¶ How the peres of Fraunce went out of the toure, and dyd a grete bataylle, In which they recouerd' twenty sommyers charged' of vytaylle: capitulo xiij

Whan Florypes had sayd, sℏe fyl doun to the erth a-swoune for sorowe & anguysshe. Wherfor guy of bourgoyn wept moche soroufully for the loue of hyr. He [supplied by ed.] reupon Olyuer the courageous came tofore them and̛ sayd: "My lordes, Page  127 I you assure, by the god̛ that suffred̛ deth for creatures humayn, I had̛ leuer that my body were quartred̛ and̛ smyton in pyeces than I shold̛ suffre this pryson, but that I shold̛ fyght quyckely wyth the paynyms;" & semblably sayd̛ rolland̛. Wherfore, wythout other delyberacion, they sette theyr sℏeldes in good̛ poynte, and mounted on horsback, and aualed the brydge, & wyth a stedfast courage made them redy. & whan they were alle afore the toure of marble, Rolland̛ sayd to the other: "Syr Naymes, or ye, syr Ogyer, it byhoueth that one of you*. [orig. yon.] abyde for to kepe the place, that at the retornyng̛ we may entre surely." ¶ The Duke Naymes coude take noo pacyence, but that he answerd̛ thus: "Syr Roulland̛, thynke not that I be so vnhappy of persone ne of lygnage that euer I shold̛ be reproched̛, and̛ that euer I shold̛ be your portyer. I wyl not doo so in noo wyse: though I be olde, yet can I torne myn hors. For I am harde of [sign. g j, back] synewes, and̛ haue myn herte wel assured̛, and̛ wyl be hardy ynough for to smyte vpon myn enemyes whan tyme shal requyre, ne doubte ye no thynge therof." Rolland ansuerd: "syr, ye say wel, ye shal come wyth vs. Thyerry or geffroy, that one of you two shal abyde." but it was not their playsyr to abyde enclosed̛. Neuertheles, at the request of Rolland̛, tℏyerry abode with geffroy, whyche sℏetted̛ the yates surely after that the other barons were wythoute, whyche, eche with his sℏelde tofore hym and swerde in hys hande, wente mustryng them tofore the castel. Thadmyral lokyng out at a wyndowe, knewe the frensshe men, Wherfor hastely he sente for brullant and̛ Sortybrant to come to hym wyth other, to whome he sayd̛: "my barons and̛ subgettes, the frensshe men ben comen, and̛ me semeth they wyl fyght. yf they be not al slayn, i shal be euyl contente. Wherfore do sowne your hornes for tassemble your peple; ye tary ouer longe." Page  128 And̛ assone as they had̛ so doon, a grete multytude of sarasyns were there assembled̛, & came and̛ assaylled̛ the frensshe men. But rolland̛, that helde durandal in ℏys honde, with his felowes came vpon the mastyn sarasyns by suche a furour, that in a lytel whyle moo than an hondred̛ were slayn. [sign. g j, back, col. 2] For vnhappy was he that came to socoure the sarasyns. Thenne came Clacyon, whyche was neuewe to the admyral, with xv thousand̛ fygℏtyng̛ men.—And know ye for certayn, that in that tyme in spayn was noo sarasyn more doubted̛*. ["doubted̛:" feared. Fr. redoubte.] than he.—Whan the barons sawe hym come, Rolland escryed̛ gherard̛, Ogyer & Guy: "O noble knyghtes! in thonour of god, eche of you do so his deuoyr that at thys tyme, wyth vyctorye, we may obtayne vytaylle for the maydens in the toure." That sayd̛, Rolland̛ smote his hors wyth hys spores, and wyth durandal smote a fyers Paynym named̛ Rampyn soo myghtely, that he clefte hede and̛ body at a stroke; wherof they þat were there present were abasshed. & thenne the sarasyns doubted so strongly rolland̛, that there was not a man durst put hym self tofore hym, but yf he thought to deye. Gherard of mondydyer sayd: "My brethern & lordes, Who wyl here-after haue playsyr & be honoured, it is tyme that he sℏewe ℏym, for often by one vnhappy man a valyaunt man is in daunger." Wherfor with that word al these barons were moche more feruent than they had be, to thende that euery man sℏewed hym self suche as he ouȝt to be. & after that þ^e batayll was fynysshed̛ for that day, as god wold, the barons fonde by [sign. g ij] the tour aforesayd̛ a grete auenture, For they sawe passe by the castel xx sommyers laden wyth vytayl, that is to say, brede, wyn, venyson, & other vytaylles ynow, and̛ a paynym conduyted them of margote vnto the sarasyns: but Incontynent the ledars of the sarasyns and̛ of theyr vytayl Page  129 were slayn anone of the barons, & the duc Naymes & Wyllyam the scot conduyted̛ & ledde them forth. And̛ Rolland̛ and̛ the other came & auoyded̛ the place, in suche wyse that they were dryuen in to the tour; but this thyng was not doon without daunger and̛ grete payne.