Melusine. Part I

Cap. I. How Melusyne & her two sustirs shewid them to Raymondyn at the fontayne of Soyf or thurst /.

DAuid [folio 2] the prophete saith, that the Iuggements and the punysshinges of god ben as abysmes without bottom & without ryuage. And he is not wyse that suche thinges supposeth to comprehende in his wit / & weneth that the meruaylles that ben thrugh the vniuersal world, may nat be true, as it is said of the thinges that men calle ffayrees / and as it is of many other thinges wherof we may not haue the knowleche of alle them. Now thenne the Creature ought nat therfore for to traueille, by outrageous presumyng to knowe & to comprehende in his wit & vnderstanding the Iugements of god / but men oughten / thinkynge / to be meruaylled of hym / and meruaylling / to considere / how they may

worthily & deuoutly prayse and glorify hym that Iugith so, and ordeynith suche thinges after hys plaisure & wille without eny gaynseying̘./

The creature of god that is raisonable, oughte moche besily to vnderstande aftir the sayeng of Aristote, that the þynges which he hath made & creatid here bynethe, by the presence þat they haue in themself, certyfyen to be suche as they are / As saynct paule seyth in thepistle that he made to the Rommains / sayeng in this manere / that the thinges that he hath doon, shalbe knowen & seen by the Creatures of the world / that is to wete, by the men than can rede & adiousten feyth to þactoures whiche haue ben byfore vs / as to wete & knowe the landes, the prouinces & the straunge Countrees. and to haue ouerseen & vysyted the dyuerse Royaumes / haue founde so many of dyuerse meruaylles aftir common exstimacion, that thumayn vnderstanding is constrayned of god / that soo as he is without ryuage & without bottom / soo are the thinges meruayllous & wounderfull in many dyuerse landes. aftir their dyuerse nature / that saaf theire Iuggement. I suppose that neuer no man / but only Adam. hadd parfytt knowlege of the thinges Inuysible or that may not be seen. Wherfore I me bethink fro day to day to proufytte in science, & to here & see many thinges / which men suposen not to be true. the whicℏ, yf they be trew / I putte them fourth into his termes byfore you / to thende that the grette meruaylles that ben conteyned in this present hystory may be byleued. Wherfore I [folio 2b] think to treate to the playsure of god / and after the commandement of my said right mighty and noble lord./

LAte vs now leve the Auctoures with peas / and retourne we to that we haue herde say and telle of our auncyent and old̛ tyme / and that this day we haue herd̛ sey what in the land̛ of Poitow was seen in

dede / for to couloure our hystory to be trew / as we hold̛ hit soo / and for to shew & publysshe it thrugh the true Cronykles / as we suppose to doo /.

We haue thenne herd̛ say and telle of our auncyents, that in many partes of the sayd̛ lande of Poytow haue ben shewed vnto many oon right famylerly many manyeres of thinges / the whiche somme called Gobelyns / the other ffayrees, and the other 'bonnes dames' or good ladyes / and they goo by nyght tyme and entre within the houses without opnyng or brekyng of ony doore / and take & bere somtyme with them the children out of theire cradelles. and somtyme they tourne them out of theyre wit / and somtyme they brenne & roste them before þe fyre / and whan they departe fro them, they leue hem as hoole as they were byfore / and somme gyue grette happe & ffortune in this world. And yet haue I herd̛ say of oon Geruayse, a man worshipfuƚƚ & of credence, that somme other fauntasyes appyeren by nyght tyme vnto many oon in dyuerse places, in lyknes of wymen with old̛ face, of low and lytil stature or body / whiche dide scoure pannes & potts, and dide suche thinges as a mayde or seruaunt oughte to doo / lyberaly & without dooyng of ony harme. And also he saith for certayn, that in his tyme he hadd̛ a frend̛ that was auncyent & old̛, whiche recounted for trouth / that in hys dayes he hadd̛ seen many tymes suche thinges. and saith yet the said̛ Geruayse, that the sayd fayrees toke somtyme the fourme & the fygure of fayre & yonge wymen / of whiche many men haue hadd̛ som doughtirs, and haue take to theire wyues by meanes of som couenauntes or promysses that they made them to swere vnto them / the som / that they shuld̛ neuer see eche other / on the satirday / and that by no maner wyse they shuld̛ nat enquyre where they were bycomme / the other / that yf they had eny children /

