Melusine. Part I

Cap. XXX. How the duc Anthony toke hys leue of the Duchesse Crystyne, and went toward praghe with hys oost.

Now sayth here thystorye, that whan the Duc Anthony toke his leue of the Duchesse hys wyf, she was right dolaunt & sory in herte, how wel she durst make no semblaunt / but she prayed hym to retourne assoone as he goodly myght / and he said to her that so shuld he doo / And, morouer, he said to [folio 125b] her in this manere / 'Duchesse, take good heede of your fruyte that groweth in your blood̛, and cheryssℏ your self / and yf goddis grace gyue that it be a sone, make hym to be baptysed & named Bertrand, For thus is my playsire. Thenne they embraced & kyssed eche

other, takyng leue one of other / and syn departed the duc & came to hys peuple, and made his trompettes to be sowned. Thenne mounted spere men on horsback, and bygane euery man to marche forth in fayre aray. The vantgarde conduyted & lede the kynge of anssay and Regnald with hym, whicℏ was mounted vpon a hye Courser, armed of al pyeces except his helmet, and held a grete staf in hys fyst, and putte his men in ordre ful wel, & semed wel to be a prynce courageous & of hye enterpryse / and after folowed the Cartes, Charyots & bagage, & the grete batayƚƚ / and after siewed the ryergarde, whicℏ Anthony conduyted in fayre ordynaunce of batayƚƚ, For it was tolde hym þat in that countre were many theevys / but the duc Anthony manded, & sent word fro fortresse to fortresse that yf they were so bold to take on hym or on hys peuple only thing̘, that he shuld punysshe them in suche wyse that other shuld take ensample therof. And so he passed thrugℏ aƚƚ the Leffe / and no man was so hardy that he durst take ony thing on hys oost. It is trouth that on an euen he lodged hym tofore the Cite Acon with aƚƚ hys oost / and the Citezeyns there made & presented to hym grete yeftes of ryches, wherof he thanked them moche, and proffred to them his seruyse, yf they myster of it. And on the morne after the masse he deslodged, & so long̘ marched fourth on his way with his oost, that he came & lodged vpon the ryuere of Ryne, whicℏ is grete & meruayllous. And [folio 126] they of Coloyne made grete daunger to lete passe the oost thrughe the Cite at brydge / wherof anthonye was angry & dolaunt, and fyersly sent worde to them how he had entencion to reyse the siege, that the king̘ of Craco had layed, & sette with lx thousand Sarasyns tofore the Cite of praghe, wherinne was in grete oppression and dystres the king of behayne,

and that they shuld send hym word yf they held with the paynemes or nat / and vpon that he shuld take hys aduys what he shuld doo / and also that magre them he shuld fynd̛ good passage, but not so short as by theire Cite. And whan they of Coloyne understode this mandement, & were wel infourmed of the grete prowes & fyersnes of the two bretheren, they were dredfuƚƚ & doubtous. And soone after they sent toward Anthony foure of þe notablest & moost worshipfuƚƚ burgeys of the cyte, whiche came & made to hym ryght honourable and humble reuerence / and wondred moche of hys fyersnes and proude contenaunce / not that withstanding̘, they said to hym in this manere: 'right higℏ & myghty prynce, the Citezeyns and commynalte of Coloyne haue sent vs toward your good grace. And know ye þat gladly they shal suffre you & al your oost to passe peasibly thrugℏ the Cite, soo that ye shal kepe & preserue them fro al dommage that your peple might bere vnto them.' 'By my feyth,' sayd Anthony, 'yf I had be wyllyng to doo the contrary of theire wyƚƚ, they shuld haue had of me knowlege therof / and also I haue no cause to doo soo, For I knowe not that they haue mysdoon to me of ony thing̘, nor to the myn nother / How wel they cause me to thinke other wyse / goo and telle to them, yf they remembre not of old̛ some mysdede don to them by myn auncestry, or of the Dukes, my predecessours, wherof as yet they be [folio 126b] not pacyfyed & accorded / that they wyl suffre me & myn oost passe surely / or ellys to send me wordes therof.' Whan they vnderstode hys wordes & knew his wyƚƚ, they retourned to the Cyte, & announced to the Commynaltee the mandement of the Duc Anthony. And they anone assembled theire counseyƚƚ, & the auncyent men / and found̛ that neuer they had no hate ne dyscorde with the dukes of Lucembourgh, nother to theyre frendes

