hym w t an hawberke and his helme ranne forth without ony more abydynge as the hardyest knyght that was as men sayd Whan he was departed herde the crye I was sore a ferde toke one of my womennes gownes wente my waye with my launder I founde of auenture the posterne open y t some people had opened soo I went out wente to the woodes faste by the landes where as dwelled an holy heremyte the whiche had a chapell and a lodge at the wodes syde So I abode there and my chamberer whiche was aged came euery daye to fetche the almes at the kynges hous And therby we lyued the heremyte she and I so ye may se how god hath saued me In good fayth sayd y e kyÌ„ge her sone ye ledde an holy lyfe so dyde she for she wered y e hayre wente gyrde with a corde was an holy lady The kyÌ„ge had grete Ioye grete pyte of his moder Than he sente for his taylloures and dyde shape kyrtelles gownes and mantelles for his moder of veluet bothe blewe purple made them to be furred with veer and ermyne fables whan it came to theyr souper they brought in the quene rychely arayed And whan the kynge of Aragon her brother sawe her he toke her in his armes and kyssed her sayd that he wende not that she had ben on lyue The lordes and the ladyes of Galyce had grete Ioye of the quene dyde her grete worshyp for they helde her for a good an holy lady And they were all ameruaylled fro whens she came for they wende she had be deed Her brother the kynge of Aragoon was set at souper at the tables ende and after the quene than her sone the kynge Ponthus for the day of his crownacyon he must kepe his estate The quene was of goodly porte semed well to be a grete lady she was ryght humble had grete Ioye of the goodnes and worshyp that she sawe in her sone Than she sayd to her sone Fayre sone I haue grete desyre for to se our doughter your wyfe for the grete goodes I haue herde of her Madame sayd he ye shall se her hastely yf it please god That daye passed with grete Ioye grete dysportes of ladyes of syngynge of daunsynge and of other maner playes That nyght kynge Ponthus dremed that a bere deuoured quene Sydoyne his wyfe and she cryed sayd A Ponthus my swete lorde suffre me not thus to dye This auysyon fell to hyÌ„ twyes or thryes so he was sore afrayed ther with grete meruayll in his herte what it mente In the mornynge in the sprynge of the daye he called vp his men and sente for his vncle syr Patrycke so they came to hym he tolde them his auysyons he sayd myne herte telleth me that my wyfe hath some sekenes or in some trouble so I wyll no lenger abyde here for I wyll go as faste as I can to se her Whan they sawe his wyll they durste not agayne saye hym Than sayd the kynge fayre lordes I thanke god and you this countree is clensed of the myssebyleuers and I thynke well y t by you two the couÌ„tre hath be saued and the people kepte fro the deth by your good rule as it was goddes wyll So I bethynke me of Moyses Aaron that god set to saue the people of Israell so ye shall haue meryte and the guerdon of god And as for me I am ryght moche bounde to you wherfore fayre vncle I make you my leutenauÌ„t syr Patrycke shall be senesshall constable of this realme for it is grete reason that ye that haue done soo moche good saued the countre ye to haue the rule and the gouernaunce And ye syr Patrycke my dere frende ye saued me soo I shall gyue you londe good so largely y t ye shall not lese your good seruyce Syr Patrycke kneled downe and thanked hym Than the kynge coÌ„maunded them that the estate of y e quene his moder were kepte and that she sholde haue her coÌ„maundement as it were to his owne propre persone also y t they sholde susteyne the poore as well as the ryche that the ryche sholde not greue nor ouerlay the poore And than he coÌ„mauÌ„ded theym to repayre chyrches glasse wyndowes of all other thynges where as they were broken to make them vp agayne I shall take you ten thousande besauntes of golde therto he ordeyned ryght well for his realme all thynges that neded And than he went and herde his masses sent his dyner in to the shyppe and toke his leue of his moder the quene sayd vnto her herynge all men