Melusine. Part I

Cap. XXV. How Anthony & Regnald dyscomfyted the kynge of Anssay tofore lucembourgh / and how he was take.

The kyng̘ thenne, whicℏ was a valyaunt man & strong̘, cryed with a hye voys 'Anssay, Anssay, lordes & barons be not abasshed, For the batayƚƚ is oures' / and at his callyng̘ his peuple toke courage, & assembled them self ayen togidre about theire kynge, and made a fyers enuahye vpon the poyteuyns / there was many man slayn / hewen & sore hurte with grete doleur. That mornyng̘ was fayre & clere, & the soonne shoone bright vpon the helmets / and caused the gold & syluer ther on to [folio 115] resplendysshe, that fayre it was to see. And they of the toune that herde this grete affray, toke theire armes; & eche of them made good watche, For they were ryght ferdfuƚƚ & doubtous of treson. And the knyght whicℏ anounced to them the socours of the two breþern̄ was with the pucelle Crystyne in a hye toure, & loked out at a wyndowe / and he knew wel that it was Anthony & Regnald, that were come for to fight ayenst the king̘ and his peple, & anon called with an hye voys, 'My lady, cōme hither & see the floure of knyghthod̛, of prowesse & hardynes / cōme & see honour in his siege royaƚƚ, & in his mageste / cōme & see the god of armes in propre figure.' 'Frend,' said the pucelle / 'what is that ye say to me?' 'I calle you,' sayd the knight, 'to come hither & see the flour of noblesse & of aƚƚ curtoysye, that fro ferre land is come hither for to fyght with your enemyes for to kepe your honour,

your lande, & your peple / this are the two children of Lusynen, that be cōme for to deffend you ayenst the king̘ of Anssay & aƚƚ his puyssaunce, and to putte theire honour & lyf in auenture for to kepe your honour sauf.' Thenne came the mayde at the wyndowe, & beheld the mortal batayƚƚ & horryble medlee / sayeng in this manere: 'O Veray god, what shaƚƚ doo this pouere orphenym / bettre it had be that I had drowned myself, or that I had be putte to deth in some other wyse, or elles that I had be deed whan I yssued out of my moders wombe / than so many creatures shuld be slayne & perysshe for myn owne synne.' Moche dolaunt & heuy was the yong̘ damoyselle of the grete myschief that she sawe, For in certayn thoccysyon was grete on botℏ partyes, For the king recomforted his peuple by his wo[r]þy contenaunce & valyaunt maynten; For with his propre swerd̛ he mocℏ adommaged his enemys poyteuyns. [folio 115b] But Anthony, seeyng the grete dommage that the kynge bare vpon his peple / he was dysplaysed with, & sayd in hym self: 'By my feyth, thy lyf or myn shal not be long̘, For rather I wold dey than to suffre & see my peuple so murdryd before me.' Thenne he sporyd hys hors / and fyersly as a lyon rane vpon the king̘. and with his swerd̛ of stele smote hym vpon the hyest part of his helmet by suche strengtℏ & vertue that he made hym to be enclyned vpon þe hors neck, so sore astonyed that he ne wyst wheþer it was nyght or day, nor he had no force ne power to helpe ne redresse hymself vpward / and Anthony that this sawe, putte his swerd̛ in the shethe ayen; & toke the king by the middes of the body / drew hym fro the hors, & so rudely cast hym to therthe that vnnethe hys herte brake within his bely / and after toke hym to foure knightes, and charged them on theire lyues that they shuld kepe hym, so that þey myght ansuere hym of it. And they

said that so shuld they doo / and they thanne bonde hym & lede hym out of the batayƚƚ, and called xxv^ti archers with them. And after these thinges thus doon Anthony retourned in the prees, callyng̘ 'Lusynen' with a hye voys, & said: 'Now lordes & barons, gyue grete strokes, & spare none, For the journey is ours thankyng̘ be to god; For I haue take the kynge of Anssay my prysonner, that so grete vylonny haþ don to the gentyl pucelle Cristyne.' Thenne was the medlee rude & paryllous / and there dide the bretheren so moche of armes, that al tho that saw them said that they sawe neuer two so valyaunt knyghtes. What shuld preuayƚƚ you long compte. [folio 116] Whan the Anssays peuple knew that theire kynge was take, they neuer syn made no deffense / but wer alle outhre slayne or take. And there gate the poytevyns grete conqueste & noble proye, and lodged them self in the pauyllons & tentes of the king of Anssay & of hys peple. And was the kinge brought in Anthonys tente, whicℏ a lytel byfore was hys owne propre tente; wherfore the king̘ myght not hold his owne tonge, but said: 'By my feyth, damoyseaulx, wel sayth he trouth that sayth / "that god doth / he doth anoone" / For this day, in the mornyng, men had doo here within but lytel for your commandement.' 'Sire,' sayd Anthony, 'your folyshnes & synne is cause therof; For tofore ye wold rauysshe by force the pucelle Crystyne lady of this toune / but therof ye shaƚƚ be payed after your deserte, For I shal yeld your self vnder her subgection.' Thenne whanne the kyng̘ vnderstode hym, he was shamfast & woofuƚƚ / and as dysolate & dyscomfyte, fuƚƚ heuyly ansuerd̛ in this manere: 'Sith now it is thus vnfortunatly happed with me, rather I wyl dey than to lyue.' 'Nay,' sayd Anthony, 'ye shal delyuere your self / no doubte of / vnto þe mercy & subgection of the pucelle.'