CHAPTER XIX.

In this party sheweth the history, that whan mawgys had delivered Charlemagne in to the handes of Reynawde / and that he was goon as ye have herde, Reynawde called to hym his brethern / and sayd to theym / 'Come hether, my fayr brethern / telle me what we shall doo wyth Charlemagne, that we holde now in our handes / Ye knowe how longe that he hath dommaged vs / and hath doon to vs grete harmes wythoute reyson; wherfore me thynketh that we oughte to avenge vs vpon hym, sith that we have hym.' 'Sire,' sayd Rycharde, 'I canne not saye what ye wyll doo of hym. But, and ye wyll beleve me, he shall be hanged forthe wyth / For after he were deed / there nys no man in all Fraunce that we sholde feere ony thynge' / Whan reynawd vnderstode the counseyll*. [couuseyll, orig.] that rycharde his brother had gyven hym, he loked doun towarde therthe, and began to [folio A.A.v.b] thynke sore / And whan Rycharde sawe hym muse soo, he asked him what he thought / and yf he cared who shold doo execucyon vpon the kyng / ³'For,' sayd Richard³*. [^3—3 omitted, F. orig. C. iv. back.] / 'ye shall not lacke for that, for none other*. [ether, orig.] shall hange him but myself / and that I shall doo evyn a noone / yf ye wyll deliver hym vnto me.' After thise wordes, reynawd ryghted hys hede vp, and sayd, 'My bredern, ye know well that cha[r]lemayn is our soverain lorde / And of thother parte, ye see how rowland, the duk naimes, oger the dane, thePage  403 bysshop turpyn, & also escouff the sone of oedon, are wythin for to make our poyntment wyth Charlemagn / for they know well that we ben in the right, & the kyng in the wrong. And thus yf we kylle hym, be it with ryghte or wyth wrong, all the worlde sholde renne vpon vs; nor never, as longe as we lyve, we shall not be wythoute werre.' And whan reynawd had sayd this / alard spake in thys maner / 'Broder, ye have spoken wysely; but ye see that we canne not have peas wyth Charlemagne by noo wyse. Me semeth that we oughte to aske it of hym ones for all; and yf he wyll not / lete vs kepe hym prysoner'*. [le sans le faire mourir par telle maniere que jamais ne nous fasse guerre ne ennuy, F. orig. C. iv. back.] / 'Brother,' sayd guycharde, 'ye saye well, but my herte telleth me that he shall never make peas with vs nor love vs' / 'Lordes,' sayd rycharde, 'me semeth that we have a goode hede of Reynawde oure broder, thanked be our lorde / the whiche hath governed vs right well hereto / Lete hym shyfte with the kynge as he wyl, and that that he wyll shall be doon' / 'By my feyth,' sayd Alard, 'Richarde speketh well' / And whan they were all accorded to that / that Reynawde sholde doo, ²the foure brethern wente to the chambre where Rowlande was,²*. [^2—2 Ilz laisserent le roy en dormir et alerent en la chambre de rolant, F. orig. C. iv. back.] to whom Reynawde spake in this wyse, 'Syre Rowlande, aryse, I praye you that ye wyll sende for Ogyer, the bisshop Turpyn, and for [folio A.A.vi.a] all other that be here wythin ⁴of the folke of Charlemayne;⁴*. [^4—4 omitted, F. orig. C. iv. back.] For I wyll telle you one thynge' / And whan Rowlande sawe Reynawde ⁴and hys bretherne⁴*. [^4—4 omitted, F. orig. C. iv. back.] atte that tyme of the nyghte ⁴come in to hys chambre,⁴*. [^4—4 omitted, F. orig. C. iv. back.] he was merveylled. Nevertheles he sente for all his felawes / as Reynawde had tolde hym / And whan they were all come, Reynawde stode up and sayd / 'Lordes, ye ben all my frendes,Page  404 god gramercy and you / wherfore I wyll not hyde no thyng from you / Ye muste knowe that I have here wythin a prysoner / by whom I shall have peas, and all myn herytaunce agayne.' 'Reynawde,' sayd Rowlande, 'I praye you tell me what he is; For here is noo man / but that wolde fayne ye sholde doo well.' 'By my soule,' sayd Reynawde, 'it is the grete emperour Charlemagn, to whome all Fraunce belongeth.' And whan Rowland vnderstode thise tydynges, he was sore merveylled of it, and sayd, 'Reynawde, ye telle me now a wondrefull thynge / How have ye taken myn vncle soo lightly?*. [Car de le auoir pris en bataille ne en champnē son ost et pavillion oncques ne fut si recreant, F. orig. C. v.] telle me, & playse you, how ye had hym here wythin / have ye taken hym by force of armes?' 'Naye, verely,' sayd Reynawde*. [richart, F. orig.] / 'telle me thenne how, I praye you,' sayd Rowlande. 'Wyte it,' sayd Reynawde,*. [richart, F. orig.] 'that I wote not how mawgys my cosyn dyde to nyghte / but wel I wote that he hath broughte the kynge here wythin,³ oute of hys pavylion,³*. [^3—3 omitted, F. orig.] and hathe layd hym in a bed / in a chambre, where he is now fast a slepe.'

Whan Rowlande and all his felawes herde thise tydynges, they were gretly abasshed*. [Seigneurs dist le duc naymes bien fait nostre seigneur a ceulx quil luy plait, F. orig. C. v.] / how it myghte be that mawgys sholde brynge the kynge there / ³'I merveylle moche herof,' sayd the duke naymes³*. [^3—3 omitted, F. orig.] / 'For ye knowe well that the kynge made hym selfe to be kepte bothe nyghte and daye well sure.' 'Lordes,' sayd thenne oger / 'all this hath doon our lord for the love of reynawd, by cause he setted hym all to [folio A.A.vi.b] mischeeff ³agenst Reynawde,³*. [^3—3 omitted, F. orig.] and that the werre hathe lasted to longe, the whiche shall now be left, wherof I thanke god for my parte / For many goode knyghtesPage  405 have loste theyr lives for it' / And whan Ogyer had sayd thus / Reynawde toke Rowlande and the other / and broughte theym, alwayes spekynge, vnto the chambre, where Charlemagne laye so faste a slepe that they cowde not awake hym for noo thyng that they cowde doo to hym, For mawgys had chermed him soo harde / And whan the barons sawe the kynge soo harde a slepe / ¹they wondred full sore vpon it, and¹*. [^1—1 omitted, F. orig. C. v.] they were gretely abasshed on it. Thenne spake rowlande fyrste, and said, 'Reynawde, where is mawgys that hath wroughte soo wel to nyghte? I praye you lete hym come here / and that he awake myn vncle Charlemagne oute of his slepe / And whan he shall be awaked, we shall all falle atte his fete / and shal crye hym mercy / And soo I praye you*. [pour dieu et pour lamour de moy, F. orig. C. v. back.] that thoughe yf ye holde myn vncle in your handes / that ye wyll not be the prowder for it in your wordes.' 'By my feythe, syre Rowlande,' sayd Reynawde / 'I wylle that ye knowe / I sholde rather deye than that I sholde saye to my soverayne lorde a fowle worde; But I shall put me, my goodes, and all my brethern to his wylle / to the ende that it wyll playse hym to graunte vs peas wyth hym / And I wyll goo fetche Mawgis to you / ther to doo wyth hym what ye wyll' / And thenne Reynawde wente and soughte Mawgys, the whyche he cowde not fynde / wherof he was full sory / And whan the porter wyste that Reynawde soughte after mawgys, he came to hym and sayd, 'Syre, ye seke hym for noughte, for he wente hys wayes oute ryghte now' / 'And how knoweste thou of it?' sayd Reynawde. 'Syre, wyte it that this nyghte he made me open the gate / and he wente oute vpon [folio A.A.vii.a] your horse bayarde / And he had not / taryed longe whan he broughte a grete man and a bygge vponPage  406 the horse necke afore hym / ¹and wente in, I wote not where¹*. [^1—1 omitted, F. orig. C. v.] / And soone after he came agayne vpon a nother horse / and he had clothed himself pourly. And thenne he made me to open the gate, and he wente out, and he came not sith agayne. And all this is trouthe that I telle you.'