Madame I leue you the realme and the tresoure that I haue all in your grace gouernaunce I haue coÌ„mauÌ„ded coÌ„mauÌ„de all men to obey you as I my propre persone better I leue you myn vncle and syr Patrycke my good knyght y t whiche I haue made my constable seneshall of this realme myne vncle my leutenaunt Soo he toke his leue wepynge she prayed hym that he wolde come agayne in shorte tyme for she wolde fayne se his wyfe and he toke his leue of the lordes the ladyes of the countree and wente to the shyppes euery man arayed hym dressed hym to the see Kynge Ponthus came vnto y e barâ—ns tolde theym what auysyon there was befall hym wherfore he sholde neuer be at hertes ease tyl he had sene his wyfe So he toke the see sayled so longe tyll he sawe the costes of Brytayne ¶ Of y e false letters and treason that Guenelet dyde ayenst Ponthus wherfore he dyed with grete myschefe as ye shall here hereafter GUenelet was abyden keper of the kyÌ„ge and of his doughter for kynge Ponthus had gyuen hym all the gouernauÌ„ce as ye haue herde before wherfore he had grete Ioye Neuerthelesse he myght not kepe hymselfe nor chastyse hymselfe from treason so he bethought hym that he wolde haue the quene Sydoyne to his wyfe by what waye and that he wolde be lorde and kynge of the countree eyther by fayre or by foule so he wolde set hymselfe in auenture Soo the deuyll tempted hym so moche y t he dyde stuffe the cyte and the castelles sente for sowdyours gaue theym syluer in hande for to haue the loue of them of armes So is syluer of an euyll vertue for the good men put them in peryll of deth And whaÌ„ he had stuffed all the fortresses he dyde make a fals seale of kyÌ„ge Ponthus and made two false letters that one to the kynge and that other to the quene Sydoyne the whiche specyfyed that kynge Ponthus recoÌ„maunded hym to the kynge that all his men were dyscomfyted slayne and hymselfe hurte to the deth without ony remedye So he prayed hym that for his welfare for the welth of the countre that he wolde gyue his doughter
wayle and also for the Erle of wayles and for all the lordes of Englonde And whan they were all assembled togyder there was a grete armee The kynge sente forth his two sones and y e Surdyt well a foure myle from the hoost of the sarasynes for to ordeyne theyr bataylles wherof the kynge of Scottes was the chyfe ledder of all the hoost The fyrst batayll ledde y e kynge of Irlonde And the kynge of Cornewayle ledde y e seconde batayll The erle of wales ledde y e thyrde Syr Iohan the kynges eldest sone ledde the fourth Syr Harry ledde the fyfth batayll And the Surdyt ledde the syxte batayll So there were syxte grete bataylles And they were nombred moo than thyrty thousande men besydes all the fote men as arbalastres and archers Whan that the kynge Corboran herde telle of theyr comynge he made mo than .xii. bataylles y t were nombred moo than .xl. thousonde without fote men Soo they were ryght fyers proude as they that had neuer ben dyscomfyted in the space of .xii. yere y t they departed frome the Sowdan of babyloyne Soo our men rode to them warde in good ordynaunce whā they sawe the hoost of the turkes and sarazyns y e helde so grete a countre they were gretely ameruaylled but they helde themselfe well assured for they were clene shryuen and houseled Surdyt came before the batayles and comforted them sayd fayre lordes dysmay you not for the grete nombre that they be for our quarell is the quarell of Ihesu cryst that fedde fyue thousande men with fyue barly loues and two fysshes Also he may gyue vs vyctorye one ayenst an hondred so be euery man of good herte smyte surely vpō them for he that well assaylleth or defendeth vpon theym y t haue no fayth god helpeth hym go we hardely with out ony fere And ye shall se them anone dyscomfyted The euery man toke good herte for the wordes of surdyt And they answered Syth that it pleaseth to god that Surdyt was there they were not aferde for to be dyscomfyted Than they smote the horses with the sporres and ran one ayenst another And there was a grete sowne of trompettes and tabours that a mā sholde not haue herde the