¶ How the toure was broken and' brente by enchauntement, & the barons in grete peryl of deth, and' restored' by assaulte maad' on the Paynyms: capitulo xvij

The Paynyms perseueryng̛ in thassault afore sayd̛, Thenchauntour came tofore the admyral, and̛ sayd̛ to hym: "Ryȝt dere syr, I haue made myn engynes al redy, by moyen of whyche I shal delyuer to you the frensshe men: make your men of armes to goo a parte, & that I may haue somme to awayte on me." And̛ whan they were alle redy as he had̛ deuysed̛, he sette them rounde aboute the tour. And̛ by hys crafte and̛ Page  142 arte he made a flamme of fyre so meruayllous, that þe pylers of marble & other stones bygonnen to brenne & make fyre at vtteraunce,*. ["at vtteraunce:" Fr. a oultrance = exceedingly.] [sign. g vij] wherfore the frensshe men were so perturbed̛ that the one sayd to the other, that by force they must yelde the toure, for they had no moyen to saue theyr persones. Wyth thys, florypes sayd to them: "lordes, esmaye you nothyng̛ yet*. [ "esmaye you nothyng̛ yet:" Fr. ne vous esmaies eneore.] vnto the tyme ye see more." And̛ anone sℏe wente, & took somme herbes and̛ other medecynes, & dyd̛ tempere them in wyn, For she knewe the manere how that fyre artyfycyally brente the stones. thus she made this beurage;*. ["beurage:" Fr. beuuraige, a draught.] and̛ whan it was caste vpon the fyre, it brenned̛ nomore. Wherfore the admyral wende to haue been out of hys wytte for angre. But Sortybrant tolde hym that al was quenched̛ by the moyen of floripes his doughter; wherfore thadmyral was of entencyon to make hys doughter to deye of an euyl deth. The kyng̛ Sortybrant sayd̛ that he shold̛ do sowne his hornes and̛ trompettes, and̛ recommence the assaulte al newe, and̛ at that tyme by force the frensshe men sℏold̛ be vaynquysshed̛: "For I am sure," sayd̛ he, "that they haue nomore to caste oute vpon vs. For they haue nomore sℏotte ne stones, but al is faylled to them." And̛ thassaulte was made as it was ordeyned Impetuous, that it semed̛ derke for the sℏotte of arowes, of dartes, stones, & other engynes: in suche wyse that the [sign. g vij, col. 2] grete quarters of the murayl & walles fyl and̛ tombled̛ doun to the erthe. the barons of fraunce moche abasshed̛, sayd̛ one to another, that thenne they must nedes be vaynquysshed̛, For they sawe parte of the walles & the pryncipal of the castel falle doun.*. ["For they sawe parte of the walles, &c.:" Fr. car ilz vcoient a terre ruer les murailles principalles du chasteau. ] And they beyng in grete thouȝt, Florypes sayd̛ to them thus: "Lordes, dysmaye ye noo thynge! thys toure is stronge ynough for to kepe vs yet. And̛ of that other parte, the tresour of my fader is herin, which is in grete wedges and̛ Page  143 plates of golde & buyllyon. late vs goo fetche it, And̛ as wel may we slee the paynyms therwyth, as wyth stones, and̛ better." Thenne Guy of bourgoyn, hyr loue, came to hyr wyth grete Ioye, & kyssed̛ hyr moche amerously and swetelye. And̛ after sℏe wente & opened̛ the toure and̛ place where the tresour*. [orig. tresour.] was Innumerable, and̛ wyth grete quantyte therof they wente to the batylments of the toure, and̛ threwe vpon the paynyms, in suche wyse that they made grete dyscomfyture. And̛ more-ouer the paynems, seeyng̛ the golde falle on them in suche habundaunce, anone they cessyd̛ their fyghtyng ayenst the frenssh men, And̛ for the concupyscence of that golde they faught and̛ slewe eche other. Wherfore thadmyral was so dysplaysaunt & [sign. g vij, bk.] angry that he wende to haue dyed̛, and̛ began to crye wyth an hye voys: "O ye barons sarasyns, leue ye thassaulte, whiche torneth to me grete dommage Innumerable. For I see that my tresour wasteth & is loste, which I haue wyth grete payne*. [orig. payue.] & dylygence assembled̛, And̛ had̛ recomaunded̛ it to my god mahon, and̛ had̛ made ℏym kepar of it, whyche how hath faylled̛ me. but by my soule, yf I may take hym, and that he come in to myn holde, I shal make hym wepe." The kyng Sortybrant answerd̛: "Syr Admyral, be ye noo thyng ameruayllyd of your tresour, ne wroth ayenst Mahon,*. ["be ye…ne wroth ayenst Mahon:" in the SowdoneBalan smashes Mahound.] for he may nomore do; they may wel take it fro hym, for he is a-slepe; I byleue none other: for in tyme passed he hath wel watched̛ & kepte it; but those frenssh men ben so wyly theues þat they haue stolen it fro hym subtylly." Thadmyral beyng̛ al angry bycause the nyght came on repayred̛*. [orig. And' repayred'.] with his peple toward hys souper. After thys, whan thadmyral was sette atte table, Roulland̛, whyche was in the hye toure surely with his felowes, laye in a wyndowe for to ease hym; Page  144 and̛ as he thought & was pensyf, he sawe thadmyral syttyng̛ at the table through the wyndowe, and̛ after cam to the other barons and̛ sayd to them: [sign. g vij, back, col. 2] "my lordes and̛ brethern, I see that the Admyral is wyth hys pryncypal barons at souper, and thynketh to holde hem wel at his ease. and̛ me semeth it shold̛ be grete honour and̛ prowesse to vs to make hym leue*. [orig. lene.] his repaste." The other barons, hys felowes, were of hys accorde, & hastely they armed̛ them and̛ put them in poynte, and̛ fayr yssued out, comyng̛ to the place where the admyral was. but the admyral, whiche was subtyl, apperceyued theyr feat, and̛ sente hastely for a paynym, wℏyche was moche fyers, and̛ was hys neuewe. And̛ sayd̛ to hym: "Espoulart, cosyn, peraduenture the frensshe men purpose to dystrouble vs at our souper,*. ["the freushe men purpose to dystrouble vs at our souper:" Fr. les francoys nous veullent faire refrodier notre soupper = wish to make our supper cold.]Therfore depesshe the, and̛ be redy anone, and̛ doo so that they be taken & destroyed." and̛ anone he was redy. And̛ forthwyth Espoulart took hys hors, and came ayenst the barons, holdyng̛ in hys honde a dart of stele. And̛ fyrst he encountred̛ Rolland̛, and̛ hytte hym in his sℏelde in suche wyse that of the stroke he was al astonyed̛; but it came soo to passe that it touched̛ not hys flesshe, ne he was not hurte. After this, Rolland̛ came vpon the paynym, and̛ gaf hym a good̛ stroke that he made hym ouerthrowe fro hys hors; but the turke was so valyaunte, and̛ a man of so grete myght, [sign. g viij] that moche lyghtly he remounted̛ vpon hys hors. And̛ Roulland came to hym, & smote hym wyth hys swerde in suche wyse that the paynym wyst not where he was. And̛ as he was fallyng̛ doun of hys hors, Rolland̛ moche puyssauntly caught hym, & layed̛ hym thwart vpon hys hors, and̛ bare hym awaye. The admyral, seeyng thys, al in a rage escryed hys peple that they sℏold socoure hys neuewe. but they wyst not what to doo, For in defendyng̛ them many of them were slayn and̛ hurte Page  145 wythoute nombre; wherfor of veray force the other paynyms must retorne:*. ["wherfor of veray force the other paynyms must retorne:" Fr. pourquoy force fut aux aultres, &c.] & rolland cessed̛ not to renne tyl that he was at the toure. And̛ whan al the barons of Fraunce were wythin, they sℏette the yates wel surely, and̛ had̛ noo feare of ony empesshement.