king that they made no doubt of them that they should be soone whole And after that the Iustice was doone of the sonnes of Foulques of MorilloÌ„ Reynawde abode in Paris til his children were whole whan they were whole they went to the Palays to see the kynge Charlemayne the whiche made theÌ„ good cheere gaue theÌ„ manye fayre giftes as ben castels fortresses of great name thaÌ„ Reynawde and hys brethern asked leue of the kyng he gaue it theÌ„ against his wil prayed them that they wolde come see him agayne syr sayd Reynawde we shal doo gladly your coÌ„mauÌ„dement WhaÌ„ Reynawde had taken leue of the king and also his brethern childreÌ„ they tooke on their way towarde mouÌ„tawban and they did so muche by theyr Iourneys that they came to bourdews And whaÌ„ Reynawde had rest hym a litle he called his chrildren afore his brethern and sayd to them my children heare what I wyl say to you I ordeyne at this tyme that yonnet shal haue ardeyne for his parte and Aymonet Mountawban for it is not longe a goe syth I heard saye that god sayd that the tree that beareth fruite shal neuer dye wit it that I haue offended god greatli and me semeth that the time is now come that I should amende my self for I feare sore my poore soule wherfore I shal doo my deuoure for to yeelde it agayne to the blessed lorde that made it after his Image whan his brethern hearde speake this they know wel what he wolde doo and therfore they began to make great sorow And whan reinawde saw that he sayd to them forsothe syrs ye are not wyse to make suche sorowe for ye knowe not yet what I wyll doo see ye not that I am yet with you Wherof are yee abasshed be not yee ryche ynoughe there is nother of you but mai keep a thousand horses in his stable Of the other part thoughe I am nowe whole of my bodye thanked be our lorde yet wyl I gyue in my lyfe to my children theyr part to the ende that they fall not in dyscorde after my death and therfore I wyll that eche of you knowe from hens forthon what he shal haue And whan Reynawde had thê° ordeyned for his children yonnet departed from his father with his blessing went to Ardeyne where they of the land receyued him to be their lorde and made to him fewte homage And after that Yonnet was gone Reynawde his brethern with Aymonet wente to Mountawban and whan they of Mountawban saw theyr lorde thei were glad receyued hym honourably And whan the feast was passed Reinawde commaunded al his subiectes that they should make theyr homage vnto hys sonne Aymonet whan al this was doone that nyght was come euery man went to bed than Reynawde entred hys chaÌ„bre walked in it til it was midnyght passed than Reynawde vncle theo himself al naked tooke a cote of sory russet vpon his fleshe wtout any shert thervpon a great mantel of the same And thus arayed barefoote wtout any wepyn but onlye a staffe in his hand to defende hym from the dogges yssued out of hys chambre went out of the palays came to the gate of the towne and made it to be opened whaÌ„ the porter saw his lorde so yll in so poorely aray barefoote he sayd to hym Syr alas whether goe ye thus without felawship so yll apoynted I wyl go awake your brethern my lorde your sonne for ye be in great daunger of theues because ye haue nother armour nor wepyn for to defende your selfe freende sayd Reynawde let alone go not there For my trust is in god that he shall keep me from all daunger But thou shalt tell my bretherne whan thou seest theym to morowe that I greete them wel to my sonne also and that they thynke alwayes to doo wel that they loâ—e eche other as thei ought for to doo and so tel them that they shal neuer see me more as I well trowe For I go to saue my soule yf God giue me the grace to doo so so shall I dye whan it please god for thorough mi cause are dead many a man wherof I feele my poore soule greued sore therfore wyll I beare payne on my body for it doinge penaunce all the remenauÌ„t of my lyfe and if I maye saue my soule I aske none other thing And whaÌ„ Reynawde had said this he looked on his finger tooke a ringe with a precious stone whiche was wel worth .v. mark gaue it to the porter sayd to him my freende ye be wel rewarded of your seruice that ye haue doone to me Syr said the porter gramercye of this gifte but alas syr ye put now all your countrie in great sorow for your departynge than he began to weepe right sore This hanging went Reynawde on hys waye thus arayed as ye haue heard and as he went the porter looked euermore after hym by the light as longe as he might see him whaÌ„ he might no more see hiÌ„ he fel down in a swoune to the erth and was thê° a longe while whan he was come agayne to himselfe he made greate mone sith sayd Ha God whether goth now my lorde