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Romans of Partenay

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The Romans of Partenay or of Lusignen

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[Fol. 1 is wanting.]

For full fayne I wold do that myght you please,
yff connyng I had in it to procede;
To me wold it be grete plesaunce and ease,
yff aught here might fourge to youre wyl in dede;
But barayne is my soule, fauting connynghede,
Natheles in it wil I make progresse,
Euermore trustyng to youre gentilnesse.

I not aqueynted of birth naturall
With fre[n]she his verray trew parfightnesse,
Nor enpreyntyd is in mynde cordiall;
O word For other myght take by lachesse,
Or perauenture by vnconnyngnesse;
For frenshe rimed or metred alway
Ful oft is straunge in englishe to display.

As nighe as metre will conclude sentence,
Folew I wil here my president,
Ryght as the frenshe wil yiff me euidence,
Cereatly after myn entent;
Al-be-hit I am vnsufficient,
Ne can noght peynt my boke as other be,
Vnder youre supporte yut aunter wyl me.

In auncion tyme of antiquite
Men called goddis to theire helpe and ayd,
With deuoute prayers to theire deite,
Their werkys to fourge eche houred brayd,
Their celles of memoir to refreshe prayd;
As valerius maximus gan do,
Tiberius Cesar called helpe vnto,

In the proheim off hys notabile boke,
Wher all thes goddis apertly may see,
(ho-so lust out it to behold or loke),
hou thay were creat eche in their degre;
Som lust their faders honoured shold be,
Som for their strenght or for thing in holde,
Som for wisdome or somwhat vnfold.

Off roial frige Midas the riche king
Bachus god of wyne ther besoght he,
That al gold myght be what he were touching,
For he was of hys confraternite;
hys desyre graunted that gold fine shold be,
Ne had thys god relesed hym at large
Off hys mete and drinke, þer shold he had discharge.

To declare how they were deyfied,
large tyme, longe space wold it ocupie;
Poetes whilom som fantesied;
Som maligne gostes, ful of tyrannye,
yeuyng answeres to peple sondrye;
For to tell or say their generacion
yn vayn, ryght noght their fundacion.

To callen in ayde tho of no valoure,
Which want myght and strenght, vertu none hauyng,

That miscreantes whilom gan honoure,
As for their goddis thaim deyfiyng,
As power had, where non wer hauyng,
Poetes favnyd in their poetrie,
Theim-selfen the more for to magnifie;

Suche fayned goddys noght is to cal on,
Thing Agayne our feith And but fantisie;
No help ne socour to cal thaim vppon;
I lay theim Apart And fully denye,
Requiring that lord whych is Almightye
That of hys highnesse he be my trew gide,
The weyes of trouth me vn-to prouide;

That in thys mater my penne conueid be
As plesaunce may be vn-to the highnesse
Off our sacred lord, sitting in trinite;
Now be he myn ayde in thys besinesse;
To hym only I trust in thys forth progresse,
That throgh his mercy he me send such grace,
For frensh tyll english that it may purchace.

Mi labor wil don After my simplenesse
hit for to conuey As I can or may,
Beseching hertly of your highnesse
My defautes for to pardon alway;
Trustyng to your grace now euer and ay,
The prohemy and prologe of frensh here begyn,
After my sampler passing forth ther-in.

The philisopher ful wyse was And sage
Which declarid in hys first pagent,
hys methephisike off noble corage,
Werto plieth humayn entendement,
Naturally conceyung the entent

To lerne And know; thing said wel and wisly;
For all humayn entendement fully

Desireth come to know that he knowith noght,
Whether of loue or of reproche it be,
And specially if it touche hym aught.
Thinges of long time passyd in contre,
When rehersid is, pleasith hertes fre;
Auncion thinges wich ben good and fayre,
As to speke of king arthure debonayr,

How he wold preue his vertu and manhede
With noble knightes and peple worthi;
Many of hym spekith at thys hour in-dede;
And so thai don of lancelet sureli,
Wher ful good loos had ryght ful preysingly;
Of perceuale also, And of Gawayn,
Which lo! at no time had hertes in uayn

As for to adquire grete honour and prise;
Ful wel lernid were in knightly coniectures.
Who wyl know and enquere in what maner wyse,
By se and land meruelous auentures
Which came unto sondry creatures,
For to conne it is an excellent thyng,
And cause of many mannys preferring.

As rose is aboue al floures most fine,
So is science most digne of worthynesse;
ho noght ne can, noght worth is to deuine;
hit wel belongeth to tho of goodnesse
Strongly to enquere histories expresse,
Which that of longe tyme makith memorie;
Moch more is if he be of degre hye;

He shold serche, fro degre into degre,
vn-to know wherhens he descendyd is,

Duke, Erle, or Baron, or markois if he be,
So þat long mynde therof shuld be ywis;
Al thes lordes gret so shold do in thys,
Ther-off scripture make as an historie,
To ende that ay ther-of be memorie.

For-so-moche I say that an high grete lord,
Whilom of peiters, (whom god yf honour),
lord of partenay named of record,
To whom I shal be redy at ech hour,
Me commaunded, noght gretly, to labour
Of hys proper sentement and feling;
Hys commaundment wern shal I no-thing.

For euery knawith and full wel May see
That to lordes here men obbey, lo! shold;
ho can it noght do, wise ne sage is he;
In hys swete langage ther he me vnfold
That I ther take the exampleir wold
Off a boke of his which that he had made;
He it ther me toke, to fourge it me bade.

To know in sertayn ho fourged and wrought
Roial lesigne[n], the noble castell,
Als ho made the town, vnto mynde it brought;
A meruelous strenght is in for to dwel.
Then I answerd greing to hym well,
“My lorde,” said, “vnto your wil and plesire;”
Then said he, “do it at your owne lesire;

For all the labour and iornay is your;
Thys castell was made with on of faire,
(As ouer all rehersed is eche hour),
Of the which I am drawen lynyally;
I and all the lyne discendyd fully
Of partenay, it is ryght no doute at all;
The fair melusigne men gan hire to call,

This fairie womman þat you namyd haue,
Of whom the armys here now bere wee,
The which ofte were borne; and daly it craue,
And to end of it there-of memoir be,
ye shall put in ryme thys historie fre:
I will that it be rimed hole entire,
The sonner peple wyll it say or hire.”

Then sayd, “my lord, I grant your entent;
Alwais your will and plesire wil doo,
My power also; but lose wil none hent,
For in other tyme in frensh put also,
And rymed, As men me haue told vnto;
Wherefor vnto me shold it be gret shame,
Of thys dede me auaunt and of it haue name,

Syn Another time hath fourged be and made.
But to my power what I can wil doo;
so god be plesyd, my witte shal put to fade
In-to other fourme, if leyser haue, lo!
Which letter shal you come plesaunce vnto,
Syn that the other ye haunt ne vse noght;
And, that you plesith, put to will I my thought

After tho bokes which of it men fynde,
Wher this historie preuyd manion;
And to ende that we may bring vn-to mynde,
Within the toure of noble mabregon
To faire bokis were fonden ther-on
In latin, And all preuyd at deuise,
That men made translat in most frenshest wyse.

And syn, after monthes fife or sixe, lo!
This historie confermyd anthonye,
The erle of salz and of Barry also,
In a boke whych had of this castel hie,

Whiche that was so faire, ful strong and myghtie;
But al-wais spake in his wordes al
Vn-to thes bokes Aboue-said egall:

Off bokes thre that boke drawen oute,
(Ryght so fayn men rehersyng the chaunce),
And that wherby it was know no doute,
Which other tymes haue sayne the substaunce;
here-to shal I put all my hole pusaunce,
In ordinat rule shal it sett surelye,
As plesire may be vnto our lord hye.”

Then toke I my leue As of my good lord,
(Vn-to whom god yeff ioy, grace, and honour).
As to þe castell strength here to recorde
Of þe said lesignen, whiche was fair þat hour,
here shall ye here thys historie labour;
So þat it may plese the kyng of glorie,
Which to me yeff Felyng ther-of fullie,

Withowt whom a man here may do no thyng,
Be it in fransh tonge other in ebrew;
All science cometh of that noble kyng,
Wich is the clere wele or the pilour trew,
The maker of all whom liff doth ensew;
Of hym cometh goodnesse, wite, and sence;
Non, but by our lord, herite in science.

With hole hert entire here I hym require
To thys nede me ayde; and hys moder swet
Mi mater conduce to the ende entire,
Thys werke vnto me here shewyd and gett,
To the hie plesaunce of my good lord grete,
To whom god yeff ioy, worship, and honour;
Right thus the prologe Endeth at this hour.

Hit is so in trouth in time auncion,
After the time that OctauiAn was,
In peyters a erle had of grete renoun,
Off whom gret talkyng men held hie and bas;
Iouid of all, cherished in eche place,
Callid Amerys; wel cowde astronemie,
And A man ful ripe in other clerigie

Off the right Canoun and Ciuile also;
Wel nye al by hert thes science coude he,
Als wordly witte I-now had ther-to;
yut hys dedes neuerthelesse to se,
Neuer better astronomian might be,
Founde was neuer man being christian;
He cowde moche more than any other man,

But only he which sterres gan to name,
Then all other, with ther names all.
A gret man this was And of noble fame,
And wel at ease of goodes mondiall;
Disport of houndes loued moche with-all,
Full ofte chaced he hertes, bores grete;
Thys erle of peyters huge nobles gan gete.

A fair sone had by hys gentill wiffe,
Full moche loued hir, chirsly can hir hold,
And A doughter fair, ful swete As fare liff,
Streight nose, fair mouth, wel fetured, me told,
Gret beute she had wonderly vnfolde;

Which men callyd Blanche, she was inly fair;
And the sone-is name Bertram debonaire.

Thys Erle thes children ful moche loued tho;
yut was noght founded, neither like to be,
Rochel ne machon, neither of them to;
Thorugh al peyters foyson of wode plente,
A ful gret forest with many A streight tre,
And in the wild forest As of columbere,
Which is noght full ferre fro peiters there.

For tho ther was A Erle in the forest,
Which of children had A huge noumbre gret;
In riches herite was not in þe best,
But of good lyuyng was in-dede and set,
Sagely And wisely good gouernaunce get;
After that had, warly gan dispende;
And for hys good gouernaunce, at ende,

Loued and cherished was of peple all.
Cosyn he was to Erle amerye fre,
Which thes nouels hurd at that entreual,
That his cosyn had of children plente;
Then came hym in wil and in volente
Off such greuous charge hym to discharge tho;
Without traying, therfor, gan he do,

At peiters made A roial gret feste,
A more worshipful neuer sayn with eye;
After tho he send the Erle of forest,
Of poiters The erle commaunded so fullie,
And other Barons lyke-wyse verilye,
Which of hys seignorie landes gan hold
Of this noble erle A-forne spoke and told.

Tho wer after sende, to hym came gladlye;
All other cam, non lakke, vnto that iournay

That thys sayd Erle commaunded hertlye.
The Erle of Forest brought hym, thay say,
Thre of his sones vnto court that day,
For to do to hys cosyn gret plesaunce;
And he cam vnto full fair ordinaunce.

The Erle of poiters had gret ioy to sight
Of hys good cosyn, And hym fested so,
And hym cherished in al that he myght;
Hys children feruently gan he behold tho,
To on of them thre hys behold gan go,
The lest gan hym plese in hert brennynglie,
To hys cosyn sayd thes wordes swetly.

“Understandeth me, my fair swete cosin,
I haue vnderstande And by neighbours knowe
That largely ye haue children good and fin,
Full good is that ye ther-of discharge yowe;
here I you require, yeff me on to owe;
he shall be wel taught in curtesie and speche,
For suche doctrine schal hym lere and teche;

And for euermore ryche man shal hym make.”
“My lord,” sayd thys Erle of the forest hie,
“Of thes thre on your plesire do and take,
And you ther-of I thanke whyth hert ful humly,
Reson is ne right that you werne shold y;
Se ye here now thre in your hie presence,
Do as liketh your noble reuerence.

Take here vnto you which you best do plese,
No man shall ther-of you werne ne withsay;”—
“Then yeff me the lest to my hertes ese,
For I haue to hym my loue yeff thys day,”

The Erle of poiters this to hym gan say.
“Sir, I wyll gladly do your will and hest,”
So hym Answerd the Erle of forest,

“Syn he you plesith, ye shall hym haue trulie;
My lord, se hym here, you here take sone myn;”—
“My fair cosyn, I thanke you ful hertlye;
Declare me hys name (.) gentil good cosyn.”
“My lord, men hym cal Raymound good & fyn,
The fair, the swet, the gentill, the curtoys,
Off all thre best thaught, still, not moche of uoys.”

When thys roiall Feist was endyd and done,
Ryght so As it fell vppon the thyrd day,
The Erle of foreste toke hys leue to gone;
Tho thes brethen thre to-geders kyssyd thay,
Entercommaundyng to god other ay,
At ther departson had thay gret dolour;
Thys Raymound Abode with hys lord that houre.

Ful wele he hym seruyd vnto his powere,
Off trouth he it knew ful wel verilye,
Thys full noble erle, sir Amerie, there,
Which moche hym louyd And cherished hertly,
As for that so wel hym seruyd daily,
And surely wold do that to hym wold say,
Neuer seruitour louid so no day;

And Also he was his faythfull cosyn.
Raymound after thys, gayn wyl, hym gan sly;
Standed cast to ground, to deth most incline
By fortune fals glotenous cruelte,
Which no-thyng dredith ne doughteth to be,

But causith ofte meruelles for to come,
So As ye may hire sondry tymes lome.

At noble poiters the erle Amerie,
Which so was louyd and cherished tho,
Als of hys men holden ful cherishlye
Both of ryche And pour in like wyse also,
To wodes he went ful ofte to hunt, lo!
Into the foreste of sayd columb[e]re;
So fyffe or sexe ȝere regned in powere.

Hit cam on A day, for to hunt he went,
With hym gret fusion of knyghtes many,
Of tho which he moste louyd ther hent,
Whith hym to disport brought he forth surelye.
Besidis hym rode Raymounde gentillye,
vppon A coursere he, beryng ful wel
(As thys hystorie doth declare and tell)

The swerd of thys noble Erle and man.
Tho began the chace strong and myghtly;
The best for noyse A-forn the hundys ran,
The houndes sewing after ful strongly;
The Erle thaim sewed and spored lyghtly,
Of whom anon shal you declare and say
Where hym cam tho gret mischef and afray;

For neuer after he ne cam againe,
Raymounde hym sewed As moche As he myght,
As for to leue hym ne wold he certayn;
Of thaim to it fil As ye sall know ryght.
In the forest sought thys swyne euery wyght,
Which in columbere bred and fed trulye;
The mone ther rose; the swyne ther houndes slye,

Ther ded to ground thaim cast myghtilye.
his peple wyst noght where that he became,

Novmbred were thay ther mo then twentye
Which full feruently rode after thys game;
“Come heder,” said, “Raymound, lord, in goddys name!
Our houndes, our peple lost now haue we,
In what part thay ben vnknow is to me;

And now is it noght to retorne, parde?
Thought we cerche Aboute we shal not thaim find.
What say ye now? what do now shal we?”—
Raymounde sayd, “go forth, tary we not behynd,
Vnto som receit nye the wodes lynde,
Wher we mow thys tym receyued to be.”
The Erle answered, “ful wel now say ye;

Ryght so shal it be As to me said,
Sithen the mone is risen vp an hie,
The euening is fair and clere displaid,
The sterres shinen fair I-now truly
That all the wordle enlumyneth goodlie.”
Then vnto ther way went thay ful nere,
For the mone gan shine inly fair and clere.

Thorught the wodes went, athirt trauersing,
Where thay found places diuers and sondrye,
Then a full fair way to thaym apperyng
Wheron a stronge pas rode thay hastily.
The Erle said, “Raymound, thys path wyl vs bryng nye,
As me semeth, to peyters the ryght way;
What sey ye? is it noght so, now me say?”

Raymounde said, “I trow it so be trulye;
Now ride we then, in goddis name, apace,

We shall come ful late thought we ful fast hye,
That into the town to entre haue no space;
yut perauenture we may fynd som grace
To mete your peple whiche that knowith the way:”—
“Go we,” sayd the Erle, “I graunt, al that we may.”

Then thay toke ther way wonder spedfullye.
Thys noble Erle be-gan to behold
Thes fair sterres shinyng ful bryghtly,
So that the skye enlumyned manyfold;
Of aftronemye wyse was As is told,
So moche ther-of knew he the maistrie.
As he a sterre beheld in the skye an hie,

Ther he saw a meruelous auenture
Which ful sharpe and hard after to hym was.
The profite of other touched he ther sure,
But of hys owne ille perceyued no cas.
Ther wonderful syghtes gan to purchas,
hys handys gan wryng and to draw fast,
“O lord god!” said, “that angelles formed hast,

That thes merueles so strange bene sothlese!
Fortune is ful strong any man to know;
O varray god! for why made she encresse
Only a man, for doing ille, to grow?
She is ful glad of duyng ille, I trow,
Now is it ryght thus, I se wel now expresse
That, for ille doing, comyth gret goodnesse!

In thes sterres se, Raymounde, vnderstand!
For I here perceyue ful gret auenture.”
he hym answerd, “what is that sayand?”

Thys Erle hym said, “the shal declare sure,
Without any doubte know thys of trouth pure,
And no-thyng no doubte, but be in certayn,
If a man gan sle hys lord souerayn,

As in thys hour, he shuld gretter lorde be;
More pusaunt, ful myghtly, and ryght gret
Then any of hys kynred in contre;
In al places shal fructefie and get,
loue of all shal haue wher he entermet,
More gretter loue haue then his neyboures all;
know thys, fayr cosin, this is trouth, & shall!”

Raymounde noght o word yaf hym to answere,
Al pensif a foote discended adon;
An hepe of wode a[t] that tyme founde there,
That herdes had lefte, gret and smal, theron;
A lytyll fire found ther, the wode brend anon.
Certes ouer warme at that tyme was noght;
The Erle ther lyght doune, somwhat hym chaufe thought.

Ther thai hurd a noyse, for to speke shortlye;
The wod breke and rent ful heuily tho;
then Raymound his swerd gan to gripe fersly,
And the Erle his in that other party to.
leuing the fyre which ful clere brend, lo!
Then aforn them saw ny to them comyng
An huge bore of meruelous wreth beyng,

With tuskes tho whettyng ful strongly,
And with malice yre comyng, fast smytyng;
“My lord, saue your lyf and ward yow quiklye,
here vppon a tre wyghtly be clemmyng;”—
With hie hautyng voice the erle answeryng,

“I neuer was repreued at no stound,
Ne here shal not be neuer shuch wise founde.

Were it plesaunce to god I shold hens fle
As beforn A pigge of A fowle sowe, lo?”
Towardes the swine hys swerd fast shoke he;
Raymound vnderstode his worde hym noyed tho.
Thys sayd Erle tho went to launce hym vnto,
And when it cam so, the swerd went adon;
Thys swyne to the Erle forth faste ran anon;

By mischef ther thys noble Erle gan die;
The Erle hym ne myght no lenger ther hym hold.
By myschef thys swyne smot hym feruentlye;
But hys swerd in hym entre ther ne wold,
There he moste of horse fal to hys tuskes bold.
Raymound fast gan ren thys sayd swyne agayne,
Trowyng hym to smite thorugh the body playne;

But hys swerde glente, non hurt had he tho,
For vppon the bakke was the stroke to se;
Againe Raymounde smote, thorught the bely gan go,
With the stilen swerde there tho made entre;
The blade fourged good, rasour kene was he,
All the bowelles cutte, all fil out anon;
Hys good swerd withdrew, the bore ther fil don,

To mortail deth to grounde fallen tho.
Thens vnto hys lord went he forth anon,
Neuer gan to rest til hym cam vnto,
Al dede ther hym founde And the soul gon;
Commaunded was she to goddis hie renon,
For A worthy man and vaillant he was
As Any A-this-side Rome to purchas.

Raymounde hym tuke fast ther to wepyng,
hym-selfen gan bete and hym sore torment—
“ha! alas! thou fals fortune,” ther sayng,
“To me hast thou be felonesly bent!
Goode to tho wykyd thou grauntest and lent;
he is A more foole then Any mute best
That trustith on the, or in thy behest!

Thou art no gudfader ne Godmodere!
To on art thou swet, Another bitter to;
Non may on the trust, ne in thy fals gere;
Off A smal man thou makest a kyng, lo!
And of tho ful rych right pour men also.
In the no wyl streine to helpe moste or lest;
Thou on aydest, Another destroest!

Alas for sorow! thys in me to fynde!
Thou here me hast destroed entierlie,
And perdurabelly dampned to mynde,
But ihesu crist, the cheritable god hye,
The trew, the swete, the piteful, of mercy
Of my wery soule lust to haue pyte!”
And with that Raymound zownyng don gan fle,

And wel nye an hour ryght so gan hym hold
Without spech or loke; after cam agayne,
Ther begynnyng his sorowes manyfold.
When he rewardyd hys lord souerayne,
Whiche ther dede-cold lay, sore hym gan complayne,
Rewfully sayng with scrychyng vois hie,
“Come, deth! tarye noght, anon let me dye!

Comyng me to take, for time now it is;
For loste haue I here both soule and bodye;
My souerayne lorde that dede here lith thys,

By my grete mysdede here hym slayn haue I.
Deth, come to me! season is trulye;
Come forth here anon, or I shal me sle;
But god shold me sle, I shold noght so me.

God wold noght, which is our chef fader hye,
That any cristyn in dispeir be shold;
But the hour coursed that born was worly,
Or that wreched lyf so long leuyng hold.
Better had me be dede-born here vnfold,
For then had I noght dampned ne lost be.
Alas! my lord cousyn, gentile and fre,

Lesse worth am I then any sarysyne,
Whiche is in beleue of sory mahound!”
Ther leping vp into hys sadel fine,
More lenger ne rest he ther that stound,
The body of hys lord rest in that ground,
A sory man was thorught the wode gan ride,
With wofull malice destrussed that tyde;

The brydell-rayne lefte, at large let it go;
hym-selfe tormented and cursid ful sore,
Vnnethes for-bare hym-selfe to sle tho,
Ful ofte hys colour changing euermore,
he had non end of his dolorous (.) store.
In thys estate rode lamentabillye,
Tyll he Approched, certes, sodenlye

The fontayn and well of thursty gladnesse,
(As said is, it came of the fayrie);
Thys wofull man apas streight ther-to gan dresse,
hys horse ches a path conueying wightly,
Ouer all thys hors so went wylfully,
here and there ouer all where at hys lust wold,
For that he had lefte the rayne for to hold.

At thys said fontayn hys courser hym brought,
So forth passing by ther tho apertlye;
Neuer ne reste, but was in other thought;
hys coursere hyme bare forth fast and wyghtly;
For discomforted was he moche truly,
That hys mynde was gone fro hym-self full ferre,
So that he ne saw Abowt, ferre ne nerre.

Uppon thys fontayn ther had verilie,
Which was right holsome, ful clere as crestal,
Thre fair laydes of gret seignorie.
In hys forth-passyng saw non of thaim all,
Such dolorous thoughtes to hym gan call.
Then spak the moste gentillest of thaim thre,
The most goodlokest And iolyest to se;

Sayng, “neuer saw, dais of my lyfe,
Where it were gayn night or at morne erlie,
Gentil man to pass but had respectif
Aforn ladies without faluz hye,
I wyll goo And speke with hym verilie.”
She vn-to him cam, taking by the rayn,
After openly to hym said certayn—

“For goddis sake, man, shew the noght soo,
Which be descended of noble linage,
Sin Aforn vs thre ye apperen, lo!
And without worde say for to make passage,
It is noght the dede of gentil corage.”
he, whiche dolour hurt tho ful feruentlye,
vpp sodenly lepte, perceyued thys ladye;

Ther he trowed that fantesie it were,
Where he slepte or wakyd wel knew he noght;
A dede mannys colour that tyme had he there,

To hir non answere at that season brought,
Noght intended here for sorow in thought,
But musing ful fast and was ryght penssife
As euer was man which that here bare life.

Thys fayr layde toke her tho to speke,
Anon ful hiely sayd she hym vnto,
“how, Raymound, is thys, ye lust no word breke?
ho hath you taught that to a mayden so,
Or to A lady when ye se thaim, lo!
That no word haue ne lust to say onlye?
Of it cometh repref and vilanye.

In you all swetnesse And good curtesie
Shold byde and dwel with al honour sure;
here-on ye be dishonoured gretly
Which comyn be of so noble nature,
That your gentil hert put to disnature.”
Raymounde vnderstode, ther hir gan behold,
Sore astoned was times manyfold,

When that he saw she hym held by rayne—
But when perceyued the humayn bodye
Of thys fair lady hym so to restrayne,
In whom gret beute was preynted freshlye,
Moche the more troubled his noysance heuye,
That he wiste not where he were quicke or dede;
Fro hors fill down vppon the grasse in-dede.

After hys sayd, “moste gracyous ymage,
Soueran layde of gret beute hye,
With whome to compare non hath Avantage,
Pardon me, swet thyng, for goddys mercye;
With sorowes I haue the hert ful heuye

By ouermoche meruelous auenture;
By my faith, lady, I will you ensure

That in such astate wher-on that I was,
I remembred noght what I owght to do;
So moche sorow and care me doth enbras,
Truly more than man can say you vn-to.
For-soth I noght you perceyued no wyse, lo!
But, noble lady, you beseche and pray
Me vnto perdon so it please you may.”

Ther thys lady spake, “Raymound!” answeryng,
“I am ful sorye of your gret noysance.”
When Raymounde knew sche hym ther namyng,
A litell began to muse that instance.
“lady, of my name ye haue conysance,
Where-of I am Ameruelled gretlye;
By my feith, I know noght your name redilye.

You named but [OMITTED]
Wher that perceyue so full huge beute,
hyt causeth me to beleue verilie
That I schuld by you wel assured be,
And that I shal yut wel recouer me,
By you to acquire som good recomfort
Off my huge sorow is my dyscomfort.

For of so fair A swete creature
Approcheth non ille, but ay al goodnesse;
Fro you may noght come but good auenture,
I beleue noght that terrene boody sothlesse
Of lusty beute may haue such richesse,
So moche of swetnesse, so moche of connyng
As in your gentil body is beryng.”

“Raymounde, I perceyue how it goth now;”
She declared hym ther all hys doyng,
Ther hym gan rehers euerydele how,
As Aboue is said al hym declaring.
Then Raymounde feruently reioyng,
How-be-hyt he moche astoned tho was
How hys name myght know; strange to hym þat cas.

Then thys lady said of gentil bodye,
“Raymounde, my good loue, vnderstandeth me,
Al that whiche your lord said youe varilye
By wordes myn fulfillyd shal be,
Truly and forsoth, yf so do wil ye
Ryght As I shal here vnto you rehers,
Thinges to non hurt, sondry and diuers,

Unto the plesire of our lorde an hie,
And of his glorius moder also.”
When Raymounde vnderstode she spake trulye,
Stedfastly hym toke the more surer to,
Ther hir saing, “swete gentill lady tho,
I schall put my hert And my holy entent
To your plesour do your commaundement.

But certes, lady, I may no wyse tarie
That you me ne demaunde the trouth and verite,
how ye myght my name knowen verilie,
And how thys dede know any wyse may ye
That by my fortune and mischef fil to me,
As wherthorugh I haue deserued deth full wel,
Wherfor that I haue desired deth cruell?”

“Raymounde, you councel, Astoned be noght,”
Asaid thys lady, “for god shal you ayd;

yf ye will, moche more to you shall be brought
Of wordly goodes then your lrode you said,
Whiche in the forest dede-colde light this braid.
I wyll in no wyse you to discomfort,
I shall you socour, helpe, ayd, and comfort.

Yam, after god, your nexst frende trulye,
Wordly catell I-now shall be brought.
But loke ye me truste And beleue verilie,
And dubte ye no-thing of goddys part am noght,
I noght beleue in hys vertues wrought;
yut I you promise that I do beleue
Ryght As holy Catholike feith doth yeue.

Euery Article beleue I and hold
Of the holy feith catholike named,
That god, vs to saue, of the virgyn unfold
Was born without wemme in hir attamed;
Dethe endured; third day rose vnshamed;
After ascended vnto heuenys hie,
Ther verray man And varray god trulye;

And is in ryght syde of hys fader hie.
Raymound, vnderstand here now me vnto,
Firmely all beleue without doubte anye.
Now ye here beleue that sagely ye do,
And ye shall rise vp, to such honour go,
That more shal ye be As of hie parage
Then any man, lo! As of your linAge.”

Then Raymound musyd and gan aduertise
The wordes ther said, and hertly ioyed tho;
A litel his colour cam, vnto deuise,
And moche amendyd of sorow and care to,
When he answerd, “lady, I shal do
With all my hole hert, without withsaing,
Al that which ye wyll be me commaunding.”

“Ramounde,” she said tho, “this is ful wel said;
Now vnderstandeth me without gayn-sayng,
To god and his sayntes me swere now thys braid,
That in mariage me wil be taking,
And that neuer dais of your leuing,
For no worde that man wyl vnto you say,
ye shall not enquere of me the saturday,

Ne after me cerche in no wise ye do,
Neither to what part drawith my body,
Ne what I will do, ne to what place go;
Als I schall you swere For trouth uerilie,
To non ille place go ne will certaynlie,
But alwais to labour that iournay,
Puttyng my hole hert, strength, mynde, and thought (.) ay

To your honour, hawse, and encrese also;
Neuer shal ye se me forsworn no day.”
Raymounde wolde swere and ther hys othe gan do,
But att end forsworn was he, is no nay;
To ful gret myschef it cam hym alway,
For that hire couenaunt brake and noght gan hold.
“Raymounde,” sche sayd, “understande this told;

Iff thys poyntement hold noght in thys deuise,
ye shall me lese, be therof certane,
Without sight of me any maner wise;
After that, ye and al your hoires playn
Shal begin to fall, and thaim-selfe distayn
Off landes, honoures, and heritages;
Then doloures shall be in their corage[s].”

Raymonde swere agayn secundarilie,
That neuer no day forsworne wolde he be.
(Alas! thys dolent man said not soth trulie,
For gret heuinesse After suffred he,
Hys cherefull lady lost of nicete!)
At thys present time of it speke no more,
Vnto my purpos torn shall I therfore.

“Raymounde,” she said, “ye most to court go,
And me this not werne here in no cas,
To peyters boldly go ye now vnto,
Say wel and playnly when ye come aplas,
If any you demaunde, hie other bas,
Of your said lord ne say ye no thyng
But that in the wode ye lost hym huntyng;

And that longe ye gan After hym Abyde,
Cerching, enquering in wodes ramage,
A wilde swine chasing at that houred (.) tyde.
Many other to court shall do make passage,
Whiche equipollent schall say of corage,
After shall your lord truly shall ther be founde,
And to peyters brought openly that stounde.

Then gret heuinesse ther shall sone Awake,
With euery man huge sorow shall arise;
Full dolorous wo this lady will take,
And with hir other gentil wemmen of price;
his children lamenting in wofull wise.
Thaim aid and councell ryght auysilye
yn that belongeth to hys obsequye.

Loke ye thaim councell hie and lowe that hour,
For a man shold do A grete lorde vnto
his funerall obsequye with gret honour,

Cloth you ther in blakke As other ther doo.
When that passyd is ther dolour and wo,
By processe of tyme at leyser and space,
When weping dais an end do purchace,

And that the enheritour ther shall be
The erldom of peyters resceyued to,
And hys homage take of men of contre,
Of thys lord demaunde A yefte or ye go
For your guerdon of seruise ye haue doo
To the Erle last past in the same place;
Wher þe present be, so myght please his grace,

So moche as A hert-skyn myght aboute enclose,
In seueral to shitte wodes and contre.
hit will not you wern but graunt, I suppose;
Dedes therof mak the cause ther-on be,
Off the lordes yifte the encheson may se,
Wher-for he it yaf, And for wat reason;
After sette day of lyuerey and season,

That men deliuer you possession;
And when your letters ye haue all redy,
Thens ye depart, a litell way shal gon,
ye shal se A man come gayn you hastilie,
The hertis skyn bring gret and large to eye.
By ye that skyn, I you gyf in charge,
What-someuere cost, spare not, yif ye large.

After cutte that pece into thwanges smal,
lete it not be brode, but narow As may be,
Enuiron the skyn rounde Aboute cut all
As narew as may perceyue it to se,
As long As the skyn endure see may ye;
After ther-of A fardell do ye make,
And afterwarde to your repair you take,

And lete it noght be lefte to do, certain,
But men deliuere to yow your lande sad
Aboute this clere well and ful fair fontain.
Now complaineth noght of your huge pain had,
For ye shal finde this place fourged and made
In al places ryght As it liketh me,
Where that your lande appere shall to se.

If the thanges be more lenger certain
then the rowndnesse made which that ye finde shall,
Again the ualey do it to remayn
The rennyng of thys fantain clere with-all,
Where ye shall take the dwellyng to fall
The thwanges lenght after to ende had.
Do thys hardily, be no-thyng Adrad,

And when that ye be Assuryd of all,
As at peiters when ye come only,
Take your leue and return that enterual,
For in thys said place shal ye verily,
At wat tym ye come, fynde me certainly.
luke ye me hold trew perfecte couenaunt.”
“lady,” said Raymound at that instaunt,

“I shall plainly do your commaundement,
What-someuer cost it for to cheue,
Sin it pleassith yow me it commaunde to hent.”
Fro hir depertyd, taking fair hys leue,
This thing takith on ioyusly in breue,
To peyters he cam in the morow tyde;
Many demaunded wher ther lord gan bide.

Raymounde Answard, “yusterday hym lost
vppon hys coursere which bare hym swyftly;

That I was basshed, wist noght to what cost
he went, I cowde not mete with him truly;
After I sewed As I myght full ny,
I hym lost when in-to woode gan draw,
Neuer after perceiued hym ne saw.”

Ryght thus Raymounde hym excusid tho,
the soule of the dede-doer accusyd noght;
For neuer man ne had in hym beleue, lo!
That þe dede was by hym done and wrought,
Though that moch he were distrained in thought,
And that for the dede sighed full ofte there.
But it behouith to yonge baculere

Such A strange dede to couere secretly,
Wich vnto hym cam at that huntyng-chace.
Vnto his manoir comyn were many,
Which fro hunting were drawing to þat place,
As wel of gret As smal, both hye and bace,
Ni to Ramound drawing euermore.
Ther had was non but noyed wonder sore

That thay myght noght the trouth perceiue and know,
Wher he that nyght gan byd and remain.
Ful dolorous was his fair wyfe þat throw,
All wette with teres in hir visage plaine,
And ther children to ful harde gan complain;
Tho A ferrom saw to worthi men comyng,
Which the dede body sorily gan bring

Which in the wodes barainly ther founde,
Thys notable Erle whilom oss renon;
And thys foule swine besides hym that stounde.
Ther wepte burgesses And squiers manyon,

Ther wepte ladies And knightes echon,
Ther wepte old, ther wepte yong peple all,
Thay wepte the deth of thys Erle roiall.

