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 Olyuer spake to Fyerabras, whyche sette noo thynge by hym, with other disputacions: capitulo viij

Olyuer departed̛ & rode forth on hys waye & taryed̛ not tyl that he cam where as fyerabras was, which was al vnarmed̛ and̛ laye in the sℏadowe. and̛ whan Olyuer had̛ aresonned̛ hym The paynym torned̛ his heed ayenst hym and̛ dayned̛ vnnethe to loke on hym. For he setted̛ nought by hym ["he setted nought by hym:" took no thought or heed of him.] by-cause he was so lytel of stature to the regarde of Fyerabras. And̛ thenne Olyuer said to the sarasyn: "Awake, thou, [col. 2] thou hast thys day so ofte called̛ vs that I am come hyther. And̛ I praye the that thou telle to me thy name." Fyerabras ansuerd̛ to hym: "by Mahoun, my god, to whome I owe honour I am the moost ryche man that is in the world̛ borne. Fyerabras of alexandrye am I named̛: I am he that thou knowe that dyd̛ doo destroye rome your cyte, & slewe the Pope and̛ many other and bare awaye the relyques that I there founde, For which ye take grete payne and̛ laboure to recouer them. And̛

furthermore I holde Iherusalem that fayre cyte, and̛ the sepulcre in whych your god̛ rested̛." Olyuer ansuerd̛: "by my fayth, I haue gladly herde the say that whyche thou hast sayd̛. And̛ yf it be trouthe that thou hast sayd̛ for certeyn now thou mayst repute thy self well vnhappy and̛ myschaunt. Now wythoute more talkyng̛ make the redy and arme the. seest thou yonder the frensshe men that doo no thynge but byholde vs? wherfore depesshe the, or [Ed. For; "or:" I have corrected the reading in accordance with the original, which has ou.] by the god on whome I byleue I sℏalle smyte the there as thou lyest." whan Fyerabras herde that he spake soo hardyly he began to lawhe and sayd̛: "I am wel admeruaylled̛ fro whens that cometh to the suche presumpcion to speke so hastyly, but for trouthe I sℏal not remeue fro hens tyll [sign. C v, back] I knowe who thou arte and̛ of what lygnage. And whan thou hast tolde to me thy name thou sℏalt see me armed̛." Olyuer ansuerd̛ to hym: "O paynem, know thou for trouthe that or it be nyght thou sℏalt knowe what I am. by me sendeth to the charles the Emperour, my redoubted̛ lord̛, that for the conservacion [Ed. consecracion.] of thy body and̛ the saluacyon of thy soule thou leue the creaunce of thy god̛ Mahoun, & of other ydolles, whyche ben but abusyon and̛ decepcyon: whych haue neyther wytte, ne reason, ne feelyng, ne good̛ vnderstondyng. wherfore that thou enclyne the to consente and̛ thynke fro hens forth to byleue in god̛ almyghty the holy Trynyte, the fader, the sone, and̛ the holy ghoost, iij persones in one essence & of one wylle: whyche hath made heuen & erthe and̛ al that there in dwelleth: whyche for our saluacion wold̛ be borne of the vyrgyn marie. & whan thou sℏalt haue this byleue wyth the holy sacrament of baptesme, which is vpon this establysshed̛, thou mayst come to the glorye eternal. and̛ yf thou do not lyke as I haue taught the

I am here redy to doo bataylle ayenst the, and̛ of two thynges thou must doo that one. Fyrst, that thou departe oute of thys contree as ouercomen & to bere nothyng with the, or thou must [col. 2] come and̛ fyght ayenst me For tenhaunce thy body & to susteyne thy fals lawe." Fyerabras answerd̛: "whatsomeuer thou arte thou arte ouer presumptuous to haue Intencyon for to fyght ageynst me. For surely yf thou see me on fote wythoute armes thou sℏalt be wel hardy yf thou tremble not for drede to approche me. But by the god̛ in whome thou byleuest Say to me what man is Charlemayn, For it is long sythe I herde hym fyrst preysed̛ and̛ redoubted in many contrees: and also that I may haue tydynges of rolland̛ & Olyuer, of Ogyer the danoys and of gerarde de mondydyer, For by my trouthe I wold fayn be acqueynted̛ with them." [Compare Chanson de Roland, 376. "Jamais n'iert hum qui encuntre lui vaillet."] Olyuer ansuerd: "Paynym, vpon that thou me demaundest I telle to the that Charles themperour is so grete a maystre that there is no man in the World̛ may compare to hym, as wel for the valure of hys persone, of hys counceyl, & of hys maners, as of hys puyssaunce and̛ rychesses Innumerable of regarde. Of hys neuewe Rolland̛ he is wythoute pere, Olyuer lytel lasse than he; and as for the other frensshe men emonge al people humayn they be valyaunte men. but thyse wordes haue noo place here, depesshe the and̛ arme the, For by the god̛ on whom I byleue yf thou [sign. C vj] auaunce the not I sℏalle smyte the wyth thys swerde of stele." Fyerabras began to lyfte vp hys heed̛ and̛ sayd̛: "By my god̛ mahommet, yf I thought not that it sℏold̛ be my dysℏonour I sℏold̛ now smyte of thy heed̛." Olyuer ansuerd: "I praye the leue thys pletyng̛, For or it be euen thou sℏalt knowe what I am, For certeyn I haue entencyon to plunge my swerde in thy bely." where vpon Fyerabras was not wroth, so moche noble was he, and̛ rested̛ hys heed̛ vpon hys