that theire husbandes shuld neuer see them in theyr child̛ bedd̛ / And as long̘ as they kept theyre covenauntes they had good fortune and were euer in prosperyte / but assoone as they faylled of theyr promysses or couenauntes they fell doun fro theyr good happ & fortune / and aftir these thinges so happed to haue broken theyr couenauntes / the other were conuerted & tourned into serpentes. And yet more sayth the [folio 3] said Geruayse, that he byleueth this to be permytted & doon for som mysdedes that were doon ayenst the playsure of god / wherfore he punysshed them so secretly & so wounderly wherof none hath parfytte knowlege / but alonely he / and they may be therefore called the secrets of god, abysmes without ryuage and without bottom / For none knoweth nothing perfyttly to the regarde of hym / how be it that sometyme of his prouysion ben many thinges knowen / not only of oon / but of many other. It is seen often whan a man hath yssued out of hys countree / and hath seen many awounder & meruayllous thynges whiche he neuer wold haue byleued hit by here sayeng̘, without he had hadd the sight of hit / but as for me that haue nat walked ferre, I haue seen somme thinges that many oon shuld nat byleue without they sawe it. With this seyth the said Geruayse, & setteth fourth an ensaumple of a knyght, named Sir Robert du Chastel Roussel of the prouince of Asy / the whiche knight by auenture on an euen founde oon of the fayree in a medowe / and wold haue had her to his wyf / and in dede she assentid to hit / by suche couenaunce that neuer he shuld see her naked / and were longe togider / and the knight grew & wexed prosperous fro day to day. It happed long tyme after that / that he wold haue seen the said Nymphe naked / as he dede / in so moche that the said nymphe putte her heed in to a watre and was

tourned in to a serpent, whiche was neuer seen after that / And the knyght fro day to day wexed pouere and declyned from his prosperyte. As for prouerbes & exemples I wil none bryng̘ more vnto you / and that / that I haue doon / it was bycause þat I suppose to treate how the noble ffortresse or Castell of Lusygnen was bylded & made of a woman of the fayree, and the manyere how / after the juste & true cronykle / without to applye ne adiouste to it nonething / but that it be approuued Iuste & trew, and of the propre or owne matere / And ye shall here me spek & say of the noble lynee whiche yssued of the said woman / that shall regne for euer vnto thend of the world / aftir that it appiereth that it hath euer regned vnto this tyme present. But bycause that I byganne first to treate of the fayree / I shall telle you how & of whens cam the said woman whiche bilded the noble [folio 3b] ffortress of Lusygnen, beforsayd./

Herafter folowen the names of the estates of the children whiche yssued of Melusyne, and were bygoten of Raymondyn in wedlok. And first yssued kyng Uryan, whiche regned in Cypre. Aftir hym cam King Guyon, which regned myghtily in Armenye. Item, King̘ Regnald, whiche regned right mightily in Behaygne. Item, Anthony that was duc of Lucembourgh. Item, Raymond that was Erle of fforest. Item, Geffray with the grette toth, that was lord of Lusygnen. Item, there yssued also theodoryk, which was lord of Partenay. Item, ffroymonde, that was monke into thabbey of Mailleses, the whiche Geffray with the grette toth brent the said Abbey, & thabbot also with an hundred religyous or monkes./

It is true that there was somtyme in Albany a kynge that was moche worthy & valyaunt / And as sayth thystory / he had of hys wyf many children/