When that the Countesse of him had the sight,
Ful dolorous wo hir hert gan attain,
Here handes wrang, hir heere tare þis woful wyght,
With wepyng teeres soroly gan complain;
Ther wepte the sone, the doughter, both twain;
Ther wepte the gentile that Raymonde men call,
Ther wep[t]e prestes, ther wepete Chanones all.

Through Peiters Euery man sorow lad,
Both tho gret and smal ful sore were weping,
Thys day can noght be saad the heuinesse mad,
Noght halfe the wofulnesse the cite hauing.
Tho that this dede Erle were þer beholdyng,
Euery bewepte hys deth mornyngly,
Thys Erle beried ryght ful solempnely;

Ful nobley wele the almes yef and do;
Aboute hym gret wexe, fair store, and gret light.
Forsoth the burgesses of the cite tho
Cast thys cursid swyne in A huge fire bright;
The Barons of contre there had ech wyght.
A man shold shortly the dole ouerpas,
When remedy non may be in the cas.

Raymounde Ful wel aqueinted hym that hour,
Ther many A persone of hym said, “a! he
Felith sore in hert anguish and dolour!
Of hys souerain lord had he such pite.”
So he gan do in trouth and uerite,
As for to see hym gret pite it was,
His mornyng, his wailyng, his loking bas.

After when that the obsequie was don,
The Barons faste went ful beselye,
To the nouel Erle homage hym do echon,
After the season and usage customlye.
Then Raymound drew hym forth to thys lorde hye,
his request to make after hys lady lore,
As she hym warned long tyme ther before,

The lady of whom he had take leue to go.
“Honourous lord,” he said, “bes[e]ch you yif me,
Ni to the Fontain of thursty gladnesse, lo!
Off wode, Roche, or ualey in that contree,
Be it medewes or arable (.) to see,
So moche as an hertis skin of grounde strech wold;
For noght wyll demaunde, ne in thys place shold,

Thing which that shold you be in cost gretly;
I require of you non other paiment
For my seruice done continually
Of your Fader, whos soule god haue and hent.”
Thys yong Erle said, “I graunt all your entent,
So that it may please to my Baronage.”
Then the Berons said with full fair langage,

“Raymounde may full wel thys said yifte to haue,
(For he hath full wel deseruyd it sertain,
His lord so seruyd), As hym lust to craue.”
“Then shal he it haue,” Asaid thys Erle plain;
“hys dedes lete make his graunt to contain.”
Deuised thay were passyng sotilly,
After the writyng sealled ful truly

With the gret seal of thys Erle nouel,
Which curious was, fair, and moche of told;
The hye barons put to al-so well
There gret sealles to the dedys unfold;
The seripture deuisyd full wel to be-hold,
Fourged and made of good ordinaunce,
The day perfixst of the deliueraunce.

The morn a man cartainly he found
Which A hertis skin broght hym there before,
A ful curtois man hym it toke that stounde.
The skyn ful narew kerue thay euermore;
His gyfte required after hys lady lore;
The Erle said, men him deliuer it shold,
Fro peiters partyd with gret raundon told,

To Raymound hys ghyfte deliuerd this wyse;
The Erle send peple to delyuer plain,
Fulfillyng that which he gan promise.
By that were comyn vnto the fantain,
Streith Raymound thaim lad to þat place sertain,
Raymound drew hys skin ther forth vnto sight;
Of þat merueled strongly many A wight,

When so narow corue thai gan it to se;
Vnknowin was thaim what that thai shold do.
To men comyn were ther to that contre,
Takyng ther thys skin coruen ful smal tho,
Anon on A band put thay it vnto,
A gret trusse ther-of making vp that stound.
On ende to a pain thai had ther y-bound,

Al the Roche thay had enuironed,
But yut of the skyn ful gretly abode.
To A pane on ende strongly thai tied,
That other ende bare againe the ualey brode,
Ful litill it held As thay forth glode.
A-ferre fro thens A streme gan to rise,
Wher-of stoned were strongly to deuise;

For neuer body had that water sain.
And when thay had all prouided thys place,
Which the hertis skin compassed sertain,
Seing the contre that comprehended was,
That supposyd noght that it wold purchas
Neither to enclose ther-of the moite,
Gret wonder and meruail had thay tho, perde,

So large contre the skyn gan comprehende.
Forsoth al the procincte ther gan hym take
Ryght As for that where charged and owte send,
As ther dedes mencion gan make.
To poiters toke way, And ther told and spake,
Thys said Erle vnto, al the gret meruail,
Whych neuer ne saw such like apparaill.

For thys hertis skyn in circute gan hold,
To miles aboute gan it comprehende;
And of tho men which it gan close hym told,
Also of the streme that thai saw at ende,
Rysing ther vp, again the ualey wende.
“I beleue it was thing of the fairy,”
As said thys Erle, “so god me saue only!

For thys Raymound hath founden in þe way.
Ful ofte hath bene said that at that fontain,
Many merueles have sain ben A day,

Whiche men sodenly and ofte there haue sain;
And so to Raymounde myght it come certain,
For of it wold [I] merily reioy.”
And raymounde tho spake that he had gret ioy,

For he was comyn hym to thanke hertly,
Of hys notable gyfte ther hym thanking;
And he Answerd to hym, “graunt mercy!
Of your goodnesse ye lust so be sayng.
I wout nere what to me shal be comyng,
But, if your lord wyll, good may com to me.”
So forth passyd till morn-day-lyght to se;

Raymounde tho lepte vp hys coursere vppon,
To the fantain and wel of thrust gan to go,
Wher that hys lady founde beyng alon,
Which hym said, “my loue, welcome me vnto!
luke ye be wise, redy, wel thaught, lo!
And ye shall now haue for your good labour
yut here-after gret worship and honour!”

Anon into A schapel made entre,
Which thaim ny vnto ful redy ther found,
knightes, ladies, And gentile wemmen fre,
Clerkys, prelates, Squiers at that ground,
Clothed, apparailled nobylly that stound;
Raymounde meruelyd of it wonderly,
Of that peple which ther saw plainly.

Unnethes he myght hym-selfen withold
That he demaunded noght thys gentile body;
Thys lady had tho many in housold,
I-now hym semyng for to haue truly.
“Neuer bash herof,” said this faire lady,
“Thay ben al youres,” ther commaundyng al
hym for to resceiue for lorde principall;

Also gan thai do ryght As thai shold,
Ful humbly thay gan do hym reuerence;
But raymounde in hert musid manyfold,
In hym-selfe said demurly in audience,
“Se here a noble gynnyng in presence!
God yif that the ende therof be ful good!”
Thys lady hym resoned there he stood,

Sayng, “ye Raymounde, what willen ye to do?
Til that ye haue me had in mariage,
ye may noght the estat se ne know, lo!
Wherefor you councel, puruey As the sage.”
Raymounde said, “I am redy to that passage.”
Thys lady hym said, “we faute that we shold haue,
Raymond, all other wyse we moste do craue,

Iff we shall do to plesaunce honestly;
you behouith to trauel and haue pain
So that peple ye moste bryng redy,
Which of thys acte may haue conisaunce plain.
haue no point of doubt, but therof be fain,
I-now of all good here schal fynd by grace,
But warde that ye be a monday in thys place.”

Raymounde answerd to hir curtoisly,
“Forsoth I shal do your commaundement.”
Fro thens deperted Raymounde hastily,
Vppon hys courser retorned and went,
To poiters he cam, ther discending, hent
And anon forth went, taried ne bode,
Toward the erle of peiters where he stode.

Raymound wel cowde salute such estat,
Without colour changing or muable,
To hym humbled formally that dat,

There declarid his lord honourable,
“My lord,” said Raymound with contenaunce stable,
“I ought ne shold my dede be couering,
To you al declare And certefying;

I shal noght you lye for no maner wight,
Maryed shal I be vppon monday;
To a gret lady that day be trought plight,
Ryght at the fontain of thurstes gladnesse ay;
Nothyng so loue ne likyng to my pay.
hymbly you beseke at that day to be,
And to bryng with you your peple and mayne;

Ryght gracyous lorde, to me honour do,
And your gud moder wise and debonair,
My ryght doubted and shereful lady to,
Which is proclamed so noble lady fair.”
The Erle sayd, “I shal to that place repair,
But afoure will you thys demaunde make,
What is that lady which that ye shal take?

Warde you And beware ye tAke noght amis,
knowith whens she is and of wat linage;
Say me, fair cosin, now what sho is,
Thys day am redy to your mariage.”
“Sir, it may noght be for non auantage;
More may noght enquere As of hir beyng,
For ye may no more of hir be knowyng;

You it suffisith I-now hyr to se.”
The Erle to hym said, “thys is gret meruell
That ye take A wif vnknow what is sche,
Neither haue knewlich of hir gouernail,
Ne of hir kinrede; strange is without fail!”

“Sir,” said, “I hir saw in so noble ray
As kinges doughter where fresh is and gay;

Amore fairer neuer sain with ey;
Off hir linage enquered I no-thing;
Where she be of duk or of markois hy,
Forsoth I wyll hyr haue, she is me pleasyng.”
Thys Erle said, “Raymounde, to you shal be comyng,
My moder also with all our barony.”
Humbly Raymounde sayd, “my lord, graunt mercy!”

The monday cam men apparailled fast;
Thys Erle Awakyd, rose vp ful erly,
Hys moder with hym brought, freshly on hyr cast
Full ryche Atire, besain ful womanly;
Sondry ladies with knightes many;
But moche on thaim toke to ful gret meruail,
How thay shold there loge, by what gouernail,

When thay approched ny to thys fantain.
But therof certes nedid noght haue doute,
All redy was made A place ful solain.
The wayes And pathes so rode thay aboute
That thay approched Columbere toun al-oute,
And ouer that went ryding the contre,
Hilles, wodes passyd, the roche might se;

Tentes And pauilons streght and pight freshly
Besyde a ualey, enmyddes a plain;
The streme besydes, the fontain ful ny,
Which nouelly was vp-risen and sain;
Euery man meruellyd of it certain,
Ful wel thay sad knew it the fayry was.
Into the medewes thay beheld apase

Tentes, pauilons freshly wrought and good,
Doucet songes hurde of briddes enuiron,
Whych meryly chirmed in the grene wod;
Vppon the ryn saw A wyld wood anon,
Where gret peple were to-geders manyon;
And in there kechins say thay gret smoke to;
As tham semyd, was A ful huge hoost thoo.

And thay saw comyng toward thaim anon
Ther nombred aboute knightis ful sexty,
yong, strong, lusti, fers, and ful lyght echon,
I-horsed ful wel, armed nobilly;
(hyt nedith not demaunde of it truly);
The noble Erle demaunde of peiters,
And thay hem shewed sondry and dyuers,

Off whom demaunded had the trouth to know.
Raymounde thai anon gan se and behold
In the said Erles company so grow,
Which ther ful iocunde tales gan unfold.
humbly to the Erle cam thes knightes bold,
And hym ther salute ful debonerly.
The Erle ther saluz yilding ryght goodly

Unto euery man, without other abode,
After that to hym it shold appartain
For that place whens that he cam and rode,
Both to gret and smal menal persones sain,
Ful wel knew to eche ther saluz yild plain;
And thay which ne wold haue no point of blame,
To hym cam and said worshipfully the same:—

“That fair Melusine hym thanked hertly
Of that pleased hym to com to ther feste;
And that she had charged thaim verily,
you wel for to loge yaf in charge and hest.”

Thys Erle thaim said, to plesire in the beste,
“For here I perceiue ful fayre ordinaunce.”
Nobley thay loged thys Erle that instaunce.

A Ful fair pauilon thay hym gan take,
Ther coursers loged passing inly wel,
Both rekke and manger at their ease gan make,
Insyde tentes ful fair eueridel.
Gret ther labour was wherfor atimed wel.
Tho Countesse resceiued in that housold
In-to a chambre freshly bete with gold,

Which men pight And streight vppon the fontain;
Many ladyes, ful of gret beute,
Went to a company with the Countesse plain,
Ech welcomyng hir after ther degre.
Al meruelyd there thys ryche sight to se,
Als of the noblenesse that ey myght purches,
Neuer trowed se so fair in no place.

Raymounde with the Erle that tyme logid was.
Of ther fair chapel doubt therof had non,
Wel apparailled was it, hie and bas,
With riche iewelles stuffed manyon;
What wold ye shold say? fresh was enuiron.
The ful noble Erle And thys fair countesse
The espouse demaundyd thay expresse.

Ther men anon forth aplace hir brought,
Fair melusine, enmyddes the chapel;
Thys mayden ful fair As cowde bene I-thought,
Freshly atired rychely and ful wel,
That al hir saw preised thys damycel,
That al hir saw preised thys damycel,
Sayng, “it was noght no humayn body lyke,
But more better semed a thyng angell-lyke.”

Then thys said Erle applied vnto
Thys fair melusine to resceiue sothlesse,
And of that ful wel his deuoir gan do,
And ful wel or better the noble countesse;
Al tho bothe that hour weren at that messe.
In that place was had ful gret mynstracy;
Both hye and bas instrumentes sondry;

And fro that constantinople vnto,
In no place was so noble a feste made;
Al the wodes range merily sounding tho,
ther was no persone that present tyme hade,
But that “merueles,” said, “I se ful sad;
Neuer humain ey saw to it egal!”
With great ioy made thys matrimonial.

After thys messe don, taken haue the way;
The Erle the espouse courtoisly forth lad;
In that other part, A prince of contray
In-to the chef hal thys fair mayden had,
Which noble peple held that day ful glad;
Ther mete al redy, vnto wash thay went;
After sette As was most conuenient.

Besides thys maiden thys noble Erle sate,
The gentile countesse next sette hym vnto,
After A gret lord of contre that date,
Which for gret honour worshipped was so.
Raymounde tho sate with other knightes mo.
The course tho brough in with squiers many,
Gret plente there had of deyntees sondry,

Which that apperid As thing infinite;
With wine of Angoy, And als of rochel tho
Which wold eschawfe the braines appetite;

Wine of Tourain, And of Bewme also,
Which iawne colour applied noght vnto;
Clarre Romain, with doucet ypocras,
Thorught al the hal rynnyng hye and bas.

Wine of Tourimz, and also of digon,
Wyne of Aucerre, of seint Jougon also;
Wyne of Seint Johan of Angely good won,
Of it ful many ther spake and tolde tho;
Wine of estables, of uiart also;
After thaim cam the wyne basterd good,
Wine of seint pursain, and of ris hys brood.

Ouer all thes wines ther had the prise
The nouel osey of Dingenon,
Off all the wynes named to deuise.
Ther all peple preuilage had echon,
Euery in hys loge plente and fuson,
Euery of that which thai wold demaund
Off wynes and of uitaillouns viand.

After thys diner, men to ioustes went;
Be-syde the fontain ful fair ioustes had;
But Raymound iousted strongly and feruent,
Certainly myghty ioustes ther he made.
Thys Joustes dured till sonne went to glad.
After to euessong went euery wyght,
And sin to sope set were and dyght.

When sopyd thay had at ther owne deuise,
Strongly thay daunced, ioying merily
Ful long that night in right gladsom wise.
And when that men saw time approched ny
Vnto go to bedde, And deperted fully,
Men made the espouse to depart fair.
Into A pauilon made she A retrair,

Off whom moch cost the fourging And makyng;
Portreid it was with briddes freshly,
Thys fair pauilon rich was in seing;
Forth Anon the bede streight And made redy,
Which with floure-delise couerid was to ey.
Quicly cam Raymound, in the bedde him laide
By fair melusine, the suete doucet made.

Forsoth A Bisshop which that tyme ther was
Signed and blissid the bedde holyly;
“In nomine dei” so said in that place;
After fro thens departed hastily,
For the ceason late le[n]ger to tary.
The Erle hym withdrew to hys pauilon;
And hys good moder, time was and ceason,

Into hir chambre goodly went to bed.
Euery man went to hys erbigage,
But som all night dysported And solas led,
Singing, dauncing, disporting with longage;
Many fayr songis songe that compernage.
Off thys noble feste no more you will breke,
Off gentile Raymound shall I to you speke,

Which with melusine lyght ful meryly,
To whome ful suetly outred she and sayd,
“Now vnderstandith, fayre swet loue, hertly,
The Auentur comyn vnto vs thys braide
That we togeders by grace here bene laid,
Ryght As mAn And wyffe after entent,
And I Am her at your commaundement;

But that oth most hold which first day me made.
I know full wele, when ye cam to pray

The Erle of peiters And knightes that he had
To come and to do you honour that day
That I shuld be maried to your pay,
Be you enquered full moch wat it was,
And of linage ye gan me purchaS.”

He answered hym to the point ful wel,
“Myn owne verray loue, now doubt ye ryght noght.”
“ye sall be moste best fortuned to tell,
So ye couenaunt hold As of reson ought,
As euer was Any of your linage brought,
Hou-someuer fortune that thay haue had,
So the contrary by you be noght made.

Iff it be, ye shall haue gretly to doo
huge noisaunt pannes with aduersite,
And desherite be wrechedly also
Of tennementes, landes, the beste to se;
It wyl be so And sertanly schal be.”
“Fayre swet lade,” said, “I you plegg[e t]routh myne,
Whyle I leue shal be, be it non m[align]e,

Falshed shall noght be our said couenaunt,
Of which here beforne made haue I promesse;
And yut I wil you promit the same grant;”
hys hand vnto heres put in gentill wyse,
Makyng A gret oth As hert cowde deuise,
That he wold it hold euer entirely.
Melusine hym hanswered swetly,

“Now, my swet loue, I say you feithfully,
If ye be stedfaste and couenaunt hold,

In good hour ye be here borne treuely;
kepe it truly, besech you manyfold;
For in my part fail shal I for no gold,
Off me haue ye had ful tru Assuraunce
Which I shall hold; no more say thys instaunce.”

With clipping, kissyng, that nyght gan do so,
That an fair sone ther engendred was;
Vrien callyd at that tyme tho.
Dedis and warkis such gan he purchas
As in tyme shal hire the mater and cas.
Thys feste endured dais ful fiftene;
At ende to lordis yiftes gaf melusine,

And to lades which that men brought
With thys roial and noble Countesse.
Al said ther, “lord god! what wyse is this wrought,
Which that we se here present of rychesse?
Maried is he vnto gret hinesse!”
Raymounde of all moch ther preised was,
No worldly man myght better in no cas.

After when it cam vnto departson,
Faire melusine went faste ther openyng
A forcelet wrought fresh of yuor bon;
A formelet, of gret ualure beyng,
With presious stonis gernesshed that thyng,
With vertues perles ful many,
To the countesse gaf it verra hertly,

Which of that iewel she ful gret ioy had.
Thens deperted the Erle and hys maine,
Which were ful noble peple, good and sad,

The fair melusine hir leue take hath she
Of thys said countesse of ful hy degre
By-forn al peple honourabylly,
And of thys sayd Erle ryght semblabilly,

Off lades And of maydens all.
Thai leaping vp ther sadelles unto,
Openly ther-thens went that enterual;
But gentill Raymound conueied tham so,
With peple of estat Acompanied tho,
With hym wold not haue creature Afoote,
Noght passyng Columberes woodes soote.

Raymounde of thys Erle ther hys leue gan take,
But the Erle drust noght, And ful fayn wold,
Ryght gladly hym A demaunde to make,
Off fair melusine, what she was, tel shold;
Ful moch he thought, but yut hys pes gan hold;
Fere of displesaunce of Raymound any wyse.
On A coursere sate ful fair to deuyse,

Off thys Erle toke leue; after gan retorne
Streight vnto hys wyf kyssyng hir swetly,
And thought in hert ther vnto sogorn,
Which hym resceiued ryght ful ioyously.
Er that eight dais were ended fully,
Al the wodys were roted up and gon;
Of laborers had plente and fuson,

No man knew whens was, ne of what nacion;
Ful gret diches made, ryght huge and profounde,
Ful hiduous was to behold adon;
No cause had thai dismaing thaim no stound,
Neither no deffaute in þe pament found,

Euery day had ther money and argent,
The laborers were the more diligent.

The fundementes made thai right profounde,
(Ful wel know may be if y myssay, lo!)
Fair melusine was deuiser of that ground,
And of werke also lyke as it was do.
Vppon the quicke Roche thay it sett tho;
The fyrste stones to put thay, and made
In litell of tyme; Masons I-now had.

The walles hye deuised she echon,
Wel founded was vppon the said uayley;
Too strong toures made with a huge dongun,
And Enuiron an hy with wardes strong that day.
Of it meruelyd strongly the contray,
hou ful sone men made this said strong repair.
And when thys castell was bastiled fair,

Thys swete melusine saw it full fair tho,
After hir ryght name gan it she Baptise;
Off hir name she hath taken a part, lo!
lusignen to name yaf after hir deuise,
yut is oueral named in that wise;
Many bare that name, it aboute gan cry,
And yut is ryght and cried was suerly;

Noght-withstandyng the good kyng Ciprian
hit cried lusignen euer in his cry,
As the history seith to euery man
Off whom after shal do make memory.
Melusigne is As moche to say truly,
Ryght As ho seith, merueles fauti[t]h non;
She was A woman A-per-se, alon.

Ye may se here A comfort meruelous,
Moche more then other strange auenture.
Wel was A-cheued this castel beuteuous,
Al A-boute reised wonder hy wallure.
Euery man said it was A huge dede sure,
That thys said castel was so sone made;
The peple wondred and gret meruel had.

Thys fair melusine here in hir tyme bare;
At nyne monthes ende childed she A sone,
vrien named, the soth to declare,
Which that after was of ful gret renone;
But hys uisage was strange to uision,
For it was full short And large in trauers;
On ey was rede, Another grey dyuers.

Every man myght se it openly,
Huge mouth And large gret nostrelles also;
neuer man sain non to hym egally;
But of body was inly wele made tho,
Off legges, of Armes, of feete therto,
In it not failled thing thouchyng nature,
And at the ful made vnto hys stature.

After that tyme made she ful huge honoures,
Fourged the brought in mount of bew-repair,
The walles bild hye, and als tours,
The goinges and comynges wroughten fair,
All couered and made, non might ben gair;
At louers, lowpes, Archers had plente,
To cAst, draw, and shete, the diffence to be,

That non wordly man myght no wyse it take;
So strong with peple Acompanyed was,

That strenght ful strong with peple gan make,
The diches profunde large brede gan purchas,
With this toure couerid hye and bas,
The yates Iumelles, mighty and strong,
To sain the trouth, ful large were and long.

Atwixst the borough and thys strenght myghtly
A place ther fourged meruelously strong,
The toure trompe som callyd it daily,
In lusignen town so named tham among;
For Sarisins trompers tho were put ful long,
To ende this said toure thay sold kepe and ward,
And al enuiron aboute to rewarde

That peple noght approch neither to com ny,
But tho of that strenght shold it know and se.
That yere childed she the secunde sonne truly,
Oede named; a fair semblant had he,
As shinyng fire his uisage semynge be,
With wonder rednesse so resplendising;
his membres ful fair formid in makyng;

In that same yere made that lady fair
The castel and brought which men callen mel,
Vauuant and meruant made she, non gair,
The tour of seint Messent after made ful wel;
The Borugh fourged, the abbey gan echdel,
Where þat our lady is serued alway;
And After the town of noble partenay.

And Als the castel fourged she roial,
With good lime and stone freshly vnto sight,
Toures, torettes, pinacles, and harde wall;
The craftismen wrought As tho perfight.

By that, Raymound was doubted of ech wight,
Into gret honour risen is A-hy,
And worshipped is in ech company.

After she had the third son fair withall;
A more fairer neuer say[n] with ey,
Off beute ynow vnto him gan fal,
hit cowde noght ben withsaid certainly;
Sauyng þat on ey had he more basly
Then þat other a litel ther semyng,
Men callyd hym Guy, which doubted no-thyng.

Then that said same yere founded was Rochell,
In peito, by fair melusine this lady.
After taried noght, but litel gan dwel,
That A ful faire brigge made she vnto ey,
(As ther cornicles shewith openly),
And in talmondois fourged was to se,
Of which werke gret loos ther resceiued she.

Anon after had she born in certain
The fourth sone, callyd and named Antony,
But in hys iaw bare A hurt ful of pain
Off A lyon, which al hys life bare ful sighty;
To hym A gret stonyng was it verily,
To moche skin grow, A long seme cutting;
But hardy man was, noght drad ne fering.

All Is trouth that I outre you or say,
Doubt ye noght of it that I you do tel;
In luxenbrough fair thyng made that day.
Thys lady norished thes children ful wel
Till thay wer growyn ryght large, wyse, and fell;
And when it pleased our lord souerain,
The fyfte child thys lady had again,

Which in his hed had on ey and no mo,
Moste hieste set, wonderly to se.
hys name of Baptime Raynold called tho,
his sight more clerer ueryle then he
Whiche to eyes had, for al their plente;
Merueles gret gan do, after ye shal hire,
So it may be hurde thys tale hole entire.

Gassrey with gret toth Afterwarde she bare,
Which growyn in mouth A wonder toth hade,
Which without issued pasing gret and square;
he meruelous strong, of nothyng Adrad,
Blacke monkes he slay, to mortail deth lad;
Off mallers Abbay were thay, lef or loth,
Which causyd hys fader strongly to be wroth.

Again melusine wrothed he ful sore,
That to hir sayd moch repref and velony,
That hir company lost for euer-more;
Which causid a fal fro hys Astat hy
To hys gret repref, ryght to shamfully,
As after wyl make declaracyon,
Of al ther warkis the conclusyon.

The seffe child Ffromont that time callyd was,
Of stature of persone hie, gret, and long,
Inly wel formed, pulcrious of face,
Sage, subtile, wel taught, myghty and stronge;
But vppon hys nosse such a tach had fong,
Ryght As A wolfes skyn row was it tho,
Ful strange vnto sight to se hys nose soo.

Then the eighteth sone borne of Melusin,
Thre eyes hauyng on in front uisible;
Moche peple meruellyd and wonderd ther-in,
Thys child named and called horrible;
For hym vnto se was thyng terrible,
And also he was of wycked doing,
In no goodnesse, thought but to do ille thing.

Now retorn Again vnto vriens,
Which of tham was the most auncion.
Eche shal declare by ordres diligens,
That men may perceiue dul am not ther-on.
vriens was A fair squier of person,
Growen ful bygg, myghtly, stronge, and lyght,
Willing to know where by see and lande ryght.

At Rochel toke A shippe ful fair and large,
(And for she was long, wide, hole, sounde, entire,
I founde in scripture that it was A barge),
Sayng þat he wold go land to acquire,
So god hym warde fro perel to plesur;
Moche peple with hym had, the barge ful was;
Ther Guy with hym went landes to purchas.

In many places preuid was hardly
Thys forsaiden Guy truly manyfold.
And to wel find ther peple only,
The fair melusine of siluer and gold
Gret plente toke, in tresour store to hold.
Into see thay went, the sayl vp gan reise,
To cipresse contre ther shippes gan teise

Streight to that place wher fair auenture funde.
Of Cipresse the kyng tho beseged was

In A myghty towne, which owyd that stound;
Named Famagouce that cite and place;
Which, enfaimling, Almoste gan purchace
The soudan bigly the town beseging,
With an hundred thousande men fightyng.

Off it knew vriens the uerite,
Off Famagouce the Cite roial;
land toke, refershing hym and hys maine.
Forth-with declarid to hys peple all,
And to thys Cite his peple gan cal,
Wher-vnto thai had An euyn streight way;
And beforne tham his baner gan display,

Whych of Fine silke was enbrauded freshly.
The Sarasins knew and saw ther comyng;
Als tho in cite knew tham uerily,
And ther ooste myght see ful fast herbiging,
The peple of Armes ther disloging.
Nye to the soudan thai re[n]gid tho were;
As to the Cipriens to sight semyng there,

That the Soudan cast Away for feere to flee;
That said to othir, “we most after sew.”
The kyng Armed was with fair Ermynee,
hys swet doughter ful maydenly to vew,
hyr honorous fader with harnois new;
Ther hym conueing ryght ful curtoisly,
Vnto hys courser ful debonairly.

Trompes, clarions, blew up fast sounding,
The kynges baner lifte, vp-reised hy;
Ther full gret affray was at ther mellyng,
The paynymes saw the kyng cam freshly,

Anon Assembled that full hastily;
Many A cristyn Approched deth in haste,
And Sarasins many to mortal deth caste.

The sarisins were myghty, fers, And strong;
The Cipriens shewed ther strenght and myght.
The king withe a dart toxicat poison fong,
Such A malice stroke his foes hym dight
That in garison hym wold take no wight.
Tho Sourgeons doubte, As thay gan report,
Wherfor the peple were tho discomforth.

The Cipriens went for fere euermore,
The sarisines after full fast fleing,
Into the thowne thay bete thaim before,
Many ther slain And many don castyng.
In that towne was horrible crying,
As for tho wounded And Als tho slayn;
And for the kynges hurt, ther souerain,

Fvll dolorous wo ther enforced was;
Ermyne by-ment hir good fader sore,
Gret torment to hir ther gan she purchas,
hir goldish herre tering, breking, euermore,
For hir fader and lord lying hir before,
Whom perceiued riued at dethes port,
And that no man cowde yif theroff comfort.

Off kyng Ciprian leue we shal and rest,
And of vriens speke and talke we shall,
Which was wurthy, uaillant, and gentillest,
Full semly to see, lusty ouer all;
And of his brother, that Guy men do cal,
Of fader And moder As beforn is said;
Ther baneres were openly displayd,

And in ther handes full faste gan to hold.
A fers and hardy stoure ther a man shold se,
When to-geders mete with sperys manyfold.
The petyuins tham bare As warly men fre;
For ther good vitail and wines plente
The more strenger were And the more semly;
Assautes tha[y] gafe dyuers And sondry.

Ther vriens shewed his noble prowesse,
Many be-gan sle and hurt manyon;
his brother Guy in lyke besinesse,
Men hym doubted As thai wold A lion;
Paynymes hym drad, fered hys person;
After wiste noght the soudan what to do,
But with spores priked hys coursere tho.

His forbeshed swerd of stele faste holding,
To A peiteuin wightly smote he faste,
So that neuer myght be purchassyng,
With-in litel while standed was in haste;
The timbre And yre thorugh hys body wraste.
hyt perceiued tho gentile vriens;
Semyng fro hym-selfe, with gret uiolens,

In hys handes twain hys swerd fast gripte he,
Such A stroke ther yaf the Soudan vnto,
To teeth cliue his hed for hys cruelte,
Within the Soudan entred his swerd so;
Vnto mortall deth fell this paynym tho,
The paynymes All abashed heuily.
Such-wise vriens wrought dedes Army,

That both paynymes, turkes, And suriens,
That As A larke sro A hauke doth fle,
And hare fro grohund As for ther diffence,

So fleyng thay vnto thar naue.
Vriens which had to tham enmyte
As for to dystroy the sarisins all,
Smote vppon thaim As vppon curres shal.

Ther by vryens And curtois Guy
Were slayn of paynymes the myghtiest.
Vriens in ther tentes thought long surely,
Thens thought not go, but ther take to reste,
Sin vppon paynyms had he such conqueste.
Ther ne taryed he noght ouer long,
That the Cipriens cam besily strong

Off the kinges part to hym send, and come,
Besechyng tham com to the cite,
Off frendlyhed the way to hym nome,
For vnto tham come certes myght not he;
For vnnethes myght speche on hym be,
Strayned with seknesse such wyse was tho,
Wounded and hurt with hys enemyes soo.

When vriens was thaim vnderstandyng,
he Answerd thaim ryght ful curtoisly,
That gladly wold he Approche that hy kyng.
In noble Aray greithed thaim freshly
Vryens And hys brother in company,
Towardes the kyng whent thai forth Anon;
Moche went Cipryan, beholdyng the person

Off vriens, which he saw moche, large, And grett,
Ther seing he had A ful strange uisage
In horrible wyse, As he went by strett,
Euery man blessed, sayng in ther passage,
That neuer such a man saw in al ther age;

“By reson,” said, “he shuld do conquere
All landes with hys semblant and chere;

Non shold to fight hym attende ne bide,
Which fro hym may Any wyse dissende;
ho, lord god, ho? noght A geaunt no tide!
I you ensure, meruelus is to attende!”
At the gret paleis gan thay to dissende;
On grice went vp, the kyng on bed thay founde,
Hys nose, hys mouth bolned gret that stounde,

With toxicat uenym replete was certain;
hym ther complaynyng and ful sore bement.
humbly vriens salute thys souerain,
Thys kyng which in body this poison hent;
Anon hys saluz yild forthwith ther present,
Sayng, “ye haue me seruyd nobilly,
And to me ye haue done gret curtesy;

Neuer in my lyf no such ne had.”
Thes wordes outred the kyng of Cipriens,
After demaundyng vriens ful sad,
“What be ye? what is your name þis presentens?”
“Worshipful kyng, men cal me vriens;
Off lusignen am naturally grow,
I wyll that my name to all men ben know.”

“In faith,” sayd the kyng, “of it am I glad
That dressyd and come ye be to thys place,
And that your wyll were truly to be hade.
Swet frende, I fele mortal dethe me brace,
Neuer After thys comforth to purchace
Off surgery-crafte ne with medicine,
For stuffed I am ful of uenyme,

Whereof helth neuer shal I not conquere,
But of my days shortly to make end;
Wherefor you bes[e]che with me accorde here
That to my gift you please to condiscend,
Whereby noght shal lese, vriens, gud frend;
honour shal ye haue, worship, and profite.”
Vriens graunted hym without respite,

That hys commaundement wold he do gladly,
Agre and Accorde hys sayd gyft vnto;
The kyng hym thanked, And sayd full humbly,
“Thys is wel sayd, and the more gladder, loo!
I shal mortal deth take;” commaundyng thoo
That Al the Barons After send shold be,
And hys fayr doughter the swet Ermyne.

To hys barons said, “now ye vnderstande,
More longer liff noght in me attend;
lenger may not liue here with you in lande,
My noble Rewme Cipresse; now fay you at end,
Whom, to my power, haue warded and diffend
Ffro paynymes at point of swerdes cru[e]lte,
Now it wyll I leue my doughter Ermyne,

In me noght had no poynt of medicin;
For therof she is enheritour of ryght.”
Thai sayng hym with contenance good and fin,
That gladly wold do hys plesire eche wyght.
Ther homage made to hir do in sight,
So takyng of hir ther landes and fe.
Then toke to speke this noble kinge fre;

“The barons All here me vnderstande,
ye warde And kepte truly may noght be
By simple woman gayn Sarisins hande;

your neighbours thay ben wonder ny to se;
Such fers stoures of huge cruelte
As off Armes bere, ne the sharpe shoures;
Here Auised haue to you good socoures.

