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 rychard of normandye passed the ryuer of flagot by myracle, by the moyen of a whyt hert which cam tofore hym: ca. iiij

Rychard̛ of Normandye, messager of the frensshe barons prisoners, rode in grete doubte, ye may wel thynke and̛ ymagyne, how he onely by [sign. h iiij, back] hym self myght passe the stronge and̛ daungerous brydge. And in rydyng̛ he behelde behynde hym, and̛ sawe al the contree couerd̛ wyth men of armes. thus byholdyng̛ theym he was sore troubled̛ in hys mynde, & began to crye: "O Ihesus, kyng̛ of glorye, at thys tyme be thou kepar of my body, & conseruatour of my soule, For I

see wel the declyne of my lyf. yf I put my self to fyght, I shal haue my hede smyton of; and̛ yf I entre in to this hydous ryuer, I shal not conne passe ouer. Thus at thys tyme I muste nedes deye. And̛ yf I by force retorned to my felawes, I shold make a grete defaulte to therle Rolland, to whom I haue promysed̛ [orig. pormysed'.] faythfully to doo my deuoyr for to doo my message. Wherfore, my god̛, my maker, I wote not what to say, but that thy wylle be fulfylled and doon of me. thou knowest myn entencion: after the same gouerne me!" he beyng̛ nyghe the ryuer, the sarasyns maden grete bruyt in comyng̛ to hym, emonge whom a neuewe of the admyral auaunced̛ hym to renne ageynst hym, & cryed̛ wyth an hyghe voys: "O messager, what someuer thou be, thynke for to dye! thou hast now ryden ouer ferre; now is þ^e houre come that the deth of kyng claryon sℏal be aduenged̛." These wordes so herde of rychard were [sign. h iiij, back, col. 2] not to hym ouer playsaunt; but he was euyl contente, and̛ sodeynly he spored his hors ayenst hym, holdyng̛ a swerde in hys honde, square & sℏarpe, whych he had̛ conquerd of Claryon: and came to hym, and̛ smote hym so daungerously ayenst the breste, that it perced̛ thorugh the sℏelde in to hys body, that he fyl doun to therthe al deed̛; & after took hys hors by the brydle, whyche was ryche of golde, and went to the ryuage of the water, and byhelde it that it ranne lyke a quarel out of a crosbowe, and rored̛ lyke thundre, in suche wyse that galeye ne other engyne myght not goo surely vpon hyt.

¶ Thenne by grete contrycion of hert he recommaunded̛ ℏym self to our lord̛, that he sℏold̛ preserue hym from deth tyl that he had̛ sayd̛ hys message to the Emperour Charles. Thenne god of heuen, that neuer leueth hys seruauntes at their nede, sℏewed vnto hym a grete token of loue that he had̛ to Charles. for Rychard̛ of Normandye beyng̛ in thys medytacyon and̛ thought

for to passe ouer, god̛ sente a whyte herte which passed tofore rychard̛: & in comyng ["in comyng, &c.:" as we should now see, en passant, or by the way. Fr. en venant vous debuez scauoir.] ye ought to wete that the ryuage of the water was moche hye, ye, as hye as a man from bynethe myght caste vp a stone wyth hys honde. And̛ the ryuer began to aryse [sign. h v] soo hye that it flowed̛ ouer the banke, and̛ the herte entred̛ in to the water; [The miracle of the water rising to a level with the banks, and afterwards subsiding, is not given in the English metrical versions of the romance. See Dr. Hausknecht's note to the Sowdone, l. 2810.] and̛ Rychard̛ loked̛ behynde hym, & sawe many sarasyns come in a grete multytude for to put hym to deth; and thenne he recommaunded̛ hym to god̛ wyth good̛ hert, and made the sygne of the crosse vpon his body, hauyng̛ in hys hert the holy name of Ihesus, that he myȝt perseuere fro drede in suche wyse that he myght passe ouer the ryuere; and̛ soo toke the water & folowed̛ the hert. The paynyms seyng̛ that, were al abasshed and troubled̛, and̛ there was not one that durst folowe hym. Fro Incontynent the water aualed̛, and̛ retorned̛ in to hys former estate and̛ beyng̛. Thenne the paynyms made grete duel and̛ sorowe by cause they myȝt not haue the messager. ¶ Galafre, whyche that was moost wroth & werst contente, cam to the bridge and̛ aualed̛ the chaynes, and̛ commanded̛ the paynyms, vpon payne of deth, that they sℏold̛ not cesse tyl that rychard̛ were taken, or ellys they shold̛ be all in the Indygnacyon of thadmyral, and̛ in daunger to be loste. Rychard̛ of Normandye came ouer in good̛ poynte, and̛ deuoutelye thanked̛ god̛ of the grace that he had̛ sente to hym, and̛ descended̛ fro hys hors for to vngyrde and̛ lose hys sadle. [sign. h v, col. 2] And̛ after resengled̛ hym, and̛ took his hors and̛ rode forth at hys ease, and̛ ladde that other hors on hys ryght syde. & doubted thenne nomore, For in sℏorte tyme he supposed̛ to fynde thexcersyte of kyng̛ Charles. The paynyms seeyng thys, retourned soroufully, & wente to vnarme them, For other thynge coude they not do.