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 the barons came and' spake to the Admyrall, and' how they dyd' theyr message: capitulo viij

The barons afore sayd̛, whan they had̛ passed̛ the brydge and were nyghe vnto aygremore, where as ballant was, they entred̛ in to the towne in [sign. f j, back, col. 2] good̛ ordynaunce, and̛ wyth countenaunce of fyersnes and of noblesse. And̛ they sawe in the stretes, fawcons and̛

other byrdes of proye vpon the perches, grete oxen and̛ buefs slayn & flayn, fayre hangyng̛, and grete swyn strangled̛; and̛ they recountred̛ a sarasyn whome they demaunded where thadmyral was. And̛ he shewed̛ hym to them, where he satte vnder a tree in the sℏadowe. and thenne they alyghted̛, and̛ duc Naymes sayd̛: "my fayre lordes, I sℏal bere the letter and̛ sℏal speke fyrst, and̛ ye after." Roulland was there, and present hym, and̛ wold̛ by force haue spoken fyrst. & duc Naymes sayd̛ to hym "Say not one word̛, for ye be al fro your self, wythoute hauyng̛ attemperaunce. but god̛ do not to vs grete grace, ye shal make vs alle to deye or the day be passed̛." And̛ herupon they entred̛ and̛ presented̛ them al tofore the admyral wythoute ony reuerence. And̛ duc Naymes ["Naymes": in Sir Ferumbras, Roland: the Sowdoneagrees with our text, see l. 1821.] of bauyere spake fyrst in thys manere: "The maker of alle the world̛, to whom onely ouȝt to be gyuen creaunce entyere and honoure, saue and̛ kepe the noble kyng charlemayn, puyssaunt, stronge & wyse emperour, rolland̛ & olyuer, & al the other pyeres of fraunce, and̛ confounde, fro the toppe of the hede vnto the plantes of the feet, the Admyral [sign. f ij] here present, as moche as tofore yesterday hys subgettes were euyl pourueyed̛ beyonde þe bridge of mantryble. we fonde fyftene glotons on the felde, which wold haue taken from vs our horses and̛ do to vs vylonnye, but, god of heuen be thanked̛, they bought it gretely and̛ dere." ¶ Whan the Admyral vnderstoode this langage, vnnethe he myght kepe hymself fro enragyng̛. And̛ there tofore hym came the kyng̛ that escaped̛, of whome I haue spoken tofore, and sayd̛ to thadmyral in thys manere: "Ryght dere syr, thynke to aduenge you. These been the seuen glotons of whyche I tolde to you, whyche haue slayn your kynges, and̛ haue doon to you suche vylonnye." The admyral Ballant ansuerd̛: "late them be for thys tyme:" and sythe after sayd̛ to Naymes the duc [Ed. dnc.] , that

be sℏold̛ fynysshe hys message. And̛ the duc ansuerd that he so do wold̛ gladly, and̛ sayd̛ in thys manere: "The grete noble kyng̛ of Fraunce commaundeth the that thou rendre to ℏym the crowne, with whyche the blessyd̛ Ihesu Cryste was crowned̛ wyth, and̛ the other relyques for whome he hath taken grete trauaylle and̛ payne; & also his knyghtes whom thou holdest in pryson folysshly. and̛ yf thou do not as I haue to the deuysed̛, Charles shal make the [sign. f ij, col. 2] to be hanged̛ by the necke on a gybet and̛ strangled vylaynously." Thadmyral ballant, replenysshed̛ of an entencyon moche oultrageous, sayd̛ to Naymes the duc: "Thou hast gretely defouled̛ me by oultrage, and̛ I haue wyllyngly herde the. Goo forth and̛ sytte doun by yonde pyler, & these other shal speken whom I haue not yet herde. Mahommet my god̛, to whome I haue gyuen myself, gyue me an euyl deth yf euer I ete or drynk tyl I see thy hede flee fro thy sℏoldres." The duc Naymes ansuerd: "yf it playse god̛ my maker, & his blessyd moder, þou sℏalt haue made a lesyng." After hym spake Rychard̛ duc of Normandye, & said: "vnderstonde me, syr admyral! Charles the kyng, with his berde florysshed, ["with his berde florysshed." Compare Roland and Otuel, 82; where Naymes, describing Charles, says:

"He sittes his duspers Imange.With white berde large and langeFaire of flesche & felle.With a floreschede thonwange,Oure noble kynge þat es so strange,His doghety men imelle."

