Torrent of Portyngale. Re-edited from the unique ms. in the Chetham Library, Manchester, by E. Adam, PH. D.

THE FRAGMENTS.

I. [In Halliwell's edition III.]

[The King of Portugal plots Torrent's death.]

[T] . . . est hym vp . . . . [ 462] [Desonell gives Torrent a Horse] . . . . . chent be for to fle . . . . . ly ivyll he gone [ 464] The kynge of Nazareth sent hym me, [which the King of Nazareth had sent her.] Torent, I wot-saue hym on the, For better loue I none!' [ 467] Afterwarde vpon a tyde, As they walkyd by the ryvers syde, The kynge and yonge Torent, [ 470] This lorde wolde fayne, that he dede were [The King] And he wyst nat, on what manere, Howe he myght hym shent. [ 473] A fals letter made the kynge [treacherously] And made a messangere it brynge, On the ryuer syde as they went, [ 476] To Torent, that was true as stele, [asks Torrent to get Desonell a Falcon] If he loued Dyssonell wele, Gete hir a faucon gent. [ 479] Torent the letter began to rede, The kynge came nere and lystened, As thoughe he it neuer had sene. [ 482] The kynge sayde, 'what may this be?' 'Lorde, it is sent to me For a faucon shene; [ 485] I ne wote, so God me spede, In what londe that they brede.' The kynge sayde, 'as I herde sayne, [ 488]

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . In the forest of Maudelayne [ 491] [from the Forest of Magdalen.]

II. [In Halliwell's edition II.]

Than sayde [the] kyn[g] vntrue, [ 492] 'And ye fynde haw[k]es of great value, Brynge me on with the!' [ 494] Torent sayd: 'so God me saue, Yf it betyde, that I any haue, [Torrent agrees to do it.] At your wyll shall they be.' [ 497] To his squyer bade he thare, After his armoure to fare, In the felde abode he; [ 500] They armed hym in his wede, [He rides] He bestrode a noble stede . . . . . . . . . . [ 503] Torent toke the way agayne [to the Forest of Magdalen,] Unto the forest of Maudelayne, In a wylsome way; [ 506] Berys and apes there founde he And wylde bestys great plente And lyons, where they lay. [ 509] In a wode, that is tyght, It drewe towarde the nyght. By dymmynge of the day [ 512] Lysten, lordes, of them came wo, He and his squyer departed in two, [gets separated from his Squire,] Carefull men then were they. [ 515] At a shedynge of a rome Eyther departed other frome, As I vnderstande. [ 518] Torent taketh a dolefull way Downe into a depe valay, . . . . . . . . . . . [ 521]

III. [In Halliwell's edition VI.]

[The King of Portugal sends Torrent to be kild by the Giant Slogus.]

. . . . . . . . . . . . [ 819] [Torrent sits at the head of a side table.] And the good squyres after h[ym], That knyghtes sholde be. [ 821] As they were a-myddes theyr . . . [The King asks Torrent if he'll] The kynge wolde not forgete, To Torente than sayd he, [ 824] He sayd: 'so god me saue, Fayne thou woldest my dough[ter haue], Thou hast loued her many a d[aye].' [ 827] 'Ye, by my trouthe,' sayd Torente, 'And I were a ryche man, Ryght gladly by my faye.' [ 830] 'If thou durst for her sake [do a deed of arms for Desonell.] A poynte of armes vndertake, Thou broke her vp for ay.' [ 833] 'Ye,' sayde he, 'or I go, ['Yes,' says Tor∣rent.] Sykernes thou make me so Of thy doughter hende. [ 836] Ye and after all my ryghtes By VII score of hardy knyghtes' Al they were Torentes frende. [ 839] 'Now, good lordes, I you praye, Bere wytnes of this day Agayne yf god me sende!' [ 842] Torente sayd, 'so may I the, Wyst I, where my jorney shold [be], Thyder I wolde me dyghte.' [ 845] The kyng gaue hym an answ[e]re, 'In the londe of Caleb[e]re ['Then go to Calabria,] There wonneth a gyaunte wygh[hte] [ 848]

. . . . . . . . . . . . Slogus he hyght as I the tolde, God sende the that waye ryghte!' [ 851] [and fight the Giant Slogus.']

IV. [1 In Halliwell's edition V.]

[Torrent is offerd a Princess of Provyns.]

. . . . . . . . . . . [The King of Provyns warns] . . . . . . . . . . . For why I wyll the saye, [ 917] Moche folke of that countre Cometh heder for socoure to me, Bothe by nyghte and by daye. [ 920] There is a gyaunte of grete renowne, [him against the terrible Giant there,] He destroyeth bothe cyte and towne And all that he may. [ 923] As bokes of rome tell, He was goten with the deuyll of hell, As his moder slepynge lay.' [ 926] The kynge sayde, 'by Saynt Adryan, I rede, a nother gentylman Be there and haue the degre. [ 929] I haue a doughter, that me is dere, Thou shalte wedde her to thy fere, [and offers him his Daughter and 2 Duchies.] And yf it thy wyll be, [ 932] Two duchyes in honde I wyll gyue her in londe.' 'Gramercy, syr,' sayd he, [ 935] 'With my tonge I haue so wrought, [Torrent says he must keep his troth.] To breke my day wyll I nought, Nedes me behoueth there to be.' [ 938] 'On Goddes name,' the kynge gan sayne, 'Iesu brynge the saffe agayne, Lorde, moche of myght!' [ 941]

Mynstralsy was them amonge, With harpe, fedyll and songe, Delycyous notes on hygh[t]e. [ 944] Whan it was tyme, to bed they wente, And on the morowe rose Torente And toke leue of kynge and knyght [ 947] And toke a redy way. [Torrent starts,]

Fragment V. [1 In Halliwell's edition IV.]

