THE ANCIENT Honorable Famous and delightfull Historie of Huon of Bourdeaux one of the Peeres of Fraunce and Duke of Guyenne Enterlaced with the loue of many Ladies as also the fortunes and aduentures of Knights errant their amorous Seruants Being now the Third time imprinted and the rude English corrected and amended LONDON †Printed by Thomas Purfoot and are to be sould by Edward White at his shop at the little North dore of Poules at the signe of the Gunne 1601. ⧠The Printer to the Historie ensuing THe foundation of all true fame and repute which in this world is most to be reckoned of and esteemed according to the opinion of all Writers both ancient moderne consisteth in bold honourable and heroycall resolution which enflames the soule with a continuall thirsting desire of pursuing braue and generous purposes perfourming of high and aduenturous acâ—â—ons which when their bodies are mantled vp in the obâ—cure moulde of the earth leaueth their names cannonized in Fames aeternall Calendar and renownes them as rare presidents to all following Posterities And from so perfect ground of good and laudable example the young infant spirits of latter grow'th raking vp the embers of their worthy proceedings the sparke of glorious imitation catcheth hold of their warme and forward desires and so enkindling further till it breake foorth into a flame burnes vp and consumes all conceits of cowardise and as an enlightned Beacon on a Promontorie toppe calles inuites them to the like honourable atchieuements Hence ensued that desertfull and well worthy to bee remembred purpose of Sir Iohn Bourchier Knight Lord Berners when not onely in this woorke of Huon of Bourdeaux but many other famous Translations of like consequence by him perfourmed he gaue witnesse to the world of so labourious an endeauour and as it were squared out an excellent platfourme for generous imitation But let me not herewithall forget that the right noble Earle of Huntingdon Lord Hastings was a continuall spurre to him in the pursuite of such paines and likewise a cheerefull encourager of me in the imprinting assisting euer both with his purse and honourable countenance the trauaile that sorted to so good example Which being now finished and made compleat with better abilitie of will then other perfourmance we leaue to the gentle acceptance of such as knowe how rightly to iudge and kindly to entertaine to others our paines are not imparted FINIS The Table HOw the Emperor Charlemaine required his Barons that they wold choose one among them to gouerne his Empire Chap. 1. The conclusion and answeare that the Barons made And what counsaile the dishonourable Lord Earle Amerie gaue to the Kinge against the two Sonnes of Duke Seuin of Bourdeaux whereby great mischeefe afterward ensued And of the good aduice that Duke Naymes gaue to the Emperour Chap. 2. How Charlemaine sent two Knightes to the Duchesse of Bourdeaux to commaund her to send her two Sonnes to his Court. Chap. 3. The answeare that the Duchesse of Bourdeaux made to the Emperours Messengers Chap. 4. Howe the Emperour was content with the report of the two Knightes and how the Traitour Earle Amerie went and complained to Charlot the Kinges Sonne Chap. 5. How the two Sonnes of Duke Seuin tooke leaue of the Duchesse their Mother and how in their way they ouer-tooke the Abbot of Cluny their Vncle going towards Paris to the Emperour Charlemaine Chap. 6. How by the counsaile of Earle Amerie they ran first at Gerardin Brother to Huon and bare him to the earth and sore wounded him whereof Huon was right sorrowfull Chap. 7. How Huon of Bourdeaux was sorrowfull when he saw his Brother Gerard so sore wounded and how he slew Charlot and how he came before the King at Paris and appeached him of Treason Chap. 8. How the King was sore displeased with Huon because he had appeached him of treason and how Huon shewed all the manner why he slew the Knight that wounded his Brother Chap. 9. How Charlot the Kings Son was brought before him dead and of the great sorrow that he made and how Earle Amerie appeached Huon for the death of Charlot and how the King would haue run vppon Huon and of the good counsaile that Duke Naymes gaue to the King Chap. 10. How the Traytour Earle Amerie charged Huon before the Emperour that he trayterously with treason pretended had slaine the Kings Sonne and in that quarrell he appealed Huon to Battaile Chap. 11. How the Abbot of Cluny would prooue that the saying of Earle Amerie was false and vntrue and howe the Earle did cast his Gage against Huon who tooke it vp Chap. 12. Howe those two Champions came into the field whereas they should â—ight accompanied with their friends Chap. 13. How the two Champions made their Oathes vppon the Reliques that their sayings were true and what the king sayd chap. 14. Howe Huon of Bourdeaux and Earle Amerie fought together before kinge Charlemaine and how the Traitour Amerie was slaine by the noble Prowesse and chiualrie of Huon chap. 15. How after the Emperor Charlemaine had seen Earle Amerie was slain he commaunded expresly that Huon should auoide the Realme and Empire and to be banished from thence for euer chap. 16. How king Charlemaine sent Huon to doe a Messuage in Babilon to the Admirall Gaudise chap. 17. How the noble Duke Huon of Bourdeaux tooke leaue of the King and of all the Lordes and Barons and road with the good Abbot to Cluney chap. 18. How Huon came to Rome and was confessed of the Pope who was his Vncle and of his departing and how he came to Brandis where he found his Vncle Garyn of St. Omers who for the loue of Huon passed the Sea with him Chap. 19. How Huon of Bourdeaux departed from Brandis and Garyn his Vncle with him and how he came to Ierusalem and from thence into the Deserâ—â— whereas he found Gerames and of their conference chap. 20. How Gerames went with Huon and his companie and so came into the wood whereas they found king Oberon who coniured them to speake â—nto him chap. 21. How King Oberon was sore displeased in that Huon wold not speake and of the great feare that he put Huon and his companie in chap. 22. Howe King Oberon Dwarfe of the Fayrey pursued so much Huon that he constrained him to speake to him at last chap. 23. Of the great maruailes that Oberon shewed vnto Huon and of the 〈◊〉 that fell chap. 24. Of the great gifts that Oberon gaue to Huon as his Horne of Iuorie and his Cup the which were of great vertues and how Huon after thought to prooue the vertue of them whereby he was in perill of death chap. 25. How Huon arriâ—ed at Tormont and fouÌ„d a man at a gate who brought him to lodge at the Prouosts house in the Towne chap. 26. Howe Huon gaue a Suppper to all the poore men of the Citie and how the Duke was Vncle to Huon and howe the
mine age in peace and seruice of my Lord God Wherefore as much as I may I desire you all to aduise me which of you all shal be thereunto thought most able Yée all know that I haue two Sonnes that is to say Lewes who is too young and Charlot whome I loue well and he is of age sufficient to rule but his manners and conditions are not méete to haue the gouernance of such two Noble States as the Realme of Fraunce the holy Empire of Roome for yée know well in dayes past by reason of his pride my Realme was likely to haue béen destroyed and I to haue had warre against you all when by his rashnesse he slewe Baldwin son to the good Duke Ogier the Dane whereon so many mishaps ensued that it will neuer be raced out of remembrance Therefore so long as I liue I will not consent that he shall haue the gouernment though he be rightful inheritor that after me he ought to haue the Signiorie but instantly I entreat your noble opinions what in this case I were best to doe Chap. II. ¶ The conclusion and answeare that the Barons made And what counsaile the dishonorable Lord Earle Amerie gaue to the King against the twoo Sonnes of Duke Seuin of Bourdeaux whereby great mischiefe afterward ensued And of the good aduice that Duke Naymes gaue to the Emperour WHen Duke Naymes and all the Barons being assembled together in a priuate parte of the Pallaice there they were somewhat long together but at last they all concluded that to Charlot the Kinges eldest Sonne appertayned the gouerning of the said Realmes Then they returned to the King and shewed him the conclusion wherevpon they were agréed of which the Emperour was right ioyfull Then he called before him his Son and shewed him many faire reasons before all his Barons but therewith stepped foorth a fellon Traytour who had too much secrecie with the Emperour and likewise had the gouernance of Charlot the Kinges Sonne who did nothing but by his direction this Knight was called Earle Amerie and was Son to one of the Nephews of the Traytour Ganelon In this manner then hee spake to the King Right royall Emperour whence proceeds it that you are so forward in deliuerance of your Kingdome to the weake gouerning of Charlot your Sonne forbeare this hastinesse and first for a proofe of his ablenesse in such a case giue him a Land that ought to be yours and as yet is not and where you haue as yet neither fealtie nor seruice This Land is in the possession of two proud Boyes who these Seauen yeares passed would not serue you nor since their Father Duke Seuin dyed would doe you any obeysance the eldest is named Huon and the other Gerard they kéepe Bourdeaux and all the Land of Aquitaine thinke great scorne to hold their Lands of you But my Lord if you will giue me men and authoritie I will bringe them as Prisoners into your Pallace where you may doe your will with them and then the Land that they hold you may giue to Charlot your Sonne Amerie quoth the Emperour I giue you great thankes that you haue aduertised me of this matter I will that you take of your best fréends and beside them you shall haue of mée thrée Thousand Knightes well chosen and prooued men of warre and I will that you bring to mée the two Sonnes of Duke Seuin that is to say Huon and Gerard who in their pride set nothing by mée When Duke Naymes beeing there present heard the words of Amerie and sawe how the Emperour consented to his desire he stept foorth boldly and beholding Amerie stearnly thus spake My Soueraigne Lord the ill is great but the sinne farre greater when men of no truth or certaintie are so highly listned vnto As for Duke Seuin is it not well knowne my Lord what true and honorable seruice all his dayes he did you and can you then bee so easilye woone to disenherite his Children Consider good my Lord that the reason why as yet they haue not tendered their dutie in your presence is nothing else but their want of years for such allegiance and their Mother likewise déerely respecting them is loath to leaue their companie so young And would your Highnes but be aduised by me you should not so rashly depriue them of their Landes but rather as best becommeth a vertuous Prince and in some regard of their Fathers good Seruice first send twoo of your Knightes to the Duchesse let them in your name commaund her Sonnes personall appearance at your Court in case of seruice and dutifull homage which if she or they shall refuse to doe then may you iustly procéede otherwise against them But I dare my Lord engage mine honour that send them shée will that onely a Mothers loue and care of her Children hath béen the reason of their absence all this while Chap. III. ¶ How the Emperour Charlemaine sent two Knightes to the Duchesse of Bourdeaux to commaund her to send her two Sonnes to his Court. WHEN the Emperour Charles hadde heard Duke Naymes speake he said My Lord I know for certainty that Duke Seuin hath alwaies serued vs truely and the reasons that you haue shewed are iust Therefore I graunt that it shall bée as you haue aduised My Lord quoth the Duke I most humbly thanke your grace Then incontinent the king sent for two knights and gaue them in charge to go to Bourdeaux to doe his Messuage to the Duchesse and to the Sonnes of Duke 〈◊〉 the which they did so departed from Paris without resting past one night in a place vntill they arriued at Bourdeaux then incontinent they went to the Pallace whereas they found the Duchesse who was as then but newly rysen from dinner and when she was aduertised of their comming shée came in hast to méete them accompanied with Huon her Sonne who was by her and Gerard came after with a Sparrow-hawke on his fist When the Messengers saw the Duchesse her two goodly Sonnes they knéeled downe and saluted both her and her two Sonnes from King Charlemaine saying Ladie to you we be sent from our Emperour Charles who by vs sendeth vnto you his salutations of honour and amitie When the Noble Ladie vnderstood that they were Messengers sent from the great Emperour Charles she arose and embraced them and sayd that they were right welcome vnto her Madame quoth they our Emperour hath sent vs vnto you and commaundeth you to send your twoo Sonnes to serue him in his Court for there are verie few in his Realme but they are come to his seruice except your Sonnes And Ladie since you know right well that the Landes you enioy appertaining to your Sonnes is holden of the Emperour Charles by reason of his royall prerogatiue in Fraunce great maruaile is in many that you haue not sent them ere this time to doe him seruice as other Dukes and Princes in like case haue
my heart that I could tarie no longer to be auenged then I demaunded of mine Vnckle if he would ayd me heâ— answeared and said no bycause he was a Priest so hee and all his Monkes departed and left me alone then I tooke the Ten Knightes that came with me out of my Countrey and so I road as fast as I could to the entent that he should not escape that had so wounded my brother and assoone as hee saw that I followed him he returned against me then I demaunded of him what he was he said he appertained vnto Duke Terrey of Arden then I demaunded why he had slayn my brother he answeared and said in likewise he wouldâ— serue me and therewith he couched his speare and stroake me on the side through my Gowne and Dublet and hurt not my flesh as it was the pleasure of God then I wrapped my Mantle about mine arme and drew out my Sword and with both my hands as he passed by me I gaue him such a stroake that I cloue his head néere to the téeth and so he fell downe to the earth dead I know not what he is but whatsoeuer he be I haue slayne him and if there be any that will demaund right in this cause let him come into your royall Court before all your Péeres and I shall doe him reason if it be found that I haue done any wrong When I had slayn him I layd my Brother vpon the dead Knightes horse and ouertooke the Abbot mine Vnckle Then as I road and looked behind me I saw them that were ambushed in the wood come ryding after one Knight came before the rest bringing vppon his horse the said dead Knighte I know well if they bée not come they will soone be héere When Kinge Charlemaine vnderstood Huon he had great maruaile what Knight it was that was slaine and sayd vnto Huon know for troth I shall doe you reason for I know none so great in my Realme whosoeuer it be but if I can prooue on him any point of treason I shall cause him to dye an euill death for the matter toucheth me right néere séeing vnder mine assurance and by my commaundement you are come hether Then the King commaunded that Gerard should be had to a goodly Chamber and well looked vnto the which was done Chap. X. ¶ How Charlot the Kings Son was brought before him dead and of the great sorrow that he made and how Earle Amerie appeached Huon for the death of Charlot and how the King would haue run vpon Huon and of the good counsaile that Duke Naymes of Bauier gaue to the King WHEN Huon of Bourdeaux and the Abbot of Cluny his Vnckle heard the good will of the King and the offer that he made they knéeled downe to haue kissed his foote and thanked him of his courtesie but the King tooke theÌ„ vp then the Abbot sayd My Lord all that my Nephew Huon hath sayd is true the King said I beléeue you well the Kinge did to them great honour and feasted them in his Pallaice royally but hée had great desire to know the troth of this case and said Huon and you the Abbot of Cluny know for certaintie I haue a Sonne whome I loue entirely if you haue slayne him in doing such a villainous deede as to breake my assurance I doe pardon you so that it be as you say My Lord quoth Huon for that I thanke your grace and surely the truth is as I haue shewed you Then the King sent for Charlot his Sonne so he was searched for in his lodging newes were returned how he was departed out of the Towne the night before so the Messenger departed and when thâ—y came into the stréete they saw where Earle Amerie came ryding with Charlot dead on his horse necke they heard in the Stréetes Lords Knights Ladies and Damsels making great cries and pitious complaints for Charlot the Kings Son whomâ— they sawe dead The Messengers were amazed at these exclamations but at last they perceiued it was for the death of Charlot then they