nor alyez / and that sethen he was so noble a man & so valyaunt, they shuld lete hym passe, and al his oost also. And they remanded to hym theire wylle with grete yeftes of ryches that they made to be presented to hys grace / and purveyed for hys oost mocℏ of vytayƚƚ, as bred̛, wyne, and flesshe / & ootys for theire horses / And whan the Duc vnderstode theire ansuere & sawe theire grete yeftes, he thanked them moche / and was joyous of that they of Coloyne wold be hys frendes. Wherfor he said to them, that yf they had nede of hym & of hys powere, he was redy at theyre commaundement / and they thanked hym ryght humbly. And the duc Anthony made to gyue to them that had brought to hym the said presents of vytayƚƚ, many ryche yeftes, that asmocℏ were worth, or more than the presents & yeftes gyuen to hym by the toune, For he wold not that thabytants of the Cyte shuld̛ suppose or thinke that he wold̛ haue ought of them for nought.

In this partye sheweth thystorye, how that same nyght soiourned the oost byfore Coloyne, & was wel refresshed of them of the Cite & of theire vytayƚƚ. For as the dukes commandement was / they were departed in suche wyse tha[t] euery man there had part therof. And on the morne erly, [folio 127] the Duc entred into the Cite with hym, two houndred men of armes / and made his cryees, vpon peyne of deth, that none were so hardy to take ony thing̘ of them of the toun; but he payed wel for after raison. And soone after passed the vantgarde in fayre aray ouer the bridge, and so fortℏ thrugℏ the Cyte. And so passed al thoost, and lodged them at the oþer syde of the ryuere of Ryn / and it was about euen tyme, or euer al the Cartes, Charyots, & bagage were past. And that nyght the Duc & grete part of his baronnye lodged within the Cyte, where as grete honour was doon to them. The

duc Anthony bode at souper with hym aƚƚ the ladyes of the Cyte, & festyed them ryght honorably, & gaf grete yeftes ar he departed in so moche that they of the Cyte wysshed hym to be theire lord.

In the morne the Duc toke his leue of them of the toun / and thanked them moche of the grete honour that they had shewed to hym & to his barons. And they ansuerd aƚƚ with one voyce: 'Noble Duc / the Cite / we & aƚƚ our goodes ben at your commandement more than to ony other lord that marcheth about vs / and spare vs not of nothing̘ that we may doo for you, For we be now, & shal euer be, redy to do you playsure, ayde, & comfort at your mandement and first callyng̘' / And he departed fro them, and went in to his tente. And on the morne as he came from the masse, & commanded the trompettes to be sowned for to departe & meve / there came fro the Cite foure knightes wel mounted on horsbak, & armed of aƚƚ pyeces sauf the helmet, whiche alyghted byfore the duckes tente with foure houndred men of armes, and C crosbowe men in theire felawship. These knightes made their obeyssaunce / and syn sayd in this manere: 'Right noble & puyssaunt duc, the Cite & commynalte of Coloyne recommande them to your good grace / and where as þey haue sene so moche of noblesse & curtoysye in you / [folio 127b] desyryng right affectuelly to be frendes & alyez vnto you, they send̛ you foure hondred men of armes & an C crosbowes, al payed of theire wages for tene monethis day, for to goo with you where so euer it playse you to goo.' 'By my feyth,' sayd Anthony, 'thankyng be to them, whome I am moche beholden to / this curtoysye is not to be reffused / & wete it I shal not forgete it / but remembre in tyme & place.' 'Sire,' said one of the foure knightes, 'there nys none of vs foure, but he knowe wel al the way fro hens to Craco / and yf it mystier, we shal guyde & lede

