shot; slowgh, slew.
178 yede, went.
180 whowped, cried out.
181 yef, if.
182-83 How wilt thow yeve hem, What do you want for them.
183 cherll, churl.
183-84 boysteis shone, rough shoes.
184 nete's leder, cow's leather; rosset, russet (homespun cloth).
185 grete, large; longe, tall; blakke, dark (from the sun).
186 rowe rympled, roughbearded, shaggy, unkempt; fell, fierce.
187 I ne knowe nought of the kynge, i.e., I have never heard of a king.
187-88 regrater and a wyssher, i.e., one having a monopoly on goods.
188 that dar not, that would not; gode, wealth.
191 that is nether . . . worship, that works neither to your profit nor to your honor.
192-93 beheelde the oon the tother, they stared at each other.
193 What devell, What the devil.
194 cleped, called.
195 bad, asked.
198 sholde, should.
202 trowe, believe.
202-03 Yef ye . . . leve ne nought, If you wish to, believe me; and if you do not wish to, then do not believe me.
203-04 For I ne leve . . . so be we quyte, For I do not believe you at all, and so we are even.
205 wiste, knew.
206 dight hem, prepared them.
207 hardynesse, courage.
208 guerdon, reward.
210 yef, if.
214 wyte, know.
215 araide, dressed.
216 plume, pluck; mote, might.
217 yeve, give.
218 and hadde, who had; that, what.
221 mantell, cloak.
225 ne knowe ye not, do not you know.
225-26 and ne sholde not he, i.e., and that he intends to.
227 for that, because.
228 wolde, wished.
232 what, who.
236 evell, poorly (evilly); besette, given; on, to.
238 agein, against; tho, those.
239 blessed hym, crossed himself.
241 habite, clothing.
243 semblaunce, appearance; fayn, happily.
245 no merveile nought, do not marvel at.
246 inowe, enough; i.e., aplenty.
247 will, wishes; forse, the power.
248 wyte, know.
249 for that, because.
250 dowted of, feared by.
254 ronne, ran.
256 japed, joked; shetynge, shooting.
258 yove, given.
260 abode, continued; the Lenton, the time of Lent.
266 douted, feared; bereve hem of her, deprive them of their.
270 at hoste, lodged.
274 myd-Lenten, the middle of Lent.
275 fowrtithe, the fortieth man [in the company].
277 disconfited, defeated; yeden, went.
THE BATTLE OF BREDIGAN FOREST: NOTES
The Battle of Bredigan Forest
[Fols. 47v (line 21)-58r (line 27)]
The Battle of Bredigan Forest and its immediate aftermath is also described at length in Malory's Morte D'Arthur (Vinaver, pp. 16-26). It is one of Arthur's most decisive victories against the rebel barons, and it depicts great feats of arms by Arthur, Ban, Bors, and several other prominent knights. It also presents Merlin in several distinctive roles -- as magician, military strategist, moral conscience, and shape-shifting prankster. Near the end of this episode Arthur has a sexual encounter with a young woman named Lysanor; Arthur's illegitimate son Hoot results from that union.
Summary Based on EETS 21, pp. 140-52.
3 the eleven kynges. Earlier there were six (or seven) lesser kings opposing Arthur; now they have been joined by five more, thus increasing the forces against Arthur.
Summary Based on EETS 21, pp. 155-59.
Summary Based on EETS 21, pp. 160-64.
124 And than com Merlin and seide. Merlin checks Arthur's pursuit of his enemies at this point and directs him to return home, thus bringing the battle to an end. There may be a hint of disapproval in Merlin's words to Arthur, but if so, it is not nearly so explicit as the direct rebuke that occurs in Malory, where Merlin says: "`Hast thou nat done inow? Of three score thousande thys day hast thou leffte on lyve but fyftene thousand! Therefore hit ys tyme to sey, "Who!" for God ys wroth with the for thou woll never have done'" (Vinaver, p. 24).
132 Blase seide he dide but foly. Apparently Blase has misgivings about the extent to which Merlin has become involved in Arthur's activities. There is no hint of this in Malory.
159-60 sente agein alle knyghtes and squyres . . . saf forty. At this point Arthur dismisses his army, keeping only a core group of forty knights with him. This group of forty, along with Arthur and Merlin, become Arthur's famous "Forty-two" who perform impressive deeds subsequently at Tamelide.
193 Who hath tolde this cherll? The kings are astonished to discover that this rustic figure knows about the treasure that is hidden in the earth, and they wonder who could have told him.
249-50 he is dowted of many a man. Merlin's supernatural powers, such as the shape-shifting abilities he demonstrates in this episode, cause many people to fear him; and as this passage goes on to indicate, there are many people who would like to see Merlin dead.
261 Arthur aqueynted hym with a mayden. Arthur's brief affair with Lysanor (in Malory she is named Lyonors) results in the begetting of Hoot (in Malory named Borre, and elsewhere named Loholt or Lohoot), who later becomes a good knight of the Round Table. This is presumably the same man mentioned by Malory in the healing of Sir Urry episode called "sir Boarte le Cure Hardy that was kynge Arthurs son" (Vinaver, p. 667). It is notable that Merlin assists Arthur in his affair with Lysanor and that there is no suggestion of moral disapproval.