Uppon thys dede here I haue deuised
That vriens is pusant and myghty,
Off lusignen uaillantly franchised,
Which that the Soudan discomfith manly,
And hys men gan sle by dedes Army,
By the huge prowesse off hys body strong;
Off thys knewlych non hath by mene of tonge;

What demaunde or aske here of hym now wold,
To pray hym I you here beseche hertly,
That he me noght wern, but my requeste hold.”
Thay hym besought and prayed swetly;
To ther request Acorded he humbly;
To the kyng reportyd thay that he wold do
What-someuer he wold hym demAunde, lo!

Theroff was the kyng Full ioyous And glade,
To vriens said, “me request hir ye,
And here perdon me of my wordes hade,
For nothyng wil ne of you for to gyf me,
Off youres nothing sall demaunded be;
But you wil I gif gentilly, sire, of myne
Thys Rewme with all enheritaunce fyne,

With my fair doughter in franke mariage;
For other haue non discended of my lyne.
you besech to take here thys fair Image.”
When the Barons knew to that wold inclyne,
Strongly ioyed all off that discipline,
Ther loue to vriens strongly gan draw,
For the gret goodnesse that thay on hym saw.

Uriens the king full well understode,
A lytell mused, after gan Answere;
“I thanke you hertly, gracyous lord goode,
Off that ye me haue don such honour here;
But iff respite of deth in you saw were,
Full litill or noght wold I your gifte preise;
But, lord, syn it doth your hert so to pleise,

Syn your will it is, Full wele lyketh me;
Wherfor shold I, lo! lenger it delay?”
Thys mariage don plesantly to see,
And ryght As the preste reised god þat day
Off the holy masse, þat þe preste gan say
Where thys sike kyng lay in such maner wise,
yild vpp hys good soule in-to paradise,

Where our lorde will resceyue hym of hys grace,
And off all hys syn yeuyng hym pardon;
For I witnesse you And say in thys place,
That he was A trew catholike person.
Ther gret ioy changed in-to wo Anon,
full dolorous was tho the espouse,
With heuynesse loke was hir good hert fre.

The kyng After entered was goodly;
long taried noght or put were on graue,
hys obsequie don ryght worshipfully,
And, to say the soth, As reson wold craue;
For A kyng shold roiall obseque haue.
That time noght had pleys ne tornement,
For the gret dolour whych for the kyng hent,

Which At mortall deth was ther presently.
But not-withstandyng honestly was don
The mariage And weddyng greabilly;
Blame ne reproche certes nedith non

Tho melled of thes dede passed and gon;
So wyll was this thing At poynt don þat day,
At which time ther was full noble array

Appertaynyng wel to A kinges dede.
At thys mariage was nobles ful many,
Of sondry townes peple in that stede,
knightes, laydes, damycelles worthy,
yonge Squiers, And maydens goodly,
Where-with thys said feste gretly gan honour,
Which ther daunced At that tyme and hour.

Ryght thus the peple merily ioyng
As off the good rule noysed of thaim to,
Of the espouse full noble gouernyng,
And of the good lordes renomyng also.
Anon was she made vnto bedde go,
For vriens wold in no wyse tary,
With hir went to bedde As man ful hastly.

In that night Greffon ther engendred was,
Off whom I shall declare, outre, and say;
Which in payny conquered hye And bas,
Gret seignories And contrees that day,
And of Colcis quitte the contre Alway,
Where playnly no man in no wise passe myght.
Many merueles of trought cam ther ryght,

Every moneth twenty And mo.
An Ile was ther had full fair to deuise,
Wheron conquered was the flees tho,
Which conqueste was made by medee auise,
By Iason Away it bering such wise.
he it conquered by the hy prudence
Off medee the fair, And by hir science;

Fvll long tyme wold be it to rehers here.
ho in-to thys boke thys mater draw wold,
The meruailles huge had in that ille there,
A thousand ther hau[e] fall, come, and unfold;
A thousand sayn, A thousand tymes told,
As wele opin plain As said by straitnesse;
Out of my mater issue shold expresse.

Off thys Ile to speke thys tyme shall I reste,
And vnto Greffon retorn here me shall.
Greffon with swerdes fors was redy and preste,
Off maree the prince, chef, And principall;
After the porte yaffe, conquered he all.
So Aboute went purschassing dayly,
That the uaillant Cite of Triple cam by;

Bi hys huge prowesse went it to assaill
In ryght werly wyse, For manly was in breste,
That both his penon And baner sanfaill
Put within the town, so making conqueste.
Neuer At no day taried ne reste,
That he [ne] went by land And by ssee,
laude, honour, preising so conquered he.

Off hym we shall reste And tary now,
And to our purpos here retorn shall we
Off vriens, kyng which is full know,
And crounyd lorde of Cipresse was he.
Vncle to hys wif, the king of hermyne;
When hir Fader in lif was being,
Brother to hym was of hermyne the kyng.

Thys full noble kyng of Arminiens
In his days was man of grett goodnesse,

But Ay myght not be in liffes existence;
Tho feble and stronge dethe takyth expresse.
Ther ware hys peple full of heuynesse,
With that sorow had many mortalite,
For whyle he regned, well ruled the contre.

A douthter he had gentile And full fayr,
A more gentelere was ther non then she,
Off hym discended was non other hayir.
A concell ther hold off the hermyns fre
That thay wold send to cipresse contre,
Requiring the kyng that hys brother Guy
Sol[d] send in-to ther region only,

And he shold haue that gentile damycell
To hys wedded wife, flourye the fair.
Thay thys ordinaunce Amonge thaim held ful wele;
To Cipresse cam thes messyngers debonair,
Without tarying or Any retrair
Vn-to the kyng declaryng ther message,
For euery off thaim was full wyse And sage.

With full gret ioy resceyued thaim the kynge,
And tham fested wonder nobilly.
When thes nouelles vriens knowyng
Off the fayr debonair, the gentile floury,
Off hys barons toke concell hastily.
Thay All accorded And to hym thay said,
That hys brother shold send with þam þat braid.

That thys thyng were done hasted he bigly;
Guye after send, Accorded All ther-to
That which vriens commaunded hym only.
Into sse thay went with moche peple tho,

Off Armes doubty, noble, And gentile, lo!
Ariued thai were In hermeny,
Wher enherite shold the full fair floury.

Aterthe discended, so thay forth going,
lordys of contre contring thaim Again,
With A wilfull hert full gentilly resceyuyng,
And ioyusly brought forth thys souerayn.
Off hys comyng gret ioy had sertayn,
All the estates made hym full gret feste;
he maried floure without other reste,

The king After was of all the contre,
Thes to Rewmes put As thay beforn were.
To brethers Aforn of trouth had it be,
So ben thay now in to brothers powere,
By fader and moder, in like manere.
Thes kynges to regned, As it is sayd,
And ther tyme strongly gan thay aid

To tho which of thaim discended were;
As I understande, tho of rodes to,
That in mischef ye know, And uisite there.
Full many children had thes brethers tho,
Which leuid till thay were large woxen, lo!
Many fair dedes in ther tyme thay wrought,
That fele paynymes to discomfiture brought.

After dicesse of ther fader good,
Which vnto tham both gentill fader was,
Ther Rewmes ruled well while in lif stood,
And ther noyours undersote put bas.
Fro thaim to ther fader torn wyll by grace,
As vnto Raymounde And fair melusigne,
Ther noble moder with all honour dygne.

When that thay hurde the nouelles And tiding
Off ther sones too, goode, fair, and gentill,
how conquered had to gret Rewmes hauyng;
Wherefor thay sayd the sept psabulmes until
The kyng of glorie, enpreising with vos shill,
By whom thai haue had the huhe victory,
And conquered ther foes many;

And that in so gret honoures put be
That Ayther of thaim claymed is A kyng,
And of sogettes loued in eche degre,
Then was she sette in desy[r]ing
Our lord for to serue, hertly hym thankyng.
Thys noble lady called Melusine,
As for the helth of hir soule deuine,

Thys fair Melusine, without tarying,
Of our lady A minstre fourged she
Which was ful fair, gladsom in seing;
hit edefied Melusine the fre,
And full richely it founded to se;
Thorough All peiters, by hir owne deuyse,
Many churches founded in glorious wysse.

To euery place yaff she gyftes grett.
Affter Oede hir son gan she to marie
The fair doughter, of the noble Erle gett.
For soth Raynold, whych had but on eye,
Full gret, thikke, And fers wax he wonderly;
Anthonye And he parted lusignen fro,
For peple went thens when dined had tho.

For Anthony was ayne and eldeste,
Towardes Brehain toke he the streight way,
Till that luxemborugh Approched ful preste,
A famous town of gret renon that day.

Beforn whom many A penon gan display,
The king of Ausoy it besegied had,
Almoste it toke, within thay sore Adred.

When thes brethren to in feld comyn were,
The town vnnethes gayn Ausoys myght hold;
Ther Aither of tham had hurt the manere,
Wherefor thaim werred thys myghty kyng bold;
For A mayden it was that haue wold,
That within the towne was gentil, curteys, & faire,
Doughter of A duke, Orphelyne debonair.

Bi strenght to wife haue wold hir the kyng,
Remeue wold he noght thys said Cite fro
Til the dukes doughter he were hauyng.
But Anon cam A-place thes bretherin to,
Which with thaim brought A wonder huge host tho,
Vnto thys said kyng send thay diffiance,
By An heraude of theres that instance.

Wherof the king was ioyus And glad,
For he was lusti, yonge, fers, and cruell;
A-ferrome thay perceyued the strenght had,
Seing the baneres with the wynde ful wel,
Which blew thaim A-lofte with many A pensell,
Of Army peple seing grett fuson,
With Custiles And Gisarmes manyon;

Then thay staste thaim, putt in-to ordinance,
Goyng to smyte ther enemies uppin,
huge noyse and crye Assembled that instance.
The lusignens went, faste crying tham on;

To-geders dreuing cam with gret randon,
And when thay cam the Assemble to,
The erth made thay to tremble and quake tho.

Ther entre-sembling don wonder fersly;
A gret Abashment was it tho being;
Ausoys peityuyns assailing bigly,
Peiteuyns vppon Ausoys faste knakking,
Manyon ther slayn, mortally deyng;
Ayen lusignens crying were Ful faste,
“Theffes Ausoys! byde our swerdes taste,

For escape no wyse mow ne shal ye noght!”
Ther army dedes the peiteuyns gan do,
Fro fele bodies pertid the soule in brought.
Then thes brethren, ech by thaim-self, tho,
So ful werrely wrought, can noght be said, lo!
Off o side and other so departed there,
That the peiteuyns Ausoys gan conquere.

Anthony the kyng toke with handes to,
In his hand he semyd hym no-thyng,
hym wold he haue slayn, but he yilde hym tho,
A-non hys swerd forth-with presenting.
When Anthony saw to hym so yilding,
he hym resceyued And his swerd gan take;
And tho the Ausoys gret flight gan to make;

But peyteuyns Full ny gan thaim to sew,
And Raynold strongly full faste gan to fight,
Many ther were slayn And fele gan subdew,
The Ausoys takyng all And slayn don-right.
Raynold was full sage, And wel taught persight,
In like wyse was hys brother Anthony,
Full gentill And connyng vnto mannys eye.

Where that day thay toke to ease thaim surely
As for ther repare in the tentes and place.
In-to the town After send quikly
To se if thay were reioed in thys cace;
knightes sixe made go vnto the good grace
Off thys fair mayden, hire to present the kyng,
Ther thens departyd, lenger noght byding;

The kyng presented to thys fair creature,
vnto do with hym at hir owne plesance.
Then thys fayr mayden, fresh shappe of figure,
Which was full gentile, Fair, swet of semblance,
And to tho said which had hir in gouernance,
“Fro whens comith this noble lordes thys hour,
That me thys day han don so gret honour?”

“Madame,” said on which was an Aged knight,
“With A herty will ye shal know gladly;
Thes bene the sones of lusignen ryght;
Men thaim so name, certes, by ther cry,
That on of thaim is called Anthony,
And that other hath vnto name Raynold,
To full myghty men, manly And full bolde.”

Thys Fair mayden said, “god off his mercy
Off ther socour tham thanke for hys hy pusance,
For me haue thay don dedes Full worthy.
What so I haue shall be to ther plesance,
For ther consell wrought and good gouernance,
With tham shall I concell, er thay goo,
Off all thyngis that I haue to do.”

Then she ther demaunded hir concell;
After commaundyng thes brethren come hir to,
lenger myght not she it withold well,

And with ther hoste shall come loge also,
In thys said towne ther herbigage haue tho,
And in especiall the Barons moste hy.
hyr peple said, “it shal bene done truly.”

Toward thes brethren went thay forth anon,
Within the tentes merily tham founde,
In place where was the kyngys pauilon
For time that the sege was hold in þat ground.
Ther founde thay I-now of goodes þat stounde,
But of it thay wold take ryght no-thyng,
But to men off armes All was yeuyng.

What-someuer thing in that place was founde,
Fyrste gaf to tho gret, After smal vnto.
When fro luxemborugh where come þat stounde
Thes messengers Ful Apertly tho,
Ther message sagely And wightly gan do
To thes to brethren off full huge prowesse
Fro the part off thys lady And mestresse.

Thes brethren to resceyued tham humbly,
Ryght so As thay k[n]ew full wel for to do.
When thes messyngers vnderstod uerily
All thare Answer, no lenger taried tho,
That of thes knightes fife hundred and mo
Went thaim to loge there, were noght dangerous,
knowing that ther was al thyng plenteuous.

The hostes marschall lefte thai þat instance,
Ther forigers A-forn gan to send
For ther hostes to make ordinance,

Of whome the Instrumentes sounded at end,
Off luxemborught entre moche to commende;
No place ther had, neither carfoukes non,
But peple shold se ther come many one,

To the sounde that thes instrumentes gan make;
The nobles and gentiles comyng thaim agayne.
Tho moste worthiest thes brethren gan take,
Vnto the castel conueing thaim certayn.
To thys assemble peple cam ful fayn,
Where appered thys cristin creature,
Whiche cristian was named, be ye sure.

Ther Acompanied was she noght ill
Of laides had ful gret company,
With noble damyselles longing hir until,
Als of tho maried As of maidens many.
Thai thes brethren resceyued nobilly,
And ful sagely ryght so As thay shold,
Ther vitail redy As to plesire haue wold,

With-out tariyng to wash ther handes went;
After went to sitte ther ceriatly.
Sche made thaim ther A ful fayr sight to hent,
The kyng of Ausoy sette was he moste hy;
After the brother to Raynold, Anthony,
After thre gret barouns of the same place,
Enmyddes tham Raynold ther sette wace.

Ther tho had was An excellent feste,
A more honester neuer sayn with eye,
Of vitail and als wines of the best;
The peiteuyns were at ease merily.
When dined thay had, ther handes wash clenly;
The tables raysed After tho anon,
And graces saide with gret deuocion,

The kyng of Ausoys to thes brethren to
Said, “I am your presoner thys instance,
In your handes take at thys iournay, lo!
I you here besech to make ordinance,
In such wyse I may be put to sinance.”
Anthony hym said in fayr, “lord and knight,
Our presoner be ye noght of right;

Here haue we done And shewid curtessy,
Where to wrongously uillanous ye doo,
To thys noble damicel and lady.
Owr dedes we haue put now hir vnto,
your body we haue yeuyn hir also;
Now by hir moste be all the ordinance,
Other-wyse ryght noght but to hir plesance.

In hir standeth all your deliuerance,
Or elles your deth without doubt Any”—
(When the kyng it hurd, in hert had noisance)—
“for that ye haue hir noyed wekkidly.”
Forsoth tho anon spake thys fayr lady,
(Neuer concelled by mannys langage,
For she was well thaught, inly wise and sage),

“Mi lordes,” she said, “I thank you hertly
Of honour and seruice that ye haue me do;
But by my feith As to that dede surely
Off kyng Ausoys, I wyll not ordayn, lo!
he is yours, I leue hym you vnto;
here all that I haue you gyf you thys day,
For you to guerdon certes can ne may,

And hepes of gold had in tresory,
That which ye haue yusterday me do,
By your gracious noble chiualry.

In you lyth hys lif, And his deth also.
No other thyng shal I do ther-to;
So to your goodnesse am I bounde & hold.”
hir wordes hurde Antony and Raynolde,

Thai hir answering, “sin ye wyll do so,
Of vs shal he haue A quite-clayme fully,
With-that he Amend that he hath misdo.
Then here shall he knele ful debonerly,
here Aforn vs al, criing you mercy
Of trespas and wronges he hath done here;
And vppon hys feith truly you to swere

That neuer you il after thys shal doo,
No noisance, distourbance, neither demage;
Surete And hostage shall you take vnto.”
Thys fair maden said with full swet langage,
“Ryght As ye haue said, it pleasith my corage;
Vnto you I wyll Agre in all thyng,
As ye wyll, so wyll I, by consenting.”

The kyng was full glad, ioyng merily,
For he trowed wel exiled to be.
To thys lady went, cryng hir mercy,
lyke-wyse As was said by Anthony fre.
Thys womanly thyng ther resceyued she,
Ryght As it pleasid ther thys brethren to,
She Accordid in semble wyse tho.

When the kyng had made hys othe & swrete,
Then ful lowde he spake And ful hautaynly,
And sayd the Barons, “ful glad mow ye be
yif such a neighbour puruely myght I
As on of you to to haue uerily,
Which bene so chiualrous in your doing,
And which for to do is preisable thyng.

Seith here now thys plesant debonair
Gentile Cristian, thys nobyle duchesse,
Which holdeth contrees and rentes fair!
Anthony, me hire besech your hinesse,
ye don haue gret curtesy and gentilnesse,
Hit is gret reson ye were satefied
Off your ful good will don And Applied.

I say thys to ende that it myght be wrought
As that we App[r]oche that I thenke fully,
Ryght noble Barons, sin wel I haue thought,
To my semyng, Cristian might mary
As to be yeuen vnto Antoni.
A man no better myght hit employ nay-where,
For this knight is A worthi baculere.”

Off luxembrough the Barons and eche lord,
Thay sayng, “ful wel here hath said the kyng.”
All Agreable sete in one Accorde,
To thys werke the kyng was thaim there saing.
The mariage had with all the weddyng,
Which endured eight days plenerly,
Ther had ioustes and tornementes myghty.

There iousted tho ful nobilly the kyng.
At eight days ende finished the feste,
Then euery man redy faste hastyng
To go And leue take of tho semyng best.
Anon ther cam, without bode or reste,
A messenger, streight fast As he myght goo,
Which longing was the king of Brehayne to.

To the kyng of Ausoys lettres he brought.
Anon the gate opened hym vnto,
Forth-with þe kyng brake thes strange lettres wrought.
As sone As he had radde thes letters tho,
There gan he to sigh and sowghid for wo,
And Als for to wepe ryght ful tenderly;
Then thes brethren to demaunded for why

That he weped so, And wat tydinges he hade.
Vnto tham he sayd, “reste wil noght to tell;
Full ill me is come, hard nouelles and sad;
Besegyd haue the sarysins cruell
In Brehayne with the tiranny fell.
Off my brother kyng haue I gret pete,
Which sore displeasith and hurteth foule me.

For your lordys sake, take therof pete,
And if it you please to hys socour goo,
I thynke it deserue atwixst you and me.”
When Anthony understode hys wordes tho,
Full goodly he said thys hy kyng vnto,
“Sir,” he sayd, “for thys be not discomfort;
My brother you ful wel shal recomfort.

For certes Raynold my brother shal go,
My good knightes with hym shal he bring,
And your brother put Away fro wo,
Ther many Sarisins shal be deing.”
“I thanke you hertly,” to hym sayd the kyng;
“I Afferme And plegge here vppon my life,
My brothe[r]s doughter shal he haue to wyfe;

Raynold shal so enploed be and sette,
Then in your brother better may noght be;
So god me ayde, he shal hir haue without lette

After my brother, kyng of hy degre;
And he shal gouerne noble Brehayne;
For non other hoir hath non my brother,
But only hir; ne may haue non other.”

When Antony vnderstode thys nouell,
Which was ful fayr and inly gracyous,
To the kyng he said hautaynly and wel,
“Go hens, ye noble king vertuous,
your hoste Assemble with peple plenteuous,
Al your ful hoste vnto þat place bryng,
Within thys Auynsime be ye retornyng.

Mi peple ye shall finden al redy,
Noght ouer ferre, but ny by shall ye;
Raynold my brother to you shal come truly,
In propre persone me ther shal ye see.”
The king hym thanked goodly As myght be,
Fro thens departed he ful hastly tho,
hys peple to Assemble fast gan to go.

And when Assembled hys peple hade,
Then forth-with As sone As he goodly myght,
To luxemborugh A retorn he made,
And then to that place came hys peple raid ryght,
A noble Baronage hauyng ther to sight;
Then he made to come A messengere
Fro king Ausoys to Anthony there;

Which ther cam tho in ful noble aray,
With A shil vois said to duke Anthony,
“Sir, I pray your lord you salute thys day;
The king of Ausoy And hys company

here comith to go to Brehayne hastly;
By-nethes ar thai in the fayr medew,
With ful noble company hym to sew.”

The duke hym sayd, “welcom shall he be.”
Raynold forth he send, moste no lenger byde.
Raynold cam Agayne, ther taried noght he;
Sir Anthony sayd, “brother, goth thys tyde;
Into thys faire medew forth most ye glyde,
For ther is comyn king Ausoys roiall,
Makyng to loge hys peple gret And small,

His pauilon piche vnto Auantage;
To that done was he inly sage and wyse.
let tham take ther ease after ther corage,
Then make the kyng come of hys hye emprise.”
hys commaundement Raynol[d] gan Auise,
And it was wel don to hertis plesance,
The Ausoys loged wel with all circumstance.

The kinge departed and for thaim toke leue,
Towardes luxem borough thys said duk went,
The town entred in, ther founde, in breue,
Gret fest thaim Among was to all entent;
After at borde set conuenyent.
Of ther diner and fayr leue here I shal,
For hit nedith noght As to rehers All.

Anthony Anon made tho all redy,
Such peple As were ther in that contre,
he hauyng ther A noble company
As to aid the kyng tho of Brehaigne;
Nombred thay were thirty thousande fre,
Ther thes hostes too full Assembled were,
And full gret honour to-geders can bere.

Noble felowship ther A man shold se;
As moche peple the duke As had the kyng.
When that to-geders thay made assemble,
In euery parte the grounde faste tremblyng.
But er that made fro thens departing,
Thys fayr Cristian called Anthony,
Sayng, “you beseche, souerayn lord hy,

That it myght you please me do such honoure
That ye the Armes wold fouchesafe to bere
Off luxem borugh; noght put non houre
Other blason, you beseche, to were.”
“My fair swet loue,” Anthony gan Answere,
“Accorde shal I noght your wyll ther-vnto,
But Another thyng for-sothe shall I doo.

In whatsomeuer place, lo! that we be,
The shild shal I bere of A lyon,
Vppon my armure, plenerly to se;
That Armys wyl haue; other wyl I non;
For that when I was born thys wordle on,
A hurt of A lyon tho I gan to bere,
Vppon my Iawe strongly appering there,

Where-of the peple Abasshed was sore.
Also your plesire certes shal I doo,
And fulfill your wyll days euer-more.”
She said, “I you thanke full hertyly, lo!
For yf the Asure be put Away fro,
My hole Armys shal ye bere surely,
Both youre armys And thes same only,

Which ben Armes ryght full Auncion.”
Thes Armes he toke And tham gan to bere,
And so Assorted thaim ryght thys to gon.
Of this fair lady toke he his leue there,

Then fro ther logis thar dressyd tho were,
Towarde Brehaigne went thai fast dreuyng;
Euery Afore other went fleing,

Passyng so Baueres And also Almayn,
Suche progresse forth made ouer the contre,
By huge Iournays, ualey and montayn,
Till thay Approched the land of Brehaigne.
At thar owne desyre ther made thay entre,
Now shal I say of paynymes the felons,
Which werred dayly thys sayd Brehaignons.

The king of Craquo mighty And strong was,
Werryng ful bigly the Brehaignons thoo,
Withe hym Esclauons many had aplace,
So as we haue founde in old scripture, lo!
For of that lande was lorde and syre also.
To Brehaignons ful gret werre he made,
On A day he went, to scarmish with thaim sad,

Afforne Brehaigne without hodelnesse.
There hym perceyued the king of Brehaigne,
And ther thought display his baner expresse,
Fedris, which held that Rewme And contre;
Armyng hym ryght faste, taking his helme fre,
When with his armure coueryd he was,
Ther the gates made opon And unbras;

Fro town issued his peple And he;
Off noble peple had he full many.
And the Sarisins bete thes knightes fre,
Many ther caste done And moche peple sly,
But such store was of Esclauons only,
That we can not put tham As in writing,
Off whom Brehaignons were ryght sore doubtyng.

Esclauons Brehaignons put sore Abake,
And tham sore chased A-non to the ende.
But of luxem borught the duke on gan take,
He puttyng Away ther huge debate tende.
Off Brehaignons kyng to fyght was bende,
With the Sarisins faught he in eche side,
Which his peple had put Abake that tide.

But the kyng was noght put Abake only,
But he had ynow hys life to deffende,
Here And there caste doun, fighting ful manly,
On all for-smete, Another to grounde wende,
As A wyld boor deffendyd hym at ende.
Ryght As at bay stode thys manly good knight,
Full sore were thay hurte whom he Approche myght.

But with A shotte off A launcegay tho
Thys noble knyght smetyn thorugh hys body
Full felonesly And cruelly also,
That to mortal deth fill doun sodenly,
Fro body went the soule ful heuily;
To our lord An hy commaunded was she,
For A worthy man certes was he.

There vp ros the cry, As seith the scripture,
The Brehaignons wo sore wepte for pite;
Tho that myght, ther fled; but sarisins sure
Thay sued ny, attayning tho gan fle.
There swerdes gan take, faste Aboute gan sle,
Fersly on tham went whom þat myght attayn,
Full faste cast thay doun, And many ther slayn.

Wherof Brehaignons braid and cried,
And tho which might ther be escaping
Vnto the town come spored And hied,
Declaring thes nouelles of the kyng;
Wherof At hert had that gret noyng
The kynges doughter, named Eglentine,
Whome All good beute gan fair enlumyne.

Eglentine, thys kinges doughter fre,
Off paynymes had gret fere And doubtance.
The peple ran to town And Cite,
The sarisins moche doubted þat instance,
When the kyng saw dede, whylom of pusance;
Wheroff the sarisins had gret ioy tho,
Cristyng ther were had be ended And doo.

Tho A full gret fire thay tende made And hade,
With busshes And wod makyng it full hy,
Ful ny to þe gate thys said fire þat thai made,
Byforne hys peple the kyng brend truly.
Marred therof ben tho within Fully,
Crying And grinting sore with ther teeth tho,
But no remedy cowde thay shap therto,

For non other wyse ther myght it noght be.
But tho cam Anthony And also Raynold,
Which to paynymes made sautes plente,
And of Ausoys the noble kyng hold.
To-Brehaigne-ward cam thes thre told,
Ther bushinentes fayr resplendising,
As the bryghty sune light and fayr shinyng.

A noble thyng was to behold and se
To-Brehaigne-ward forth faste were passyng,
Which gret nede had to socour and surete,

For gretly thai were thaim ouerpressing;
The Brehaignons went out thaim Faste trussing,
Wheroff Brehaigne was Astoned sore,
And diffendyd thaim febly euermore.

Off thys Eglentyne had gret discomforth,
She had more leuer had mortalite.
“Als! dede is,” said, “my fader, my comfort;
Fader ne moder haue I noght, perde!
here bide And dwell most, orpheline to se.
What now willt thou don, woful Eglentine?
To gret heuynesse off-fors moste thou incline;

For now I se here the destruccion
Off all my regyon And Rewme roial.
Als! caytif! what shalt thou now don?
In what maner forme gouerne the now shall?
Thy contre shalt se put in exile all,
Distroed, robbed, peled, and more wurse,
By ille sarisins; god gife thaim his curse!

I wote nere wat to do, neither what to say,
Ne I may noght to it shappe remedy;
Me moste here-After our lord to renay,
And in sarisine lau beleue fully!”
Thys complained Eglentine heuily;
For sarisins strong Asseilede faste certain
The cite And town, And strongly gan thaim payn

To haue it, and take by assaute that hour.
Such trowed it to dresse, which sailled tho;
For in lytell whyle, thorugh goddys labour,
Er that pay[ny]mes trowid it to do,
A messengere cam the Brehaignons vnto,
Entred brehaigne without tarying,
Ful coyly And preualy within entring,

Then escried he ryght full hautanly,
“Now go ye forth, And well shall it appere,
Which that will diffend thys cite truly.
Diffend you now well, se your socour here,
Which comyng is you in ryght swifte manere.
Se ye noght her of Ausoys come the kyng,
Anthony And Raynold with hym doth bryng?

Moche ther comyng is you vnto socour,
Ne haue ye no worde deth vnto, sothlesse.
For the noble Duke Anthony of honour,
And raynold hys brother to this place thaim dresse;
With thaim peyteuyns many bryng expresse,
Which norished ben with good mete and wyne,
Paynyms thay will make to-stoniste incline.

The kyng of Ausoys thaim haue in company,
To socour And aid tho Af Brehaigne.”
When the Barons it vnderstode truly,
Thay yildyng thankes to god in trenite.
Eche off tham diffended scharply to see,
Ther euery man good hert gan to take,
The sarisins it saw, ssore gan to quake,

Mvsyng what nouelles or comfort thay hade.
When thai perceiued tham to contune so,
“Se,” on said, “A messyngere comyng sad;”
Whiche with full shil vois cried right loude tho,
“your escarmish, lordes, lete passe And goo.
Vn-to your loges make fair retrete Anon,
Withdraw, remeue hens time is that we done.

For cristyn peple comyng fast many se,
To comforth tho within, samdele fered,

Off Army peple Full many here bee,
(The feldes ouerall, lo! ben couered),
Which us cometh, by gret wreth stered.”
Then thes paynymes wrethfully ther thens
Whent, leuyng Anon ther stourdy uiolens.

Thens to ther logges went thay retornyng,
And not-For-þat made clariners vp-blow;
And ther batailles Anon ordaynyng.
Off that other part Anthony so grow
Hys batail renged, comyng to be know;
When entreproched thys huge hostes to,
Sarisins strongly ther thaim doubted tho.

The cristin peple tho ran thaim vppon;
Persed And brokyng shildes were many;
Tho cristin went toward thaim enui[r]on,
The sarisins went tham to deffend withly;
Ther A myghty stour men shold see to eye.
To off thaim hath ther cast don Raynold,
Meruelous strokes smote he as man bold;

And ther Anthony hys foes caste don,
All peple hym drad And sore hym gan doute.
A paynym to smyte went he forth Anon,
hym not warented harnes ne helme Aboute;
For hys swerd entred hys hed thorugh-oute,
Which ther rent And cleffe don the theth vn-to,
he gan fall to erth with gapyng throte tho.

Tho cristin manly gan do at that day,
Euery forth went with strokes smyting.
Tho went lusignens escrying allway,
“lordys, Barons, Aforn here passyng,
Vppon the paynymes be ye wel fighting!”

The kyng of Craquo ful wrogth tho he was,
When hys peple saw such hurtes purchas,

To thaim socour hym efforced tho,
With gret strength And myght his swerd gan enbrace,
hys swerd fershly shone, And by gret vertu, lo!
A cristin hath he caste don vppon the grace,
Al deth to ground laid throwen in the place.
After Craquo hily cried And grad,
“O ye cristin, your dethe now here had;

All shall ye dye, escape ye ne may,
Forsoth here by me of-fors most ye dy.”
hys langage greuyd moche Raynold that day,
With spores smote faste his course[r] bigly,
With hand strained hys brande of stile fersly,
And wightly went to smite the kyng Craquo,
By such fors And strenght hed rent teth vnto.

Bustesly And rude the stroke gan discend,
Raynold caste hym don, to deth the king fall;
Wherwith hys peple to discomfort wend,
No lenger sogerned sarisins, gret ne small.
With ther coursers ther ways torned all;
When thay perceiued and saw ther kyng slayn,
Thay thaim held tho All discomfite plain.

Apertly And Openly torned to flight,
But peiteuins tho pursute after made,
Vppon sarisins smote and bete don ryght,
Tham all to-chapped And kerue in pecis sad,
As men don the flesh vppon the stal had.
Anthony, the full noble souerayn,
Off paynyms hath ryght manyon slain.

The sarisins thaim held for discomfight;
he rent And tare don all he gan attain.
The kyng of Ausois, Also A good knight,
He hym bare ful wel And nobilly certain.
All the paynymes ther of trouth were slain;
When ther perceiued the king Ausois bold
Tho kyng of Craquo standed and all cold,

And of painymes so full gret fusion,
Ther he commaunded hys peple unto
That unto on hepe put shuld be echon.
Ryght As he had sayd, so ther was it do.
The paynyms hepid strongly An hye tho,
In euery part put to was the fire,
Ther paynymes were bruled and brend entire.

Off Sarsons A man shold venge hym ryght so,
For of verray trought of Craquo the kynge
like made hys brother to Askis brend tho.
Anthony And Raynold ther were logging
In tentes reised which thei were finding;
The peiteuins ther logged in-ly well,
And sarisins disloged eueridelle.

The kyng Ausois lefte thes holy mightes,
Vnto the town went he ther forth A-non,
With hym An hundred of noble knightis,
Of moste wurthiest being enuiron,
And moste hightiest goodly of person.
Ther fair Eglentine comyng hym Agayn,
What-so she gan do wel be-cam certayn;

Hvmbly And swetly salute she the kyng,
For hir uncle was he naturally,
The kyng gentilly hir ther enbrasing,
After hyr gan kysse ryght full curtoisly.

“Fair nece,” said the kyng, “here I you affy
That your sadir Deth auenged is well;
Be ye noyht wroth, displease you no dell.

Ye haue sayn hys deth uenged with gret fors;
The king of Craquo for hym is ther ded;
Off your fader ne haue mynde ne remors,
Thys said king Craquo brende haue I in-ded.
Comfort your-self, that is wit and womanhed;
iff Any demage don haue in contre,
Off ther wages thay truly payed be.

No more after this nedith noght to doute;
Thay trowed under fote put the contre,
Now haue thai failled of ther art all-oute;
And of shame no-thyng certes haue not ye,
Wherfor reproche or repref shold be.
I haue wonnen that nedith you thys houre,
Acquired haue ye worship and honoure.”

“Ha, sir,” she said, “good lord souerain,
My gentile uncle, and my ful swet frend,
When I me bethenke on my fader slayn,
A-non my hert within wepingly is tend.”
“Was not he my brother?” said the kyng at end;
“hyt behouith us sorow to lete passe,
Pray we god on hym haue mercy and grace.

