Lyf of the noble and Crysten prynce, Charles the Grete / translated from the French by William Caxton and printed by him 1485 ; edited from the unique copy in the British Museum by Sidney J.H. Herrtage

¶ How the kyng' Cloys was vyctoryous of hys enemyes by cause he byleued' in Ihesu Cryste: Capitulo iiij

Kyng Cloys after certeyn tyme began to make warre mortal ayenst the Almayns, And̛ so perseueryng the [sign. A viij.] allemayns had̛ vyctorye on the frensshe men in suche wyse that they were ouer-throwen & slayn. Thenne whan aurelyen sawe the dystructyon of the kynges peple he began to beholde the kyng hys lord̛ & sayd̛ to hym: "Syr kyng̛, ye see tofore your eyen the mortal destructyon of your peple, I requyre you that ye byleue in god almyghty whycℏ hath made heuen & erthe, I mene hym whome my lady the quene adoureth, precheth, and̛ byleueth on." Whan the kyng had herde aurelyen thus speken in grete affectyon he began to lyfte his eyen vnto heuen and̛ wepte moche largely, and̛ wyth grete pyte thus

sayd̛ ["and wepte—sayd:" Fr. plourer moult largement en grant pitie va dire, &c.] : "O Ihesu cryst, sone of the veray god almyghty, on whom my wyf by-leueth and̛ wyth al hyr hert precheth & notyfyeth hym to gyue remedye to them that ben in trybulacyons, I byseche the of ayde and̛ socour that I may be vyctoryous of myn enemyes by experyence presently. I byleue [Ed. byleueue.] on the, and̛ in thy name I sℏalle baptyse me. I haue demaunded my goddes for to helpe me but they haue doon no thyng for me, And̛ I say they be of noo value ne of noo comforte whan they may not helpe them that requyre them. Wherfore to the as veray god̛ and̛ lord̛ I requyre the [Fr. Pour quoy toy comme vray dieu et seigneur ie te requiers, comme ie ne desire croire quen toy fermement: par ta haultaine puissance ie demande.] that I may be delyuerd̛ by thy hye puyssaunce fro myn aduersaryes." [col. ij.] he thus sayeng̛ wyth an hyghe voys The allemayns his enemyes vanquysshed̛ & murdred̛ began to flee in suche wyse that theyr kyng was deed, wherfore they that abode yelded them to kyng̛ cloys and bycamen his subgettes and̛ sette al that contreye vnder hys obayssaunce & puyssaunce payeng̛ yerely trybute. Thenne after this vyctory by the puyssaunce of god̛ obteyned̛ he came in to fraunce And recounted̛ alle to the quene hys wyf, how by Inuocacion dyuyne and by thayde of god almyghty he had̛ obteyned̛ vyctorye.