so poorely arayed after he had made great sorow a longe whyle he shet the gate again and went into his house And whan he was there he looked vpon the ring that Reynawde had giuen him and knew wel that it was a ryche gyft wherof he was glad ¶ We shal leue heere to speake a litle of the valyauÌ„t Reynawde of Mountawban that goth for to saue his soule and to doo penaunce for hys synnes thoroughe the woodes lookyng downwarde and we shall speake of his brethern and of his sonne Aymonet ¶ How after that Reynawde was gone from MountawbaÌ„ neuer to returne his brethern and his soÌ„ne Aymonet made great sorow whan they knew of it that he had not take leue of theÌ„ NOw sheweth the hystory that whan the morowe came and that Aymonet his vncles were vp they went to the churche weenyng to haue Reynawde there as they were wont And whan they saw hym com not to matyns they meruayled sore there was come his chapeleyne for to say matyns there with hym the whyche whan he fouÌ„de not his mayster in the churche he was all abasshed and spered after him to his brethern Syr sayd Alarde I weene he be sicke for god let vs go see how he dooth and than he weÌ„t to seeke him in his chambre where they founde him not wherof they wende all to haue ben desperate Lordes sayde Alarde nowe be we lost for heere ben his gownes his shertê his shone his swearde and all his armours now is he gone from vs. I see it well in poore arai god be with him And as they were thus makyng theyr mone came in the porter that made greate sorow for
the kyng he made to hym reuerence and than withdrew himself abacke And sayd to hys men let vs goe fourth for here cometh the kynge I wolde not for nothing in this worlde that any of you should laye hande vpon hym Whan the folke of Reynawde vnderstode these wordes they put theyr swerdes in theyr shethes and went agayne vnto theyr castel right glad of theyr fayre auenture that was happend to them that daye And whā that they were within theyr Castell of Mountaynforde they made the drawe brydge for to be drawen vp went and vnarmed them and foūde the supper redy and so they set them selfe at the table And there was a great mainy of prisoners And whā thei had eaten and dronken their fil Reynawde came to hys brother and thanked hym muche with al his hert of that he had slayne the erle of Estampes ANd whan themperour Charlemayne saw that Renawde was with in his Castell he lighted downe from his horse into his tente and sware by god that he should neuer departe from thence vnto the tyme that he should haue the foure sonnes of Aymon or that the castell were take ¶ What shall I tell more themperour Charlemayne lay well .xiiii. monethes at syege afore that castell of Mountaynforde and there was no weke but they had a batayle or a scarmyshe I tell you that Reynawde was not so sore besyeged but that he went to chase in woodes and in ryuers as often as hym pleased And dyuerse tymes it happed that Reynawde spake wyth the Frenche mē of trayte the one to the other sayinge thus to them Fayre Lordes I pray you that ye speake to the Emperour Charlemayne tel hym that he shal neuer take vs by no force for our castell is right stronge and well garnished But know the kynge one thing that whiche he may haue by goodnes he need not make by force He may haue the castell and vs also yf it please hym in such maner as I shal tell you Whan I shal put in his hād the castel of Mountaynforde my bretherne and my selfe our goodes and bagage saufe that the warre take an ende that hath lasted so longe he may be well content Reynawde said Ogier the Dane ye say wel and wisely I promyt you I shall shew the same to the kinge as ye haue sayd yf ye will beleue my coūsell I ensure you I shall tell hym that ye doo so for ye are not folke for to be set lytel by thus nor for to be for the courte for yf the kinge had you nyghe him he soulde be the better for it ALl thus as Reynawde Ogier spake together there came Forques of Morillon that cried to Reynawde vassayle yee be but a tool for certes I haue heard youre wordes well ye shall leue vs Moūtaynforde for it is not your herytage and your heades in lykewyse Foulques sayd Reynawde ye haue repreued me full often I know well all the harme that the Emperour Charlemain wyll to me is because I haue slayne Berthelot his neuew with a Chesse borde of whome god haue mercye Certes I could not doo therto but I was full sory for it god wot it It is trouth whan we played together we had some wordes by whyche without any wordes he gaue me suche a stroke vpon my face that the bloud ranne downe at the groūd And whā I saw my selfe so armed I myght not be so soft that I could endure the great ontrage that he had doone to me with out a cause So