His funerall obseque to-morn we do,
And for hys good soule to our lord pray we.”
Ryght as he sayd, don was al thyng tho.
A thousand pound of wax fourged and made she,
As for the morn to don the obseque,
At sodayn warnyng had thay such huge light,
Anthony And Raynolde both were ther ryght;

Ynly will was don that which shold be do.
Moche the Brehaignons gan vnto behold
The habilite of thes compaynouns tho,
Thes said wurthy men, thes to brethren hold,
That myght noght be wery, yonge ne olde,
As thaim vnto see so sette verily,
Large, long, gret, strong, streight, wel thaught truly.

Ther Abasshed And stonde were many
Off thys lyons hurt that thai gan behold,
Setten in the skin strangely, lo! ful hy
Off hir Anthony, brother to Raynold;
For the hurt to thaim Appered ther unfold,
Wherof euery man basshed was samfayl,
Off gretnesse of it had thay gret meruail.

Neuer to hym saw non like ne egall,
Then after said tho of town And cite
That raynold was habill man with-all,
As to discomfite well shappen was he
A rewme or empire of full large contre;
Saf but that o eye had, thay gan complayn,
Al other membres commanded thay certain.

Lenger nedith noght to declare ne tell
his obseque don without doubte Any,
Worshippfully And honorably wel.
Then the kyng gan hold A parlement truly,
Where had tho was A noble company,
Withe full wurthy men As of Brehaigne,
The king saing, “Barons, understande me,

Hit you behouith rewarde and behold
ho shall doo gouerne And rule this contre,

And ho your king shold be know now ye shold,
For presently now with-out king ye be.”
Ther hym Answering, “good ryght is to se,
But the werke therof fully doth partain
And all the labour in you hole and plain.

For gif Eglentyne were ended And gon,
you to enherite shold fall the contre;
The purueaunce therof lith you uppon,
Auaunce you now, for hys loue in trinite,
So that thys contre well purueyed be
Off on, chosen by you, that Eglentyne
May marie and gouerne us and our line.”

The kyng Answered, “to my parte you say,
To whom behouith my nece to mary?
Or for whom wold ye? you besech All-way,
That ye me say your Auise fully.”
“Sir, at your deuise,” the Barons said surely,
“Ryght As ye will, so certes will we doo;
No knight will resceiue but at your plesire, lo!

Al the werke therof we put you uppon.”
“Then in goddis name, sires, lete me do”—
(This Answered thys noble kyng Anon)—
“On shal ye haue gentile And curtois to,
A man of goodnesse and of honour also,
Whom ye shall resceiue As unto your lorde,
Is hardy wurthi knight, good of recorde;

Non other I will certes to you take.
Then to brothers haue, noble kynges to,
And An hye Duke,” to thaim thys the kyng spake,
“In your grette nede you aid hath also;

To thys place comyn ferre contrees fro;
Deliuerd hath your noble Cite
Fro the paynimes And all your contre.”

Raynold called forth by the kyng Anon,
Sayng, “vnto you will I couenaunt hold.”
The kyng with uois hye said, hurd manyon,
“Come forth here! Appere! come forth, Raynold!
Approche As come nerre, swete frend, As man hold.
here-beforn I haue you be promysing
That of this contre make you wold A kyng.

Y will not you lye, but to it consent,
For A king ne shold lye ne be gabbyng;
My nece Eglentine to wife shal ye hent
With all rewme And that to it longing.
Will ye hir now take, the land diffending?
Off hyr And hyrs you lorde shall I make,
And all longith hir ye As for to take.”

When sir Anthony All thys vnderftode,
he taried noght to Answere redy,
he hartly thankyng thys noble king good
That fair Eglentine Raynolde shold mary.
“Off your fre kyndenesse And curtesy
The contre shall diffende, ruling well the lande;
For werre he can well, knightly is off hand.”

When thes Barons thys Answere had fong,
To our lorde thankes yeldyng full hyly,
And to oure lady in thar hertes strong,

Ther thay perceued hym strong, large, And hy;
The lande to gouerne thought wold pesibilly.
Thys kyng ordayned his nece Eglentine
All that pertain shold A quene of ray fine.

And Raynold like-wise put hym in Aray
As pertained to kinges hye corage.
The mariage don And finished that day
Beforne the syght of all the Baronage;
Thys fest ther roiall fourged by tho sage;
Hit days fiftene endured largely,
Full noble gyftes ther geuen frely.

Neuer was yeuen more fairer thinges,
Robes, coursers, iew[e]lles forth present.
Also ther had thes honorous kinges
Ioustes, tornementes full excellent
In presence of ladies courtois And gent.
Presently ther had A thousand of contre,
Without tho townishe peple, vnto se.

But Raynold ther thens bare the grete honour
That of Brehaignons lord was tho present;
Ther saing al with O wis þat hour,
“Lif, lif oure noble kinge reuerent!
For A man hym know vnto All entent!
And blissed be he hym A-place gan bring!”
At feftene dais end cessed the festing.

Pepole toke ther leue homeward to repaire,
The ladies And damycelles All,
Off whom there was had manyon And fayre.
The Duke Anthony hys leue toke in hall,
In-to way hym sette at that enteruall,

Towarde luxembrough he and hys mayne,
Which were full noble And gentile to see.

And in Brehaigne gan to byde And dwell
Raynold the hye kyng, whome gan to honoure
All the wide contre courtoisly And well,
And by hys noblesse be such gouernoure,
Eche man his dedes preised hugely that houre.
In Frise made gret werre Rainold er he reste
At ortholegne off the grett conqueste.

Bi hys strength Denmarke gan he to acquere;
In his tyme regned As man pusantly;
Full goodly leuid hys lif here entire;
And As that man non here more wurthy
Was not A-thys-side the romayns truly.
As off hym here no more declare att All,
Off the Duke Anthony talke & speke me shall;

Anthony the Duke, And off Ausoys the kyng,
Which were courtois, gentile, connyng, And sage.
Fro Brehaigne tho ensemble comyng,
After at luxemborugh toke ther hostage.
Ther on fro other parted of viage,
At luxemborugh king Ausois not wold sogourn,
Al streight in-to hys contre gan retourn.

Anthony with hys wife gan vnto remayn,
For litill while had thai maried be.
Ful moche hir louing with perfecte hert plain,
In wil and dede hir loued hertly he,
As any man cowde A-this-side the se.

hys wyfe by hym had to cheldren perfight,
On named Bertran, which was A good knight;

The yonger had to name lochier the gud;
he delyuerd straytes all and gyed
As of dardane, which plente had wood,
Many A good knight ther fortefied;
ywon all-ther-first ther he edified;
Vppon meuse the noble brigge made
Off meisiere, after A-conqueste had

Many other places by hug prowesse;
Of al gret noblesse thys said man tho was.
Anthony wered with strong besinesse
The Erle of Faborugh, conquest gate by gras;
Passyng Aritrige, many richesse made purchas,
And all put in-to hys subieccion,
Conqueryng ther many A regyon.

After, Bertran the eldeste son becam,
Within litell whyile, ful gret And ryght manly;
To wyfe toke the doughter of Ausoys kyng of fame;
A full good knight was, gentile And wurthy,
Entrepreignant, coragious, and hardy,
And more often-tymes then I can you say;
kyng of Ausoys was after the kynges day;

Hys doughter maried, As beforn gan tell,
Which lady tho was of all the contre.
Bertran ther regned and gouerned welle.

Thes brethren to regned As men fre,
That by strenght & myght put vnder fote in fe
All tho which thaim made trouble or noysance.
Off thaim will I reste me here this instance.

To Melusine shall I retorn Again,
And my mater ayen taken shall bee,
how that Raymound hym gouerned certain.
Ther full excellently regned he,
In places fele, in many A contre,
By strenght of swerd conquered of corage;
For hys noblesse All Barons gan do hym homage.

Gaffray with grette toth becam man full grette,
Ryght myghty, strong, fers, whight, & full pusaunt;
In werring A strong werriour ryght fet;
Dayly his vertu preuyngly gan haunt.
For he conquered Guedon the huge Geaunt,
And by knightly strenght hym ther discomfight,
Which Geaunt wasted the contre don ryght,

Every man strongly gan hym to redoute,
To Rochel toke sauegarde, for all hym drad;
he paceyfed the contre thorugh-oute,
As well in meddes As at endys had.
When Geffray understod thes nouelles sprad,
And þat hym called with gret toth tho,
He swere hys oth Again hym wold he go;

And in hert thought well hym to discomfight,
To the swete plesire of kyng of glory
Which yeuith all tho that wyll victory ryght.
His fader Raymounde full wo and sory,
For the Geant he doubted heuily,

For that he was so horrible grete;
Off Geffray in mynde ful huge doubte he get.

Geffray with gret toth Armed hym full preste,
hym-selfenn the tenth went to that parte,
Passyng forth hys way without any ryste.
Here shal I hym leue, no more now said be;
Retorn Againe shall to Melusine sre,
The swet, the courtois, the benigne also,
Which after thys bare wurthy children to,

Ryght As we find A litterall scripture,
On called Fromont, Another Tierry.
For-soth fromont was A good creature,
An huge gret clerke ful of clergy,
The Abbey of malers louyd feruently;
Callyng to god, louyng relygyon,
So that to hym cam of deuocion

In the said abbey A monke hym yilding.
Fro thens departed without resting plain,
Vnto hys fader faste he cam rennyng,
A-non hym ther made thys requeste certane,
Be-sought the uesture of Malers myght attain,
On monke habite A monke hym to make.
When Raymound hurd thys, wo was for hir sake;

He merueled gretly, to fromont saing,
“Fair sone, how is thys? A! good lord hy!
Wil ye A monke be nedis be-comyng?
Reward and behold your brother Anthony,
And all your bretherin being full knightly,
Which ben so noble knightes to se!
Vnto be A monke certes may noght be;

So god be pleased, monke shall ye noght be.
Another ordre to you yiff I shall,
A knyght will you mak of full hye degre
As your brethren ben named ryght roiall.”
Fromont Answered to hys fader all
That he neuer wold be in ordre of knight,
Neither armes bere, but serue god to ryght,

“Prayng to our lorde, vnto hys hy empire,
For you, my moder, and my bretherin all;
Vnto be A mo[n]ke I you here require,
No-thing so moche coueyte ne desire shall
As in maillers Abbay be perpetual.
That place or cite haue I noght in hate,
For ther wold I use all my lifes fate.

Besech you and pray, cause me not it refuse;
Cherefull fader myne, in you al the hold.”
Raymounde saw wele herd was it excuse,
To Melusine sent A messinger bold
Which As for that tyme the beste gan unfolde;
Then the messynger gan declare and tel
All that Raymounde had told hir eueridell,

“Hou Fromont A monke of maillers wold be.
Hastily Raymound sent, for ioy of it had non,
To ende that for Fromont ordayn shold she,
If pleased wold be, A crowne his hed uppon,
And þat claustrall monke he shold be made on
In faire maillers, that ministre roiall,
That lorde for to serue which is eternall.”

The fair Melusine Answerde hym tho;
“Off my part ye go, vnto my lord say,
At hys plesaunce all ther-of will I doo,
Me submitte vnto hys ordinaunce all-way;

At hys plesire be I will, noght say nay;
For whatsomeuer pleasith hys hynes,
hit liketh me wel, hou-so he it dresse.”

Thens the messinger retorned anon,
No lenger sogorne in that place ne wold;
Fro thens retornyng vnto Raymonde gon,
A morn him found Al redy rayd to behold;
Al hir answere the messinger hym told.
Ful gret ioy of hert in hym gan surmount,
Anon Raymounde called after Fromount.

He saide to Fromont, “thi fader vnderstande;
Sir, for the haue sent thy good moder vnto,
Iff it pleased hir For to be know, and
Where hir will were monke shold be, or no.
Where-of the charge lefte to me hath, lo!
With the cure and charge enfeffed hath me.
Wherfor, Fromont, behold And see ye,

Iff nedis ye will take thys said habite
In mallers Abbay your liffes space;
Or other ministre to your appetite,
As in Merkministre, which is A faire place;
Or iff ye will at Brough-dieu by grace;
In that ye desire A monke for to be,
ye may full well in on of thes thre.

Forsoth if ye will be A Chanon,
Of peiters a Chanon certes shal ye be;
Enherite ye shall As moche As thre Anon;
Toures in tourayn, poscede it shal ye,
Seint Martins with the Graunt esglise in fe;
All shall be don ryght At my deuyse,
And therof do make dedes in best wise,

And of our lady of Chartres also.
yff ye wyll of trouth fro parys noght scape,
Be noght Abasshed in it for to goo,
With the Pope will be quented for A Iape,
That nothyng shal be which me shall escape.
After A Bisshupriche if it lust to craue,
Anot[h]er Bisshupriche Als shal ye haue,

Be it pareys, Bewuais, or Aras.”
Fromont said, “shal I be A Chanon?
Nay, nay, but A monke, by our lordes gras,
Off Maillers it is myn entencion.
Other will I noght off wordly good non
Neuer at no day, while lif may endure,
For that place haue I chosin to me sure.”

Thys Fromont outring hys Fader vnto,
“Then off goddis part,” to hym said Raymounde,
“Sin it plesith you, it shal bene ryght soo.
And loke that For us your prayers in founte.”
Fromont Anon Answered that stounde,
“yff it please our lord, my power do shall.”
longer parlement of it nedith noght at all,

The habite he toke, clothed opinly,
The monkes ther shewid great gentilnesse;
With huge nobley clothed was to ey
For hys fader loue, Raymounde sothlesse;
And for Melusine his moders noblesse.
All ther hole couent gret ioy made ther ryght,
And him chered in beste wise thei myght.

By processe therof ful ill affter came.
Ther-for wer thei all after disherite
By Gaffray with gret toth; After had gret grame,

Which in hert was in full dolorous plite;
For therof he had A full gret dispite,
Without tarying to Mallers cam he,
hit brende and sett Afire by his cruelte

Both in the monkes, Abbot, and Abbay;
A hundred monkes within brende he tho.
Thys mischefe ther had in A tewisday,
For Mars was the god longing bataill to,
Vail that vail might, the monkys brend so.
That don, no lenger ther wold noght sogourn,
Fro thens he comyng, faste gan to retorn.

Off this here shall leue, speking of melusine.
At vavuant cite redily she was,
To sonne And winde puttyng hir robys fine,
Which newly were come by fortunat cas,
Neuer Aforn bonde to such seruice bas.
Bi that Raymounde was comyn to þe porte,
And full gladly sette ther to take disporte,

Ther thay saw come forth messingers to,
Which fele letters brought with breffes many
Of Anthony hys part, A pusant man tho,
And of Raynold the suffisant kyng hy.
To Raymounde thai tuke thes letters hastily,
he thaim resceiued And the wax gan breke,
The letters gan rede As humble man and meke.

With a feruent ioy hys hert gan laugh tho,
Melusine Anon forth-with gan to call.
She hid hir right noght, Anon cam hym to,
“Thys letters behald,” said he ouerall.
“Raymound, I you thanke, my lord principall.”
Then vnto Raymound fair Melusine said,
“Certes, this goth well at thys houred braid.

I thorughly know all thes nouell tidinges
Full good and fair ben vnto vs this hour,
Wherof thanke our lord the king of kinges,
Which oure sones han put to such honour.
Thre of tham ben thorugh knightly laboure
Kynges full myghty, And on A duke sul hy;
yut god be thanked, haue we here full ny

On off our sones monke in An Abbay,
Which daily for vs besechith god an hy;
At mallers hath hys byding thys day,
Wher god he praith to socour vs truly,
And that so myght pray to hys plesance dayly,
That neuer vs haue in obliuion;
For assigned hath will our sones echon.

Thay bene well taught, inly wise and sage;
Foure of tham yut ben with vs here bydyng,
Which in thys house ben mery in corage.
Oure lord of hys grace so thaim be theching,
That hyly thai may in tyme be regning,
To that shall thay noght faut no-thyng truly,
So god thaim aide and our lady mary!”

The nouell streight Aboute enuironee
And knowen ouerall in eche place and cite;
Whereof reioyed euery man to se,
Fiftene dais were ny in suche delite,
Making ryght gret ioy, biding the same plite,
Where-for ther frendes feste wold merily;
In continuaunce thought do it hertly.

So it cam and fill in a scaturday,
That Raymounde loste the fair melusine, [lo!]
As at other days don had alway,
But noght enquered hou the dede gan goo;

To what place she went, or qwhat she wolde do.
yn absence but good neuer she ne thought,
But all that to hys plesaunce myght be wrought.

Tho it cam and fill As in that mornyng,
That hys brother, which tho Erle of foreste was,
For ther Fader dede long biforn being,
At vavuent that day riuage gan purchas.
The thyme fair, without wynde hye or bas,
The morni[n]g ryght fair shuwyng, inly clere,
Raymounde his brother saw com drawing nere;

He him resceiued uerray brotherly;
But after it cam to gret mischef preste.
Vnto this feste cam Barons full many,
Which notable were And ryght ful honeste,
Ther welcomyng the Erle of foreste,
Als of lades cam grett fusion,
Whos comyng was the festes encheson.

Then hym said the Erle of the wild soreste,
“Raymounde, fair brother, now me here entend,
lete your wife appere here at thys said feste.”
Raymounde Answerd, As not wold condissend,
“To-morne shall hir se, chere brother And frend;”
Anon conueid to sitte att the table,
Thys fest plener And ryght delectable.

After Anon As thai dined hade,
And fro the table reised up tho were,
The Erle of foreste Raymound by hand lad,
A litill drawing fro other apart there,
Thys gan he to say ther in this manere:—

“Raymounde, fair brother, said is in good feith;
ye be enchaunted, As the peple seith.

I can noght say how ye may bere the shame.
Men sayn ouerall, brother, I you say,
ye not so hardy (in wreth ne in game)
Of your wif enquere, certes, at no day,
(Which vnto you is gret diffame Alway),
To what place she torn ne hoder wyll go,
Or in what manere hir gouerneth, lo!

And what knowen ye what she doth þat day?
Men sain ouerall, so god my soule saue,
That all disording is she All-way;
That day hir body Anothir man shall haue,
To you trayteresse, other so to craue;
And som other sayn she is off the fayry.
Go thys day, brother, And know it veryly;

Putteth payn to haue off it knowleching;
To go And enquere good is ye do so;
For hide shold noght she As fro you no-thing,
I say it yow now As my brother vnto,
Now do As ye seme beste vnto be do;
I beleue she doth you shame And outrage.”
Raymound blusshed, changing his corage,

So malice And wroght, wiste noght what to say;
For wo And heuinesse full faste swatte he.
Anon went thens, hys swerd fet þat day;
Full well he knew where his wife made entre;
There he faste knakked where he had noght be;
There A dore tho perceiued he certain
Off yre Aforn hym with hys eyes twain.

100

In moche thyng thought, And after thought Anon,
That hys wife had do som misdede tho,
And towardes hym som wrong or treson.
Then drawing his swerd the scaberge fro,
The poynt gayn the dore put he ther-vnto,
So he shiste And smote here And ther so saste,
That the yren dore persed at the laste.

Alase! full ill labored was that day!
At the perced hole in beheld with eye
To know what ther was besied faste ay;
Certes ouersone know it shal surely,
And then in hert gret dole shall haue truely!
At the hole beheld, perceyuing full welle
Melusine, hou she bathed euerydell,

Unto hir nauell shewing ther full white,
like As is the snow A faire branche vppon,
The body welle made, frike in ioly plite,
The visage pure, fresh, clenly hir person,
To properly speke off hir faccion,
Neuer non fairer ne more reuerent;
But A taill had beneth of serpent!

Gret And orrible was it verily;
With siluer And Asure the tail burlid was,
Strongly the water ther bete, it flasshed hy.
When that Raymound perceiued this cas,
Which neuer beforn to sight gan purchas
In such A state to bath, ther hym blissed faste,
Gretly doubted, cried to god in haste,

But noght-for-that so moche of drede had,
That vnnethes myght outre wurde ne say.
But to Ende the hole were stopped & faste made,
A litell cloute cute he with-out delay,

101

With wax melled, stopped the hole Alway,
That by it myght noght man perceiue no-thyng.
Fro thens departed he tho, faste going.

Towarde hys brother thought he to repaire,
Dolorous of hert, full of wrath that stounde.
Hys brother the erle knew at hys retrair
That he better wo in hertte had profounde,
Trowing uerily that his wif had found.
“your wife, had she don gain you As men said,
In som dishoneste place where he shold no braid?”

Then Raymounde gan speke with vois full hautain,
And hym said, “therof ye lye vntrewly,
By your fals throte And youre teeth plain!
In An ill houre here ye entred in surely;
Fro my hous ye goo with [y]our felony;
Off my lady no more speke ye for shame,
Sche is pure And clene Als without diffame.

Amore wurthier woman is ther non,
ye haue made me do such A manere thyng
Torn contrary will Again my person.
A-non part here; hens, foule rebaude being,
For, by my feith, full litill is failling
That presently here that I you not sle;
Forth depart you hens, by concell of me.

Cursed be the hour that euer heder came,
And that tho wurdes saide were Any wise!
Neuer toward me retorn noght for shame!”
Raymounde semede all witlese to deuise,
All merueled that gan it aduertise,

102

That to his brother so spake and saide.
The Erle, Abasshed And foule dismaide,

There thens retournyng in-to his contre,
Full often crussing the hour and the day
That thes wordes scapid or mouthed he.
hys brother perceued he haue shold ne may
Neuer pees ne lufe for this gret affray;
More neuer ne was woer at no stounde
Then off that he hade wrethed so Raymounde.

He stroied And made exile the contre;
For when Gaffray with gret toth it knew,
Ryght deliuerly ther Ariued he,
Sette it Afire, the Erle gan sle ther trew
Full vilously with huge shame to vew;
After the contre yaffe of the Foreste
To on hys brother, so gete by conqueste;

Off the foreste Erle made hym entirely.
Off Gaffray with gret toth leue shall now present,
And retorn I shall to Raymounde fully,
Which with heuinesse sore hym doth torment.
He wepte, he wailed, wofully lament;
Wonder pale he waxe, wanting his colour,
For ende hade he none of this grett doloure.

“Alas! alas!” thys ther saide Raymounde,
A more purer man in the wordle ne is
Off verray trought then I Am this stounde!
Alas! Melusine! this day haue don Amys,
That by my diffaute you haue I loste this!”
(For sorow therof so quaked and swat),
“Alas! shall I you leue, loue delicat,

103

Mi swet hert, my good, my loue, And my life?
By the full dolorous fortune
Now shall I lese my ioyous thoughtes pensif,
Which me hast made such As I contune.
I shal, lo! caste me in som pitty hume.
What shal I now doo, lord god glorius?
Neuer shal I lagh, neither be ioyous

With that swete lady whom I loued so.
She was my solas, my ioy in ech stede,
My plesaunce, my comfort, my delite to!”
Ther hym dispoilled, entring in his bed;
But slepe myght he noght when that he was led;
he sighed, soghed, wepte with teres many,
“lord, wat shal I doo, lord?” said, “lete me dy!

Ha! swet Melusine, yf I you this lese,
I shall go vnto som desert Cite,
hermite or recluse become, god to plese,
yn som forain place where non enchabite.
ha! Melusine, my hertes Appetite,
Fair lady, my hert, my loue, my plesaunce,
That you this shold lese by such ill mischaunce!”

The hier off his hede tere of with gret pine,
With fist his brest smote, heuily gan mourn,
Full ofte wailled, by-weping Melusine;
In his bede turny[n]g, And efte gan retorn,
In on estat ne myght he noght sogourn;
here on bakke laide, efte the bely vppon,
Torning And wendyng euer enuiron.

Then in-to chambre Melusine made entre;
When she was comyng, forth-with Anon
Swetly all naked hir dispoilled she,
Courteisly she went ther the bede vppon,

104

With Raymounde she lay in conclusion;
She enbrasing hym, collyng amouresly,
Fynding his nekke cold with all the body

Acause that he was All uncouered tho,
And that by greuous beting And turnyng,
Full ill was he raid, plonged sor in wo.
In base wise Melusine ther hym sayng,
“Dolour or anguish be ye ought feling?
An ouer pale colour haue ye to eye;
Me say ye the trought, besech you hertly.

Alas! Am I noght your loue eueridell?
Fro me shold ye noght hide no maner thing.
Say me how it is, hele you shal I welle,
For no wordly thyng not your-selfe hyndryng.
Confesse ye me if Any il be feling,
Delyuer you shall A-non openly,
All hole shall ye be here now presently.”

When Raymound tho wourdes with eres gan here,
Reioyed merely, thought no-thyng she knew
Off all that dede which had do entire;
yut knew she it wel, thow noght said of-new,
For he discouered noght (but kepe it trew)
The dede vnto no person that instaunce,
And that therof he had uerray repentaunce

Ahundred tymes more then I can say.
Raymound hir said, “gret hete haue I had
In maner of continuaunce alway.
Now is this brennyng whereof Am Adred
Torned and changed, into coldnesse lad.”
“helth shall ye purchas,” unto hym said she;
“Stoned ne basshed of no thyng be ye.”

She embrased hym And swetly gan kisse,
Where-with Raymound approched gret ease.

105

long tyme he regned in such state of blisse,
And such lif gan led, ech other gan please.
Off ther beyng here will I leue and cease,
To declare and say make me will redy,
As of my samplere to procede plainly.

Then this to my mater here retourne I.
Gaffray with long toth gouerned hym so,
That to Guerrande Gaffray faste gan to hy,
Demaundyng the way the Geant vnto
Where he myght be founde, to fight with hym wold go;
The Roche perceiued myghty and pusant,
Wherto repaired thys cruel Geant,

Called Guedon, that so orgulous was,
Gret, thikke, longe, stronge, meruelous to se.
Gaffray fro his hors discended apas,
Armed hym A-non, lenger bode not he.
When Armed he was, to hors lepe a-ye,
The geant doubted noght, A staf toke of stile,
Which at hys arson made faste for A-whyle.

And sin After sesid his shild and shoke,
Which besides it had shildes many.
After his spere of sharpe yren toke,
Sauyng goddys grace, gret thyng toke surely.
hys men commaunded vnto god an hy.
But for thare master wepte thay in þat place;
Thay trowed neuer se hym in liffes space.

Geffray thaim said, “stil you, noght dismay;
I beleue I shal this Geaunt discomfight
By aid of god And hys moder this day.”
Anon than Geffray parted fro thaim ryght,
Adieu tho thaim said, thens went Alone to syght.

106

The Roche passed he, goyng vp Anon
Vnto the castell, sette the mount vppon.

Unto the brigge cam, with shil uois gan cry,
“Where Art thou, fals traytour, where Art thow?
To deth shalt thou be cast by me truly,
Which in my contre And in my lande now
So long were haste had; to god I A-uow,
Neuer here-hens shal I depert no day
Till uenquished or dede haue the I may.”

On A donIon hid was this huge Geaunt,
In the Galaries being ther with-in,
The uois hurd of hym noble and pusaunt,
hastily Anon vp rising gan to win;
his hede put he out, uisage large and chin,
(Which was All so gret As A bole his hede),
Gaffray with gret toth be-held hym in-ded;

Horrible gret was, A forwoxen grome,
Such Another neuer had he sain;
Which his goddis swere that full hym come
Sore uilloined gan hym hold certain,
When a soule man lust with hym were plain,
And into hys hous to seke hym comyng.
lightly hym armed, Anon discendyng;

Afauchon of stele went he unto take,
Well grounde or whet, but tendre was it noght;
After flaelles thre of yre toke for hys sake,
In hys bosom put thre gret slegges wrought;
The bridge Aualed, to issue out thought.
Ful gret and large was formed of body;
When in his being mustred unto ey,

107

Fiftene fote long this Geaunt was expresse:
And when Gaffray nehed hym in-dede,
Strongly merueled of his huge gretnesse,
But yut for all that of hym noght gan drede,
Neither fere had for gretnesse, lenght, ne brede,
But that Anon diffied hym boldly,
And towarde thys Geaunt drew hym lightly.

“What art thou?” said Guedon, “trusse hens,” said he.
Hym he answered, “sir,” said without blame,
“Gaffray with long toth so men callyn me;
At no day ne hour neuer hid my name;
Thine hed come to haue, diffende þe for shame!”
“Caytiff,” said Guedon, “wat caste thou to do?
The will sle Anon with o soule stroke or to;

Hens ye now retorn, my fair sone,” he saide,
“Off the in my hert renneth gret pite,
your yongly person seing at this braide,
And that ye er or gret habilite;
Gaffray, go hens of frendlyhede,” said he.
hym Answered he, “foly, is no nay;
haue thou pite non but of thi life this day,

For without diffaute she shall ende Anon.
Fro keruing of my swerd here now diffend the;
In mortall deth dye shall here thi person;
Escape maiste thou noght in no wyse fro me.”
Thys Geaunt noght told of hym in no degre,
Gaffray cam faste contring the Geaunt then,
As moche And As faste As hys courser myght ren.

108

Now god hym socour! in breste ther hym sett,
Thys cruel Geant A fers stroke yaff he;
By hys wurthinesse so gan do and bette,
Without any demage he caste don to se.
All astoned of that aduersite,
Thys Geaunt rosse vp; “hast thou noght,” he said,
“Take me such offering, it yild shall be this braide.”

On fote hopte he up, malice and wroth was
That don to grounde so caste in that Ile
By A soule stroke of knyghtly manace.
Then he in hand toke hys fauchon of stile;
As Gaffray wold torn, sogernyng no whyle,
The fauchon of stele, the Geant in hand,
Off Gaffray curser the legges trenchand.

The courser fill don, fro hors lepte Gaffray,
No-thyng hym lette, Fro scaberge his swerd drew;
To the giant went with raundon gret that day,
The sinistre Arme smote he vppon trew,
Ryght As belonged to knightly uertew.
hys fauchon he made to fall the hand fro,
That neuer After ned had non ther-to;

For Gaffray such stroke sette, he failled noght;
In the hanche sour hurt greuously he was,
But to hym Guedon Approched ny, thought
So that mortall were ther hym gan purchas,
his flael ther toke myghtly A-place,
To Gaffray therof gaf on the helme hy,
All Astoned Almoste At ground truly.

Into his scaberge the swerde put Gaffray,
To his courser ran, his staffe ther takyng,

109

To thys Geant caste A huge stroke that day,
Stager And stomble made with hys sore striking;
hys Flael fro hand caused ther fleing.
On off hys [s]legges Guedon toke in haste,
To Gaffray wightly And sharply it caste,

With the said stroke cast of myghty vertew
Off Gaffray the stafe or axe gan attain,
Fro hys handes made to fle and remew.
This Giant lepte forth, the stafe toke certain;
To Gaffray noght had twixste hys handes twain,
But Gaffray his swerd gan to draw Anon,
And vppon the Arme it sett of Guedon;

And so huge A stroke geuyng hym was tho,
That quite clene the arme share off throughtly.
Gaffray full manlly ther Auenged so
Off Guedon the Giant strong and myghty,
Where Arme, stafe, or Axe, done fill hym ryght ny.
Where-thorught for wo the saide Geant suatte,
For Anguissh And sorow lefte his Arme & bede.

Full moche the Geant was Astoned tho,
When off hys Armes on had loste of-new;
haused his swerd, trowing Gaffray smitte to;
But the stroke uoided And somwat withdrow,
A litell blenched enmyddes the medew,
Vppon his legge smote with swerde wonderly,
A meruelous stroke gaffe, Ato carf hys thy.

This Giant fill, crying his goddis aide;
Gaffray A stroke gaffe tho his sculle vppon,
he offeryng so, the helme rent And foulle raide,

110

The helme cutte And rent till the teth Adon;
The swerde so cuttyng, the hede carf Anon.
After that hys horne sarisin toke he,
hyly it blowyng times to or thre.

His peple the sounde full wel vnderstode,
To hym hied, taried noght certain;
Enmyddes the medew founde where he stode,
Thys cruell Geaunt which þat he had slain.
When this meruelous Geant ther was sain,
Off his faccion Astoned thay were,
hys lenght, his brede was so ouermette there.

To Gaffray the lordes toke vnto say,
“Off this Geaunt huge misgouernaunce
ye vnto thys man meued were thys day,
As hym to uenquish thought in remembraunce,
Thys enemy discomfite this instaunce;
Truly ye haue don An inly good ded.”
Gaffray Answered ther, “faire lordes,” sed,

“Hit us behouid, were it wrong or ryght;
For it putt abake I ne myght, parde;
My lif to diffend I shold; yff I myght;
And so haue I done, our lord preised be,
hym conquered haue here As ye may see.”
Thay entred there, to castell gan repare,
Which was well billed to sight, And full faire.

Men all this knew thorugh that region,
For-why shold we then speke therof more?
huge ioy and solas therof made and don,
Bothe tho gret and small gret ioy made therssor,
That the Geant was by Gaffray don bore,
So discomfite, standede, And all cold;
hug[e] ioy and gladnesse in contre tho hold.

111

Off this lande made lorde he by this uiage,
Wherby manly had ended the werre tho.
Ther-thens to uavuent A man sent in message,
Which full courtois was, inly wise also;
Thys said messinger Raymounde said unto,
That by Gaffray the Giant fers and bold
Was descomfite and put to deth, he told.

Raymounde laughed tho, hym preising faste there.
Melusine without othir tarying
Made right good chere vnto the messinger;
When hym chered had with all maner thyng,
A ryche gifte hym gaffe; Raymounde tho writyng,
Paper And wexe toke to hys secretory,
Anon A letter conceued hastily,

The tenure of which was well deuysed;
By Raymounde seled were thai in þat place;
So forth send by Raymounde, so auised,
Vnto Gassray which in Guerrande tho wace,
“hou that Fromount his uesture gan purchace
At Maillers, And ther resceiued gan say,
And that A monke was in that saide Abbay;

Where that he wold use All his liffes space,
And for his frendes pray to god An hy,
For that it was an inly deuout place.”
Alas! thes letters il hour wrought truly,
For thai torned to the contrary.
He therthorugh loste the fair Melusine,
Whom that he loued with parfite loue fine.

Now shall we leue at thys time the lyffe
Of Raymounde the swete And courtois only,

112

Of Melusine als hys ful noble wyse,
Which at þat hour was A woman worthy.
Of Gaffray with gret toth declare shal I;
After thys I shall you outre and say;
In Guerrande contre tho was Gaffray,

All the contre hym fested roially
For thys Geant sake that he distroid there:
Gret ioy ther had of peple ful many.
With that cam to hym ther A messengere,
To gaffray comyng in humble manere,
Fro Norbelande After Gaffray demaunding
Where þat he was; many hym shewing,

To Gaffray presented thes letters there.
“My lord,” he said, “for goddys hy mercy,
That it myght you ples me vnderstande here.
Vnto Norbeland is comyn truly
A man more gretter then other Any,
Which is A Geaunt, wonder meruelous,
Ouerthwart cruel and ryght perilous;

He hath brought were [on] all our contre.
Wherfor I am come to seke you thys hour,
Here requeryng you for all loue may be,
ye of Gentillesse wold be ther socour;
Tho of contre, the lordes of honore,
In your person haue ryght gret affiaunce,
Wilnyng you to come hastly thys instaunce.