thondrynge There was many ouerthrowen that syth had no power for to ryse the batayll lasted tyll that all y e bataylles were assembled on bothe partyes so that ther was grete noyse of speres and of swerdes Surdyt made hymselfe away whersoeuer he wente whome that he stroke he was deed eyther maymed Feragyne one of the sarazyns had slayne syr Iohan y e kȳges eldest sone of Englonde that was grete harme The bataylles were ryght cruell And Corboran the hethen kynge dyde grete dedes of armes and sawe syr Henry Surdytes mayster was rychely armed and dyde many grete dedes with his handes he toke a spere grete sparte came vpon a morell stede smote syr Henry in y e syde that he perced his harnays that it entred halfe a fote in to the body and that was grete domage for he was a good knyght a manly Surdyt serched the prees made all to flee before hym with grete strokes that he deled as he passed he sawe his mayster fall to the grounde w t a spere in his syde It is not for to aske yf he was ryght sory And he began for to smyte on the ryght syde and on the lefte made hymself a grete waye with the helpe of the kȳge of Irlonde that alway abode by hym And than he alyghted of his horse lyfted vp his mayster asked hym how he fared And he sayd well so y t he were auenged on hym y t soo hurte hym What is he sayd Surdyt It is Corboran the kynge of this hoost ne doubte you not sayd Surdyt for I shall auenge you or elles dye Soo he dressed hym vp lepte on horsbacke bare hym oute of the prees And than Surdyt gadered to hym an hondred good speres or more sawe the guffanon of kynge Corboran And stroke to that parte brake the prees so moche that he sawe where that Corboran dyde meruayllous dedes with his handes and he was rychely armed had a crowne of golde vpon his basynet Surdyt sayd vnto hym Ha fals cowarde that hast slayne my mayster y u shalt go no ferder So he smote hym so grete a stroke that he was all astonyed laye vpon his sadell bowe And Surdyt smote agayne and smote the heed from the body and bare y e heed out of the batayll vnto his mayster And whan syr Henry sawe the heed he sayd blessyd be god I shall now dye the more meryly And gramercy sayd he to Surdyt Syr sayd he thȳke not to dye for ye shall se the sarasynes anone dyscomfyted syth that they knowe the deth of theyr kynge And he said sothe for as sone as they wyst it they put no more defence in them were all abasshed and sorowed sore for to se themselfe without an heed And Surdyt entred in to the grete prees began to do grete dedes of armes for to gyue boldenes to all his felawshyp And he bete downe sarasynes dyde suche dedes of armes that euery man knewe hym by the grete strokes that he gaue Soo thry fledde before hym as shepe before the wolfe Soo they began to dysseuer and fledde by the countre as wylde bestes And the Englysshe men and Irysshe men and the scottes began the slaughter vpon them on euery syde there were slayne so many that y e feldes lay all strawed of deed men the archers and the fote men whan they sawe ony ouerthrowen they all to hewed theym The sarasynes wyste neuer where to hyde theym nor to saue themselfe many of theym fledde towarde the shyppes but Surdyt and the Englysshe men helde them so shorte that they myghte not escape but put theym in to the see that they drowned theym selfe Grete was the mortalyte vpon them they called vpon mahowne but he neuer dyd helpe them tyll all were slayne and drowned ¶ How Ponthus pylled the shyppes of the sowdan ANd Surdyt came to a bote and endtred in coude speke well latyn and asked where was kynges shyp with all his tresoure so one of the sarasynes tolde hym Come forth sayd Surdyt in to this bote brynge me thyder or thou shalte dye the other sayd that he sholde brynge hym well So he toke ores thre sarasynes rowed to the grete shyppe wente in y e shyppe was passynge grete well poynted So there were some within that wende to haue defended them but Surdyt layde haude on his swerde slewe and drowned all that were therin So there abode no more therin but hymselfe and the thre sarasynes that hadde brought hym thyder Soo they sayd that they wolde be crystened syth that mahowne had lette theyr lorde to be slayne all theyr felawes And after that they were crystened and