sℏelde and̛ sayd̛ to Olyuer: "I sette not therby, but I praye the telle to me thy name & thy lygnage." Olyuer sayd̛ to hym: "my name is garyn, and am borne in perrogort, sone of a man called̛ Iosue, whyche came that other day in to fraunce where I was adoubed̛ knyght by the noble kyng̛ Charles and̛ am ordeyned̛ for to defende hys ryght & also to fyght ayenst the. wherfor conclude wythoute more taryeng & arme the & take thy hors, for I am redy to doo the bataylle yf thou be soo hardy to abyde me." Fyerabras wold not consente to the bataylle, For hym thought that olyuer was to litel to Iuste ayenst hym and̛ sayd̛ to hym: "Garyn, I demaunde of the wherfore is not comen hyther rolland̛ ne Olyuer or Gerard̛ or Ogyer, whyche been of so grete renommee [col. 2] as I haue herd̛ say?" Olyuer ansuerd: "The cause wherfore they be not comen to the is for they sette nought by the & they haue desdayn to come, but I am comen to the as he that taketh noo regarde to theyr Intencyon and̛ sℏal do the bataylle ayenst the yf thou wylt abyde it. But I swere to the by saynt Petre the appostle of Ihesu Cryst that yf thou arme the not I sℏal smyte the to the deth wyth thys darte that I holde in my honde." "Garyn," answerd̛ Fyerabras, "I sℏal say to the that sythe I was adoubed̛ knyght I Iusted neuer but ayenst a kyng̛, an erle, or a baron of grete valure, and thou art departed̛ of a lowe hous ["thou art departed̛ of a lowe hous:" Fr. tu es bien de basse main party] for to say that I sℏold̛ haue adoo wyth the: it sℏold̛ be to me ouer grete dysℏonour yf thou were put to deth by me. but for the goodwylle that I knowe in the whycℏ is moche noble I am contente that thou smyte me and̛ I sℏal falle doun to therthe, and̛ take thou my hors & my sℏelde and̛ goo thou to kyng̛ Charles and̛ say to hym that thou hast vaynquysshed̛ me. And yf I do thys for the I do to the grete amytye And̛ thou oughtest for thys tyme to be contente." ¶ On whiche wordes Olyuer coude

not haue pacyence but that he sayd̛ to hym: "Thy fayt lyeth in noo thynge but in wordes full of [sign. C vj, back] folysshe presumpsyon. I am of thys intencion that byfore euensonge tyme I sℏal make thy hede flee from thy sℏoldres. I am none hare ne wylde beest for to be aferde, And̛ thou knowest the comyn prouerbe that sayth that there is a tyme of spekyng̛ and̛ tyme of beyng̛ stylle, And̛ of one and̛ that other one may be reputed̛ a fool. Now come of & depesshe the of that I haue sayd̛ the or ellys I sℏal slee the." Fyerabras answerd: "I desyre ne praye the of no thynge but that thou sende to me Rolland or olyuer or one of thother knyghtes of the rounde table. ["of the rounde table." An addition of the translator.] And̛ yf one of them be not hardy for to come, late come ij or iij or iiij attones For by me they sℏal not be refused̛." In makyng̛ these desputacyons Olyuer which sore was hurte the day tofore his woundes opened̛ by force of rydyng̛ and̛ of chauffyng̛ & bledde sore so that fyerabras sawe the blood renne doun by is knee, And demaunded of hym fro whens came that blood̛ that soo renneth doun to therthe: "I trowe thou be hurte." ["I trowe thou be hurte." Not in the original.] Olyuer sayd̛: "I am not hurte but my hors is harde atte spore wherof he is blody." Fyerabras behelde & sawe it was not of the hors and̛ answerd̛: "Certes, garyn, thou sayest not sooth for thou art hurte in thy body & I knowe it wel by the blood̛ that cometh [col. 2] doun by thy knee: but see what I shal do for the: there been two flagons ["flagons:" barilz: "botelles" in the Sowdan, l. 1185: "costrel" in Sir Ferumbras, l. 510, on which see note and Introd., p. xii; at p. 60, l. 6, below, they are called "barylles."] hangyng̛ on the sadle of my hors whyche ben full of the bawme that I conquered̛ in Iherusalem, & it is the same of whyche your god̛ was enbawmed̛ wyth whan he was taken doun fro the crosse and̛ layed̛ in hys graue. hye the, and̛ goo drynke therof, & I promyse to the that Incontynent thou sℏalte be hole and thenne thou sℏalt mowe defende the wel wythoute daunger." ¶ Olyuer ansuerd that he wold̛ not & that he sayd̛ was folye. Thenne

fyerabras ansuerd that he was a fool wythoute reason, And̛ that it myght happe to repente hym.