By the se syde as it lay, God sende hym gatys ryght! [ 950] An hye waye hath he nome, Into Calabre is he come [reaches Calabria,] Within two dayes or thre. [ 953] So he met folke hym agayne, Fast comynge with carte and wayne Frowarde the se. [ 956] 'Dere God,' sayd Torente now, 'Good folke, what eyleth you, That ye thus fast fle?' [ 959] 'There lyeth a gyaunte here besyde, [and hears of the Giant.] For all this londe brode and wyde No man on lyue leueth he.' [ 962] 'Dere God,' sayd Torente then, 'Wher euer be that fendes den?' They answered hym anone: [ 965] 'In a castell in the see, Slogus' they sayd 'hyght he, Many a man he hath slone. [ 968] We wote full well, where he doth ly [The Giant Slogus is in Hungary.] Byfore the cyte of Hungry,' . . . . . . . . . . [ 971]

VI. [1 Printed in Englische Studien, VII. p. 347 f.]

[Torrent fights the Giant.]

. . . . . . all the wrynge, [ 1014] [The Giant says he'll wring Torrent's nose.] . . . . . . . . lynge . . . . . . . . . thou the [ 1016] . . . . . . . . he toke, . . . . . . . . bare a croke . . . . . . . . te longe and thre [ 1019] [His Crook is 13 ft. long.] . . . . . . ever so longe were . . . . . . . . had no fere . . . . yd darste thou come nere [ 1022] . . . . . nte nolengre a-byde . . . . . nte wolde he ryde [Torrent charges,] . . . . ghte. [ 1025] . . . . one eye but one, . . . . . . neuer none, . . . nor by nyght. [ 1028] . . . . lpe of god of heuen, . . . . . herin euen, [pierces the Giant's eye,] . . . . . . . . . . . . [ 1031] . . . . gan to rore, [and makes him roar.] . . . . the cyte wore, . . . ay. [ 1034] . . . . es eyen were oute . . . . . . . . boute . . . . . . . . . . . [ 1037]

VII. [2 In Halliwell's edition I.]

[Desonell bears twins. All are sent out to sea. They reach land.]

Thus the lady dwelled there, [ 1807] Tyll that she delyuered were [Desonell is delivered of 2 male children] Of men chyldren two. [ 1809]

Of all poyntes were they gent, Lyke were they to Sir Torent, [like Torrent.] For his loue suffred they wo. [ 1812] The kynge sayd, 'so mote I the, Thou shalt into the se [Her Father says she shall be sent out to sea.] Without wordes mo. [ 1815] Every kynges doughter fer and nere At the they shall lere, Agaynst right to do!' [ 1818] Great ruthe it was to se, [She is led from his land.] Whan they led that lady fre Out of hir faders lande. [ 1821] The quene, hir moder, was nere wode [The Queen bewails her daughter's fate.] For hir doughter, that gentyll fode, Knyghtes stode wepynge. [1 wepande.] [ 1824] A clothe of sylke toke they tho, And departed it bytwene the chyldren two, Therin they were wonde. [ 1827] Whan they had shypped that gentyll thynge, [Desonell is sent to sea.] Anone she fell in swownynge At Peron on the sonde. [ 1830] Whan that lady was downe fall, On Iesu Cryste dyd she call. To defende hir with his honde: [ 1833] 'Rightfull God, ye me sende [She prays to Christ for her children.] Some good londe on to lende, That my chyldren may crystened be[n].' [ 1836] She sayd, 'ladyes fayre and gent, Great well my lorde Sir Torent, Yf euer ye hym se[n]!' [ 1839] The wynde arose on the myght, Fro the londe it blewe that lady bryght Into the se so grene. [ 1842]

Wyndes and weders hathe hir dryuen, That in a forest she is aryuen, Where wylde bestys were. [ 1845] The se was ebbe and went hem fro [Desonell and her twin babes reach land.] And left hir and hir chyldren two [Alo]ne without any fere. [ 1848] Hir one chylde began to wepe, The lady awoke out of hir slepe And sayde, 'be styll, my dere, [ 1851] [She stills her crying child,] Ihesu Cryste hathe sent vs lande, Yf there be any Crysten man at hande, We shall haue socoure here.' [ 1854] The carefull lady then was blythe, To the londe she went full swythe, As fast as she myght. [ 1857] Tyll the day began to sprynge, Foules on trees merely gan synge Delicyous notes on hyght. [ 1860] To a hyll went that lady fre, [goes up a mountain,] Where she was ware of a cyte With toures fayre and bryght. [ 1863] Therof I-wys she was fayne, She set hir downe, as I herd sayne, [and sits down.] Hir chyldren for to dyght. [ 1866]