defended I my selfe to my power For who letteth hym selfe to be slayne his soule shal neuer haue pardon And thou knowest wel Foulques the I dyd was in my defēdyng But to this must be made shorte wordes and if it please you ye shal tel to the king charlemain that he taketh vs to mercy and that we may be freendes And yf ye doo thys ye shall doo your honoure For as soone may ye be slayne there as a nother Than sayde Foulques by god all thys is nought worth vnto you for ye shall die therfore ye and your brethern Foulques sayd Reynawde ye threten to muche it apperteineth not to you for to threten knightes so muche that ben better than you and yf ye haue ony thyng vpon your hert doo it wythout any more wordes for I tell you well that ye purchace your death And whanne Reynawde had sayd these wordes they wente agayne to theyr pauylyons And thus abode the hoste vnto than without any fyghtyng but the frechemen came agayn wolde they or not wherfore the kynge Charlemayne was wrothe THan the Emperour Charlemayne sent for men through all hys lande and whan they were all come he sayd to them Syres I complayne me to you of the foure sonnes of Aymon that hath my lād destroyed and wasted And Mountaynforde is so stronge that bi strength it can neuer be taken but by famysshyng Now tell me what I ought to doo for I shall doo therin your counsell whan the barons heard the complaynt that the kynge made to them of the foure sonnes of Aymō there was none so hardy the durst say a worde but the duke Naymes of Bauiere that sayd to the king Syr emperour yf ye wyll haue good coūsel I shall gyue you good yf ye wyl beleue me Let vs retourne nto hyghe Fraunce for we be to nighe the winter for to make warre And whan that newe tyme shal be come ye shal mow come agayne to lay your syege afore Mountaynforde For I doo you to vnderstond that Reynawde is not sore presed but that he goeth in wodes in riuers at all tymes that he wyl And a man that may goe out and in at his wil is not ouer sore besieged And of the other parte Reynawde and hys bretherne are suche knyghtes that they shall not be lyghtly ouercome This is my coūsel syr who knoweth a better let hym tell THen spake Hornier of Saueyne and to him said syr I shal gyue you a better counsell yf ye wil beleue me gyue me the castell and al the hauoyre that is with in and the Lordshyp fyue myles aboute it and I shall yelde to you Reynawde and al his brethern for prysoners afore a moneth cum to an ende And thā shal we goe into Fraunce for to see oure wyues and children Hernyer sayd the kyng ye haue sayd well and wysely yf ye may doo thys that ye haue said I graunt to you the castell and all that ye haue asked with the same Syr said Hernyer I thanke you for it an hūdred thousād tymes And I promys you I shall delyuer vnto you Reynawde and hys bretherne as youre prisoners or euer that a moneth be passed But knowe you that Hernyer dyd mysse of his enterpryse for he kept not couenaunt to the kynge as he had promised him for Reinawde tooke hym and made hym to be hewen all in peces and made all they that were wyth hym whan he made the treason
you that the poore folke died for hungre by the streetes and with this was so great stenche in Mountawban of the dead that were there that no man coulde endure it And whan Reynawd saw this he was sorye for it and than he dyd doo make greate charnell wher in he made all the deade bodyes to be buryed And whan Richarde sawe so greate mortalitie within the castel of Mountawban throughe cause of the great dearth that was there and saw his brother Reinawd in so great distresse he could not forbeare but he saied to him by god my brother nowe goeth it worse then euer it dyd it had be muche better if ye hadde beleued me for yf ye wolde haue suffred me to slea the kynge Charlemayne we shoulde nowe not haue be in thys myscheef and great pouertie that we haue nowe nor your folke hadde not dyed for hungre as they doo and thaÌ„ he began to weep tenderly and sayde Alas why doo I complayne other I myght well complayne my selfe sithe that I must dye and be put in to the charnell as the poorest of vs all Ha Mawgis my fayre cosyn where be ye now ye faile vs at oure need for and ye were here within with vs we shoulde not be famyshed for hungre and also we should not doubte muche the kinge Charlemaine for I wot well that ye should get vs vitaylles ynough to lyue vpon for vs and our men and now we muste dye for hungre as the wulf should vpon a sea for Charlemaine hateth vs more than he dooth the sarasyns And therfore it is not for vs to wayte after pitie of him for he is ouer cruell a king vpon vs. CHarlemayne by the reporte of some folke knew the great det the scarslie of vitailles that was within