returned to the Pallaice But by reason of the outcries and pityous moane the people made with often repetition of Charlots name all which the Emperour leaning at a windowe confusedly heard his heart waxed woondrous heauie saying Mée thinkes I heare such sorrow as hath not béen vsuall and my Sonne Charlots name is tossed too and fro in this outcry it maketh me feare that it is my Sonne whome Huon hath slain Then calling Duke Naymes vnto him requested him to goe foorth and resolue him in this matter Then Duke Naymes departed and incontinent hée encountred Charlot borne dead betwéene foure Knightes vpon a Shéeld when he sawe that he was right sorrowfull so that he could not speake one word then the vnhappie Earlâ— Amerie went vp into the Hall and came before the King and all his Barons and there he layde downe Charlot When Charles sawe his Sonne so slayne the dolour and sorrowâ— that he made was vnspeakable it was pitie to sée him and Duke Naymes was as sorrowfull as any other seéing the pityfull aduenture and also the moane that the Lords made then he came to the King and said Good my Lord comfort your selfe in this misaduenture for by ouer-gréeuing at this ill hap you can winne nothing nor recouer your Childe againe you know right wel that my Coozen Ogier the Dane slew my Sonne Bertrand who bare your Messuage of defiance to the king of Pauey yet I did suffer it without any great sorrow making bycause I knew well sorrow could not recouer him againe Naymes quoth the king I cannot forget this I haue great desire to know the cause of this déede Then Duke Naymes sayd to Duke Amerie Sir know you who hath slayne Charlot and for what cause Then Earle Amerie stept foorth and said with a loud voyce Great King Charlemaine why demand you any further when you haue him before you that hath slayne your Sonne and that is Huon of Bourdeaux who standeth héere in your presence When the King heard what Earle Amerie had sayd he looked fiercely vpon Huon and had strokeÌ„ him with his Scepter but for Duke Naymes who blamed the King and sayd Forbeare my Lord what meane you to doe this day to receiue the Children of Duke Seuin into your Court and hath promised to doe them right and reason and nâ—w would slay them so may all such as shall heare of the matter say that you haue sent for them to no other end but to murder them and that you sent your Sonne to lye in waight for them to haue slayne them By this may be discerned that you forget 〈…〉 Maiestie of a King and expresse actions vnséeming Charlemaine demaund of Earle Amerie the cause why he had foorth Charlot your Sonne and why that he assailed the two Brethren Huon being there in presence was greatly abashed at the Kings furie receiuing him first so kindly and now would kill him he was
in great feare and as much as he might he drew backe from the King and was greatly agreeued for that he had slayne the Kings Sonne not knowing him And blame him not to be much troubled in mind when he sawe no man that appertained to him to ayd him or to maintaine his right but onely the good Abbot of Cluny his Vnckle who could giue him none other ayd but with his words yet he tooke on him courage and right humbly said to the King My Lord I require your grace touch me not but know for troth he that lyeth there dead before you I slewe him in my defence and not knowing that he was your Sonne Charlot for if I had known him I would in no wise haue touched him and you may well know my Lord if I had knowne that it had béene he I would not haue come to you for rescue I would rather haue fled away so farre that no man should haue heard any tydings of me therefore for Gods sake I require you as heartily as I can let mee haue right I submit my bodie to abide the iudgment of your noble Péeres if it can be prooued that I slew Charlot knowing him to be your Son then my Lord let me haue a shamfull death then all the Peeres Barons being there said with a hye voyce how he had spoken reasonably and that if Earle Amerie would any thing say to the contrarie it was time then to speake and to shewe it Chap. XI ¶ How the Traytour Earle Amerie charged Huon before the Emperour that he trayterously with treason pretended had slayne the Kinges Sonne and in that quarrell he appealed Huon to battaile WHEN the King had heard Huon speake he beheld Duke Naymes and desired him to giue his aduice My Lord quoth the Duke I can say none other thing vnto you but as I sayd before demaunde Earle Amerie why he led forth your Sonne all armed and kept the ambushment in the wood to set vpon the two Brethren or else what was it that hee sought for there Then Earle Amerie said My Lord I shall shew you the troth and if I doe otherwise let me dye a shamefull death True it is this night passed your Son sent for me desiring me to ryde with him on hawking and I desired him to abide vntill the morning but he said that he would néeds go afore night then I graunted to goe with him so that he would ryde armed for I doubted the men of Arden to the entent that if we met with any of them wee might be able to resist them and so we did thus we road out of this towne and came into a little wood and there we cast off our Hawkes and there we lost one of them and therewith the same way came the Children of Duke Seuin and there we saw Huon the eldest who is héere present who had taken vp our Hauke your Sonne came in courteous maner vnto him and desired him to render againe his Hauke but the Traytour would not in no wise then Gerard the yonger brother came to your Son and they stroue so together that your Sonne stroke him then Huon without any word speaking lifted vp his sword and so villaynously slew your Sonne then hée and his Brother ranne away so fast that we could not ouer-take them whereof we were sory Thus he knew well your Sonne and he slewe him and if he will say to the contrarie heere is my Gage which I present héere before you and if hée be so hardy as to take it vp I shall make him confesse ere it be night that it is true that I haue said and this I will prooue with my bodie against his Chap. XII ¶ How the Abbot of Cluny would prooue that the saying of Earle Amerie was false and vntrue and how the Earle did cast his Gage against Huon who tooke it vp AFter that Earle Amerie had ended his tale the Abbot of Cluny stept forth and said to the King My Lord you neuer heard so false a tale before as this Traytor Amerie hath sayd for I and foure more of my Monks being Priests here present are readie to sweare and take our solempne oathes that the saying of this Traytour is false and therefore there ought no Gage to be laid in that cause séeing there is true witnesse of the matter Abbot quoth the King the witnesse is to be beléeued Sir Amerie how say you thereto My Lord quoth he I would be loath to speake against the Abbot but the troth is as I haue sayd the Abbot may say as it please him but if Huon be so hardie to deny this that I haue said before you let him come into the field against me and before it be night I shall cause him to confesse it openly When the Abbot heard this he grew offended and looking stearnly vpon Huon sayd Faire Nephew offer your gage for the right is with thée and if thou be vanquished in this quarell if euer I returne into mine Abbey there is no Saint in my Church but I shall with a staffe beat and breake them alâ— to peeces for if God will suffer such a wrong I shall giue such strâ—akes vpon the shryne of Saint Peter that I shall leaue neither gould nor precious stone whole together Vnckle quoth Huon God will I shall not let to take vp his gage for I shall prooue that falsly and vntruly Sir Amerie lyeth as an euill and a false Traytour and shall make him to confesse that I neuer knew that he that I flew was the Kinges Sonne Then the King said that Huon must giue hostage My Lord quoth Huon you shall haue my Brother I cannot deliuer you any that is so néere or deare to me as he is for héere I haue neyther Coozen nor Kinsman that will lay in hostage for mée Faire Nephew quoth the Abbot say not so for I and my Monkes will be pledges for you and if any thing should fall vnto you otherwise then well which God forbid then shame haue King Charlemaine without hée hang vppon gallowes both me and all my Monkes Go too Abbot quoth the King you say ill for I would neuer doe that then sayd the King to Amerie bring in pledges for your part The Traytour answeared My Lord héere be two of my Nephewes shall be pledges for me I am content quoth the King vppon this condition that if thou be vanquished or discomfited I shall cause them to dye an euill death Then the pledges sayd that they would be no pledges vpon that condition let other be pledges who would but they said if the king would take them on the loosing of their Lands they were content and the King graunted them Chap. XIII ¶ How those two Champions came into the feeld whereas they should fight accompanied with their freends THus as ye haue heard both parties deliuered pledges then the King to be in the more suertie put them both in a Tower vntill the day
therewith by feare of the Tempest the Shippe came into the Hauen and caste their anchors Then Huon approached to the Ship and demaunded for the Patron and for the maister of them that were in the ship then the Marriners regarded the place whereas they were and they knew plainly by the great Tower that they were in the Port of Anfalerne whereof they had great feare and sayd one to another Ah good Lord God helpe vs for we sée well wee are but dead séeing wee bée arriued héere in this Port for wée knowe well that the Lord of this place is the most cruellest Paynim betwéen this and the red Sea Thus they complayned them one to another and Huon who was néere them vnderstood them well and sayd Sirs haue yée no doubt of death for yée are arriued at a good Port I require you to shew me from whence you come and what yée bée and they answeared sayd Sir séeing you can speake French we shall shew you so that you will assure our liues Sirs quoth Huon haue no feare of death nor of any hurt that yée shall haue for wee that haue this place in kéeping are French-men therefore shew vs hardly your entents Sir quoth they since you would know what wée bee wée are all borne in the Countrey of Fraunce and one of vs is of Saint Omers and some of the Citie of Paris and of diuers other parts of the Realme of Fraunce Fréends quoth Huon I pray you shew me if there be any among you borne in the Citie of Bourdeaux Sir quoth one of them heere is one in this ship that was borne in Bourdeaux an ould ancient man I thinke he be of an hundred yeares of age his name is Guyer and wee are going on pilgrimage for the loue of our Lord Iesus Christ to visit the holy Sepulchre but fortune by force of Tempest of the Sea hath caused vs to arriue héere and this Tempest hath endured these thrée dayes and thrée nights passed whereby wee be so wearie and so sore trauailed that wée can doe no more Fréend quoth Huon I pray you shew him foorth that you speake of Then the Patron of the Ship commaunded that the old man of Bourdeaux should come forth then Guyer the Prouost came to Huon and sayd Sir behold me héere what pleaseth it you to say vnto mée When Huon saw him he knew incontinent that it was Guyer the Prouost and sayd Fréend I require you shew mee where you were borne and what hath mooued you to come hether séeing the great age that you be of and to shew me what is your name Sir quoth he I shall shew you the truth I had a Lord whome I loued entirely hee was Sonne to Duke Seuin of Bourdeaux and hee was called Huon and it fell so out that after the death of his Father about a Seauen yeares King Charlemaine sent for him to doe his homage to receiue his Land of him the young man by the commaundement of his Mother he and his brother Gerard with him tooke their way towards Paris and by the way King Charlemaines Sonne called Charlot was lying in a wood by the counsaile of certaine Traytours and there lay in a waight to haue slaine Huon and his Brother Gerard but the case fell otherwise for Huon slew Charlot not knowing who it was wherefore Kinge Charlemaine banished him out of the Realm of Fraunce and charged him ere he returned to goe to Babilon to do a Messuage to the Admi Gaudise But his Brother Gerard aboad still at Bourdeaux to kéepe the heritage and then the Duchesse his Mother was so full of sorrowe that her Sonne was so banished without cause that shee tooke thereof such a maladie that shee dyed thereof about fiue yeares past and so thereby Gerard is Lord and Gouernour of all the Lands and hee is married to the daughter of the most cruellest Tirant from thence into Spaine and this Gerard hath learned of him many ill customes and hath left all the good wayes that was vsed in the dayes of Duke Seuin and of the Duchesse his Mother and hee hath raysed vp in all his Landes new Tayles and Gables and Impositions and chaced and put from him all noble men hee destroyeth the Burgesses and Marchants Widdowes Orphelings there can no man shew you the ill that hée hath done and doth dayly and he hath disenherited me And on a day the Barons of the Countrey desired me that I would take the paines to goe and search aswell by land as by water if I might finde the young Lord Huon who is our rightfull Lord it is now about two yeares that I haue searched for him in diuers Countreys but I coulde neuer heare one word of him whereof I am right sorrowfull to séeke him I haue spent all my gould and siluer howbeit these good Marchants haue taken me into their Ship and for the loue of God they thought to haue brought me into Fraunce but by fortune we be héere arriued at this Port. Chap. LXI ¶ Howe Huon and Gerames and all their companie with the faire Escleremond departed from the Castle of Anfalerne and sayled thence on the Sea WHen Huon vnderstood the Prouost Guyer he said vnto Gerames Sir come foorth héere I haue found your Brother Then Gerames came to his Brother and embraced and kissed him all wéping and said My deare fréend and Brother you be right heartily welcome Ah Brother quoth Guyer nowe I care not whether I liue or die séeing I haue found you and if it were so that yet once ere I dyed I might sée my Lord Huon then I cared not howe soone I dyed Ah deare Brother quoth Gerames you shall not die so soone and yet you shall sée Huon whose presence you so sore desire it is Huon to whome you haue spoken all this season Then Huon sore wéeping came and embraced Guyer and said My deare Fréend your comming is a ioy to my heart for a more truer Knight cannot bee found Sir quoth Guyer doe you know mée Yea truely quoth Huon and do you know mée Yea Sir quoth Guyer you are greatly desired in Fraunce and Brother Gerames I desire you to shew me where you haue béen since I sawe you for it is about Fortie yeares since you departed out of Fraunce then Gerames shewed him all his life and shewed at length how he found Huon Longe they were talking together whereof they of the Ship were right ioyfull for then they sawe well they were arriued at a good Port and then Huon said to the Marriners Sirs I pray you make this night no great noyse nor make no fire nor shewe no light for héere before the castle is lodged two Admirals Paynims who haue swoorne that they will neuer goe hence vntill they haue vs at their pleasure therefore I counsaile that wee may escape out of this castle wée bée hére about thurteene persons and with vs a noble Ladie wherefore I require you let vs come into your
