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 xliij chapiter followeth, whiche conteyneth & speketh of the grete beaulte that was by fore Tourmaday, ayenst the kynge Alymodes, that was discomfyted / And of the takynge of Sadoyne, wherof

Blanchardyn was right sory, as rayson was /

Well ye haue herde here to fore the grete Ioye & gladnesse that was made wythin the cyte, for the goode tydynges that the proude pusell in loue had vnderstand of Blanchardyn her louer, whiche that nyght made grete diligence for to accomplysshe that whiche blanchardyn had sent her worde of; for she was her self that nyght in the towne house, where she made to come al her captaynes to fore her, to whome by þe prouost she made to be tolde and related al alonge that was charged vnto her by blanchardyn. the captaynes & hedes of her werre were all glad of thees tydynges, right [sign. K j.] desyryng to putte it in to execucyon at the commaundement of ther lady, they made hem all redy, & putte hem self in araye for to sprynge out the next mornyng vpon their enmyes, as by blanchardyn was sent worde /

¶ Of that other part, kynge Alymodes, that was in grete affraye to knowe the cause and occasion wherfore they of the cyte were makynge suche a gladnesse, assembled his barons for to haue aduyse & counseyll vpon this matiere, & sette the scout watche wyth grete nombre of men that he sholde not be ouertaken vnbeware / And that same nyght he sent for his shippes that were two mylle thens wythin an hauen for to haue theym brought nerer his oost / that he myght entre in them yf eny infortune happed to hym / [wythin an hauen for to haue theym brought nerer his oost / that he myght entre in them yf eny infortune happed to hym = qui pour securete estoit en vng port pour ce que la endroit ou Il estoit logie ny auoit quelque perilaige de la mer Si la fist venir auprez de lui ancrer pour ce que le temps estoit douls et la mer quoyt Il le fist affin que ne aucune malle aduenture lui aduenoit] & to wythdrawe his folke therinne yf nede were / Thus passed kynge Alymodes the nyght ouer tyl the fayre daye came, that the sonne byganne to ascende, castyng his bemes a brode vpon the erthe; & as he

was musyng vpon þe werke, lokyng to & fro vpon the see, he perceyued a right myghty nauey, wherof they that were come vpon lande, he sawe hem in grete nombre, al redy renged in a fayr ordeynaunce of batayll for to fyght nyghe by þe see shoris, a lytyl beyonde his ooste, wherof he was not awar afore that; & he was sore abashed, & gretely merueylled how they were so soone landed wythout that he knewe therof / So fered he soone of this that was true, that it was blanchardyn & his folke that were come there.

¶ The worthy knyght Blanchardyn had ordeyned his folke in three battaylles, wherof he led the formest / the seconde he be-toke to Sadoyne his felawe, & the thirde he gaf to be conducted to his fader the kynge of ffryse.

¶ Whan Blanchardyn had al this thynges redy, and all his ordeynaunces y-made, he made his trompettes / hornes, olyfauntes, and busynes to be rongen & blowen so highe that it was wonder to here them. They of the cyte thenne that herde the sowne therof, yssued anone out of their towne by commaundement of their lady, the proude mayden in amours, that sore admonested and prayed them to do wel / to thende that som goode tydynges might be reported by them. alimodes, seeng his enmyes cam a lande, and in so fayre ordonaunce y-sette of that one part / & of that other syde he sawe them of the cyte that cam wyth a grete puyssaunce vpon hym and his folke, It is well ynough to be byleued, that he was not wel assured. But nought therfore, as a sharp and hardy knyght as he was, the best wyse that he myght or coude / he ordeyned his bataylles, whiche he toke to be conducted and guyded to theym that semed hym worthy therof. The oostes beganne to approche eche other / the callyng and the crye arose so grete & hyghe betwyx them, what by the sowne of trompettes / hornes and bussynes / as of the stour dynnyng and noyse that their horses made treddyng and wallopyng

