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 had' tydynges of [orig. yf.] thoost of charles, and' the admyral also; and' how Ganellon bare hym merueyllously, which allone was sente to the admyral, and' what he dyd': capitulo xi

The Frensshe men beyng̛ in thys contynuel payn of bataylle for to defende þ^e toure, Duc Naymes ["Duc Naymes." In the Sowdone Floripas first sees the French army advancing.] of bauyere went vp on hye, and̛ sawe oute of a wyndowe, & sawe bynethe in a valeye the sygne of saynt denys, whyche was brought hastely, & after, a grete companye of men of armes: And̛ thought in hym self that they came for to socour and̛ ayde them. and̛ anone sent for hys felawes for to come & see them. Assone as Florypes vnderstood̛ it, sℏe came to Guy of bourgoyn, sayeng: "O gloryous [sign. i vij] vyrgyn marie, moder of Ihesus, worsℏypped̛ mote ye be for these tydynges that I haue herde! O noble knyght, guye of bourgoyn, my dere loue, approche ye to me yf it playse you, and̛ kysse me." Of the Ioye of Florypes, were Ioyeful the erles and̛ lordes, ye may thynke that they were wel comforted̛ whan they sawe the standard of fraunce, wherin was the dragon wel fygured̛. Grete Ioye and grete consolacion was emonge them, & they had̛ cause, seen the daunger wherin they were. Anone a paynym cam to thadmyral, & sayd̛ to hym, that Charles wyth an hondred thousand̛ men of armes came makyng̛ grete bruyt. The kynge Coldroe counceylled̛ anone that

euery man sℏold̛ be armed, and that they sℏold̛ goo mete wyth ℏym at the fyrst poynte. Hys counceyl was approued̛ by thadmyral and̛ by thother. Wherfore anone L thousand turkes were assembled̛ in grete poynte for to kepe the grete vale of Iosue, to thende that he myght not come in to Aygremore. Rolland sawe Rychard̛ of Normandye wyth hys confanon reysed̛ vp, whyche came al afore: and̛ alle taryed̛ in a medowe for to bayte and refresshe theyr horses, and̛ to tarye there al the nyght, whyche was nyghe. And̛ wythoute makyng lodgyses or other thynge, they [sign. i vij, col. 2] there rested them al nyght, For theyr tentes were lefte at mantryble. On the morne erly, the Emperour dyd̛ do arme his peple, & sette them in good̛ araye, and in grete poynte, And̛ after sente for Fyerabras, and sayd to hym: "Ryght dere frende, thou knowest that I haue doo the be baptysed̛, wherfore I loue the the better. yf thou myȝtest pourchace and make that thy fadre be baptysed̛, and renye Mahon and al hys dyabolike goddes, I shold be wel glad̛ and Ioyous. And̛ I promyse to the, that of al hys goodes I shal not take a peny. And̛ yf he wyl not so do, I promyse that by force I sℏal fygℏt ayenst hym; & yf he take harme, wyte it not me, ne conne me noo maulgre, for I may not lette it." "Syr Emperour," sayd Fyerabras, "take a messager, and̛ late hym demaunde hym, yf he wyl soo doo as ye say, and̛ I shal be content. For yf he gaynsaye it I sℏal neuer praye for hym, ne haue pyte of hym, though I see hym hewen and deye." Hereupon charles demaunded̛ Reyner and rychard of Normandye, whyche were his nexte counceyllours, and̛ sayd to them: "Lordes, whome seme you moost propyce for to sende on thys message to the Admyrall? By myn aduys, ganellon sℏold be good therfore, yf he wold̛, for to recounte & speke hooly thys [sign. i vij, back] message. I

knowe hym for wel suffysaunt, & ye knowe wel that he dyd̛ wel hys deuoyr at the entre of mantryble. yf ye wyl consente, he shal doo the message." Rychard̛ answerd̛, and Reyner also, that he sℏold doo wel the message. The kyng̛ sente for ganellon, and̛ sayd̛ to hym: "My frende, we haue chosen you for to goo say to thadmyral Ballant that he be baptysed̛ & renye mahon, & that he take Ihesu Cryste for hys god̛, & that he byleue in hym, & in hys passyon that he suffred̛ for al ℏumayn creatures; & after, that he yelde to me my barons, whyche he holdeth in hys pryson, & also the relyques that longe tyme I haue demaunded̛ of hym. & yf he wyl do this, we shal leue to hym hys contreye & hys landes: & yf he wyl doo otherwyse, we sℏal make to hym mortal warre, and sℏal take of hym no mercy." Ganellon was contente for to goo thyder allone, And̛ took & sette on his helme, & mounted̛ vpon ℏis hors, named̛ gascon, and̛ henge on hys necke his sℏelde, wherein was paynted̛ the lyon, & after went in to the vale of Iosue hastely. and̛ anone he was taken of the turkes that kept the passage; but whan they knewe that he was a messager for to speke to thadmyral, they troubled̛ hym not, but lete hym goo, & he taryed̛ [sign. i vij, back, col. 2] not tyl that he came tofore thabytacyon of thadmyral, & he lente vpon his spere with a knyghtly countenaunce, & moche resembled a baron of grete valure, for to say wel hys message. whan thadmyral knewe of his comyng̛, he came to hym, And̛ thenne Ganellon spake hardyly to hym in this manere: "Sarasyn, take hede & vnderstonde me: I am a messager of the noble charles, kyng of fraunce & ryght myghty Emperour, & he sendeth the worde by me, that thou renye and forsake Mahon & thyn other goddes dyabolyke, & byleue in Ihesu cryst, the redemptour of al the worlde, whyche took on hym humanyte, and̛ suffred̛