hadde saued the people from the deth made them to yelde trybute to the hethen kynge in abydynge the mercy of god of theyr delyuernaunce Soo they were vp before day to come on pylgrymage to that chapell that they sholde not be aspyed of y e sarasynes So it befell whā Ponthus sawe y e chapell he wente thyder and a lyght and wente in and it was in the sprynge of the daye so he loked and sawe two men knelynge before y e auter for the whiche he had grete Ioye for he supposed they were crysten men syth they were in y e chapell in theyr prayers And whan y e two knyghtes herde hym come they were sore aferde wende to haue ben aspyed of the sarasynes And Ponthus asked theym what they were name you hardely tell me what ye be what lawe ye holde of sayd Ponthus god wyll I shal not hyde my name nor my god for in good fayth I am a crysten man thā sayd his vncle ye be ryght welcome for your felawshyp pleaseth vs well also we be crysten men in herte but we pray you that ye well tell vs what ye be In good fayth sayd he my name is Ponthus I was y e kȳge of galyce sone whan his vncle the erle of desture herde it he ranne to hym his armes abrode and halfed hym kyssed hym and sayd A my ryght dere neuewe blessyd be god that he hath gyuen me the grace that I may se you or I dye Whan Ponthus sawe that he was his vncle felte the good chere and the good wyll y t he made hym he had grete Ioye sayd vnto hym For the loue of god syr what ye gyue me grete Ioy in myn herte yf it be as ye say The day began for to wexe clere so eche of them knewe other and whan they knewe they kyssed wepte bothe two neyther myght speke a worde whan they myght speke the erle sayd A fayre lorde neuewe how durst ye come hyder thus allone for yf ye be aspyed ye are lyke to be deed Fayre vncle sayd he I am not allone but I haue here with me more than .xxviii. thousande men of armes as of the floure of Englonde of Scotlonde of Irlonde of Brytayne of other countrees aboute Whan his vncle herde it he kneled downe and Ioyned his handes thanked god hyghly of his grace than he tolde hym the gouernaunce of the londe how the countre and the people were saued but that they yelde trybute to the kynge Broadas And than he shewed hym syr Patrycke the knyght that had saued hym And they twayne had saued all the countre Ponthus came to hym toke hym in his armes and sayd that he was all his So they spake ynough of dyuers thynges And Ponthus ledde theym for to se his meyny and whan they sawe them they had grete Ioy It behoueth sayd the two knyghtes that ye ordeyne you your bataylles And so he made his ordynaunce and set in a valey foure thousande men of armes that whan the kynge sholde come out of the towne for to fyght they sholde fall behynde hym that he sholde not withdrawe agayne to y e towne And also they delyuered to syr Patrycke fyue hondred men of armes for to laye in a certayne place that whan the kynge all his power were come out of the twone they sholde go in as thoughe they were sente for to kepe the towne and thus it was ordeyned amonge theym Than sayd syr Patrycke fayre lordes this assemble is made by the pourueyaunce of god that hath sente vs Ponthus the ryghtfull lorde of this countree The Erle of desture sawe his sone Polydes y t whiche was a ryght goodly knyght so he kyssed hym and made hym grete Ioye Than sayd the erle of desture lorde sette you in ordynaunce for I shall goo tell the kynge Broad as that crysten men are entred for to robbe this countre he shall come out with as many men as he may shall come rennynge without ony ordynaūce wherfore he shall be the more easy for to dyscomfyte And sende ye forth a lytell balyngere for to fetche a thre score shyppes to come to the londe sette some hous on fyre soo he shall not knowe of your grete power wherfore he shall come all dysarayed without makynge ony ordynaunce Than the Erle toke his leue and departed came to the towne reght erly he came to the kynge as a man afrayed the kynge rose vp and he salewed hym by mahowne than he sayd to