] comandeth the by me, y^t thou do the baptyse for tamende thy ryght euyl lyf, & that thou sende to hym the relyques that thou hast in thy puyssaunce, & also that thou rendre to ℏym hys knyghtes, wℏyche thou holdest wythout reson for prysoners. & yf thou do not as thou hast herde, charles shal do hange the by the necke on a gybet & strangle þ^e, & sℏal neuer haue mercy on the." Thadmyral ballant supposed̛ to haue knowen hym, & sayd̛ thus: "mahommet, in whom I byleue, curse the! thou resemblest wel Rychard of normandye, whych slewe my [sign. f ij, back] vncle corsuble. Now wold̛ Mahoun the god̛ that he were here! he shold̛ neuer ete mete tyl he were dede. Goo and̛ sytte doun

by thy felowe, vnto I haue herde thy felowes." Aftyr thys thenne came basyn the genewey, & stode tofore ballant and̛ sayd̛: "Ballant admyral, the noble charles, aboue al humayn creatures redoubted̛, commaundeth the to rendre to hym the relyques whyche haue been requyred̛ of the, or ellys he sℏal do hange and strangle the as a theef proued." whan he had̛ sayd̛ thus, he went and satte wyth the other. And after came thyerry, duc of Ardayne, & dyssymyled̛ his chyere & countenaunce of manere. whan thadmyral sawe that he had̛ the regarde so ℏydous, he was moche abassℏed̛, and̛ supposed̛ that he had ben a deuyl. And̛ after, thyerry sayd̛: "herkene to me, admyral, & reteyne wel my wordes. Charles, the noble emperour redoubted̛, commaundeth the that thou sende to hym the relyques which thou barest awaye fro Rome, & also sende vnto hym hys barons whyche thou hast in thy power, or ellys be thou sure that he sℏal do dysmembre the, & doo hange the vylaynsly by the necke." Thadmyral answerd̛: "vassal, I praye the to telle to me, and ℏyde it not, what man is charlemayn, and̛ of what force & strengthe [sign. f ij, back, col. 2] is he, of the wℏiche I haue herde moche preysed̛ & vaunted?" Thenne the duc Thyerry ansuerd̛: "I telle to the, admyral, & lete the wete, that Charles is noble & hardy, curtoys and̛ of good̛ lyf. And be thou sure, that yf he were present here wyth hys excersyte, moche sone he shold̛ gyue the a buffet vpon thy vysage. And̛ on that other syde, he setteth nomore by the than of an olde hounde dede, or of a roten apple." Incontynent tho ballant the admyrall bygan to lawhe for felonnye, & after sayd̛ to Thyerry: ¶ "My frende, by thy fayth that thou owest to thy god̛, say to me now the trouth. yf I were now in thy wylle and̛ subgectyon, as thou arte in myn, by thy fayth what woldest thou do wyth me?" "by my fayth," sayd̛ Thyerry, "I shal not lye.