So that ouer-lang ye mow noght tary;
For you will thai yild all the hole contre,
Ther landes to hold of your estate hy.
For sothe your letters, if opened be,
ye may wel know the trouth And ueryte.
Thay haue caste ther loote certes you vppon,
Off thys strong Geaunt cause distruccion.”

113

Geffray the letters After breke and rayd,
Fro wurde unto wurd, And sithen hym said,
“Messinger, trouth is, no ly on you had;
By the holy crosse swere I you this braid,
That men cal Geffray with long toth displaid
hens wold noght remeue for lande ne hauour,
But for the contre only to socour.

For off the peple haue I gret pitte,
For the good zele haue to cristine entyre,
Wherin I haue grette affinite:
Als honour And worship to acquire.
Off me the werre the Giaunt doth desire,
Anon shall I go hym Assail quikly.”
To thys forth-progresse Geffray made redy.

Amessynger the men tyme gan discend
Off hys fader part, forth-with hym taking
The letters, al which that he hym send.
Geffray thaim rad, And when he was knowing
That his brother was A monke hym yilding,
leuer had hym be honged were As thef;
Wherof to hert had dole of gret myschef:

Hou-were-it that ioy of hys fader had,
And of Melusine his moders welfaire,
Thay were hole and sounde, of þat was he glad.
When of hys brother Fromont hurd declare,
That he monke was shorn, dole had And gret care;
Off the dispite hys witte gon And loste,
Vermail rede As blode, with wreth tende hys goste;

Off malice And wreth had in his body
he uomed And swatte, A swine resembling;
Neuer man non hym beheld ueryly
But of huge drede ther he were tremblyng.

114

“Ther tho ill,” he sayd, “thys lechorus being,
Thes fals monkes, which full uicious be,
Thay haue now, by the holy trynite,

My brother Fromont haue enchanted sure,
A monke haue hym made, certes, in ther town.
To thaim might yut come som misauenture:
hym haue thay shorn and made to bere A crown;
In shall tham put into gret mischef down.
Of this other erande bide Awhile will I;
Thys monkes will se, long er that I dy.

Ferre of shall noght be or to that place go,
Thaim shall I brenne to-geders in A fire.”
Tho messengers os norbelande said to:
“you commaunde al abide me here entire,
For shortly with you go wil at desire,
That cruell Geaunt As to discomfight,
So shall it be don As graunted haue ryght.

Thai, which durst noght with-say hys hy renon,
hym Answered: “we will, lord honourous,
Sin it plesith you, it is good reson:
In your absence, schall warde and kepe þis hous,
Without departing, to be laborous
Till the tyme approche A-gane you shal se.”
Geffray answered: “wele saide here haue ye;

Go forth,” said he, “with-out sayng-Again.”
To hys peple said, “vnto hors ye goo;
I shall nothyng spare ualey ne montain,
Till that I come Maillers Abbay vnto.”
Then Geffray hym put forth on hys way tho,
Thys fers, cruell, hardy, the Tewisday,
So rode that he ryued at the Abbay.

115

The monkes were in their chapitre-hous,
And Geffray Anon entred ther within:
When thes monkes knew thys man honorous,
To ryn him Again Alfaste gan begin,
As wel gret As small towar[d] hym gan wyn,
All the hole couent ther hym saluting,
Full gret ioy thay had As of hys comyng.

Then to the abbot, which that balled was,
hath Gaffray spokyn rude and bustesly,
As A man chaufed with yerfull manace.
“Ha! dan Abbot,” toke hym to say an hy,
“Abbot, forwhy haue ye made folyly
My brother A monke in thys said Abbay
To leue chiualry, takyng your ordre Ay?

In good feith, full is mused and thought,
For your mortall deth ye tho gan purchace:
ye schal dy for your wykkydnesse wrought,
Both ye And all your couent in thys place.”
Then sore he grint And strayined his teeth apace.
All tho which were the Abbay within
Thai had gret drede, seing hym so begin.

Thes monkes wepte, And sighed ful sore there
Of the fereful drede which that time thai had.
Then dan Abbot of the hous gan answere,
“Sir, by me noght was it forth broght ne lad;
By hym-selfen was it, trow I shall ful sad;
he so meued with good deuocion
As Entre into this religion.

Here Fromont may se ye, lo! personally,
yff it like or please you hym demaunde, lo!”
Fromont thys hym said, “brother, verily

116

By non is it wrought, but by my-selfe do:
A monke for to be, Am, And shall be to;
Wher within for you to our lord shal pray,
To other dedes attende wil no day,

But only to god, to whom I am yild.
hit pleased my fader, to hym acceptiff,
And to Melusine, my good moder milde:
Full gladly thay wold I shold use my life
here As for to pray our lord celestif
For thaim and for you in especiall,
That in paradise he vs do put all.”

Geffray vnderstode Almoste in wode rage,
Thaken with A meruelous corage tho,
Moche ther resceiued to hym delefull langage.
Fro-thens deperted, the dores after drew to,
All tho within closid and shitte also,
After send to fecche, of ferosite,
Straw And berres wonder gret plente.

To all ilnesse do lust had and talent,
Thys bruschet made put in-to on hepe,
What cause eche merueled, in ther entent.
Fire hath he taken and put in therto;
That in litell while se shold not man, lo!
For the smoky fume smortherting so was,
The Abbay it toke, sore gan it enbras.

The fire so kindled thorugh all certainly,
The monkes all betrapped and forshend,
That neuer on soule scaped outwardly.
The Abbot And A hunderd monkes brend
On tewsday, by fortune, so ther end:

117

All that ther within wasted to huge grame,
To gret sorow And wo, vnto full huge shame;

And als the moste parte of thys said abbay
By hym stroied, bruled and scorched tho:
Ther not lefte ne bode o soule man that day,
Thorughly brende it was to gret shame and wo.
When better remembred hys diffaute, lo!
With shill voce cried þat time hautaynly,
“Alas, caitife!” saide, “don haste folily,

Which thys minstre undo and so brend.”
his brother ofte bement dede so, noght in graue;
After the Abbot And all the couent.
Foltish he was, For tho thaim might not haue,
Neuer for golde ne for hauour craue.
he thaim complained And waymented sore,
Off pite sighed, lamenting euermore.

Fro-thens departed, on his coursere lepte,
He right noght sparyng ualey ne montayn,
In paynfull wo was, musing thoughtes kepte,
Of his brother brende sore hym gan complain;
So god religious As he was certain.
Then to hym-selfe said; “fair god lord an hy,
What may me become or what do shall I?

Ne to what ende come, certes, know ne may
Neuer man born fro Adam to thys hour
Ne war so well wurth to be dampned ay!
Wel shewith I am An ill fals traitour,
I here more wurse then Iudas the synnour.
Neuer shall I see, visage to visage,
Off god our Fader semyng in corage.

118

Mortall deth, now com bering me away!”
Such discomforth had Gaffray in corage.
Forsoth so rode An easy pace that day,
That to Guerrande came forth so in viage,
Full malice And wrogh[t] of thys huge damage
Which that tyme had don, And sore gan complain.
The messingere lefte contred hym Again:

When Geffray hym saw, in hert was full glade;
Fro-thens departyd vnto vnderstande.
Of no creature demaund leue ne had.
he ther-thens wende towarde norbelande,
Where-hens the messinger of the saide lande
Which to Gaffray cam requiring hym then:
And off his maynee had he but ten.

He thought he wold noght ouer slow to be:
Anon As he Approched the port there,
Men hym made gret feste or shippe made entre;
And off the contre the said messynger,
Which condute this knight the way and manere.
The saill reised vp, the winde softe gan blow,
Anon disancred the shippe in a throw;

The maryner thaim put in-to the se,
And at departson thaim blessed all tho.
The winde was good, the shippe welle sailled sche,
In a litill while ferre passed And goo,
A kennyng thaim was but A Jape vnto.
Ryght thus of Gaffray shall rest and still me,
And declare And speke of Raymounde the fre.

Raymounde at vauuent lad a mery lif;
Wher hym gan to hold, As long As he myght,

119

With fayre Melusine hys full noble wyffe.
Thys gentill Raymonde was A courtois knyght.
At vauuent were both, as reson was and ryght.
Anon had thay full dolorous noysaunce;
As at diner sate, at ther own plesaunce,

A ferrom thai saw com A messingere,
Which in humble wise thaim were saluting;
But hys colour changed sodainly there,
For thys cause that he the dede was doubting
Of that message behofull hym doing.
And Raymound to hym tho ther said anon:
“Gentill messingere, welcom to vs echon.”

Off noueles Anon gan hym to enquere;
Where-hens he cam; And fro what place þat day.
(Alas! outre moste noueles in strange manere,
Tham vnto declare wo is me alway;
For such tydinges And nouels shall say
Which ben full ill, ryght noght, full of yre,
And ryght hiduous, Any man to hyre.

Where-thorugh Raymounde shall lese the company
Off faire Melusine, fro that for all-wais,
Neuer after with hys wife be truly:
Where she no point had off diffame no dais.)
Then the messinger spake with-out delais,
“Sir, vnderstande, my wordes and entent
To say behouith, wherof Am dolent;

On of youre children take hath mortall.”
“Which is he?” said Raymounde: “sir, Fromont it is.”
“hou is he dede? good sir, say me all.

120

Is noght the body bered of hys?
On his soule mercy the lord do of blis!
Entered in churche is of our lady
In Abbay off Maillers full sollemply.”

Thys messinger said with shill vois hautain,
“That blissed man neuer had sepulture;
Wilbelouid sir, this you say sertain,
Aforn all will declare the Auenture,
hou Gaffray hym put to shameuous oppressure,
Fired and byrnde, stroyng the Abbay
Off Maillers, for Fromont hys sake Alway,

The Abbot And monkes conuentuall,
That ther o soule man escapid noght,
But scorched and brend were to Askes small;
And hou the doures made faste As cowde be thought;
For drede non durste fle, to-geders brende and brought,
For the gret dispite which in hert he had
Off Fromont, that in monkes wede was clade.”

When Raymound it knew, blissed with ryght hand,
In sorow And wo hys hert bathed he.
yut Another tyme he gan to demand,
Commaunding hym straitly As myght be,
That he hym say the trouth and verite.
“Se here,” he said, “gret cruelte shewyng,
Is it this? ward the that thou ly no thing!”

He hym answerd, “sir, it is ryght this;
I dare wel say this, so god me do aid;
With my eyes to saw it, soo haue I blis!”
When Raymounde it hurd, colour changed þat braid,

121

For ende had he non in his dolour laid.
To hors lepe he tho with-out tarying,
In hert was ryght wo And full sore mornyng.

In pensif muses hym faste beseying,
He rest noght to ryde, so to Maillers cam.
Such A pace rode, yut ther the fray finding,
Raymounde perceiued the gret losc[e] And shame.
Ech man complayned on Gaffray by name.
The Abbay saw brend And woxin desert,
Which causid gret wo hym to haue at hert.

He beheld Aboute euery part sure,
Seyng the Abbot And monkes brend were;
Als seing the meruelous auenture,
“By god died in crosse,” Raymound gan swere,
That “Gaffray shold dye in cruell manere,
yff atwixst his handis he hym haue myght,
He wold make hym ende, And shameuous deth dight!”

There lepte vp Again hys coursere vppon,
So inly malice, full of wrath and yre,
In shuch cAs broght, wiste not wat say ne don;
To sogern At Maillers more wold not desire.
Fro-thens departed, tornyng hole entire
hamwarde in iournay ryght full besily.
Al day ther he rode faste And spedfully,

So the myghty strenght attained he was
Of vauuent castell, entred in and wend;
hys coursere As the wynde forth went apace.
When within was, After gan discend;
lenger wold he noght bide ne attend.
In-to the chambre entred he Anon,
The dores to hym drew And closyd echon.

122

There began he wonder waymenting;
Complaynyng, wayling, And lamentyng to see.
“Ha!” he said, “Fortune, to riue art being;
Ne haste thou not be with me full preue.
Aboue All other haste thou hated me!
Alas! this for-whi hast thou me in hate?
To tech me were thou contrary þat date,

When thou me madest that murther to do
Off the noble Erle of peiters being,
Amery the good notable knyght tho;
I hym put to deth by the mone shynyng.
By the, lady Fortone, thou were it causing!
Alas! he was man in tyme full worthy!
Hys pere noght founde Athissid Rome truly!

After me made by thy will and uolente
To take this woman of the Fayry,
This here diffamed serpent vnto se;
I am not wronged thow it bewayle surely.
Then fair children haue I had hir by;
But on is dede, whereof Am I pensiffe,
Which was A monke leuyng holy life.

Ther now his brother hat[h] put hym deth to.
I trow thes children which that she bare
In this worle ne shall no maner good do.
The begynnyng noght, of trouth to declare,
And, by the teres off uandosme hys fair,
hit I to beleue is but fantesy,
Ne hade I hir sain in the bath only;

I not ferre fro thens, the trouth vn-to tell,
By the litell hole of the dore gan se
Fro the hed adon vnto the nauell

123

A full fair and gent woman there was she;
But under was A serpent of verite,
A taill burled had of siluer and Asure,
Ther bete that all the water flasshed sure,

Full grett hiduou[s]nesse to my hert made.
Neuer was ther man if hir gan to se
In the estat that I ther saw hir clad,
But that wold Anon Away fro hir fle;
For it was thing dredfull As myght be.
God me ward and kepe fro werk diabolike,
And stedfaste me hold in feith catholike!”

Fair Melusine tho the dore gan unshit,
Well cowde it vnloke, in gan she repaire,
Also to the dore the key had of it.
Knyghtes, ladeis, damicelles full faire,
Squiers, yongmen, maydens debonair,
With Melusine ther entre made þat stounde
Into the chambre where Raymound was founde.

In the saide chambre entred thai Anon.
Raymounde saw hys wife, marred was he tho.
Ther hauing no point of colour hym vppon,
There be-gan of-new hys dolorous woo.
Off Raymounde And of hys fair loue also
Ther strange depa[r]tson approched full ny,
Ryght As ye shall hire declared shortly.

Then Melusine said to Raymound hir housband,
“hauith not your hert so marred for wo,
For þat ye may noght amend at no stonde.
Men shold such sorow lightly lete slip and go.
yff Agayn our lord Gaffray haue mysdo,
And þat he hath distroid that faire place
Off Maillers by hys misdoing, percas

124

Yut may he his pees Full wel do to make
Towardes our lord by grete repentance,
And for his trespas pennaunce may he take,
Therfor suffer pain in bodyly substaunce.
For goddis marce is redy ech instance,
So in hym he haue good contrecion,
And efter veray pure confession.

Off verray trouth my beleue is soo
That our lord god on hym will haue mercy,
For of the synner wold not deth shold go,
But louith better that lif shold truly,
To haue time And space, being here wordly,
To effecte And end that he shold repent
And to All goodnesse also to Assent.”

Thys lady wisely And sagely gan to speke,
But Raymounde malice And full angry was;
At hys hert gret noysaunce gan he steke.
Reson deperted tho fro hym apas.
Such A word shal say, repent can not purchas;
Neuer shall ne may, vnto þat he dy,
Conquere that he shall And moste lesse ther-by.

Off A fers behold, orgulously wrought,
Als with the behold of his eyes twain,
And when that he had A litell thought,
his foley thought spitfully spake plain,
And afore all said he with uois hautain,
“ha! serpent! thy line in lif no good shall doo!
Se here now A noble begynnyng, lo!

What Gaffray with long toth thy son hath don!
A hundred monkes scroched and brend plain,
And after fro-thens made he departson.

125

Where-of on was Fromont thi son certain,
The which to cherish euer was I fain!
Alas! thes monkes slain hath thi son Gaffray.
But thay died noght Al cold, I may sery,

Euery of thaim so gret An hed had.
I haue ther be, I saw it verily,
Thaim al hath he brend, Gaffray thi sone made!”
Alas! the sorow don so disordinatly
Off that wurde which he pronounced openly!
For ther-in gan do gret ill and sin plain.
Melusine Anon loste, neuer saw Again.

When Melusine hurd thys said wurde this stounde,
After hir sustain forsoth she ne myght.
Zownyngly she fil wofully to grounde;
The sorow so gret, the hert fro hym-self ryght.
Well ny so half hour she lay, this swet wight,
Prostrat to the erth, stoned, so zownyng
For that heuy word he was ther outring.

The barons ther cam, vp gan hir redrese
Goodly, without hurt or blecere Any.
Anon A knight Approched hir hinesse,
hir visage moisted with fresh water goodly,
Trowing A fiftene times or twenty.
By that resorted hir good hert Again,
Vnto Raymound said soberly certain,

Forsoth to hym spake full peteuously,
“Alas, alas, alas, Raymounde, this day!
Ill saw I the euery times any!
Ill saw I the beute of the, I say;
Ill saw I thi ful gracious Aray,
Ill saw I the vppo[n] the Fontain,
Ill saw I thy vertuous demenyng playn,

126

Ill saw I thy werking amerous,
Ille saw I thy precyous body,
Ille saw I thy iourne dolorous,
That with the was in loue Amourously!
Ille saw I thi fair contennaunce truly,
Ille saw I thy gracious body gent,
Ille saw I the hour And mene season present

That the saw first, thi treson, thi falsnesse!
Thy fals vntrew spech, thy huge cruelte,
Thy fals tonges unmesurabelnesse,
Me put to paynes perdurabilite,
That frothens neuer shall I depart me,
But full moche pain shal I suffre Alway,
For pain shall I haue vnto the laste day,

That it like or pleasse our lord soueran
To come iuge And deme tho both quikke and dede!
Neuer shal ye se my clere uisage plain,
Most fals traytour And fals forsworn in-ded,
Replet with uices, full of murmerhed,
Fals amerous, fals lesingmonger ryght,
Fals betrayer, And in-ded A fals knyght!

Full ill haste thow, lo! my couenaunt hold,
That thow me promysed in the begynnyng;
Thou haste made us haue huge losce many-fold.
yut myght I all this full wel be suffryng,
Off that in the bath me so were seyng,
Acause ye ne it said no creature.
The fende knew it noght, the misauenture.

As son As made was reuelacion there,
knawen was A-none For it shalt misfall;
Yf that my body to the Abode here,

127

Thow sholdest perceiue ryght brefly with-all
All thy full fals periury disceiu[e]!
yf truly ye had the couenaunt hold,
Vnto Mortall deth me to haue ye shold,

Ryght As A woman born here naturall,
A feminine thyng, woman at al houres,
To end of my days here terrestriall.
By me myghteste haue had huge socoures.
After the hy kyng, full off honoures,
Wold haue born Away the soule of me,
When that Fro body departed were she,

After beried in sacred sepulture,
And with gret honour entered shold be.
Alas! my fortune now putt Away sure!
In payn, in wo, in tormentes cruelte
Till day of iugement to se.
By thy-selfen disceiued art in all,
Thou art fro hinesse into lownesse fall.

Knowith thys, to you shall come greuous pine,
Ne neuer goodnesse shal resceiue certain;
All-way thy dedes shall go to decline,
Ne neuer shal be wrought ne made again,
And thi land shal be, After thi discesse plain,
Parted in partes I beleue shal be,
Neuer to-geders hold in seueralte,

By A soule man neuer maintayned be;
Many of your men shal fall, sir Raymounde,
Neuer it acquire As in certainte.
Som of thaim shall lese both ther land and ground.
By fin fors of werre with many A wound,
Fro ther dwellyng full faste shall thay fle,
Neuer shall resorte A-gane to contre.

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Remembre thy sones, the beseche And pray,
For I shal neuer hold the company,
To whome haue hert peteuous and tender ay,
I may no langer Abyde ne tary!”
Thre of the Barons Apart drew hastily
Off moste gretteste,sayng in wyse pesible
As woman full sage And ryght sensible;

“Raymounde, understande, horrible thy sone gete
Do hym for to dy, neuer be he found.
Off it houith the to entremete,
Thre eyes shal bere he vppon the grounde.
yff he life, werre neuer shall faill nostounde
In all the contre off peiters to deuin,
Shall neuer encresse neithir brede ne win,

All the contre he shall waste, vnderstand,
So that no-thyng encresse shal ne may.
And all thes places that I gan do make,
Distroy And undo, certes, is no nay;
And hys bretherin to porete put alway,
All tham, of trought, and all of the lyne,
Wherefor I you pray, lete hym dy with pine.

The dole that thou haste for Gaffray thy sone,
That the monkes brende so disordinaitly,
knowith thys, that it was for punicion
Taken vppon tho of religion hy,
For ther misgouernaunce wroughten so dayly,
Off our lordes part, for þat thai do wold
Many of thingys that they do ne shold,

Ne ought of ryght ne of reson doo.
In that place our lord example hath shewed.
Off goddis parte is thai ben scorched so,

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All dede, exiled, And foule distroyde.
Many with lechery haue hym sore noyed;
Fals monkes, synners, holdyng at no day
Ther ordre ne lif of the said Abbay.

Iff your sone be dede with thaim outerly,
haue ye no routhe, ne of thaim neuer mo.
ye know what men sain moste, lo! comynly,
For A synner perish shall An hundred, lo!
An hundered hath brend, nombred vs unto,
Without the Abbot which nombred is noght,
Which maister is of thaim, As of reson ought,

Iff ther were cause, parcas he myght be.
Iff Gaffray tham haue so destroed all,
It may be by hym restored, parde,
A more fairer ministre fourge and make shall
Then that which he hath caused so to fall.
This said Abbay full wel may he restore
With many mo monkes then were before.

Off trought so he will in ryght good manere,
Which then shall be good peple verily,
Prayng for the line with myght and powere;
Which church he shall welle redyfy;
The place shall be to sight more plesantly,
And more better then euer was before;
Thys Gaffray shall doo gret goodnesse euermore,

Moste specially when he comyth to Age.
But A thing I shall you declare truly,
Ar I me departe fro your compernage,
To ende that all therof haue memory
Which after An hundred yere surely
That yut ben unbore shall hir speke of me;
Off trouth in the air thar men shall me see

130

Aboute the castell off lusignen so,
Thre dais beforn in the same yere ryght
That the casstell shall change hir maister, lo!
yff in the air men not se me myght,
And that thay mow not perceiue me to sight,
I shall me Appere vppon the erth playn,
Or at the leste besides this Fontain.

Know thys, Raymounde, for so shall it be,
Ass longe As thys said castell shall endure,
For with my name baptised was she,
And such As it is devised I sure,
My goddoughter I may calle hir in vre.
Fule wel may it say Aforn peple All,
And, for Melusine men me do to call,

Lusignen named, to name doth calange.
yut will I now say without tarying,
When that of the lord shall come þe eschange,
Thre dais be-forne me shall be seyng;
Certainly I shall ther be appering.
But loste is now al my solas and ese,
Sin so behouith me it leue and lese;

For now may it be in non other wise.
Raymounde, vnto you then at beginnyng,
When ye and I entreloued in louers gise,
Al maner plesance we were finding,
Joy And solas As loue And louer hauyng;
Alas! contrary now se thys instance,
Our solas torned into gret noysance,

And in to sorow transport our gladnesse,
Our huge uigour to feblesse this instance,
Our plesire into displesance expresse,
Our full good fortune into gret misc[h]ance,

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Our vertuous goodnes into curced chance;
In doubte is all our surete to deuise,
And our noble And blissed franchise

Is full strangely changed into seruice,
By peruers fortune labored and founde,
Which on reisith, Anothir don brise,
But noght gain our lorde þat causyng me þis stound;
ys only by your dedes, sir Raymounde,
Als by your labbyng tonges iongling,
ye shall lesse your loue for your large speking.

Now more lenger here may I not to dwell,
Fair loue, me behouith hens As for to go.
your misdedis god perdon euerydell,
Whereof Agayne me ye haue so mysdo,
For by you shall suffer torment And woo,
vnto the dredfull day of Iugement;—
And by the I was fro sorow ex[e]mpte,

And into yoy entred!—Alas! wo I Am,
For now Am I caste into dolorous woo,
Fro-whens that I issewed and came!”
Such ful sory dole Melusine lad tho,
That body off humayn creature, lo!
Which hir complaint hurd with huge sighes sore,
Ne shold withold fro weping euermore.

Raymounde heuily wrang his handes twain,
Such greuaunce toke tho, Almoste gan he dy,
So was he take with heuy wurdes plain,
That o soule wurde coude not bryng forth truly.
She hym Approched enbrasing swetly,

132

To-geders kyssing thes to Amerous
In o torment ther were both dolorous.

Fvl greuous Anguish in ther hertes loke,
That for heuinesse both gan fall to grounde,
zowning ther full long A maner dethis stroke,
Without takyng breth or wynde any stounde.
The Barons trowing Melusine and Raymound
That thes louers to were both dede and cold;
For long space And tyme such wise gan thai hold,

And when fro zowning that thai came Agane,
And that thai myght breth, to sigh be-gan sore,
To waile, to wepe, to sorely complain,
Ther handes wrange And strained euermore,
Non knew the sorow by thaim lade and bore.
Whereof all thay wepte standing ther Aboute
With teres many, All the ful hole route.

And melusine, to whome was full greuous,
Ryght piteuously she releued tho.
Raymound hir praid, as man generous,
Ther knelyng, that she hym pardon wolde, lo!
Off hir courtesy, that he hade mysdo;
Which by gret mischese don gain hir hath he.
Thys lady hym saide that it myght not bee,

Hit please ne wold the king celestiall.
“But, fair loue! Iyou here beseche and pray,
Thenke on your loue here terrestriall,
your sone Fromount in obliuy put ay,
And in Raynold loke ye thenke Alway,
For of the foreste Erle shall he be, lo!
In all goodnesse thenke, And wel shall ye doo.

The Erle of foreste here long shall not byde
In this worlde here After my departson,

133

Also will thenke for Thierry to prouyde,
For yut shall he doo thynges manyon.
At norish pappes yut is his person;
Fro partenay to Rochell the lande shall iustice,
An inly good knight shall he be and wyse.

And all which fro hym linially issew,
Shall be knightes good, hardy, and wurthy,
Full of gud corage and of all uertew,
And his linage shall longe endure truly.
Fair loue, know thys well, that noble Thierry
Wurthy and hardy Also shall he be.
I shall thenke on you, swete loue, pray for me

All dais while lif in worle here haue ye.
Off me shall ye haue both ayde and comfort
In all your nedes of necessite.
Off aduersite en-gree take the porte.
Neuer in femine forme to you shall resorte,
Neuer shall ye se Melusine truly,
That so was wont to hold you company!”

Innepee she lepte the fenestre vppon,
Aboue beheld she uerdures flouresshing;
Without taking leue Away wold not gon,
For the Barons, of whom after shall be speking,
Off lades, damycelles, knightes beyng,
Squiers, And maydens, off all leue toke she,
For whome euery man wepte of pette.

Afterwarde she said, “adieu! sir Raymounde,
Whom I so loued with hert Fyn And plain,
Neuer shall youe se at no day ne stounde.
Adieu, my hert! Adieu, my loue certain!

134

Adieu, creature, my ioy souerain!
Adieu, myn entire loue moste gracious!
Adieu, my gentile Iewell precious!

Adieu, my swete norish And noriture!
Adieu, my plesaunce And gladnesse worly!
Adieu, full meruelous swete creature!
Adieu, my grace! Adieu, my ioyes hy!
Adieu, what that in worle loue moste hertly!
Adieu, the moste good! Adieu, the moste faire!
Adieu, the noblest yongling debonair!

Adieu, the beste! Adieu, swetteste All Aboue!
Adieu, my gracyous spouce of recorde!
Adieu, I say, myn owne vertuous loue!
Adieu, suete housbonde by louis concord!
Adieu, my sugret suete souerain lorde!
Adieu commaunde, my ioy and boldnesse!
Adieu commaunde, your suete lif to drisse.

Adieu, my solas And iewell roiall!
Adieu commaunde all peple here, sothlese!
Adieu, lusignen, fourged fair in all;
Adieu, al that which may A lady plese!
Adieu, the gladnesse, mirthes ioy and ese!
Adieu, the suete sound of ech Instrument!
Adieu, I say, disportes reuerent!

Adieu, wurthieste! Adieu, with all honour!
Adieu, my suete loue prented in hert sad!
Our lorde the aide And be thi concellour!”
With-out more spech A lepe ther she made,
(Seyng the Barons all that ther were had),
Thorught A fenistre so passed and wend
When of hyr wurdes thys had made an ende.

Thourgh the fenistre in such wise gan fle
Melusine without tariing Any.

135

In-to A serpent changed tho was she,
Of huge grettnesse and lenght was verily,
Wherof all were Astoned strongly;
With siluer and Asure ther burled was,
Thys sairy woman such tail gan purchas,

Which presently was become A serpent;
Whereof Raymound bement hir hugely.
Thre tymes the castell enuironee went;
At euery tour A ssounde yaf she hyly,
Wonder meruelous cast she vp A cry
Full strange vnto hire, And ryght piteuous,
Hyr cry full heuy, wonder dolorous.

Which I writte is trouth, therof ly no thyng.
She thens forth went, vnto the air gan fle.
Ther hir lost Raymound, “Alas!” lowde crying,
Ful moche complained And ther wailed he.
Hys heres faste drew, sore hir bement, parde,
Cursing the houre that euer he was born,
Raymound, out fro wit for wo almoste lorn,

In hy shill uois the Barons said before,
“Adieu, my lady, with heres yowlownesse!
Adieu, all debonerte for euermore!
Adieu, I say you, my fair suete maistresse!
Adieu, my ioy, my grace, And my richesse!
Adieu, my goodes and all my surete!
Adieu commaunde, all the disporte of me.

Adieu, my iewell! Adieu, my solas!
Adieu, you say, my lady preciouse!
Adieu, the fair whilom the prise gan purchas!
Adieu, my wife! Adieu, my trew spouse!
Adieu, my lady verray graciouse!
Adieu, I you say, my full doucet floure!
Adieu, my lady of full gret valoure!

136

Adieu, suete throte of soundes clerenesse!
Adieu, fair Rose! Adieu, violet also!
Adieu, the tree of louers feithfulnesse!
Adieu, I say my gentile lady vnto.
Adieu, my glory! Adieu, my ioy, lo!
Adieu, the fair that so hath loued me!
My goode days gon, shall I neuer you se.”

Ryght this Raymounde bewaled and bement
his noble wife, for whom felt dolour,
Which thorugh the Air hir flight tho hent,
Wherefor he hath A sory hert þat houre.
“Alas!” Raymound said, “wat do shall or labour?
For certes I haue sorow ynow at hert,
Neuer man had at the full so smert.

Forwhy shold I noght be A plain man,
yff I fele at hert noysaunce mondiall?
Hit to declare good reson if I can,
For the diche haue made wheron now I fall.
Now Am I Acursed, to wo am made thrall,
Now I am dolorous And full pensiffe
More then Any goste felt in his life.”

But ther had he A noble company,
Which full gentilly gan hym to comforth,
And many hym said And shewed hertly,
That thay hym wold gladly recomfort,
That softly shold bere that dolorous port,
Many examples to hym exort said,
Causyng sumwhat lesse hys sorow þat braid.

After hym said A sensible Baron,
“Of your son horrible behouith, lo!

137

To ordain As ordained to be don
Melusine, when concell you gaffe vnto.
Anon þat men shold make hym to deth go,
Or perish he wold the contre and grounde.”
“My lordes present,” ther tham said Raymounde,

“You beseche And pray tary noght ne bide
As therof do ye hir commaundment,
So he be dede, I charge not how no tyde.”
“To plesire, And will do all your entent;”
Thay wold no lenger ther tary, but forth went.
Raymound, which strongly wroth angry was
For thys sorowfull And mischeuous cas,

Wich that ceason conquered was and gett,
As A sory man thens gan he remew,
Into A chambre ther made he retret,
hit unshit entring, the dore after drew,
Ther lamentacion be-gan he of-new
In this said chambre ther, all soule, alon;
No more of Raymound, but passe forth and gon,

Off the Barons hy say shall of contre.
Full sensible were, inly wyse and sage,
Orrible toke by on Assent and gre,
In A caue hym shitte with-out othir damage,
Off moisty hay made bring to thys uiage,
The fire put with-in, so with fumy smoke
Was the caue Anon full As myght be stoke.

Then loste horrible both breth and power,
Stifled he was Anon with smoky fume sure.
After thay hym put into A faire bere,
Nobly beried, hauing sepulture.
The obsequie don And compleshed pure

138

After the wurdes And noble doctrine,
As lored and thaught had good Melusine.

Entered in church, non for hym can mourn,
After vnto god thay hym commaundyng.
Fro-thens departed without other sogourn;
Again to Raymounde were thay retornyng,
Which dolorous wo At hert was feling,
With eyes sore wepte he in mornyng plite,
A man can ne may hys sory dole write.

Many tymes ofte, “my swete loue,” sayng,
“The haue disceiued And betrayed, lo!
By the exort of vntrew man makyng,
Al this me hath made my cosin to doo.
I Am by hym fals And als forsworne to,
Ful of vice am and of Iniury;
For ill chaunce me fell unfortunatly

At my firste gynnyng And commencement,
When in the wode my souerain lord sly.
A gretter mischef neuer men gan hent,
And sithen when me sewed periury
Off that I had sworn to my fayr lady,
That so loued, by whom good and honour had,
By whom I was susteyned and lord made;

By whom all goodnes me cam suffisantly,
By whom, vnder god, lif had and comforth.
But the Fals fortune, by cruel enuy,
Me hath brought to thys full sharpe & hard port,
Wherby loste haue I all my hole disport,
Where like-wise loste my mirth and gladnesse,
Wherby Also lost my hole rychesse;

139

Wherby loste haue I yoy of eternite;
That is, Melusine the fair suete wyght,
Whom I loued wel, As myself, parde,
She allwais loued me with hert parsight,
And the dede thereof shewid she to ryght.
In time togeders we haue be ensemble,
Where-of of pete my hert doth trimble;

When I bethenke the trouth and verite,
Therof shold I well haue gret pite,
And so shall I haue all the lif of me,
Of whom holdeth he to non end shall go.
I luf better to dy for euermo
Then for to suffer so greuous A pain
vntill so be that ende shall attain.

Full cruell pain I haue, but yut shall not end,
Ne yut shall not ende Al myn ille truly
Till I diffynid be, and fro the worle wend.
Time is for I may no lenger fructefy
As in thys worle, neither edefy
Thyng but that it goth vnto decline,
Rather or later to an endly fine.

For Melusine, whom god do warde and kepe,
Me ther said full well at hir departson,
Which causith my sorow in hert part and lepe.”
Parcelly, As the heres of eyes don,
With teres makyng sprancles manyon,
Ryght so is Raymound tormented full sore,
Sore wepyng, teres making euermore;

For Melusine, the woman off Fary,
Which thar-after cam full many A nyght

140

Into the chambre right full secrely
Wher norished was Terry suetly to ryght,
That she Full ofte hym raid and dight,
Chaufed, milked, And rechaufed Again.
Ther many tymes by the norish sain,

But thay durste noght in no wise vp-rise,
Neither o soule wurde to outre or say,
But vnto ther lord told the maner wise,
Wherof Raymond had full huge ioy alway.
In hys hert said with softe vois that day,
“That yut Melusine hope and trust to haue;”
Full ill in hys breste such thoughtes gan craue.