downe dead then Croissant ran at him that bare the Sarazins banner wheron was painted the Image of Mahomet hee strake him that bare it with a reuerse stroake betwéene the necke and the sholders that the head with the helmet flewe in the field and layd on so in the thicke preasse that anone he made way the Sarazins would faine haue raised vp againe their banner but they could not When the Sarazins saw their king dead and their banner lying on the ground their courage beganne to faile them then they brayed and opened their array and began to loose place Croissant who tooke héed of nothing but to slay the great Captaines at last sawe before him the kinge of Belmarin who had slaine many a Christian man that day Croissant gaue him such a stroake on the right shoulder that his arme shéeld fell to the earth and by reason of the great dolour that the king felt he fel in aswound among the horse féete whereas he died miserably The Duke of Callaber and the Earle Remon regarding the hye déedes of armes done and atchieued by Croissant hadde great maruell of his force and puissance they blessed the houre that hee was borne in thanking God of his comming thether they rested and beheld him how he made their enemies to fly away for none was so hardy to abide him Finally if I shoulde rehearse the hye déedes that Croissant did that day it would be ouer-long to declare for by him and by his great Prowesse the Paynims and Sarazins were vtterly discomfited for he was happie that could saue himselfe Thus they fled on all partes towards the Sea-side and there were moe slaine in the flying then were in the plaine Battaile for from thence to the Sea-side the wayes were couered with dead men such as might saue themselues in the Ships were happie but there were verie few that escaped After the chace was done they of Prouaunce and Callaber came to the bootie the which was excéeding great and the Earle Remon distributed so liberally therof that euery man was wel contented for there was such riches in the Tents of the Sarazins that it could not bee valued whereby all such as were at the Battaile were rich euer after both theâ— and their Freends Chap. CLXXVII ¶ Of the great honour that the Earle Remon did to Croissant and how he would haue giuen him his Daughter in mariage whereof the Earles Son was sore enuious and thought the same night to haue murdered the noble Croissant in his bed but he fayled for the noble Croissant slew him and afterward fled away as fast as he might AFter that the Battaile was finished and that the Sarazins were dead the Earle Remon with great reuerence came vnto Croissant and tooke him by the hand and ledde him into the Towne betwéen the Duke of Callaber himselfe and they did him as great honor as they could deuise and so entred into the Towne and with great ioy and solemnitie they were receiued and they came to the Pallaice vnarmed them and when they were refreshed the Duke of Callaber and the Earle Remon came to Croissant and the Earle sayd Oh right noble Knight repleat with all vertues and hie Prowesse to whome no man is comparable the strong arme shéeld and refuge of the Countrey of Prouaunce and Languedoc by thy hye Prowesse this day thou hast saued one of the quarters of Christendome whereby the faith of Christ is exalted the which if thou â—â—â—â—est not béene had béene abated staunched it is not in mee to say nor recount the goodnesse that you haue done vs this day nor it lyeth not in me to reward it but if it were thy pleasure to abase thy selfe so lowe as to take my Daughter in marriage the which I would gladly sée I will giue thée the one halfe of all that euer I haue for a fairer iewell nor a richer I cannot giue then my déere Daughter whome I loue entirely shée is the most faire swéete and the humblest Damsell that is now liuing When Croissant had well vnderstood the Earle Remon hee sayd Sir of your courtesie rich guiftes that you offer mee I will not refuse it but thanke you hartely thereof as for your daughter whom you offer to giue me I trust that I shall doe her that honour that vpon her head I shall set a Crowne of gold and make her Empresse of Rome whereas she shall be serued and honoured as Ladie ouer all the Countrey When the Earle heard the answeare of Croissant he was verie ioyfull but his Sonne who was there present was néere hand in a rage with the displeasure that he had and sayd inragedly to him By God Croissant since thus by you I shall bée disenherited and that my Father will giue you that which of right appertaineth to me before I grant thereto I shal make you to die of an ill death though I doe it by treason nor thou shalt neuer haue my sister in marriage thus thought the Earles Sonne to worke against Croissant who knew nothing thereof and thus without God helps him he was likely to haue béene slaine pitiously Then there began great ioy in the Pallaice the Earle Remon went to sée his Daughter and sayd to her My déere Daughter know for troth I haue giuen you in mariage to the most faire hardyest Knight that euer was guirt with a sword that is Croissant who you sée héere by whom we were all deliuered and brought out of seruice into fréedome for we had béen all lost if his hye prowesse had not béene by whom all the Paynims are discomfited When the Damsell heard her Father she was right ioyfull and thanked God and said Sir since it is your pleasure to giue me to this noble Knight I shall not refuse him but I am content to fulfill your pleasure whereof Croissant was ioyfull for shee was so faire that euerie man had maruaile thereof Then the Damsell saluted Croissant and sayd Sir of your comming and succours we ought to be ioyfull for by you wée are restored to ioy the which was lost Ladie quoth Croissant so goeth the works of our Lord God for men make Battailes and God giueth the Victorie Thus deuising they entred into the Chamber whereas the boards were readie spread but Izacars the Earles Son would not come there but went into a secret place of the Towne and thether hée sent for Ten of his affinitie in whome hee had perfect affiance then he shewed to them all his intention and determined that when Croissant was in bed and a sléepe then they to murder him in his bedde and his Squier also When these Ten Traytours vnderstood their Master they answeared and sayd howe they were all readie to doe his commaundement whatsoeuer came thereof Thus they taried the houre to accomplish their vngracious Enterprize as they were in their communication there was in a Chamber there beside a young Squier who had well heard their Enterprize
Emperor Ide and the Empresse Oliue gaue good instructions to their Son when they departed from Rome how they arriued at Courtoys and came to Florence who with great ioy receiued them as his Children Chap. 172. How Croissant was so bountifull and so liberall that he gaue away all the Treasure that his Father had left him so that at last he had no more to giue and so was constrained to goe seeke his aduenture hee and a Varlet alonely chap. 173. Howe they of Rome sent to King Guymart of Puille to the entent that he should come and gouerne that Countrey to be their Lord because Croissant was a child and had giuen and wasted all that he had and how Guymart came thether and was receiued as Lord. chap. 174. How Croissant ariued at Nise in Prouaunce and came to the Earle Remon who was besieged by the Sarazins and of the honour that the Earle Remon did to Croissant and howe hee gaue him his banner to beare and made him Knight And of the great enuie that the Earles Sonne had at Croissant Chap. 175. How Croissant did maruailes in the Battaile by whome the Sarazins were discomfited and slaine whereof the Earle Remon and the Duke of Callaber were right ioyfull Chap 176. Of the great honour that the Earle Remon did to Croissant and howe hee would haue giuen him his Daughter in marriage whereof the Earles Son was sore enuious and thought the same night to haue murdered the noble Croissant in his bed but he fayled for the noble Croissant slew him and afterward fled away as fast as he might Chap. 177. How Croissant departed from Nise with his Sword in his hand And howe the Earle Remon was sorrowfull for the death of his Sonne and chased after Croissant but he could not bee found Chap. 178. How Croissant arriued in the Subburbs of a little Towne called Florencolle lodged among Ruffians and Villaynes and how they fell at strife and how Croissant slew them and fledde and was in great danger And how hee came into the Cittie of Rome whereas there was no man that would giue him one morsell of bread and how he went into an old Pallaice and lay vppon a burden of strawe chap. 179. Howe the Emperour Guymart spake and rebuked the Burgesse that spake ill of the noble Croissant and howe the Emperour bare meâ—te and drinke to the place whereas Croissant slept And of the maruailous great Treasure that hee found in a Chamber in the sayde ould Pallaice and of that which was shewed and declared to him by twoo Knightes whome he found there Chap. 180. How the two Knightes that kept this Treasure spake with the Emperour Guymart and shewed him the manner how hee should know Croissant And of the maruaile that Croissant had when he awoake and saw the meat and drinke by him Chap. 181. The proofe that the Emperor Guymart made to knowe Croissant vnto whome he gaue his faire Daughter in marriage and deliuered him all his Signiorie and Inheritance whereof great ioye was made at Rome Chap. 182. How the Emperor Guymart promised Croissant that within three daies he should haue his Daughter in mariage And how the Emperour Guymart led Croissant to the olde Pallaice and shewed him the great Treasure that the two Knightes kept for him Chap. 183. Of the great Treasure that they had and how Croissant wedded the noble Damsell daughter to King Guymart and of the Feast that was there made Chap. 184. FINIS THE ANCIENT Honorable and famous Historie of Huon of Bourdeaux a Peere of Fraunce and Duke of Guyenne c. Chap. I. ¶ How the Emperour Charlemaine required his Barons that they would choose one among them to gouerne his Empire IN the time by computation called the yéere of grace which was Seauen Hundred Fifty and Six yeares after our Sauiors sufferings Charles the Great more vulgarly knowen by the name of Charlemaine a right royall religious and warlike Prince rained as KING in Fraunce and Emperour of Roome Whose course of time was applyed to many high and heroycall enterprises wherein the fauour of heauen was euermore so assistant to him as his owne heart good hopes crowned him with the honour of many succesfull Victories enabling all his endeauours with the ayd of diuers noble Princes and Barons whose Chiualrie and right knightly perfourmances entitled him to the conquest of Almaigne Sclauonia Spaine Saxonie and a great part of Affrike in all which attempts it is not to be doubted but both he and they had their handes full of busie imployments But let it suffice God was their guide Religion the cause Honour the obiect and perpetuall Fame the reward which both led him and his traine to these worthy attempts and still brought them backe with the due to their valorous Enterprises extending both his and their renowne to all parts of the world and registring their names in the Kalender of neuer dying memorie AFter that this righte noble Emperour Charlemaine had lost his deare Nephews Rowland and Oliuer and diuers other Barons and Knightes in the vnfortunate and dolorous Battaile that was at Rownseuall where was so great and lamentable a losse as all the twelue Peeres of Fraunce were there slaine except the good Duke Naimes of Bauier On a day the Noble Emperour held open Court at his chéefe Citie of Paris where were assembled many Dukes Earles and Barons being the Sonnes Nephewes and kindred to the Noble Princes before slayn and dead in the foresaid Battaile by the falshood and great treason doone and contriued by Duke Ganelon the Noble Emperour being euer after in gréefe and heauinesse by reason of the great annoyance and displeasure that hée had by his said losse and also bicause he was growen verie féeble through the great age that now was stollen vppon him Thus when the King Princes Barons were there assembled the Emperour called his Lorde before him and seating himselfe in his royall Chaire of Estate his Barons Lordes and Knightes likewise placed in their seuerall degrees hee called foorth Duke Naymes and thus began Honourable old Naymes and all you my Barons hether summoned by our royall commaundement I shall not néede to tell yée bycause it is to you all most apparant howe longe I haue gouerned this Kingdome of Fraunce and likewise swayed the imperiall Diadem of Roome In all which time I haue found your duty and seruice so agréeable as I cannot but thanke Heauen for so gracious good fortune And now bycause I know certainly that my life by course of nature cannot long endure for this reason principally I haue caused you all to bée assembled here together to declare to you my pleasure and will wherein I require and heartily desire you that yée will counsaile together and take aduice which of you best may and will vndertake the Gouernance of my Realme for I can no longer beare the trauaile and paine belonging to the ruling thereof but will from hencefoorth liue the residue of
done In this respect he commaundeth you both for your own good conseruation of their Landes that you send them vnto him or if you doe not know then for certaine that he will take frō you those Lands you hould giue them to the Prince Charlot his Sonne This is the summe of our Messuage wée attend your answeare Chap. IIII. ¶ The answeare that the Duchesse of Bourdeaux made to the Emperours Messengers WHen the good Lady had well vnderstood the Messengers she answered them gently in this maner My Lordes and honourable Freendes the reason why I haue not sent my Sons to the Court before this time to serue my Lord the King as dutie required was in regarde of their tender yeares and some respect of loue to Duke Seuin their Father and bycause I knew certainlye that my rightfull Lord the Emperour Charlemaine loued alwayes Duke Seuin I neuer feared that he would take displeasure with his Children these thinges haue béene the principall cause why I haue not sent them all this while to serue the King Therefore let my entreats preuaile so much with you as to be a meanes to the Emperour and al the other Barons to hold me and my Children excused in this case for the fault is onelie mine not in them Then Huon stept foorth before his mother and sayd Madame if it had béene your pleasure you might haue sent vs before this time that is true quoth Gerardine for wee are ould ynough to haue our knighthood The Ladie heheld her two Sonnes and wéeping said to the Messengers Sirs you may returne to the King howbeit you shall rest you this night in my house and to morowe depart at your pleasure and you shall recommend me and my Sonnes to the Kings good grace and to the other Barons and Knightes and among other salute Duke Naymes who is néere kinsman to my Sonnes and desire him for the loue of Duke Seuin to stand a continuall fréend vnto them Madame quoth the Messengers haue you no doubt of that for Duke Naymes is a noble Man and a true Knight nor will he at any time be in place where any ill opinion shal passe against them Then the Duchesse commaunded her Sonnes that they should make the Kings Messengers good chéere and to bring them into their Chamber to rest them the which they did and were serued and feasted as appertained to their woorth Then the next morning they returned to the Pallace whereas they found the Duchesse and her two Sonnes and they humbly saluted the Ladie When the Duchesse sawe them she called Huon and Gerardin and said My Sonnes here in the presence of these two Knightes I say that at Easter you shall go to our Soueraigne Lord the Emperour Charlemaine and when you bée in the Court serue your Soueraigne Lord well and truely as subiects ought to doe bée diligent at all times to serue him faithfully kéepe companie with Noble men such as you sée to be of good vertuous condicions be not in place where ill woords be spoken or ill counsalie giuen fly from the companie of them that loue not honour and troth open not your eares to héere Lyers or false Reporters or Flatteres haunt often the Church and giue largly for Gods sake be liberall and courteous and giue to poore Knights fly the companie of Ianglers and all goodnesse shall follow thereby I will there be giuen to each of these Knights a Courser and a rich Gowne as it appertaineth to the Messengers of so noble an Emperour as Charlemaine is and also each of them to haue a hundred Florents Madame quoth Huon your pleasure shal be accomplished then the two Sonnes caused to be brought before the Pallace two goodly Horses and presented them to the two Knights and gaue each of them a rich Gowne and a hundred Florents Whereof the Messengers were ioyfull and thanked the Duchesse and her two Sonnes said that their courtesie should be remembred in time to come howbeit they knew well it was done for the honour of the King then they tooke leaue of the Duchesse and of her two Sonnes and so departed and road without let vntill they came to Paris whereas they found the Emperour in his Pallace sitting among his Barons the King perceiued them and incontinent called them to his presence ere they had leasure to speake the Kinge had them welcome home and demanded of them if they had béen at Bourdeaux and spoken with the Duchesse the two Sonnes of Duke Seuin whether they would come and serue him in his Court or not Dread Lord quoth they we haue béen at Bourdeaux and done your message to the Duchesse who right humbly receiued vs and gaue vs gentle entertainment when shée had heard vs speake and knewe that wée were your Messengers shée made vs the best chéere that shée could deuise and sayd that the cause why shée had not sent her Sonnes to your Court before this time was by reason of their young age and shée humbly requireth your grace to hold both her and her two Sonnes excused and that at this next Easter shée will send them to your Court. As for her Sonnes trust mée my Lord they are two such louely Gentlemen as wée tooke great delight in beholding them especially Huon the eldest he is so fayre and so well fourmed that nature cannot amend him Also my Lord for the loue of you shée hath giuen each of vs a goodly Horse and a rich Gowne and a hundred Florents of gould My Lord the goodnesse the valour and the courtesie that is in the Duchesse and in her Sonnes cannot be recounted and on their behalfe are we to entreat your Maiestie to retaine them alwayes in your fauour and good grace and to pardon the fault of their long absence Chap. V. ¶ How the Emperour was content with the report of the two Knights and how the Traytour Earle Amerie went and complayned to Charlot the Kings Sonne WHen the Emperour had heard the Messengers speake hée was right ioyfull and said I haue alwayes heard say that a good Trée bringeth foorth good fruit I speake it in the behalfe of Duke Seuin who in his time was a valiant true Knight and by that I sée that the twoo Children resemble their good Father I perceiue they haue receiued my Messengers right honourably and with great reuerence haue giuen thē no meane gifts which shal be vnto them auailable in time to come for they shall no sooner be come into my Court but in despight of any that shall speake against them I will doe for them in such wise that it shall bée an example to all other to doe well for I will make them for loue I bare to their Father of my priuie Counsaile and turning then to olde Duke Naymes sayd My Lord alwayes your kindred haue béen good and true and therfore I will that Amerie bee banished from my Court for hée nor euer any of his lineage
