[The history of Valentine and Orson].

¶How the Archebysshop put hym in the habyte of a knyght / and mounted on horsbacke for to folowe y^e Empresse Bellyssant y^t was banysshed. Ca. iiij.

[illustration]

Archebys.

WHan the Archebysshop sawe that the lady was departed / he thought in hymselfe that he wol∣de go after her / and that with her he wolde do his pleasure. He lefte rochet and other vesture / and as irreguler and apostate / gyrde his swerde aboute hym / and mounted vpon a swyfte courser / and folowed fast after / for he had one of the best courser of all Constan¦tynoble. He rode so faste that within short tyme he had ryden a grete waye. And of all them that he mette he asked tydynges of the noble lady Bellyssant. And they shewed vnto hym the waye that she helde. So longe ro¦de the false traytour Archebysshoppe that he entred in

to a myghty grete forest and a longe / he toke the hyghe waye and enforced hym to ryde a paas. He had not ry∣den longe whan he apperceyued the lady with Blandy¦mayn / the whiche were besyde the fountayne where as the lady was discended for to refresshe her / and rest her for she was wery and heuy full of sorowe and doloure / so that she myght not susteyne her. Whyles that Blan∣dymayn comforted the sorowfull lady / y^e Archebysshop drewe nere them / and knewe the fayre Bellyssant / but she knewe hym not a ferre bycause that he was dysgy∣sed / but whan he approched she knewe hym well ynou∣ghe. Alas sayd she Blandymayn / I se nowe come to∣warde vs the false Archebysshop that is cause of myn exyle. Alas I am to sore aferde that he do me not some vyllanye. Lady sayd Blandymayn / haue of hym ney∣ther fere nor doubte. For yf he come for to doo you euyl or displeasure I shal put my body for to defende yours vnto the dethe. At these wordes was arryued the arche¦bysshop that lyght of his hors / and salued the lady in y^e best maner that he myght and sayd. Ryght dere and ho¦noured lady / yf so be that y^e Emperour hathe dechaced you / yf you wyll accepte me for to be your loue / and ac∣complysshe my desyre / I shall do so moche towarde the Emperour that he shall put you in your fyrste estate / & be exalted more hygher than euer you were / wherfore auyse you / for I do it for your grete honoure and prouf fyte. Ha sayd the lady / dysloyall and cruell aduersary of all honoure imperyall / I ought well to haue cause to lo¦ue the / and holde the dere / whan that by thy false ma∣lyce thou haste made the Emperour vnderstonde that I haue myserably borne me towarde his maieste / and made me be deiecte from all honoure and prosperyte. /

Thou hast put me in the waye of extremyte and myse∣rye / and is the causer that I shal fynysshe my dayes in dolorous dystresse / for there is not a more dyscomfor∣ted lady in the worlde than I am. Lady leue suche wor¦des / for by me there can nothyng come to you but good For I am puyssaunt ynoughe for to chaunge your do∣loure and dyscomforte in to Ioye & solace / more than euer you had. In sayenge these wordes he enclyned hȳ towarde the lady / and wende to haue kyssed her. But Blandymayn sterte bytwene them and gaue the Arche¦bysshop so grete a stroke that he felled hym vnto the er¦the / and brake twayne of his tethe. The Archebysshop gate hym vp and drewe his swerde quyckly. And Blan¦dymayn toke a glayue that he had broughte with hym and assaylled hym ryght asprely / and the Archebisshop hym. They fought soo longe that they were bothe sore wounded. And as they were thus fyghtynge / there ar∣ryued on them a notable marchaunt / that ascryed vn∣to them also ferre as he myght se them saynge. Lordes lordes leue your debate / and tell me fro whens it proce¦deth / & I shall tell you who hathe ryght or wronge. syr sayd Blādymayn let vs fynysshe our enterpryse. Alas sayd the lady socoure vs / for here is the fals preest that wyll take myn honour from me by force / whiche is the cursed Archebysshop / that hathe separed me by treasō from my lorde and husbande the Emperoure. Whan y^e marchaunt vnderstode her / he had grete pyte on her / & sayd to the Archebysshop. Syr leue your enterpryse / & touche not the lady / for and the Emperoure knewe of this dede / he wolde make you deye an euyll dethe before all the worlde. Also soone as the Archebisshoppe vnder stode the marchaunt speke / he lefte the batayll quyckly

and began for to fle thorughe the wodde. He was ryght sorowfull that he was knowen / for he thoughte well to haue had his pleasure of y^e lady. But he enterprysed su∣che a thynge / wherby his treason was knowen after∣warde / and dysclosed as it shall be recounted to you af∣terwarde. After the departynge of the Archebysshop y^e lady abode in the wodde besyde the fountayne tryste & sorowfull / with Blandymayne y^t was wounded. The marchaunt that was abyden sayd. Alas lady I se that by the Archebisshop ye are falsly betrayed / and haue bē expulsed from the Emperoure. Now god gyue me gra¦ce to lyue so longe that I maye accuse hym of this mys dede / and to purchase his dethe. Lady to god I com∣maunde you the whiche gyue you pacyence & comforte Soo the marchaunte toke his leue / and Blandymayn thanked hym many tymes. Then Blandymayn moun¦ted the lady vpon her hors / and after moūted vpon his owne / and wente vnto a lodgynge that was there be∣syde / where as they abode by the space of .viij. days for to hele Blandymayn. Whan he had rested hym / & that he myght ryde they put them vpon the waye towarde Fraunce. And the sorowfull lady complayned her by y^e waye and sayd. Alas Blandymayn my frende / what may my broder & all the lordes saye of my pyteous ca∣se / whan they shall knowe that for a vyllaynous dede I am so shamefully deiecte from the Emperoure / and as a comon woman banysshed the Empyre of Constā¦tynoble. Alas I am ryght certayne that my broder wyl byleue lyghtly that I am culpable of the dede / & make me dye shamefully / for he is ryght fyerse of courage / la¦dy sayd blandymayn be of good chere / & put your trust in god. In spekynge thus Blandymayn that the lady 〈1 page missing〉〈1 page missing〉