Caxton's Blanchardyn and Eglantine, c. 1489 : from Lord Spencer's unique imperfect copy, completed by the original French and the second English version of 1595

¶ The xv. chapytre conteyneth how Blanchardyn was moche richely lodged and receyued in the prouostis hous, of the two doughters of the prouoste. And of the complayntes that the proude mayden in amours made vnto her maystres of Blanchardyn /

After this that blanchardyn, atte requeste of the two yong damoyselles / had pardoned theyre fader, the prouost, his euyll wylle [Wanting in the French.] expand_less / dyuerse folke of the towne / that had seen the valeauntnes and prowes, the grete humylyte and courtoysyes that were in blanchardyn / praysed and commended hym right moche, sayeng comonly that a fayrer knyght they had not seen nor herd speke of in their tyme; And that by his behauoure and [Wanting in the French.] expand_less contenaunce, men myght well knowe that he was departed and come of noble extraction and hyghe parentage. [noble extraction and hyghe parentage = haulte lignee]

¶ Soone after Blanchardyn / hauyng the two yong damoyselles by the handes, was lad by the prouoste in to his house, where he was receyued and festyd, god knoweth how / So was he by the two doughters brought in to a chambre full richely dressed and hanged wyth riche tapysserye / where he was desarmed by the two damoyselles, that helped him / whiche toke him a longe gowne furred wyth fyn martrons, that was her faders, for to clothe hym wyth / And syth dyde sende for the wyn, and made hym the best chere for the first acqueyntaunce that euer coude be made to a knyght.

¶ It is not to be tolde but that Blanchardyn mayntened hym self, talkyng emonge hem more gracyously than euere dyde man, and shewed hym self of so goodly and honneste behauoure / that right sone he conquered the hertes and goode wylle [Wanting in the French.] expand_less

of the two forsayde praty maydens; that was not a lytell thyng [ that was not a lytell thyng = qui nestoient pas peu de choses] / For moche fayre and gentyl they were. Whiche on that other part / sawe in [sign. C j.] Blanchardyn so grete a beaulte / that neuere was seen by them noon suche in noo man, wherfore it was noo meruaylle yf they gladly behelde hym. We shal leue to speke of this matere / And shal retourne to speke of the proude mayden in amours, whiche alredy had exployted so moche that she entred wythin her towne of Tormaday, and in a dyspleasans right bytter of her acustumed corage, descended in to her paleys wyth her stoute rowte of folke of armes, & syth, moche tryste and pensefull, entred her chambre, callyng wyth her her mastres, that fulle soone cam there / wherfore that night noon of them alle, were he neuer so moche her famyllyer / cam to see her, but onely the captayne of Tormaday, that cam for to make vnto hir the reuerence. And emonge other deuyses, that ynough brief were, recounted vnto her / how a knyght straunger was come to the cyte / whiche was the fayrest gentylman that myght be seen, and had befought the prouoste and ouercomen hym.

¶ Thenne the proude pucelle in loue, after a lytyl musyng, vnderstode well by the wordes of the captayne, and by the cognyssaunce that he tolde her of his horse, that he was that self knyght that the kisse had taken of her. But she therof made noo semblaunt / The captayne gaff the goode nyght [the goode nyght = la bonne nuit] to the damoyselle, toke his leue of her, and went. The proude mayden in amours, seeyng the captayne goon from her presence / sayde anon vnto her maystres: 'I shal suffre for this nyght hym that so grete a dysplaysure hath don to me this day by the waye to be festyd in the prouostis hous. [I shal suffre for this nyght hym that so grete a dysplaysure hath don to me this day by the waye to be festyd in the prouostis hous = Ie lairay meshuy festoier en lostel du preuost cellui qui tant ma fait de desplaisir au Iour duy sur les champs] But ther nys man a

lyue, that so gretly be my frende / that myght kepe me / But that I shal to morowe make hym for to deye of an right euyll deth, Yf I am woman a lyue. [Wanting in the French.] expand_less And wyth this, yf the prouost wolde not delyuer hym vnto me / I shal destroye hym, and shal make hym pryuated from all his tenementes that he holdeth of me' / Thus as ye here, þe proude pucelle in amours, in her harde herted wyll, abode all that nyght for to make Blanchardyn to deye / wherof for this cause, for grete anger that was in her, she had nother lust nor myght for to ete nor drynk, nor also to take the reste of slepe /