++“TO yow, ſ{ir} king, as to hir ſou{er}an lorde, My lady hath me chargit for to ſay How that your lond ſtondith i{n} affray; 636 [Sidenote: to say that Galiot has entered Arthur’s land,] For galiot, ſone of the fare gyande, Enterit Is by armys in your land, And ſo the lond and cuntre he anoyth, That quhar he goith planly he diſtroyth, 640 And makith al obeiſand to his honde, [Sidenote: and has conquered all but two castles belonging to his mistress.] That nocht is left wnconqueſt i{n} that lond, Excep two caſtell{is} longing to hir cwre, Wich to defend ſhe may no{ch}t long endure. 644 Wharfor, ſ{ir}, in word{is} plan {and} ſhort, Ye mon diſpone your folk for to ſupport.” [Headnote: ARTHUR’S READINESS FOR WAR.] [Sidenote: The king promises not to delay, and inquires the number of the foe.] “Wel,” q{uod} the king, “one to thi lady ſay The neid is myne, I fall It not delay; 648 But what folk ar thei ne{m}myt for to bee, That in my lond is cu{m}yne in ſich degree?” [Sidenote: “A hundred thousand,” is the reply.] “An hundreth thouſand boith vith ſheld {and} ſpere On hors ar armyt, al redy for the were.” 652 “Wel,” q{uo}d the king, “and but delay this ny{ch}t, Or than to morn as that the day is lycht, [Sidenote: The king says he will set off that very night.] I ſhal remuf; ther ſhal no thing me mak Impedyme{n}t, my Iorney for to tak.” 656 Than ſeith his kny{ch}t{is} al w{i}t{h} one aſſent, [Sidenote: His knights advise him to wait till he has raised an army.] “Shir, that is al contrare our entent; For to your folk this mater is wnwiſt, And ye ar here our few for to reciſt 660 Ȝone power, and youre cuntre to defende; Tharfor abid, and for your folk ye send, That lyk a king and lyk a weriour Ye may ſuſten in armys your honoure.” 664 “Now,” q{uod} the king, “no langer that I ȝeme My crowne, my ſepture, nor my dyademe, Frome that I here, ore frome I wnd{er}ſtand, That ther by fors be entrit in my land 668 Men of armys, by ſtrenth of vyolens, [Sidenote: He refuses to wait longer than till the morrow.] If that I mak abid or reſydens In to o place langar than o ny{ch}t, For to defend my cuntre {and} my ry{ch}t.” 672 The king that day his meſage haith furth sent [Fol. 9b.] Throuch al his realme, and ſyne to reſt is went.