& that Mathas whiche was fader to fflorymond was hys first sone / and this kinge had to name Elynas, and was right worthy & mighty knight of his land./ And it happed that after the decess of his first wyf / as he chaced in a fforest nighe to the see, in the which forest was a moche fayre fontaynne / that sodaynly he had so grett athurst / that as constreyned he tourned & yede toward the said fontaynne. And whan he approuched to the said fontayne / he herde a voyce that song̘ so melodyously & so swetly / that he suposed none other / but it had the voyce of an Angel / but soone aftir he knewe that hit was the voyce of a woman. Thenne descendid he & alyghted fro hys hors to thende he shulde not make gret affray / and walked fayre & softly toward the fontayn in the most couered wyse that he coude. And whan he camme nygh to the fontayne / he sawe there the fayrest lady that euer he the dayes of hys lyf had seen to his aduys or semynge. Thenne he stode styl al abasshed of the grett beaulte that he perceyued in the same ladye, whicℏ euer songe so melodyously and so swetly. And thus he stood styl / asmoche for the bewte of the lady / as for to here her swette & playsaunt voyce / and hyd hym in the best wyse that he coude vnder the leevis of the trees / to [folio 4] thende that the said lady shuld not perceyue hym / & forgate all the chasse and grett thurst that he had afore. And byganne to think on the songe & on the beaulte of the lady. In so moche that he was as rauysshed & knew nat yf it was daylight or nyght, ne yf he slept or wakked̛./

Thus as ye shall now here was kynge helynas so abused / aswel of the right swete songe / as of the bewte of the said lady that he ne wyst whether he slept or waked, For euer styl she songe so melodyously that it was a swete & melodyous thing to here / Thenne

the kynge Elynas was so rauysshed & abused that he remembred of nothinge worldly / but alonely that he herd̛ & sawe the said lady, and abode there long tyme. Thanne camme rannyng toward him two of hys houndis whiche made to hym grett feste, and he lept & mevyd hym as a man wakynge from slep / and thenne he remembred of the chasse, and had of new so grett athurst / that without hauyng aduys ne mesure he yede fourth vpon the ryuage of the fountaynne, and toke the basyn which heng̘ therby & drank of the watre. And thenne he beheld the said lady whiche had lefte her songe & salued her right humbly / beryng vnto her the gretest honour & reuerence that he might. Thanne she that coude & wyst moche of wele & of honour, rendred to hym his salutacion right gracyously, 'Lady,' said Elynas, the kinge / 'of your curtoysye be nat you dyspleased yf I requyre of you to knowe of your estate / of your beyng & what ye are / For the cause that moueth me therto is suche / as now I shall reherse to you. Right dere lady vouche ye saaf to wete & knowe that I can & know so moche of the beyng of this countree, that there nys within this foure or fyue myle neyther Castel ne ffortres, but þat I knowe / except that same fro whens I departed this day by the mornyng̘, whiche is two myle hens or theraboute. Nor there nys neyther lord ne lady within this Countrey but that I knowe them wel, and therfore gretly I meruaylle & wounderly am abasshed, fro whens may be suche a fayr and so gent a lady as ye be / so exempt & vnpurveyed of felawship. and for godis loue pardonne me / For grette outrage is to me to demande of you therof / but the grette desire & good wylle that my herte bereth toward your gracyous personne, hath caused hardynes within me for to doo it.'/

[folio 4b] 'Sire Knight,' said the lady / 'there is none outrage / but it commeth to you of grette curtoysye & honour. And knowe you, sire knight, that I shall nat be longe alone whan it shal playse me / but from me I haue sent my seruaunts, while þat I dysported me.' Thenne cam fourth to that word̛ oon of her seruaunts, wel arayed, whiche rode on a fayre Courcer, and att his right hand ledd̛ a palfroy so richely enharnashed that the kyng Elynas was moche abasshed of the grette richesse & noble aray that was about the said palfray. Thanne said the seruaunt to his lady: 'Madame, it is tyme whan it shall playse you to comme.' And she fourthwith said to the kinge: 'Sire knight, god be with you, and gramercy of your curtoisye.' thenne she went toward the palfray / and the kinge hyed hym, & helped to sette her on horsbak moche prately. And she thanked hym moche of hit, and departid /. And the kyng yede to his hors, and lept on his bake. thanne camme hys meney, whiche sought hym, and sayd that they had taken the herte. And the king̘ said to them / 'that playseth me.' Thenne he byganne to thinke on the beaulte of the said lady, and so moche he was surprysed of her loue, that he ne wyst what contenaunce or manyere he shuld hold / and said to his meyne / 'goo you alle before / and I shall folow you soone.' They yede at hys commandement theire way / and wel they perceyued & knew that he hadd̛ found som thinge / And the king hastly tourned his hors, & toke the way that the said lady had ytaken / & folowed her.