gaue as yet any good counsaile My Lord quoth the Duke I knew wel the long absence of Duke Seuins Sonnes was for none other cause but by reason of their youth When Earle Amerie heard the King speake and sawe beside howe hée was offended against him hée was sorrowfull and so departed secretly from the Court and sware that he would prouide for the two Sonnes of Duke Seuin such a traine as should cost both their liues and hazard the heauinesse and trouble of all Fraunce beside So hee went to his lodging sorrowfull and in great displeasure and then he imagined and studied on the matter and how to bring about his Enterprize then he departed from his lodging and went vnto Charlot the Kinges Son with whome he was right priuie hée found him sitting on a rich bed communing with a young Knight then Amerie shewing a verie sad countenance the teares in his eyes and trecherie in his heart knéeling downe before Charlot who had of him great pitie to sée him in that case the Prince tooke him vp and demaunded wherefore he made that sorrow and whether any man had displeased him My Lord quoth Amerie my gréefe is not without great cause for the two Sonnes of Duke Seuin of Bourdeaux shall come to the Court and as I haue heard say the King hath promised that at their comming they shall bée made of his priuie councell so that none other about the King but they shall haue any honour or reckoning made of them And assure your selfe my Lord that if the State be thus aduaunced they that now are greatest about his Maiestie shall then scarce haue a looke or any countenance at all So that within short while the best partes in your Fathers Kingdome will they be Lords of and you your selfe if you suffer this will hold no grace or fauour with the Emperour Therefore my Lord I require you to helpe me now in this businesse for in time past Duke Seuin their Father by great wrong and treason tooke from me a strong Castle of mine owne and I neuer dyd him displeasure therefore you ought to ayd me in this serious matter for I am of your linage deriued of the Noble Quéene your Mother When Charlot had well vnderstood Earle Amerie hée demaunded in what manner he might ayd him Sir quoth he I will shew you I shall assemble the best of my linage and you shall let me haue of yours thréescore Knights well armed and I shall lye in the way to méete with the two Boyes and I shall lay the ambushment in a little wood a league from Montleherry on the way to Orleance by the which way they must néeds come there we shall set on them and slay them so that none shall dare to speake thereof and if it be knowne after who dare speake against you or weare any healme in féeld against you Sir quoth Charlot qualifie and appease your sorow for I shall neuer haue ioy in my heart vntill I be reuenged of those two Boyes goe and make readie your men and I shall prepare mine and I will goe my selfe with you the sooner to make an end of this businesse When Amerie heard Charlot so liberally to offer himselfe to goe in his ayd he thanked him and embraced his Leg and Sicophant-like would haue kissed his Shooe but Charlot would not suffer him but tooke him vp and said Sir hast you and now be diligent that this businesse may come to a good end Amerie departed from Charlot right ioyfull and at the day appointed he ceased not day nor night to assemble his men and his néerest fréends and in the Euening before he came to Charlot who was as then also readie with his men and as secretly as they might they departed about the houre of midnight out of Paris all armed and they stayed not vntill they came to the place appointed to tarie the comming of the two Sonnes of Duke Seuin Now I will leaue to speake of them and returne to the twoo Sonnes of Duke Seuin Huon and Gerardin Chap. VI. ¶ How the two Sonnes of Duke Seuin of Bourdeaux tooke leaue of the Duchesse their Mother and howe in their way they ouer-tooke the good Abbot of Cluny their Vncle going towards Paris to the Emperour Charlemaine YOu haue heard here before how the Kings Messengers departed frō Bourdeaux then the two Sons made them readie to goe to the Court richly apparelled and well fournished of euerie thing néedfull aswell of gold and siluer and other apparell of silke as to their state appertained then there assembled the Barons of the Countrey to whom they recommended their Lands and Signiories and did choose out ten Knights and foure Councellors to ride with them to aid and to gouerne their businesse Then they sent for the prouost of Gerone called Sir Guyre to whom they recommended all the affaires of Iustice Then when Huon and his Brother had chosen them that should goe in their companie they tooke their leaue of the Duchesse their Mother and of the Barons of the Countrey who sore did wéepe bycause of their departure for the which they had good occasion so to do and more if they had knowne the haplesse aduenture that afterward befell them on the way Or had the good Duchesse but dreamed thereof shee would neuer haue suffered them to departe from her for after there fell such mischéefe that it is a lamentable thing to recount it Thus the twoo Brethren departed and kissed their Mother sore wéeping Then they tooke their Horses and their companie and in passing by the Stréets of the Towne the people made great sorrow for their departing and sore wéeping prayed to God to be their guide and conduct The wéepings and lamentations were so extreame that the twoo Brethren could not haue so firme courage but that they gaue many a sore sigh at the departing out of the Towne and when they had ridden a certaine space and that their sorrow was somewhat appeased then Huon called his Brother Gerard sayd Brother we go to the Court to serue the King wherefore wee haue cause to be ioyfull therefore let vs twoo sing a song to refresh vs. Brother quoth Gerard my heart is not very ioyfull to sing or make any sport at all for this night I dreamed a maruailous dreame mée thought thrée Leopardes assayled mée and drewe my heart out of my bodie but me thought you esaped safe and sound and returned backe Wherefore deare Brother if so it be your pleasure to withstand my dreame which makes me dread our iourney to be dangerous might I preuaile with you we would ride backe againe to Bourdeaux to our Mother who will bée ioyfull of our returne Brother quoth Huon and God will we shall not returne for feare of a dreame it should be foreuer to our reproach and shame I will not returne to Bourdeaux vntill I haue séene the King Therefore swéet Brother dismay you not but rather make good chéere our Lord Iesus
Christ shall guide and conduct vs in sauegard Thus these two Brethren road night and day so long vntill they perceiued before them the Abbot of Cluny with a thirtie Horse in his companie as he was going to the Kinges Court When Huon perceiued that companie hee called his Brother Gerardin and said Loe yonder I sée men of religion holding the way to Paris and you knowe well when wee departed from the Duchesse our mother shée charged vs that we should alwaies company with good people therefore it is good that we make hast to ouertake them Brother quoth Gerardin your pleasure he fulfilled so they rode so long that they ouertooke the Abbot who regarded on the right side and sawe the two Brethren comming to ouertake him Then hée steede still and saw Huon who came riding on before Huon saluted him humbly and the Abbot in like manner to him and demaunded whether he râ—ad so hastily from whence he came and what he was and who was his Father Sir quoth Huon since it is your pleasure to know Duke Seuin of Bourdeaux was our Father it is Seauen yeares since he departed this life And Sir behold héere my Brother who is younger then I and we are going to noble King Charlemaines Court to reléeue of him our Lands and Countrey for he hath sent for vs by two noble Knights and Sir we are in doubt of some trouble by the way when the good Abbot vnderstoode that they were Sonnes to Duke Seuin he was right ioyfull and in token of true amitie he embraced them one afteâ— another and said Deare fréends haue no doubt for by the grace of Iesus Christ I shall conducte you safely to Paris for Duke Seuin your Father was my Coozen Germaine therefore I am bound to ayd you and know for troth that I am sworne of the great councell with King Charlemaine and if there be any that will mooue or stirrâ— against you I shall ayd you to my power wherefore you may ride surely in my companie without any doubt Sir quoth Huon I thanke you thus they road talking with the Abbot their kinsman and that night they came to Montleherry Then the next daye they arose béetimes and heard Masse and afterward tooke their Horses and they were in all a fourescore Horses they road so long vntil they came to a little wood-side whereas Charlot and Earle Amerie lay closely ambushed there they espyed Huon Gerard riding before whereof they were ioyfull Then Amerie said to Charlot Sir now is the time come to bee reuenged of the dammage that Duke Seuin did to mée yonder I sée his twoo Sonnes comming if they bée not incontinent slayne by vs wée are not worthy to haue any Land or life And Sir by their death you shall be Lord of Bourdeaux and of all the Duchy of Aquitaine Chap. VII ¶ How by the councell of Earle Amerie they ran firste at Gerardin Brother to Huon and bare him to the earth and sore wounded him whereof Huon was right sorowfull WHen that Charlot vnderstood Earle Amerie he stretched him in his stirrops and tooke a speare with a sharpe head and yssued alone out of the woode when Amerie sawe that Charlot went out of the wood alone he drew a little out of the way and sayd to his men suffer Charlot alone there néed none goe to ayd him This said the false Traytour bicause he desired nothing else but that one of the Sonnes of Duke Seuin might slay Charlot and so himselfe detecting them of the murder by this meanes he might compasse his damnable intent Charlot came against these twoo Brethren the Abbot of Cluny saw Charlot comming all armed and saw in the wood a great number of armed men more then hee stood still and called Huon and Gerard and said Déere Nephewes I perceiue in yonder wood a Knight all armed and the wood full of horsemen I cannot tell what they meane Haue you done any wrong to any man if you haue done or hold any thing that is not your owne step foorth and offer him reason and promise to make amendes Sir quoth Huon I know no man liuing that I or my Brother haue done vnto him any displeasure nor we know not that any creature doth hate vs. Then Huon said to his brother Brother ride on before and méete with yonder Knight demaund what is his pleasure Gerard road foorth met with Charlot and demaunded what his pleasure was to haue or whether he was kéeper of that passage or not and demaunded any tribute or not if he did he was readie to pay it Charlot answeared him fiercely and said What art thou Gerard answeared and sayd Sir I am of the Citie of Bourdeaux and Son to Duke Seuin whome God pardon and héere after commeth Huon mine elder Brother and we are going to Paris to the Kings Court to reléeue our Lands and our Fées and to serue him and if there be any that wil any thing with vs let him come to Paris and we shall doe him reason Hold thy tongue quoth Charlot whether thou wilt or not I will haue reason for some wrongs done me by thy Father Duke Seuin for he tooke thrée of my Castles from me and I could neuer know the reason thereof But now since thou art héere I will be reuenged of the wrong that thy Father did to me for as long as thou and thy Brother be aliue I shall neuer haue ioy in my heart therefore stand on thy ground for before it bee night I shall make thy life depart from thy bodie Sir quoth Gerard haue pitie of me you may sée I am but naked without armour It shall bée greatly to your shame and reproach if I be thus slaine by you it neuer commeth of a gentle courage or a Knight to assaile any person without armour or weapon howbeit Sir I crie you mercie well you sée that I haue neither Sword Shéeld nor Speare to defend mée withall you may sée yonder comming my elder Brother who shall be readie to make you amends if any harme hath béen done vnto you Peace quoth Charlot there is as now nothing so deare vnto me as can mooue mée contrarie But that shamfully I shall put thée to death beware of mée Gerard who was but young was in great feare and called vpon our Lord God and turned his Horse to come againe to his Brother But Charlot who was in his desperate moode â—ouched his Speare ran after Gerard and strooke him on the side with such force that the Speare ran through part of his bodie and so bare him to the earth weening he had béen slaine howbeit the stroake was not mortall although insooth verie dangerous for he was so sore â—urt that he could not remooue for paine that he felt The good Abbot of Cluny beheld Gerard in such sort borne to the ground ouercome with great gréefe hée said vnto Huon Ah Coozen I sée yonder your Brother Gerard slaine the fight whereof slayeth my poore
and gaue such carrier to their horses that it séemed the thunder had fallen from heauen and with their sharp Speares they encountred in such wise that their Speares brake to their hands so that the shiuers flew vp high into the ayre and into the Kings Stage and both their Horses fell to the earth and the Knights sore astonied with their falling Then verie boldly they reléeued themselues with their Swords in their handes and so approached each to other and fought each with other so long while that Huons Horse strangled sir Ameries Horse who when he saw his horse slaine stoutly stept to Huon for to haue slaine him but Huon met him valiantly and lifting vp his Sword gaue the Earle such a stroake that he was astonied therewith and staggred backe more then two paces and a halfe hardly holding himselfe from falling to the earth so that all that sawâ— them had maruaile of Huons vertue force séeing the great strength that was in sir Amerie Then when Earle Amerie felt himselfe in such perill he began to despise the name of God and of the glorious Virgin Marie howbeit as well as hée might hée approached to Huon and with his Sword gaue Huon such a stroake on the helmet that all the flowers and precious stones there flew abroad in the féeld and the cirkle of the helmet all to broken and the stroake was so puissant that Huon was therewith sore astonied and perforce was faine to fall on one of his knées to the earth the other Legge but weakly supporting him There was present in the féeld Lords and Knights one of the Abbot of Clunyes seruants who when he saw the great stroake that Huon had receiued he departed out of the féeld and went into the church whereas he found his maister the Abbot at his prayers for the good spéed of Huon his Nephew to whome the seruant said Ah my Lord pray heartily to our Lord Iesus Christ to succour your Nephew for I saw him faine to knéele vpon one of his knées in great doubt of death Then the good Abbot without any answeare lifted vp his hands toward Heauen deuoutly and weeping prayed to God to ayd and defend the honour of his Nephew and to maintaine his right Thus Huon béeing in the féeld in great doubt of his life féeling the sturdie strength of Earle Amerie called with a good heart to our Lord Iesus Christ requiring him to aide his right the which he knew to be most true When Earle Amerie sawe that Huon had receiued of him such a heauy stroake he said Huon I beléeue thou wilt not endure long better it were that thou confesse the déede before I slay thée for ere it bée night I shall cause thée to waue in the wind Hold thy tonge thou false Traytour quoth Huon thine ilnesse shall not aid thée for I shall bring thée to that point that all thy fréends shall haue shame of thée Then