The right plesaunt and goodly historie of the foure sonnes of Aymon. Englisht from the French by William Caxton, and printed by him about 1489. Ed. from the unique copy, now in the possession of Earl Spencer, with an introduction by Octavia Richardson.

CHAPTER XXV.

¶ How reynaude sent his two sones to the kyng charlemagne moche honourably / for to be made knyghtes at paris.

In this party sheweth thistory / that after that mawgis was retorned to his hermytage, Reynawde was ever after sory for hym & also for his wyffe. But he [folio I.I.iv.a] recomforted hymselfe aswell as he myght wyth his bredern. A longe while abode reynaude wyth his bredern, makynge as good chere as he cowde / and wyte it, that about that tyme deyed tholde duke aymon, whiche lefte grete goodes to hys children. But shortly to speke, reynaude departed & gaaff all his goodes, as well that that he had of his owne / as that was fallen bi the deth of his fader aymon, vnto his bredern, except

oonly that he reteyned for hymself ¹the castell & towne of¹ mountalban / and founde the wayes that thei were all maryed noble & richely. Who that sholde speke of the bredern of reynaude & of theyr dedes, it were to longe to be recounted. Reynawd thenne dwelled longe at mountalban wyth his children / whiche he endoctryned & taughte in all good & vertuous maners aswell as he cowde, and norysshed theym tylle that they were men / and cowde bere both sheelde and spere. And vpon a daye he had theym to the feelde on horsbacke / and made to be brought there speres & sheeldes for to assaye theymself / and toke wyth hym xx. knyghtes / whom, whan thei were comen in the feelde / he made his children to iouste wyth / And ye ought to wyte that the two sones of reynaude iousted aswell as thoughe they had be hauntyng the werre x. yeres & more. And when reynawd saw that they dyde so wel, he called theym afore hym / and afore the knyghtes, & sayd to theim / 'My fayr children / thanked be our lorde / ye ben talle men, and well made of body / It is now tyme that ye were made knyghtes; wherfore I wyll that ye goo serve the kynge charlemagn, our soverayn lorde / whiche shall make you knyghtes. For of more noble hande ye can not be dowbed to the noble ordre of knyghthode.' 'Syr,' sayd aymonet / 'we are redy to fulfylle your wylle in every thynge that ye commaunde vs' / 'fader,' sayd yonnet, 'ye saye well to vs / for it is tyme that [folio I.I.iv.b] we folowe the werres; but sith it is your playsure to sende vs to charlemagn, we must goo there honourably / but it can not be wythout grete cost' / 'My sone,' said reynaude, 'care not for the cost / for we have good ynoughe / gramercy our lorde, for to bring you there acordyng to your astate; and I promyse you / I shall sende you there or I be vii. nyghte

elder, as honourabli as ony went thider sin my tyme' / 'fader,' sayd the children / 'we are redy to goo whan it plaise you' / Whan reynaude had said this to his children, he went home agen to mountalban well ioyfull of his two sones that proved so well; and whan he was wythin his castell, he called his stiwarde & said to him / 'Stywarde, I commaunde you that ye araye my chyldren honorably & richely of dyverse maners of clothynge, ¹& of thinges that longeth to theim¹ / for I wyll sende theim to ye court of the kyng charlemagne, for to be made knyghtes of him / and see that they goo as honestly ²as ony went thider this xx. yeres'² / 'My lorde,' sayd the stiwarde / 'I shall well doo your commaundement, sith that it plaiseth you / for ye have ynoughe clothes full riche of your owne of diverse colours.'

Whan the stiwarde herde the commaundement of his mayster / wythout ony tarieng / he dyde right well alle that was commaunded him by reynaude / for he made to be redy many palfreys & coursers well barded & covered wyth riche clothe of golde, wyth belles of silver & gylte in grete plente / and purveyd for two goode harneyses all complete / ¹for speres & swerdes, & for all suche other thynges as aperteyneth¹ for the two yong bachelers. Shortly to speke, it was not possyble to aray better two yonge squyres than the ii. yonge sones of reynaude were by the purvyaunce of his stiwarde / and whan all thinges were redy / he brought theym bifore his maisters. And whan reynande sawe this, he was glad, & sayd, 'by god, [folio I.I.v.a] stywarde / I conne you thanke / that ye have purveyd so well for mi children.' and reynawd made V.C knyghtes

