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 y^• Arthur was ryght sorowful because that hys horse dyd stomble vn∣der hym, and howe the mayster shewed hym how that Florence was besyeged by themperour in her castel of y^e clere toure whereof Arthur was in grete feare and trouble. Capi. lx••xxix.

WHan that Arthur and al his host were wythin a lege of the porte noyre Arthur and the duke hys father and the kyng and the maister rod•• eche by other ••alkynge of dyuersr mat∣ters, sodenly Arthurs horse foundred vn∣der hym and fell grouelynge to the ••arth but Arthur helde hym styl in the saddell tyll the hor••e and he rose bothe agayne to¦gyther and fro thence forthe Arthur was in so greate a study y^t no man could hau•• a word of hym but wyth gret paine and in this maner he endured a great season Than the kynge began to reason wyth hym but he could skant haue any worde of hym, than the kynge and duke Phy∣lyp called to them the mayster and sayd•• syr what ayleth Arthur for sith his hors stombled he wolde neuer speke no worde by his wil, we maruayl what he ayleth well sayd the mayster go to hym and de¦maunde hym the qu••stion, thā they rode to hym, and the kynge rode on the one syde and duke Phylyp on the other syde and the mayster before hym, than the ma••¦ster al laughyng began to synge melody∣ously, and the kyng and duke Philip did laugh at him•• and Arthur eu••r rode forth as though he had ben•• halfe a slepe, and wyth the sporte that they made he lyfte vp hys eyen, and whan he saw them a¦boute hym makynge suche sporte a lytell he smyled, Than the mayster said to him syr what there is wyth you, what sport make ye to my lorde the kynge here pre∣sent

who is come hither for your loue, sir now ye be come into youre owne realme and into your own power, and syr these lordes haue for••aken theyr owne coun∣tryes to come hither with you. Than he answered and sayd gentyl maister pardō me, for I ••nowe wel ye say but trouthe, but syr I ensure you euer syth my horse ••el•• vnder me any herte hath bene so hea∣uy that I cā in no wyse make any good there, I can not tel what it meanethe, I pray to god all be for the best, I doubte me greatly of my lorde the kynge of So∣roloys or elles of my ladye Florence lest that this Emperour hath done to theym any tribulacyon. Syr sayd duke Phylyp doubte not that, for yf it were so ye may be sure my lorde and vncle woul•• soon•• haue sent messēgers to you, therfore m••¦ke good chere & reioyce your barons and such noble men as be come hether for the loue of you and namely this great hoost who hath so far trauayled for your s••ke A de••e frende duke Phylyppe sayde Ar∣thur I requyre you make ye than good chere and semblant and so than the kyng and Arthur, the master and duke Philip rode forth togither throughout al y^e host & comfor••ed their people as wel as they myght•• than they ariued at the port noyre and mounted vp intoo the palays, and all the hoost was lodged withoute in the fielde, and al the ladyes and damoyseles that came thither with th••m maruelous¦ly behelde the strength and satuacyon of that place, and reputed in theyr wyndes grete noblenes and valure in Arthur for the acheuynge and conquerynge of ••ha•• place. Than the mayster dyd deuyse too them all ••haduentures that werein that place. Than the duches moder to Arthur had ryght great ioy, and than the master led them to the gardyn to se it, and whan they sawe the place so fayre •• so d••lect••∣ble they wysshed neuer to departe thenc•• So than these ladyes wente and rested th••m at the fountayne. And Arthur and the kyng Hector, and al the other erles, & the lorde Beauien were al togither in cō¦pany, but Arthur was styl in melancoly. Than the mayster wente into his owne chambre to loke his bokes to know wha•• was the cause that Arthur was so sadd•• for, than anone he perc••yued by hys ••o∣kes and cunnynge what p••ryl that Flo∣rence was in, and how th••mperoure had besyeged her rounde aboute, than incon∣tynent he went to Arthur and sayde, syr the matter go••th yl to worke, for this em∣perour hath besieged Florence in her ca∣stel of clere toure with a great numbre of people, so my lady is in great mischef w^t¦out remedy be soone found for her, she w••¦p••th right pitiously and maketh the gre∣t••st lamentacyon of the world, she cryeth out on fortune and saith, alas now haue I al loste, I was borne in an vnhappy•• houre, a gentyl hea••te Arthur, god tha•• al thyng fourmed of nought kepe and de∣fende you from al yl encumbraunce and gyue you honour, for as for me I am at grete myschefe, fortune shame haue thou for thou hast done me manye troubles, a∣l••s my swete loue is far fro me, and min ••nemy hath approched nere me my loue is absent, and him that I hate is to nere my presence, alas myne owne swete loue Arthur if I were in your armes than I wold thinke my selfe better assured than to be in this strong castel, for than wold I neyther feare kynge nor emperoure. alas where are my men & my good fren∣des that they doo not theyr dylygence to study for my deliueraunce, a kyng of Or¦queney ye do a great trespace ayenst your true & faythfull louer Arthur whan that