Whan Reynawd had vnderstonde thise wordes, he was soo wrothe that he wyste not what to saye nor doo; For he knewe well by hymselfe that Mawgys was goon his wayes, by cause he wolde noo lenger abyde the wrathe of Charlemagne.*. [ne estre en sa mala grace, F. orig. C. v. back.] Thenne beganne Reynawde for to wepe full tendrely for his cosin that was thus goon / And all wepynge, he came agayne to the barons / and sayd to theim how Mawgys was goon awaye wythoute his knowledge,*. [knowleche, orig.] wherof he was soo wrothe and soo sori that he wente almoste oute of his mynde. And whan Alarde, Guychard / and Rycharde had well vnderstonde this, they beganne to make grete moone / and sorrowed full sore. And thenne Rycharde beganne to saye, 'Ha, my fayr cosyn Mawgys, what shall we doo from hens forthon, sith that we have loste you / We maye well saye that we ben dyscomfyted, For ye were our salvacyon, our socours / and our hope, our counseylle, our refute, our deffence / and our guyde / For it is not yet longe agoo that I sholde have deyed an evyll deth yf I had not be socoured thorughe your helpe / Alas! all the hevynes that ye bere of the wrathe that Charlemagn hath agenst you, cometh oonly by vs' / And whan he had sayd soo, he knacked his teeth for angre, and sayd / 'We ben now well all loste, syth that we have loste Mawgys.' And wyth this, he sette hande to his swerde, and wolde have slayne Charlemagne; [folio A.A.vii.b] but Reynawde drewe hym a syde, And the dukePage  407 Naymes and Ogyer sayd thenne to hym, 'Rycharde, Rycharde / refrayne your courage / For it were not well doon for to kylle a man that slepeth; And also, afore that we shall departe hens, we shall sette all attone, and god wylle.' ¶ Shortely to speke, Oliver and the duke naymes spake soo fayr to Rycharde, that they made hym promyse theym that he sholde doo noo harme to Charlemagne / Nevertheles Rycharde lefte not to make grete sorowe for his cosyn*. [cosym, orig.] mawgys that he had loste; For all theym that sawe hym make soo grete mone, had pite to see hym. It was not merveylle yf Rycharde made sorow for Mawgys, For I promyse you he had grete nede of hym not longe after, And soo had all hys brethern / as ye shall here /

Alle thus as the four sones of Aymon made theyr mone for the love of theyr cosyn maugys, The duke Naymes beganne to speke / and sayd in this wyse: 'By god, lordes, ye doo not well for to make soo grete sorow!*. [car je ne vis jamais riens gaigner en perte que lon fasse pour en demener dueil, F. orig. C. vi.] I praye you leve this hevynes / And lete vs begynne to speke of your peas that muste be made wyth the emperour charlemagne, that an ende maye be had of this werre that hathe endured soo longe' / 'By god,' sayd Rowlande, 'ye be passynge slowe thervpon. And also we muste fyrste have hys merci, or ever we move ony thynge of the peas / For ye wote well that I left him by cause that peas shold be made'*. [qui a trop dure, F. orig. C. vi.] / 'syr,' sayd the duke naymes, 'ye speke wysely and well / but how shall we speke wyth hym wythoute Mawgys were here / we can not awake hym / And but yf god remedyeth it / we shall never speke wyth hym.' But all thus as the barons speke in thys wyse, The charme that Mawgys had sette vpon Charlemagne was comePage  408 at an ende, ¹and the strength of it [folio A.A.viii.a] was passed¹*. [^1—1 omitted, F. orig.] / And sodeynly Charlemagne beganne to move his body, and arose anone vpon his fete / and ryght sore abasshed, loked all a boute hym / And whan he sawe that he was atte mountalban, in the subgectyon of Reynawde the sone of Aymon / he was sore an angred / and made suche sorrow for it / soo that all they that were there, trowed that he had be mad, ¹and from hym selfe.¹*. [^1—1 omitted, F. orig.] And whan hys wyttes were come to hym agayne, he knewe well that mawgys had doon it to hym, and sware that, as longe as he were man on live, he sholde make noo peas tyll that he were oute of mountalban / and that men had broughte mawgys to hym*. [pour en faire sa volente, F. orig. C. vi. back.] / And whan Rycharde vnderstode this that Charlemagne sayd, he beganne to saye in this wyse / 'How the devyll dare ye thus speke / syre, ye see well that ye be our prysoner / And yet ye threten vs / I make to god myn a vowe and to saynte peter, were not that I have promysed / that I shall not doo to you noo harme atte this tyme, I sholde stryke the hede from the body of you' / 'Holde your peas,' sayd Reynawde, 'lete the kyng say his wyll, ¹ye are over besy in your wordes¹*. [^1—1 omitted, F. orig.] / And lete vs all pray hym that he wyll pardonne vs, For the werre hath lasted to longe; cursed be he that beganne it / For grete evylles and harmes are happeth therby' /

Reynawde was wyse and well taughte for to stylle thus hys bretherne, to whome he sayd / 'My lordes my brethern, yf it playse you / ye shall come wyth me / for to crie mercy to our sovereyne lorde the kynge Charlemagne.' 'Reynawde,' sayd alarde / 'we shall doo all that ye wylle.' 'By my feythe,' sayd the duke naymes, 'My lordes, ye doo wysely, and I promyse you that all goode shall come to you therof' /Page  409 Thenne reynawde and all his bretherne, and Rowlande, and oliver, and Ogyer the dane, the duke Naymes, the [folio A.A.viii.b] bysshop Turpyn / and Escouf the sone of oedon / beganne all to falle on theyr knees byfore the emperour / And Reynawd spake fyrste / and sayd in this maner of wyse: 'Noble emperour, have mercy of vs! for I and my brethern, we yelde vs vnto you for to do your playsure of vs / and your wyll be so that our lives be saved / And there is noo thynge but that we wyll doo*. [dooo, orig.] it for the love of you, if it playse you to graunte vs peas wyth you. And for that pyte and pardonne that god gaaf vnto mary magdalene whan she wasshed his fete in the house of Symeon / goode syre, have pyte of vs! And yf it playse you not to pardonne me / atte the leest pardonne my brethern, And take theym agen their londes / and I shall gyve you mountalban, and bayarde, my good horse; And soo shall I goo in to the holy londe, I and Mawgys, where we shall serve to the temple of our lorde.' And whan Charlemagne herde reynaude speke thus / he blastred all for angre / and sayd, 'by that goode lorde that made me / yf all the worlde speke to me therof / yet sholde I never consente me to noo peas / but I have mawgis in my handes for to doo my wyll vpon hym.'*. [a celle fin que je luy face tout detrancher, F. orig. C. vii.] 'Alas,' sayd thenne reynawde / 'now have I herde that worde bytynge, wherof I am all dysperate / For I shold rather lete my selfe be hanged / than that I sholde consente to the deth of mawgis my good cosin; For he hath not deserved towarde vs that we sholde betraye him / but rather he were worthy by reysen for to be lord above vs' / 'Reynawd,' sayd thenne charlemagn / 'thynke not, thoughe I am your prysoner, that ye shall make me doo ony thynge agenst my wyll.' 'syre,' sayd reynawde / 'wyte it that myn entent is to meke my selfePage  410 towarde you / for I have lever that we suffre wrong of you, than ye of vs / now tell me, sir, how I shall deliver you mawgis, that is our liff, hope, socours, our comforte, our sheelde, [folio B.B.i.a] our spere, and also our swerd / our brede, our wyne, and oure flesshe / also our refute, our mayster, our guyde / and our defence in all places / wherby, syre, I telle you, that yf ye had all my brothern in your prison / and that ye sholde make theym to be hanged, and that mawgis were wythin my power & wyth me / yet wold I not yelde hym vnto you for to quyte wythal my bredern. And also I swere you, vpon my feyth, that I wote not where he is goon: god wote it.' 'Ha,' sayd the kynge charlemagne, 'goddys curse have he / for I am sure he is here wythin you' / 'he is not,' sayd reynawd, 'I take it vpon my baptysme' / And thenne reynawde torned hymselfe towarde rowlande & the other barons, & sayd to theym / 'Lordes, I beseche you for god, that it wyll playse you to praye our sovereyne lorde the kynge, that he wyll have mercy of me & of my brethern / to thende that peas maye be had in fraunce, yf it playse him' / And thenne naymes, that was knelinge vpon hys knees / and that herde that reynawde had sayd, & wyst well that he spake but wel, sayd to themperour in this wyse / 'Sire, I praye you that ye wyll not be dy[s]playsed of that I shall telle you / ye knowe, sire, that I am surete for reynawde / and soo is ogyer the dane; but me semeth that we oughte now to be dyscharged therof / ²sith that ye be here present wythin his castell;²*. [^2—2 comment savez, F. orig. C. vii. back.] but a nother thynge I wyll telle you / me thynke that ye ought to take that*. [belle offerte, F. orig. C. vii. back.] therle reynawd proffereth to you, or that ony more harme come to you therof; and so helpe me god, ye shall doo well / And all they of your courte shall bePage  411 gladde of it' / And whan the barons herde this that naymes had sayd to the kyng, they spoke all & sayd, 'Syre, doo that the duke naymes hath tolde you, for he hath gyven you goode counseylle and true; And yf ye doo it not, ye shall come to late for to repente you of it.*. [Et de ce faire vous prions, C. vii. back.]'

