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 peres of Fraunce were assaylled' more strongely than euer they were, And' the toure quasi put to therthe, and' recomforted' by the holy relyques, by them adoured, and other maters: capitulo x

Sortybrant prayed̛ soo moche thadmyral, & with hym the olde kyng̛ Coldroe tempested̛ hym, ["the olde kyng̛ Coldroe tempested̛ hym." Here Caxton has made a most curious mistake. The original runs: et auec luy le viel roy Coldroe, tempeste, et brullant de mommiere: tempeste being really the name of one of the Saracen kings, and not a verb.] & brullant de mommyere, that for thyniurye that he had̛ doon to Mahon tofore them al he sℏold̛ make amendes. The admyral beyng content for their [sign. i v] affectyon, sware that he shold̛ encreace Mahon, and̛ Augment of a thousand̛ weyȝt, after their custome, of fyn gold̛ and other precyosytees. And̛ anone dyd̛ do sowne trompettes and other Instrumentes, at the sowne of whome were assembled sarasyns Innumerable, al armed̛. And̛ the admyral maad̛ to brynge hys engynes for to throwe grete stones at the tour, for to brynge it doun, and̛ also for to destroye the frensshe men & hys doughter. And̛ thus, more feruent than euer he had been, cam for tassayle the toure, and̛ laye theyr engynes therto; wyth whych the paynyms made fyue grete hooles in the toure, that thurgh the leste myght passe a carte at his ease. whan thys was doon, Olyuer & Rolland̛, wyth theyr sℏeldes tofore them, and̛ theyr swerdes in theyr hondes, stode in the wyndowes, and̛ yet they were not soo hardy emonge them but that they were abasshed̛, not wythstondyng̛ they had̛ good̛ wylle to defende them. Alway hym that they myght attayne with stones or other thynges, they soo hurte hym that he dyd̛ them nomore hurt ne damage. This doyng̛, thadmyral cryed̛: "O my frendes and̛ subgettes, doo your deuoyr to brynge to the erth thys toure; For yf ye so do, ye shal haue my loue entyerly. And after I shal

[sign. i v, col. 2] make Florypes the putayne to deye sℏamefully in a brennyng̛ fyre, for sℏe hath wel deserued̛ it, doyng̛ to me the dysℏonour that euery man knoweth." ¶ After these wordes the paynyms were more feruent than they had̛ ben tofore, & surmounted̛ by strengthe, scaled̛ the toure, and̛ mounted̛ vp, and̛ entred in at holes, in suche wyse that the x barons helde not but þe last stage that was. Rolland seyng̛ thys, sayd̛ to them: "lordes & brethern! in thonour of god̛ our maker, late vs wyth one courage bere vs valyauntly, ellys we shal not passe thys day, but that we sℏal be surprysed, taken, and̛ deffeated̛." "Brother & felowe," sayd̛ Olyuer, "we been here of vs x, as longe as it sℏal please our creatour, & we been al good̛ fyghtars. In the name of God̛, I counceyl that we yssue oute for to assayle our enemyes. I had̛ leuer to dye there withoute, and suffre to be hewen, than to deye here wythin wyth dysℏonour." Ogyer the danoys, and the other, sayd̛ semblably. Florypes, seeyng̛ thys, was al abasshed̛, and̛ demaunded̛ the barons yf they wold goo out for to goo assaylle the paynyms, & sayd̛ to them: "ye noble knyghtes of honour & of good̛ partye, I praye to god̛ that at this tyme yeue you grace to doo wel, And I promyse you [sign. i v, back] yf ye put them oute from thys assaulte, I shal sℏewe to you a thyng wherof ye sℏal be Ioyeful." wyth tho wordes [orig. thordes.] the barons goo smyte and̛ hewe doun the turkes so vygorously, that many of them were dede & hurt whych were in the holes of the walle, & smote them wyth stoones in the tour, in suche wyse that they were caste in to the dyches and drowned̛. And̛ anone as they had̛ goten thoo holes, they stopped̛ them & faste enclosed̛ them. and̛ after florypes axed̛ fyrst of naymes duc of bauyere, & of Thyerry duc of Ardayne, and̛ sayd̛: "Lordes, on a tyme ye promysed̛ me, and sware, that ye shold not do ony thyng ayenst my wylle. I

wyl sℏewe to you the crowne of Ihesus, & two of the nayles that he was nayled with to the crosse, whyche I haue long kept." The barons heryng̛ thys, wepte for Ioye, & sworen to hyr that they sℏold̛ do no thynge to hyr, but al loyalte and̛ trouthe. Florypes wente thenne and̛ fette a lytel coffre, moche ryche & fayre, and̛ tofore them she opened̛ it; & assone as the relyques were taken & vnwounden, there was seen a grete clerenes and a meruayllous resplendysshour.

