 | Otuel and Roland |  |
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AnoneBad kyng Garcy,
“lordynges, doth arme you redy,
And Euery man redy to fyȝt!
and thus we schulle bete oure mametrye,
ffor þat thay nolde nouȝt ous socurye,
Thus we schulle hem dyȝt.”
þere were in the fyrst warde
Syxty thousand, stoute and harde,
with helm and breny bryȝt,
with pencelys of sykelatoun,
Off grene sendal and of broun,—
þere was a semely syȝt!
“lordynges, doth arme you redy,
And Euery man redy to fyȝt!
and thus we schulle bete oure mametrye,
ffor þat thay nolde nouȝt ous socurye,
Thus we schulle hem dyȝt.”
þere were in the fyrst warde
Syxty thousand, stoute and harde,
with helm and breny bryȝt,
with pencelys of sykelatoun,
Off grene sendal and of broun,—
þere was a semely syȝt!
Syxty thousand in thys maner,
Come after with brod baner,
Alle þretyng charlys, the kyng,
And Both Otuel, and Olyuer,
And also eche dussyper,
And Rouland, hys gode derlyng.
kyng Charlys, þat was so fre,
hys ost hath partyd at thre,
Ryȝt Erlyche in the morownyng.
In Eche warde þere were þo
Syxty thousand & wel mo,
Off knyȝtes, old & ȝoung.
Come after with brod baner,
Alle þretyng charlys, the kyng,
And Both Otuel, and Olyuer,
And also eche dussyper,
And Rouland, hys gode derlyng.
kyng Charlys, þat was so fre,
hys ost hath partyd at thre,
Ryȝt Erlyche in the morownyng.
In Eche warde þere were þo
Syxty thousand & wel mo,
Off knyȝtes, old & ȝoung.
Ac couþe no man telle þe route
Off folk þat were goyng a-Bowte,
Spere-men and arblasteres,
wely y-armed and stoute.
Off the hethen, thay hadde no doute,
Thow þey were Cruel, and fel, & fers.
Charlys to hys borones sayde:
“lordynges, ȝe mote do by rede.
Bothe barones, knyȝtes, and squyers,
Bow-men, slyngers, with-oute fayle,
holdeth ȝow in youre batayle,
with ȝoure gode wynteners.”
Off folk þat were goyng a-Bowte,
Spere-men and arblasteres,
wely y-armed and stoute.
Off the hethen, thay hadde no doute,
Thow þey were Cruel, and fel, & fers.
Charlys to hys borones sayde:
“lordynges, ȝe mote do by rede.
Bothe barones, knyȝtes, and squyers,
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holdeth ȝow in youre batayle,
with ȝoure gode wynteners.”
Charlys the duk neymes hym by-þouȝt
In þat nede ne fayle hym nouȝt,
To Bere hys gode Baner,
and he answerd with word & þouȝt,
“By hym þat hath alle þys world y-wrouȝt.
y am ful redy, now ryȝt here!”
The trompes by-gonne for to blow,
ffor þat the sarisins schulde knowe,
That þe cristen men were þere.
The sarisins wenten into þe feld,
with helm, and spere, & ek with schyld,
Off kyng Garcyons power.
In þat nede ne fayle hym nouȝt,
To Bere hys gode Baner,
and he answerd with word & þouȝt,
“By hym þat hath alle þys world y-wrouȝt.
y am ful redy, now ryȝt here!”
The trompes by-gonne for to blow,
ffor þat the sarisins schulde knowe,
That þe cristen men were þere.
The sarisins wenten into þe feld,
with helm, and spere, & ek with schyld,
Off kyng Garcyons power.
A torkeyes was prykyng out before.
[OMITTED]
And threw hem ouer the castyll wal,
And brak hys cheynes to peces alle,
And outward faste hym drow.
So he dude in that yle,
Thoruȝ hys queyntys and hys gyle,
That hym thouȝt game y-now.
And threw hem ouer the castyll wal,
And brak hys cheynes to peces alle,
And outward faste hym drow.
So he dude in that yle,
Thoruȝ hys queyntys and hys gyle,
That hym thouȝt game y-now.
hys good stede sone he fond,
And in hys hond hys good brond,
And alle hys other gere.
he armed hym, y vndyrstande,
And in-to the sadyll a-none he wond,
with good schyld and spere.
Oger tho gan to crye,
“haue good day, dame enfamye!
y wyll dwelle no lenger!
And ȝyf thou fayre prayest me,
To-morwe y schall speke with the,
By Ihesu crist, y swere!
And in hys hond hys good brond,
And alle hys other gere.
he armed hym, y vndyrstande,
And in-to the sadyll a-none he wond,
with good schyld and spere.
Oger tho gan to crye,
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y wyll dwelle no lenger!