[folio B.B.i.b] Whan Charlemagn vnderstode this that the duke naymes had sayd to hym, he was right wrothe for it / For hys herte was soo harde astonyed wyth grete angre, that he tooke noo hede of good counseyll; And he sware by saynt Denys of fraunce that he sholde not doo it for noo man / but yf he had fyrste mawgys in his handes, for to doo hys wyll over hym. And whan reynawde herde thise wordes, he bluste red in his face for angre, and rose vp from knelyng, his brethern & all the other barons also. And thenne reynawde said to rowlande & to all the other lordes that were there / 'Syre, I wyll well that charlemagne knowe my wylle ³& myn entente³*. [^3—3 omitted, F. orig.] / the whiche I shall shewe afore hym vnto you. Wyte it, that sith I can fynde noo mercy in hym / I praye you that ye wyl not blame me fromhens forthon yf I seke my right, For I shall seke it in all the maners that a true knyghte oughte to doo' / And whan Reynawde had sayd this, he tourned hym towarde the kyng / and sayd to hym / 'Syre, ye maye goo hens whan it playseth you / for by my soule ye shall have noo harme of me now / for ye be my soverayne lorde; ⁴and wyth good wyll⁴*. [^4—4 Et quant dieu plaira .. F. orig. C. viii.] we shall be in good peas wyth you' /

The barons of fraunce that were there, wondred sore of the grete kyndenes of reynawd / Thenne sayd the duk naymes, 'have ye herde the grete humylite of the noble knyghte reynawde?' 'By my soule,' saidPage  412 rowlande*. [olivier, F. orig.] / 'reynawde saythe merveyllously / ²I wolde not have trowed that he sholde ever have fared soo fayr wyth charlemagne'²*. [^2—2 Je ne leusse jamais cuide, F. orig. c. viii.] / And whan rycharde vnderstode that / that his broder reynawd had sayd, he spake in this wyse: 'Broder Reynawde, I holde you mad. what wyll ye doo / ye see that we have in our handes this vengable kyng / the whiche we maye kylle, or elles suffre hym to live; & yet he is set so sore to pryde, [folio B.B.ii.a] that he wyll doo no thyng that his good counseylle telleth hym / but he thretneth vs alwayes more & more / and ye wyll lete hym goo thus away. Surely, brother, yf he scapeth vs soo, he shall yet angre vs right sore; and I promyse you, yf he had vs as we now have hym, he sholde make vs to deie shamfully; not all the golde in the worlde sholde not save vs therfro / And therfore I telle you that ye doo grete foly to lete hym goo thus awaye / For, & ye wyll, ye shall now make our peas; but me semeth ye seke none other but your deth / Wherof I pray god, yf ye suffre hym thus to goo awaye / that he maye make you deye a shamfull deth' / And whan reynawde herde his broder speke soo, he was wrothe, & sayd to hym in angre / 'holde your peas, brother / for he shall goo his wayes quyte / wyll you or noo; and the peas shall be made ⁴whan he wyll,⁴*. [^4—4 quant dieu plaira, F. orig. C. viii.] & no soner it shal not be, ⁵for there vnto he shall not be compelled of me⁵*. [^5—5 omitted, F. orig. C. viii.] / and go you hens from me / ⁵for your grete wordes dysplayseth me'⁵*. [^5—5 omitted, F. orig. C. viii.] /

Whan reynawd had sayd this / he dyd call a gentylman of his, to whom he sayd / 'goo lightly, wythoute ony taryenge, to the yoman of myn horses, and byd hym bryng me my horse bayard, For I wyll that my soverayn lord ryde vpon hym vnto his oost, for he rode never vpon no better horse.' AndPage  413 whan rycharde herde this, he went fro thens all swellynge wyth angre as a fiersfull lion, bycause he knewe that Charlemagne shold goo soo / And wyte it, that the kynge charlemagne herde & vnderstode well all thise wordes, but he durste not saye noo thynge / soo sore he fered the fiersnes of the yonge rycharde. This hangynge, cam there agen the gentylman that was goon for bayard, whiche he brought wyth hym. And thenne Reynawd toke his good horse Bayard,*. [par le frein, F. orig. C. viii. back.] and came to Charlemagne / and sayd to hym / 'Syre, ye may lighte whan it playse you, and goo atte your lyberte / for to [folio B.B.ii.b] comforte your folke / whiche I am sure / ben full sory for the takynge of you' / And when charlemagn saw this, he lighted anone vpon bayarde, and went oute of mountalban for to goo to his oost / And reynawde conveyd hym to the gate of mountalban. and whan the kynge was goon, he made the gate to be shet anone. And the frensheman that sawe their kynge come agen, they were ryght glad / and receyved hym worthely. and after, they asked hym how it went wyth him, and yf he had graunted the peas / 'Lordes, it is well wyth me, god gramerci / but of peas I have made none, nor never shall as longe as I am man a live, for noo man that shall speke to me of it / but yf I have the traytour Mawgys, for to doo wyth hym my wyll' / 'Syr,' sayd some of his barons, 'how have ye be deliverde?' 'by my feyth,' sayd charlemagn, 'Reynawd hath deliverde me agenst the wyll of his bredern, all quyte at my liberte.' 'Syr,' sayd the barons, 'have ye not seen rowlande, oliver, the duke naymes, the bysshop turpyn, ogyer the dane, nor escouf the sone of oedon?' 'ye, surely,' sayd charlemagne, 'but they have all forsake me for the love of reynawd; wherof, bi that god that hynge vpon the crosse, yf I can have theimPage  414 agen, I shall shewe theym that they have not doon well.' and whan he had sayd thus / he lighted from bayarde, & made hym to be broughte agen to reynawd / And whan reynawd sawe bayarde, that charlemagn had sent hym agen, he called rowland & his felawes, & sayd to theym / 'Fayr lordes, I knowe well that ye be not in the grace of the grete kynge charlemagn / for the love of me / but I wyll not that ye have mawgre for me nor for my brethern / and therfor, fayr lordes, I quyte you all quarelles that I maye laye vpon you and gyve you leve to goo whan it playse you.' And whan the duke naymes vnderstode the kyndnes of the hert of Reynawde, that was [folio B.B.iii.a] soo noble / he thanked him highly, and kissed & enbrased him for grete love / and wolde have kneled doun afore hym / but reynawd wold not suffre hym / Thenne the duke naymes began to saye, 'lete vs thynke to goo after the king charlemagn your vncle / sith it playseth reynawd to gyve vs leve.' 'naimes,' sayd rowland / 'how can we doo this / shall we leve reynawde, the whiche ye see myn vncle wyll dystroye wrongfully?' 'Syr,' sayd the duke naymes, 'here me, yf it playse you. I counseill that we goo hens / and whan we shall be afore charlemagn / we shall aske hym how reynawd dyde deliver hym; for yf we speke to hym of peas, he shall be wrothe wyth vs; but whan he shall remembre the grete goodnes & curtesi of Reynawde / his herte shall be molifyed / and it can not be but he shall doo to hym som grace & favour / for he shall knowe well*. [quil a grant tort et trop dur cueur, F. orig. D. i.] that hys hert is overgrete / ³and that he hath doon to reinawd grete wrong'³*. [^3—3 omitted, F. orig. D. i.] / 'Certes, sir naymes,' sayd the barons / 'ye speke wysly, and ye gyve right good counseylle' / AndPage  415 whan they were accorded to the counseille of the duke naymes / Rowlande asked after his horse, and eche of the other barons also. And whan they were redy for to lighte on horsbacke / there cam my lady clare, the wyf of reynawde, that kyssed rowlande, oliver, & all theother barons. and after, she sayd to theim in this maner: 'Lordes that be here present, I beseche you in the name of god, & for his blessed passyon, that it playseth you for to purchace the peas of my lord reynawde / and semblably of his brethern, towarde the grete kyng charlemagn. Ye knowe, my lordes, that the kyng doth to my lord grete wronge, and also ye know the grete curtesie & the kyndnes that my lord my husbonde hath shewed vnto Charlemagn / and well ye wote that yf my lorde had not be / his brother richarde wolde have stryked the hede fro the body of hym' / 'Madam,' [folio B.B.iii.b] sayd the duke naymes, 'doubte not / For and god be playsed, the peas shall be made wythin thise thre dayes.' And thenne they lighted all on horsbacke / and the brethern of reynawde conveyed theym to the gate. and reynawde taryed after theym vpon the brydge / and whan they were come to the sayd bridge / Reynawde sayd to theym, 'My lordes, I comende you to god / I maye no lenger goo wyth you / prayeng that ye wyll have me in your remembraunce.' Thenne all the peres of fraunce that were there began to wepe tenderly / ²and toke their leve of reynawde, the noble knyghte²*. [^2—2 en luy commandant a dieu disant regnault dieu vous begnie. Et si vous aye en sa garde, F. orig. D. i.] / and after they toke their waye towarde the oost of charlemagn. And whan themperour sawe theym com, he called to hym his barons, & shewed theim they that were comyng / And whan the barons sawe theym, they merveylledPage  416 gretly, & had grete fere, for they wist not what it was / but [Gu]ydellon the erle sayd / 'By god, we have recoverde rowland & his felawes.' 'Ye,' sayd charlemagne / 'goddys curse have they!' This hangyng, rowlande & his felawes cam tofore charlemagne / and lighted a fote / and incontynente they kneled humbly afore the kyng / and thenne the duke naymes began to speke fyrste, & sayd, 'Noble emperour, we are come in your presence for to crie you mercy, besechynge you for god that it wyll playse you to take vs vnto your good grace, for we have doon noo thynge agenst you / but that it was for your wele. But sith that we have knowen that your wyll was not to have peas / we have forsaken Reynawd & all his brethern; nor never, whyle we ben a live, they shall have noo socours of vs' / 'Lordes,' sayd Charlemagn, 'I pardonne*. [pardonue, orig.] you; but I telle you, yf we tary here longe styll / we shall have lityll gaynes therby. wherfore, I praye you that we goo assawte mountalban bothe by daye & by nyght, by suche maner that he be taken of vs incontinent, and they all that [folio B.B.iv.a] ben in it broughte to deth.' 'Syr,' sayd the duke naymes, 'ye sai well / but and yf ony mysfortune happeth to vs, as it hathe doon here a fore tyme, I promyse you it shall be to you grete dommage; and me semeth it were moche better to have peas than for to contynewe the werre.'

