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

¶ Of the corpulence of kynge Charles, and' of the maner of hys lyung': capitulo iij

[col. 2.]

Charlemayn Kynge of Fraunce after that he was Emperour he dyd̛ many meruayllous werkes and̛ regned̛ emperour thyrtene yere, And̛ had̛ thenne regned̛ vpon the frensshe men xxxiij yere. And̛ in the contrye ["contrye:" Fr. pais.] of Rome he edyfyed̛ many cytees and restored̛ good̛ townes & many other thynges whyche may not well be recounted̛ by cause of his merueyllous werkes. Neuertheles for to knowe what man he was his werkes wytnessen: as moche as toucheth thexcercyte of hys persone Turpyn the holy man archebysshop of Raynes whych lyued̛ that tyme and̛ was oft tymes in the companye of kyng̛ Charles sayth that he was a man wel faryng̛ of hys body & grete of persone and̛ had̛ hys syght and̛ regarde fyers & malycyous. ¶ The lengthe of hys persone conteyned eyght feet after the mesure of his feet, which were merueyllously long; fatte, and̛ massyf was he of his sℏoldres and̛ raynes wythoute hauyng the bely otherwise than wel a poynte. ["wel a poynte:" Fr. bien a pointe. ] The armes and̛ thyes he had̛ ample and̛ large: he was a subtyl knyght & ryght wyse actyf and moche fyers, and of alle hys membres he was of ryght grete strengthe. he had the face deduyte in lengthe and hys berde was a foot longe: [sign. B iij, back.] he had̛ hys nose reysed̛ vpon a roundnes: A fayr regarde and̛ countenaunce had̛ thys man: he had the face of a large fote brode; he had the eyen like a lyon sparklyng̛ lyke a cole by furyous regarde, his wynbrowes grete. Assone as he byhelde a man in angre eche man had̛ of hym fere and̛ drede in openyng̛

his eyen. The gyrdle of whyche he was gyrde was viij fote longe wyth-oute that that henge doun fro the bokle to the pendaunt. whan he took hys repaast he was contente wyth lytel brede, but as touchyng the pytaunce ["as touchyng the pytaunce:" as regards his share at dinner: Fr. quant a la pitance.] he ete at his repaast a quarter of moton, or ij hennes, or a grete ghoos, or a grete pestel of porke, or a pecok, or a crane, or an hare all hool: he dranke wyn sobrely wyth a lytel water therin. Of hys strengthe is not a lytel thynge to speke of, For he wold̛ smyte a knyght armed̛ wyth one stroke of a swerde and cleue hym from the coppe of the hede doun to the sadel. And̛ yf he had̛ bytwene hys handes iiij hors sℏoen [ "iij hors shoen:" the Fr. original adds, venans de la forge.] wyth oute ouermoche prouyng̛ hys myght he wold̛ ryȝt them oute and̛ breke them in pyeces. And̛ more ouer wyth one hande he wold̛ take a knyght al armed̛ and̛ lyfte hym vp to the heyght of hys breste lyghtly. And̛ he had̛ in hym thre thynges moche honourable: Fyrst, in yeftes yeuyng [col. 2] he was ryght large, lyke vnto Tytus themperour sone of Vaspasianus, which was so prodygal that it was not possyble to hym to gyue that whyche he promysed̛. And̛ whan it was demaunded̛ why he promysed̛ thynge that he myght not gyue, forthwyth he answerd̛ that a persone ought not departe fro a prynce desolate ne heuy, nor with-oute to obteyne somme thynge. Secondly, Charles was so sure in Iugement that no man coude reprehende hym, and̛ also he was pyetous & mercyful vnto cristen men after the qualyte of the persone & the occasyon of the trespaas. And̛, thyrdly, in his wordes he was moche wel aduysed̛: whan he spake he thought strongely on that he sayd̛ & whan one spake to hym he remembred the manere for to compryse thentencyon of the spekar.