I shold̛ doo hange the by the necke, and̛ strangle the vylaynsly on a gybet or it were yet nyght." ¶ "Vassal," sayd̛ the Admyrall, "thou hast sayd̛ grete folye. For by Mahommet my god̛, in lyke wyse shal I doo of the, as thou hast sayd̛ of thy self. Goo thou and sytte by thy felawes." ¶ Thenne after hym came the good̛ Ogyer the danoys tofore hym, and̛ sayd̛: "O Admyral of Spaygne, vnderstonde what Charles, the moost noble of humayn creatures and moost ryche [sign. f iij] wythoute comparyson, demaundeth of the. Rendre and̛ yelde to hym the relyques whyche thou hast borne awaye, or ellys he shal do dysmembre the, and̛ doo the deye sℏamefully." Thadmyral, beynge al wroth, made hym to sytte wyth the other. After hym, rolland̛ the courageous came tofore Ballant thadmyral, wythoute doyng̛ to hym ony reuerence, and̛ sayd̛ to hym: "Thou sarasyn, vnhappy & cursed, take hede to my wordes! Charles, the noble kyng̛ and̛ Emperour redoubted̛, sendeth to the by me, that thou byleue in god̛ Ihesu cryst, the maker of al the world̛, & in the gloryous vyrgyn marie his moder; and̛ do the to be baptysed̛, and̛ thynke to rendre the relyques whiche thou occupyest and̛ atteynest ayenst hys wylle. And also see that hys barons be rendred̛ and̛ delyuerd hole and̛ in good̛ poynte. For yf thou do otherwyse than I haue sayd to the, Charles the valyaunte shal make the to be hanged̛ as a theef." Thadmyral sayd to hym: "thou hast rebuked̛ and̛ blamed̛ me proudly, but I swere to the by Mahoun, my god, & by Termagaunte, that I shal not ete tyl thou be hanged̛ & strangled̛." Thenne Roulland̛ answerd: "for trouthe, sarasyn, yf thou abyde to that houre, thou holdest faste ouer longe. Thou shalt not do so, [sign. f iij, col. 2] For I doubte the not the valure of an olde dede hounde & drowned̛." ¶ Guy of bourgoyn came after hym tofore ballant thadmyral, and̛ sayd to hym in thys manere: "Charles

commaundeth the that thou make to hym obeysaunce, and̛ that thou restore the relyques and̛ hys barons; and̛ thenne shalte thou do as a wyse man: and̛ yf thou wylt byleue me, I wyl wel counceyl the. Byleue in god̛ Ihesu Cryste, whyche is almyghty, wythoute ende and̛ wythoute begynnynge. And̛ yf thou byleuest my counceyl, thou mayst be in his grace. And lo! what thou shalt do: take of thy robe, thy hosen, & thy sℏoon of thy body, and goo in thy sherte, and̛ bere on thy body a sadel of an hors, and reste not tyl thou come before the face of Charles, and̛ humbly presente thy self to hym, & crye for mercy to god̛ thy maker almyghty, for thyn errours and̛ oultrages. ¶ And̛ crye hym mercy in the honour of god̛ almyghty; and̛ yf thou doo not thus as I haue sayd̛, he shal make the be hanged̛, brente, or drowned, and̛ sℏamefully [Orig. shameflluy.] to dye."

¶ The Admyrall was more determyned̛ and̛ araged̛ than he had̛ been tofore, and̛ sent anone for Brullant de Mommyere, Sortybrant de Conymbres, and̛ for the other that were of hys [sign. f iij, back] counceyl, and̛ demaunded theyr aduys and̛ counceyl vpon these thynges aforesayd̛. Anone sortybrant sayd̛ to hym: "Syr admyral, I counceylle you that anone they be dysmembred̛ and slayn, and̛ after ye may goo and ryde with your strengthe oueral, and come to mormyonde where charles is pensyf: yf ye may take hym, ye shal put hym to deth. ¶ After ye shal descende in to fraunce, & doo you be crowned̛ there as kyng̛." "by mahoun," sayd ballant, "ye haue wel sayd̛. Now be it doon after your deuyse: goo in to the pryson, & brynge wyth you the other theyr felowes, for to do after the enterpryse." And̛ thus as I haue sayd̛, Thadmyral was of entencyon to make of the frensshe men aforesayd̛, after that is tofore deuysed̛.