And whan the barons of fraunce herde this that the duke naymes had sayd to the kynge / they began to crye wyth an highe voys / 'Syre emperour / we praye you that ye wyll doo this that naymes counseylleth you, For he gyveth you good counseyll.' Whan Charlemagne herde the crye that his folke made to hym, he came to the duke Naymes, that was kneling afore hym / and toke hym vp / and in like wyse his nevew rowlande, & all the other, and sayd toPage  417 theym, 'My lordes, ye knowe that I have pardonned you wyth ry[g]ht good wyll / but I wyll well that ye know, but yf ye kepe yourselfe from helpynge of my enmyes mortall / I shall angre you vpon your bodies; For I hate theym so moche, that yf I shold abyde here all my liff / I shall dystroye theym.' And wite it, that Charlemagne was glad that he had recovered his nevewe rowlande & his other peres; how be it, he made no semblaunt of it. And he sayd yet agen / that he shold never departe from his seege tyll that he had taken mountalban & alle the four sones of aymon / wherof he shall doo sharpe iustyce, and shall doo brenne mawgis the false traytour / 'Syre,' sayd rowlande, 'I promyse you that mawgys is not wythin mountalban / for he fereth you somoche that he dare not abyde you, leest ye sholde make hym to be hanged, by cause he dyde stele you so falsly oute of your oost.' 'Ha, god,' sayd Charlemagne, 'whan shall I see that I have hym for to doo my wyll of him, For thenne the sones of aymon sholde soone be agreed with me.'

[folio B.B.iv.b] Thenne whan the kyng charlemagn had devysed longe ynoughe, he gaff leve to all his barons for to goo agen in to theyr tentes for to see theyr folke. And whan the morow cam / all the barons came agen to charlemagne / and whan the kyng sawe theim togyder wythin his pavylion / he was therof gladde / and spake to theym thus / 'Lordes, I have beseged mountalban as nere, as ye see; and I am not disposed for to parte hens, nother for colde, for hete, nor for hungre, vnto the tyme that I have taken hym by fyne force / the whiche thynge shall be lyghtly doon / for I am sure that thei shall waunt vytaylles wythin / And worse is for theim, thei have lost the traytour mawgys, whiche was theyr hope and comfort. wherfore,Page  418 I saye that they can not holde it longe agenst my power.' whan the barons herde that charlemain thretened reynawde soo sore / there was none of theym but they were sory for it / for the moost parte of theim loved reynawde, for the worthynes & the kyndnes that was in him. Thenne spake the duke naymes, & sayd to themperour, 'Sir, ye say that they of mountalban be dyspurueyd of mete, and that ye shall not departe fro the siege tyll that ye have taken the castell, & that is a thyng that shall be doon lightli. but I promyse you, yf ye tary to their vitaylles be doo, ye shal lie here lenger than ye wene of / Wherfore, sir, I beseche you, syr, that it wyll playse you to byleve my counseyll, yf it semeth you good / fyrst take hede to the curtesy that reynawde hath doon to you; for ye wote well that yf he had not be, his brother Rycharde sholde have slayn you / al the gold in the worlde sholde not have saved you / Item, thinke also in the grete mekenes that he hath alwayes shewed to you / also for the grete trust that he hathe had in you / he lened you his good horse bayard, that hath no matche in all the world / sir, yf ye overthynke wel al, ye shall [folio B.B.v.a] fynde that noo man dyde never to none other soo grete curtesie as reynawd hath doon to you. and of that other parte, he & his bredern ben suche knyghtes, as everi body knoweth / I swere to you, sire, by all halowen, that or ever ye shall take mountalban, Reynawde & his bretherne shall bere to you suche dommage, wherof ye shall be wroth. And yet ye oughte well to take hede how we waist & dystroye the countrey & the feldes, and grete good ye doo dispende / whiche for your honour were better to be employed vpon the sarrasins, than vpon the four sones of aymon / for the sarrasins ben now in rest, makyng grete ioye forPage  419 the cause of this werre / and they do wel, For werre hath lefte theim / and it is come among ourself so horrible & soo cruell, that many noble and worthy knightes ben deed therof.'

The kyng charlemagn was sore abashed / whan he herde the duke naymes speke so, and it moved his blode full sore, & becam pale as a white cloth for the grete wrathe that he had at his herte, and casted a side his sighte angrely vpon the duke naymes, & sayd to hym by grete wrath, 'Duke naymes, by the feyth that I owe to that blessed lady that conceyved the sone of god in her virgynyte / that if ther be ony man soo hardy to speke more to me of accorde to be made wyth the four sones of aymon, I shall never love him, but I shall angre hym on his body / For I am not disposed to make peas with theim for noo thing that can be sayd / but I shall hange theim what soever it cost me, or I departe from this siege.' Whan the barons herde charlemagn speke thus proudly / they were sore merveylled of it / and lefte to talke of this matere. But whan oger sawe that all the barons helde theim stylle, he began to saye to the kyng charlemagn / 'Cursed be the hour [folio B.B.v.b] that reynawd suffred not rychard to smyte of your hede / for ye had not thretened him soo now' / And whan charlemagn herde that oger sayd to him / he bowed his necke, & loked dou[n]warde all pensifull; & sin he said, 'now, lordes, make you redy, and see that every man fall to his armures / for I wyl now gyve assaute to mountalban' / And whan the frenshemen herde the commaundemente of the kynge, they made noo taryenge, but went & armed theymself. And whan they were all redy, they cam in good ordynaunce, and broughte ladders & other instrumentes wyth theim ²for to sawte wythall the castelle,²*. [^2—2 omitted, F. orig. D. iii.] & engynes for to brekePage  420 doun the walles, and presented theym byfore charlemagn for to acomplisshe hys wyll / and whan the kynge sawe theym soo well appareylled, he commaunded theym to goo sawte the stronge castell of Mountalban.

And assone that reynawd saw his enmyes com, he called his broder alard, & sayd to him, 'Broder, I pray you take bondy, my good horne, & blowe in it strongly / to thende that our folke arme theymself whan thei here it, for here comen the frenshemen for to sawte vs.' Whan alard vnderstode the commaundement of reynawde / he toke bondy, and blewe in wyth soo grete a wynde thre tymes, that all they of the castell herde it / and were all abashed wyth; and wythoute ony taryeng they went & armed theymself, and lightly gate vpon the walles for to defende the castell. Nevertheles, the frenshemen came nere, & entred in to the dyches as hogges doon in a myre / and dressed vp their ladders to the walles / But wyte it, that they of wythin the castelle beganne to deffende so strongly with castynge of stones, that thei dommaged sore the frenshemen, so that many of them lay deed within [folio B.B.vi.a] the dyches; for reynawd & his bredern dyde there so grete faytes of armes that no body myght endure their strokes / who had seen the poure duches & her yong children at that sawte brynge stones to reynawd & to his bredern vpon the walles, he wolde have had pyte of it / For the two yonge sones of Reynawde sayd to their vncles / 'holde our vncles thise stones / for they ben grete ynoughe.' Suche defence made they of mountalban, that they overthrewe theym that were vpon ye ladders to the botom of ye diches, all deed & sore wounded / and whan the kyng charlemagne sawe this, he was wrothe, for he knewe thenne well that he sholde never takePage  421 mountalban by force, nor also the noble knyghtes that were wythin it / as Reynawde & his bredern / And therfore he made the trompet to be blowen / to calle his folke abacke, wyth so grete angre that he was almost mad / and whan the frenshemen herde blowe the retrete, thei were glad, for thei were shrewdly handled; and I promyse you that charlemagne lefte suche a company deed wythin the dyche that he long after was / full sory for it

Whan Charlemagn & all his folke were wythdrawen agen / he began to swere saynt denys of fraunce that he shold never departe thens tyll he had famysshed Reynawde & his bredern*. [et tous ses gens, F. orig. D. iii. back.] wythin the castell of mountalban / and thenne he commaunded, that a fore every gate of the castell shold be layed two hundred knyghtes / for to kepe, that noo body myghte in nor oughte / but he shold be take / And whan reynawd sawe that, he kneled doun vpon his knees, and heved vp his handes towarde heven, & sayd, 'Good lord, that suffred deth on ye crosse, I beseeche you that ye wyll graunte vs that grace that we mai have peas with charlemain & save our lives.' and whan richard herde the prayer of reynawd, he toke hede to it, & sayd, 'Brother / I promyse you yf ye wolde have beleved me, we [folio B.B.vi.b] sholde now have be in good reste & peas / For Charlemagn wolde have be glad therof for to save his liff / Ye knowe that our cosyn mawgys broughte him not here for none other cause to be our prisoner / but to the entent that we sholde make our peas; but ye wolde not take hede to it / whan we myghte have had our wyll; and I promyse you we shal not now doo as we wolde.'

