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 that Arthur & the maister, Hec∣tor, Gouernar, and syr Brysebar entred into the clere toure wher as Florēce was besyeged & they .v. dyscōfyted a puyssaūt kyng sarasyn who was called the Sow¦dan, who was come thyder to helpe the emperour, and ther wer al the sarasyns and turkes slayne. Capitulo .C. (Book 100)

WHan that Arthur and his .iiii. fe¦lawes were armed they moūted on theyr horses & rode forth tyll it was about thre of the clocke, than thei

rode to the botom of a grete mountayne and there thei alighted, & Arthur alone a fote mounted vp to the hiest therof, and there he saw the castell of the clere toure wheron there were pynacles of bryghte cristall, and it dyde shyne so agaynst the son that no man coude cl••reli loke ayenst it, and he saw themperours greate tent, and besemyng to him al the world was there of people, & he saw well howe that people laye rounde about the castell, so that none coude issue out nor none entre in••o the place, and he saw wel how that on y^e same syde that he was on ther were lodged a great nombre of sarasyns, and than Arthur complayned pyteously for the mischefe y^t he saw his lady Florence in at that tyme, and as he thus behelde the castell he sawe where as there came towarde the moūtayne a .lx. sarasins all armed, than Arthur wente downe to the valey agayne to his company and said, lordes I thynke all the world of people is in this countre, how shal we be deme¦ned. Syr said Brisebar ther is no more to do but let vs moūt on our horses & do as knyghtes shold do, syr there is none of vs but y^t is wel worth a knyght. wel sayd Arthur now y^t shal be seen, for yon¦der cometh a .lx. or moo of oute enemyes to awake vs yf we slepe. Let them com sayd Gouernar and he toke a grete spere and dyd plunge it in the reste, and there∣with the sarasyns wer come who saw well these .v. knyghtes, and one of them presed forth before his felawes and Go∣uernar with his spere slew hym, & than the mayster strake so another with such vertue that the spere wēt clene through out his body, than he set his hande vpon his swerde & laye on so amonge hys ene∣myes as a wol••e dooth among lambes. And whan Brysebar saw hym do suche dedes of armes he sayd, here is a g••od mayster he chayseth sharpely hys dysci∣ples, than Brisebar strake the first that he encoūtred with so rudely that his ha••¦ne••s auailed him not a bo••iō, for he was persed to the harte, than Gouenar and he bette downe sarasyns euen as he wol∣de hym self. And whan Hector saw that he feredle••st all the sarasyns shold haue ben slayne or he had done ony thynge a∣gaynst them, than he rushte into y^e prese and cut of armes handes, & legges & ma¦de hedes flye into the felde, & bet downe sarasyns & horses meruaylously. And whan Arthur saw al this he smiled and sayd, lordes leue me my parte, what me thinketh ye take all, y^t is none egal par∣tynge, than he dasht into the thickest of the prese, and the first he sent to the erth both sarasyn and horse, & the seconde he claue downe to the chynue, and ther he gaue so puyssaūt strokes that he confoū¦ded al that euer he attayned vnto, & to make short these .v. knyghtes dyd so va¦lyaūtly that of al these .lx. sarasyns there escaped not one but thei wer all slayne Than Arthur sayd lordes let vs now de¦u••se how we may fynde the meanes to entre into the castell▪ it is so closed on al sydes that none can entre into it but he must passe fyrst throughout .xxx. thou∣sande men of war, I suppose this empe¦rour hoost endureth .v. leges in brede so I can not se how we should entre euery man gyue his aduyse and counsayle, for here on this part of the castel that we be on is all ouer spradde wyth fel sarasins Syr sayd the mayster suffre a lytell and I shall gyue you my counsayle how we shall entre into the castell, I shall cause vs all to loke for the season as blacke as any pytche, so y^t it shall not be knowen but for sarasins, let vs arme vs with the