Thenne the barons kneled doun to the erthe, deuoutely smytyng̛ them self on their brestes by contrycyon of hert. Duc Naymes [sign. i v, back, col. 2] of bauyere was the fyrst that kyssed̛ them wyth grete reuerence, & the other after, & after came to the wyndowes, For the paynyms were mounted on hye. And̛ assone as they sawe them, they tombled̛ doun to þ^e grounde, dede, & al to-broken. Whan Naymes sawe that, he sayd: "O lord̛ god̛ of glorye, whyche mayst do al thynge, I thanke the, & gyue to the lawde & praysyng, For now I see wel and̛ knowe that these ben the reliques of whome we haue ofte spoken." And̛ Incontynent he took hardynes and courage, and̛ after sayd to hys felawes: "Brethern, now we be recomforted̛, so that we shal neuer fere ne doubte paynyms ne sarasyns." And̛ after, Florypes remysed̛ the relyques in the coffret honestly. Thadmyral sawe the prynces at the wyndowes, & hys doughter wyth them; & he, ful of a fals entencyon, escryed̛ hyr wyth an hye voys, by cause he wold̛ be vnderstonden: "O florypes, fayr doughter, I see wel where thou art. A grete fool was thy fader whan he trusted̛ the, & ful of folysshe counceyl was he that put in thyn hande, by the moyen of thy langage, the fyrst prysoners. I haue herde say longe sythe, that a man that trusteth in a woman, of thyng of Importaunce, is a moche fool. but neuertheles thy puterye shal [sign. i vj] not endure

longe, as I truste, For I swere to the that I shal departe the loue that thou hast wyth the glotons of Fraunce, & wythoute pyte I shal doo brenne you al." Florypes herde these wordes, & took a baston in her honde, & made a sygne as though sℏe had̛ menaced̛ ℏyr fader; wherfore thadmyral, seeyng̛ that, began to sowne to gadre hys peple, and̛ comaunded̛ to sℏote & lose the Instrumentes ayenst the toure, in suche wyse that anone a grete partye of the walle was ouerthrowen to therthe. Thenne the barons doubted moche of them vpon the walle. And Rolland̛, Olyuer, and̛ Ogyer went in to a chambre, where as were Mahon, Appolyn, Termagaunte, & Margotte, goddes of the Paynyms, whyche were moche ryche. And̛ Rolland̛ took Appolyn whyche was heuy, and̛ threwe it vpon the Paynyms: Olyuer lyfte vp termagaunte, & Ogyer Margotte, and̛ smote wyth them the sarasyns, in suche wyse that them that they attayned̛ dyd̛ them neuer hurte after.

Whan thadmyral sawe thus his goddes vytupered̛ and̛ throwen, he took suche angre and so grete yre in hys courage, that for sorowe he tombled doun as a dede man to the erthe. Sortybrant, with moche sorowe, took hym vp, and̛ many wepte & made grete [sign. i vj, col. 2] desolacyon for sorowe. and after thadmyral sayd: "lordes & frendes, he shal euer be my frende & specyal byloued, þat wyl aduenge the sℏame that these glotons haue doon to my goddes." Sortybrant dyd̛ grete payne to recomforte ℏym, sayeng̛ that in sℏort tyme he sℏold be auenged on them al, "seen that the toure is broken in moo than xv partyes." "O Mahon," sayd̛ the admyral, "thou hast wel forgoten me; at the moost nede thou fayllest me: thou arte now so olde that thou dotest. I haue seen the day that þou haddest grete puyssaunce." ¶ Sortybrant ansuerd̛: "Syr, ye haue an euyl custome, whan ye speke so euyl ayenst Mahon. Ye knowe wel that

there was neuer borne, ne neuer shal be, so good̛ a god̛: he gyueth vs plente [orig. pleute.] of whete, of wyn, and̛ of other goodes also; he sℏal doo for vs whan he hath bythought hym. he is yet euyl contente for the stroke that ye smote hym on the nose. Abyde a lytel tyl he be better aduysed̛, [ "better aduysed̛:" Fr. quil soit desensle (?).] And̛ the frensshe men shal yelde them vnto you soo that ye sℏal holde you pleased̛." Vpon these wordes Mahon was broughte tofore hym, And̛ a deuyl entred̛ in to hym, whyche sayd̛ in thys manere after that he had̛ adoured̛ hym: "Admyral, ryche lord̛, ne dyscomfort you not: do sowne your trompettes & hornes, [sign. i vj, back] and assemble your peple, & after assaylle the toure; and̛ at thys tyme ye shal take the Frensshe men." wyth these wordes thadmyral was al reioyced̛, and̛ alle thengynes and̛ Instrumentes he dyd̛ do sette ayenst the tour, and threwe stones and̛ maad̛ grete sℏotte ageynst the toure, whyche was thenne al to-broken, and̛ almoost al ouerthrowen. The peres of Fraunce seyng̛ thys, had̛ grete doubte of daunger, and not wythout cause. Neuertheles, Ogyer the danoys sayd̛ to hys felawes: "O loyal companyons, replenysshed̛ of fydelyte, For ony payne or doubte of deth emonge vs, late none be founde wyth ony treason, ne suffre to entre in to hym ony euyl thought of Infydelyte and̛ cowardyse. ye see now þat the tour gooth to grounde, And̛ almoost these sarasyns be medled̛ wyth vs. But as touchyng̛ to me, I swere by god̛ my maker, that tofore my soule sℏal departe fro my body, yf I haue the puyssaunce to holde in my hande Cortayn my swerde, I shal make so grete a dyscomfyture of these paynyms, that euery man sℏal meruaylle." With these wordes Rolland̛ byhelde durandal; and̛ Olyuer, with eueryche of the other, byhelde ["byhelde:" Fr. regarderent. See note to p. 102, l. 6.] theyr swerdes, & were alle renewed wyth strengthe and̛ courage. And al wyth one wylle goon vpon the [sign. i vj, back, col. 2] sarasyns, and̛ there dyd̛ suche dylygence, that allewaye

they were lordes of the toure, & made the sarasyns theyr enemyes to goo abacke. Florypes, consyderyng̛ theyr affayre, was sorowful that no socours com to hem, and̛ also remembryng̛ the menaces of hyr fader hadmyrall. But Guye of bourgoyn recomforted̛ hyr alwaye, in suche wyse, that of al sℏe was contente.