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 Charles emperour ordeyned' ten bataylles, and how they dyd' & were recountred' of the puyssaunce of the admyral, where as themperour dyd' meruaylles, and' of other maters: capitulo xij

Whan Ganellon was comen to kyng̛ Charles, themperour ordeyned x bataylles after that Ganellon had̛ tolde hys message, whyche was suche: "Syr emperour, I say to you that thadmyral ne fereth you ne your dedes, neyther god ne hys sayntes. I was wel happy that I escaped̛, For I haue been chaced̛ wyth xx thousand sarasyns. after that thadmyral wold haue had me, & after these wordes, I slewe one of theyr kynges." wherfore he was praysed of the kyng & other. And̛ anone they sowned̛ hornes and̛ trompettes, & was open warre on alle partes in thoost of Charles. Rolland̛ herde the sowne, and the voys of [sign. i viij, back, col. 2] the frensshe hoost, wherof he and al the barons were al reioyced & made good̛ chyere. whan the ij hoostes recountred, al the contrey sℏone of theyr armes, ther were so many of them. after, as I haue sayd̛ tofore, kyng charles made ten bataylles: In the fyrst, he ordeyned̛ Rychard̛ of Normandye; Duc Reyner of genes had̛ the second̛, Ganellon the thyrd̛, Alory the fourth, Geffroy the fyfthe, Machayre the vj, Hardre the seuenth, Amangius the viij, Sampson the ix, And̛ of the tenthe was conduytour charles the kyng̛. & in eche bataylle were x thousand̛ men of armes wel fyghtyng atte leste. Whan Ballant the admyral sawe the kyng̛ comyng̛, he sayd̛ to brullant, "who sℏal be the fyrst that sℏal entre in to bataylle with an hondred̛ thousand̛ paynyms;" & sayd that yf he took Charles, he sℏold not slee them ne fyerabras, for he wold after smyte of theyr heedes. & vpon thys poynte the warre was open, & Brullant began to goo a grete bowedrauȝt tofore the other, and̛ began to crye "haro! haro! where is charles themperour wyth ℏis euyl chere? loo! I come to the! thou hast enterprysed̛ a grete folye whan thou passest the see, & ouer late thou sℏalt repente the. On thys day

sℏal be the ende of thy lyf and̛ of thy subgettes lyf. And [sign. k j] wythoute faulte ["wythoute faulte:" Fr. sans faulte = without fail.] thou sℏalte be yolden to thadmyral, & alle thy contreye shal be destroyed̛." Themperour herde wel these wordes; wherfore alle in a furye he lete renne hys hors, & came ageynst the paynym, & attayned̛ hym in suche wyse that hys harnoys brake, and̛ after, he drewe hys swerde, and̛ neuer lefte hym tyl he was dede. fro thens with ℏis spere he came to a turke kynge of pyetrelee, and̛ smote hym in the breste that he fyl deed̛ to the erthe. and̛ whan his spere was broken, he dyd grete deuoyr with Ioyouse hys swerd; for hym that he attayned̛, dyd neuer hurte after. At that tyme he bare hym meruayllously, that one of the hoostes medled̛ eche wyth other in suche wyse that there was neuer seen warre so mortal, for they that were lyuyng were lette by them that were dede. Thenne emonge the paynyms there was a turke, named Tenebres, which cam makyng̛ grete bruyt vpon the frensshe men, and̛ attayned̛ fyrst the noble Iehan of pountayse vpon his shelde, and̛ brake it in pyeces, & smote hym thurgh the body that he fyl deed̛ to the erthe; and after drewe hys swerde, & put to deth huon, and̛ guernyer thauncyen, and after sayd to the frensshe men that on that day Charles and̛ hys subgettes had loste theyr myght. Rychard̛ of [sign. k j, col. 2] Normandye had despyte of hys wordes, & came ageynste hym, & attayned hym so daungerously that he brake his hawberke, and brake his sℏelde in quarters, & so smote hym, that he fyl doun deed wythout ony more reprochyng̛ & sayeng euyl wordes. & after, by force of strengthe they passed̛ the vale of Iosue, & came and̛ fonde thadmyral wyth alle hys puyssaunce, whyche was accompanyed̛ wyth iiij kynges crowned̛, & wyth an CM fyghtyng̛ men, as wel a horsback as a fote. Anone a messager came to the admyral, & tolde hym

how brullant his brother was dede, and̛ many in hys companye. Thenne he sente for tempest, hys neuewe, & for Sortybrant of conymbres, his moost specyal frendes, & said to them: "My barons and̛ trewe frendes, yf euer ye haue loued me, & haue entencion to do me playsyr, Doo so moche that ye fynde charles the kyng̛. For I wyl goo to hym, and haue concluded̛ in my self to fyght in my persone ayenst hys persone; & sythe I shal deye ones, it suffyseth me that I myght slee hym, & thenne sℏal I be contente to deye, yf I deye after. For I retche not yf I aduenge me or I deye." Sortybrant & many other, consyderyng̛ thastate of thadmyral, bygonnen to wepe for pyte in comfortyng̛ hym.