Themperour charlemagn abode soo long at the siege afore mountalban / that they that were wythin itPage  422 had grete nede of vytaylles / for he that had ony mete, he hyd it incontynent. and soo grete scarstee of vitaylles was there wythin a while, that men cowde gete there noo mete for golde nor for silver / ¹And many other fell doun at grounde here, & there soo feynt for hungre,¹*. [^1—1 Et commenca le pays a lentour a deffaillir de viures, F. orig. D. iv.] that it was grete pyte for to see / for the derthe was there soo grete, that thone broder hydde his mete from the other / and the fader fro the childe / and the childe fro ye fader, & fro the moder / And shortly to speke, I promyse you, that the pour folke deyed for hungre by the stretes / and with this, was soo grete stenche wythin mountalban of the deed were there, that noo man cowde endure it. And whan reynawde sawe this, he was sory for it. and thenne he dyde do make a grete charnell, wherin he made all the deed bodies to be buryed. And whan richarde sawe so grete mortalite wythin the castell of mountalban, thrughe cause of the grete derth that was there / and sawe his broder reynawd in so grete distresse / he cowde not forbere / but he said to hym, 'by god, my broder now gooth it worse than ever it dyde! it had be moche beter if ye had byleved me / For yf ye wolde have suffred me to slee the kynge Charlemagne / we sholde now not have be in this myscheef and grete poverte that we have now / nor your folke had not deied for hungre as thei doo' / and thenne he [folio B.B.vii.a] began to wepe tenderly / and sayd, 'Alas! why doo I complayn other? I myghte well complayn myselfe, sith that I must deye, & be put in to the charnell as the pourest of vs all. Ha, mawgis, my fayr cosin / where be ye now? ye faylle vs at our nede; for & ye were here wythin wyth vs, we sholde not be famyshed for hungre / and also we sholde not doubte moche the kyng charlemagn; for I wote well that yePage  423 sholde gete vs vitaylles ynoughe to live vpon, for vs & our men / and now we muste deye for hungre, as the wulff sholde vpon a see / for charlemagne hateth vs more than he dooth the sarrasins. And therfor it is not for vs to wayte after pyte of hym / for he is over cruell a kyng vpon us' /

Charlemagn,*. [Charleamgn, orig.] by the reporte of som folke / knew the grete derthe & scarste of vytailles that was wythin mountalban / wherof he was right glad / and called to hym his folke / and sayd to theym, 'Lordes, now can not reynawde escape / but he shall soone be taken & hanged / and the false richarde drawen at an horse taylle / and alarde & guycharde also, and theyr worthynes shall be lityll worthe to theym.'

And whan the kyng charlemagn had sayd thise wordes, he sent for all his peres & barons / and whan they were all come wythin his pavylion / he was glad of it, & sayd to theym, 'Lordes, thanked be god that I have brought mountalban so lowe, that reynawd & his knyghtes have no more vitaylles in it / and now they shall yelde theymselfe at my wyll, mawgre their teeth, for the moost parte of theyr folkes ben deed for hungre / and yet [they] deyen dayly, and ye must wyte I wil that reynawde be hanged & his bredern also, but first I wyl that Richarde be drawen atte an horse taylle / And soo I charge you that none of you be so hardy to move my wyll to the contrary. For I wyll that it [folio B.B.vii.b] be doon as I saye' / Whan the duke naymes, rowlande, oliver, oger, the bysshop turpyn, & escouff the sone of oedan, that were there, herde the kynge speke thus, thei were right sory, for the love of reynawde & of his bredern / and loked doun, & sayd no worde at al, for fere that they shold be shent of the kyng / and oger wyth grete peyne kept his eyen fro wepyng, leest charlemagn shold not perceyve his sorowfull herte.

Page  424Here ye ought to wyte that, duryng the tyme that charlemagn laye at the sege afore mountalban persecutyng the four sones of aymon, Reynawde, alarde, guychard, & Rycharde / aymon their fader helde the party of the kyng agenste his children, for he had promysed hym to doo so / as ye have herde above / but wyte it, that whan he herde how the emperour thretned his children, how be it that he had forsaken theym, he was wrothe for it / for he knewe well, if his children deyed soo he sholde never have ioye after that. For what soever werre he made agenst theim, he loved theim kyndly, as the fader oughte to love the childe, for *. [natnre, orig.]nature maye not lie. And therfore he toke soo grete sorow, whan he herde of his sones that they were thretned to be hanged, that he almost fell doun deed to the grounde; and of the grete sorow that he had, cowde not kepe himself, but he sayd / 'Syr emperour, I beseche you that it wyll playse you to bryng my chyldren to right / For thoughe I have forsake theim / yet are thei my sones of my body begoten' / 'holde your peas, aymon,' sayd charlemagn / 'for I wyll that it be so doon of theym / For reynawd dyde slee my nevewe berthelot, that I loued so moche.' And after he torned hymself, & sawe the barons that spake thone to thother, & sayd to theim / 'Lordes, leve your musyng! for I tell you for a trouth, that I shall not leve to doo herin my wyll, for no man that speketh / ye wote wel it is iij yere goon sith we beseged this [folio B.B.viii.a] castel first, and ever sin have layen here, where we have lost many of our folke / wherfore I commaunde you, that eyther of you doo make engynes for to bryng doun this grete towre & all the remenaunt also / For wyth suche maner we shall abashe theim gretly / and ye, my nevew rowland, ye shall doo make of the engynes vii. and oliver shall doo make vi. the duke naymes iiii. the bysshop turpyn &Page  425 oger the dane other iiii.' / 'and ye duke aymon,' sayd ye kyng charlemagn, 'ye shall make thre' /

'How shold I now doo this, good lord,' said thenne aymon, 'for, sir emperour, ye knowe well that they be my chyldren, nother truantes nor knaves / but be the best knyghtes of the worlde / and soo I tell you, syr, that yf I sawe theym deye / I shold forgoo my wyttes for angre.' And whan charlemagn herde aymon speke thus, he was wroth, & began to gnawe on a staff that he helde in his hande, & after sayd / 'By that god that made me, yf there be ony of you that gaynsayth my wyll, I shall stryke of his hede wyth my swerde' / 'syr,' sayd the duke naymes, 'angre not your selfe / For that that ye have commaunded, shall be doon incontynent' / Whan the barons vnderstode the commaundement of charlemagne / thei went their waye for to do make the engynes that the kyng had commaunded, the whiche were anone made redi, and thise engynes were for to cast grete multytude of stones / And as sone that thei were made, thei were set for to cast agenste mountalban, and in [a] short tyme they dommaged it full sore / and soo I promise you that wythin the castel were made grete criyng of wimen & of children / and for fere of the stones, thei went & hid them vnder the grounde; and so thei of mountalban endured this mischeff aslong as thei had ony morsell of mete / And I ensure you that there was soo grete derth & soo grete mortalite that men wyst nomore where to laye the deed / For the [folio B.B.viii.b] charnell was all full / Alas, who had seen soo yonge bachelers / that for feintnes went lenyng vpon their staves thrugh mountalban for lacke of mete / he wold have had grete pyte / For a fore that the castell was beseged, they were so strong & soo myghty that none cowde have overcom theim; but they were thennePage  426 soo feble that they felle where thei wente, musselinge in the grounde as hogges.

And whan reynaude saw the grete pyte that was amonge his folke, he had of it grete sorow, bicause he myght not put noo remedy thereto; and thenne he began to say in himselfe, 'O good lord, what maye I now doo / now I see well that my wytte avaylleth me noo thyng / for I wote not where to seke vytaylles / Alas god! where may maugys be now, that he knowe not my grete nede, & the outrage that Charlemagne doothe to vs' / And whan the good lady Clare sawe her lord reynaude, that complayned hymself soo piteusly / she began to saye vnto hym in this wyse, 'Forsooth, my lord, ye do not well for to dyscomfyte yourselfe soo sore / for ye discourage vs all wythin; moreover, I promyse you that here ben yet wythin moo than a hundred horses / I praye you lete one of theim be kylled, and ye, myselfe, & our poure children shall ete of it, for it is more than thre dayes agoo that they nor I ete ony thing that dyd vs good / and whan she had sayd this she fell doun in a swoune at the fete of reynaude her husbonde, for grete feblenes for lacke of mete. And whan reynawde sawe her fall, he toke her vp anone in his armes, and after that she was come agen to herself / she sayd, all wepynge / 'Alas, dere lady mary, what shall I poure wretche doo, for all my herte faylleth me / And almoste wyll my soule departe, all soo sore is my body famysshed. Alas, my chyldren, who sholde ever have wende that ye sholde have deyed for hungre' /

[folio C.C.i.a] Whan Reynawde sawe the grete dystresse wherin hys wyff was, he had grete pyte of her, and the teeres began to falle over the chekes of him, and all wepyng he wente to his stable / and there he made a horse to be slayn, the whiche he made to be dressed forPage  427 mete to hys folke / but I promyse you that horse flesshe lasted not longe afore theym / For they were men ynow to ete it vp lightly. And here ye must knowe that all the horses that were wythin mountalban were in lyke wyse eten one after a nother except four, that is to wyte, bayarde, & the horses of the thre brethern of Reynawde, the whiche four horses they wolde not ete by cause they wolde not be a fote / And whan Reynawd sawe that there was noo more thynge that they myghte ete / he called his bredern, & sayd to theym, 'Fayr bredern, w[h]at shall we doo? we have noo more fode to take vs to, but oonly our four horses that are lefte vs alive. Lete vs doo kylle one of theym that our folke maye ete wyth vs. 'By my hede,' sayd richard, 'that shal not be myn / and yf ye have lust to it, lete yours be slayn / for ye shall not have myn. And yf ye have grete myscheef, ye be well worthy / For thrughe your pryde we are brought in this plighte / by cause that ye lete goo the kynge charlemagne; for and ye had byleved me, this grete myshappe had not befalle vs' / This hangyng, came the lityll Aymon, the sone of Reynawde, that sayd to rycharde in this maner, 'Holde your peas, myn vncle / for that thyng that may not be amended / men oughte to lete it passe in the best wyse; For it is to shamfull to reherse that / that is passed; but doo as my fader commaundeth you / and ye shall doo well. For ye doo not well to angre him soo as ye doo; and thoughe he hath myssed of his entente, he hath boughte it dere ynoughe, as well as we. Yf the kyng charlemagn hath adommaged you long, it may [folio C.C.i.b] well hap that god shall helpe you, or ought long, yf it playse hym; and I byleve certeynly that he shall doo soo / for the kindeness that my lorde my fader dyde shewe vnto charlemagne, whan he had hym here, can never be loste, as I wene.'