Vanishede is she fro hys syght for ay,
Remedy non, gold, siluer, ne honour.
Thierry cherished Amendid Alway,
(Men merueled gretly off it that hour),
In a moneth more then other in four.
Hys swet moder on hym such wyse thought,
Norished with hir milke And forth full wel brought.

Ofte in his fader chambyr she was;
To norish no pappe like moders neuer-mo,
As beforn is said, ho many it purchas.
here cesse I and leue now, ferther will not goo
Off wofull Raymounde And hys sones two,
here thys time not say vnto your presence,
But vnto declare will do my diligens

Off Gaffray with long toth you outre And say.
Where I ly or no, god knowith An-hy;
I lerned it noght certes at no day;
A lier to be founde shame were outerly.

141

Gaffray went noght ouer taryinly,
Thorugh the se went, ouer pase rowing,
By fors of people so forth ther sailling.

He tho ariued And taried noght
In norbelande, sesing both land and ground,
Where this Geant were procured and wrought.
And when Gaffray discended was þat stound,
The Barons bode noght, gain hym went hole & sound,
Grettest and wurthiest of the said contre,
Comyng to hym, with-out excused to be.

The gret, the meene, the litell, soth to tell,
Approched And cam to hym, gret and small.
A gret Baron then, witty, were, and fell,
Ther hym rehersing the Geant dedes All,
Ther liberte loste, ther contre made thrall
With that fers Geant huge and comerous,
Horrible, myghty, strong, And orgulous.

In A iournay, to certefy you all,
An hundered knightes of this said contre
Distroed and slain, put to deth mortall.
So orgulous sette, full of cruelte,
Gret uengaunce gan do to the comynte;
As cursedly sly A thousand As on,
The st[r]engest mortal eschew wold hys person.

Gaffray Answered, “then is he a Fend,
A dredful deuill full of cruelte.
But noght-for-that fro hym me will diffende,
By me sonly distroed shall he be.
hys byding place shewith unto me,

142

For non othir cause comyn Am this houre,
But only to fynde this said soudiour,

Which so goth Aboute, you sore distrussand.
This knoith uerily, ill shall he betide
Or wekes seuyn ben passed to comaunde.
Do me vnto take here som maner gide,
To this place and stede me conuey to ride,
So I may hym se for to discomfight.”
As he desired, like gan to hym dight,

Agide hym taken, knowing the contre,
With all the places where-to gan repair,
Where this Geant was wont dwellyng to be,
hys habitacion And mancion fair.
Such A gide hym toke which was debonare,
After hym commaunde to our lordes grace.
Gaffray went thens, departing fro þat place.

He And hys gide Apace forth riding,
Till that on full hy thai gan well Auise,
Both os tham faste ther coursers sporing.
Then ny approched, Aboute gan deuise.
Vnder A tre sate this Geant in strange wise;
On a marbre stone at that ceason satte;
The Gide for gret drede trembled and swatte.

He sore Abasshed, changing his colour.
Gaffray it saw, and gan to laugh sad;
After in laughter saide to hys Gidour,
As for ryght noght drede and fere he hade,
For thought should not mistriste god to be mislad.
“Good be in pees,” said to Gaffray the gide,
“Behofull is me to uoide and go wide.

143

For all richesse and gold worly being,
More nerre wold approche noght this faid montain,
Ne lenger with you be here sogernyng,
Sin to you haue I shewed here certain
Grimold the Geant most meruelous plain.
Sir Gaffray,” he said, “here this is no iape,
To god you commaunde, me will hens fast scape.”

Gaffray laughed faste, after to hym said,
For all loues desired and besought,
A litell while bide hertly hym praid,
That he wold behold what wise that thai fought.
“For in litell space knowlich shold be wrought
As ho of us to the better shold haue,
And at this iournay ho hym best can saue.”

This gide answered, “no charge of your bataill,
you gided haue to point, lenger will noght bide;
yff ye win, no part wil ne to myn auaill.
Fro you will depart, Again wil I ride.”
Gaffray therof laughed suetly that tide,
Then to the gide said, “now vnderstande me,
In thys place abide vnto that ye see

Ho bering hym best and ho better haue;
That sain And don, torn my men vnto.
Without Any doubte yut may ye go saue,
Our Army dedes declare, all we doo,
And al my gouernaunce telling thaim also.”
Then hym said the gide, “do shall your entent,
My lord, I am at your commaundement.

144

Deliuerly to hym ye procede,
Assured am noght, ne haue hert non bold.
Of verray trouth I haue such fere and drede
Of this horrible fende, Geant Grimold,
That almoste my herte faillith lif to hold,
And if ye knew hym lik-wise As I doo,
Auised wold ye be or to hym wold goo.”

Gaffray answerd, “of hym haue ye no doute;
Grimold here shal dy, no-while shall endure.”
But yut Gaffray shall fynd hym stoute,
Ful strong was Grimold in werly scomfiture.
Our lord Gaffray gyf aid and conforture.
Nedfull was to hym at that ceason ryght
More then euer had Any other knight,

Which swerd gan bere or garde with Any.
For A thousande or mo of contre
Grimold the Geant slain had he sowly.
Where-for peple had wonderly to se
huge heuinesse And gret iniquite.
Neuer wurse man sain, truly to rehers,
For meruelous was in dedes diuers.

Then Gaffray hasted, A horsebacke ryding,
The montain gan take, leuing the ualay,
Which that vppon was A fantain walling,
leuing the medew And the playnes ay.
Als the gide lefte ther in that place alway;
God wold not þat ill Grimold shold hym doo,
Which so was to doubte in euery stour tho.

Gaffray on hym toke vp go the montain;
Grimold perceiued it, moch gan he meruaill

145

That O soule man greithed hym to attain,
As to that place come hym For to assaill,
Sayng hym wold hate without any faill.
But when in musing A litell had be,
he said, “this worthy man cometh to me

Here, As I beleue, for to trete A pees.”
The path went he up wonder bustesly.
“Off fine fors,” thought he, “moste speke, not tonge lese,
Such on entreth vp, don shall hastily.”
A huge leuer toke in handes plainly,
To sight semyng noght no body humain.
hym with for to aide, this leuer shoke plain

In such maner wise As man A staf wold,
Or A lytell body of sixe or sef yere age,
And better then, I say, seff tymes fold
As a proper staf to walk in viage.
For the which after his strenght & corage,
Ryght noght is to syght with-say again,
But that the stafe was more then Any sain,

Which lightly ne wold to bow ne aply.
yut it behouith that A staf ply shold
To the pley of such at som tyme truly,
When in his handes this stafe gan to hold.
Seing that Gaffray towarde hym come wold,
In shill hautain uois toke hym lowde to cry,
“how comest thou now me As to diffy?

“What art thou, say me, what gost thou to seke?
Off deth no warant neuer shalt thou haue.”
Gaffray anon An answere oute gan breke,

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“Therof shall the wern; Rebaude, loke the saue;
For to scomfite the souly I the craue.
Off thi hed shall smite; dy shalt thou by me
Mortally Anon, now here diffynde the,

The unto warant, certes, thou ne may.”
Grymold, this hiring, to[ke] hym to laugh tho.
Ther hym said Grymold, “you beseche and pray,
Fair sir, saue my life, lete me on-lif go,
Taking this peple to ranson also!”
Geffray vnderstode, “cherle!” said hastily,
“Scornest thou with me? certes thou shalt dy!

Here lo! shalt thou dy; I limite thi place,
Neuer Ranson take shall I to thy charge;
But don to the teeth the shall rent by grace.”
Ther had was A place, inly gret And large.
Gaffray that tyme, enbrasing shild and targe,
By malice And wreth his spere Faste he shoke,
his coursere spored, no fentïse on hym toke,

For noble loos And prowesse to acquire.
With the Forhed plain gain hym went, & smote
Enmyddes the brest under the pappe with yre.
Such A stroke hym dalt ther vppon hys cote,
Ne had the hauberke smal mail be, god wote,
Als hys brest of stile, ille hym hade come sure;
For Grimold ther was at ille auenture.

Noght-for-that yut vppon the hard ground
Tombled Grimold enmeddes the mountain,

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hys legges reised up an-hy that stound,
Wher-with Grimold was strongly greued plain.
Full wightly tho releued hym sertain,
In hys hert gan fele full dolorous woo.
That Gaffray this saw, ther discended tho

That hys hors shold noght myscheuously sle,
As vnder hym to mortall deth noght cast.
Grimold the Geant, lenger bode noght he,
But vp hym Reised, Gaffray beheld faste;
So but litell saw hym don to thraste,
Als in so litell body such uertew,
Ther hym demaunding, “what art thou? say trew,

That such a stroke me toke? neuer felt such on,
My lemys so cast vp; yut know I noght the
Wherehens thou art, ne what is thy person.
But off the me uenge shamed shall I be;
And yut, so I am; but yut, say thou me,
What thou art me say, I the here require;
No gentill knyght art but graunt my desire.”

Gaffray Answerd to [t]hys baculere,
“My name wil not hide by ryght non engine,
Gaffray with the gret toth named am awhere,
In many contres know the name of myne;
For I Am Gaffray, sone to Melusine,
Off lusignen borne of þat good lady,
And of lusignen, know thou wel, am I.”

When thys had spoken vnto hym Gaffray,
The Geant hym said, “I know the full well;
Full moch haue I hurd spokyn of the aday,
And of thy gret prowesse eueridell.

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Guedon thou slyest, my cosyn', soth to tell,
In guerrande lande; thy guerdon for to haue,
To this place ert come it to speke and craue.

Hit shalt thou haue by fors of myghty were,
For of that shall I here now take vengance.”
he trowed say trouth, but lied more nerre.
Gaffray hym said, “trowyng this instance,
Such supposse to uenge ther huge shame perschance,
Which ofte cressith hurt, men may wel it se,
In sondry places conceyued may be.”

Thys cruell Geant ne myght hym withhold
When so hym saw scorn, his leuer haused hy,
Gaffray to smite trowyng tho he shold.
Apart Gaffray uoided full warly,
Somwhat blent, the stroke so-forth passyng by,
With hym noght mette; the leuer don to ground
With-in the Roche made A grett depe trowe þat stounde;

For it throwen was wonder bustesly,
And with such rudesse gan it to discend,
That A plain fote large the roche tare strangely.
Gaffray hys swerd drew hym for to diffend,
On the elbow the Geant smote at end,
Such a stroke hym lent, to full huge maruell,
That of the hauberk brek many a maill;

Fvll litell fauted, fouled had noght be.
The vermail blode don ryn wonderly,
The herbes Aboute becam red to se.
This fers Geant tho to Gaffray cam wightly,
With full malice yre And cruell enuy

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The gret leuer reised vp and hy brought;
Full heuy was, but it greuyd hym noght;

Gaffray thought smite, but he uoyded place.
Ther the stroke fill don thre foote in-to grounde,
So in harde roche smote he ther apace;
Where of the Geant was full wroth that stounde.
With that stroke his arme Astoned tho founde,
And thys said leuer to-rent thorughly,
And Amidward broken outerly;

Wher of Gaffray thankes to godd yilding.
Ther Gaffray hym smot with hys swerd full faste,
Hys grett strenght And fors ther manly shewing,
An-hy hym smoth vppon the scul in haste,
The Geant with that stroke Almoste don caste;
To whome þat stripe was greuous manyfold.
For sorow And wo An-hy hys hand gan hold,

Gaffray forth with smote vppon the hed an-hy;
Off that greuous stroke Gaffray greued sore.
The Geant his fuste lete to fle strongly;
Gaffray with his swerd smote hym euermore,
To whom belonged fight in knightly lore,
Vppon hys shuldre A stroke gaffe of meruell
That he rent and brak both hauberke & maill.

Plain pawme of hande the fwerde made entre;
The sanguine blode don ran the belay,
Anon all made purpurat rede to se.
Thys Geant, of whom we declare and say,
hys goddys corsed, hys goddys gan renay,
Enlesse thei wold gif hym Aid or socour,
Both Margot, polin, Bernagant that houre,

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Mahounde, Iupiter, And als other mo;
hym-selfen bement sorily expresse.
But for ryght noght was his gret waling tho;
But Gaffray at end his wil shal redresse,
Noght only anon but er þat he cesse.
But yut shall he haue I-now anguisse grete,
Er the victory be conquere[d] and gette.

The Geant saw come towarde hym Gaffray,
Adrad, afferd of hym was gretly.
Anon forth lepte, enbrasing hym alway,
Teryng, drawyng here and there besily,
As he which was takyn cursidly.
Gaffray gripte he there faste by the raynes,
Ech of thaim both suffryng there hug paynes

That thay almost loste ther breth outerly.
Strongly went Aboute, so fast hurteling;
Il to-geders went As were egally,
Such wyse hurteling, beting, and drawyng
That fro other sondred escaping.
Atwixste thaim yeuen many strokis tho,
And Gaffray hym smote vppon the hanche so

Wyth A costile which in hys sleffe gan hold,
that his Iesseron failed and breke to,
Thorewly passyng the costile-yre cold;
Hastily the blode lepte out and ran tho.
The Geant bakwarde lepyng Gaffray fro,
Ther-thens spedfully takyng the montain.
Gaffray hasted after, hym to attain,

To take leue of hym, but faste he gan fle;
In litell time and space ferre was he thens.
In A chine of the Roch made he entry,

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For gret doubte had of Gaffrayes uiolens.
Gaffray sory that uoided was ther-hens,
Thys cruell Geant whom he so had loste,
To hys coursere cam, lepte vp, made no boste,

To hys gide went, declaryng hym and told,
Fro worde to worde, All thar werke indede,
like As thay had don; And how this Geant bold
Thens into a caue fled for fere and drede,
Within the quike roche for all hys manlyhed.
The gide vnto hym approched full ny,
Which there wondred and merueled strongly,

How that Gaffray had such hug hardinesse.
Hys helme wasted sore, rent And broken all,
And hys hauberke disma[i]lled all expresse,
In many places holes gret And small.
The gide said, “so god me aid eternall,
I perceiue full well And ryght certanly,
That Gaffray is full of prowesse and hardy.”

Comyng thay saw of peple gret fusion,
Many nobles with other of contre,
As sone As the dede vnderstode Anon,
Demaundyng suetly of Gaffray the fre
Wat was his name? and thaim declared he.
And after thay had demaunded hys name,
Then whens he was, off wat renon & fame,

And that to tham wold the verray trouth say,
(For fain wold thay know, And he all tham told),
On of the Barons then said, “lord, you pray,

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here vnderstandeth what you shall vnfold;
Be ye in certain, for all worly gold
Thys cruel Geant, (that god hym confound!)
Again you will noght retorn at no stound,

Wel knowen is hym he shuld nought escape
Fro your handes twain, yf he were in hold;
That his mortall deth labour wold and shape,
For so is hym predestinat of old.”
“By the Trynite,” said Gaffray the bold,
“Fro contre shall I neuer, lo! departe
Till that I hym finde by som maner art.”

“My lorde,” said on of thaim, “beth noght in doute;
This montain wheron this Geant is truly
Full of the fairy is it all aboute.
The noble helmas, king of Albany,
With hys doughtres thre ther was verily
Enclosed with-in, nawhere myght issew,
By such werkes wroughten incongrew,

For that there moder, the lady presine,
lying in gesian wilfully had sain;
Which hym diffended that by non engine,
Vppon this diffence that she hym made plain.
Noght-withstandyng went to se hir dedes solain,
Which therof with hir made had couenaunt
Goyng ne comyng to hir wold noght haunt,

As toward hyr whyle in gesian lay;
Wher if so gan do, at end mischef shold.
With doughtres fair in lay she that day,
Thys ioly lady, presine, to behold,
Doughtres thre had childed and vnfold.

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helmas forsworn, periured, and comerd to,
The couenaunt hold with presine made tho

For-soth he failled; wherthorugh he lost
Presine hys lady, As after shall hyre;
hyt declare And tell shall my wersom gost.
With thes doughters thre he closed entire,
For ther moder lost, the soth to acquire.
In this hy montain shitte up were thay tho,
Neuer was knowen to what place were goo.

For-sothe helmas neuer issued oute;
Ther were thay shitte vp fro þat heder-to.
But in this montain, without any doute,
hath euer sith be an hug Geant, loo!
Wardain, with meruelous ouercomyng so
That men ne durst noght it to approche ny.
Tyll your comyng now no man sain truly,

But that this Geant put to deth mortall;
So was he myghty and meruelous stronge.
This contre hath he put to mischef all,
Our kyng which we hild moste chefe vs Among
litell hath fro hym deffended our wrong.
To grimold vs hath of Fors made yilding,
Euermore sithen that helmas our king

Into such felowship was put and caste.
Thys Grymold is the fifte Geant found,
The sixte, or the sefth of thaim hath be last,
Wasting thys contre both the lande and ground,
To All men making werre full habound
Vnto the time of your blessed comyng,
The which ben welcome to vs here beyng.”

154

When that Gaffray hurd thes new nouels told,
Full good and fair bene thes tydinges truly.
Ther A gret oth made As man inly bold,
Aforn thaim present to all openly,
That he wold be dede ful recreantly
Or discomfite wold this cruell Geant;
He doubted no-thyng, the man so pusant.

The night passed, the fair day appering,
Aforne thes Barons full twenty and mo
Gaffray wightly on hys coursere leping,
The Geant neuer doubted for no wo.
leue toke, after went vp the montain tho;
Full gret pain he had to go vp an-hy;
Hys coursere sporing that ceason wightly,

That to the Roche cam, so spored and smote.
Tournyng enuyron, the hole perceyuinge,
Auised and knew, well gan it to note
That thys huge Geant ther had made entring.
Fro hys coursere don Anon ther leping,
A-foote discended, in-warde gan behold.
But to see within ne myght noght be told;

No thyng he saw more then in a ouen he.
Gaffray tho said, “Astoned am in all
Wherby the Geant now here passed be,
Sin þat gret thikke is, wonder corporall,
Moche more then I am fourged personall.
I knaw well that here or there entre made,
Noght that way, but this, ran he full sad.

Se here now the place where he made entre,
Se here now the caue, without Any doute,
Where thys Geant entred in to se;

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Thys is the gret Roche openly all-oute,
Where grene grasse hath non growing there Aboute.
The caue was hewin within large and brode
So As he myght ren without any bode.

For he was full huge, moche gretter then I ame.
But, so ihesu crist me warde fro noisaunce,
Whatsomeuer approch me of grame,
Me wil not withold by no gouernaunce
But hym here within will seke þis instaunce.”
Entre made he tho ther in-to the grounde,
For-soth ther within thought seke hym that stounde.

Iff that he be there, truly shall hym fynd.
The spere lete don, ren the hed, be-forn lete goo;
After ny sewed, derkly, As man blynd.
Put hys feet before, noght drad, in went tho,
Shittyng vp hys mouth with hys teeth also.
Adon the spere lowe aualed he,
Till he cam vnto the botme and entre.

When at the botme was, hee gan take hys spere;
Off An herd wode was, breke wold not sothlesse;
Man better timbre neuer saw nawhere,
For broken wold, ne had be good expresse;
Inly good it was, to no breche gan dresse.
Ny the hed the spere gan he take full prest,
And forth went apas, lenger wold not rest.

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After, Aferrome saw he hug clernesse,
When a litell while forth ther he had go.
The spere euermore Aforne hym gan dresse
In tastyng the way, vntill that he tho
Ariued and cam A fair place vnto,
Where A chambre founde full fair wroght & well,
There fourged and made was it of nouell.

She myght in no wise, lo! more fairer be.
In ryght side And lifte wrought by good auise;
Coruen in the roche full freshly was she;
But o going oute perceiue myght no wise.
Ryght fair it was And gentile to deuise,
The rychesse gret prise, hard to attain,
That in this chambre had was tho and sain.

She All betan was with fine pured gold
Full of riche perrey, made to gret maistry.
Enmyddes A tombe of this chambre told.
Thys tombe sette vppon sixe pilours hy
Off fyne masse gold, with perles many,
A man shold not finde nawhere more fine;
Precyous rich were, of huge medicine.

Above was had A knightly armed kyng,
Off cassedony will formed and made.
Vppon this said tombe was he ther ligging,
Resplendising fair in this chambre sprad.
Ioynant ny ther-to A fair lady had,
Being in estat (who beheld with ey)
Off Alabastre was this noble lady.

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To constantinoble fro-thens is no faill,
Ne myght ymage finde with it to compare.
Off this full strange sight Gaffray gan meruell,
An huge tablet this fair lady bar
In hir handes twain all this to declare,
Resembling to be fourged all of-new.
In this tablet wrete As here shall ensew.

“Her light sir helmas, the full noble king,
Which me hath loste by hys gret deray
Wherof I was And had huge ostonyng.
Thys noble kyng was full Amerous ay;
Couenaunt me had, er spoused were Alway,
That neuer day, whiles he gan endure,
The time that I in Gesian ly sure,

He shuld noght enquere by no maner way
Off my dedes, neither no wise me se,
Towardes me noght come ne go no day,
Till ceason And time I reised shold be.
Tho it fel and cam, of my belay thre
Full faire doughtres had in this same yere,
Which right gracyous And full hable were.

Helmas so gan do that he me gan se
In such wise As I in my childbed lay.
Anon ther fro hym I uanished me,
Such wise departed and thens fly my way;
Neuer knew what part went I my iournay;
And my doughtres thre forth with me lad,
Al thaim norished vnto gret age had,

Fvll well amended And right well gan growe.
With my mylke tham fed, and milked all thre;
After thaim told, when fiftene yeres gan owe,

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The maner how I loste ther fader fre.
In Auoblon the fairy contre,
The eldeste of birth, maried she was,
Melusine called in euery plas.

[OMITTED]

[_]

Folio 88 is lost. There follows a modern translation of the French text.

[With her two sisters, as was right, they talked over every circumstance, and told me, who was their mother, they wished to avenge me on their father. The three daughters agreed to bring a fate upon their father, to avenge me of the great misdeed that he had foolishly done against me. To this they all assented, and enclosed within the mountain Helmas, who was their father, and who had broken his promise. When he died, I buried him beneath this tomb, and enclosed him there, and caused this tomb to be thus made, thus sculptured and painted. Thereon I caused my likeness to be put that there might be remembrance of it in him who should read the tablet. For never should man enter here except he were of the lineage (in Avalon and the fairy-country) of my three daughters, of whom you may hear tell when you will. I bade the giants to watch, from the hour I set them there, that none should enter by this passage except he were sprung of our line. I provided gifts for my daughters,

159

who were beautiful and fair: to Melusine, the eldest, who was very wise and prudent, I give her a gift for life (according to the order of fairies), that, as long as her life lasted, she should be a serpent every Saturday; and, whoever would marry her, must not approach her on that day, but take good heed, wherever he was, and in every thing. He must not see what she then was, nor tell anybody of it. And, whoever followed this rule, to him would Melusine always come just like a mortal woman, as women naturally do. Then should she die naturally, and as others usually do. To Melior, the second daughter, who was so fair a creature, I give a fairy-gift, and 'tis well that I should tell you what. In a castle strong and massive, which is situate in Armenia, (in great Armenia, verily,) I bade her that, during her life, she should keep a sparrow-hawk there;

Where it shall behoue nightes to wacche thre
As ho which off hir demaunde A yifte wold,
And what he desire I-graunted shall be;
The firste demaunde demaundith ther haue shold.
But not hir body desire haue ne holde;
Off it Melior loke he noght require,
Neither by no meene hir not desire.

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No knight wake ne thold but of hye birth were;
And ho-so do slepe in tho nightes thre
(Wher lytell or moche) in sampnolence there,
Alway perpetuall there abide shall he
In the paleis with melior the fre
As prisonere in prison alway:
Such gifte I hir giffe As this tyme dysplay.

Palatine the yongeste suster tho was,
So named and called was at that day;
To whom I desteined to purchas
Such A maner gyfte As I you shall say:
That in coinqs the hy montain ay,
Where failled hert haue men full many,
Ensuffering full ofte ryght gret misery,

Ther to warde and kepe hir faders tresoure;
Enduryng hir life, in that place to be,
Till som approche and come, of linage our,
To that hy montain by fors and strenght he
To ascende an-hye Aboue the hill to see,
The tresour caste oute, and after shall conquere
The lande of promission by hys powere.

Tho was the monte of whom we speke and say
Sette in Arrigon of trouth verily,
Which that is a thing knowen well be may.
This presine to hyr doughters thre surely,
Which were full hable and ryght faire to ey,
On thaim the moder auenged that brayd,
By the maner that Aboue is saide,

161

For ther fader helmas king of renon,
That thay enclosyd by ther wrong derain
With-in the montain ther of Aualon;
For by my faith I loued þat souerain,
how-be-it þat he misdede me Again;
Off feith and of trouth I loued hym hertly
With all the sprites of my body.”

Ryght thus was And went the scripture saing;
And when Gaffray, uaillant man and wurthy,
Had radde thys tablet, he moch meruelling;
But yut he knew noght uerray certainly,
But santred and doubted uerryly
Wher on was or no of this saide linage.
Fro-thens went Gaffray with full fers corage,

Inly faste cerching als both low and hy,
Where that Grimold in Any place finde myght;
So thens departed passyng ouer lightly.
Al the wais toke and sought thys huge wight,
Grimold myght not fynde ne of hym haue syght.
Streight Aforn hym A fair feld gan behold,
Ther perceyuyng A square tour, A strong hold.

The gate saw open, the barreres undo;
Into the hous Gaffray went Anon,
Stifly And bigly his spere holdyng tho.
In a gret latise be-held manyon,
Al prisoneres where in warde thai echon.
Of hym wondred And merueled strongly,
And on of thaim said, “go hens ful quikly!

I concell you,” said, “depart hens Anon
That this huge Geant in no wise you se;

162

Or in-to som hole go, uoyding his person,
Or with the Geant distroed shall ye be!”
Gaffray laughed; after demaunded he,
Which on his necke bare A spere full grete,
Iff that the Geant he myght funde or gette,

With hym thought to fight, hys purpos uerily.
On of thaim hym said, “se hym shall Anon,
And I beleue ye will it sore aby
iff he you se, for strong is of person;
To deth will you put forsothe er ye gon.”
Gaffray to hym said, “my ryght full suete frende,
haue ye no drede but of your selfe at end;

Alone shall I bere the strokes And dedes,
For Alone I haue take this entreprise.”
yn the same moment, places, and stede
Gaffray with long toth the Geant gan auise,
That iuged was to deth, wel gan aduertise.
he strongly ther fled As he myght goodly,
A chambre perceiued, in went rabbishly,

The dore after drew; Gaffray gan it sse,
After sped Apace, yrously being;
Smiting hastyli, the dore gan vp fle,
With þat stroke the dorn Anon unbarring;
Withe the sole of fote was he tho smiting.
Into chambre floure the doure made fle lightly;
For all barred was, entred he wightly.

A[s]quare maillet the Geant gan hold;
Vppon Gaffray hed ther-with yaf wightly.
With that stroke he was stoned manyfold;
Ne had hys helmet be full strong and myghty,

163

Gaffray had be slain, so caused to dy.
And yut not-for-that Gaffray tombled there,
Anon releuing in wighty manere,

Then hym saide Gassray, “of the haue full fair,
But Anon I shall yilde it unto the,
With my swerde the teere, not will make retrair.”
Gaffray drew hys swerd, harde well ground to se,
Withe the bakke went, so harde the Geant smote he,
Gaffray his good swerd so put thorugh hym tho,
Thorugh the breste the crosse was it unto;

Fro part in-to part hym perced ouer all.
The Geant to grounde our-torned tho,
Which so ofte had made many men full thrall.
No-thyng was he wurth, right noght myght he do,
Where cursedly had don with his maillet soo.
A meruelus cry vp he cast þat stound,
All the toure souned when he fill to ground.

Thys Geant tho fall to mortal deth colde
With that mighty stroke Gaffray hym yeuyng.
Gaffray drew hys swerde ther oute fro Grimold,
Into hys scaberge Again hym puttyng.
Ther ryght no lenger wold he be byding,
To the prisoneres fro-thens Anon went,
And to demaunde thaim was full diligent

If of Norbelande thei were As was told,
And what maner thyng gain hym hade misdo,
And wherfor in preson he tham gan hold.
Anon on said, “for trewage was it tho
That the gret Geant yeuen had vnto;

164

The which, sir, is noght yut hym paid no wyse,
Wherfor this now bide All his tirandise.”

Gaffray Answered, “ioyous And glad be,
Now Full merily demene you Amonge,
For of his paupires strike oute plain be ye!
Here hym haue I slain And put to dethe stronge;
Neuer shall he you At no day do wrong.
Of trouth mortall deth haue I put hym to,
your trewage haue I now here aquitte so.”

When thes nouels hurde, ioyous therof were;
Gaffray thay besought thaim deliuer oute.
He Answering said, “do shall my powere.”
Tho cerched, enquered, And went Aboute,
Till the keys Founde with-out any doute.
And when he thaim had resorted Again,
Where too hundert were And mo in certain,

The lateis unshitte where-in prisoned were,
Presently thaim al gaf he leue to go.
Fro-thens issued thay with gladsom chere,
That nouelles pleased and greed well to
That escape shold thys painfull prison fro.
Into the chambre Gaffray tho thaim lade
To se this Geant dede and cold ther had.

Euery man hym blissed of Gaffray,
Ther meruellyng gretly of this auenture,
Hym to haue in such herdinesse Alway
To assail such A hiduous creature
Off so wonderfull unfittyng stature,
Thys gret monstre, huge, large, and cruell,
Which so meruelous was, felenous and fell.

Euery man blissid, euery man said
That neuer such a man ther dais gan se.

165

To thaim saing Gaffray, “hire me now þis braide,
Here now ye Barons acquitail haue by me;
Vnto this Geant no more owe shall ye.
Full moch good hath within thys dongon;
Barons, you it yeue into your bandone,

And all that is here you it gyffe frely,
Both gold and hauour here, all that his wace.
hit reioys and take, for noght haue will I;
here you will commaunde to our lordes grace,
Take all þat here is in this tour and place.
To tary or byde certes will noght here,
To labour will go in place ellyswhere;

Lenger will noght bide, dwelle, ne tary.”
“your mercy and grace,” thai to hym gan say,
“So it myght you please off your courtessy,
Euery of us you beseke and pray
Wherby ye come in to say us your way,
Where for the Geant non durste make entre,
That dede and recreant here lith now may see.”

There Gaffray thaim declared all and told.
When thay had hym hurde, on said hym vnto,
“Neuer fro this Roche issued man so bold
Excepte this Geant ligging ded here, lo!
And his cruell antecessoures also,
By whom to greuous torment put we be;
Exiled and wasted haue thai our contre,

Both tho gret and small haue thay had in hate;
Distroed also all that thai finde might,

166

Foure houndred haue slain, preuyng well þis date.
Now our sorow ye haue vnto an ende dight,
And Als put to end the fary work ryght.
With you shall retorn, going vppon way,
Till that your peple approche and fynde may.”

Thes Barouns thaim made tho sull redy
To put this Geant ther a carte uppon;
An-hy hym dressed As for to cary,
Neuer saw man to sightes uision
So gret As was this Geant enuiron,
Euery man blessed that hym gan se;
Well bounde and tacked to that carte was he.

Thorugh the contre went, hym carying;
Wherouer thai rode and passid full faste.
Of this said monstre al men merueling,
Wherof the peple Abasshed and agast.
Forsoth euery man blissed thaim in haste
The hour that Gaffray ariued at þat coste,
That thaim deliuerd of this cursed goste.

Gaffray conueed to his peple that houre,
huge honour and gold hym ther presenting;
And full humbly gan do hym ther honour,
So As for ther lorde thai hym holding,
For passed And dede was their noble king.
But he wold no wise lenger ther sogourn,
But to lusignen wold he tho retourn.

Off ther huge honour wold he take no-thyng,
Retourn wold ther-thens without bode any.
Gaffray, which no man neuer was doubtyng,
Vppon his coursere anon lepte lightly
As he which was both doubty and wurthy.

167

“Adieu,” tho he said, “Adieu you commaund,
ye noble Barons present of Norbeland,

To you leue the warde of this contre.”
Fro-thens deperted, semyng ther to longe,
With hym his peple ridyng As shold be.
Ther rode A gret stour, waloping ful stronge,
Till to se cam; A barge gan he to fonge,
Desiryng to se his fader of blode,
And Melusine his gentile moder goode.

He taried noght, sailled And rowed soo,
That he approched Guerrand tho full ny;
The winde was good, he strongly sailled tho,
That in litell while to port cam surely.
And when Gaffray had hauyn ueryly,
Anon A-land he descended ryght,
And ther Ariued certes þat same night.

All the wordle anon wenten hym Again,
Men, wemen, children, of ech side moste and leste;
The Barons fested this hy souerain,
hys fader Raymounde vnto hym cam preste.
Gaffray hym salute As man moste vmbleste,
Wightly Anon hym Gaffray gan enbrace,
Neuer at more ease of hert he ne wace;

His uisage and mouth ther gan he to kisse.
Into a chambre both thai made entre,
Wherof many thinges spake thai, I-wisse,
Many tales told ther Gaffray the fre,
And Raymound to hym that in mynde wold be
hou hys moder lost he had and lete.
With malicious wreth Gaffray gan suete;

168

Well Auised hym it was for his syne
That his fader had wrethed heuyly so,
By monkes he hade stroyed maillers yn;
With flammes of fire thaim bruled and brend to,
An hundred ther were in that minstre tho.
Then on the tablet hys thought & mynde gan draw,
Which in the montain of Aualon saw,

Fro wurde to wurde al thorughly in hert be rad
Vppon the tombe of noble king helmas.
Tho knew he Full well where melusine was hade
Doughter to the kyng which lay in þat place,
And that helmas, this noble kyng, wace
Fader to Melusine his moder good;
Where-vppon he thought long while he ther stoode.

When he vnderstode, knowing it clerely,
hou that Raymounde his noble fader tho
By erle of foreste his brother naturally
Toward Melusine had made diffautte so,
With An hautain uois Gaffray said, wold go,
(Wher-to he swere full fast his gret oth),
That shortly he wold distroy hym for soth.