deth, cruel & bytter, in the tree of the [orig. ithe.] crosse, ["in the tree of the crosse:" Fr. en larbre.] for to redeme al the world̛. & yf thou so do, thou art assured̛ not onely not to deye, & also not to lese thy londe, ne none of thy good̛, but thou sℏalt alwaye be byloued of ℏym, & of Fyerabras thy sone. and yf thou wylt not accorde herto, & withstande it, knowe for certayn, that of Charles thou art deffyed, & al thy people. & yf thou wylt saue thy self, thynke to flee and̛ wythdrawe the fro thys contreye; For yf thou may be taken and̛ holden, thou shalt be delyuerd̛ to daungerous deth, and̛ alle thy subgettes shal be dysmembred & slayn, & after, he sℏal gyue thy royame and thy rychesses to his [sign. i viij] seruauntes. Therfore aduyse the wel." Whan thadmyral had herde hym, he was almoost in a rage of hys wordes, ["he was almoost in a rage of hys wordes:" Fr. a peu de fait quil ne fut enraige de ses parolles.] and̛ by destresse of angre he took a staffe for to smyte the messager, and̛ sayd̛ to hym: "Gloton payllard̛! thou art dysmesured̛ in thy langage. by mahon, to whome I am yeuen, at thys tyme thou hast be ouer hardy, & lytel loued the, Charles, whan he sente the to me. For thou sℏalt be wel sure that thou sℏalt neuer recounte to hym thy message." Ganellon, seyng̛ that he was not wel sure wyth them, he took hys swerde, whyche was heuy & sℏarpe, & gaf wythal a stroke to brullant of mommyere in the breste, that he ouerthrewe & fyl at the feet of the admyrall, whyche seyng that, escryed moche strongely tauenge hym. Thenne wyth thys voys assembled moo than fyfty thousand̛ turkes, for to take Ganellon, whyche ranne after hym thurgh the vale of Iosue; but he escaped̛ them al, and was not taken. Duc Naymes was at a wyndowe, and̛ sawe hym chaced̛, & demaunded̛ Rolland & Olyuer what he was; & they knewe for certayn that he was crysten, and by presumyng̛ [ "by presumyng̛:" Fr. par presumacion = by supposition.] made emonge them they Iudged̛ that it was Ganellon that had̛ spoken to thadmyral. ¶ "Alas!" sayd̛ Rolland, "I praye to

Ihesus our redemour that he graunte [sign. i viij, col. 2] hym grace to passe wel without daunger. I sℏal be euyl content yf he come not to his good̛ desyre." ¶ The other barons sayden semblably, & prayed god to kepe ℏym fro peryl. Ganellon ran alwaye forth tyl he came to the toppe of a montayne, and̛ there he torned̛ hym ayenst the Paynyms, & sawe comyng to hym a grete paynym of the cyte of Aygremore. and̛ anone he took hys swerde named̛ murgall, moche trenchaunte, & atteyned̛ the paynym vpon the helme, and̛ clefte hym to the breste: And̛ after, he slewe Tenebre, whyche was broder of kyng̛ Sortybrant. Olyuer sawe al hys feat, and̛ sayd̛ to Rolland̛: "Brother, beholde the valyaunce that thys baron dooth; I praye god̛ that he conserue hym. And̛ wete ye wel that in my hert I loue hym. Saue you & charles, I loue none better. Now wold̛ god that I were in ℏys companye, I shold̛ make grete marterdom on these Paynyms." Neuertheles he was strongely chaced̛ of the paynyms. But whan they sawe the hoost of Charles, they retorned aback, and wente & tolde the affayre to thadmyral, & how Charles had moo than an hondred̛ thousand̛ fyghtyng̛ men. wherfore they counceylled that euery man sℏold arme hym, & that counceyl was approued̛. but whan sortybrant [sign. i viij, back] knewe that hys broder was dede, he made to come an Innumerable companye of sarasyns, tauenge his deth in menacyng to do harm to Charles. Of hys entencyon was moche glad thadmyral, bycause he myght the better come to hys desyre.