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 by force and' strengthe of bataylle Charles entred' in to mantryble, after that Galafre was slayn, not wythstondyng' that

alory the traytre was contrarye to hym; and' many other maters: capitulo viij

At thentre of mantryble were moche hurt people & confounded, as wel of frenssh men as of sarasyns. and at that tyme themperour bare hym wel, For whome he attayned̛ wyth hys swerde named̛ Ioyouse, he must nedes deye, he smote so rudely. and that day was alway by hym Ganellon, whych dyd̛ wel hys deuoyr. The dyches of the towne were depe and̛ ful of water, wherin many were drowned̛. ¶ Thus as Charles passed̛ tofore, and̛ hys people after, He sawe galafre on þ^e grounde, wℏich was not dede, and̛ that semed̛ better a deuyl than a resonable persone, And̛ helde alwaye hys [sign. i ii] axe in hys honde, wyth whyche he had̛ slayn thyrty frenssh men. And̛ the Emperour, seeyng̛ the harme that he had̛ doon to the frensshe men, anone commaunded̛ to slee hym; & so moche they smote at hym wyth axes and̛ stones, that they slewe hym. The bruyt and̛ noyse was so grete, that fyue myle aboute was anone knowen that the brydge of mantryble was taken and̛ conquerd̛; wherfore there came L thousand̛ sarasyns, for to gyue ayde to the cytyzeyns of mantryble, and to destroye the frenssh men. The walles of the towne were of marble, and̛ soo stronge that it semed̛ a thyng Impossyble to conquere or destroye. ¶ To thys medle came a geaunt moche fyers, named̛ Ampheon, And̛ had̛ a wyf named̛ Amyotte. And̛ she was departed fro her gesyne, ["she was departed fro her gesyne, &c.:" Fr. qui auoit faicte sa gessine de deux filz, that is, who had given birth to two sons.] For sℏe had̛ borne two sones, whyche were but iiij monethes olde, and̛ were two foot brode in the breste, and̛ ten foot longe, as thystorye sayth. Thys geaunt opened̛ the gate, & helde in his honde a club of yron grete and̛ massyf, And whan he was passed that yate, wyth hys voys tenebrouse and dyabolyke he cryed̛: "Where is charles the kyng̛ of fraunce? wyl he now bere wyth hym the

relyques to Saynt Denys? by mahon, by the whyche I comforte my self, it were better [sign. i ij, col. 2] for hym, olde dotard̛, that he were now at parys. And̛ late hym knowe certaynly, that yf thadmyral may haue hym, he sℏal neuer haue mercy on hym, but he shal do hym be flayn, & hanged̛ alle quycke, or brenne hym in a fyre." after that he had thus spoken, he smote doun many frensshe men wyth hys club of yron. ¶ In thys recountre were seen and̛ founden so grete a multytude of dede men that they letted men to passe. Charles, whyche sawe the facyon, ["facyon:" = state of affairs.] descended̛ and̛ lyght of hys hors, alle wroth in hys courage, & sette hys sℏelde tofore hym, wyth hys swerde in hys hande, and hys barons came after hym ayenst the geaunt. & after that the kyng̛ & he were assembled̛, Charles wyth hys swerde Ioyous smote hym soo myghtely that he clefte hym in two pyeces, & myghtely recouerd hys stroke, that he maad̛ hym falle to the erthe, And̛ soo he was deed̛. Wherfore the Sarasyns were all moeued̛ and̛ affrayed̛, And̛ as people enraged̛ smote vpon the Frensshe men with dartes, plombettes, and other engynes mortal.

¶ And̛ thenne Charles cryed̛ socours for to assemble hys people. And̛ wyth that crye came to hym Rychard of Normandye, Reyner of genes, hoel of nauntes, and̛ Syr Ryol du mauns, [sign. i ij, back] whyche alle had̛ courage lyke vnto lyons. These foure barons wyth charles made the paynyms to remeue, and̛ to reentre ageyn by force in to the towne of mantryble. And̛ anone the turkes, whyche were moo than x thousand, cam to the yate for to sℏette it, in makyng̛ grete defence with bowes and̛ other sℏotte, besyde them that came after, whyche kepte the passages, which were wel, as thystorye maketh mencyon, fyue thousand̛; but alle they coude not fynde the maner to lyfte vp the brydge, For it was conserued̛ and̛ kept ayenst the sarasyns by the frenssh men. There was

grete bruyt in thys recountre; And̛ though Charles doubted̛, it was noo meruaylle. For he knewe wel that yf the sarasyns had̛ lyfte vp the brydge to the yate of the towne, It had̛ not be possyble to hym to haue passed̛ ouer. And̛ he, seeyng̛ them reyse vp toward̛ the yate grete barres of yron, supposed̛ not to haue passed̛, And̛ wyth a moche wooful herte began to wayle Roulland his neuewe, and the other hys felowes, as he shold neuer haue seen them.

