Identifier: gri_33125012902363 (find matches)
Title: The book of British ballads
Year: 1842 (1840s)
Authors: Hall, S. C. (Samuel Carter), 1800-1889
Subjects: Ballads, English
Publisher: London : J. How
Contributing Library: Getty Research Institute
Digitizing Sponsor: Getty Research Institute

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st loyal have ye been to me, Most true and faithful unto death : And, oh! to rayse ye up again, How freely could I yield my breath! But see, the traitors yet alive, Lo where he stalks among the dead ! Now bitterlye he shall abye ; And vengeance fall upon his head. * O stay, my liege, then sayd the duke ; O stay for love and charitie ;Remember what the vision spake, Nor meet your foe, if it may be. O stay me not, thou worthy wight,This debt my loyal knights I owe : Betide me life, betide me death,I will avenge them of their foe. Then strait he grasped his trusty spear,And on his horse then mounted he : As his butler holpe him to his horse,His bowels gushed to his knee. Alas ! then sayd the noble king, That I should live this sight to see! To see this good knight here be slain,All for his love in helping me ! He put his spear into his rest, And to Sir Mordred loud gan cry ; Now set thyself upon thy guard,For, traitor, now thy death is nye. Franklin, del. T. Armstrong, sc. 130 &j ^ V
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Sir Mordred lifted up his sword, And fierce to meet the king ran he ; The king his spear he through him thrust;A fathom thorow his bodie. When Mordred felt the stroke of death,And found that he was wounded so, He thrust himself upon the spear, And struck the king a deadly blow. Then grimly dyed Sir Mordred, Presently upon that tree ;And bloody streams ran from the king, Ere to the duke returned he.* Sir Lukyn then he thus bespake, Sir knight thou hast been faithfull tryde,Now take my sword Excalibar, That hangs so freely by my syde : O take my sword Excalibar, And there into the river throw ; For here, henceforth, benethe this tree,All use of weapons I forego. * Percy has printed also a ballad, entitled The Legendof King Arthur, from his ancient folio manuscript, inwhich the king relates his own history, describes the battlein which he fell, and mourns over his fate. Reference isthus made to the contest with Sir Mordred:— And still I him pursued with speed Till at the last wee mett:

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