well redy to bere company to his sones. And whan they were all redy, reynaude caled his sones, & sayd to theym / 'my fare sones, ye be well apoynted / thanked be god, and here is a fayr bende of noble men to bere you feliship / And therfore ye shall now go to the court of charlemain our grete kynge, whiche shall make you grete chere & honour for my love. my chyldren, ye be of hie linage & right noble, and therfore beware that ye doo noo thing agenst your noblenes / ne that myght retourne to ony shame to me nor to your linage / and I commaunde you vpon the feyth that ye owe to me, that the monei that I deliver to you now / ye dyspende it honestly, and spare not to doo good therwyth to pour gentylmen & yonge bachelers ¹that wold fayn com to worship¹ / and whan ye have all spended it honestly / sende to me for more, and ye shall have ynoughe; and above this, I charge you that ye serve god alwayes afore ony thing that ye have a doo; and that ye speke no worde fowll out of your mouth to no ladi nor to damesell / worship your better, & love your neyghbour, and soo shall you be praysed of every man. Moreover, I charge you that ye live frendly togyder as ii bredern ought to doo / and to you, yonnet, my fayr sone / I commaunde you that ye bere honour & reverence to your broder / for he is your elder / that know ye well.'

Thenne sayd yonnet, 'fader, be you sure I shall serve my dere broder as I wold doo you / that are my lorde & my ¹dere¹ fader.' 'By my feyth, fayr sone,' ¹sayd reynaud¹ / 'yf ye doo soo, ye shall be praysed for it, whersomever ye com or goo. But yet one thyng I forbede you / that ye speke not to moche,

for yf ye doo the contrary / the frenshemen shall saye / that ye be not like in condycions to your parentage' / 'Fader,' sayd the [folio I.I.v.b] children, 'we have suche a trust in our lorde god that he shall kepe vs from all thyng that is contrary to his wylle, and that we shall soo governe vs / that ye shall gladly avowe vs for your children / and all they of the court of charlemagne shall love vs, but yf they wylle do wrong' / And whan reynaude herde his children speke soo, he was right glad therof, and drewe theim aside, & sayd vnto theym / 'My fayr children, ye goo now in to fraunce / remembre well hereafter all whiche I shall telle you now / Ye must knowe that there ben in the court of the kynge charlemaine a grete linage of folke that never loved vs but litill, the whiche are of grete power / thei be of maunte / I charge you that ye nor goo nor com wyth theym / for noo thing that they can telle you / and if they hurt you by ony wyse, see that ye revenge yourself wysly, and shew theim that ye be the sones of reynaude of mountalban' / 'Fader,' sayd the children / 'doubt not we shall not suffre that ony outerage be doo to vs, yf we maye.' 'Fayr children,' sayd reynaude / 'knele afore me' / and they kneled anone byfore their fader; & Reynawde gaff theim his blessinge, and after kissed theym wepyng many tymes, & gaaff theym leve / and after torned him towarde his knyghtes, & sayd, 'My lordes, I commende to god, & praye you that ye tende well my children / and suffre not that ony wrong be doon to theim to your power / for ye know well that we ben hatred in fraunce; and I pray you gyve theim alwayes good counseylle / and that they be alwaies courteys, gentyll, & liberall of their goodes / for a prince covetous was never praised.' and whan reynaud

had sayd this, he wythdrew him sore wepyng ¶ Thus leveth thystory to speke of reynawd & of his bredern, and retorneth to shew of his children, that were goon to the court of the kyng charlemagn.

Notes

• ^1—1 omitted, F. orig. L. ii.
• ^1—1 omitted, F. orig.
• ^2—2 quil en y ala jamais point, F. orig. Z. ii. back.
• ^1—1 omitted, F. orig.
• a regnault son maistre, F. orig. Z. ii. back.
• ^1—1 omitted, F. orig.
• je vous sa recommande les pouvres crestiens, F. orig. Z. ii. back.
• chier, F. orig.
• ^1—1 omitted, F. orig.
• ^1—1 omitted, F. orig.
• toute vostre vie, F. orig. Z. iii.
• car jamais nous ne sermonoyent volentiers, F. orig. Z. iii.