Huon aduaunced him and made semblance to haue striken Amerie on the helmet and Amerie lifted vp his Shéeld to haue receiued the stroake but when Huon saw that he turned his stroake to a reuerse and stroake Amerie vnder the arme with his sharpe Sword so that he stroake off his arme the which fell downe in the féeld Shéeld and all When Earle Amerie sawe felt that maruailous stroake and that he had lost his left arme and saw it lye in the féeld hee was full of paine and sorrow and aduised himselfe of a great treason then he spake to Huon and saide Ah Noble Knight haue pitie of me for wrongfully and without cause I haue appeached thée of the death of Charlot the kings Son for I know in troth you knew him not but he is dead by my meanes for I brought him into the wood to haue murdered you and your Brother I am readie to acknowledg this before the King and all his Barons and to discharge you thereof therefore I pray you kill me not I yéeld me vnto you take heere my Sword Then Huon came vnto him and put downe his arme to haue taken the Sword but then the false Traytour Amerie with a reuerse stroake strooke Huon vpon the arme thinking to haue striken it off but he fayled howbeit he gaue him a great wound in the arme so that the bloud ran downe When Huon saw this horrible treason he said O thou vntrue and false Traytour thine â—â—esse can no longer saue thée for thou shalt nâ—uer doe treason more then Huon lifted vp his Sword gaue the Earle such a maruailous stroke betwéen the healme and the shoulder that he strooke off his head cleane from the bodie so that the healme and head fel one way and the body another way Alas what hap was it to Huon that he did not remember before he slew Amerie the Proclamation that the Emperor had made before for afterward Huon suffered so muche wrong and iniurie as might mooue the verie hardest heart to compassionate his case and as you shall more at large vnderstand in the following discourse Chap. XVI ¶ How after the Emperour Charlemaine had seene Earle Amerie was slaine he commaunded expresly that Huon should auoid the Realme and Empire and to be banished thence for euer WHen that Duke Naymes who kept the féeld saw how by Huon the Earle was slaine he was right ioyfull and came to Huon and demaunded how hée did Sir quoth he thanked be God I féele no dolour nor gréefe then they brought him to the Pallaice to the King who was departed out of the féeld When he saw the Earle slaine and was thereof right sorrowfull then he demanded of Huon and of Duke Naymes if they had heard Earle Amerie confesse the treason that hée had layde to Huon for the death of Charlot his Sonne My Lord quoth the Duke I thinke he did confesse it but I heard it not for Huon pressed so sore vpon him that he had no leasure to doe it Then Charlemaine sayd Ah Earle Amerie I know certainely thou didst neuer that treason nor neuer thought it wherefore thou art slaine wrongfully and without cause for there was neuer a truer Knight theÌ„ thou wert I am sure if thou hadst done it thou wouldest haue confessed it before me Then the King sayd vnto Huon I charg thée incontinent to auoid my Realme out of the which I banish thée foreuer nor shalt thou euer enioy one foote of Land in Bourdeaux nor in Aquitaine also I forbid thée that thou neuer be so hardy as to go to Bourdeaux for by my honour and crowne if I may know that thou goest thether I shall make thée to die an euill death nor there is no man liuing though he be neuer so néere a fréend vnto me but if he make any request for thée I shall neuer loue him nor he shall neuer after come in my sight Then Huon said Alas my Lord what iustice is this haue I done any more then knighthood bound me too haue not
Sirs yonder I sée a Tower the which was forbidden me by Oberon but as God help me before it be night I will sée what is within it whatsoeuer come thereof Then Gerames beheld the Tower and began to sorow and said Ah Huon he is a foole that agréeth to the counsaile of a Child Sir for Gods sake beware that you breake not the commandement of King Oberon for if you doe great ill is like to come vnto you Sir quoth Huon if all the men nowe liuing shoulde forbid mee to goe thether I would not obay them for you knowe well I departed out of Fraunce for none other thing but to search the strangest aduentures and I demaund nothing else but to find aduentures therefore speake no more to the contrarie for ere I sléepe I will fight with the Gyant for though he be more harder then yron yet I shall slay him or he mée and you Gerames all the other abyde you héere in this meadowe vntill I returne againe Sir quoth Gerames in wéeping it sore displeaseth me that it will bee no better therefore I recommende you vnto the sauegard of God Thus Huon departed and left his companie heauily complayning Huon armed himselfe and so tooke his way and kissed all his men one after another and tooke with him his Horne and Cup so all alone on foot he went foorth rested not vntill he came to the gate of the castle of Dunother there he saw the twoo men of Brasse that without ceasing beate with their â—layles he beheld them well and thought it was in a manner impossible to enter without death Then he began to consider hereon with himselfe how King Oberon had shewed him the troth and thought without the aide of the grace of God it were impossible to enter whereuppon he beheld all about if there were any other place to enter at last he saw neere to a piller of marble a Bason of gould fast tyed with a chaine then he approached neere thereto and drew out his sword wherwith he strake thrée great stroaks on the Bason so that the sound thereof might well be heard into the Castle Within the Tower there was a Damsell called Sibilla when she heard the Bason sound she had great maruaile thereat then she went to a window and looked out and saw that Huon would enter whereuppon she went backe againe and said ah good Lord what knight is yonder without that would enter if the Gyant awake anone he will be slaine for if there were a Thowsand Knights together they should all soone be destroyed surely I haue great desire to know what he is and where he was borne for as me séemeth he should be of Fraunce to know the troth I wil goe to the window againe to sée if I may haue of him any knowledge Then shée went out of her chamber and went to a window néere to the gate and looked out and saw Huon all armed abiding at the gate then she beheld the blazure of his shield wherein was portrayed thrée crosses of gould whereby she knew well he was of Fraunce Alas quod shée I am but lost if the Gyant know that I haue béene héere then she returned againe in hast and went to the Chamber dore whereas the Gyant lay and slept and she perceiued hée was yet a sléepe for he rowted that it was maruaile to héere Then she returned againe quickly to the gate and opened a wicket out of the which there yssued such a wind that if caused the two men with their flayles to stand still in rest when shée had opened the wicket hastily shée returned into her Chamber and when Huon sawe the little wicket open he aduaunced himselfe entred for the two men with their flayles were in rest then hée went further thinking to finde them that had opened the wicket but hée was sore abashed when he could finde no creature there were so many Chambers that he wist not whether to goe to finde that he sought for Thus he searched all about and at last hée sawe about a Pillar fourtéene men lye dead whereof hée had great maruaile and said that he would returne backe againe then he went out of the Hall and came to the gate wéening to haue found it open but it was closed by it selfe and the men againe did beat with their flayles Alas quoth Huon nowe I sée well I cannot escape from hence then he returned into the Castle and hearkened about and as he went searching carefully he heard the voice of a Damsell pitiously wéeping He came there as she was and humbly saluted her and said Faire Damsell I cannot tell if you can vnderstand my language or not knowe of you I would wherefore you make this great sorrowe Sir quoth she I wéepe because I haue of you great pitie for if the Gyant heare within who is yet a sléepe hap to awake you are but dead lost Faire Ladie quoth Huon I pray you shew me what you be and where you were borne Sir quoth shée I am Daughter to Guinemer who in his time was Earle of Saint Omers am Néece to Duke Seuin of Bourdeaux When Huon heard that right humbly he kissed her and saide Madame knowe for troth that you are my néere Kinsewoman for I am Sonne to Duke Seuin I pray you shew me what aduenture hath brought you into this Castle Sir quoth she my Father had deuotion to sée the holy Sepulchre and he loued me so well that he would not leaue me behind him and as we were on the Sea néere to the Citie of Escalone in Surry there arose a great tempest vpon the Sea that the winde brought vs néere vnto this Castle and the Gyant being in his Tower saw vs in great danger of drowning that we were driuen into this Port he came downe out of his Pallaice and slewe my Father and all them that were with him except my selfe and so brought me into this Tower whereas I haue béen these Seauen yeares in great distresse and miserie And nowe Coozen I pray you what aduenture hath brought you hether into this strang Countrey Coozen quoth he séeing you will knowe of my aduentures I shal shew you the troth King Charlemaine hath sent mee in messuage to the Admirall Gaudise in Babilon I beare him a Messuage by mouth and by Letters and as my way lay I am come by this Tower and I demaunded of a Paynim who was within this Tower and he answeared me and sayd howe héere should bée a great and an horrible Gyant who hath done much euill to them that haue passed this way And I thought to passe this way to fight with him and destroy him and to deliuer the Countrey of him and I haue left my companie héere by in a Valley to tarie for me Deare Coozen quoth she I haue great maruaile that you would take on you such a folly for if ye were Fiue hundred men together well armed yée durst not all abide him if hée were
leaue and departed hee durst no longer tarie for feare of knowledge and assoone as hée could he departed out of the Towne of his iourneys I will make no long rehearsall but he laboured so long that he arriued at Vyenna then he went to his Pallaice whereas he was well receiued of his Lords and they laughed when they saw him in that apparell Then within a while after hee made him readie and his men who were a great number and so departed from Vyenna and tooke the way to Mayence When his Vncle the Emperour of Almayne was aduertised of his comming he went and met him without the Towne to doe him the more honour and when he saw him he was ioyfull and kissed him and said Faire Nephew I am glad of your comming I haue long desired to sée you The good Emperour knew nothing of the treason that his Nephew had purchaced against Huon of Bourdeaux for if he had knowne it to haue dyed in the quarrell he would neuer haue consented to that treason Thus hand in hand the Emperour and his Nephew Raoul entred with great ioy into the City of Mayence wheras they were highly receiued great ioy was made at their comming much people were in the Towne come thether to Iust and Tournay and many other to behould the Tryumph Now let vs speake of Huon of Bourdeaux Chap. LXXXI ¶ How Duke Huon tooke leaue of the Duchesse his Wife and how he arriued at Mayence and went to the Pallaice WHen Huon sawe his time to depart from Bourdeaux to goe to the Tourney at Mayence he made readie his traine and tooke with him tenne Thousand men of armes for the guard of his person of the best horsemen in all his Countrey then he tooke his leaue of the faire Escleremond his Wife who began sore to weepe when she saw his departure right swéetly they kissed together at their departing Then he tooke his Horse and hee and his companie departed from Bourdeaux and rested not vntill he came to Coleyne on the Rheine there hee taried two dayes to refresh him and vpon the third day he armed himselfe and called his companie before him and said Sirs I will take my leaue of you all for none of you shall goe with me be nothing abashed for hée that alwayes hath saued mee out of all perils will not forsake mee at this time When his men heard him they had great maruaile that he would take his Voyage alone and hee saide vnto them Sirs haue no doubt of me for I shall not die vntill mine houre be come They of Coleyne enquired nothing of their estate for as then there was no warre and they beléeued that they would goe to the Tourney When his Lords saw that he would thus depart they were sorrie that he would goe to the Tourney alone and said one to another we feare greatly that he shall neuer returne againe wee shall neuer haue such another Maister againe Sirs quoth Huon you shall not need to take any sorrow for mée for certainly I knowe well if any perilous businesse should come to mee that I should be aided by King Oberon but he needed not to haue said so for when Kinge Oberon departed from him hee had him not to trust vpon any ayd from him and therefore Huon was a foole and ill aduised to trust thereon or to vndertake so perilous an Enterprize as he did wherby he was in great perill of death as yee shall heare héereafter When Huon was readie he leapt vpon his horse without any stirrop cleane armed as he was and after stretched him so in his stirrops that the leathers strained out thrée fingers he was a puissant Knight armed or vnarmed and greatly to be feared hee tooke leaue of his men and left them wéeping in that Citie of Coleyn Then hee road towards the Citie of Mayence and so long he road that he had a sight of the Citie and then he saw about in the meadow many Tents and rich Pauilions pitcht vp with pummels of fine gould shining against the Sunne Huon behelde them well and so passed foorth and entred into the Citie whereas he saw euerie stréet full of Knights and Squiers abiding there vntill the day of the Tourney Huon passed foorth vntill he came to the Pallaice whereas hee founde the Emperour and his Nephewe Raoul whom Huon loued but little as he shewed well shortly after as yée shall heare When Huon was come before the Pallaice hee sawe the Emperour and Raoul his Nephew going vp the staires then Huon met with a great Almayne and said to him Fréend I pray thée shew mée what be yonder two Princes that goe vp the staires and that so much honor is done to them Sir quoth he the first is the Emperour and he that followeth is his Nephew Duke Raoul he was Sonne to the Emperours Brother the Tourney that shal be made is done for the loue of him at his request and after the Tourney he thinketh to marrie a great Ladie whose name shall not bee knowne till the Tourney be done When Huon heard that hee blushed in the face for the great yre that he was in for he knew well that Raoul if he could find the means would haue from him his Wife the faire Escleremond but he promised in his mind that first hee should dearely buy her Fréend quoth Huon I desire you to do so much for me as to hold my horse vntill I returne againe out of the Hall and that I haue spoken with the Emperor and with his Lords Sir quoth the Squier with a good will I shall héere hold your horse vntil you come Nowe God ayd Huon for ere he might returne againe he was in great perill of death as ye shall heare Chap. LXXXII ¶ How Huon slew Duke Raoul in the presence of the Emperor sitting at his Table and of the maruailes that hee did And how in the chace that was made after him he strake downe the Emperour and wanne his good horse HVon who was ful of ire and displeasure went vp into the Pallaice and came into the Hall whereas hée found many people there was the Emperour who had newly washed his handes and was set at the Table Huon pressed foorth before the Table with his Sword in his hand and said Noble Emperour I coniure thée by the great vertue diuine by your hopefull part of Paradice or that your Soule is to be damned if case be that you say not the troth and giue true iudgment without falshood nor to spare to say the troth for no man liuing although he be your néerest Parent Fréend quoth the Emperour say your pleasure and I shall answere you Sir quoth Huon if you haue wedded a Ladie loue her dearely and that she be faire good swéete and sage and repleat with all good vertues and that you know surely that she loueth you entirely as a good true wife ought to loue her Lord and Husband and then a Traitour priuily to