Page  428Grete pyte had richarde of his nevewe whan he herde hym speke thus wysly / and toke hym betwene his armes, and kissed hym all wepynge / and thenne he said to reynawde / 'Broder, commaunde my horse to be slayne whan it playseth you / and gyve som comforte therwithall to this folke, and to my lady your wyff, & to my yong nevews, ¹your children¹*. [^1—1 omitted, F. orig.] / For my lityll nevewe that is here, hathe well deserved to ete of it / for the good counseyll that he hathe gyven to me now.' 'Brother,' sayd alarde, 'lete be slayne whyche ye wyll of the thre / for it were to grete adommage yf bayarde sholde deye; and also I tell you that I had lever deye my selfe, than that bayard sholde be slayne / 'Broder,' sayd guychard,*. [Richart, F. orig.] 'ye saye well;' and anone the horse of richarde was kylled & dressed to their mete / ¹and soo in lyke wyse was doon wyth the horses of ye two other brethern;¹*. [^1—1 omitted, F. orig.] and full savourly it was eten / And whan reynawd sawe that there was no mete more, he wist not what he sholde doo, for he was more sory for his bredern, & for his wyff, ¹& his children¹*. [^1—1 omitted, F. orig.] / than he was for hymselfe; and began to say in this wyse / 'Alas, what shall I do? I am vaynquyshed & overcome wythout ony stroke. It had be better for me that I had byleved my broder rychard, for I had not be now in the myserye & grete nede where I am in atte this hour / Now I see well that charlemagne hath chased me soo moche that he hath betrapped me wythin his gynnes / wheroute I can not scape; and I knowe well that I oughte not to be complayned / for I have made myself ye rodde wherwith I am beten; and yf I sholde repente me therof, it shold proufite [folio C.C.ii.a] noo thyng, for I com to late for to do so.' whan rychard saw his broder reynawde make suche sorowe, he knewe well his mynde, & was right sory for hym, so that he shoke all forPage  429 sorow, and wyst not what he sholde say. For if reynaude wolde have had of his owne flesshe, rychard wolde well have given hym of it, yf he myght have be comforted therwith / ¹Thenne spake guycharde, that other broder, & sayd,¹*. [^1—1 Quant il ent este une grant piesse en celle detresse il dist a ses freres, F. orig. D. vii.] 'My ²good²*. [^2—2 omitted, F. orig.] bredern, what shall we doo / we shall yelde ourself, ³or elles deye here for grete rage of hungre³*. [^3—3 puis que nous ne savons plus que faire, F. orig. D. vii.] / and we maye noo more fromhens forthon / ²but oonly wayte after deth'²*. [^2—2 omitted, F. orig.] / 'What saye ye, ²broder guycharde?'²*. [^2—2 omitted, F. orig.] sayd reynawd; 'wyll ye yelde your selfe to the most cruell king of the worlde*. [et au plus orguilleux, F. orig. D. vii.] / for he shold make vs all to be hanged shamfully. Yf ony pyte cowde be founde in hym, I wold yelde me gladly; but there ys none in him, and therfor I am delivered that we shall not yelde us to him / we shalle rather ete my children, & after our bodyes / But alwayes yf ye wyll ete bayarde, I am therof content for to passe the tyme forthon, for I have ofte herde saye that a day respyte is worthe moche.' But, nevertheles, what soever he sayd / he had no courage to ete bayarde / for it was all his socours / 'Broder,' sayd alard, 'I counseille that we ete bayard, rather than we shold yelde vs in to the handes of charlemagn / for he is to cruell, nor he shall never have mercy of vs.' And whan reynawde sawe that they wolde ete bayarde his good horse, he toke for it suche a hertly sorowe that he almoste fell in a swoune to therthe; but he toke togyder his strengthes, & stode vpryghte, and began to saye / 'Fayr bredern / what wyll ye doo / wyll ye ete bayarde, my noble horse, that soo ofte hath kepte vs from deth, and from perell mortall / I praye you, that a fore ye slee hym / that ye slee me / For I may not see hym dey; and whan ye have slayn me / slee hym hardely. And yf ye wyll notPage  430 doo [folio C.C.ii.b] soo, I forbede you, in as moche as ye love me, that ye touche not bayarde. For he that shall hurte hym / shall hurte me.' And whan the duchesse herde Reynawde speke thus, she wiste not what to doo / thenne she sayd to hym in grete wrathe, 'Ha, gentyll duke debonayr / and what shall now doo your pour children / wyll you that they deye for hungre, for fawte of your horse? For it is thre dayes passed that they ete ony mete; shortly shall theyr lives come atte an ende / myn also / For my hert cleveth me in my body for fyne force of hungre. And soo shall ye see me deye presently / but yf I have socours' / Whan the children herde the moder speke thus, they sayd to Reynawde, 'Goode fader, for goddys love deliver your horse! For he shall deye as well for hungre / And it is better that he deye fyrste than we afore hym.' And whan alarde guycharde and Rycharde herde theyr nevewes speke thus, rycharde spake / and sayd to his brother, 'Ha, gentyll duke, for god suffre not that your children nor my lady, your wyffe, deye for hungre, and we also.' And whan Reynawde herde his brother Rycharde speke so to hym, his herte tendred with all ryght sore / and felle to wepe, and sayd / 'My fayer bredern, syth that it playse you that bayarde shall deye, I praye you go and slee hym' / And whan they were all accorded that bayarde sholde be slayn ²and eten,²*. [^2—2 omitted, F. orig.] they wente streyghte to the stable / where they founde bayarde / that casted to theym a grete syghe / And whan Reynawde sawe that, he sayd he sholde rather slee hymselfe / than that bayarde sholde deye / that many tymes hathe saved hym from deth / And whan the chyldren had herde this / they retourned agayne to theyr moder wepynge, and all deed for hungre.

Thenne whan Reynawde sawe that hys chyldren were goon / he wente to bayarde, and gaff hym aPage  431 lityll hey, [folio C.C.iii.a] For he had none other thynge to gyve hym. And thenne he came to hys brethern, and founde Alard holdynge Aymon his nevewe that wepte / and Rycharde helde Yon, and Guycharde the duchesse, that in his armes was swouned, and sayd to theym / 'Alas, for god mercy, I praye you take in you corage tyll nyghte. And I promyse you that I shall doo so moche, that we shall have mete / and god wyll.' 'Brother,' sayd Alarde, 'we muste suffre it, wyll we or not' / Soo longe abode the knyghtes that the nyghte came / and whan it was come / Reynawd sayd to his brethern / 'My brethern, I wyll goo speke to our fader / for to see what he shall saye to me / and yf he shall lete vs deye for hungre' / 'Brother,' sayd rycharde, 'I wyll goo wyth you, yf it playse you, and ye shall be the more sure that I be in your company.' 'My brother,' sayd the good knyghte Reynawd, 'ye shall not so. For I will goo there alone / and yf I brynge you not mete, I shall thenne deliver you bayarde.' and whan Reynawd had sayd this, he made hymselfe to be well armed, and lighted vpon bayarde, and well secretly went oute of mountalban, and came to his faders pavylion / the whiche he knewe well / For he had aspyed it from above the grete towre while it was day. And it happed so that he founde his fader aymon out of hys pavylion all alone, waytynge yf he myghte by ony way vnderstonde some tydynges pryvely of the castell / And whan reynawde sawe his fader / he sayd to hym, 'What arte thou that goo now at this tyme of the nyghte all alone?' And whan aymon herde hym speke, he knewe hym anone, & was righte glad / but he made of it noo semblaunt / and sayd to hym / 'but what art you thiself, that goost at this owre so hie mounted.' Whan reynawd herde his fader speke, he knewe hym well, & sayd to hym, 'Syr, for god have merci vpon vs / for we deye [folio C.C.iii.b] all forPage  432 hungre! and all our horses ben all redy deed & eten, and soo we have nomore but bayarde, that shall not deye as longe as I live / For rather I sholde lete me be slayn / For to me & to my brethern he hathe often saved our lives. Alas, fader, yf ye will not have mercy on vs, have mercy of my yonge children!'