Thystory recounteth to vs, that so long folowed the kinge Elynas the lady, that he found her in a fforest, where as were many trees high & strayt / and [it] was in the season that the tyme is swete &

gracyous, & the place within the forest was moche delectable. And whan the lady herde the noyse of the hors of the kynge Elynas, that rode fast, she said to her seruaunt: 'Stand we styl, and late vs abyde this knight, For I byleue that he cometh vnto vs for to telle to vs a part of his wille, wherof he was nat as tofore aduysed, For we sawe hym lepe on his hors all thoughtfuƚƚ.' 'Madame,' said the seruaunt / 'at your plaisure.' Thanne camme the kinge nigh vnto the lady / and as he had neuer seen her before, he salewed her, moche affrayenge, For he was so surprysed of her loue that he coude nat holde contenaunce. Thanne the lady, that knew ynoughe as it was, and that [folio 5] she shuld comme to her entrepryse / said to hym: 'Kynge Elynas, what goost thou sechyng̘ aftir so hastly / haue I oughte borne away of thyn owne?' / And whan the king̘ herde hym named, he was moche abasshed, For he knew nat what she was that spak with hym / and neuertheles he ansuerde to her: 'My dere lady, nought of myn owne ye withbere / but only that ye passe & goo thrugh my land / and it is grett shame to me / sith that ye be astraunger, that I ne doo you to be conueyed worshipfully thrugh my land / whiche I wold moche gladly doo yf I were in place, & had tyme & space for to doo it.' Thenne ansuerde the lady: 'Kynge Elynas, I hold you for escused, & pray you yf ye wyl of vs none other thinge / that ye leue ne lette nat your retourne for that cause.' And Elynas ansuerde / 'wel other thing̘ I seke, lady' / 'And what is it?' said she / 'telle it to me hardyly.' 'My right dere lady, sith that it is your wille & plaisir for to knowe it / I shall telle it to you. I desire moche more than eny other thing̘ in the world forto haue your good loue & your good grace.' 'By my feith,' said she, 'kyng Elynas, to that haue ye

not faylled / yf that ye think theron but wele & honour, For neuer man shal haue my loue in hys auauntynge.' 'Ha, my dere lady, I ne think on my lyf on none cas dyshoneste.' Thenne perceyued the lady þat he was esprised of her loue, & said to hym / 'yf ye wil take me as your wyf by mariage, and be sworne vnto me that ye shal nat see me duryng my childbed, nor to peyne your self in no manere of way for to loke on me att that tyme / And yf this ye wil doo & swere / I am she that shal obey to you as a wyf ought to obey her husband.' Thanne þe kinge anoone, and with good wille, sware & promysed to hold that byfore is said. Without longe rehercyng they were spoused, & ledd̛ longe a good lyf togidre. But al the land of the kinge Elynas was moche abasshed who was this lady / how be it that she gouerned her wel right wysly & valiauntly. But Nathas, that was sone to the kynge Elynas, hated her ouermoche. and [it] happed that she was at her childbed of thre doughtirs / the whiche she had bornne [folio 5b] ryght gracyously alle her tyme, & was deliuered of them thre at ende of ix. monethis / the first borne was named Melusigne, the second Melyor, and the iijde. Palatyne. The kynge Elynas was nat thanne present at that place, but kynge Nathas his sone was there, and beheld hys thre sustirs, that were so fayre that it was meruaylle. and thanne he went toward the kinge his fader / and thus he said to hym: 'Sire / Madame, the quene Pressyne your wyf, hath made & is delyuered of thre doughtirs, the most fayre that euer were seen / comme & see them.' Thenne kinge Helynas, that remembred nat of the promysse that he had made to Pressyne his wyf / sayd / 'ffayre sone / so wyl I doo.' And yede apertly & entred anoon within the chambre wheras Pressyne bathed her thre doughtirs. and whan he saw them / he said in