ye do not delyuer me out of daunger, he loueth you aboue all other, and nowe ye to be ••hus false to him, certainly he wold neuer haue fayled you, but he wold haue put his body and goodes in ieopardy for your sake, and now thus ye to leue me in this dolour, alas good kyng come and de¦lyuer me, and yf ye can rendre me vnto this gentyll knyght Arthur who loueth you with all hys harte. Thus syr said the mayster I know wel that she dooth com∣playne euery daye wyth suche wepyng chere that I must n••des wepe whan I thynke on her, and the quene of Orque∣ney, and the lady Margarete dothe com∣forte her al weping, for it greueth theyr hertes to se her soo sore wepe, & thys syr all thre of them be in grete sorow, I can scant tell you who is in y^e gretest. Saint mary said Arthur it was not for nought that my hart was so heuy, now I know well the sygnifycation therof, alas may¦ster and doth not king Emendus know what case that she is in. Yes syr said the mayster he assembleth people on al syd••s of his realme of Soroloys, & also al hys iiii. kinges wyth al theyr powers be com to hym, and they are all ready to drawe thider warde, & they wyll remeue a mon¦day next commynge, but it wyl be a .xv. dayes or thei come thyder, and syr all the kinges cōplameth gretely that ye be out of the countre, for they say that yf ye had ben in the coūtre themperour had neuer ben so bolde to haue come thyder, syr I doubt me gretely of Florēce for she hath not past a xl. knightes with her wherfore I fere me leest that she can not endure to kepe the place tyll the kynge her fader and hys hoost be come thyder. And whā Arthur herde that he was sore displeased and sayd to the yonge kyng of Malogre A gentyll kynge I requyre you for god∣des sake let me go thyder or elles I shal dye for sorow, and syr I pray you abyde here with all this hoost tyl monday, and than let the hoost folow after me ••o the clere toure, and let duke Philyp and my senesshall and the markes haue the guy∣dynge of them, and syr my lord my fader shall abyde here styll with you, and also my lady my moder and all these ladyes & damoyselles tyl suche season as I seude you worde, and syr I wyl haue with me the mayster and Hector, Gouernar and syr Brysebar. And whan all the barons harde hym say that he wold go thei coun¦seiled him to take more people with him but he wold not, and soo toke a soppe in wyne & toke leue of the kynge and of all other, and enbraced his fader and moder & cōmaunded to god all the other ladyes and damoyselles, & soo he departed and his company with hym, and rode forthe as fast as euer they myght, and trauay∣led so longe bothe by daye and by nyghte tyll thei came nere to themperours hoost Than Arthur sayd, lordes we approche nere to our enemies, I thinke it wer best that we dyd put on our harneys, and soo ther they alyghted and dyde put on theyr harneys.