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 XXVII.

¶ How after that reynaud was goon from mountalban never for to retorne, his bredern & his sone aymonet made grete sorow / ⁴whan they knew of it / that he had not take leve of theym.⁴

Now sheweth thystory / that whan the morowe came, & that aymonet & his vncles were vp, thei went to ye chirche / wenyng to haue reynaud there as they were wounte. And whan they sawe him not come to matynes, they merveylled sore, and there was com his chapeleyn for to saye matynes there wyth hym / the whiche, whan he founde not his mayster in the chirche / he was al abasshed, & spered after him to his bredern. 'Syre,' said alard / 'I wene he be seke, for god lete vs goo see how he dooth,' and thenne they went to seke him in his chambre, where they founde hym not / wherof they wende all to have ben dysperate / 'Lordes,' sayd alarde, 'now be we lost / for here ben his gownes, his shertes, his shone, his swerde, & all his armours; now is he goon fro vs / I see it well, in pour araye: god be wyth hym!' And as they were thus makynge their mone / cam in the porter that made grete sorowe for the love of his mayster reynawd / And whan he was come in to the chambre, he began to crie as he had be from hymselfe, & sayd, 'Fayr lordes,

what shall we do sith that we have lost our lorde? For he is goon his wayes wulwarde & barefote, wyth a sory staff in his hande / and he sendeth you gretyng by me, and prayeth you for god, that yf ever ye loved him / that ye wyll worshyp eche other, & that everi man have his part as he hath devysed it / And he dooth you to wyte that ye shall never see hym, for he is goon to save his soule / and soo hathe he gyven me the rynge of his fynger, that ye maye see here' /

[folio L.L.vi.a] Whan alarde, guycharde, & richarde, and aymonet herde thyse tydynges / they toke soo grete sorowe at hert that they felle doun in a swoune to the erthe. And whan they were come agen to theymselfe / they beganne to make a right grete sorowe, and so merveillouse, that he that had seen it / his hert had be full harde / but he sholde have wepte for pyte. 'Alas,' sayd alarde, 'my fayr brother reynawde / ye have lefte vs in moche grete sorowe. Certes it had be moche better for vs that ye had sleyne vs all / than for to have lefte vs in this wise / For fromhens forthe we be noo thynge.' and whan he had sayd soo / he felle agen in a swoune. And whan he was com agen to himself, he pulled his heres of his berde, & scratched his visage / 'Alas, my broder!' sayd richarde, 'how shall we now live wythout you / Alas! now have we lost him bi whom we have had so grete honour in this worlde. alas, my broder! ther is not your leke vnder the cope of heven, that ever bare swerde, sheelde, or spere / sith that we have lost you, we maye saye, farewell the ioye of this world' / And whan he had said soo, his hert swelled so that he lost his speche, so that he cowde not speke a good while after. Of aymonet & of guycharde / what shall we saye / I promyse you, none can telle ne reherse half of the sorow that they made / so that it was grete pyte to

beholde. Grete sorow was made of all four for the love of reynawd, that was goon as ye have herde / praynge our lorde to be wyth him, & to recomforte his bredern. But presently leveth the [h]istory to speke of alarde, guycharde, rycharde, & aymonet that were at mountalban / makyng their mone / and retorneth to speke of reynaude, that was goon at his adventure / sekyng his brede for to save his soule.

Notes

• en guise de pellerin ... F. orig. M. viii. back.
• apres ce quil eust departiz ses bien a ses enfans ... F. orig. M. viii. back.
• ^4—4 quant ils sceurent quil estoit party, F. orig. M. viii. back.
• moult ydeusement, F. orig. N. i.