this manere: 'god blesse the moder & the doughters,' & toke of them grette Ioye. And whan pressyne herde hym, she answerde to hym, 'Fals kinge, thou hast faylled thy couenaunt, wherof grett euyl shal comme vnto the / and hast lost me for euermore. And wel I wot that thy sone Nathas is cause therof, & departe I must fro the lightly. but yet I shalbe auenged me on thy sone by my sustir & felow, my lady of the yle lost.' And these thinges said / [she] toke her thre doughtirs & had them withher / and neuer aftir she was seen in the land /

Thystorye saith to vs, that whan the kinge had lost pressyne his wyf, and his thre doughters, he was so wofuƚƚ & so abasshed that he wyst not what he shuld doo or say. but he was by the space of seuen yere that he dede none other thinge, but compleyned & sighed, & made grette playntes & piteous lamentacions for loue of Pressyne his wyf, whiche he louyd of lawfull loue. and the peuple in hys land said that he was assoted. and in dede they gaue & betoke the gouernement ouer them & of alle the lande to Nathas his sone. Which gouerned valiauntly, and held hys fader in grette charyte. And thenne the barons of Albanye gaf to hym vnto hys wyf agentyl woman, whiche was lady of Ycrys. And of these [folio 6] two yssued fflorymond, whiche afterward toke moche of peyne & traueyll. Neuertheles, oure hystory is not enterprysed ne begonne for hym / and therfore we shall hold oure peas of hym, and we shall retourne to oure hystorye.

Thistorye saith, that whan Pressyne departed & yede with her thre doughtirs, she went in to Aualon, that was named the yle lost, bycause that aƚƚ had a man ben there many tymes / yet shuld not he conne retourne thither hymself alone / but byhapp &

grett auenture. And there she nourysshed her thre doughtirs vnto the tyme that they were xv. yere of age / and ledd̛ them euery mornyng on a high mountaynne whiche was named, as thystory saith & recounteth, Elyneos, whiche is asmoche for to say in englissh as fflorysshed hyƚƚ. For from thens she sawe ynough the land of Albany. and often said to her thre doughtirs, waymentyng & sore wepyng: 'See, my fayre doughters, yonder is the land wher ye were born / and ye shuld haue had your wele & honour, ne had be the dommage of your fader, that bothe you & me hath putte in grett myserye without ende vnto the day of dome, whan god shal punysshe the euyl folk / and the good he shall enhaunse in theire vertues.'

Melusyne, tholdest doughtir, demanded of her moder Pressyne: 'What falshed hath doon oure fader, wherby we must endure so longe this greef & sorow?' Thanne the lady, theyre moder, byganne to telle & shew vnto them all the manere of the faytte, so as ye haue herd̛ tofore. And thenne whan Melusyne had herde her moder, and that she vnderstode all the faitte or dede, She tourned the talke of her moder, & demanded of her the commodytees of the land / the name of the Cites, tounes, & Castels of Albanye / and rehercyng these thinges they al descendid doun fro the hyƚƚ, & retourned to the yle of Aualon. And thanne Melusyne had & drew [folio 6b] apart her two sustirs, that is to wete Melyor & Palatyne, & said to them in this manyere: 'My dere sustirs, now loke & byhold we the myserye wherin oure fader hath putt both oure moder & vs all, that shuld haue be so wel att ease & in so grette worship in oure lyues. what think you good of your best aduys for to doo / For as for

