 | Otuel and Roland |  |
Welle sone theraftyr come tythyng
to Charlys, the Ryche kyng,
By a well trwe Messanger,
That the kyng of Nauerne
Gan to Robbe and to berne,
in hys lond bothe fer & nere.
Tho Charlys hyt wyst a-fyn,
he com to Mount Gardyn,
and ther they mette in fere.
Eythyr had othyyr be-hyȝt,
to-gedyr on morowe for to fyȝt,
In the same stede ther.
to Charlys, the Ryche kyng,
By a well trwe Messanger,
That the kyng of Nauerne
Gan to Robbe and to berne,
in hys lond bothe fer & nere.
Tho Charlys hyt wyst a-fyn,
he com to Mount Gardyn,
and ther they mette in fere.
Eythyr had othyyr be-hyȝt,
to-gedyr on morowe for to fyȝt,
In the same stede ther.
tho Charlys made an Orysoun,
with ryght gode deuocioun,
to Ihesu and to Marye:
[that] he sende hem grace with-oute fayle,
to wete who schulle in bataylle
wynne the Maystrye,
and who schull be y-slawe,
of knyȝtys of cristen lawe,
In kyng Charlys partye;
that euerych that schuld be ded
Most bere a croys Red
On hys schuldyr on hye.
On morwe wanne yt was day,
Charlys Rose with gret noblay,
And to hys knyȝtys cryed
to batayle for to fare.
thenne sey he moche care
Off ten hundred that tyde
then was the kyng in grete dolour,
and prayed to ten hundred paramour,
At the Chapel to abyde;
And sayde, ȝyf thay with hem went,
they schuld be de[d], verament,
with the sarisins ful of pride.
with ryght gode deuocioun,
to Ihesu and to Marye:
[that] he sende hem grace with-oute fayle,
to wete who schulle in bataylle
wynne the Maystrye,
and who schull be y-slawe,
of knyȝtys of cristen lawe,
In kyng Charlys partye;
that euerych that schuld be ded
Most bere a croys Red
On hys schuldyr on hye.
118
Charlys Rose with gret noblay,
And to hys knyȝtys cryed
to batayle for to fare.
thenne sey he moche care
Off ten hundred that tyde
then was the kyng in grete dolour,
and prayed to ten hundred paramour,
At the Chapel to abyde;
And sayde, ȝyf thay with hem went,
they schuld be de[d], verament,
with the sarisins ful of pride.
thay answerd, & askeden why.
then sayde Charlys sykerly:
“y se on ȝou the sygne of deth, with-oute drede.
loke nowe echon on othyrs schulder!
a-monge ȝou alle nys none othyr,
but beryng the croys Red.
for why, y wote thorouȝ my prayer,
that ȝe schulle be ded all in fer,
ȝyf y ȝowe with me lede.
Ac dwellyth here vith-outen stryf!
to-day y schall saue ȝour lyfe.
to spylle ȝou yt ys no nede.”
then sayde Charlys sykerly:
“y se on ȝou the sygne of deth, with-oute drede.
loke nowe echon on othyrs schulder!
a-monge ȝou alle nys none othyr,
but beryng the croys Red.
for why, y wote thorouȝ my prayer,
that ȝe schulle be ded all in fer,
ȝyf y ȝowe with me lede.
Ac dwellyth here vith-outen stryf!
to-day y schall saue ȝour lyfe.
to spylle ȝou yt ys no nede.”
tho to batayl the kyng gan Ryde,
hys good dussypers by hys syde,
And faste the ganne to fyȝt.
Off the sarisins thay slowyn so ȝern,
that the kyng tho of Nauerne,
Aȝeyns hem, he had no myȝt.
Kyng Charlys slowe that day,
he & hys Ost, sothe to say,
syxty thousand tho ful Ryȝt.
and whenne he come to the mede,
he fonde hys knyȝtys al dede,
ther he hem left aplyȝt.
hys good dussypers by hys syde,
And faste the ganne to fyȝt.
Off the sarisins thay slowyn so ȝern,
that the kyng tho of Nauerne,
Aȝeyns hem, he had no myȝt.
Kyng Charlys slowe that day,
he & hys Ost, sothe to say,
119
and whenne he come to the mede,
he fonde hys knyȝtys al dede,
ther he hem left aplyȝt.