hyghe and harde vpon the grounde, that it semed that all the foure elementes had fought there to-gyder. The duste byganne to ryse so hyghe aboute them and so thykke, that it toke away the bryghtnes of the sonne / so that they that were wythin the cyte sawe nother frendes nor enmyes. They went to the chirche in grete deuocyon, makyng their prayers to our lord, that he wolde helpe their frendes; And, namely, that noble lady, the proude pucelle in amours, alle barefote, went from one chirche to another, prayng god that he wold graunte þe victorie to her true loue blanchardyn, & to them that were with him / & syth cam ayen to her paleys / & mounted vp to a highe toure for to see & beholde þe batayl þat was alredy bygonne. right grete murdre & slaughter was ther made at settyng vpon of bothe partyes / many a knyght ded, & brought to the grounde, that neuer syn had power to releue hemself / the horses of whom went rennyng vpon the playn, & in to the medowes, the raynnes of their brydels hangyng & drawyng up on the grounde. blanchardyn, at his comynge on that he made, recounted [rencontra] a duke [Wanting in the French.] expand_less, cosyn germayn to kynge Alymodes, vpon whom he sette the sharpe hed of his spere by so grete force, that he perced his body thorugh and thorugh, so that the spere was seen from the breste to the backe of hym more than thre fote longe / and syn cam to the second / to the thyrd, & to the fourth / & neuer he rested nor ceassed hymself as long as the spere abode hole, whiche was sore bygge & oute of mesure grete, to slee & ouerthrowe his enmyes to the grounde / And or euer his spere was crased or broken / he ouerthreu & slew seuen of theym, that deyd myserable ther amonge the horses fete / Then toke blanchardyn his good swerde into his fyste, wherof

he brak salletes & helmettes of fyn stele / and to brayned ther many one / he al to-hewe his enmyes, & made legges, armes & fete to flee from the body of theym / that all the grounde aboute hym was dyed in red wyth blode of his aduersaryes [whereof he brak salletes & helmettes of fyn stele / and to brayned ther many one / he al to-hewe his enmyes, & made legges, armes & fete to flee from the body of theym / that all the grounde aboute hym was dyed in red wyth blode of his aduersaryes = dont il detrenchoit piez braz et Iambes et les pourfendoit Iusques es ceruelles] / he dyd so moche of armes, that wyth in a while his swerde was wele beknowen among his enmyes / In so moche that they made hym waye, fleeng. they dyd so moche by their ryght excellent proues, that they made to recule theyr enmyes vnto their tentes / and sore yll yt had ben wyth theym / yf kyng Alymodes had not socoured them, that cam of freshe wyth ten thousaund of his men / and to them he began to call & saye / 'forth, forthe, nobel barons / haue thys daye rememberaunce of your wyues & chyldren that ye haue lefte at home in care & myserye! for dred that they haue to lese you / take ayen wythin yourself a good and vygoryus corage in shewynge of your force and vertue ayenste your enmyes.' They began than to caste a crye amonge hem sore grete & wonderfull, tournynge their faces toward their enmyes [Wanting in the French.] expand_less / blanchardyn smote hymselfe wyth-ynne theym fyrst of all / whom they knew full wele, by cause that by hym & thorughe his cause they had receyued all the most losse that they had done there. wherfore all their desire was for to close hym all aboute, & slee hym yf they myghte haue doon soo. And they, seenge that he had embated hymself amonge theym, dyde putte hemself togyder, & enclosed hym rounde aboute, launchynge and castyng to hym speres & dartes, in somoche that they wounded hym ful sore in many places of his body, and vnder hym they slew his horse / but as a prew knyght ryght valiante & hardy / lepte lyghtli on his fete, enbrasyng his shelde, his swerde heued vp in his fyste, wherwyth he smote