my parte I think to auenge me therof / and as lytel myrthe & solas that he hath Impetred to oure moder by hys falshed / as lytel joye I think to purchasse vnto hym /.' Thenne her two sustirs ansuerde to her in this manere: 'Ye be our oldest sustir, we shall folowe & obey you in all that ye wil doo & shall ordonne theirof.' And Melusyne said to them / 'ye shew good loue, & to be good & lawfull to oure moder, For by my feyth ye haue said right wel. and I haue aduysed yf it semeth you good that we shall close or shett hym on the high mountayne of Northomberland, named Brombelyoys / and in myserye he shalbe there all his lyf.' 'My sustir,' said either of bothe sustirs / 'lette now hye vs for to doo this / For we haue grette desyre to see that oure moder be auenged of the vnlawfulnes that our fader dede shew vnto her.' Thanne the thre doughtirs dide so mocℏ, that by theyre false condycion they toke theyr fader, & closed or shett hym on the said mountayne. And after that they had so doon, they retourned to theire moder, and to her they said in this manere: 'Moder, ye ne oughte to retche ne care more of the vnlawfulness & falshed of our fader / For therof he hath receyued hys payment, For neuer he shal yssue ne departe fro the mounteyne of Brombelyoys, wheron he is closed & shett by vs / and þere he shall waste hys lyf & his tyme with grett dolour and woo.' / 'Ha / ha / alas!' said theire moder Pressyne to them / 'how durst you so doo / euyl herted doughters, & without pyte / ye haue not doon wel, whan he that begat you on my body ye haue so shamfully punysshed [folio 7] by your proude courage. For it was he of whom I toke all the playsaunce that I had in this mortaƚƚ world,

whiche ye haue taken fro me. therfore, knowe ye wel that I shall punyssh you of the meryte aftir youre deserte. thou, Melusyne, that art tholdest, & that oughtest to haue be the moost knowyng / all this is comme & doon thrughe thy counseyƚƚ, For wel I wot that this pryson hath be gyuen to thy fader by the / and therfore thou shalt be she that shalbe first punysshed therof. For notwithstandyng the vnlawfulness of thy fader / bothe thou & thy sustirs he shuld haue drawen to hym, and ye shuld shortly haue ben out of the handes of the Nymphes & of the fairees, without to retourne eny more. And fro hens fourthon I gyue to the / the gyfte that thou shalt be euery satirday tourned vnto a serpent fro the nauyll dounward / but yf thou fynd ony man þat wil take the to hys wyf / and that he wil promytte to the that neuer on the Satirday he shall see the, ne þat shall declare ne reherce thy faytt or dede to ne personne / thou shalt lyue thy cours naturell, and shall dey as a naturel & humayn woman / and out of thy body shall yssue a fayre lynee, whiche shalbe gret & of highe proesse. but yf by hap or som auenture / thou shuldest be seen & deceyued of thyn husband / knowe thou for certayn that thou shuldest retourne to the tourment & peyne wher as thou were in afore / and euer thou shalt abyde therinne vnto the tyme that the right highe Iugge shal hold his jugement. And thou shalt appiere by thre dayes byfore the fortresse or Castel whiche thou shalt make, and thou shalt name it aftir thy name / at euery tyme whan it shall haue a new lord, and lykwyse also whan a man of thy lynee shal dey. And thou, Melyor, to the I gyue a Castel in the grette Armenye, whiche is fayre & riche, wher thou shalt kepe a [folio 7b] Sperohak vnto the tyme that the grett maister shall hold his Iugement. And al