you wel & surely thrughe aƚƚ the passages & ouer al the ryueres betwix this & that.' To that ansuerd the Duc & said / 'this that ye'say hurteth not our affayre, and I gaynsay not your sayeng̘, whan tyme shalbe.' Thenne he putte them in ordynaunce, and receyued them vnder his banere. And þenne desloged the vantgarde, the grete batayƚƚ, & the ryeregarde, and marched on theire waye in fayre aray so long̘, that they entred in the land̛ of Bavyere, nygh to a grete Cite named Nuenmarghe, where as the Duc of Ode was with a grete companye of peuple, For he doubted the kyng Zelodus of Craco, that had besieged the kynge Federyke of Behayne, and held hym in grete necessite, For he had with hym foure score paynemes / and the Duc Ode was doubtous lest he shuld come vpon hym, yf he subdued and dyscomfyted the kyng Federyke. And therfore, he had assembled hys Counseyl to knowe & see what best was to doo. /

Thenne cam to the Cite an auncyent knyght that was of the Duc Ode, to whom he said after his obeyssaunce made: 'My lord, by my sowle I come from the marches of Almayne / but there is [folio 128] commyng a grete oost hitherward of the moost goodlyest men of armes and best arayed that euer I sawe in my dayes / but I wot not where they purpose to goo / but so moche I know, that they draw them self hitherward̛.' 'By my feyth,' said the Duc, 'I gyue me grete wonder what folke they may be, yf the king of Anssay had not be of late dyscomfyted tofore Lucembourgh, I shuld suppose that it were he that wold̛ socoure his brother Federyke ayenst the Sarasyns / and on my sowle yf it were he I shuld goo with hym for to helpe his brother.' 'My lord,' said the knyght, 'it were wysely doo to haue knowleche certayn what folke they be, ne yf they purpose other wyse than wele.' 'Sire knyght,' said thanne the Duc, 'ye muste your self goo to knowe & reporte

the certaynte of it, syn ye haue sene them' / And he ansuerde, 'By my feyth, my lord, I am redy therto.' And soone he departed, and so long̘ he rode that he perceyued thoost in a valey by a ryuere. There he sawe grete companyes of gentyl men here & there, some castyng̘ the barre of yron / other held theire spere & shild and esprouued them self that one on þat other / some assayed theire harneys with shoot, with strokes of swerdes, and in many other appertyse of armes they exercyted them self. 'By my feyth,' said thenne the knight / 'there is fayre mayntene and noble contenaunce of men of armes / suche folke is to be doubted and dredde.' Thenne he loked on the ryght syde vpon a lytel mountaynne & sawe the grete batayƚƚ, and sawe the watche and the scourers al about the oost. 'By my feyth,' said the knight that moche thing had sene in his dayes / 'this ben [folio 128b] worthy men of werre and able to subdue ony lande.' And thenne he entred in to thoost / and demanded after hym that had the gouernaunce & guydyng of it / And soone he was brought tofore Anthony. And whan he saw the Duc he was moche abasshed of his facion / but alwayes he salued hym ryght curtoysly / and syn said to hym, 'My lord, the Duc Ode hath sent me toward you to wete of you what ye seeke in hys land̛ / and yf ye thinke or purpose other wyse than wele / also what ye be that conduyteth so fayre company of peuple that I see here assembled. For he woteth wel that ye come not hither with suche a felawship without it be for som grete affayre' / 'Frend,' sayd anthony / 'teƚƚ your lord that we ne demande ought of hym, nor suppose not to dommage his land in no wyse. Also ye may telle hym that it is the kinge of Anssay / Anthony of Lusynen, Duc of Lucembourgh, and Regnald his brother, with theire puyssaunce that supposen to goo reyse the siege of praghe, that the Sarasyns haue besieged.' 'Sire,' said thauncyent