Aragons house and haue passed the time there with the newe come Damsell the most fairest that euer was borne and the most gentlest and best taught right faire and swéet are her deuises Florence quoth the King I charge thée in as much as thou fearest my displeasure that thou commest no more at her beware that thou fallest not enamoured of her if thou doest thou wert neuer so ill acquainted with any Loue nor there neuer came so ill aduenture to the Damsell if shee draw thée to loue her for if I may know that thou goest thether any more I shall sette her in such a prison whereas I shall cause her to end her dayes miserably Father quoth Florence mée thinkes that you doe vs great wronge to forbid vs to play and sport together in all goodnes and honour and God defend that I shoulde entend any wayes to deceiue her Déere Father remember that you haue béen young therfore suffer that youth may passe their time in goodnesse and honour with vs as it hath done with you nowe you are about Four-score yeares or more you ought to thinke of nothing but to serue God and eat and drinke and sléep it ought not to trouble you though our youth passe the time in good workes you ought to bee content that we loue by amours as you haue done before this for to the Damsell I beare all honour and I will loue her howsoeuer it bee taken faire or foule there is no man liuing that shall let mee as longe as life is in my bodie shee is faire and gentle and it is said that I am faire and that it were a méet couple for vs two to be ioyned together in mariage and therefore Father I praye you to blame mee no more nor the Damsell for in all that I can doe I am her Louer and shee is mine When the King hadde well vnderstood his Sonne in great yre and displeasure he sayd Oh thou vngracious Son little thou prizest or honourest me in that thou wilt doe thus against my will know for certaine if I may liue but till to morrow in the morning I shall make a departure of your twoo loues When Florence heard his Father he sayd My déere Lord and Father if God will you shall not doe as you haue sayd for if you doe with mine owne handes I shall slay my selfe for I will not liue one day after When the Kinge heard that hee was right sorrowfull for feare of loozing of his Sonne and studied within himselfe what to doe then he said Faire Son take thine armour and goe and seeke aduentures as I haue done in my time then I shall marrie thée to some Wife such a one as thou canst finde in any Countrey although she be neuer so great or noble I shall cause thee to haue her iâ— thou wilt forsake and leaue this new found Damsell for by her no wealth nor honour can come vnto thée it should bee a great euill vnto thee that after my daies it should bee saide that a newe found Damsell should bee Ladie and Queene of my Realme Thou knowest well howe thine Vncle the King of Nauarre maketh me great warre for a debate that is lately fallen betwéene him and me I knowe well that now at this Moneth of Aprill hee wiâ—l come and inuade my Realme and therefore good Sonne seeke for some other Wife and let this folly passe then I shall make thée a Knight then helpe to aid and defend my Realme against the Kinge of Nauarre thine Vncle thou art bigge and strong inough to defend my Land Good Father quoth Florence speake no more vnto me for I will neuer haue no other Wife but this faire Damsell whome I loue entirely Sonne quoth the King thou abasest thy selfe ouer lowe nor there is no friend nor kindred that thou hast that will keepe any company with thée but they will cleane flye from thée therefore good Sonne put away from thée this folly beware in as much as thou thinkest to haue my Realme after my decease and vppon the paine to bee banished out of my Countrey take not her against my will Then the Kinge called vnto him his Cozen Peter of Aragon and charged him that if Florence his Sonne came any more to his lodging that he should incontinent tell him of it for I promise quoth hée by the faith that I owe vnto our Lord God if he come thether any more I shall cause the Damsell that is in your house to be slaine Florence was right sorrowfull when hee heard to the pleasure of the Kinge his Father Thus as the King rebuked his Sonne there came in a Knight and kneeled downe and sayd Sir I haue brought you ill tidings for the King of Nauarre is entred into your Realme and setteth all your Countrey in flame and fire and néere to your Citie they be to the number of more then Thirtie Thousand men besides the great Battaile that commeth after wherein there is about thrée-score Thousand men they exile your Countrey and they slay men women and Children they spare neither young nor old it is great néed that you make hast and to bring your men together to resist your enemies When King Garyn heard the Messenger he was right sorrowfull then hee called vnto him his Cozen Peter of Aragon who was his chiefe Constable and sayd Sir make readie our men to resist our enemies then he called vnto him Florence his Sonne and sayd Faire Sonne take thine armour and shew thy vertue against thine enemies who waste my Realme and take vpon thée the chiefe charge and lead mine Hoast for I haue no puissance nor strength to do it because of the great age that I am of I haue liued so long that I can no more ride therefore defend thou the Land that thou shalt hold after mee and then thou doest as a wise man should doe Father quoth Florence by the grace of God I will put no armour vppon my backe to defend your Land except you will giue mee in marriage the faire Damsell that is in my Cozen Peter of Aragons house if you will doe me that courtesie and promise mée to doe it I shall deliuer into your hands your enemy as Prisoner to doe with him your pleasure otherwise looke not that I shall doe any thing When the King saw that his Sonne would doe none otherwise then he commaunded all his other men euerie man to arme himselfe and to goe and resist his enemies the which they did incontinent and they yssued out into the fields more then tenne Thousand men and Sir Peter of Aragon hadde the leading of them and they were not out of the Towne aboue twoo Leagues but they encountred their enemies there were many speares broken and many a Knight beaten downe to the earth and slain and their bodies lying without soules among the horse féete right valiantly did Sir Peter of Aragon behaue himselfe that day but hee had not strength ynough sufficient for his
durst make no semblance to the contrarie they feared so much to displease him Then they went and tooke the Damsell whereas shee was Sirs quoth shee what will you doe with mee wherefore doe you take mée let mee goe if you will haue any thing with mee shew mée They sayd Damsell speake no more for your end is come you shall neuer see faire day more and when she saw that she was so taken with Tenne men who went threatning to slay her then shee cast out a great crie and desired God to ayd and succour her Then they bound the Damsels handes with a cord in such manner that her white tender skinne burst and they bound her so sore that the bloud dropped out at her nayles Sirs quoth she I crie you mercie little shall you winne to slay mee you shall doe great sin seeing I haue not deserued it Madame quoth they your wordes cannot auaile you the Kinge will not that you shall make auaunt to haue his Sonne in mariage for you shal be drowned in the Sea whether you will or not your wéeping shall not ayd you Then foure Ribaulds tooke and bound her and drew her by the haire of her head and led her toward the Sea-side to haue drowned her but often times it is sayd that which God will haue saued cannot be perished The same season Florence was in the Battaile whereas hee fought with his enemies and Sir Peter of Aragon had taken many Prisoners and hee came vnto Florence and sayd Ah Sir I require you to let vs returne to the Citie and bee content with that you haue done this day for yonder you may sée comming al the whole Hoast of the Nauarnes against whom it is not possible for vs to endure for they are more then thréescore Thousand men and they all hate vs to the death you haue done ynough ought to be content if they take you none can saue your life Coozen quoth Florence I pray you before I depart let mee Iust once with mine Vncle the kinge of Nauarre whome I haue promised to yéeld as Prisoner vnto the king my Father and thereby I shall haue in mariage the faire Damsell my Loue and for the loue of that faire Damsell I shal make many a Nauernoys to loose their liues Sir quoth Peter since you desire your owne death I am right sorrie thereof but I will no longer tarie héere for it is not possible for vs to tarie héere without we will bee slaine wilfully and I haue héere many Prisoners I will go lead them into the Citie and then I shall returne again vnto you to the entent that if either I or you be taken Prisoner by them wee may bee redéemed againe Then Peter went to the Citie with all his Prisoners and when he was come into the Citie hee heard a great noise about the Market place whereof hee had great maruaile and went thether and then hee sawe there foure foule Villaines drawing the faire Damsell Clariet towardes the Sea-side to drowne her When he saw that hee was neuer so sorrowfull in all his life before and incontinent did let goe his Prisoners and drew out his sword and cryed vnto them that led the damsell Ah yée false Théeues let the Damsell go whom I brought from beyond the Sea yée did neuer such folly in all your liues and therewith hée strake the first with his Sword in such sort that his head slewe from his bodie and the second hee claue to the téeth and the third and fourth hee slewe When the faire Ladie saw the Earle Peter right pitifully she beganne to crie and said Sir I require you to haue pitie of me and help and ayde mee as you haue done before this time neither Lorde nor Maister I haue none but you Sir for Gods sake vnbind me and put me out of this paine that I am in Then Peter went to the Damsell and cut the cords asunder wherewith she was bound and for the sorrow that she was in shée fell downe in a swound then Peter tooke her vp and sayde Faire Damsell be of good chéere for I shall helpe to saue you the faire Ladie wept pitiously and sayd to her selfe Ah Huon of Bourdeaux my déere Father the great paines and pouerties that you were woont to suffer you haue left mee now Inheritour to the same alas I know not where you nor my Mother is I beléeue that I shall neuer sée you more Then Peter of Aragon tooke the Damsell by the hand and led her to his lodging in the Town then he went to the Pallaice whereas hee found Kinge Garyn vnto whome he sayd Ah thou old doating foole wherefore or for what cause wouldest thou haue slaine the Damsell and she is none of yours she is mine I wanne her vppon the Sea and saued her life you can make no claime to her Thus as Peter spake to the King there entred into the Pallaice two Knights and they sayd to the King Sir before you is the Earle Peter your Coozen who hath deliuered and rescued the new-found Damsell and hath slaine the Foure men that should haue drowned her in the Sea When King Garyn saw the Earle before him he sayd Why wert thou so hardy as to slay my men for dooing of my commaundement Then hee cried to his men and saide Sirs I charge you take this Villaine héere who hath done mee this offence for I shall neuer haue ioy at my heart vntill I sée him hanged a hye vppon a Rocke Then his men stept forth to haue taken the Earle Peter and when hee sawe that he approached néere vnto him hee drew his sword and claue the head of the first to the téeth and he slew the second third and fourth he beat downe more to the earth then the other that fled away so that there was none that durst approach néere vnto him for they were all vnarmed and hee well armed then hée came to the King and sayd Ah thou false old Dotard full of sin and out-rage how dare you thinke to bee such an out-rage you are not worthy to beare a crown your Sonne Florence ought to haue it for a Traytour ought to hould no Realme full déerely you shall abuy the ill will of the Damsell and the more to make him abashed hee made semblance to runne vppon the King with his sword who for feare of him ran into his Chamber and shut fast the dore after him and the Earle Peter standing without sore threatned the king then the King said Coozen Peter I crye you mercie if I haue done euill I am readie to make amendes at your pleasure I was sore displeased with my Sonne and therefore I thought to be reuenged vpon her that hath caused all this I shall make amendes but by the grace of God my Sonne shall neuer haue her in marriage to die therefore I will neuer consent that a new-found Damsell should bée Inheritour of such a Kingdome as the Realme of Aragon is Then Sir
to him accompanied with a Thousand knights when he was come hee saluted king Huon and saide Sir you are welcome into my Countrey of Aragon the which I offer you to doe therewith at your pleasure and Sir all that you haue commaunded mee to doe by your twoo knightes I am readie to accomplish and there hee shewed to king Huon all weeping the occasion of the warre and of his Sonne Florence who for the loue of a new-found Damsell was put in prison whereof he repented him for he sayd that there was not a fairer Damsell in the world and for the loue of her Florence my Sonne is departed from mee and I thinke I shall neuer sée him more Kinge Garyn quoth Huon knowe for troth that shortly you shall sée them both come hether to me for I will marrie them together the Damsell is my Daughter and her name is Clariet and I will you know that she is noble and yssued of a royall Lineage there is none more noble in this Countrey and she hath bought her desteny right déerely When king Garyn knew that the noble Damsell was Daughter to king Huon and that he would make a marriage betwéene her and his Sonne Florence that they should come thether shortly he was neuer so ioyfull in all his life before then hee knéeled downe before kinge Huon and cryed him mercie and saide Ah Sir how may it be that in my olde dayes such a grace may come to me as to haue againe my déere Sonne and that the noble Damsell whome I haue done so much ill vnto shall bee his wife Then Kinge Huon rose vp and said Noble king haue no doubt but that you shall haue your Sonne for I cannot so soone wish for him but they shall be both here wheresoeuer they bee in the worid whereof all they that were present had great maruaile Sir quoth the Quéene Escleremond when shall the houre come that I may sée my Daughter Clariet and Sir you knowe well that I came hether with you for none other cause Madame quoth Huon you shall sée her shortly Chap. CLXII ¶ How Florence and Clariet arriued there with their company and came to king Huon and of the great ioy that was made at their comming and how there they were wedded together and the Peace confirmed betweene the two Kinges WHen King Huon sawe the Quéene his wife weepe his heart tendred and sayde Ah my déere Daughter Clariet great pitie I haue of you and of Florence the hardy I wish you both and all your companie here at the Port on the Sea-side as richly apparelled as euer was Quéene or Prince departing out of their house to bée maried and that with you there bee Ladies and Damsels richly apparelled of the fairest that be in my Realme of the Fayrey he had no sooner made his wish but that Shippes and Galleys arriued at the Port and anon Florence Clariet were in the Meadow richly accompanied with Trumpets Harps Viols and Lutes and all other Instruments the which sounded so melodiously that it seemed to all the hearers that they were rauished into Paradise and also there were Ladies and Damsels and knightes of the Fayrey singing right sweetely the hearers thought them to bee Angels of Paradice and they were apparelled richly and garnished with precious stones so that with the Sun shining vppon them they glittered in such wise that whosoeuer had seene them would haue thought that God and all the Court of Paradice had been there assembled Thus Florence came with 3 Thousand men making great ioy After him came riding the faire Clariet vpon a rich Palfray ambling so freshly garnished and richly apparelled that in all the world there was none such the armour hanging full of siluer bels making so swéet a noise that it was maruaile to heare them if I should discribe the beautie riches that was on her Palfrey it would be too long to rehearse This Ladie Clariet was accompanied with two notable Ladies of the Fayrey the one was Morgue and the other Glorianda who came singing after Clariet then after came the Lady Transelina with many Damsels of the Fayrey great ioy there was made and then king Huon sayd to Escleremond his Wife Madame it is time that you depart for yonder I see comming toward vs my Daughter Clariet and Florence When Escleremond heard that she was right ioyfull for the great desire that she had so see her Daughter the Queene went forth nobly accompanied Then king Huon and the other twoo kings with all their companies with banners displayed with great ioy and triumph went to meet Florence and Clariet ye may well thinke that king Garyn had great ioy of the comming of his Sonne and sawe such an assembly meet there together to receiue him that he deuoutly thanked our Lord God Thus these kinges and Princes went to meete these twoo young persons richly accompanied and great ioye had Clariet when she saw the Quéene her mother before her and she wept for inward ioy that she had when the Queen saw her daughter she embraced and kissed her often times and of a great season none of them could speake to other for ioy then King Huon came tooke his Daughter out of the Quéenes armes and kissed her more then twentie times Then king Garyn came vnto Florence and sayd Déere Sonne I haue much trespassed against you in that wrongfully I put you into my prison and I complaine greatly to you of your Vncle the kinge of Nauarre who hath wasted your Countrey Sir quoth Florence I require you to pardon mine Vncle it is reason that I should bee content that peace be made betwéen you and Sir I desire you to giue mee this Damsell in mariage Sonne quoth Garyn be in suertie that you shall haue her and none other for a more noble Lady cannot bee found in Tenne Realmes Sir quoth Florence I thanke you and thus these Twoo companies ioyned together and the Kinge of Nauarre came to his Nephewe Florence and embraced him sayd Faire Nephewe of your returne I am right ioyfull Sir quoth he I am well pleased with the peace that is made betwéene my Father and you Thus they road vntill they came to the Tents and there alighted then king Huon called the other two kinges and said Sirs how say you will yée abide by mine aduise and put into my handes the discord that hath béene betweene you they answeared that they were content to doe as hee woulde haue them Then kinge Huon sayde Sirs then my will is that peace and accord be betweene you and all yours and they liberally agréed thereto whereof kinge Huon was ioyfull Then king Huon desired Florence to shew his aduenture and how he was rescued by Sorbarre Then Florence shewed al his aduentures and the other kinges were right ioyfull to heare it and all other that heard it did greatly praise Sorbarre for his déede and much honoured him and made him