noble and worthy knightes descended & comme of noble lynee, that wil goo watche there the day byfore the euen, and theuen also of saint Iohan baptiste, whiche is on the xx. day of Iung, without eny slep, shal haue a yeft of the of suche thinges that men may haue corporelly / that is to wete, of erthly þinges without to demande thy body ne thy loue by maryage nor other wyse. And al thoo that shal demande the without cesse, and that wyl not forbere & absteynne them þerof / shalbe infortunate vnto the ix. lynee, and shul be putt from theire prosperytees /. And thou shalt be closed, palatyne, & shette on the mountayn of Guygo, with al the tresoure of thy fader, vnto the tyme that a knight shal comme of our lynee whiche shal haue al that tresoure to help therwith for to gete & conquyre the land of promyssion / & shal delyure the from thens /.' Thenne were the thre sustirs full heuy of herte & sorowfull, & departed fro theire moder. And Melusyne went & toke her way al alone thrughe the forest & thikk busshes. Melyor also departed, & yede toward the Sperhaak Castel in the grette Armenye. And Palatyne also went to the mounteyne of Guygo, wher many a man hath seen her /. And I myself herd it say of the kinge of Arragon and of many other of hys royaume. And be nat you displesed yf I haue recounted vnto you this auenture, For it is for to adiouste more of feyth, & for to veryfy thistory, And fro hens fourthon I wil entre into the matere of the very & true hystory. but first I shall telle to you how the king Elynas fynysshed his dayes in this world / and how Pressyne his wyf buryed hym within the said mountayn in a moche noble tombe, as ye shal here heraftir. /

LOnge tyme was the Kyng Elynas on the said mountayne in so mocℏ, that deth which bringeth [folio 8] euery

personne to an ende toke hym. Thanne camme ther Pressyne his wyf and buryed hym there / and on hym made to be sette oon so noble & so riche a tombe, þat neuer byfore ne syn that tyme was seen none suche ne so riche. For on the tombe were riches without comparacion as of precyous stones and other Jewellis / and about it were grett & highe Candelstykes of fyn gold, and lampes & torches whiche brennen both day & nyght continuelly. And on the said tombe stood vp right a Statue or ymage of Alabaster, kerued & made aftir the lengthe, lyknes, & fourme of Kinge Elynas / and the said ymage held in her handes a table of gold, whereon was writon the forsaid auenture. And there the lady Pressyne stablysshed a stronge geaunt to the sauegarde of the tresoure byfore said / the whiche Geaunt was wounder fyers & horryble, and al the Countre therabout he held vnder his subgection. And also aftir hym many other geaunts kept it vnto the tyme & commyng of Geffray with the grett toth / of the whiche ye shall more here herafter. Now haue ye herde of the King̘ Elynas and of Pressyne his wyf. And from hens fourthon I wil bigynne & shew the trouth of thystory of the meruaylles of the noble Castel of Lusignen in Poitow. And why & by what manere hit was bilded & made./

Thystory recounteth to vs that there was somtyme in the Brut Brytayne a noble man whiche fell at debate with the nevew of the king̘ of Bretons. and in dede he durst therfore nomore dwelle within the land / but toke with hym al his fynaunce & goodes, and went out of the land by the high mountaynes. And as telleth thistorye he founde on a day highe by a fontayne a fayr lady to whom he told al his Fortune & aduenture / so that fynally they enamoured eche other,

and the lady shewed to hym grett loue, & dide vnto hym mocℏ comfort. and he began within her land, that was wast & deserte for to byld̛ & make fayre tounes & strong Castels. and was the land within [folio 8b] short tyme peupled raisonably / And they dede calle the land forestz, bycause that they founde it full of grett wodes & thikk bushes, And yet at this day it is called Forestz. It haped that this knight & this lady fel at debate togidre. I ne wot not goodly how ne wherfore / but that right sodaynly departed the lady fro the knight, wherefore he was woful & heuy. and notwithstandinge he grew & encreaced euer in worship and in prosperite. The noble men thanne of this land / seeyng that they were without a lady purveyed hym of oon to hys wyf, a moche gentil & fayre woman, sustir to the Erle of Poiters, whicℏ regned at that tyme, & he begate on her many children males. emonge the whiche was oon / that is to wete the iijde borne, whiche was named Raymondyn, and was fayre, goodly & gracyous, moche subtyl & wyty in all thinges. And that same tyme the said Raymondin might be xiiij yere of age. /