'Ha, fayr sone,' sayd aymon / 'I canne not helpe you of no thynge / but goo your waye agen / for I have you forsworne, ye wote it well / and therfore I wolde not doo agenste myn othe for all the good in the worlde / and my herte is right sory that I maye not helpe nor gyve you socours.' 'Syr,' sayd reynawde, 'you speke yll / sauff your reverence. For I promyse you, yf ye gyve vs noo socours, that my wyff, my children, my brethern, and myself shall deye for rage of hungre, or ever thre dayes ben passed / For it is all redy more than thre dayes, that none of vs ete ony mete / and so I wote not what I shall doo / Alas, ye be our fader, soo oughte you to comforte vs / For I wote well, yf the kyng have vs, he shal make vs all to be hanged, and deye shamfully, whiche were not your worshyp; wherfore, fader, ye oughte not to faylle vs, yf the lawe of nature is rightwys / My fader, for god have pyte & mercy vpon vs, and holde not your courage agenst your pour children for it were grete cruelte; and also ye knowe well that charlemagne dooth to vs grete wrong, for to persecute vs as he dooth' / Whan Aymon herde reynawde speke thus, he had grete pyte of hym / and was soo sory that almoste he felle doun in a swoune to the erthe. and after he began to beholde his childe reynawde;*. [reynawrd, orig.] & sore wepynge, he sayd to hym / 'Fayr sone, ye have sayd trouth that the kyng dooth you grete wrong / and therfor a lighte fro your horse, & entre wythin my pavylion, and take what it playsePage  433 you / for noo [folio C.C.iv.a] thing shall be sayd nay to you / but I shall not gyve you nothyng, for to save my othe' / And whan reynawd herde his fader speke soo, he descended a fote, & kneled byfore him / and sayd 'an hundred gramercies, dere fader' / and thenne he entred wythin the pavylion of his fader, and laded bayard wyth brede, & wyth flesshe, both salt & fresshe / and wyte it that bayard dyde bere more than x other horses shold have doon. And whan reinawde had well laded bayarde wyth vitaylles, he toke leve of his fader, & went agen to mountalban / it is not to be asked what welcom reynawd had of his bredern, of his wyff, & of his men / and wyte it that whan they sawe hym brynge soo moche vitaylles / thei swouned all for ioye to the erthe / And whan reynawd sawe this, he wende thei had ben deed for hungre. Soo began he to make grete sorowe, & not wythoute a cause / and while that reynawd sorowed & made grete mone, his bredern began to com agen to theimselfe, his wyff, & also his two children. And whan reynawd sawe theym all vpon their fete, he was glad, & presented to theym mete for theym, & for his folke. and thei thenne made grete ioye, & ete their fyll at their ease / And whan they had eten well, thei went to slepe, except reynawd, that wold kepe watche himself. And on the morne whan the day was com, they rose & went to here masse / and after the masse was doon, they fell to their mete agayn, and ete all that was left over, evin of that reynaud had brought. and whan the next nyght was come, aymon, that cowde not forgete his children / made his stywarde to com byfore hym, & sayd to him / 'ye knowe how I have forsworne my chyldren / wherof I am sory that ever I dyde soo; but it is sayd, that at the nede the frende is knowen / I lete you wyte that my children ben yonder wythin in grete poverte & mysease, andPage  434 how be it that I have forsworne theim / I oughte nor maye [folio C.C.iv.b] not faylle theim / we have thre engynes that charlemagne hath made me doo make for to hurt with my children, wherof we have dommaged theim asmoche as we myghte / now must we helpe theym after their dommage / And I shall telle you how: see that ye put wythin the engynes brede & flesshe, bothe salt & freshe, in grete plente in stede of stones / and lete this be cast in to the castell, for yf I shold deye myself for hungre, I shall not fayll theim aslong as I have wherof to helpe theim / and also I repent me full sore of the harme that I have doon to them / for all the worlde ought to blame me therof wyth good right, *. [Car mes enfans ont le droit, F. orig. E. i.]and we ben in the wronge.' 'Sire,' sayd the stiwarde, 'ye saye well / for ye have doon so moche agenste theim, that all the worlde blameth you therof / but incontynente I shall doo your commaundement' / And thenne the styward, went & made the thre engynes to be fylled wyth vitaylles, & after, he badde the governer to caste theim in to mountalban / And ye must wyte that many of thoost blamed aymon sore, that he made his engynes to be caste agenst his children / for they wende it had be stones. And whan the nyght was passed, & that reynawd was vp / he went here & there wythin the castell, and founde foyson of vitaylles that his fader had cast / wherof he was ryght glad, & sayd / 'Good lord, blessed be you / now see I well that they that have their truste in you, can not fare amys.' and thenne he called his bredern, his wyfe, ³& his childern,³*. [^3—3 omitted, F. orig.] & sayd / 'My bredern, ye see how our fader hathe pite of vs' / And thenne he made the vitaylles to be gadred vp, & put in a sure place / and soo they ete therof at theyr ease, for they had well grete nede therof, for they were so sorePage  435 an hungred that it was grete pyte / And wyte it that aymon made cast so moche vitayll within mountalban, that thei of within had ynoughe for thre monethes wyth good governaunce.

[folio C.C.v.a] Now we must vnderstonde that charlemagne had some knowledge howe the olde duke aymon had gyven vytaylles to hys children, wherof he was sore an angred, & made aymon to com incontynent afore hym, & sayd to hym, 'aymon! who maketh the so bolde to gyve ony mete to myn enmyes mortall? I know well all thy wyles / thou mayst not excuse thyself; but by the feyth that I owe to god I shall avenge me soo well are nyght, that yf I may, ye shall lese your hede for it' / 'Syr,' sayd the duke aymon, 'I wyll not denye it; for I telle you truly, yf ye shold make me deye, or be brente in a fyre, I wyll not faylle my chi[l]dren aslong as I maye helpe theym. *. [Damps roy, F. orig.]For my children be no theves, traytours, nor no murdrers, but they ben the moste valiaunt knyghtes of the worlde, & the truest.*. [Damps roy, F. orig.] and wene not you to slee my children in suche maner! ye have to long wrought your foly if it wold suffyre you' / Whan charlemagne herde aymon speke thus / he was angri wyth it, and for grete wrathe he loked as fire, & almoste he smote aymon. And whan the duke naymes sawe this, he avaunced hym forthe, & sayd / 'Sir, sende home aymon, for ye have kept hym here tolong; ye ought well to vnderstonde that aymon wyll not see his children to be distroyed, and therfor ye ought not to blame him nor smyte hym;' after that charlemagne herde the duke naymes speke, he sayd to hym / 'Naymes, sith that ye have iudged it, ye shall not be gaynsayd;' and thenne he torned hym towarde the duke aymon, & sayd to hym / 'Now goo forth oute of myn oost / for ye have doon me more dommage than prouffyte' / 'sire,' sayd the duke aymon / 'I shallPage  436 gladly doo your commaundement' / And anone he went & lighted on horsbacke, and after sayd to the peres of fraunce, 'Lordes, I praye you all that ye wyll have my children for recommended / for they ben com of your blode, and lete the kyng [folio C.C.v.b] see well to / For yf he make my children to deye by suche grete vengance as he hathe sayd / yf I sholde be-come a sarrasyn, and dwelle in affryque all the dayes of my liff, I shall stryke of his hede; for none other gage I wyll not take' / And whan aymon had sayd thus, he went oute of the ooste in to fraunce to his countrey, well hevy by cause he lefte his children in soo grete poverte / And Charlemagne, that sawe aymon goo thus quyte, and that he had garnysshed mountalban of vytayllis, he was full angry for it / Soo studyed he vpon this a longe while / and whan he had studyed longe ynoughe, he was soo sory that none myghte be more / and retourned hymselfe towarde his barons / and sayd, 'Lordes, I commaunde you that ye breke all our engynes / For by theim I have myssed to have the castell of mountalban.' And In[con]tynente the barons made breke the engynes, as the kynge had commaunded / And by all thus Reynawde abode a longe while in good peas, but theyr vytaylles began sore to mynysshe / And whan Reynawde sawe that / he was sory / and beganne to complayne in hymselfe, and sayd, 'Good lorde, what shall I doo / I knowe that atte longe rennynge we shall not mowe holde, and soo shall charlemagn have noo mercy of vs, but he shall make vs deye. Alas, mawgis, where be you? For yf ye were wyth vs, we sholde doubte noo thynge, nor I sholde not suffre this grete distresse that I have' / All thus as Reynawde complayned hymself / thenne came alarde, that was so feble, that wyth peyn he myghte stande vpon his fete, and sayd to Reynawde / 'Rey nawde, for the love of god make bayarde to be slayne /Page  437 For I maye noo lenger live wythoute mete / nother yet my brethern.'