So fro-thens with wreth Gaffray partid then,
his fader his parte went right heuily,
With full wurthy noble knightes ten,
Stronge, hable, and light, men sad and myghty,
Tho ten wurth well other knightes twenty;
here you shal declare by fortone hou gan fal.
Gaffray so strongly ther rode forth with-all,

169

So on way faste sped, so forth low and hy,
That he approched the erledome vnto
Off the forest, where was this Erle wurthy,
Which in a castell abiding was tho.
Gaffray to that parte drew hym fast to goo
Where the Erle shold haue ill hansell anon,
In-to thys said strenght entred his person,

Within he entred vnware sodenly,
Off no creature perceiued at all.
With full yrous wreth Gaffray meued hy,
He salute non, ne spake to gret ne small,
But discended don A-forn the gret hall,
The grees Ascended, many to accounte,
hys uncle the Erle ther, named Fromounte,

Enmyddes his peple hym ther gan find,
Which were full noble And ryght gentile to,
Wice, sage, And wele taught As any to mynde
Gaffray As wode man drawing his swerd tho,
Ther crying, “traitor, thy lif lost And goo!
By thy neclygens my moder haue loste!”
Thys Erle it hurde, his blode gon almoste,

His mortall deth saw; being in such fray,
Gaffray he doubted in hert that instaunce,
Knowyng well by hym tho wurdes gan say
Wherof Gaffray had to hert such noysaunce.
Fro-thens he fly with huge comeraunce.
Neuer-for-neuer stode he in such drede,
The tour entred, the dore founde ope in dede,

The grees Ascended ryght so As he myght;
But so gan noght do As his hert tho wold;
For After hasted Gaffray As man wight,

170

Which pursued hym, chausing to that hold,
Strongly hym sewed And sharply manyfold,
Openly after other gan to fle;
With hym had the Erle non of hys mayne

As man that so was gentile ne so goode
Which with hym fro-thens in no wyse wold go;
The grees descended, fered as were woode,
Eche hym-selfe to saue in best wise cowd tho,
Ther liffes to saue Gaffray criing vnto.
For fere of taking full faste thay fle,
Thay sore doubted lest taking shold be.

Gaffray fly After thys Erle hastily,
Sweryng that he shold dy ther with gret shame.
The Erle Ascended into this tour quickly,
As sone As he myght to hiest stage came.
Gaffray swere his oth, for linage ne fame,
Wold spare hym to slay, lif take fro his gost,
Syn his moder good by hym so hath loste.

For drede the Erle swatte And sore trembled tho
When that he saw, brefly vnto say,
That by no men myght ferther passe ne go.
At A fenestre lepte in that affray
Vppon the hedde, failling foote that day;
Fro that place glint þat full hy tho was,
Don vppon the Roch A fall gan purchas.

In that point was he mis[c]heuosly dede
With dolorous wo And full heuy shame,
Thys Erle of foreste in said place and stede.
Alas! by hys owne gret folay it came,

171

hys peple hauyng hug sorow and grame.
The body Gaffray made vnto entere;
After do made cryes in ech stede awhere,

As vnto the Erle beforn had thay do,
To Raymounde his brother in like wise homage,
All enheritors of the contre tho.
And As thaim had said Gaffray the sage,
Euery accorded vnto his langage.
Ther Gaffray wold noght lenger to sogourn,
To-ward lusignen faste gan he retourn,

In shorte and bref tyme parted fro that place.
Vnto lusignen entred, fast ridyng,
Where his gud fader tho dolorous was,
Which full heuily was ther waymenting
For that noght unknow, (full sor lamenting),
How hys brother distroyed was þat day;
Raymound said, “of it gret dolour haue may,

An my wife haue lost, exile my contre,
By my cruell sin And my wicked vice;
Ihesu crist my soull warde and kepe to the,
Fro thys worle me will put by good auice,
Neuer seke no-thyng to conquere franchise.
To confesse my syn wandre shall and goo,
With good hert shall say the hole Postell to

Off Rome, that lyon men do name and call,
After, so god will, chese shall my dwellyng,
Recluse and shit vp in strange contre shall,
In which stede will not be know for no thyng.
In that place shall I my life be using
In deuoute prayers And in orison,
All vnto acquire my sauacion.”

172

Ryght As Raymounde hym sore complayned, [lo!]
In plaintes, wepinges, he bathed was;
And when that Gaffray was descendid tho,
At the perron longe bode not in þat place,
At castell finding hys fader by grace.
But hys moder noght founde, ne saw with ey,
Wherefor to hys fader cried mercy,

With hert sore contrite therof repenting
Off that he had don so moche wickednesse.
On knees mercy ther hym faste crying,
Raymounde sore wepte with eyes bitternesse:
“Hyt nedith noght,” said, “more haue pensif-nesse,
I know well that ye by no mene this day
your moder recouer certes ye ne may.

I can noght,” he said, “werke ne labour soo
As tho mortall ded ther lif to surrend.
The Abbay and mynstre fourge and make most, lo!
Which fair place ye haue distroid and shend.
An hundred monkes with-in also brend
By your meruelous And wondre corage,
As by your folay and full gret outrage.”

Gaffray Answerd, “sire, I shall it doo
Within ryght bref tyme, so our lord please may.”
Then Raymound hym hild in hert content tho;
“More fairer shall be then Aforn was ay,”
Raymound hym said, “appere will it alway
That which ye will do men full well shall se,
Perceyued to ey, knowen well will bee.

Here will you leue, to good ende come may.
A litell way me moste go in pilgrimage,

173

Which promysed haue god aforn this day,
Put ther-to haue both hert, wyll, and corage,
My contre you shall leue, warde it as the sage.
Non other will I of it haue the garde,
your yongest broder wyll loke þat ye warde,

Partenay hym gif with thes castelles echon
Off vavuent, Ayglon, And also Meruent,
He thaim to hold in hys subieccion
In pees without contradiccion hent;
Anon to Rochel my wife wold so went.
For gretly of hym she gan speke and say,
That contre he shold iustice alway.

Ihym make my proper enheritour,
For yut shall he be wurthy terrenly.”
Gaffray Answered, “I grant to will your,
Alway your plesur shall I do surely,
Full well shall I warde my brother Thierry;
In that doubte ye noght, in no maner point,
Sin ye me commaunde, gree to such a ioynt.”

Raymounde his ui[a]ge Full faste made redy,
When he redy was, taried ne reste;
Of uitaill and wyn toke sufficiantly,
Al hys peple commaunded to god prest.
At the departson sughed sore in breste.
Hys leue gan he take with amyable loue fine,
Towarde Rome hys way hild he streight As lyne.

Gaffray and Thierry suettly on the way
long space and tyme thare fader conueing;
In ther forth-progresse told and said Gaffray,
hou that good helmas the full noble kyng

174

Within the Roch founde, wher non durst be commyng
Enlesse he were strong, wurthy, wyse, and sage,
And that issued oute of hys linage;

Tolde where the tombe was pight and sette truly
Vppon thes riche and gret pilours of gold;
Of presine told he also veryly,
Hou she portraed was in being, told;
At foote of helmas tom be hir figure vnfold
Of Alebastre compassed and made;
And of the tablet that she hild and had;

And then all that hurde Aboue haue ye.
Raymounde reioyed hys wife doughter was
Off syre helmas, king which Gaffray gan se,
And of presine, the courtois, full of grace;
For gladnes A foote in hithe gan purchace.
After declaryng went by witty engine
All the gyfftes that ther gaf presine

Unto Melior and to Melusine,
And to palatine, wemen of fayree;
And, As men Affermeth by scripture fine,
That Aboue all helmas louid hyly
Presine, aboue wrete verray perfectly.
When that Gaffray had All thes thynges said,
Raymounde hertly glade reioyng that braide,

That Gaffray gan hire voluntarily.
After thes sones too hym conueyng,
With hym vppon way went full merily.
At nyght when thai cam vnto ther loging,
Hys sones of hym the morn leue taking,

175

To-geders kissed at the parting leue,
And so the mornyng departed in breue.

Raymounde ther Fader sped hym on hys way;
Ther no creature but watry teeres shad;
The Fader wepte, the sones Als that day,
Euery of thaim in misery had,
Raymound thens went; Gaffray Terry with hym lad,
Thay retorned to Approche ther home,
And the Fader went streight forth vnto Rome.

Ryght thys departed ther wais thes thre,
Ther-thens to lusignen went Gaffray.
To partenay went Terry that contre,
yonge, lusty, ioly, inly fresh And gay,
Hardy, myghty, fers, entrepreignant ay,
To ladies swete was amyable,
huge of body, wel formed As man able.

Many were ther noght with hym to compare,
For he was An in beuteuous fair knyght;
Strong, myghty, wourthy, And light to declare,
And off All peplle douted was he ryght;
Neuer put A-bake, manly was of myght;
A notable man was he of corage,
A good werriour, subtile, wise, And sage.

Doubted of all, wher by fors, were, or wit,
Euery man obbeid hym lowly
In all hys marches, where wrong or ryght were it.
In noble Bretain gan he to mary,
Affyed and sured to A gret lady,
Which discended was of ryght hy lynage,
And als she hauyng full huge heritage.

176

Terry seignoried A full large contre,
Hattyd of no man; of hym gan issew
Of pertenay the lyne of verite,
As in this history doth to ensew,
Which hyly regneth yut in huge vertew;
God wold such heires of tham shold come
That the line noght faill to the day of dome!

Ryght As declared And sayd Melusine
That the said line shold haue long endur-ance,
And that thay shold do good dedes and fine;
And so haue thay done wel to rememberaunce
In many placis, wherof reste I this instaunce;
Ouer long wold be to declare and tell,
Ther wurthy dedes vnto say or spell.

Gaffray tho made Aboute for to sende,
Masons of iche sid come with-out delay;
He rought noght what theron shold dispend,
For in thought wold restore the Abbay
Off Maillers, that was brend þat oder day.
Off euery part masons ther comyng,
Ther wages well paid, content þaim holdyng.

Fourged and made was in A somer tide
More fairer then euer it was before,
Off whom men speken, talking large and wide,
Hym ofte mocking And saing euermore,
“Gaffrey is become A monke for all hys lore,
Neuer trowed man for to se that houre
A wolfe to become An herdly pastour!”

Ileue shall Gaffray; of hys fader say,
Which to Rome to the holy fader came
Hys confession to declare alway;

177

In conclusion spared for no shame,
Neuer no-thyng hid, but all gan proclame.
The holy fader wondred on that he told,
Off tho merueles that ther gan vnfold.

Wherefor shold I hold long tale this instaunce?
For his synnes gaff penaunce full sharpely.
Raymound ther it toke to right gret plesaunce,
Promittyng he wold do it full gladly
Or he entre wold in peyters suerly.
To hys holy fader said with all his hert,
And that thens wold go in-to som desert,

So in wild exile all hys lif using
For fair Melusine his loue, wife, and spouse,
In many somers And winters being,
Which that he hath lost by dedes shameuous,
And serpent become wondre hiduous;
Sayng, neuer wold hir put in oblyuy
Ne in that contre neuer entre surely,

Neuer-For-neuer in hys life no day,
Where hys suete loue loste by hys owne speche;
Which in oblyuy with hym be ne may.
This holy fader gan pray and beseche
That of his illes he wold be hys leche.
The pope, that time named and called lyon,
Said to hym, “where is your deuocion

For to go and do ioyned pennaunce?”
Raymound Answered as man deboner,
“At Montsarrant bide is my hole plesaunce,
Ther become hermite with-out any retrayr,
To goddis honour And seruice repair.

178

For elleswhere can I noght me hold,
Full fair sogernyng ther is, me is tolde.

There is A deuoute solitary place.”
“Go where plese may our sacred lord an-hy,
That your sauacion ye may purchace,”
This lion the pope said to hym suetly.
In bref terme Raymound parted thens truly,
So strongly he rode, passyng forth the way,
That within Thoulouse cam without delay.

Full moche peple Again hym tho went;
He ther yeuyng leue to hys mayne plain,
Ech satefied with goodes sufficient;
With hym A prest had, An honest chapelain,
A yeman also for hys owne demain.
More had ne toke at that entreuall,
Ther unto our lord commaunded hys men all;

Hermites Robes full faste lete doo make,
In Arrygon toke hys logge and repair.
At the Mont-sarrat manson gan to take,
yilding hym hermyte As man debonair,
God to serue with orisons and praiers fair;
Properly to take for hys heritage
his byding in this wild montain sauage.

With hym hys yeman And full noble prest
In this hermitage toke habitacion,
With full greabill hertis in ther breste,
Ther being in sore huge affliccion
long time and space with good deuocyon.

179

The worle all forsoke at that houred stound,
And full deuoutly liued ther Raymound

Till ende approched, to mortall deth went.
But dais thre aforn full well perceuyng
Aboute lusignen to vew the serpent,
Where lande and rent Aforn was renonsing;
Whom moch peple ofte haue be seing;
To knowliche nombred mo then twenty
That of Melusine will hurde say truly—

The time and ceason departing thaim fro—
That when the castell change ther lordes shold,
Aforne wold she appere to sight, lo!
Thre days aboute thys said castell wold
Off fair lusignen, full beuteuous hold.
Wherefor many sain in ther willd reuell,
“After appArens, shall haue A lord nouell.”

Gaffray tho lorde of this said castell,
Which so fair was, and lord of contre;
That hy honour and seignory full well
Pesibilly in pece it hold gan he.
Tho fro Thoulouse made baronage & mayne
That Raymound with hym lad when to Rome went;
Excepte yeman and preste all home he sent.

Thai vnto Gaffray declared and told,
The trouth and verite said thay outerly,
hou his fader an hermite was and hold,
And hou fro tham departed wilfully,
And hou his goodes parted gentilly.
Gaffray vnderstode, hys brother after send,
All contre to hym gan he recommend.

180

Fro-thens departed, with hym peple few,
Gaffray the corteis, gentile and connyng.
lenger wold not bide, toke hys leue by rew,
hasted to complesh his dedes doing.
Mistre ne nede non more be declaryng,
But to tary time and long wold it be
Euery thyng to put in hys certainte.

Unto the pope cam, And hym gan confesse
With gret repentaunce full deuoutly;
Off his synny cr[i]me lefte not more ne lesse,
Full dolerus was and repentant truly
Off his wickednesse don consentyngly,
And þat he had don in his youthnesse soo,
With sore hert contrite all confessed thoo

Properly all that in conscience finde myght.
The pope asso[i]led hym ther benyngly,
When declared hade hys dedes vnperfight.
To fourge the abbey charged hym gretly
Off Maillers without tarying any,
Such pennaunce charged hym his synnes fore,
With monkes it stuffe, montance of sex score;

With rentes endowing to haue brede and wyne,
That lacke and faill non winter ne somer tide
To wat necessiite or nede to incline.
Again the abbay to forge loke prouide,
That distroed haue And disherite wide.
Gaffray answerd, “sir, I shall do all,
The minstre and churche appareill shall

Better then euer Appered to eye;
For sothe she hath A good commence-ment.”

181

“yut the churche ye haue stroed wickedly;
Agan it to make ye moste be deligent.”
“Sir, carpenters, masons, yiftes shall hent,
Ther state shall remitte to our lordes grace;
More fairer shall be then euer it wace.”

“Thys reson,” said the holy fader at ende,
“For your brother soule ye be in danger
That ye crusedly bruled so and brende
When thys mynstre and schurch destroed there.
And yf ye of your fader luste enquere,
At mont-sarrat finde shall þat man of fame,
Which noght long Agon toward vs he came,

Hermite is become, holy lif leding.”
Gaffray vnderstode, with eyes wepte sore;
Off pope leue toke, to monte-sarrat going,
Strongly rode apace besily euermore,
Till the regiat way founde hym before,
But Anon As he app[r]oched the montain,
Vp went he an-hy, finding Raymound plain,

His blissed fayder which hurde hym Anon.
When hys sone he saw, gretly reioying.
After Raymounde wold haue departson,
But gaffray no wise wold be deperting,
But said, ther wold bide the worle enduryng,
And that go wold quite fro the heritage
And fro All hys barons homage.

Gaffray was ther foure or fiffe dais tho,
hys fader myght noght hym do torn no wise,
But ther wold dwell hys life vsing also;

182

But when hys fader will gan aduertise,
Thens to lusignen drew by good auise
When of fader had leue take full lowly,
No lenger sogern ther wold noght truly.

When of lusignen the faire Cite hent,
After the Barons send he full wyghtly,
Which cam Anon at hys commaundement.
As sone As thay thes wurdes hurde truly,
homage gan thay do to hym full humbly,
holdyng hym ther lord moste souerain þat houre
To full huge ioy and ryght grett honour.

Then Maillers f[o]urged and made new again,
The said Abbay, beforn gan vndo.
Ther sex score monkes astabled certain,
Ennobling the place ryght wonderly tho,
huge lande and rychesse endowing therto;
Wher night and day monkes pray for þis lord,
For Melusine and Raymound of recorde.

Thay haue of ryght full grett encheson,
He mortesing goodes fuson and plente.
Within prossesse uisete hys fader anon,
And gentilly hym quite at þat assemble.
Raymounde leuyng longe; when to ende nyhed he,
That the soule moste yelde being spirituall,
(As well lordes gret as tho being small),

Ramounde to our lorde his soule ther yilding,
Gaffray no lenger tary wold ne bide.
For when hys fader dede was ther saing,

183

Vnto mont-sarrat made progresse þat tide,
hys fadres sepulture for to prouyde;
Entered in Abbay of the monte-Serrat,
That place augmented passingly þat dat,

And rentid gretly to the house encresse.
he was he, (you say verray certainly),
That euer ther was moste chef of goodnesse;
hit is thing þat man may know full lyghtly;
Ryght well his deuor Gaffray gan do surely.
That don, retorned the mont-Serrat fro,
le[n]ger wold noght bide, to lusignen went tho.

Terry was notable And a full good knight,
A wurthy man, A iusticere full grett,
And regned after pusantly of myght.
At partenay long huge wurship gett,
Fair dedes gan doo in his time full sett,
In pees hys contre haldyng full manly,
Non durste hys heste breke, but to hym apply.

Oedes regned in the marches tho;
Sagilly hym ruled to intelligens;
In hys tyme full grett goodnesse gan he doo.
In Cipres regned noble vriens,
The Sarisins werred by huge uiolens,
(Ny neybours were) put thaim to distruccion,
And off thaim made full gret occision.

Gvy regned and was king of hermeny;
Full nobly ther lade both lande and contre;
hys hoires makyng werre times many
Vppon Sarrisins which misbeleued be
Vntill þat thay were recreant to see.
Ther had no sarisin but full sore þam drad,
So theim chastising ther will noght ne had.

184

And Raynold also, off BrehAigne kyng,
hys leuyng regned ryght full pusantly.
After hys hoires semblably werkyng,
Regnyng after hym As men full myghty,
And welle ther contre gouerned dayly.
Anthony, the Duke of lusembrough tho,
Many townes toke And Bourghes also;

And tho which of tham discended liniall
In ther tyme full fair dedes gan to do,
As well tho grette As tho litell and small.
Raymound full cherisly was hold also,
The full nobill Erle of the Foreste tho.
Thes moche conquered of sondry regyons,
And thay were of gret possessyons.

Off thes brethren after ther hoires were
In many places of grett wurthinesse,
And all thes bretherin full well gan tham bere,
Huge contre conqueryng by ther myghtinesse,
Excepte horrible, distroed was expresse,
And Fromont which brennyng gan purchas,
Which welle wold haue do, but distroed was.

Off Raymounde issued All tho Aboue saide;
Ther issue cries make, and ther armes bere;
And yut the Cipriens at ech houred braid
Alwais crying “lusignen!” awhere,
And will whiles the worle will endure here.
Thay were good knightes, waillant & worthy,
Entrepreignant and assaillyng many.

The full noble Erle of thaim gan discend,
Off panebourght in Englande enheritour,
Which gret contre and lande hym sende.

185

In Arrigon, tho of cambrere honour
Off the firste line were discended that houre,
And thay cam and issued veryly;
Off helmas hoires off Albany

Issued thys line, Melusine tham bare.
Fromount ther brother at mallers brend was,
And ther beried, the trouth to declare.
Gaffray the gentill lith in that place
In a tombe of stone portraed the space.
Off noble Gaffray reste me now here shall,
And say of hermyne the kynge roiall.

A fair castell is hade in hermyne,
Which tho off Fairy both fourged & made.
In hermeny the gret is it uerily,
As in this history told is and hade.
The Sperhauke castell named is and rad,
Where it behouith to wacche nightes thre
Without Any sompnolent slepe to be.

And ho accomplesh in þat place it may,
A yifte may demaunde and it haue he shall
Such As hym luste to demaunde all-way,
So demaunde noght hir body corporall
Which dwellith within, thys lady roiall.
Auise hym ryght wele hir no wise desire,
For it Aualith noght hyr for to require.

And in sompnolence be founde thyng any,
Ther finabilly For euer ther shall dwell,
With thys fair lady ther fortake ueryly,
Which gret loos and prys hath she soth to tell;
That Melior was called fair and welle,
Doughter to Presine of the fairy lande,
As thys hystory doth vs vnderstande.

186

In hermeny hade tho a mighty king,
A fair knight, long, streight, lusty of colour,
With tendre youth was he hote being,
And als was of full worshipfull ualour.
he said wacche wold he nightes thre or foure
At the myghty hold of Sperhauke castell,
For men had hym told off this strenght nouell.

And As for to wake ther behouyd he
Which the yiff[t] conquere of uarray fors shold,
Ther he said A wold wacche full nightes thre
And after A yifte ther demaunde he wold;
So gane he do, repenting his hert bold.
Anon mad his way Full prest and redy,
Fro-thens departed with-out rest Any,

Saing that he wold unto thys wacche goo,
That notable yifte conquere if he myght.
So if thys lady saw plesaunt, fair hym to,
Non other yift wold desire hym to dyght.
But for noght hys thought, folay was it ryght,
For thys lady haue myght not thys man fell
For spouse ne for loue; what nedith more to tell?

In hert this knight risen so hasted and rood;
When ny approched and to sperhauke came
In seint John his night, taried ne boode,
To body therof had grett ioy and game.
In obliuy noght hys pauilon of fame;
Pight And streight was it in the medew tho.
Armyly parted all hys peple fro

Thys corteys, gentile, and thys noble knight,
The porte and gate cam of this castell,

187

In hys hand halding A pece of flesh dight,
Wherwith the sperhauke thought to feed full wele.
In this castell saw on go, soth to tell,
A man clothed white, semyng of visage
That he was to sight full scrre ron in age;

Ther hym demaunding wat thyng þat he sought.
he hym Answered, “thys here demaunde I,
The coustome of this noble place wrought.”
he said, “come ye, of goddes part an-hy!
In the way of it then shall you put surely
Where ye shall finde this solain auenture,
Full strang vnto sight of ech creature.”

Thys good man before, after went this king,
Ascending vp hy ther the grees all,
Fro the hall went more hyer in going.
Full moch merueled thys hy kyng roiall
Off the grete richesse apperyng in hall,
And of the noblesse that in stedes founde,
Gretly commaundid the sightes þat stound.

The Sperhauke at perche to sight displaid,
Which beuteuous, fair, huge, and gentile was.
Thys full wurthy man Aforn ther hym said,
“kyng, vnderstand me here a litel space,
Without slepe ye most here wak in this place
Thys sperhauke thre days & nyghtes thre;
And ye now noght, Alway here byde moste ye.

Iff that terme ye wake and þat ye slepe noght,
What-so ye demaunde, of trouth haue shal ye,
Off erthly thinges but not celest wrought,
Excepte the body of thys lady fre;

188

For gold ne siluer hir haue may not be.”
The king said, “wold wake without sompnolence,
To fede thys sperhauke do my deligence.”

The kyng toke to wake, And said auise wold
What gift wold demaunde After nightes thre.
Ill concell he toke, such yift demaund shold,
Whereof il Guerdon therof haue shal he.
Thys good man parted, the king bood Juparde,
Wher tho his behold put ententifly
To the riche noblesse that he saw with ey.

That day waked he And also the night,
In gentile disporte to hertys plesaunce.
He ther slepte no slepe, manly waked ryght,
The sperhauke sagely fede by gouernaunce,
A repaste hym yaf wel to conysaunce.
Off vitaill and wines saw he gret fusion,
Which tho was had in this garnyson.

His refection gan resceiue and take
Ther of hy and bas at his owne deuise.
The morne, all day full well gan to wake
And all night; the morn fed þe hauke in best wyse,
Hyt pleased and gladded hertes franchise.
A dore saw open all behinde hys bake,
Pertly entred in; of nobles ther no lacke.

He neuer beforne saw so huge richesse,
Wherin vnto sight briddes were many,
Whi[c]h uermaill colour peynted were expresse;
The chambir peynted, portraed freshly
Aboute the walles with fine gold to ey;

189

Figured knightis were enuironee,
With ther Armes peynted as thai shold be

To that resembling thes figures were.
Vnder ther names wrete with letters blake,
Where the scripture said right in thys manere;
In such A yere such on here gan to wake,
But he slepte and in sompnolence was take;
here of-fors he moste byding take and dwell
As vs to honour and for to serue well;

Where-hens thay shull noght depart veryly
Fro thys vnto the day of Iugement.
Thre places ther were appering to ey
In thys chambre, had full conuenient,
(Wherto euery man myght his sight hent),
A certain Armes, And such A scripture
Vnder writen was fresly, be ye sure,

Where this scripture said full meruelously,
(In thys castell here wrete with letters blake),
In such yere such on, the which his god hy
Caused and made well plainly for to wake
Our noble Sperhauke without sompnolence take;
Hys gift therfor had by full gret prudence,
And by hys good notable diligence.

Allso thys chambre well depeynted was
Ffro foote of wallure the ouise vnto,
Which deuided nacions hy and bas
And thes estrange regions all[-so].
Full uaillant and wurthy were thys men tho,
Which noght ne went to sompnolent sleping,
But myghtyly And pusantly were waking,

190

And the giftes all therof bare Away.
Thys king in muses ther was full strongly
In the noblesse of this castell alway,
That almost he slepte, but not A-slepe fully,
For Alway waked he full besily.
Ther vnto deuise Anon toke the use
hou he myght well ouermoche to muse;

Ther-thens departed he full opinly.
That night worthily wacched hys person.
To hym amorn Appered full erly
Thys lady clothed with grene enuiron,
With lusty fresh colour after the ceason;
For most cheffest time was of somertide
That ther hys wacche gan so to prouide.

Full suetly the kyng hir salute And gret,
Which was hertly glad of hir good comyng.
She said hym goodly, “non myght ther no bett,
you will haue a-quitte As in your waking.
rewarde and behold what gift will be hauyng;
Vnto you with-say neuer shall hire me,
Sauyng And excepte only o gift be,

Wherof the dowte; in no wise shall pay.
Now demaunde and aske at your owne plesaunce.”
“Graunt mercy, lady,” the king hir gan say,
“Certes, fine swete hert, non will this instaunce
But your body;” then she, full of noisaunce,
Hys gift plainly gan refuse And deny,
Sayng, “musarde, fole, me shall not haue surely,

Som other yifte demaunde, aske, or craue;
For ye my body certes haue ne may;

191

For gold ne siluer it shall ye not haue.”
he said, “I will non other gifte thys day
Then your body, in guerdon to my pay.
I you here promise if it haue ne shall,
Other gift I will non demaunde at all.”

Thys fair lady was full wroth and malice,
Hym ther answered without tariing,
“Certes, if ye more demaunde in such wise
My body to haue, your gift shall be lesing,
And such mischefe therof you be comyng
Wherof ye ne shall neuer come to ende;
So huge heuinesse to you shall discende.

For that roiall rewme which in hand hold,
And þat ye gouerne now, lo! presently,
Disherite shall be your hoires manyfold,
And discomfite lefte euerlastingly.”
He ther answeryng, “be it witte or foly,
you will haue to loue, sin yifte me haue yif on,
I will noght desire non other guerdon.”

“Foltish muserde,” said, “of itt shalt thou faill,
Outerly hast lost thy quarell to craue;
Other gift bere hens shall by no gouernaill;
Then grett mischaunce to purchace and haue;
The disceiueth thy cautels in hert graue,
Which the so meueth with full grett folay;
Now leue thi desire, auail the ne may.

Thy man to-auaunce, by hys folay rage
Lesing his lady in loue amerous,
By his gret folay and cruel outrage,
For that growen is so coragious;
Melusine þat Raymound gan to espous,

192

The ring on finger settyng of recorde,
Which she had so made nawhere gretter lorde.

The kinge Guy, of whom thou discended ert,
Was my neuew, vnderstande thys cas.
Sustres thre we be, y ly you noght at hert,
Which for sinne and crime of the kyng helmas,
Our fader, þat we closed hy and bas
With-in the gret Roche which he hym-selfe made;
Oth to our moder and þat broken had,

Whych tho called was the lady presine,
In Gesian no wise shold hir behold;
hir desire to kepe wold by no couyne,
And ther he hir saw ryght as I haue told;
For that of hir and vs lost hath the hold.
And when enclosed within was fully,
In the Roche, As well As thought vs only,

Our moder therfor was wroth and malice.
Ther she me made, by werkes of fairy,
This sperhauke to kepe in this maner wise,
And without euer to uoide hens truly.
But the For-takyng left to me only;
That was the gifte that she gaf to me
In hir malice, wreth, and ill cruelte.

And after she gaff vnto Melusine,
My suster, which was A madyn ful fare,
A gift to endur, neuer determine,
Whilis the worlde laste neuer make retrair;
The setterday vnto A serpent repair.
Off trouth it is so, like As I you say;
Raymound breke his othe and lost hir for ay.

193

For hir shold not se the setterday nowyse,
Folily tho saw, lost hir company;
Wherfor distressed strangely, to deuise,
he And hys line fille; neuer cressed hy;
Thys toke thay a fall yut to sight of ey.
Palestine my sustre, yongest to surmitte,
At quonig montain in Arragon shitte

As long As thys wordle hath enduraunce,
Fro thys hy montain neuer put Away.
Ther shall warde and kepe the tresour in substaunce
Off kyng helmas, our fader that day.
Thys our moder ordained without delay.
But thys to conquere may non by engine,
But discended be of kyng helmas line.

Now knowith thys then, discended ye be.
yff that my wurdes vnderstande well do,
Meue ne store shold no such aduersite
As of my body hauyng wif you to.
That which your is noght ye will hold so,
By þat you may come full huge ill and pine,
To you and to all youres of your line;

I doubte me ryght noght thai shall gett a fall.
For tho shall succede, after you command,
holdyng your Rewme by fors of werre, and shall
Enlesing the Rewme and also the lande.
And he which laste shall leue it, vnderstand,
Of A beste the name shall he be bering,
Which off all other is the brutall king.

Ryght thys shall it be, beleue it full well,
For certes off this I ly you no-thyng;

194

For, sir, ne had be thi foule corage fell,
And thy grett folay with thine outraging,
your unthriftinesse and cursed leuyng,
lo! ye shold haue had benediccion;
And now ye shall [haue] malediccion.

Part to you here, where that ye shall haue
Such thing that ye percas fele now shall.”
The kyng vnderstode such happe myght not saue;
But she uoided thens er that it gan fall,
And uanished Away fro ther sightes all.
I-now shall he haue of shamfull noisaunce,
Anon it happned to hym gret miscaunce.

There smeten was hanches and sides vppon,
Als vppon legges, armes, and hede.
To herd fast tho cam in conclusion;
his opinion right noght went in-ded,
Well felt the strokes on the chinesse bred.
All the skyn tho was torn and to-rent,
Many strokes had ryght full violent.

“Alas!” he said, “for goddis loue, mercy!
leue off me now, or truly am dede!”
Then thay put hym hout, the kyng Away fly,
Which so well was Anoynted indede,
That no sleue ne pane had he hole of brede.
The kyng went hys way, hym-selfe auaunsing,
In the fair medew his peple fynding.

Ther hym demaunding hou þat he had do,
(For off his dedes ne knew thai no-thing);
Hou he had sped, And were wel wacched to
Without sompnolence or any slepyng,

195

Beforne this gentill Sperhauke being.
The kyng answerd without misded sure,
“For soth,” said he, “to my ille Auenture!”

To disloge tham made quikly and lightly,
To se cam anon, ryding A strong pas.
Into A fair barge the kyng went lightly,
he and hys peple; no tarying was.
To vnarme hym the kyng made in þat place.
Wonderfull fortune had he in the se,
But not-withstandyng strongly rowede hee,

That in short bref time at port gan Ariue
At hauyn of Crius, into hermeny.
The kyng issued fro his nauee bliue.
long wold it be Al to rehers only,
But unto deline went he forth dayly.
Many tymes after cursed the day
That in Melior had put his loue ay.

Perceued it was by hys owne desert,
Saw he and his land shold be disherite,
Exile and deminute by his dedes smart.
When fro the worlde cam in-to ending plite,
A kyng after hym regned in þat site,
Which be half was wurse in hys gouernaunce,
And nyne hoires after like wise in substaunce.

Thay lost ther lande and all ther hauour,
Inclinyng and comyng vnto mischaunce.
On of thes kynges cam to Fraunce þat houre,
So fro hermeny chaced in-to Fraunce,
Full long the kyng ther gaf hym sustinance;
At Parys died As happned the cas,
At the celestines entered he was.

Off hys dedes non enquere will take,
hys men clothed white, (As of this kyng fre),

196

Which in fraunce were wont use clothes blake,
It is no iape, it is trouth to see.
Clothes blake comyn thing vsed [be],
As well an hundred persones As on,
Ther clerly perceuied may it be Anon.

At hys enterment for hym so was doo,
Wherof moche peple ther abashed were;
For that neuer before sain was to do so;
Wherfor it gan do certes wote I nere.
Off Sperhauke castell the maner leue I here,
And begyn to speke of this damycell,
The fair Palestine, somwat of hyr spell.

Now will I declare of fair Palestine,
The swette, the curteys, gentile mayden fre;
In Conqs is shitte by carfty engine
Within Arragon, that noble contre,
Where that hir faders tresour wardeth she
At hir moder hest and commaundement.
ho it may conquere, take, other hent,

The lande of promission shall conquere.
But þat tresour conquered shall not be,
But of hyr line discended and born were.
A litell shall say of Palestine fre,
Brefly and shortly passe forth here will me;
For the Cronike doth treteth this brefly,
More ferther wold go, mater finde might I.

Here say and declare after þat haue founde.
Of nouel thinges to our discipline
No-thing I fynd at no tydy stounde.
Retorn shall Again to fair Palestine,
Which to that place destened by Presine;

197

In the hy montain Aboue-said þe site,
Where many A cruell serpent enhabite.

A man may not into that montain go,
That men shall not finde to whome for to speke.
Many A knyght hath passed it into,
In somer, winter, both stourne men & meke.
But non retourned, ne myght thens to-breke,
Iff in that montain longe time sogerned,
But that he were ded or foule destroed.

So As in scripture I may fynden right,
Off worthy knyghtes full many ther were,
Myghty, strong, fers, And men beyng light,
Thys said gret tresour went for to conquere;
But no-thyng myght thai no wise acquire there;
In An ill hour vnto þat place went,
For neuer after Again retourn hent.