By the Ensampyl, whe mowe se,
that no man schall hys deth fle
for none skynnes nede.
Tho all Nauerne Charlys toke
In-to hys hende, so saythe the boke,
In trewthe, so y nowe Rede;
And ȝaf hyt hys [barownys] saumfayle,
that hadde hym holpe in batayle,
that douȝty were of dede.
and [hyt] was departyd Amonge hem vchon,
and [they] were y-feffyd ther-with anon,
to lyue in ioye & pryde.
that no man schall hys deth fle
for none skynnes nede.
Tho all Nauerne Charlys toke
In-to hys hende, so saythe the boke,
In trewthe, so y nowe Rede;
And ȝaf hyt hys [barownys] saumfayle,
that hadde hym holpe in batayle,
that douȝty were of dede.
and [hyt] was departyd Amonge hem vchon,
and [they] were y-feffyd ther-with anon,
to lyue in ioye & pryde.
and whenne the kyng Charlemayne
hadde y-wonne Nauerne & spayne,
and y-slawe the hethen knyȝtys,
hys Catel & hys Townys,
he ȝaf to hys barownys,
and made hem grete lordynges.
Portyngale & Nauerne,
to the brytons he ȝaf hyt ȝerne,
and thus parted hys wynnyngys.
Tandylyf, a strong Castel,
to the Iercos, he ȝaue hyt yche-a-del
Ryȝt in grete hyynges.
hadde y-wonne Nauerne & spayne,
and y-slawe the hethen knyȝtys,
hys Catel & hys Townys,
he ȝaf to hys barownys,
and made hem grete lordynges.
Portyngale & Nauerne,
to the brytons he ȝaf hyt ȝerne,
and thus parted hys wynnyngys.
Tandylyf, a strong Castel,
to the Iercos, he ȝaue hyt yche-a-del
Ryȝt in grete hyynges.
And the londe of Galeys,
he ȝaf the frenche men, y-wys.
but thay nolde dwelle nouȝt thare:
thay for-sokyn that ylke Londe,
for to haue into her honde,
for yt was so dere.
In spayne Charlys tok,
As y fynde in my boke,
all that hethen were,
that lyued in false lawe:
he dud hem honge and to-drawe,
wel fast by the swere.
he ȝaf the frenche men, y-wys.
but thay nolde dwelle nouȝt thare:
thay for-sokyn that ylke Londe,
120
for yt was so dere.
In spayne Charlys tok,
As y fynde in my boke,
all that hethen were,
that lyued in false lawe:
he dud hem honge and to-drawe,
wel fast by the swere.
Charlys stabeled for to be
An Erchebyschope in that Cyte,
ther that sent James lys.
And alle the bysschopys in spayne,
by the hest of Charlemayne,
And Eke in Galys,
schulde be vndyr hym.
Ac the byschop, syr turpyn,
halowed that stede, y-wys,
for ther nas arst no Cyte:
Charlys hote that ther schuld be
Composterne of prys.
An Erchebyschope in that Cyte,
ther that sent James lys.
And alle the bysschopys in spayne,
by the hest of Charlemayne,
And Eke in Galys,
schulde be vndyr hym.
Ac the byschop, syr turpyn,
halowed that stede, y-wys,
for ther nas arst no Cyte:
Charlys hote that ther schuld be
Composterne of prys.
And in the moneth of y[u]ner,
Charlys comaunded fer & nere
In Galys & ek in spayne,
þat Eche hous of power,
Schulde ȝef twelf penyes a ȝer,
By the hest of charlemayne,
To seynt Iams of Galys,
And be quyt of oþer seruys,
þat hous to sustayne.
And so þay dude with-oute lete,
ffor charlys hyt hade sette,
Durst no man be þer-a-gayne.
Here Bygynnyth a Rewful tale,
How Rowlond deyde at rouncyuale.
Charlys comaunded fer & nere
In Galys & ek in spayne,
þat Eche hous of power,
Schulde ȝef twelf penyes a ȝer,
By the hest of charlemayne,
To seynt Iams of Galys,
And be quyt of oþer seruys,
þat hous to sustayne.
And so þay dude with-oute lete,
ffor charlys hyt hade sette,
Durst no man be þer-a-gayne.
121
How Rowlond deyde at rouncyuale.
| Otuel and Roland | |