¶ Rychard̛ of Normandye consyderyng̛ thys, escryed and sayd: "Syr Emperour, in the honour of god esmaye you not, but thynke to destroye and̛ smyte doun these Turkes, and̛ god̛ sℏal ayde & [sign. i ij, back, col. 2] helpe vs. Ye knowe wel that there is none so franke ne valyaunte that wyl acoward̛ hymself, but that he ought to be despysed̛, and̛ wyth good̛ ryght. ¶ And̛ I praye to god̛ that he be confounded̛ that suffreth hymself to be taken a-lyue for to dye afterward̛, and̛ that had̛ not leuer be hewen in pyeces than to retorne. And̛ wythoute more, late vs auaunce vs, For now it is nede that eche man proue hys strengthe and̛ the valure of hys persone." Wyth these wordes of a grete courage, entred in to the towne, Charles, Reyner, Hoel, Ryol, and Rychard̛, These fyue onelye, eche wyth a swerde in hys honde. And̛ ye ought to wete that they entred̛ not wythout grete slaughter of turkes and̛ of Paynyms.

Charles, seyng̛ come grete multytude of sarasyns, cryed "a larme and̛ socours" moche hye and̛ furyously. Ganellon vnderstood̛ hym, and̛ had̛ of hym grete pyte; Not wythstondyng̛ at the laste he founde hym not good; & came to geffroy, & escryed hauteuyle his fader, & the other hys kynnesmen, whyche were armed̛ moche rychely to the nombre of M vij C, and̛ al they came afote for to assayle the yate. The turkes maad̛ grete deffence wyth brondes and̛ barres of yron and mortal sℏotte, where as

[sign. i iij] many were dede and hurte, of the people of the sayd̛ Ganelon.

Thenne alory, the traytre, sayd to ganellon: "in fayth, we ben grete foles for to late vs thus deye, & suffre thys torment." And̛ after he sayd to ganellon yet: "late vs goo and̛ departe. Charles is wythin wel empesshed̛: god forbede that he euer departe! & thou mayst wel see now, that of hym and̛ of Reyner we are wel auenged̛ of the contradyctyons that they made to vs, & of theyr subgettes also. And̛ euyl deth mote he deye that foloweth them ony ferther. for we may wynne Fraunce at our ease and wylle, & holde it wythout contradyctyon, Seen that there is no baron that wyl be to vs contrarye." Ganellon ansuerd: "God of glorye forbede that euer I shold̛ do suche trayson to my ryȝtful lord̛! we holde of hym al our londes & seygnouryes. I sℏold be holden for an ouer vntrewe man yf I consented̛ to hys deth. We haue none other cause but that we ought to do our deuoyr for hym." whan Alory vnderstood̛ hym, he enraged̛ almoost for angre, and after sayd̛ to ganellon: "ye be a veray fool, that ye tarye whan ye now may wel aduenge you. yf themperour Charles be slayn, al the other barons shal haue theyr heedes smyton of, And thus we sℏal be aduenged̛ on al our enemyes. [sign. i iij, col. 2] Therfore leue of, and̛ come on." Ganellon ansuerd: "god forbede that euer I sℏold̛ be a traytre to my lord̛, ne that I leue hym vnholpen, but doo my deuoyr to ayde hym. I had̛ leuer to be dysmembred̛, than to be sℏamed̛ and̛ blamed̛ in this dede." ¶ Of these wordes were euyl contente Alory and̛ also geffroy daulteuyle, in suche wyse that there was grete debate emonge them. Vpon this came Fyerabras in good̛ araye and̛ grete poynte, and began to crye: "where is Charles?"

¶ The Traytre answerd̛: "Syr, ye shal neuer see hym. He is wythin enclosed̛, and̛ I suppose he be

dede now." Fyerabras answerd̛: "And̛ ye emonge you, what doo you here? what tarye ye? why socoure ye hym not in thys nede? ye may be reproched̛ of treson wyth good̛ ryght." And̛ after bygan to crye "socours and̛ ayde" moche lowde; and̛ by hys voys all the frensshe men came, wythoute ony taryeng̛, to the belfraye, and̛ fonde Fyerabras and̛ Ganellon, that thenne had̛ lefte the Traytres at the entree of the brydge.

¶ And̛ Fyerabras thenne was wel Ioyous whan he sawe that the brydge was not drawen up, And̛ thenne he and̛ Ganellon dyd̛ gretely theyr deuoyr, for to entre in to the cyte. [sign. i iij, back] And̛ whan they were wythin, & the traytres sawe the toun wonne, by a manere to do gretely theyr deuoyr, entred̛ in a foot, & smote doun wyth the other comunelye. And̛ grete habundaunce of blode runne thurgh the towne oute of the dede bodyes, that eche man meruaylled̛ that sawe it. The paynyms cryed̛ and brayed as wulues enfamysshed, whan they sawe that they coude not resyste them. They sente to the admyral that he shold̛ socoure them, and̛ cryed on mahon & Termagaunt that they wold̛ come to theyr ayde; but for all that, they were dyscomforted̛ sorowfully, put oute of theyr habytacyons, robbed̛, pylled̛ of theyr rychesses and̛ goodes, and̛ destroyed̛. Thus doyng̛, ["Thus doyng̛:" = while this was happening.] a messager departed̛ secretely for to goo to Aygremore, for tacompte and telle the tydynges of theyr destructyons.