Melusine. Part I

Cap. XIV. How the Erle of Poytiers camme to the weddyng of Raymondyn, acompayned of alle the Barons in hys land.

[folio 28] NO[w] telleth to vs thystorye, that whan the Erle & hys folk were descended doun fro the montayne / an auncyent knyght, nobly & richely clothed and arayed, whiche rode on a fayre palfray, and had in hys felawship xxiiijti. men of worship richely & nobly aourned & wel horsed / camme gladly & with mery contenaunce toward the Erle. First he mete with the Erle of Forest & with Raymondyn & theyre felawship, for they rode before. And whan he perceyued Raymondyn, whiche wel he knew among̘ other / he yede tofore hym & made to hym honour & reuerence, and his brother Erle of Forest he salued moche honourably, & theyre felawship also. And shortly to spek, this auncyent knight receyued them worshipfully, sayeng̘ to Raymondin in this manere: 'My lord, I pray you that I may be ledde before the Erle of Poitiers yf it playse you, [folio 28b] for I desyre to spek with hym.' And so Raymondyn made hym to be ledde vnto the said Erle. And whan thauncyent knight camme before the Erle, he salewed hym swetly, sayeng̘, 'my lord, ye be welcomme.' And the Erle ansuerd̛ / 'and ye are wel mete with me. nowe telle ye to me why ye dide axe aftir me.' Thanne said the knight thus to the Erle: 'Sire, My lady Melusyne

of Albany recommendeth her to you as moche as she may / and thanketh you of the gret & high honour that ye doo vnto Raymondyn your Cousin & also vnto her whan ye vouchesauf of your grace to comme hither for to bere vnto them felawship att their wedding̘.' 'By my feyth,' said the Erle, 'In this cas / as ye may telle to your lady / is no thankes to be had, for I am holden for to do vnto my Cousyn all worship & honour possible to me to be doo.' 'Sire,' said thauncient knight, 'ye say full curtoisly / but my lady is sage for to knowe what she ought for to doo / and toward you she hath sent botℏ me and my felawship also.' 'Sire knight,' said the Erle, 'this playseth me wel. but knowe ye that I wende nat to haue found lodged so nygh to me so noble a lady as your is, ne that had so many of noble folk with her as she hath.' 'Ha, sire!' sayd the knight, 'whan my lady wil she may haue of knightes & squyers more than she hath now with her / for she ne dare doo / but to commande.' And thus talking one to other, they camme vnto the pauyllon. And the Erle was lodged there within the moost riche lodgys that euer he had seen before. After every man was lodged honourably after his estate / & they [folio 29] said that within theire owne places at hom they were not so wel lodged. Theire horses were lodged within the grett tentes / so at large & at theire ease / that no palfrener was there but that he was full wel playsed. And alle they meruailled fro whens so mocℏ of goode and suche plente of richesses might comme there so haboundauntly. /