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

¶ Here foloweth the xlvij chapter, that sheweth how therle of castelforde, the goode prouost, and the knyght of the fery, wyth their folke, toke and bare awaye the proude pucelle wyth them in to Castelforde, magre Subyon, that besieged them wythin the sayde place / as ye shal here. [Wanting in the French.] expand_less

Whan the nobles of the lande that were there assembled vnderstod Subyon, they had therof grete merueylle, and loked vpon eche other al abashed / Of that other part, they marked well that wyth subyon were grete fuson of men, al in harneys vnder their

gownes, wherfore they see wel that / force it was to them to consent his wyl at that owre, & ansuered vnto hym / 'Syth that his playsure was so, they were content.' but the olde erle of castelforde, the goode prouost, and the knyght of the fery, sayde al thre togyder, of one accorde / that they sholde neuer be consentyng of that infydelyte and grete trayson; but cryed vp alowde, that men sholde taken Subyon, for to be brought to pryson vnto the tyme that blanchardyn cam ayen. subyon thenne called vpon his folke, & saide that they sholde avenge hym vpon thees treytours / The gode erle, the prouost, & the knyght of þe fery called ayen in lyke wise vpon their folke / so byganne þe medle to be grete & fyers Betuyx the two partyes, whiche were not equal / for ouer moche were the traytours in grete multytude / So were constrayned the thre knyghtes and theyr men to wythdrawe themself togyder awaye. Whan the proude pucell in amours sawe therle departed, she ded call after hym ryght pyteousli, 'Ha, ryghte nobel knyght, haue pyte & compassyon vpon thys pore chylde, whiche is now all alone amonge wolues famyshed, be redy to deuoure me.' [vpon thys pore chylde, whiche is now all alone amonge wolues famyshed, be redy to deuoure me = de ceste poure doulante et exillee] The goode erle, then, the prouost, & the knyght of the fery, their swerdes in thier handes naked, toke & seysed her by force, & broughte her doun the stayers of the paleys, where they founde their horses, that bode there after hem; and lepte a horsbak, and, by the helpe of their frendes & kynnesmen, they sette the lady vpon a myghty palfray, magre Subyon & all his complyces. The prouost guyded her horse by the reyn, that was made faste to the brydell, and the good erle & the knyght of the fery cam behynde hem wyth their folke, that had their swerdes al naked. And somoche they dyd, by their highe proesse, that magre their enmyes they conducted & broughte wyth them

the pucell oute of her cyte of tourmaday / that was not wyth oute grete rewth, & pyteouse clamors of the peple / for they were all in a grete dyspleasure for their noble & good lady, that so pyteousli they sawe departe the town. The noble erle, the good prouost, & the worthy knyght of the fery exployted so longe, that wythoute eny let or combrauns they & þe proude pucelle in amours arryued in sauete wythin the fortres of Castelforde, where they were receyued of the countesse wyth hertly loue & grete humylite. The proude pucell in amours thanked and rendred graces onto oure lord, that she was thus escaped oute of the handes of her enmye / Wherof she thanked ryght moche the goode erle of Castelforde. And Subyon, seeng that the pucell was thus caryed awaye, he was ryght wrooth and sory that she was scaped soo from hym. he made all hys folke to lepe on horsbak, & folowed hem that had her awaye, by the markes of their horses steppes. but at thentree of a forest that was there, they loste their trayne, and went oute of ther waye / wherby they myght not folowe nor ouertake the pucell, nor they that brought her wyth theim / And thus subyon & his complyces inordynate purpos was tourned, chaunged, [And thus subyon & his complyces inordynate purpos was tourned, chaunged = Par quoy leur desordonne propos en fut mue] & fayled of their false & vntrew enterprise. the ryght wycked & false Subyon had not refreyned nor fulfylled his peruerse & vntrewe corage / but sent hastyly to Tourmaday for folke & engynes, ladders, and other habylymentes of warre, and made theim com afore Castelforde, where he dyd laye his siege; and sware that he shulde neuer departe from afore the place vnto the tyme that the Castel were take, and theym [ceulx] of wythin at his wyll / But it ys sayd often, in a comyn langage / that 'moche abydeth behynde that a fole

thynketh' / for the good erle, the prouost, & the knyght of the fery, wyth theyr folke, ordeyned & prouyded theym self soo, that they fered but lytyl subyon or nouȝte; And had more lette & care to comforte the noble lady Eglantyne, otherwyse callyd the proude pucell in amours, [Eglantyne, otherwyse callyd the proude pucell in amours = qui auec eulx estoit] than they had of Subyon. Castelforde was a stronge place, and well appoynted to the werre / for that yt was Inprenable, and fered not the shotte of the engynes / nor of bombardes.

¶ It was purueyd ryghte well of vytaylles, and of good men of werre.

¶ Here we shall tarye styll oure penne, to wryte of them [Here we shall tarye styll oure penne, to wryte of them = Atant vous lairons a parler deceulx] that be byseged, and of Subyon, that kepte his seege byfore the fortresse of Castelforde; And shalle wryte [shalle wryte = parlerons] of Alymodes, the vntrew kynge, that ladde wyth hym the goode knyghte Sadoyne, felawe to blanchardyn, [sign. L j.] toward the cyte of Cassydonye / [la ou Ilz arriuerent sans peril auoir]