In Englande A knight, mighty and pusant,
Which of knyghtly were moche knew to auaill,
A gentile knyght, was worthy and uaillant,
Which in knightly werke neuer gan to faill,
Army dedes gan do in plate and maill;
A full goodly knyght, manly, debonair,
With wurthy knyghtes taught was he full faire

In the hy court of noble king Arthure,
Where knyghtes were taught uertu perfectly.
Off Tristram-is line was hys engendrure,
Which þat whilom had full gret seignory.
Aboute Arthure was yeres full thirty,
Off that Am not I untrew ne lesingour;
He hurde speke and talke of this huge tresoure.

198

Promesse ther he made to that montain go,
Which by manly strenght many thinges wold don;
This full riche tresour thought he conquere tho.
After he went into þat region,
And into the lande of promission;
Thought vnto conquere all the hole contre,
With strenght of swerde therto apointed he.

This knight was full good, manly, and hardy;
Ther-thens departed on A tewsday,
Into Arragon riding merily.
With hym was but a litill page on way,
No more felawship had hym to conuay,
So he went and rode hys iourne anon
That he ariued into Arragon.

The Monte demaunded, men hym shewed tho,
Where within had was A monstre hyduous,
Meruelously fers and orgulous to,
Aboue all other wormes most perilous;
hys panche As A pipe hug and comerous;
Fro A caue noght meued by no gouernail,
Off hir unmete hugenesse is gret meruaill

But on ere hath noght this monstrous gest,
Ne nostrelles non appering in hed.
Thys wonderfull and meruelous best
Ne but on ey hath middes the forehed,
Which thre fote ny hath, wat in lenght & bred.
hir breth by the ere hath ther issew oute,
Wherof all the wordle sounneth all Aboute.

199

Alway in slepe this cursed cruell fend.
When that he rowted, thing litell or grett
In this said caue is felonesly tende,
Where the ryght wone was of Palestine sett,
Warding thys tresour by kyng helmas get,
By Iugement of hyr moder said.
The dore to the caue myghty strong was had,

With yren bondes at entre of þis caue,
Where this riche tresour shitte & made fast was;
Which neuer was unshitte entre to haue,
For the warde had this monstre in þat place.
To entre therby non durst for hir manace,
But issued be of helmas linage,
Which aforn haue said in my rude langage.

Thys lady presine ordaned also,
When to hir doughtres thes gyftes gif had,
Thys caue enmyddes thys said montain tho,
Wher moche peple were to perishing lad.
Of caues and diches vnder I-now made,
Full of serpentes, inly perilous,
And with other places full meruelous.

Then ho wold it go, of-fors most passe by.
But neuer man þat place ne stede went
That sogerne wold ther for thyng any,
But þat men thaim saw anon to retorn bent.
Thys mont had but a sory path to hent,
ful litell and stratte was it vnto se,
To gon vp an hy ther had miles thre;

Which behouid go withe-out rest any,
For where man to sitte A place shold not se,

200

Enlesse vppon serpentes sate truly!
And Infinite was of thaim suche plente.
For dred of that sende unhabite þe contre;
Off thys strange monstre, declared & said,
Thys haue it founde in writing displaid.

Now shall come Again to þat wurthy knight,
Which ther cam ryding A coursire vppon;
Alone his uiage, sauyng A page ryght,
Thys good knight without reproche of person;
When thys montain approched ny to gon,
A good man be fund enmeddis the way,
Which to this montain hym gan he conuay.

So when that he was A mile of certain,
Then vnto hym said, “no nerre will I go;
Sir, be-hold yande that hiduous montain,
lese will I ne wyn; fre knyght, go ther-to.”
The path hym shewed wherby most go tho,
Fro-whens neuer cam Again here no wight
For soth at no day vnto mannys sight;

And yut hath ther be men mo then twenty.
hys gidour ne wold lenger sogern plain,
Fro-thens deperted, retornyng wightily.
Thys knyght so rode, he cam to that montain.
Ffro courser lepte don, hys page toke þe rain.
Firmely commaunding hym shold there abide,
Noght Fro horsbakke go till he cam, no tide.

But, certes, for noght there Abide shold he,
Full well myght he lete hys hors to pasture;
For neuer his maister Again shold se.

201

This knight departed to this auenture,
To god commaunding, blissing hys figure;
Entring within this narew path þat stounde,
That dais of lif neuer such on f[o]und.

Ryght will armed was thys noble knight,
A good swerd of stile in his hand holdyng;
Thys mont toke, narew and stikell to sight.
An horrible serpent saw he comyng,
Towardes this knight, vppon hym rennyng;
Trowyng hym deuour that houred instaunce,
With a yanyng throte gain hym gan Auaunce.

That fine good custell that in hand gan hold
Brandes the good knyght, uaillant and wurthy.
Hym to assail the serpent full bold,
He As man fers Approched hir ryght ny;
With o soule stroke the necke cute ato swiftly;
The serpent fill don dede for all hyr strenght,
Which worme was ny ryght ten hole feete of lenght.

When the serpent saw ther ded mortally,
The montain gan take; vpwarde stied there,
As man quicke and wight with all the body.
Gayn him comyng saw A-pace A huge bere,
Hym vnto assaill cam with all power;
But of hym thought he to faill in no wise,
With gret raundon cam to hym in his gise.

Fro hys shethe thys knight drew hys good swerd hard,
As A mighty man, wurthy and hardy;
Shewing inly well he was no coward.

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Vppon the shild hym grypte thys bere tho feresly,
On hys shulder als hapned verily;
Hys mailled hauberke broken and to-tore,
Hys shild vnto grounde drew hym before.

To hys good swerd tho had mister and nede,
The beres gret groin tho smote he vppon;
With hys swerd so gripte of fine manly-hede,
Ther all snowte and groin smote he of Anon,
More then A large fote, of recorde so don.
Tho durst he noght charge As of his bityng,
By hys eyes twain of was it shering.

Thys bestly bere was passyng old and strong,
Natheles tho was heuily chermat;
But not-for-that haused hys pawe Alonge,
Trowyng to hapne hym to rase þat dat.
But full wyght and light was this knight algat,
Ther tho made A lepe wyghtly in trauers
Fro this bere, which was fers, bold, and diuers.

Abakwarde smote he with hys swerde of stile,
O paw of the bere of was there keruyng;
On hys hynder feet reised up that while,
And to this said knight full ny approching,
That with that other paw hym was cracching.
All hys Armure he to-breke and tere,
So both on an hepe fill, both knyght and bere.

But thys bere myght noght in no wise bite;
Then at his gerdell Anon toke this knight
A dagger full good, fourged of profite,
Thorugh hys throte yaf A stroke with all his myght
So that gretly hurt was this in foule wyght.

203

Ther lefte the bere his pris, stoned sore was,
That other pawe the knyght smote of in þat place;

Tho caste he vp A full meruelous cry.
Then this manly knyght without other lette
Thorugh belay hym smote to crosse of swerd ny;
Vnto mortall deth [t]he bere to grounde shette.
Thys good english knight his swerd in sheth sette;
So vp went, doing huge distruccion,
Off serpentes made grete occision,

And off bestes wilde many on gan sle,
hou-be-it that he suffred full grett pain.
So going up hy till to coppe came he,
By fors and strenght so passing the montain,
So niyng to the caue wher this monstre was plain,
Which the yren dore warded of the caue
Where the tresour was that he trowed haue,

Which was enclosed by werke of fayry,
In an ill hour cam, which was gret folay.
Into diche and caue entred vnhaply;
And As sone As he reste ther had alway,
Perceiuyng this monstre where þat she lay,
Which had A large eye, (thre foote was Aboute),
And when that she hym perceued all-oute,

Raysed was anon with wonderfull corage,
As A malice beste with cruelnesse sett;
Towarde thys good knight Auaunced hir outrage;
Thys monstre belay As pipe large and gret.
Thys knight saw hir come, with-draught wold not gette,
But that alwais again hir go wold
For what-somaner vnto hym come shold.

204

His swerd fro sheth drew, this monstre yafe stroke grete,
But no-thyng was wurth the stroke hir gan take;
Wher with the bake or with swerd egge gette,
To this monstre might noght do hurt ne wrake
With yre, stile, ne tre, hou-so it gan make.
Thys monstre with teeth the swerd ther taking,
In moitees to Forthwith it breking,

And yut was she fourged all of stile;
Thys knight noght of hir myght to-tere ne rase.
The swerd wel ground, no harder many mile,
The sharpnesse ne hardnesse no-thing wurght was.
With A yanyng throte thys knight gan manace,
All at a morsell swolewed knight surely;
(Off thys here now said in no wise do ly);

Thys knight swolewed, in throte noght pering
More then doth A pastay in ouen truly!
With full gret dolour in thys wise deing,
Gret demage and hurt was it uerily.
For in hym was had huge hardesse surely,
For moche had don of manly dedes fair,
But nomore shall do thys knyght debonair.

Thys english good knight was without socour,
Which this said tresour trowed to conquere,
That whilom by days had gret honour;
With thys monstre was this deuoured there;
Gret damage it was of thys baculere,
For in hym was had full gret wurthinesse,
Socour was ther non, but to deth moste dresse.

205

Noght so hy As he neuer man vp went,
The more in hym was of hug wurghtinesse;
Remembred ought be his knyghtly entent,
Stilled ne put shold be in hodelnesse.
No man, As seith this history expresse,
Neuer went so ferre As to memory,
In that meruelous Roche being so hy,

As wilfolly gan do thys full good knight.
Too days hys page ther sogernyng sure
At the hill fote; after retornyng ryght
Into Englande streight; wher thys auenture
Declared to many a creature,
Which caused to write therof thys history,
To ende that it shold be now in memory.

And thys ther he knew by A good deuyn,
Which somtyme was clerke Merlyn vnto,
Which ther dwelled, to life gan determyn.
Vnto thys said clerke ran all the worle tho,
For ther necessite vnto hym gan go,
Wherof he wold say trouth and verite,
For entirely all ryght full well knew he,

Like As hade be ther in propur person,
And had comyn streight Fro the saide montain.
This deuyn was of good cognicion,
And a scoler was of Tholouse certain,
As witnesseith litterall scripture plain.
Verily moche more then yeres twenty
Neuer ther cam man vnto hym truly,

But hym declared the trouth and uerite
Off all maner thing that man demaunde wolde.

206

For that the page with hym thought wolde be,
Which subtille and sage was he manyfold;
All trouth and verite by hym was vnfold
Of that I haue told, declared, and sayd;
By this notable clerke was it displaide.

Ther was on hade in lande of hungery,
Which descended was of A noble line.
Thys tresour to conquere thought he manly,
But by hym may noght be it to termyne.
To this montain cam this noble knight fine,
The monte clymbed up ten or twenty pas,
And ther taried noght no whiles ne space.

Ther with serpentes he deuoured was,
Nawher ny went vp As other gan doo.
Many deuoured hath be in that place,
Non shall that tresour conquere hym vnto
But of the lynage be discended fro.
Full heuy it was that this goodly knyght
Off Englande had noght be off that line ryght.

He descended was off full hy parage,
Off Tristram hys line cam of natiuite,
As the history rehersith hys linage.
Forsoth that tresour conquerd then had he,
So of that linage aboue-said had be,
Full chiualrous was certes at þat day,
Ferre and ny as any of thaim to say.

Tho it cam and fill in that ceason there,
That A messinger passed forth tho by,
Wher Gaffray with gret toth was in his manere
At ioyous disport ryght full merily
At lusignen castell with strangers many;

207

To which egall sporte non the yere shold see,
In gentile maner with all honeste.

With hym ladyes and damycelles fair,
Connyng, gracyous, humble, and benigne;
Gentile, womanly, and in debonair,
In a fair herber to sport gan in-cline.
A messinger cam; saw well by hys syne.
Streith to Gaffray went, hym fair salutinge;
“Sir, ye be welcome,” Gaffray hym sayng.

This messinger connyng and gentile was,
Off hys mouth issued sugred swete langage;
Nouels demaunded Gaffray in þat place.
Aforn lades and damicelles sage.
He hym sette and told all the huge outrage
(Like As this boke rehersith here before)
All the dedes told off thys knyghtes lore;

And whereto thys fers monstre doth repayre,
Which peple hath distroide so many,
Myghty, strong, fers, bold, gentile, debonair,
And hou the tresour wardeth myghtyly
Off helmas, which was so ryche and so worthy;
Neuer perceiued non like off auaill.
Gaffray full moche therof gan meruaill,

Off thys said monstre werof he gan speke.
Thys monstre to destroy said he wold go,
With-all the tresour conquere and oute breke.
Hys men made redy qwikly, no reste made tho,
Forthwith send he hys brother Thierry vnto
To hym come, and cam; after hym sayng,
The contre gouerne to hys retornyng.

For thys Gaffray was of fers harde corage;
Neuer hys days wold he noght mary,

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In wife to entre As in mariage;
No woman wold betrouth neither affy.
Vnto hys brother the lande toke goodly,
Sayng he moste go withoute any reste,
Off that riche tresour for to make conqueste.

But when that he shold haue taken hys way,
Gret siknesse hym toke and age gan repair;
On his bed don layd with full grett seknes
Thys gentill knyght, stronge, fers, & debonair,
Which so many gud dedys hath don.
Alas! the tresour of Comquez shold had,
So that lif myght haue, (for of all was drad),

And the lande haue hade off promission;
Iff god wold haue send hym good liffe and long,
Conquered shold that holy regyon.
But deth sparith noght tho feble ne stronge,
With Gaffray hath take were other Among,
And to hym comyng A grett passe with-all,
Ther making hym were dedly and mortall.

So uenquisshed was by dethes gouernall,
Agayn hir noman hath fors ne pusaunce
Be he not so stronge or of ryche auaill,
Als well tho feble As strong in substance;
Non hath power gain dethis gouernaunce,
Be he Baron, Markeis, Erle, Duke, Prince, or kyng;
With hys cruell dart Gaffray sore smiting,

Full streight the stroke went ther vnto hys hert,
Where-of ther was had inly gret dolor;

209

For in peiters shold haue be well expert,
I-now good dedys don wold by labor,
Er that yere passed any tyme or hour,
Churches make and found, which deuised were;
Bothe landes, rentes, thought he morteis there,

To found and make noble churches gret.
Alas! full dolorous to bildyng shal it bide!
Neuer shall thay be fourged, made, and get,
Where-of is pite in many A side;
Gret heuinesse will it cause full wide,
And ne had the will and the plesire be
Off our hy lorde, sittyng in trenite.

Gaffray lith don sike, ille touches feling,
Wyn ne vitaill resceiue may for seknesse;
Anon After the preste were sending,
Hys confessour come, hym gan to confesse,
And ther beforn hym made to say a messe.
After ordained making testament
Spiritually, after hys entent,

When deuised hade hys lay thynges all.
Then entered was at Maillers abbay,
Where a fair repair had he full roiall.
For of-new again made, it is no nay,
ryght As he had distroed it all-way.
So by hym was made and furged again
Off Maillers the church, with fresh werke solain.

Ther ligh[t], ther hys thombe put is and sett;
The frensh maker seith it saw he with ey.
Hys testament made, it myght be no bett,
And what lefte ouer, to pore made pay truly.
So after passyng to goddes mercy,
All were paid in hys owne presence,
What-so hym semed As in conscience.

210

To god yild his soule, hym do mercy and grace,
And of hys synnys A generall perdon,
For moch goodnesse gan do in many place
As sone As in hym was put reson.
Iff lenger leued, more wold he haue don;
He is now dede, what shall we then say?
That god hym pardon hys mysdedes ay.

Thierry was tho A full noble knyght;
Gaffray ther hym made hys enheritour
Off all the contre which he hild hym dyght
And that to hym pertained any hour.
Thierry it hild, A noble gouernour,
So he regned there, & in pertenay;
Regned and gouerned pusantly.

But after thys by hys mariage,
geuyng to on here, to Anoder there,
So Alienyng part of hys heritage.
yut noght-with-standyng god of hys power
Causith the line regne yut without danger,
At noble pertenay ther of sir Thierry
Off trouth thai regne yut ryght worshipfully,

As Melusyne said, moder of that line,
That long schold endure the line of pertenay;
God grant long endure, neuer determine!
Fro-thens till now durith the line alway
In chiualrous knighthode vnto thys day;
Noble good knightes, gentile, curtes, fre,
Among all other hauyng habilite,

Off whom a litill we shall be declaring,
After thys boke finish shall and end.
Goddes knightes haue be, ther trouth neuer falsing

211

For king, Duke, Erle, Markeis, Baron, or frend.
hit wil Appered by that good knight hend
That thys boke began, of Partenay lord,
Grett honour had in life of recorde;

He that this boke made and gret parte gan do,
This knight died, in life had gret honour;
For noght man may do gain mortal deth, lo!
The feble and strong takith she ech hour;
Non hir escapith As by no labour,
Be it king, or pope, or lordes of landes,
All most nedis passe truly by hyr handes,

That is the trewage of bodies humayn.
Al most by that path of fine fors to passe;
And that way compassith ech soueran,
hou moche fro tham to hyr haue, hy or basse.
Ouer-light she is euermore, alasse!
Alas! she comyth wonderfull lyghtly,
Man seith not the hour ne hou he shall dy.

When she oppressith any creature,
More swetter she goth then arew any,
Smitting man without wurdes saing sure.
When on hir thenke, my hert sogheth heuely,
And so here shold do ech humain body;
Euery man shold doubt hir cruell hand,
For ouer-gret stroke yeuith with hir wand;

Firmely and stedfastly redoubted shold be.
Ho well on hyr thenke, all disport will leue,
Thenking, musing hys soules sauete,
As will man as woman, to say in breue;
Ho wel on it thenke, fro ill will remeue.
In such wise gan do, I trow it, all-way
Thys fore-said lorde of roiall partenay.

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On William was the archebisshope tho,
Where of the name tho of Bisshope was wurthy;
At end knew full well wat thys lorde had do.
He seing this lord good man was and holy,
And well gouerned the lande here worly
Till to finall ende he gan forth strike;
Which end was full good and ryght autentike.

The tewisday passed Aforne penticcst,
The yere A thousand four hundred & seuyn wend;
Thys full goodly knyght yild tho vp his goste,
No lenger ne might hym fro deth deffend;
To god behouid his soule yilde and rend
On the xvii day of the moneth of may,
And in erth lith at noble partenay.

In church of saint crosse lith this courteis knight;
Ryght full wurthyly made hys sepulture,
And full nobly don As it ought of ryght;
Sollemply was entered, be ye sure,
And honourabilly all thing fourged pure
As it belonged lord and gouernour,
Both on lif And dede shold haue gret honour.

The heuy day of his mortall passing
Was the same day, (to be said properly),
That the sacred hed of the gloryous king,
halowed seint lowes, prince of fraunce most hy,
That terrestriall leued blessidly,
(Which of men is said seint in parradis),
Ther at that day translat to Paris.

But I say it noght As it to recorde
That in that proper day was noght don

213

When to mortall deth went my noble lord;
For made and done was the translacion
In the yere of the incarnacion
Off hed and of the glorious body;
And he long sith dede, dais full many;

But that day this fest first honoured was,
Euery yere after, þe moneth of may;
Sith on of tho dais deth gan he purchas,
As seruant shold sew, so sewed his lord ay,
Such lord gift myght deserue hym to serue alway,
An-hy in heuyns to his lord ascend.
This of my good lord here now make an end.

Off his noble sone, Iohan of pertenay,
Off whome declare shall, his deuer gan do.
By hym the obsequy well don that day,
Enriched with light pertayning ther-to;
All-be-it had heuinesse also,
Wisdom behouith to lete go and passe
Which that men mow noght amend in no cas.

I Hold it no gret wisdome ne sagesse
To ouermoche suffre sorew and paine;
Who with dolour and wo the hert ouer-presse,
Naturall fole is such heuinesse sustain,
When that he may noght it restore Againe;
Neuer wepe ne cry, neither such dole hold,
Forsoth doth noght well ne As the sage shold.

As to our purpos here will I repair,
Touching our nouel new enheritour,
Off noble pertenay Iohan the lorde hair,
Off whom spokyng haue here in langage our.
A worthy man was and of gret honour,

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The souerain lord of Mathefelon,
Which that is not cruellous ne felon,

But curtois, debonair, and vertuous;
Hyt appered well by hys workes eche braide.
For he was gentile, suete, and gracious,
Non ille wold he do, but fain wold all aid;
He is more suetter then is any maide.
Off that he drawith after that laydy
Ffro whom he is discended uerily.

Amore suetter, humble, and amyable,
Gentile, debonair, sage, wise, and connyng,
Curtois, piteuous, and charitable,
Sche vnto the pore ful gret good doing;
So gentile, suete, fre in hert was being;
For she was of tho moste blessed uerily.
Thai ben piteuous Among peple surely

As of tho which had grett necessite,
Both mister and ned vnto som goodnesse.
Full many therof raised vp hath she,
Fro pouerte enhaused to rychesse,
The which proceded of full hug noblesse,
Oss ryght gret franchise and hert piteuous
To socour nedy and tho famylous,

What-someuer doo, besemith hir goodly.
Mi lord therof hath fair begynnyng;
Also belongith it, lo! properly
To tho of roiall linage being,
And therof is he, I doubte me no-thing;
For of tho most blissid issued and wend
Noght long Ago, and therof gan discend.

He cosyn vnto the hy king of fraunce,
By the which branche honour is hauyng.

215

Off kyngis is most noblest and pusaunt,
Off All the wordle moste souerain kyng.
All rounde the compas though man be sekyng,
In all the wordle so noble king is noght
As the kyng of Fraunce, certes, to be thought.

His cosyn is, in hys moder parte, truly;
And in faider parte ny kin, to deuyne,
To kyng of Cipresse and off hermeny,
And by the discent of thys noble line
That beforn haue told of fair Melusine.
Ny kyn he is to king off norway,
For of Melusine discended all thay.

Off tho knyghtes ben yut, lo! in Norway,
Wurthi and doubty, and ladies many;
Within this linage comprised be thay,
And knowyn ouerall ryght openly
That thay discended be of þat line hy
Off lusignen, which is notable grett,
Which so issued, into yrlande gett,

And vnto many Another contre,
As beforne is said by our gouernaill.
Neuer line of told with thaim egall be,
Neither to hur such an hug meruaill,
Ne hys dais shall neuer, without faill,
As ye haue hurde of lusignen children, lo!
Deme ye in no wise that lesing say you to;

Trowe it ne suppose dreme to be any;
Off uerray trouth it is a tru dreme ryght.
And ho saue noght sain this said history,
Vnnethes will beleue this to be parfight.

216

For soth thys history plainly shewith to syght
like As I haue declared you and said,
ho-so lust it rede, may se itt displaid.

Off Mathefelon the lord souerain,
To whom our lord gif gret ioy and honour,
Which of that mansion lord is certain,
And of partenay, (reson is eche hour),
Among all other A gentile henheritour;
In hys rule shewing A suete creature,
Which that is of full noble nature,

Sin he will not leue the boke he began,
Hys god fader, to whom god gif pardon!
By hym of it gret laud and presiing wan,
For at this day, so me aid god our patron,
Men shall noght fynd nawher suchon.
I beleue that non this good person hate, lo!
I pray to our lord that he may wel doo,

For he hath made A good begynnyng.
And he shold be in synne and crime by ryght,
Which that hym wold ille be purchassyng.
To chersh euery man laborith þis knyght;
Iff he se that he be good man parfith,
No-thyng will hym wern þat he lust proclame.
Hym haue I so hurd renomed of fame,

That Allexandre full wel name hym may;
Off hym mouch more speke and say wold I,
By my feith, ner I ssupposed All-way
That men wold perhaps say I flatery,
For that in lif is he personally,
And thenke men shold not preisse other in presence;
For tham shold preise ther werkys diligence

217

That thai haue done in time passid euer,
And speking, rehersing the dedes and fet
Off tho which ben gon that no more may do neuer;
Certes men may well of tham speke and tret,
here tell And declare all ther dedes gret.
And when god will, men may of my lorde,
In time to come, thynges off recorde.

Yut I hire moche speke off hys roiall estate,
Off his noblesse, gentillesse, and off hys dede,
Off his contenaunce and mayntenaunce algat,
The which I hold of hug noblehed.
And full noble hold is off manlihed;
For discended is fro so hy A place,
Off kynges, Dukes, Markois full of grace.

When conquered haue and enserched well,
For soth is A man of full hy parage.
hys engendrure to declare and tell,
Comyn is he off full noble linage.
Among other hys wif gracious and sage,
humble, curteis, gentile, debonair,
And ne musith noght but all good and fair.

Euery man seith, “well (As semeth me)
To-geders assembled inly well be thai;
Entrelouing non better may be.
In that astat our lord tham hold alway.”
Thys lady is of perregort, is no nay,
Doughter to the Erle which þat is dede.
That mariage no mahyme to his kinred,

For noble line is off Auncionte,
Off long time passed ferre fro memory.
For in charlemain time antecessour had she;
When charlemain had conquered truly

218

The hole erldome and contre by werre myghty,
And all Gian, the contre enuiron,
That noble erldome old and auncion,

To on of hys kynnesmen gaff itt;
In hys roiall gifte he A fair gift had.
His ny kynnesman was, myght not fro flit;
Hys cosyn germayn, it beleue I sad.
Full well þat Erledome gouerned and lad.
As men me said, neuer after thens went
To no place here ne there thys Erle reuerent,

As by wifing ne by mariage;
That Enheritaunce to hoires male went.
A strong strenght ther had, called piergort uillage,
Wher-hens is comyn this same day þe discent,
Among peple gracious and sagely hent,
Thys lady full swete and ryght debonair,
To all other lades exemplair,

Well stuffed with all maner of goodnesse.
She noght fauteth þat haue shold A lady;
What belongith to ladies hynesse
In thys hy lady comprised expresly;
A connyng woman, well taught & wurthy;
She is so swete, gentile, curteis, & sage;
Atwexst thaim was had An in fair mariage.

Here besech our lorde such line and issew
Tham send, þat may without end endure,
Thys lord and lady of full hy vertu:
Off the line of Fraunce is ther engendrure,
Gret heuinesse were iff issue faill sure;
Off tham som hair to maintain þat noble line,
Which þat issuede is off fair Melusine,

219

Off thys goodly hous Als of partenay;
Off whom no more lenger will I speke,
Ne off Melusine whens she cam all-way,
Ne more of hyr line he will noght out breke,
Ther-off my speche don and my wurdes eke,
Off that I haue ther-off founden in scripture.
And of hyr lenger wold I haue spoke sure,

Iff more of writyng therof founde myght be.
But more can not find in litterall scripture
Off thes creatures wrete of uerite,
Off whom haue spoke and told the Auenture;
No more then haue put in my tale sure.
And sin more ther-of I can noght propose,
Of-fors moste I here take rest and repose.

Now me behouith my shippe vnto rest,
Sailles, cordes, And bonet put don.
God be thanked, at port riued in þe beste,
The sees dangere haue passed and gone,
The wawes of see ouer ron echon
By my iournaes so thorught-out the see;
Therof preise and thanke the hy Trinite,

By whom thys dite fourged haue and made.
Thanking therof be to our lorde again,
By whom Romans and boke is to end lad.
And yf Any man demaunde hou certain,
What me shall call thys Romans souerain,
hit name the Romans As of partenay,
And so som it call certes at this day;

Or the romans of lusignen; now chese,
By you electe be which þat take ye will.
Name ye it so As it may you plese,
Here Anon Couldrette pese hym shal & still;

220

Os of this mater no more say you till,
Sauyng for to make here hys orison
Now here presently, As is good reson,

Puttyng it forth in fourme of letany,
For all the noble line of partenay
Aforne named; and when she truly
Shall be ended that haue comprised ay,
After thys prayer to take end al-way,
Then all the hole werke is fourged & made,
And couldrette then in pes shal be had.

Glorious, celestious Trinite,
Sacred deid incomperable,
Threfold persones knitte in vnite,
And on essence etern, permanable,
Souerain mageste moste honourable,
Which somer, wynter made by hys excellence,
All thatt is and hath be by hys huge prudence,

Thou knowist all that hertes thenke or muse,
All thynges thou seest in thy presence,
Off herttes knowist that thai daly vse,
Off verray trouth knowist ther conscience.
Man owith to the dew obedience,
Owith deligent be the to commende,
To thy seruice take As thaim to diffende.

By good frendlyhed of thy deite,
here in humbly wise pray thy excellence
Off tham to haue mercy, grace, and pite,
Without tham shewing any uiolence.
here in my dite haue put to thy presence.
In aduersite socur thaim alway,
That full noble seed of saide pertenay.

221

Glorius virgin, Mayden, moder off god,
Doughter and Ancelle, which milkest with-all
The sone of god with thy brestes brod,
Wurthily hym bare with-out werke carnall;
Which theophillus conforted principall;
Comfort this line þat noble is all-way,
Besides Rochell As of Partenay.

Saynt Mychaell, Angell, and the Archangell,
To thaim be not strange, I you here require.
Caste thaim oute fro all fendes of hell,
And tham condute to the heuinly empire.
Off god conueying maister be entire,
lyn, wolle to uesture haue thay without faill.
The besech not strange be thaim to consaill.

Saynt Iohan, with finger shewdest I beleue
The deuyne lambe which was full precyous.
All glorius patriarkes in breue,
Tham ne me for-yete noght, ye glorious.
Iff I thaim for-gatte I were malerous.
Now if it you please, me with thaim making
To Accorde vnto the moste souerain kyng.

Saynt Peter, saynt Paule, and saynt Andrew,
All postelles of god, for your curtesy,
In obliuy be noght this issew
Fro-whens such noblesse cometh vnto ey,
Sparcled into landes and places many;
That conquered haue many a noble place
By ther noblesse and chiualrous purchace.

Saint Steuin, seint Vincent, seint Lauerence,
And ye, Saynt Clement, with-all seint Denise,
Which all frendes bene to goddes hy essence,
your bodies haue offered by grett auisse

222

To greuos torment with huge tirandisse,
And all martirised, like or semblable,
Which in heuyns regne in ioy perdurable,

In the hy paradise celestiall,
For your fair dedes and wurdes also.
Make that we be comprised eternall
Finabilly without any ende me to,
Where regneth the fader and the sone, lo!
And the holy gost in heuyns full hy,
And shall for euer perdurabilly.

Saynt Siluestre, seint Augustin, your grace;
Saynt Martin, seynt More, saynt Seuerine,
Saynt Cuthbert, seynt Germain, seint Nicholas,
And all confessours by rew to deuine,
Besech, in obliuy putt not thys line,
Off whome treted haue in my tale and lay;
But out of bandes, good seintes, alway

Thaim warde, put, and cast fro the fendes fell,
Which that comyth at thirde hour or midday,
(And more oftener then can say or tell),
Fro hynesse to lownesse us to put alway.
Make vs to haue þat solas euer and ay
Off the celestiall heuynly spere,
After wrecchyd lif worly beyng here.

Seynt Mary Magdeline, humble and demure,
I you here require with hautain uois fine,
With pensiff muses of hert clene And pure;
Seint Agnes, seint Edith, seint katerine,
That it you please to take the paine & pine
To beseke our lord, vs conuey and bring
Aboue unto the ioy euerlasting.

223

All goddes frendes blessed and Holy,
Humbly you beseke with ioynt handes twain,
That ye do so our sinnes vndo fully,
And that acqueint [vs] with our souerain,
So þat of hell we haue no point of pain;
But to herbourgh vs with his blissed saintes
In heuen where And is no complaintes.

Lord swet Ihesu, be to vs debonair;
Do noght again thaim of whom I whom I haue told
Thing þat thaim may torn thaim in contrair;
Warde thaim fro bande of our aduersary bold,
Which many man hath brought vnto his hold.
For thi pusaunce and debonair renon,
Do make vs come to our sauacion.

Swete lorde god, swete fader cheritable,
Warde vs fro bandes of the cruell fend;
As short wurdes, vs hold in our purpose stable,
That neuer we torne bake, ne the offende.
Amiable and piteable be to us at end,
That we may haue the perdurabilnesse
Off ioy aboue, And uerray rest vs dresse.

Swet lorde Ihesu, þat all thyng hast to iuge,
I the here besech with hole hert entire,
Make us the ryght path go to our refuge,
And the way of sauacion to acquire,
To wepe and complain our synne cruell yre;
So we may the preise after our last day
Perdurabilly in felicite ay.

Iyilde now thankes, after this letany,
To the sacred glorious Trinite,

224

To cristes moder, the Virgin mary,
Seint Mihell, seint Iohan, apostellis that be,
Martires, confessours, ech in ther deg[r]e,
Virgins, seintes al, that this haue translat
Fro frensh till english at this present dat.

As ny as metre can conclude sentence,
Cereatly by rew in it haue I go.
Nerehande stafe by staf, by gret diligence,
Sauyng þat I most metre apply to;
The wourdes meue, and sett here & ther so,
like As of latin ho-so will fourge uers;
Wourdes most he change sondry & diuerse.

Whilom þat be-fore put, And sette behynd,
And oft that at end gretth best before;
So oft trauersing the langage me shall fynd,
Be it latyn, frensh, or our tonge to-bore.
ho it metre will, so do moste euermore,
Be it in balede, uers, Rime, or prose,
He most torn and wend, metrely to close.

And so haue I done after my simplesse,
Preseruing, I trust, mater and sentence
Vnwemmed, vnhurt, for any excesse,
Or by menusing don by violence.
Warded and kepte haue to intelligens,
That will vnderstande And knowin may be
In our moder tonge, spoken in contre.

Perhaps by lachesse, or by necligence,
Our-sight myght cause obliuion,
Or parauenture do cause and offence.
Gretly is it noght, hurtyng no reson,

225

By no menes of imperfeccion.
I trust to conserue mater and substance
Greable vnto the reders plesaunce.

Als the frensh stasses silabled be
More breueloker and shorter also
Then is the english lines vnto see,
That comperhended in on may lines to;
And in such wise sondry times haue do;
Or ellys man myght by computacion
In ther contrepane finde others reson,

In frensh or english, whether A man shold
The mater to preue by iuste probacion.
And so As it is truly fynde, I wold
Both bokes displaide to vision,
Verefie I wold the declaracion,
That on by other knowen well shold be,
Resembling well All o ssoule dite.

All fourged and don, thys here make an end,
Besechyng your hy notable gentillesse,
That to my fauor ye now condiscend
Off your hy wurthy soueraynnesse,
In whom contained hugely is noblesse,
Though that diffautes apperen in use,
yut of your mercy my simplesse excuse,

Sin at your request and commaundement
This warke on me toke, it to fourge and make;
And so haue I don, after myne entent,
With litterall carectes for your sake;
Tham conueying in sable lines blake

226

Directly along thys haue I to end,
After my simplesse so sorth passe and wende.

Now ye all that shall thys behold or rede,
Remembreth myn unconnyng simplesse;
Thought rethoriously peinted be not in-dede,
As other han don by ther discretnesse.
Sin florish can noght, yut, of your gentillesse,
Though that diffautes appere huge to ey,
yut excusith me, besech you hertly.

Explicit