'The Awyntyrs Off Arthure,' Cywryd of Kent, and Lavery Burn.(15th century literature)

1. Cywryd of Kent

Amongst many cruxes in the fifteenth-century Awntyrs off Arthure is one concerning a mysterious 'Krudely of Kent'. He figures in lines 482-7, on tournament preparations at Plumpton Wall, near Penrith, Cumbria.

The king commaunded Krudely, the erlis son of Kent, 'Curtaysly in this case, take kepe to the knight.' With riche dayntees or day he dyned in his tente; After buskes him in a brene that burneshed was bright. Sithen to Wayhour [Guinevere] warly he went; He laft in here warde his worthly wight.(1)

Hanna notes that 'krudely' is the reading of MS Douce 324; the Ireland MS reads 'kindeli'; no name appears in the Lambeth MS; and the Thornton MS is here torn. Though observing that the name 'Krudely' is unknown in Middle English Arthuriana, Hanna retains it as a possible homeograph for a legitimate Arthurian name. He also notes that the Ireland scribe read 'krudely' as an adverb (and vigorously emended it); and that 'krudely' has a palaeographical resemblance to 'Cradoc', who appears in Morte Arthure, but has no explicit link with Kent.(2) The line is …