& hewe bothe legges & armes from the bodyes of theym by suche a myghte & fyersnes, and thorughe so grete strokes of hym, [they dyd so moche by their ryght excellent proues, that they made to recule theyr enmyes vnto their tentes / and sore yll yt had ben wyth theym / yf kyng Alymodes had not socoured them, that cam of freshe wyth ten thousaund of his men / and to them he began to call & saye / 'forth, forthe, nobel barons / haue thys daye rememberaunce of your wyues & chyldren that ye haue lefte at home in care & myserye! for dred that they haue to lese you / take ayen wythin yourself a good and vygoryus corage in shewynge of your force and vertue ayenste your enmyes.' They began than to caste a crye amonge hem sore grete & wonderfull, tournynge their faces toward their enmyes [Wanting in the French.] expand_less / blanchardyn smote hymselfe wyth-ynne theym fyrst of all / whom they knew full wele, by cause that by hym & thorughe his cause they had receyued all the most losse that they had done there. wherfore all their desire was for to close hym all aboute, & slee hym yf they myghte haue doon soo. And they, seenge that he had embated hymself amonge theym, dyde putte hemself togyder, & enclosed hym rounde aboute, launchynge and castyng to hym speres & dartes, in somoche that they wounded hym ful sore in many places of his body, and vnder hym they slew his horse / but as a prew knyght ryght valiante & hardy / lepte lyghtli on his fete, enbrasyng his shelde, his swerde heued vp in his fyste, wherwyth he smote & hewe bothe legges & armes from the bodyes of theym by suche a myghte & fyersnes, and thorughe so grete strokes of hym = Lesquelz trois vaillans et haultains princes firent tant par leurs tresexcellentes proesses que Ilz firent reculer leurs ennemis Iusques en leurs tentes ¶ Ia leur fust la chose mal tournee se le roy Alimodes ne leur fust sourvenu qui les vint secourir a tout dix mille hommes des meilleurs de ses gens Ausquelz Il commenca a crier et leur dire ¶ Auant barons au Iour dhuy vueillies auoir souvenance de voz femmes et enfans que auez laissie en douleur et misere pour la paour quilz ont de vous perdre / Reprendes en vous vigoreux et bon couraige en monstrant votre force et vertu alencontre de voz ennemis ¶ Blanchandin qui dedens eulx sestoit feru le premier lequel Il congnoissoit assez pour ce que par lui et sa cause Ilz auoient receu toute la plusgrant perte quilz eurent faicte Pourquoy tout leur desir estoit de lenclore et occire se faire leussent peu / et eulx veant que dedens eulx estoit embatus se mirent ensamble et lencloirent en lui lanchant lances et dards tant que en pluseurs lieux le naurerent et lui occirent son cheual.] so that noon was so hardy of all his enmyes that durste abyde a full stroke of his handes / Of that other partye was the kyng of fryse & Sadoyne, that made the bataylles of hys enmyes to trembel full fast, & made roume where grete preses were. Ryghte preu & valiant was the kyng of fryse; for whom soeuer he aryued vpon, he dyd shewe suche a puyssaunce that he had no power to escape, but that he slew hym or wounded hym full ylle. Sadoyne, that was of grete corage & full of brennyng desire to acquyer to hymself the name of famouse proesse, chose corboraunt, the brother of kyng Alymodes, to whom he gaff suche a grete stroke wyth his swerde vpon his helme, that he ouerthrew hym from his horse doun to the grounde / and had kylde hym & broughte to his ende lightly / yf he had not ben ryghte sone socoured by king Alymodes [sign. K ij.] his brother, that cam vpon Sadoyne, acompanyed wyth six thousaund of his folke, wherof the battayl beganne of fresshe to be sore fyers and grete / right grete was the effucyon or shedyng of blode there of bothe partyes, but more of alymodes parte, that was assaylled and befought on eythre syde, bothe behynde and before. Blanchardyn made there ryght a wondryng of worthines and goode conducte. The kyng, his fader, folowed hym nyghe / and so dyde his felawe Sadoyne, for to confounde and ouercome their enmyes / [Lesquelz trois vaillans et haultains princes firent tant par leurs tresexcellentes proesses que Ilz firent reculer leurs ennemis Iusques en leurs tentes ¶ Ia leur fust la chose mal tournee se le roy Alimodes ne leur fust sourvenu qui les vint secourir a tout dix mille hommes des meilleurs de ses gens Ausquelz Il commenca a crier et leur dire ¶ Auant barons au Iour dhuy vueillies auoir souvenance de voz femmes et enfans que auez laissie en douleur et misere pour la paour quilz ont de vous perdre / Reprendes en vous vigoreux et bon couraige en monstrant votre force et vertu alencontre de voz ennemis ¶ Blanchandin qui dedens eulx sestoit feru le premier lequel Il congnoissoit assez pour ce que par lui et sa cause Ilz auoient receu toute la plusgrant perte quilz eurent faicte Pourquoy tout leur desir estoit de lenclore et occire se faire leussent peu / et eulx veant que dedens eulx estoit embatus se mirent ensamble et lencloirent en lui lanchant lances et dards tant que en pluseurs lieux le naurerent et lui occirent son cheual.]