armure of these dead sarasyns, and than let me ryde on before, & I shall lede you sauely throughout al their hoost, for I cā wel speke the lāguage. Ye saye well said Hector, thā thei al armed thē w^t the harneys of the sarasyns y^t thei had slay∣ne, & thā they moūted on theyr horses & the maister rode on before til thei came to the sarasyns tēt, & the maister had on the harneys of the Sowdanes sene shal who was slayne before by Arthur, & the sarasyns that sawe hym wende verily y^t it had ben the senesshall, & thei demaun∣ded of him fro whence he came. And he answered and said, frendes I go to play me all aboute the felde, and I purpose to go to the castell gates to entre in yf I may and to slee al theym that be wythin the castell, than there were dyuerse that offred them self to haue gone with him but he sayd he would haue no more com¦pany than he had, and said syrs there is none of you that shal go wyth me, ther∣fore I charge you on payne of your ly∣ues y^t ye stere not tyll ye here me blowe my grete horne, & thā come as fast as ye cā. Thā the maister & his company rode to the castel gate & called y^e porter & said, my frende opē the gate & let vs in & god shal rew••rde you, for we are cristen men and are sodyours, & I promyse you that yf ye wyl let vs in & the lady of the place receiue our seruyce than shal she do like a wyse lady. Syrs said the porter & ye be soudiours ye be welcome, for my lady hath grete nede of suche, than he let dow¦ne y^e bridge & opened the gate, thā these v. knightes entred, and the porter lyfte vp again the brydge and closed the gate againe after them. Than it was shewed Florence that fyue straunge soudiours were entred into the castel to helpe & to ayde her, than she comaunded that they should be brought to a chambre and vn∣armed, and than to be brought to her pre¦sence, & whan thei were vnarmed and looked so blacke euery man was afraied of theym, and some said god giue grace that they be not spyes, and so thei were brought to Florence, and as sone as she sawe them she t••ēbled for fere, & whan she sawe that they wer al goodly perso∣nes and moche lyke of stature she fered theym gretely leest thei had ben spies, & demaunded theim of whens thei we••e. And they answered how that thei wer sarasyns borne, but as than thei had re¦newed theyr byleue and were crystened in Fraunce at Parys, and the kyng of Fraunce was their godfaders, and than ••he demaunded of them wheder thei ca∣me streyght out of Fraūce. And they an¦swered yes. Than the lady Florence de∣maunded of them and said, frendes dyde ye euer here of a knyght who is named Arthur, and he is sone vnto the duke of brytaine. Yes truly madame sayde they we he••de wel of hym. he departed from Parys the same season that we dyde de∣parte, and he dyde haste hym gretely to come into this countre, and he bringeth with him the duke his fader and the du∣chesse his moder, and wel to the nombre of .x. thousande other knightes redy ap∣parayled for the warre, and madame as it is sayd he be wayleth gretely a gentil damoysel of this coūtre, for whose sake he hath oftentymes ryght pyteously cast forthe many a grete syghe & madame of¦tentymes he speaketh and complaineth to a grete man of dygnitye, who is in his company, and also madame as it is said that there is one wyth hym that is named mayster Steuen, and an other Gouernar, and the thyrde Hector, and dyuerse other that we haue forgotē the

names of them. wel syrs sayd Florence I se well that by suche tokens as ye re∣porte that ye haue seen them, but I pray you dooth Arthur thinke so moche on y^e lady that ye speke of. Ye madame truely sayd the maister, than the lady Florence begā piteously to wepe, & the lady Mar¦garete helde r••dy a keuerchefe to wype her eyen therwith, & whan Arthur sawe her wepe so he said, right fayre lady we∣pe no more, for surely we shal neuer faile you tyl death haue made an ende of vs. And as they were thus talkyng to Flo∣rence, the sarasyns in the felde that saw them enter into the castel in that peasy∣ble maner, than thei perceiued wel how that the leder of theim was no•• the sow¦dans senesshal, and thought veryly that they had a grea•• mocke, wherfore they al ran to their armure and armed thē, & moo than .v. hondred of them wēt to the castel, and dyde knocke and bete at the gate. Than the watchemen of the castell dyde crye, ••yrs to harneys, for parte of your enemyes are at the gate. Thā eue∣ry man of the castel ran••e to the windo¦wes to loke what it myght be, and whā Arthur sawe how it was he commaun∣ded his company to arme them, and soo they armed theym, and soo dyde all that were within the castel, for syr P••rdicas caused a grete horne to be blowen, and by the sownyng therof all tho of the ca∣stel ranne to their harneys. Than Flo∣rence said, frendes for goddes sake