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 Richard' of Normandye sayd' to Charles what maner man Fyerabras was: ca. iij

Assone as fyerabras had̛ fynysshed̛ hys wordes the Emperour Charles whyche [col. 2] wel had̛ herde hym meruaylled̛ moche of hys langage, And̛ demaunded̛ Rychard̛ of Normandye what was that Turke that so had cryed̛ wyth soo hye a voys vpon the valyaunce of hys persone. For kyng Charles sayd̛: "I haue wel herkened what he hath said that he sℏal not fayle to fyght ayenst vj of the moost valyauntest of myn excersyte." To whome Rychard̛ Duke of normandye ansuerd: "Syr kyng, thys is a man meruayllous ryche and̛ one of the strengest borne of moder: And̛ he is a sarasyn of so grete fyerste that he ne preyseth kyng ne erle ne none other persone of the world̛."

¶ Whan Charles vnderstood̛ hym he began to clawe his heed̛, And sware by Saynt Denys of fraunce that he sℏold̛ not ete ne neuer drynke tyl one of the pyeres of fraunce sℏold̛ goo Iuste ageynst hym, And̛ demaunded̛ of Rychard of Normandye how thys Paynym was named̛. ¶ Rychard̛ answerd̛: "syr Emperour, this paynym nameth hym self Fyerabras, which is moche to redoubte and hath done moche harme to [Ed. or.] crysten men. He hath slayn the Pope, hanged̛ abbottes, monkes, and̛ nonnes, and̛ hath deffuled̛ chyrches [These exploits are related in the Sowdone of Babytone, pp. 4 et seq.] . ¶ And he hath robbed & taken awaye the holy crowne of our lord and̛ many other relyques [sign. C j, back] for whome ye take grete payne. And̛ he holdeth Iherusalem in grete subjectyon And̛ the holy sepulcre wherin god̛ was buryed̛." Wherupon Charles ansuerd: "of thys that thou hast sayd̛ to me I

am more angry than I was, but knowe thou for certayn I sℏalle neuer haue Ioye tyll that my desyre be accomplysshed̛ and that he be vaynquysshed̛." And̛ of that fayt al the frensshe men were commoeued̛ and̛ troubled And̛ ther was not one that presented̛ hym for to goo to hym. And̛ whan charles sawe that noo persone was of courage for to goo and̛ fyght agenst thys geaunt Fyerabras He sayd̛ to Rolland̛: "My dere neuewe, I praye that thou dyspose the for tassaylle thys turke & that thou doo there thy deuoyr."