King Richard, Edinburgh, National Library of Scotland, 19.2.1 (Auchinleck)
Introduction, Transcription, and Notes by Leila K. Norako (#LKN) XML Editing and Additional Notes by Caitlin Postal (#CP) Nota Bene: This edition includes the portions of Auchinleck Richard Coer de Lyon found in two separate collections of fragments of that manuscript: Edinburgh University Library MS 218 (fragments: E ff.3ra-4vb) and St Andrews University Library MS PR 2065 R.4 (fragments: S R.4 ff.1ra-2vb)
Lord Ihesu king of glorie1
swiche2 auentour [and] swiche victorie .
þou sentest king richard .
miri it is to heren his stori .3
[and] of him to han in memorie .
þ[at] neuer no was couward.
bokes men makeþ of latyn.
clekes4 witen what is þ[er]ín.
romau[n]ce make folk of Frau[n]ce
of kniʒtes þat wer in destau[n]ce
þat dyed þurth dint of sward .
Of Rouland [and] of Oliver
[and] of þe oþer dusse per
Of alisander [and] charlmeyn.
[and] ector þe gret werrer
[and] of danys le fiz oger.
Of arthour [and] of gaweyn
as þis romau[n]ce of Frenys wrouʒt.
þat mani lewed no knowe nouʒt.
in gest as so we seyn.
þis lewed no can Freyns non.
Among and hundred vnneþe on.
In lede is nouʒt to leyn.
Now les wiþ gode chere
fele of hem wald y here
noble gestes ich vndersond.
of douhtikniʒtes of Inglond.
þer fore now ich il ʒou red
Of a kinge douhti of dede.
king Richard þe werrour best.
þat men findeþ in ani gest.
Nou all þat listen þis ginni[n]g
[Iehsu] hem grant gode ending
A frens kniʒt þe douke miloun.
douke Renaud a bold baroun.
þurth tesoun of þe counte Roys
surri was lorn [and] /e holy croys.
þe douke renaud was hewen smale.
al to peces so seye þe tale
/e douke miloun was grau[n]t his liíf.
[and] fleyʒe oway wiþ his wiif.
he was air of surri lond.
king baudewine sone ich vnderstond
No man wist meuer seþ.
Whar he becom no i[n] what keþ.
Ac þis lere [and] þis pite.
Sprong into al cristianite.
þe holy pope þat hiʒt vrban.
sent to alle cristen men.
[and] asoyled hem of her sinne.
[and] ʒaf hem paradys to winne.
alle þo pat waid þider gon.
to avengy [Ihesu] of his fon.
þe king of Frau[n]ce wiþouten feyle.
þider went wiþ grete bateyle.
þe duke of bloys þe douke of burgoyne
þe duke of ostrike þe douk of sessoyne.
þemperour of almeyn.
þe gode knightes of breteyne.
þerl of ………………………….
………………………………………….
………………………………………….
………………………………………..
In gret wer [and] hunger hard
as ʒe may here her afterward.
In heruest after . þe nativite.
king richard fenge his dignete.
…. þe kinges ʒerd [and] þe crown.
at Winchester in þe gode toun
þe neyʒen day after his fest.
þat was so riche [and] so honest.
he bitoke his lond þe chau[n]celer.
[and] bicom godes palmer.
Oganes godes wiþerwines.
þe erchbischop baudeuines.
bifore went wiþ kniʒtes afine
bi brandis [and] an costen(tine)
Notes
1. Before the start of King Richard there is an illustration depicting Richard cutting the chain in the port of Acre with his ax. When the text begins, the initial L occupies three lines of text and is blue decorated with red ink. The “o” of “lord” has a red decorative dot in its center.↩
2. The “s” in “swiche” is decorated with red ink, as are all initial letters in the lines that follow.↩
3. Starting here, there is a space between the first letter of each initial word and the rest of the word and the rest of the line. ↩
4.The word “clekes” is clearly meant to be “clerkes,” but the copyist seems to have omitted the “r.” ↩
RCLM 