yssue not out of the castel, for ye be not able to resyste ayenst their power thei be so ma••ny in nombre and ye soo few, but I re∣quyre yo•• defēd this castel as wel as ye may. Madame said Arthur be ye in rest and peas and let vs al••n•• hardely, than he mounted on his horse, and so dyde his other foure companions and to the nom¦bre of .xl. other knightes of the castel, & so he rode to the gate and caused the por¦ter to set it open. Than Arthur by grete randon dasht into y^e prese with his white ••helde couered al in blacke, and holdyng a grete hatche in both his handes & laid on rounde about hym on those sarasins that he made hedes, armes, and handes to flye into the felde, and bet down hor¦ses and sarasyns in suche wyse that it was maruayle to behold him, and He••¦tor and Gouernar on their partye bette downe sarasyns by grete hepes, and the mayster, Brys••••ar, & syr Perdycas dyde as valyauntly, as onye good knightes ought to do, but aboue all other Arthur dyd excellently, for he layde on rounde a¦bout hym, & confounded al that euer he attayned vnto, so that euery man fledde fro before hym, & said how that he was a deuyl of hel, and none erthly creature, For he auoyded the stretes where as he passed, & made gret hepes of ••ead knigh¦tes, so that Florence knightes had grete meruayle of him, and also Florence and the quene of orqueney, and the ladi Mar¦ga••ete blissed them at his dedes, & sayde how that he lacked but lytell of the pro¦wesse of Arthur. And at the last Hec••or was beten downe, for his horse was slai¦ne vnder him, and soo his enemyes had thought to haue ledde hym a waye as a prysoner, and th••rwith Arthur came thi¦der, and in that fury he slew moo than xv. knyghtes, and remounted Hector a∣gayne on his horse in the spyte of al his enemyes, and than he dasht agayne into the prese and bette downe all that euer he attayned vnto, and Brys••bar and the mayster dyde ryghte well theyr partes, but specyally A••••hur made place before hym. And whan Florence sawe these .v knightes do so valiauntly, she said vnto

suche knyghtes as were aboute her, syrs for goddes sake and ye loue me goo and helpe to rescowe yonder fyue knightes Than the grete comyn bell was souned and euery man than ranne to theyr har¦neys, and so they were to the nombre of an hondred and an halfe on horsebacke & .iii. hondred on fote, who were in lōg Iackes and grete basenettes on their he¦des, w^t good swerdes gi••te aboute them and longe speres in theyr hādes, to the entent to slee with them theyr enemyes horses, and soo thei yssued out of the ca∣stel and flew many of the sarasyns that within a lytle whyle they were nere all dyscomfyted. And whan the Sowdan sawe this people so ouerladen and slain he caused a grete gr••sley horne to be blo∣wen, than euery mā that herde it ranne to their harneys, so that they wer to the nombre of .xxx. thousand, and the Sow¦dan was a yonge lusty couragious kny¦ght, and mounted on such an horse that ther was none lyke him in al the world in goodnes, for who so euer was moun¦ted on his backe neded not to doubt ••ny man lyuynge, for what by force of the horse and of the man there was none by lykelyhode that might resyst ayenst him Than the Sowdā dasht vnto his horse with his sharpe sporres, and he rushte forth as though he had flowen in y^e aire lyke a byrde. And whan Arthur sawe hym co••ing he desyred gretely to haue that horse, than he toke a great myghty spere and ran at the Sowdan and brake hys spere by the might of that horse for the horse was able to haue borne two men armed without any payne•• and as Arthur passed forth after his course the sarasyns enclosed hym rounde aboute, than he drewe his good swerde clarence and there he slew of hys enemyes wyth out nombre, but thei charged him with so many strokes that they slew his hors vnder him, than he lepte on his fete and dyde put hys whyte shelde be••ore hym, and with clarence hys good swerde he did cutte so among his enemies as a car¦penter do••h hewe chyppes out of a gre•• tree, and thei did shote at him with their bowes of turkey, wherwyth they dyde him moche trouble, & more had done and hys good whyte shelde hadde not bene. Than Florence sayde as loude as she coude crye, saint mary sw••te virgin sa∣ue and defende yonder good kn••ght f••ō all daūger and peryl. And whan Arthur harde her voyce his hardines encreased for such was the maner of the