Roome Croissant their Sonne grewe amended in all thinges he delighted to take his pleasure in all sports and he made to be proclaimed Iusts and Tourneys and gaue large guiftes to Ladies to Knightes none went from him without some guift he tooke great pleasure to giue guifts so that hee was praised of euerie man howbeit diuers ancient and wise men sayd if Croissant our yong Prince deale thus with the Treasure that his Father left him it will be much wasted and such as nowe follow him will forsake him when they sée that he hath no more to giue as they did indéed as yee shall heare for he gaue to them that were poore whereby they were made rich who after would not giue him one morsell of bread he was so liberall and so great a spender that all the Treasure that his Father had left him he gaue it away so that many complained greatly of his bountie and Larges for he gaue away so much that he was forced to diminish his estate and was forsaken of all them that were woont to serue him because he had no more to giue them so that when they met him they would turne to another way and when he knewe that he had so great shame that he determined to depart priuily out of the Countrey and to goe séeke his aduentures for he sawe well that he had giuen away and lent so much that he could not then find one man that would lend him one penny Then with that which was left he bought two good horses and mounted on the one and vppon the other a Varlet and a Male behinde him and therein a Gowne and his shirts hose and shooes and he had in his purse no more but one Hundred ◠for his expences and in a Morning he departed from Roome to the intent he should not be perceiued and road so long by his iourneys that hee was farre off from the Citie of Roome more then Foure dayes iourney Now let vs leaue speaking of him till time shall be to returne to him againe Chap. CLXXIIII ¶ How they of Roome sent to the King Guymart of Puylle to the entent that he should come and gouerne that Countrey and to be their Lord because that Croissant was a Child and had giuen and wasted all that he had and how Guymart came thether and was receiued as Lord. AFter that the Barons and Senatours of Roome were aduertised that their young Lord Croissant was departed from the Citie and that he had wasted and spent al the Treasure that he had then they assembled at the Capitoll and there was one sayd Cursed is that land whereof the Lorde is a Child as yée may well perceiue by our young Lord Croissant who hath spent all and giuen away the great treasure that his Father had left him verie badly should he gouerne his Land and Countrey when he cannot kéepe that which is closed fast in his Coffers and therefore mine aduice is that wee send to King Guymart of Puille who is alreadie of the mind to come and besiege vs because he knoweth well that we be without a Lord and therefore mine aduice is that wée send vnto him a noble Ambassage desiring him to come to this Citie of Roome and say that this Citie shall doe to him obeysance it is better to send betimes then too late to the intent that neither he nor none of his doe any dammage to the Landes of Roome All they that were there agréed to his saying and so they sent to him who receiued the Ambassadours right honourably and so he came to Roome whereas he was receiued for their Lord peaceably But before he entred into Roome they went and mette him and with great ioy brought him into the City with Trumpets and Drummes blowing before him vntill he came to the Church of Saint Peter and there hée offered and kissed the Reliques whereof he made his oath such as Emperours are accustomed to make he to defend and kéepe Roome the Empire Then hée went to the Pallaice whereas hée was receiued of the noble men and of the people then hee gouerned Roome in good peace and iustice Nowe lette vs leaue speaking of him and returne to Croissant Chap. CLXXV ¶ Howe Croissant arriued at Nise in Prouaunce and came to the Earle Remon who was besieged by the Sarazins and of the honour that the Earle Remon did to Croissant and howe hee gaue him his banner to beare and made him Knight and of the great enuie that the Earles Sonne had at Croissant AFter that Croissant was departed from Roome and his Varlet with him and had well séen that in all Rome they set nothing by him because hee had no more guifts to giue them Then hee road through Romania and Lombardie and passed Piemont and then came into Daulpheney and when hee came into the Towne of Grenoble it was shewed him that in Prouaunce there was a noble Prince named Earle Remon of Saint Giles who was besieged by land by water in the Towne of Nise by the King of Granado the King of Belmarin who day and night made great assaults to the Citie and they had sworne and made promise that they would neuer depart from thence vntill they had wonne that Towne and slaine the Earle Remon When Croissant heard those good newes the hardy prowesse wherewith hee was garnished and repleat set him into so hye a will that hee thought the Sarazins flew to the ayre and that he would raise their siege before it be night and for the burning desire that he had hee thought to goe thether to prooue his vertue against the Paynims so when he had rested his horse he and his Squier mounted and rested not vntill he came to Nise in an Euening late hee there arriued without perceiuing of them of the siege for as then they were all in their Tents because a little before there hadde béene at the gate a great Skirmish wherefore the Sarazins were wearie of their trauaile and also on that part that Croissant arriued there were no Sarazins lodged Then hee came to the gate and prayed the Porter to let him enter and when the Porter saw there were no more but two persons and that hee was a Christian hee suffered him to enter without any refuse And when Croissant sawe that hee was in without any danger he was ioyfull then he came to one of the best lodgings in the Towne and there he alighted and supped with his host because it was too late to goe that night to the Court there he tarried all that night vntill the next morning then hee went to the Pallace whereas he found the Earle Remon deuising with his Lordes and Knights of the déedes of warre then Croissant saluted the Earle and all his Lordes When the Earle saw the young man he greatly beheld him and thought that in all his life he had neuer séen so goodly a person and thought that hee was come of some noble
Lineage Then he tooke Croissant by the hand and demaunded what his name was Sir quoth he my name is Croissant Croissant quoth the Earle you are welcome you are come wel at a point both for you and for mee for I haue great néede to haue men with me to ayd mee and mee thinkes by your personage that you should atchieue great Enterprizes for of your age I haue not séene in my daies a young man more likely to bee feared of his enemies and because I sée by your apparell that you are no Knight I shall make you a Knight to the intent that to morrow your Prowesse and hardines may be prooued for you may sée héere without this Towne two Kings enemies to our Christian faith and by the grace of God I intend to morrow to giue them battaile I looke this night for my Brother the Duke of Callaber who bringeth with him Thirtie Thousand men of warre and Twentie Thousand I haue alreadie within the Towne and considering your hye courage to come hether to serue mee I shall doe you more honour after I haue made you Knight I shall giue you my banner to beare and if you doe as me thinkes you should doe your paines shall not be lost Sir quoth Croissant God giue me the grace that to morrow to him and to you I may doe such seruice that it may bée wealth to all christendome and that God may performe in me that which wanteth for if you make me Knight all the dayes of my life after I shal be yours Then the Earle incontinent sent for a Son of his who as then was no Knight and diuers other whome he made Knightes with Croissant then he said to Croissant Fréend I pray to our Lord God to giue you such fortune to Morrowe that you may vanquish the Battaile Sir quoth he God giue me the grace to render to you thankes for the honour that now you doe to me for as for me by the grace of God to morrow I shall so doe that your enemies shall curse the houre that they came hether to assaile you Whiles the Croissant was thus made Knight with the Earles Sonne and others the same time came thether the Duke of Callaber and hee came to the Pallaice of the chéere that he had made him by his Brother the Earle Remon I will make no mention thereof but he came at the same season that these new Knightes were made and that a Quintaine was sette vp to prooue themselues Then the Duke of Callaber and the Earle Remon his Brother went thether verie desirous to sée who did best then the Duke demanded of the Earle what yong knight it was that road by his Nephew for hée thought that he neuer saw so goodly a yong person nor more puissant of his age then the Earle sayd how he was come thether to séeke for honour but what hee was nor of what Lineage he knew not Thus they talked together of this young knight Croissant and when they came to the place whereas the Quintaine was dressed vp the Earles Sonne ranne and brake his Speare all to péeces then others assayed themselues some brake their Speares and some fell to the earth by force of their stroake but there was none that could remooue the Quintaine When Croissant saw that all had assaied themselues to ouerthrow the Quintaine he had a great speare and ran so fiercely that hée strake the Quintaine and ouerthrew it to the ground whereof euerie man had great maruaile the Duke sayd to the Earle that he neuer saw so goodly a stroake and sayd how he is greatly to bee doubted that giue such stroakes hée was greatly praised of the Ladies Damsels that were there present and especially of the Earles Daughter who was a faire Damsell But whosoeuer was ioyfull the Earles Sonne was displeased hee tooke against him a mortall hate and an ill enuie so that if he durst he wold haue run vpon Croissant to haue destroyed him and concluded in his courage that if he might liue long he would make Croissants life to depart from his bodie and so hee had done if God had not aided Croissant When Croissant had runne his course he road to the Earle who sayd to him right swéetly Croissant God increase your honour and God giue you grace to perseuer in your goodnes and I pray you humbly to shew me the troth what you be and of what Lineage for I am sure that you are of some hye Lineage Sir quoth Croissant since you would know it I shall shew you the troth Sir knowe for troth I am Sonne to the noble Emperour of Roome and I am departed out of the countrey for certaine causes which I woulde not suffer and therefore I went to search mine aduentures such as God wold send me When the Earle heard him speake he was right ioyfull and thanked God and sayd Faire Sonne you are welcome I am ioyfull of your comming and for the goodnes that I sée in you apparant I haue a Daughter right faire whome I will giue you in marriage as much of my goods and of my Lands and Signiories that you shall neuer bee poore Sir quoth Croissant your faire offer that you make mee I will not refuse and I thanke you but before I take a Wife my will is to doe so much that mine honour may bee exalted and that renowne may run vpon me as it hath done of my Predecessors and that I may conquer Lands and Signiories Then the Earles son hearing his Father make Croissant such an offer as to giue him his Sister in marriage and a great part of his Land hee was therewith so sore troubled in his heart as he tooke against him a cordiall hate and made promise within himselfe that if hee might returne from the Battaile hee would cause Croissant to die an ill death thinking not to be disenherited by him After those words the Duke of Callaber and the Earle Remon tooke betwéene them the young Knight Croissant and led him by the hand to the Pallace whereas he was receiued with great ioy and after dinner they came into the Hall whereas all the Lords were Then Croissant who greatly delighted to be in such a place whereas hee might shewe his Prowesse spake on hye and sayde to the Earle Remon Sir you knowe well that the enemies of our Lord God yours haue besieged you in your Towne the which is a thing not to bee suffered so long without doing of them any annoyance and therefore Sir I counsel you that before they knew much of your estate or puissance or what people you haue it were best you went to assaile them therefore without any longer tarying ordaine your Battailes and your Captaines to guide your people to the intent that when you are yssued out of the Towne euerie man may know what you are purposed to doe and then send to your enemies a Messenger and giue your enemies knowledge of your comming and wee shall