¶ The

whiche sawe hym fyghtyng and destroyeng, and sleynge his enmyes in suche wyse that he raughte noon vpon the salate, how stronge that he was / but that he claaf hym doun vnto the tethe / But his grete corage and grete prouesse had ben but lytell worthe to hym, yf he had not be socoured anone of Sadoyne his true felawe / that had herde the cry and the noyse that they made aboute blanchardyn, that trowed to haue slayne hym / sadoyne seeng his true felawe blanchardyn that faught on fote ayenst his enmyes, broched his hors wyth the spore, full of anger & of wrathe, his swerde in his hande, dyed & all blody of the blode of his enmyes, smot hym self in to the presse, where he dyde see it moost thyk, accompanyed wyth suche knyghtes as he well trustyd vpon, callyng hygh after his baner, wherby x. thousaund men of his feliship folowed right soone the bak of hym / and, namely, the noble kynge of fryse, that ful quykly cam to the rescue of his son blanchardin / So smot they hem self all at one weyght vpon kynge Alymodes folke, and byganne to hewe and slee them, so that wythin a short tyme they brake the presse, and made grete occycyon vpon their enmyes. To the rescue of blanchardyn cam also the gode prouost, & wyth him were they of the towne, that ful wel dyde, & bare hem self right wel; for so moche they deyde, that in a lytyl while, wolde their enmyes or not / that Sadoyne gat the place, & brought a right myghty courser vnto his felow blanchardyn, vpon whiche he mounted vp anone. The kyng of fryse seeng his son blanchardyn / rescued & on horsbake ayen / brought his horse

nere hym, & demanded of hym / how he dyde, [how he dyde = comment Il se faisoit] & yf he felt hym self wounded or hurt in ony place where eny doubte were of his lyf / 'Syre,' sayde blanchardyn, 'no sore at all I fele wythin my body, that can let me to kylle & sle myn enmyes & yours.' [les vostres] They thenne, wythout eny moo wordes, entred ayen bothe to gyder into the bataylle toward them of the towne, where Sadoyne was wyth them, fyghtyng ayenst Alymodes & Corboraunt his brother / Blanchardyn, seeng them of the towne by the baner that they bare, in which was portrayed a fygure in lykenes of a mayde that represented the proude pucell in amours, he dyde shewe it vnto his fader & to his felawe [Wanting in the French.] expand_less Sadoyne. he thenne toke corage & fyersnes more than euer he had don afore, admonestyng his fader & sadoyne to do wel their parte / Soo putte them self in to the thyckest of the batayll, where they ouer-threwe & casted doune alle that founde hem self by fore them / Wherby kynge Alymodes folke reculed abak more than is the lengthe of an acre of lande / Alymodes seeng his folke lese grounde, & were smytten ded doun right by the hyghe prouesse & grete worthynes of blanchardyn / desyred sore wyth al his herte to joyne hym self wyth hym; & so cam he at the one syde of blanchardyn, his swerde in the hande, for to slee hym yf he myght. but blanchardyn, that ware was, & wel taught of all poyntes of werre, perceyued soone his manere of commyng ayenst hym, & tourned brydel, and went hym self vpon kynge Alymodes, & suche a stourdy stroke [sign. K iij.] he gaf him vpon the helmet, that he brought him doune from his hors all astonyed / the whiche blanchardyn had taken right sone the hed from þe body of hym, [the whiche blanchardyn had taken right sone the hed from þe body of hym = le quel blanchandin eust occis] if socours & help had not come to hym of his folke, that brought his hors to him ayen,

& remounted him on horsbak. whan he see hym self on his hors, he cam ayen vpon Blanchardyn, the swerde in his hande, requyryng to blanchardyn that he wolde drawe out of the prese, & that he had grete desyre to proue hym self vpon hym / Whan blanchardyn vnderstode kynge Alymodes, he was right glad, & right lyberaly graunted to hym his requeste / They two drewe them self out of the bataylle, & byganne to bete & smyte one vpon other so ofte & so thyk that the fyre came out of their armures, that were of fyn stele. [out of their armures, that were of fyn stele. = hors de lachier qui en leurs heaulmes estoit.] but blanchardyn dyde serue hym wyth so peysaunt & heuy strokes, & so horryble, that alymodes sholde neuer haue departed from the place quyk, yf he had not be socoured of corboraunt his brother. The batayll of theym two, dyde see playnly þe proude pucell in amours that was vpon her highe toure, where she praied god for the prosperyte of blanchardyn / She called a yong knyght a seruaunt of hers, [a seruaunt of hers = son seruiteur] to whom she toke a sleue of whyt damaske, & commaunded hym to presente hit hastely from her behalue vnto blanchardyn / prayng hym that for her sake & loue, to dye the whyt coloure in to red wyth the blode of her enmyes / The gentyl man, sore desyryng to accomplyshe his maystres commaundement, toke of his lady the sleue of whyt colour. he departed & made suche diligence, that a present was therof made to blanchardyn, rehersyng vnto hym that that his lady, the proude pucelle in amours, had charged him to saye vnto blanchardyn / whiche was right glad of the saide present, more than he sholde haue be yf the messenger had brought to hym a mylyon of fyn golde [whiche was right glad of the saide present, more than he sholde haue be yf the messenger had brought to hym a mylyon of fyn golde = blanchandin ful moult Ioyeulx] / and thanked moche his lady, the proude pucelle in amours, that behylde hym from her tour [fenestre] as ferre as she myght chuse hym, and

