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 xix. chapytre conteyneth how the doughter of the prouost brought to Blanchardyn a fayre coueryng, all of whyte sylke, [Wanting in the French.] expand_less to couere his hors wyth all, and one of her sleues, prayng hym that he wold bere hit vpon his helme. And he dyde so.

When they of the cyte had seen the manere & the rewle [gouuernement] of their enemyes, and that all wyth leyser they had seen their puyssance and their manere of doynge, The captayne and the prouoste of the towne dyde ordeyne a stronge and a bygge warde that they sette by a goode ordenaunce along the walles, and in to the yates for the defence of the towne / And this doon, toke wyth them two thousand men well chosen and all in a goode array / lept out of the cyte, & sodaynly wyth a grete cry that they made, charged vpon theyre enmyes, wherof at their commyng on / they dyde putte to deth grete foison of Kynge Alymodes folke, whiche was right sory for it. But soone ynough, by the prouysion that he putte therto, reculed his enemyes abacke tyll wythin the barreys of the towne [tyll wythin the barreys of the towne = dedens de la cite.] / Another posterne of the cyte was open, wherof

the enemyes toke noo kepe / out of whiche yssued out a thousand men, goode & handy fyghters well shapen, & strongly herted for to hurt their felon enmyes. So smot they hem self, wythin callyng vp a hyghe crye in to þe thikkest of their enmyes, where they slew and detrenched many one / And dyuerse tentes and pauyllyons they pulled doune, and brought to dethe theym that were wythynne. Soo that the cry and the callyng camen vnto the kynge Alymodes pauyllyon, that hastely came there, acompanyed wyth x thousand of his men / The noyse and the cry bygan thenne to be efte as grete than it was to fore [bygan thenne to be efte as grete than it was to fore = se renforca si tresgrande] / so that the folke of the proude pucelle in amours were constrayned to wythdrawe them self ayen in to þe cyte, after that they had brought & slayne wel xiiij c. of their enmyes, without eny losyng of theire owne folke, wherof Alymodes the kynge was right sory & dolaunt / & sore troubled & heuy, wythdrewe hym self in to his pauyllyon, commaundyng his folke that euery man shold loke to lodge hym self, trowyng to be in a sewrete that his enmyes as for that same day sholde not comen nomore out of their cyte. Blanchardyn, that at the same owre was in the prouostis hous, heryng the bruyt & the noyse that wythout the towne was made by kynge Alymodes folke, the whiche he had seen and aduysed from ouer the walles where he went vp / And seen the battaylles & scarmysshynge that by them of the towne & their enmyes were made, So [Si] began he to be ful of thoughte, & all annoyed of hym self by cause he was not armed tyl his plesure, and that he myght not yssue out vpon the proude pucelle in amours enmyes wyth her folke. The prouost, that right wyse was and subtyll / asked blanchardin what moeuyd hym to be so sore sad & pensefull, and yf he was not well lodged at his ease

and to his playsure / and yf he wanted eny thynge that myght be recouerd for gold or syluer, that he sholde telle it hym, & that he shold late hym haue hit in-contynent; al sholde he putte in Ieopardye, bothe lyf & goode, for to fulfille his wylle / 'Alas,' saide blanchardyn / 'Sire, of your lodgis and good chere I am right wel content, & thanke you moche therfore / But one thynge wol I telle you, syth that it playseth you to knowe þe cause of my grete dysplaysaunce; ye shall vnderstande that I haue habandonned & forsaken bothe fadre & modre, kynnesmen & frendes, & eke lyflode & lande [ & eke lyflode & lande = terre et le pays] where I toke my byrth & noureture, for to excercyse & able my self in þe noble crafte of faytes of armes, & to take & lerne þe discipline of knyghthode /

¶ And I se nowe that for defaulte of armures I may not sette awerke nor employe my goode wylle / whiche full sore greueth me, And moche more than I telle.'

¶ The prouoste, hering the goode wylle and grete affection / that this yonge knyght had / was therof right glad / and sayde vnto hym / 'vassell, come wyth me, and I shall delyuere you hors and eke harneys right goode, so that ye shall haue noo cause for fawte of armures / But that ye shal mowe proue your prowes whiche I holde right grete.' 'Syre,' sayde blanchardyn, 'of the curtosye that ye haue doon and proffre vnto me, I thanke you moche;' thenne the prouost toke Blanchardyn by the hand, smylyng, and to hym sayde: 'come you wyth me, and I shal gyue you the choys of suche armures as ye shal lyke.' They two went to gidre, and entred in to a chambre that wel garnysshed was of all manere of armes, suche as atte that tyme were vsed.

¶ The prouost dilygently armed blanchardyn of suche armures as he wold chose. And syth made eche hem self to be armed hastely / Whan dressid

and redy they were, they made theire coursers to be had forth out of the stable, whiche were brought anone to the mountyng place before the halle. Thenne one of the doughters of þe prouost, knowyng that blanchardyn was armed and redy to goo out wyth her fader / she cam and brought wyth her a fayre whyte coueryng of damaske clothe, wherof she made the hors of blanchardyn to be couered wyth, and vnto hym she gaffe one of her gowne sleues, that was of damask blake / prayng hym that for her sake and loue he wolde voche sauf to were and bere it vpon his helmet / Blanchardyn toke þe sleue of the damoysell, sayng that he sholde fulfylle her request; & she, thankyng hym therof / sayde, she sholde, be cause as her semed that god sholde gyue hym some goode fortune that day /