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After that the kynge had herde the knyght, that had rehersed to hym the commynge of his enmyes / he sent for his lordes & barouns, whiche cam to hym in his paleys; & to them he shewed all that he had vnderstonde of the sayd knyghte / prayenge
them that they wolde gyue hym counseyll therupon, to thende he myght resyste & goo ayenste the dampnable enterpryse of his enmyes / The barouns and counsellers answerde to the kynge, they that shold speke togyder, for to aduyse the manere & how this thynge myght be conducted. They wythdrewe them self asyde, & assembled them in grete nombre to haue consideracion vpon this matere / the whiche they sore debatyd emonge them self by many & dyuerse oppynyons; but at last they dyde conclude togyder all of one accorde / that the kyng shold sende his new Conestable ayenst his aduersaryes, acompanyed wyth thre score thousaund off the most valyaunt & best chosen men of his royalme / & that he sholde haue wyth hym the kynges sone, that called was Sadoyne, by cause that the barons & knyghtes of the sayd royalme sholde go wyth better wylle wyth hym / They went ayen to the kynge, & proferred and tolde hym their aduyse / Whan the kynge had herde speke his barons, the thynge was to hym right agreable / he called blanchardyn his new Conestable / & tolde hym how, by hym & his barons, was ordeyned to hym the charge & conduyte of his werre / and that wyth thre score thousaund men he sholde go ayenst his enmyes, for to fyght wyth hem & dryue hem oute of his royalme / Whan Blanchardyn vnderstode the kynge, he was therof right glad, & thanked hym of the grete honoure that he dyde vnto hym / Thenne sent the kynge his lettres myssyfe in to al the partyes of his royalme, to be directed in all haste to his barons & knyghtes, that they sholde wythout delaynge come hastely toward hym. The messagers were sone redy, that bare the letters to them vnto whom they were dyrected / & so grete a dilygence they made that wythin short terme dyde arryue in the cyte of maryenbourgh, fro the first to the last, wel
thre score thousaund men of werre, alredy prest & well apparelled for to deffende their royalme & to go ayenst their [sign. F iij.] enmyes / & whan the kyng sawe his men that were comme, he was of them right glad / & so was blanchardyn, that had the rule ouer hem all, to whome he gaff in commaundement that they sholde be redy on the morowe by tymes, for to departe in the felaweship of Sadoyne, the kynges sone, & of hym. Whan the morne cam, trompettes and claryons byganne to blowe thourgh the towne, & in the subarbes of the same / They alle departed from their lodgis, & cam wel apparelled, in gode araye to the felde / where they awayted after the counstable, that shold be their ruler & their guyde / the whiche camm toward the kynge, & sadoyne wyth hym, & to take their leue of hym / The kyng, seyeng his sonis departyng, saide to blanchardyne: 'Vassall! vassal! [Wanting in the French.] to whom I haue taken in hande that thynge most dere to me in this world / that is my sone, my royalme, my knyghtes & my barons. I beseke & praye þe, in the worship of the goddes, that at tyme of nede, for the defense of my royalme, thou wylt vttir & shewe that whiche I see appiere wyth in þe, that callest thy self the sone of a kynge, in whom ought to be graffed & sette [Wanting in the French.] the floure of knight-hode, with proesse & hardynesse, wher-with thou art armed, as I holde' [wher-with thou art armed, as I holde' = dont Ie te cuide estre arme.] / 'Syre,' sayde blanchardyn, 'as for me, thourgh the helpe of þe goddes, I shal so moche do, that wythin fewe dayes your enmyes shal haue no cause to be glad therof / & in their folysshe pryde I shal succombe & brynge a lowe their corage' [& in their folysshe pryde I shal succombe & brynge a lowe their corage' = Et de la folle entreprinse quilz ont faicte pour lorgueil et oultrage qui les esuient contre vous. vouldroy abaissier leur couraige follastre] / And thenne, wythout mo wordes, sadoyne & blanchardyn toke leue of the kynge /