enforced his power for to parfurnysshe her request. he smote vpon his enmyes as it had be the thonder, confoundyng and ouerthrowyng them ded to þe grounde; for who that was that tyme yrought of hym, his dayes were fynyshed. fynably, the batayll lasted so longe that kynge Alymodes & his Cassydonyens were rebuked, wold they or no, to their grete losse, hurt and dammage / for of thre score thousaund, the remenaunt that myght be saued wythdrewe themself wyth kynge alymodes, that toke hastely the waye toward his shippes for to entre, and saue hym self ther Inne / But sadoyne folowed hym of so nyghe at bak of hem, that with grete peyne gaf them leyser to saue hem self / And so ferre he folowed and chassed them, that he ouer toke kynge alymodes brother called Corboraunt, to whome he gaff a reuerse wyth his swerde so grete that he made fle bothe the helme and the hed from the body of hym. [et chey mort.] Kynge alymodes seeng his brother slayne of a knyght alone, was full sory and an-angred / he ascryed to his folke that traytoure that had slayne his brother Corberaunt sholde be taken by them, for he hath doon to vs this day so moche of euyl, bothe he and his felawes / that I shal neuer haue Ioye at my herte tyl that I haue hym ded or taken / They thenne from al sydes tourned vpon Sadoyne, and slewe his horsse and enclosed hym rounde aboute, so that his defendyng had nought proffyted to hym nor holpen but that he shold haue be there slayn, yf kynge alymodes had not ascryed & commaunded to his men that they sholde not sle hym, but sholde take hym quyk, [sign. K iiij.] whiche thynge was don of hem. Grete crye, noyse, and houlyng made the sarasyns at the takyng of Sadoyne, in somoche that blanchardyn herde them, whiche cam rennyng there as the medle was wyth a grete nombre of folkys. But the kyng Alymodes seeng

hym comyng wyth puyssaunce, for fere that he had of hym, he departyd, & went hastely wyth suche as wold be saued wyth hym / and entred hys shyppes, and brought wyth hym Sadoyne / for blanchardyn coude neuer come tyme ynough to the rescue of hym; but or euer they were entred in to theyr vessels they made grete losse of their men / but the sorow was ryght grete of Blanchardyn and of hys folke, whan he wyste that the paynemys had wyth hem his trew felawe Sadoyne / wherof he was so dolaunt, & so replenyshed wyth sorow and heuynes, that no body coude pease hym by eny manere. He smote his hors wyth the spore, alonge by the shores of the see, escryeng as loude as he myght vnto kyng Alymodes, that he wolde take to hym ageyn his felaw Sadoyne / and that for his raensom he shulde geue hym thre score thousand pound of fyne gold, wyth six thousand men of his folke that he had prysoners / Alymodes ansuerd, that yf he wolde delyuer the proude pucell in amours to hys wylle / that he shulde take hym ayen Sadoyne / blanchardyn ansuerd that he was content, and that whan he sholde haue ayen Sadoyne / and had delyuerd the proude pucell in amours in his hande / he shold rather slee hymself than that she shold abyde wyth hym no while.

¶ After these wordes / Alymodes, the kyng of Cassydonye, that was ryghte sore an-angred, rose vpon his fete and sayd to blanchardyn / that he loste his wordes / And that he sholde neuer see Sadoyne, but sholde haue hym wyth hym in to Cassydonye, where he sholde make hym to be hanged byfore Beatryx his doughter, sayeng that suche sholde be the rewarde of his folyshe loue, and that noon other raenson he sholde take for hym. And the sorowefull / Sadoyne, that was that tyme vpon the wale of the ship, sore harde ybounde wyth yrons, bygan to calle, and sayde wyth a hyghe voyce / 'far wel, my true felawe blanchardyn

/ Ye shall neuer see me more, as I byleue.' And thus they departed wythout eny more speche. The wynde was goode for them, that sone brought them ferre from the coste of Tormaday, and drewe towarde Cassydonye / [Wanting in the French.] expand_less