the kynge Syr the crysten men be come for to pyll and to robbe your countre and they ben but two myle frome the towne be they many sayd the kynge Syr I wote neuer but as I may apperceyue there ben a thre score shyppes Fye sayd he be they no more by mahowne in an euyll tyme be they come So I shall tell you for I dremed this nyght that I became a grete blacke wolfe and y t ye set vpone me a grete whyte greyhounde a braket and y t the greyhounde slewe me A syr sayd the erle to the kynge ye oughte not to byleue in dremes ye saye trouth sayd the kynge Go and make to blowe vp the trumpettes do crye that euery man do arme them Soo we shall take the fals rybaudes and robbers on the see the whiche I shall make them all to be slayne and to be drawen at the hors tayles Ye saye well sayd the erle whiche thought it sholde not go soo The erle wente forth armed hym made to crye that euery man sholde arme them So euery man armed them and lepte on horsbacke The kȳge was rychely armed and wente out of the towne without makynge of ony ordynaunce but who so myght go wente Soo there wente forth mo than .xii. thousande on horsbacke with out fote men archers arbelasters of suche as had none horses ¶ How Ponthus slewe Broadas y t slewe his fader Ponthus had ordened his bataylles sette in a valey foure thousande mē of armes for to fall bytwene them the towne And syr Patrycke came with his fyue hondred fyghters in to a preuy place for to wynne the towne he abode tyl that he sawe his tyme to departe The kynge smote his hors w t the spores to y t parte where he sawe y e smoke towarde y e see and sawe not past a .iii. score shyppes now on them they be all shente theyr god shall neuer saue theym but y t they shall dye an euyll deth he abode not tyll he was passed the place where the .iiii. thousande men were than he behelde afore hym sawe y e grete bataylles in ordynaūce so he was ameruayled of this dede wende to haue withdrawen hȳ for to haue set his men in ordynaūce he ordeyned a grete party for he was a wyse knyght an hardy in armes and as he made his ordynaunce he herde
for some of them dyde yelde them and were conuerted Ponthus gaue them good ynough to lyue vpon and the remenaūt that myght flee they fledde wherof some were slayne by y e spanyardes and by theym of y e realme of Castyle other perysshed in dyuers places myscheuously Wherof y e Sowdan of babyloyne was syth ryght sorowfull for to haue loste thus his thre sones and his men he was ryght angry with mahowne sayd before all men as a man out of his wytte that the god crucyfyed had ouercome hym that he was of greter vertue than mahowne whan he hadde not saued his sones his men And so there was grete complaynt for theym in babyloyne in damaske Ponthus made leches to be sought for to hele the people that were woūded and hurte in the batayll hymselfe vysyted them often made men to brȳge them all that theym neded he fested felawshypped the lordes and gaue theym grete gyftes And also he founde in a toure the grete tresour of kynge Broadas the whiche was a grete thynge to tell And whan he had ouer ryden the countre and clensed of the mysoyleuers he founde moche people the londe well laboured bothe of vynes and of cornes From all the countrees the people came rennynge for to se theyr ryghtfull lorde as it had ben to myracles they loued hym well for his grete renowne and worthynes his bounte and his courtesye for there was none so symple nor so poore but that he wolde speke to here hym mekely he was ryght pyteuous of the poore people he loued god and holy chyrche And whan he had done all his dedes he came to the columpne to his crownacōn where he was full solemply crowned by the handes of the bysshop at whiche daye he helde a notable a royall feest And thyder came to hym the kynge of Aragon his vncle that was his moders brother the whiche had grete Ioye to se hym of his vyctorye he tolde hym how kynge Broadas had warred vpon hym and how there was takē a trewes bytwene them for a certayne tyme in to the tyme that god had set remedye and thrughe his grace he hath ryght well purueyed of the pyte by you Thus complayned the