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 & his felowes were presented' to ballant thadmyral and' cruelly passyoned in pryson: capitulo ij

The Sarasyns after they had the barons of fraunce tofore named for prysoners they taryed̛ not but ranne tyl they came in to a ryche cytee named̛

Agrymore; and at the entre of the sayd̛ cyte they sowned̛ and blewe vp trumpes makyng̛ grete bruyt. whan ballant thadmyral, ["ballant thadmyral." Laban in the Sowdone throughout. ] fader of Fyerabras, sawe them he came vnto them & fonde there brullant of mommyer, to whome he sayd̛: "O brullant my frende, telle to vs of your tydynges, how ye haue borne you in my warre and affayres. haue ye taken Charles the emperour whyche so moche is redoubted̛, & his peres of fraunce be they dyscomfyted̛?" Brullant sayd̛ to hym: "O syr admyral, the tydynges that I brynge you been alle otherwyse, and̛ of lasse valewe than ye say. by Charles the kyng we haue been almoost defeated̛ and̛ dyscomfyted̛. For of hys puyssaunce it is a meruayllous thynge. Fyerabras your sone is with hym vaynquysshed̛ by one of his barons and is made crysten, & he was taken vaynquysshed̛ & dyscomfyted in loyal batayl without doyng ony treson." [sign. E ij] whan thadmyral vnderstode this he fyl to therthe al in a traunse, And̛ or he came ageyn to hys mynde it was a grete whyle for the sorowe that he had̛ of hys sone. and̛ whan he was releued he cryed̛ wyth an hye voys: "O dolaunt vnhappy that I am! ha! poure caytyf! what sℏal bycome of me? O Fyerabras, my ryght dere sone and heyer, whyther art thou gone? Fro whens cometh thys trespaas? wherfore were thou taken whyche neuer in bataylle were wery ne had reproche? ¶ O what euyl tydynges been brought to me of the! yf he be crysten I am sory that he lyueth: I had moche leuer that he were dysmembred̛ and̛ put to deth:" & thenne as a man feble for sorowe fyl doun to the grounde and cryed̛: "O brullant of mommyere, what is betyd of the noble kyng of Cordube and̛ of my neuewe bruchart? sythe ["sythe." By using this word to render the original puis, Caxton has made the whole sentence almost unintelligible. It should run: "O brullant of mommyere, what is betyd of the noble kyng of Cordube and̛ of my neuewe bruchart, and also of my sone fyerabras, the ledar and̛ captayn of all?"] my sone fyerabras the ledar and̛ captayn of all, yf it be trewe that he be lost I sℏal smyte oute the brayne of Mahommet the god̛ whiche hath promysed̛ to me so moche good̛, to whome I haue gyuen my self and̛ yolden." Thus sayeng̛ alle in a rage he tormented̛

hym self greuously vpon the grounde. [Ed. grouude.] And̛ whan thadmyral was a lytel coled̛ of hys grete yre He demaunded̛ of Brullant: "whiche is the knyȝt that hath vaynquysshed [col. 2] fyerabras my sone?" brullant answerd: "Syr admyrall, your sone hath be conquerd̛ by yonde knyght:" ["knyght:" Fr. damoiseau.] in sℏewyng Olyuer whiche was so fayr & wel formed & membred & had emonge al other his eyen bended. Now anone sayd thadmyral of spayn: "hye you & brynge hym to me for I shal neuer ete tyl he be dysmembred̛." whan the frenssh men vnderstode that he wold do put Olyuer to deth, whiche was al theyr comforte, begonne to wepe greuously, & olyuer whiche vnderstode it sawe them waylle he recomforted them sayeng, in suche manere that the sarasyns wyst not what they sayd̛, "My lordes & my brethern, ye knowe our necessite, yf thadmyral myȝt know that we be of the peres of fraunce our lyues shal be sone termyned, for no thyng shal he take pyte of vs but that we shal deye shamefully. wherfor I praye you that we al say as I shal begynne:" [In the Sowdone the French knights tell their true names.] to whome alle the other frensshe men prysonners dyd consente, & wold say & do lyke as he counceylled them. after that thadmyral had comanded them to come tofore hym the paynyms vnarmed them & bonde faste theyr hondes & blynfelde theyr eyen, wherof they were moche greued̛ & daungerously hurt: & anon thadmyral furiously demaunded olyuer: "þou frenssh man, beware that þou [sign. E ij, back] lye not but say to me the trouthe how thou arte named̛ & hyde it not." Olyuer ansuerd & sayd: "syr, I am named eugynes, sone vnto a yeman ["yeman:" Fr. vassal.] of poure lygnage, and was borne in lorayne & cam on a tyme to the courte of Charles emperour, whiche gaf to me armes & after adoubed me knyght: & also my felawes that ye see tofore you ben poure knyghtes aduenturous & haue enterprysed̛ payne to serue our kyng, by cause þat by our seruyce we myȝt be auaunced & haue somme good̛ guerdon & rewarde."

"O Mahoun," sayd̛ thadmyral, "now I am wel deceyued̛. I supposed̛ by my god̛ that I had̛ had̛ fyue of the valyauntest erles of fraunce & of the grettest, & thought I had the kayes of fraunce by the moyen of these barons," & anone called̛ barbacas his chamberlayn and̛ sayd̛ to hym anone: "depesshe the, take these frensshe men and̛ despoyle them & bynde them harde to that pyler & after brynge me my dartes wel sℏarped wyth yron, & I shal shote at them and̛ smyte hem at my playsyr." thenne aroos brullant ["brullant:" in the Sowdone, 1512, it is Floripas who advises her father to imprison the Frenchmen, not to slay them.] & sayd̛: "syr admyral, I praye you that at thys tyme that ye do not that enterpryse, for it shal not be wel doo. ye see wel that it is in the euentyde & ouer late to do Iustyce, & so ye myght be blamed̛, seen that your seygnorye ne your lordes [col. 2] be not here now present. wherfore I praye you that at thys tyme ye do no thyng to them tyl to-morowe atte houre that eche man knowe it, & your Iugement shal the better be approued̛. For I knowe wel that they haue deserued̛ it wel euydently. And̛ on that other syde yf charles the emperour wold̛ yelde ageyn to you Fyerabras your sone wyth his good̛ wylle ye myght semblably remyse to hym these frenssh men that ye now haue." "for your loue," sayd̛ thadmyral, "I am contente," and̛ sente for Brutamont whych was kepar of the pryson, and̛ gaf to hym grete charge to kepe the frensshe men and̛ that he be wel sure of them, and̛ that he sette them in suche place for to lerne how they haue wrought folyly for to come it to hys kepyng̛.