follow so fast that they shall haue no leasure to arme them When the Duke of Callaber and the Earle Remon vnderstood the noble Croissant they much praised his counsaile and aduise Then they ordained their Battailes and their Captaines and then they yssued out of the Towne with all their companie Chap. CLXXVI ¶ How Croissant did maruailes in the Battaile by whome the Sarazins were discomfited and slaine whereof the Earle Remon and the Duke of Callaber were right ioyfull WHEN the Earle Remon was without the Towne hee ordained Thrée Battailes The first Croissant hadde the leading thereof and the Earle sayd to him Fréend I pray you this day to shewe from whence you come and how that you bee of the Lineage Emperiall and of the good Line of the Duke of Bourdeaux for I haue such trust in God and in the vertue of your armes that me thinkes mine enemies doe now flye away before me Sir quoth Croissant I shall doe so much by the grace of God that our enemies shall haue no leasure to graunt vs the Victorie The second Battaile the Earle Remons Sonne led and his Father sayd to him that hee should that day shew foorth his vertue and Prowesse The third Battaile the Earle Remon and the Duke of Callaber had the guiding thereof and they set in euery Battaile Fiftéen Thousand men then the Earle Remon went before euerie battaile stirring moouing them to doe well and then the Earle sent a Messenger to the Hoast of the Sarazins to shewe them of the comming of the Christian men they were before their Tents in Fiue Battailes they were in number about a Hundred Thousand Sarazins whereof there were two Kings and Foure Admirals This Messenger did his Messuage when he had done hée returned to the Earle Remon and shewed him all that hee had heard and séene Then Croissant sayd to the Earle Sir I pray you to shew mee what armes the two Sarazin Kinges doe beare to the intent that I may know them for the sooner the great men bee slaine the sooner the other will flye because that will abash them and the sooner to be discomfited for men without a Lord are as shéepe without a shepheard Then the Earle shewed him their armes and badges Sir quoth Croissant since I am hereof aduertised I shall neuer rest vntill I haue encountred them if God will saue mine armes and good sword Then the Paynims who saw well the Christian men comming cast vp a great crie and so maruailous that there was none so hardy but was thereof abashed for it séemed that all the world arriued there When Croissant sawe the Sarazins approach he aduaunced his Battaile and when they ioyned he couched his Speare and strake therewith the King of Belmarins Sonne so that the Speare-head passed through his bodie more then a foote and so with drawing out of his Speare the Sarazin fell downe dead among the horse féele whereof the Paynims had great dolour When Croissant hadde slaine the King of Belmarins Sonne there came before him the Nephewe of the King of Granado and Croissant bare him to the earth so rudely that in the falling he brake his necke then he ran at the Third the Fourth and slew them and as long as his Speare held he ceased not to slay and to beat downe the Sarazins and when his Speare was broken he tooke his Sword wherewith hee claue the Sarazins to the braines and cutte off armes and handes hee made among them such slaughter that there was not so hardie a Sarazin that durst abide his full stroake but they fled before him as the shéepe doe before the Wolfe Anon the tidings was brought to the King of Belmarin how his Son was slaine by a young Knight who did maruailes in the Battaile and when the King knew that his Sonne was slaine he wept for sorrow and made promise that he had rather die then the death of his Sonne should be vnreuenged and therewith he preassed into the Battaile and met at his comming the Duke of Callabers Seneschall and strake him with his Speare in such wise that he ran him cleane through and so he fell downe dead then the Battaile began fiercely and they of Prouaunce Callaber did valiantly Then the Earle Remon came into the battaile and met with the Admirall of Cordes and gaue him such a stroake with his sword on the helmet that he claue his head to the braines and so he fell downe dead Then hee sawe the King of Granado who slewe many a Christian man and the Earle Remon tooke a speare and ran at the Kinge and strake him so on the visor of his helmet that hee fell to the earth with his féet vpward among his owne men and had béen there slain if his men had not succoured him In another place was Croissant and hee saw before him the King of Belmarin who road about séeking for Croissant to be reuenged of him for the death of his Sonne and when the King saw Croissant beating down horse and men and that none could resist against him he had great desire to be reuenged and sayd to Croissant Oh thou false Traytour that hath slaine my son I ought greatly to laud and praise Mahomet if I may bee reuenged vpon thée then he couched his speare and strake Croissant in the middest of his shéeld so that his speare flew all to péeces but for all the stroake Croissant remooued no more then though he had striken a stone wall and Croissant sore displeased that the king had giuen him such a stroake let goe the bridle of his horse and lifted vp his sword with both his hands strake the king as he passed by on the corner of his helmet in such wise that he strake it cleane asunder if the stroake had not glaunced he had clouen his head to the guirdle but the sword turned and alighted vppon the horse necke so that he strake the necke cleane asunder in such sort that of force the king tumbled to the earth sore astonied of the stroke that he had receiued and if he had not béen quickly rescued Croissant had striken off his head Then the Sarazins remounted againe their King and ran at Croissant and cast darts at him and Iauelins to haue slain him but they durst not approch néere him so much they feared him howbeit they hurt him in diuers places hee held his sword in his handes wherewith hee strake no man with a full stroake but that hee claue his head to the braines Then hee sawe the great Admirall of Spaine and he gaue him such a stroake that his head was clouen to the chinne and so hee fell downe dead Great sorrowe made the Sarazins and especially the King of Granado and when Croissant saw him he knewe him well by his armes whereof hee was ioyfull and Croissant approached to him and gaue him such a stroke on the helmet that his head was clouen to the braines and so the Kinge fell
and what they were determined to doe then he sayd to himselfe that surely he would aduertise Croissant of their malicious Enterprize to the intent that he should not be surprized then he departed as priuily as he could and so came to Croissant and shewed him how the Earles Sonne with Ten men were determined to murder him the very same night in his bed sléeping and how that each of them had a sharpe knife and he sayd Sir be readie armed to defend your life for they all haue sworne your death When Croissant vnderstood the Squier he waxed as red as a burning coale and sayd I cannot beleeue that such a treason should be in the courage of a noble man as to murder him that neuer did him trespasse Sir quoth the Squier you may doe as you please but except you finde a remedie you are but lost When Croissant heard that hee trembled for the displeasure that he was in and he thought within himselfe that he would not shew the matter to any person liuing but he sware that if any came to doe him displeasure with his Sword hee woulde cléeue his head to the braines Thus the matter rested vntill it was night so he went into the Hal among the other Lords and there he found the Earle who made him great chéere and Supper was readie then they satte downe of their seruice I make no rehearsall After they had supped diuers sports were shewed in the hall and when the houre requisite came euerie man went to bed the Earle Remon had prepared for Croissant a faire Chamber with a rich bed for him and a Couch for his Squier Then Croissant tooke leaue of the Earle and of the Damsel with whom he was enamoured then he came to his Chamber well accompanied with Knights Squiers within a while they tooke leaue of him then he was alone sauing onely his Squier whome he made to lye in the Couch shewed him nothing of that he thought to doe Then Croissant armed him at all péeces his helmet on his head his sheeld about his necke and his sword about him and so layd him downe in his bed and hid him with cloathes that his armour should not be séen by them that would come thether so there he lay as priuily as he could and then about midnight the Earles Son entred into the chamber al vnarmed with his sword in his hand and his ten companions with him each of them with a sharpe weapon in their hands then they approached to Croissants bed and the Earles Sonne lifted vp his Sword and strâ—ke Croissant such a stroake on the helmet that the sword swarned in his hand whereby he perceiued that hée was armed and that hée had warning of their comming whereof he was right sorrowfull then he recouered again another stroake thinking to haue â—â—aine Croissant but he could not his helmet was so good then the other Tenne strake at Croissant but they could doe him no hurt his armour was so good Then Croissant rose vp quickly as a hardy Knight with his sword in his hand When the Earles Sonne saw that he was neuer so afraid in all his life and thought to haue fled away but Croissant was before him and gaue him such a stroake on the head with his sword that he claue it to the chin and so he fell downe dead and the other had slaine Croissants Squier whereof hee was sorrie then hée ran at them like a man desperate and did so much that within a short space he had slaine Fiue of them and the other fledde away into another Chamber and durst not speake one word Chap. CLXXVIII ¶ Howe Croissant depated from Nise with his sword in his hand And howe the Earle Râ—mon was sorrowfull for the death of his Sonne and chased after Croissant but he could not bee found WHen Croissant saw himselfe so enterprized and that hée had slaine the Earles Sonne he was in great feare for hee knewe wel that if he were taken he should be in danger of his life therefore hastely he departed out of the Pallaice and when hee came to the Stable where his horse stood he found a great yron chaine before the dore to the 〈◊〉 that the horse should not bee taken out in the night time when he saw that he was sore discomforted and sayd Oh good Lord now by thy grace ayd me I ought well to be sorrie when I must leaue my horse Alas now I cannot tell how to 〈◊〉 mine armour certainely except God succour mee I sée no way how I can escape aliue Alas I thought to haue béene married to the Earles Daughter but now I am farre from it 〈◊〉 I haue slaine her Brother I was not minded to haue returned into my Countrey so soone vntill I had conquered some â—â—â—our and Landes whereby I might haue béene receiued honourably of them that did sette nothing by me then hee began sore to wéepe so he went through the towne as he might for he coulde not trauaile long in his armour but hee beheld a voide house in a corner of a streete hee went thether and vnarmed him of all his armour except his sword so he was in a white Iacket and then he rested not vntill hee came to the gate and called the Porter desired him to open the gate saying that he had businesse to doe a little without the Towne the Porter answeared stubbornely and sayd there rrquireth no hast hée might well abide for he sayd that hee would not open the gate vntill it was faire day Fréend quoth Croissant I pray thée shew me this courtesie the Porter answered him fiercely and sayd Thou doest but loose thy labour for the gate shall not be opened vntill the Sunne rise When Croissant saw that the Porter would not open the gate by faire meanes hee sette his hand to his sword and sayd Thou false Traitour except thou doest open the gate incontinent with my sword I shall slay thee When the Porter saw that Croissant held a naked sword in his hand to strike him he had great feare and he came forth in hast with the keyes in his hande and sayd Sir I shall open the gate with a good will howbeit he was so afraide that all his bodie trembled for feare then he came to the gate and opened the wicket and then Croissant yssued out vnarmed and hadde on but a Cloake ouer his Iacket and a sword about him and a little purse at his guirdle and therein Twentie Shillings in monney and no more Thus as yée haue heard Croissant yssued out of the Towne of Nise in Prouaunce and tooke the way towards Roome but before he had gone two Leagues the Fiue Traytours that fled from him and were hidden in a Chamber when they thought that Croissant was departed for they thought he would not tarie because hee had slaine the Earles Sonne then they went out of the Chamber making great brute and noise so that euerie
man rose in the Pallaice and the Earle himselfe arose and came into the Hall with his Sword in his hand and there hée found the Fiue Traytours who shewed him that for certaine wordes betwéene Croissant and his Sonne there was a Fray betwéene them whereby your Sonne is slaine by the hands of Croissant the which hee did wilfully to the entent to haue all your Landes after your decease because you haue giuen him your Daughter in mariage and before wée could come he was sled but before he departed out of the Chamber he slewe Fiue men besides your Sonne for they were not armed but Croissant was armed he seemed rather a spirit then a mortall man and when we saw that wee could not approach to him because he was armed we slew his Squier When the Earle heard them it was no maruaile though he was sorrowful and then he went into the Chamber whereas his Sonne lay dead when he came there for the great distresse that hee had at his heart he fell downe vppon his Son in a swound and when he came to himselfe hee cried and sayde Ah Croissant your acquaintance is to me verie hard then he commanded his men to arme them and incontinent to goe after Croissant who so pitiously had slaine his Sonne and sayde if I may take him hee shall neuer escape my handes without death Then in the Pallace and in the Towne euerie man armed them the Earle himselfe armed him mounted on his Horse and yssued out of the gate with many people and then they road abroad in the CouÌ„trey searching and demaunding if any man met with Croissant but he could heare no certaine newes of him except of one man that sayd how he met him about fiue Leagues froÌ„ thence and that he went a great pace When the Earle heard that hee saw well that it was but a labour lost to fellow any further then he returned to the town right sorrowfull and sore displeased for the death of his Sonne and yet againe hee greatly complayned for Croissant in that aduenture and saide that a more valiant Knight coulde not bee found neither more courteous nor more wise I would to God that there were betwéene him and me good amitie so that hee had my Daughter in marriage and that after my decease hee might haue my Land then diuers of his men sayd Sir lette him goe hée séemeth to bée rather a Diuell then a man hée is fierce and cruell hee makes no more to slay a man then some 〈◊〉 to drinke good wine lette him goe hee was borne in an ill houre then the Earle entred into the Towne right sorrowfull and sore displeased for the death of his Sonne and alsâ— for Croissants aduenture and then he caused his Sonne to be buried as it appertained great sorrow was made by the Earle and by the Duke of Callaber other Knights that were there but they knew not the troth of the matter whosoeuer made sorow the Earles Daughter was sorrowfull both for her Brother and also for the noble Croissant whome shee had thought to marrie Nowe let vs leaue speaking of them and returne to Croissant Chap. CLXXIX ¶ How Croissant arriued in the Subburbs of a little Towne called Florencolle and lodged among Ruffians and Villaynes and how they fell at strife and how Croissant slewe them and fledde and was in great daunger And howe hee came into the Cittie of Rome whereas there was no man that would giue him one morfell of bread and how he went and lay in an old Pallaice vpon a burden of strawe WHen Croissant saw that he was departed from the Towne of Nise and that he was alone afooâ—e hee made his complaints to our Lord God requiring him humbly to haue pitie of him then hee went foorth and so trauailed Three daies and Thrée nights without meat or drinke but a little bread and water he had such hunger and thirst that he could scarce sustaine himselfe on his féet so at last a little before the Sunne was set hee came to a little Towne called Florencolle whereof the gates were shutte before he came thether then in the Subburbs hee saw a house like a Tauerne and hée sware though he should be slaine he would goe to that house to eate and drinke and to pay well for his shot it had béen better for him to haue passed by for there he was in great perill of his life as yée shall heare Thus hee approached to the house and heard how the Cookes were busie in the Kitchin then he sawe a great fire in a Chamber where there was the greatest Ruffians and players at dice in all the Towne and they had prepared flesh and fish for their Supper When Croissant saw the preparation that was made there for the Sixe Ruffians he entred into the house and saluted the Host and demaunded if he might be lodged there the Host sayd yea and how hee should be there well serued both of wine and of meat such as he wold demaund Then Croissant went in the Ruffians met him and sayd how hee was welcome and each of them pinched other and wincked with the one eye and sayd softly to the master of them this great Trauailer is come well at a point for before he depart he shall pay for our shot and expences and anon we will put the dice into his hands whereby he shal leaue his Gowne Cappe and monney if he haue any Croissant did not vnderstand them because they spake whisperingly then Croissant sayd Sirs if I eate with you paying my shot shall it turne you to any displeasure Fréend quoth the Maister of them it pleaseth me well that you eate with vs then they washed all together and sate downe at the Table néere to the fier they were well serued of euery thing When Croissant was set hee began to féede well his hunger was so great for in Thrée dayes before he had eaten nothing but bread and water therefore hee had the better appetite and also hee found there good wine and fresh and he dranke thereof at his pleasure When they had well eaten and drunke and were well chafed by reason of the good wine the Host rose vp sayd Sirs it is time to make reckoning that euerie man pay his part then the maister Ruffian sayde Sir make you the account for you can doe it better then we and shew vs what wee shall pay Euerie man alike Sirs quoth the Host as néere as I can reckon yée must pay in all Twelue shillings and looke euerie man pay his part Then the Master Ruffian began to sweare bloud and wounds that they should play at the dice to sée who should pay for all then hee sayd to Croissant Fréend you must come play with vs behold heere Thrée dice good and square wee must doe so for one must pay the whole expences before we depart Sirs quoth Croissant we shall not néede to play at dice to know who shall