knyght, 'god graunte you good vyage.' And so he departed and retourned toward the Duc Ode of Bauyere, to whom he reherced as aboue is said, and shewed hym the fyersnes and facion of Anthony, and the contenaunce of his oost / sayeng̘ that they were folke to be redoubted & dred̛. 'By my feyth,' said thenne the duc Ode, 'It commeth of noble courage to that two bretheren to haue come fro so ferre lande for to seke auenture of cheualerye & honour, and also for to come & gyue ayde & socour to kynge Federyke anenst the enemyes of god / and I promyse god that shal not be without me, For it shuld be tourned to me to grete shame yf that I went not thither / seeyng that he is my Cousyn, & that my land is so nygh his royalme / and that the straungers come fro so ferre for to ayde & helpe hym ayenst the paynemes.' And thenne had the Duc Ode [folio 129] made his mandement but of late, and had assembled al redy foure thousand fighting men. What shold I make long compte / thoost desloged and passed̛ byfore Murmycℏ. And thanne the Duc Ode yssued out of the toun with a fayre companye of peuple, and came and presented hym self and al his peple tofore the kinge of Anssay, Anthony / and his broþer, whiche Joyously receyued them / and thus marched thoost forth in fayre aray and good ordynaunce by the space of six dayes. And now seaceth thistorye to speke of them, and speketh of the king̘ Federyke and of the siege. /

Here sheweth thistorye how the puyssaunce of Zelodyus, kyng of Craco, was ryght grete / and the king Federyk durst not goodly haue yssued / but alwayes he scarmousshed ofte with his enemys / and almost dayly was at the barrers / the medlee was grete & stronge / and there were within the toune about a houndred helmets of Hongery, that were valyaunt knightes & good men of werre / the whiche yssued /

ofte & dide grete dommage to the sarasyns. It happed on a mornyng erly that the paynemes gaf a grete sawte to the toun / and the king Federyke with his peuple yssued out vnto the barrers / and there the scarmysshing bygan grete & mortaƚƚ / and so manfully faught the kyng̘, that with the help of his men he gretly dommaged his enemyes / and made them to cesse of the sawte / & made them to goo back vnto theire lodgys. And that tyme was the kyng̘ of Craco mounted vpon a grete hors, his banere to the wynd̛ acompanyed with xv M^l sarasyns, and came in fayre ordynaunce to the batayƚƚ. There was many stroke gyuen & receyued / and by force of armes the kynge & his peple was constrayned to withdrawe hym back vnto the barrers. There was grete occysyon made, For horryble strokes were gyuen of bothe sydes, and the king Federyke recomforted wel his peple, For he dide grete faytte of armes of his owne handes. And whan he perceyued̛ [folio 129b] kyng Zelodyus that sore dommaged his peple, he sporyd his horse and toke his swerd̛ in his fyst / and̛ rane smyttyng on the lyft syde and on the ryght syde vpon his enemyes tyl he made place, and came & smote Zelodius vpon his helmet, by suche strengthe & vertue that he made hym to enclyne vpon his hors neck al astonyed / and lytel faylled that he was not ouerthrawen to the erthe, For he lost bothe the steropes / but soone he was socoured of his men whiche redreced̛ hym vp ryght / and the king Federyk adreced̛ hys swerd̛ vpon a payneme, & suche a stroke he gaf hym that he slew hym therwith. The king̘ of Craco was thenne redreced as said is / and he perceyuyng the kyng Federyk / that hewed legges & armes, & casted̛ to therthe al that he recountred̛ of the sarasyns / had grete anger in his herte and came nygh at hym / and with an archegaye or dart launched at hym, by suche strengthe that the dart entred so depe into hys body

that the hed̛ of it was sene at the back syde of hym. That doon the kynge Federyk that felt the dystresse of deth myght no more hold hym self up ryght, but feƚƚ & reuersed deed̛ fro his hors to the ground. Thenne was his peple fuƚƚ heuy and dolaunt, and withdrew them self anoone, and reentred into the toune & shetted the gates after them. And thenne byganne the sorowe to be grete in the town al about. /