Thenne whan reynawd herde his brother alarde speke thus / he was right sory for it, & toke his swerde, & went [folio C.C.vi.a] to bayarde for to slee him / And whan bayarde saw reynaude, he began to make grete ioye / and whan reynaud sawe the chere that bayarde him made / he sayd to him, 'ha, bayarde, goode beest / yf I had the herte for to doo the harme, I were welle cruell.' and whan yonnet, the yonger sone, herde that / he cryed to his fader, 'sir, wherfore tary ye, that ye slee not bayard, sith he must deye, for I wexe madde for hungre / and so I tell you, yf I have not shortly som fode ye shall see me dey afore your eyen / and yet my moder & my broder also / for we may no lenger live thus, soo harde we ben famyshed' / And whan reynaude herde his sone speke to hym soo, he had grete pyte of hym / & grete sorowe in his hert / and soo he had of bayard that chered hym somoche. Thenne wyst not reynawd what he sholde saye nor doo, and soo began to thynke a longe while / And whan he had bethought himself longe ynoughe / he advysed hym how bayarde shold not deye. And thenne he called after a basin, and made baiard be leten blode moche / and after he had lete him blode ynoughe, reynawd stopped the vayne, & gaff the blode to alarde for to be dressed; and whan it was soden, they ete all a lityll therof, whiche gauf theim grete sustenaunse. And to say the trouth / reynawd & his folke were well four dayes wythout ony other fode. And whan came to the fifthe day, that thei wold haue baiard lete blode agen / he was soo feble that he cast noo blode at all. and whan the duches sawe that, she began to wepe tenderly, & sayd / 'Sire, for god, sith that he gyveth no more blode, lete him be slayn / andPage  438 soo shall ete your pour children of him, that deyen for grete hungre, & I also' / 'Madame,' sayd thenne reynawd, 'I wyll not doo so / For bayarde hathe borne vs goode company in oure liff, and so shall he do tyll thour of our deth, for we shall dey alle togyder.' And ye oughte to knowe that Reynawd [folio C.C.vi.b] and his company were brought soo lowe / that they wayted none other but deth / the whiche was theym nyghe ynoughe, whan an olde man that was amonge theim, cam & sayd to reynawd, 'Sir, what shall it be / I see that you & mountalban shall be distroyed / but in you is not the fawte, for it hath be well defended aslong as ye myght, as it apereth, and syth that I see ye may nomore doo / come after me, & I shall shew you a waye, where thrugh we shall well all goo out wythoute ony danger / and I wyll well that ye knowe mountalban was ones made, & shit afore ye dyde make it / and the lord that buylded it first, lete make a waye vnder the erth, that bryngeth folke vnto the wode of the serpent; and I was a yong childe whan that way was made, and I know well where it lieth / doo dygge where I shall shewe you, and ye shall fynde it wythout ony fayll, and thus shall we goo fre wythout ony danger' / whan reynawd herde thise wordes, he was so gladde of it that none myght be more / so that he forgate his hungre withall, & sayd, 'O fayr god, that all made, blessed be you! Now have I founde that I desired; for I shall goo to ardeyn, whiche I ought to love dere.' and thenne he toke the olde man by the hande, & made hym to bring him to the*. [the repeated in text.] place where he sayd / and there he made to be dygged in therth, & founde ye waye that the olde man said / wherof he was right glad / and thenne he went to the stable, & put the sadle vpon bayard, & after brought him to the weye / but wyte it that bayard was soo feble that he scante cowde goo the pase. AndPage  439 thenne reynaude, his wyffe, his bredern, his children, & the remenaunte of his folke, put theimself to the way vnder therth, so that noo creature a live abode wythin the castell.

Grete plente of torches made reynawd to be fired,*. [quant luy et ses gens furent dedens la cave, F. orig. E. iii.] that they myght see the beter wythin ye cave as thei went, and he [folio C.C.vii.a] ordened his forwarde of that few folke that he had / and wente forthe in good ordenaunce wyth his baner displayed / and he with his bredern made the reregarde*. [Quant Regnault eut bien ordonne sa besongne ilz se mirent a la voye par dedens la cave qui estoit grande et plantureuse, F. orig. E. iii.] / And whan they had goon a longe while thrughe the cave, that was wyde & large, reynawd made his folke to tary, & sayd to his bredern / 'mi bredern, we have doon evyll / For we have lefte behynde vs kyng yon in the pryson / certes I sholde lever deye than that I shold leve hym soo / for he sholde deye there for hungre as a famysshed woulfe / and that were to vs grete synne.' 'By god,' sayd richard, 'he hathe well deserved it, for *. [yf, orig.]of a man that is a traytour, men oughte not to have pyte' / 'Broder,' sayd reynawde, 'ye saie yll.' and thenne he retorned again, & cam to the prison where the kyng yon was / whiche he toke out & broughte wyth hym. And whan the duchesse sawe her broder the kynge yon com, she sayd to hym / 'Ha, broder, ye are right yll come to me / for all the harme that we have suffred, cometh thrugh cause of you / I am sory that ye be not deed rotyn wythin the pryson, for ye have well deserved it.' 'Madame,' sayd reynawde, 'lete that alone, I praye you, for he shall not dey if I maye, For I have doon to hym homage, wherfore I ought to obey hym. and how be it he hath wroughte full yll agenstPage  440 vs, yet shall I never be forsworne agenst hym' / whan his bredern herde him speke thus / they sayd to hym / 'broder, ye speke well & wysly, and ye doo that ye ought to doo / nor ye shall never be rebuked of vs for it; doo therin as it playseth you' / And after thise wordes thei went on their waye /

So longe went thise knyghtes, that thei cam oute of the cave, and founde theymself at the woode of the serpent, evyn at the sprynge of the daye / and assone as thei were issued oute of the sayd cave, thei were glad / bycause that they were soo scaped fro charlemagne. Yonnet thenne, the lityl sone [folio C.C.vii.b] of Reynawd, swouned there for grete hungre / And whan Reynawd sawe that, he was right sory for it / and toke hym vp and sayd / 'Fayr sone, I praye you be a good chere, for we shall have soone mete grete plente' / And whan he had sayd this, he toke his other sone aymon in his armes, & recomforted hym moche / and whan reynawd had doon soo / he loked abowt hym, & knew wel where they were. and he sayd to his brethern / 'Lordes, me semeth that we ben nygh the hermytage of my good frende bernarde.' 'sire,' sayd alarde, 'ye saye trouthe, but what shall we doo?' 'Broder,' sayd reynawd, 'I counseill for the moost profytable that we goo there / and we shall abyde there tyl the nyght be com / and thenne we shall take our way towarde ardeyn; for I counseill not that we goo by day / and also it can not be but the hermyte shall have some mete whiche we shall gyve to my wyff, & to my children' / 'Broder,' sayd alarde, 'by my feyth ye speke wel.' and thenne they put theimself to the waye / and they had goon but a lityll that they founde the hermytage; but as they wente all thrughe the woode, they departed thone fro the other as wylde bestes, etyng the herbes and the gresses as it had bePage  441 apples or peeres, so grete hungre they had. And whan Reynawd sawe this, he was sory, & called theym agen, & sayd, 'Lordes, ye doo not well for to separe thus the one from the other, For it myghte lightly tourne vs to dommage / I praye you that every man calle other, & gadre yourself togyder / and lete vs goo in to the hermytage / For we shall fynde there bernarde, that shall make vs good chere, I wote it well'*. [quant regnault eut se dist chescun se ralia ensemble et sen vont vers hermitage, F. orig. E. iv.] / And whan they were come there / Reynawde knocked at the gate / And whan bernarde herde it / he cam anone, and sawe Reynawde and hys folke / wherof he was ryght gladde / and came and kyssed Reynawd. And after he sayd vnto hym / 'Fayre lorde, ye be [folio C.C.viii.a] ryght welcome / of whens come you / and how is it wyth you?' / 'My frende bernarde,' sayd thenne Reynawde, 'Wyte it that I have lefte myn herytaunce by fyne force of hungre, and soo I goo to Ardeyne*. [dordonne, F. orig.] / For I canne none otherwyse doo atte this tyme / And I pray you that yf ye have ony mete, that ye, for godys sake, wyll gyve it to my wyffe / and to my children, For they ben soo sore famysshed that they dey for hungre, but yf they have some mete.'

Whan Bernarde*. [larmite, F. orig.] vnderstode thise wordes of Reynawde, he had of hym grete pyte / for the dystresse wherin he sawe Reynawde & his folke / And of the other parte, he was gladde whan he wyste that they were scaped oute of the dangeours of Charlemagne / and anone he wente to the duchesse, & sayd to her / 'Madame, ye be right welcome / I praye you doubte noo thynge, For ye be arryved in a good place / for to take your reste atte your ease' / And thenne he wente in to his chambre, and broughte outePage  442 brede and wyne / and all suche as god had sente hym / And after he sette hym besyde Reynawd, and sayd to hym / 'Lorde, take a worthe suche vytaylles as god hathe gyven to me! there they ben / I shall gyve you mete in dyspyte of Charlemagne' / 'Gramercy, syre,' sayd Reynawd / 'here ben good tydynges for vs; but whan the nyghte is come, we shall goo to Ardeyne.*. [dordonne, F. orig.] For I doubte sore that Charlemagne shall aperceyve that we ben departed / For yf god graunte me that I may bryng me and my company to Ardeyne / I shall not sette a rotyn appull for all the power of Charlemagne / for I shall well deffende me agaynste hym.' 'Syre,' sayd the heremyte, 'ye saye well / I praye god that he wyll fulfylle your wyll.' All that daye soiourned Reynawd and his folke wyth Bernarde the heremyte / the whiche served and [folio C.C.viii.b] comforted theim of all his power. and also he gaf of the otis of his asse to bayarde,*. [qui estoit si rescreu, F. orig. E. iv. back.] as moche as he myght ete. And whan the nyghte was com, Reynawd wolde departe / and bade fare well to the heremyte. and whan the heremyte saw that they wold goo awaye, he founde the meanes that they had thre horses, wherof the duchesse had thone / and the children had the other tweyne / And thus reynaude wyth his felishyp went on theyr waye so long that they cam to ardeyne.*. [dordonne, F. orig.] And whan they of the cyte wyst that their lord was com, that they had desired so longe / they were well glad, & cam agenste hym in fayr company, and receyved hym honourable / and conveyd hym vnto the fortresse. and after they went & made feest thorughe all the towne / like as god had descended there, ⁴for grete ioye that they had of theyr lord reynawd.⁴*. [^4—4 omitted, F. orig.] And whan the barons of the londe wyst that theyr lord reynawd & his bredern werePage  443 come to ardeyn,*. [dordonne, F. orig.] they were glad / and cam soone [to] see hym / and to hym they made reverence / But here leveth the history to speke of reynawde, of his bredern, his wyff & his chyldren, that were in ardeyn*. [dordonne, F. orig.] well at ease / for theyr grete hungre was ceassed / and shall retorne to speke of charlemagn & of his xii peres / for to shewe how he entred in to mountalban, after that reynawd was departed.