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

¶ The recapitulacion of alle thys werke, & of his deth at Acon, & of hys sepulture: capitulo viij

[sign. m vj]

The kyng Charles contynued gloriously his lyf in vertuouse operacyons, And whan he felte the declyne of hys lyf he went vnto Acon, where he had̛ tofore doon moche good̛, & enobled̛ a chyrche of our lady the rounde, the whyche he dyd̛ do make, and̛ gaf therto grete tresour of relyques of bodyes of sayntes, of gold & syluer, of clothes of sylke, & other precyosytees meruayllous, and there he deyed̛ in the yere of hys age lxxij. & for the magnyfycence of hys werkes he was called̛ charles the grete; & he had̛ iij sones thenne lyuyng, of whom the fyrst was named̛ Charles, the second̛ Pepyn, & the thyrd Lowys; & also he had iij doughters, that one was named̛ Rotrudys, that other berga, & the thyrd̛ gylla. & whan he knewe that he myght noo longer lyue, hys sone lowys, whome he had̛ ordeyned̛ for specyal loue kyng of guyan, he lefte to hym the mageste Imperyal. For to knowe the holynes & the gloryous ende of Charles, & how he was saued̛ in heuen, and̛ renomed̛ an holyman, The deuoute Turpyn, archebysshop of Raynes, sayth in this manere, "I Turpyn, archbyshop of Raynes, was in vyenne in the chyrche tofore thaulter, & was rauysshed̛ in sayeng̛ the psalm, 'Deus in adiutoryumorig. adintoryum. [sign. m vj, col. 2] meum intende.' I sawe a companye of blacke peple lyke Ethyopyens, whych were in quantyte Innumerable, whyche went toward̛ lorayne; and I sawe one tofore hys felowes, & I demaunded̛ hym whyther al they wente. the whyche, beyng̛ constrayned̛ to ansuere, sayd̛, 'we alle goo to Acon to the dethe of Charles, whyche lyeth a-dyeng̛. And we wyl see yf we may haue hys soule for to bere in to helle to perpetuel dampnacyon.' Thenne I sayd̛

to hym, 'I adiure the by the vertue of the name of our Lord̛ Ihesu cryst that, wythoute fayllyng̛, after that ye haue doon, that thou retorne by me.'" Anone after, or he coude fynysshe hys psalme, the d̛euylles cam retournyng ageyn in the same ordre that they wente. "And̛ thenne I sayd̛ to hym that I had̛ spoken to byfore, 'what haue ye doon there as ye haue been?' that same deuyl ansuerd̛, that 'James of galyce, frende to charles, hath ben moche contrarye to vs, for whan we were redy for to receyue hys soule, and̛ had̛ egally departed̛ his good̛ dedes and his euyl, he brougℏt so many stones & tymbre of chyrches, whyche he had̛ doo make in the name of hym, that his good̛ dedes surmounted̛ moche his euyl dedes, wherfore we myght haue noo thynge ne parte;' & thys sayd, the deuyll [sign. m vj, back] vanysshed̛ awaye," & soo he loste hys vysyon. Thus Charles, in the moneth of feueryere, rendred̛ his soule to god̛ holyly. For after that he retorned fro spayn he dyd but languysshe & appayre in hys body toward̛ hys deth; & in hys ende he ordeyned̛ many almesses, & to say many masses & psaulters. And̛ the vysyon that the gloryous archebysshop Turpyn sawe, is sygnyfycacion that he whyche maynteneth and̛ edefyeth chyrches in thys present world̛, that he maketh preparacyon of hys syege in heuen. His sepulture was moche honourable emonge al the sepultures of the world̛, noble and̛ ryche excellently, and̛ so fayr that it myȝt not be amended̛. and̛ ouer hys tombe was maad̛ an arche of gold̛ & syluer and̛ of precyous stones, comprysed by grete scyence. & thyder came Leo the pope, accompanyed̛ wyth prynces Romayns, archebysshops, bysshops, Abbottes, Dukes, Erles, and̛ many other lordes, and̛ dyd̛ do make a fayre representacyon of the body of Charles, clad̛ rychely and Imperyally with a fayre crowne of gold sette on his hede, & satte vpon

a chayer of gold̛ moche fayre and shynyng̛, and̛ resembled̛ wel a notable Iuge lyuyng. and they sette vpon his knees notably the texte of the four gospelles in fayre letters [sign. m vj, back, col. 2] of gold̛, & wyth the ryȝt hande he helde the lettre, & in the lyfte hande he helde the ceptre Imperial, moche ryche; & by cause the heed̛ shold not enclyne to eyther syde, hit was vnderset wyth a chayne of gold̛ & susteyned̛. And̛ the crowne that was on ℏys heed̛ raught to the arche, whiche was al aboue wel made, & the conduytes of the sepulture were replenysshed with al good odours aromatyques & precyous, and̛ after closed̛ & shette moche subtylly, & honourably kepte, as it was wel worthy for to be doon.