more that he had to do the more was his strength, and was euer of more courage, and thā he lyghtly lept in amonge hys enemyes and began so to deseuer a sonder the gre¦te flockes of the sarasyns that none ap∣proche nere him but y^t he receyued death for his mede. At the laste Hector espyed hym and saw how ••hat he was on foote wherwith he was so dyspleased that he was in a grete rage, thā he couched hys spere and ran at the Sowdā who was rennynge at Arthur, but Hector strake hym so rudely that he persed hym to the harte, and soo he fell downe dead, than Hector toke hys good horse and delyue∣red hym vnto Arthur, and whā Arthur hadde hym he was more gladder of ••he horse than he would haue ben of all the tresour in Fraunce, than he mounted vp on him and rusht into the thickest of the prese, and th••r he dyde meruayles wyth his handes, for there he cutte of armes, handes and legges, he claue a sonder hel¦mes and made hedes to flye in to ••he fel∣de, and bette downe knyghtes & horses all togyder in hepes▪ and than ther was

none that he encoūtred withal that esca¦ped from the deth, than ther came vnto hym the mayster, syr Brisebar, and syr Perdycas, and .xl. other knightes vpon horsebacke of Florence company, and a thre hondred on fote, than they al layde on these sarasyns and bet them downe lyke dogges. Than Arthur encountred the Sowdans broder and gaue him su∣che a stroke with his good swerde clarē∣ce that he claue hym downe to the sadel And whan the sarasyns sawe howe that the Sowdan and also his broder were dead and slayne, thei made suche roring and sorow among them that the empe∣rour as he was in his tent myght well here the noyse, and demaunded what it was. And one shewed hym how that it was y^e Sowdan who was scarmusshīg wyth them of the castell, and therewyth ther came to hym a knyght who hadde one of his armes clene striken of & sayd, syr Emperour the Sowdā is deed and his broder Saladyne also slayne, for sir ther be come .vi. as I thynke rather de∣uylles of hell than erthly creatures, for they haue all slayne and cōfounded, and specially there is one among them that maketh waye where so euer that he co∣meth, there is none so hardy that dare a∣byde him a stroke of his handes but all fleeth before him, therfore syr emperour call your mē to harneis or elles we shal be all slayne. Than the Emperour was sore dyspleased and sayd, what hondred deuylles of hell hath brought hider these vi. knyghtes who thus confoundeth all my people, than he cryed to harneis and caused hornes to be blowē in his hoost Than euery man ran to their harneys, soo that anone there were togyder more than an hondred thousande men, and Ar¦thur, Hector, Gouernar, y^e maister, Bri¦sebar, & syr Perdycas wer all be sprent•• with the blode of the sarasyns that th••y had slayne. Than the quene of orqueney who had all the daye well aduysed Ar∣thur and his dedes sayde vnto Florence, madame certaynly I thynke that yōder knight is Arthur, for as I deme yonder shelde is your whyte shelde, and I thyn∣ke he that is by hym is Hector, the may∣ster, Gouernar, and syr Brysebar. Ma∣dame sayd Florence that can not be, for thei are as blacke as ony ynke. And as they thus talked thei sawe where as the emperour was comyng, and a hondred thousande folowing after him. A swete lady mary sayde Florence kepe and de∣fende nowe yonder knyghtes, for I fere me now that they shalbe slayne, and the emperour came thiderwarde as faste as he might with grete noyse of trompettes tabours and hornes. And whan that the mayster harde that he came to Arthur, & sayd, syr we haue to lytle nombre of peo∣ple to abyde yonder emperour at this ty¦me, we haue done al ready sufficient for one daye, therfore syr let vs retourne a∣gayne to the castel, for our company are ryght sore trauayled. Ye say wel said Ar¦thur cause the retraite to be blowen, & so it was done, than Arthur & his peple en¦tred into the castell, & closed the gate af∣ter them & drew vp the brydge and they had slayne in that batayle to the nombre of .xv. thousande sarasyns, than Arthur mounted vp into the palays, & Florēce mette w^t him, & she dyd of his helme and thanked him gretly & al his company of the paine & labour that thei had takē for her sake that day, than they loked out at the windowes & saw where as thempe∣rour was beholding the dead bodies of the Sowdan & of his broder & of the .xv thousand other sarasyns.