And ȝyf thou fayre prayest me,
To-morwe y schall speke with the,
By Ihesu crist, y swere!
Into the ost rod Oger,
And fond roulond, and olyuer,
with many a douȝty knyȝt.
Thay cleptyn and kyssedyn alle in fer,
And askedyn ȝyf he hole were,
he sayde, “ȝe,” a-none-ryȝt,
“Neuer sythe that y was bore,
In alle my lyf here by-fore,
Ne felt y me so lyȝt,
Go we blyue in-to batayle,
The hethen houndes to assayle,
And sle we hem doun ryȝt!”
And fond roulond, and olyuer,
with many a douȝty knyȝt.
Thay cleptyn and kyssedyn alle in fer,
And askedyn ȝyf he hole were,
he sayde, “ȝe,” a-none-ryȝt,
“Neuer sythe that y was bore,
In alle my lyf here by-fore,
Ne felt y me so lyȝt,
Go we blyue in-to batayle,
The hethen houndes to assayle,
And sle we hem doun ryȝt!”
To the turkeyes þay gonne to ryde,
And leyde hem doun in yche syde,
Thay schedde here brayn an blode:
þere nas none þat myȝt hym hyde,
That thay ne lore in þat tyde,
þe balles in here hod.
Kyng Garcy þere-of tok hede,
And with hys spore he smot hys stede,
And fley as he were wood.
Syr Otuel þat gan a-spye,
And gan a country with kyng Garcy,
with welle egre mood.
And leyde hem doun in yche syde,
Thay schedde here brayn an blode:
þere nas none þat myȝt hym hyde,
That thay ne lore in þat tyde,
þe balles in here hod.
Kyng Garcy þere-of tok hede,
And with hys spore he smot hys stede,
And fley as he were wood.
Syr Otuel þat gan a-spye,
And gan a country with kyng Garcy,
with welle egre mood.
“ȝelde ȝe, traytours!” Otuel gredde,
“þu lyest by hym þat for ous bledde,
Ne bost ne gynne to crake!
To-fore charlys þou schalt be ladde,
And legge þy lyf þere to wedde,
But þou mahoun for-sake!”
Garcy hys stede smot,
And to Otuel he rod,
hys spere he gan to schake.
hys hors stomblyd at a stone,
he felle, and brast hys arme a-none.
And Olyuer gan hym take.
“þu lyest by hym þat for ous bledde,
Ne bost ne gynne to crake!
To-fore charlys þou schalt be ladde,
And legge þy lyf þere to wedde,
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Garcy hys stede smot,
And to Otuel he rod,
hys spere he gan to schake.
hys hors stomblyd at a stone,
he felle, and brast hys arme a-none.
And Olyuer gan hym take.
þenne bede he Olyuer pur charite,
þat he ne schulde hym nouȝt sle,
hys hondys he gan wryngge,
And he wolde cristen be.
And Olyuer graunted, þat was so fre.
To court he gan hym bryng,
And kneled to-fore charlys and tolde
That he hys londys of hym wolde holde
Ryȝt into hys endyng.
Charlys of hym tok goode hede,
And to parys he dude hym lede,
with trumpes and daunsyng.
þat he ne schulde hym nouȝt sle,
hys hondys he gan wryngge,
And he wolde cristen be.
And Olyuer graunted, þat was so fre.
To court he gan hym bryng,
And kneled to-fore charlys and tolde
That he hys londys of hym wolde holde
Ryȝt into hys endyng.
Charlys of hym tok goode hede,
And to parys he dude hym lede,
with trumpes and daunsyng.
The erchebyschop, syre turpyn,
A swythe good clerk off dyuyn,
Crystened hym that day,
The soule of that sarsin
ffor to saue fro helle pyn.
he lered hym goddys lawe.
Thus charlys and hys dussypers
lyued in warre many ȝerys,
and fauȝten, the soth to say.
ffor euery batayle that he be-gan
Thoruȝ the grace of god, he it wan,
As y ȝow telle may.
here bygynneth a batayle grym,
Off charlys and of Ebrayn,
That was wonderlyche strong.
At Cordys how thay fouȝten same,
All for the loue of cristendom,
herkeneth and thenketh nouȝt long!
A swythe good clerk off dyuyn,
Crystened hym that day,
The soule of that sarsin
ffor to saue fro helle pyn.
he lered hym goddys lawe.
Thus charlys and hys dussypers
lyued in warre many ȝerys,
and fauȝten, the soth to say.
ffor euery batayle that he be-gan
Thoruȝ the grace of god, he it wan,
As y ȝow telle may.
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Off charlys and of Ebrayn,
That was wonderlyche strong.
At Cordys how thay fouȝten same,
All for the loue of cristendom,
herkeneth and thenketh nouȝt long!
| Otuel and Roland | |