Arthur of Brytayn The hystory of the moost noble and valyaunt knyght Arthur of lytell brytayne, translated out of frensshe in to englisshe by the noble Iohan bourghcher knyght lorde Barners, newly imprynted.

¶How after that Arthur was departed fro kynge Emendus & Florence to go se his frendes, Florence than departed fro the porte noyre & the quene of orqueny & the ladye Ma••garete of Argenton wyth her and wente to sporte her in her owne ••ea••me and castel of clere toure, where∣as the emperour came and bes••eged her, for or she was ware therof he and his cō¦pany were layde round about the town•• and they were to the nombre of twoo .C. thousand, what of emperyens and of sa¦rasyns. Ca. lxxxxviii (Book 98)

[illustration]

IT is trouth y^t whā Arthur was departed fro y^e port noir to go into Fraūce & into bry¦••aine for to se his fr••nds thā Florēce & the quene of orque¦ney and the lady Margarete were of ac∣corde that they wolde not go with kyng Emendus into the realme of Soroloys but they determyned to goo to the clere toure, and there to abyde tyll the retour¦nynge of Arthur where as they myghte euery daye priuely talke eche vnto other

of their loues, so than Florence toke her leue of the kyng her father & so departed and toke with her the quene oedrqueney and the ladye Margarete and a .xl. other knightes with them, and so thei trauailed tyl they ariued at the clere toure, & there they were in gret sport and ioy, but it is oftentymes sayd, he y^t hath an yl neygh∣bour hath oftentymes an yll mornynge for as sone as Florence was come to the clere toure & that it was knowen that she wolde abyde there a good space, syr Per¦dycas prouided for al thinges that was necessary for the place, than a spye went to themperour of ynde and sayd, syr Flo∣rence is now at the clere toure, and sir ye may now and ye wyl soone haue her, for she is come thider but priuily and but w^t a smal company. And whan thēperour•• herde that he sent incontinent for as mo¦che people as he coulde get betwene hym and babylon, and he assembled there togy¦ther so muche people y^t al the coūtry was ouer spred with them, and Florēce knew nothing of al thys tyl the tyme that the emperour had besy••ged her round about wyth mo than .ii. C. M. men. And whan she saw y^• sh•• was in that case, she was right sorowful and wept pytyouslye eue¦ry d••y more and more, for she sawe wel she could not sende out for no socoure to any body there was suche watche made al about the place than she bewailed Ar∣thur and said, & Arthur swete frend ye are ouer longe fro thys busines, certainly if ye lese me ye shall lese youre true louer, a dere loue I am yours & now ye know no¦thyng in what mis••hefe I am in, ••or now your louer is in gret peryll, thus Florēce made the gretest lamentacion of y^• world and her people dydde comforte her in the best wyse y^• they mighte. Now let vs leue of Florence and returne to Arthur.