kynge to his neuewe yet he tolde hym that he abode y e comynge downe of the kynge of Fraūce the kynge of spayne that sholde haue come this somer but I thanke god it is now no nede The feest was grete of the kynges crownacyon there was made many straunge thynges The grete lordes of the countre they came dyde theyr homage And also the fayre ladyes hadde grete Ioye that they were comen out of hell and of seruage where as they had lyued in sorowe heuynes now they be aswaged in to Ioye myght in to paradyse as them semeth They lyked well theyr kynge in so moche that they had Ioye to loke vpon hym and all maner of people thanked god hyghly of theyr delyueraunce There was songes and many mynstrelsyes whiche were to longe to tell ¶ How Ponthus knewe his moder amonge y e poore people that wente askȳnge theyr brede for goddes sake how he put his crowne vpon her heed THe kynge dyde brynge presente by .xii. fayre ladyes and .xii. olde knyghtes grete gyftes Iowelles to the good knyghtes chyeftaynes some of fayre coursers other of fayre cuppes of golde and syluer of fayre clothes of golde of sylke and many other grete Iowelles soo y t all men were ameruaylled of his largesse He was a man ryght pleasaunt and of grete courtesye of good condycyons So there befel a grete meruayll for the custome was that before the kynge sholde be serued .xiii. poore people for the loue of god and his apostles So it befell the erle wente vysytynge the tables as god wolde he behelde the table of the poore people and sawe a woman that loked vpon the kynge as she behelde hym the teeres fell downe frome her eyen The erle loked vpon her auysed her so wel that by a token she had in her chynne he knewe well that it was y e quene moder vnto kȳge Ponthus And whan he knewe her sawe her in so poore estate that her gowne was all to clouted and all to rente he myght not kepe hym from wepȳge so his herte swymmed for pyte to se her in soo poore araye And whan he myght speke he thanked god and wente behynde the kynge his neuewe sayd to hym Syr here is a grete meruayll wherof sayd the kynge The best and y e holyest lady that I knowe my lady the quene your moder is here in where is she sayd he and he with grete payne myght tell hym for pyte and whan he myght speke he tolde hym in counseyll Syr se her yonder w t the .xiii. poore folke at y e fyrst ende and y e kynge Ponthus behelde her and she apperceyued it and put her hode afore her eyen wepte And the kynge had grete pyte in his herte and sayd vnto his vncle Fayre vncle make noo semblaunt that none aspye it but whan we are vp fro the table I shall goo in to the warderobe thyder brynge her pryuely to me and so it was done Whan the tables were taken vp and graces yelden to god the kynge departed pryuely and wente in to his warderobe and the Erle of desture his vncle brought thyder the quene his moder pryuely And whan kyge Ponthus sawe her he kneled downe before her toke his crowne set it on her heed And she toke hym vp all wepynge kyssed hym often she kyssed hym and halsed hym sore they wepte she her sone the erle And whan they myghte speke kynge Ponthus sayd vnto her A madame so moche pouerte and dysease ye haue suffred endured A my swete knyght and sone sayd she I am come out of the paynes of hell and god hath gyuen me paradyse whan it hath pleased hym to gyue me soo longe lyfe that I may se you with myne eyen and that I se vengeaunce for my lorde your fader that tho tyraūtes put to the deth and also that I se the countree voyded of the messebyleuers and the holy lawe of Ihesu cryste to be serued I wote well that this trouble and sorowe hath endured well a .xiii. yere as by chastysynge of god for the grete delytes lustes that were vsed in this realme soo me semeth now that god hath mercy on his people that he hath kepte you and sente you for to delyuer the countre of the mysbyleuers Ryght well spake the quene wysely as an holy lady that she was Now I praye you sayd the kȳge tell me how ye escaped how ye were saued Fayre sone I shal tell you whan y e crye was grete in the towne in y e mornynge your fader slayne I was in my bedde your fader armed