MouÌ„tawbaÌ„ wherof he was right glad called to him his folke and said to them Lordes now can not Reinawd escape but he shal soon be taken hanged the false Richard drawen at an horse tayle Alarde Guichard also and theyr worthines shall be litill worthe to them And whan the kinge Charlemaine had sayde these wordes he sent for all his peeres barons and whan they were al come within his pauillion he was glad of it and sayd to them Lordes thanked be god that I haue brought mountawban so low that Reinawde and hys knyghtes haue no more vitailles in it and now they shal yeeld them selfe at my wyll mawgre their teeth for the moste parte of their folkes ben deade for hungre and yet dien dayly and ye must wyt I wyl that Reynawde be hanged his brethern also but first I wil that Rychard be drawen at an horse tayl And so I charg you that none of you be so hardye to moue my wyll to the contrary for I will that it be doone as I saye whan the duke Naimes Rowland Oliuer Ogier the bishop Turpin escouf the sonne of Oedon that were there heard the king speke thus they were righte sorye for the loue of Reinawd of his brethern looked down said no word at all for feare that they should be shent of the king Ogier with great payne kept his eyen fro weepinge lest Charlemaine should not perceiue his sorowful hert HEere ye ought to wit that duringe the time that Charlemain laye at the siege afore Mountawban persecuting the four sonnes of AimoÌ„ Reinawd Alard Guychard and Richarde Aymon their father helde the party of the king ayenst his children for he had promised him to doo so as ye haue heard about but wit it that whan he heard howe the emperoure thretened his children how be it that he had forsaken them he was wrothe for it for he knew we if his children died so he should neuer haue ioy after that for whatsoeuer warre he made ayenst them he loued them kindli as the father ought loue his childe for nature may not lie therfore he took so great sorow whaÌ„ he heard of hys sonnes that they were thretned to be hanged that he almost fel down dead to the ground of the great sorow that he had could not keep himselfe but he said Sir emperour I besech you that it wil please you to bryng my childreÌ„ to right for though I haue forsaken them yet are they my sonnes of my body begotten Hold your peace Aymon said Charlemain for I wil that it be so doone of theÌ„ for Reinawd did slea my neuew barthelor that I loued so much And after he turned him self saw the barons that spake th one to thother said to them Lordes loue your musing for I tel you for a trouthe that I shal not leaue to doo herin my wil for no maÌ„ that speaketh ye wot wel it is iii. yere gon sith we besieged this castel first and euer sith haue leien here where we haue lost many of oure foâ—ke wherfore I coÌ„maund you that either of you doo make engynes for to brynge downe this great towre all the remnaunt also for with such maner we shal abash them greatlye and ye my neuew Rowland ye shall doo make of the engines .vii. and Oliuer shal doo make vi the duke Naimes iiii the bishop Turpin and Ogier the dane other .iiii. and ye duke Aimon said the king Charlemain ye shal make three HOwe shoulde I nowe doo this good lord said thaÌ„ Aimon for sir Emperour ye know wel that they be my children nother truantes nor knaues but be the best knyghtes of the world so I tel you sir that if I saw theim die I shoulde for goe my wittes for angre And whan Charlemaine heard Aimon speake thus he was wroth and began to gnaw on a stafe that he held in his hand and after said By that god that made me if there be ani of you that gainsaith my wil I shall strike of his heade with my swerde Sir saide the duâ—e Naymes angre not your selfe For that that ye haue coÌ„maunded shal be doone incontinent whan the barons vnderstood the coÌ„maundemente of Charlemain they went their way for to make the engines that the king had commauÌ„ded the whiche were anon made ready these engines were for to cast greate multitude of stones And as soon that they were made they were set for to cast ayen mouÌ„tawbaÌ„ in short time they doÌ„maged it ful sore so I promise you that within the castel were made greate crying of women and of children for feare of the stones they went and hid them vnder the ground and so thei of Mountawban endured this mischef as longe as they had any morsell of meat And I ensure you that there was so great derth and so great mortalitie the men wist nomore where to laye the deade For the charnell was al full Alas who had seen so yong bachelers that for feintnes went leninge vpon their staues thorough MouÌ„tawbaÌ„ for lacke of meat he wolde haue had great pitie For afore that the castel was besieged they were so stronge and