The Romaunce of the Sowdone of Babylone and of Ferumbras His Sone Who Conquerede Rome

by Unknown

From the unique MS. of the late Sir Thos. Phillipps.

	Od in glorye of myghteste[89] moost,	[1]	God has ordained all
	That al thinge made in sapience		things wisely.
	By vertue of woorde and holy goost,
	Gyvinge to man grete excellence,	4	He has subjected the
	And alle, þat is in erthe, wroght		earth to man, and man
Subiecte to man and ma to the,			to God.
That he shoulde witħ herte and thought
To loue and serve, and noo but the:		8	The man who keeps His
For ȝyfe ma kepte thy commaundemente			commandments and loves
In al thinge and loued the welle			Him well, will feel
And hadde synnede in his entente,			His grace. But many
Tha shulde he fully thy grace fele;		12	who offended Him have
But for the offences to God I-doon[90]			felt His vengeance. I
Many vengeaunces haue be-falle.			will tell you of one;
Where-of I wole yotelle of oo,			it would take too long
It were to mocħ to telle of alle.		16	to tell of all. Listen
While þat Rome was in excellence			to me, and ye shall
Of alle Realmes in dignite,			hear how Rome, the
And howe it felle for his offence,			former mistress of all
Listinythe a while and ye shal see,		20	nations, came to fall
Howe it was woneand brente			by its sins, and was
Of a Sowdo,that heathewas,			destroyed by a heathen
And for synne howe it was shente;			Soudan. King Lewis has
As Kinge Lowes witnessith þat cas,		[24]	borne witness to

[‹p002›] LABAN, THE SOUDAN OF BABYLON, HEARS

As it is wryten in Romaunce		that story, which,
And founden in bokes of Antiquyte		written in Romance
At Seinte Denyse Abbey in Fraunc[e],[91]		and found in very
There as Cronycles remembrede be,	28	old chronicles at
Howe Laban, the kinge of hie degre,		St Denys in France,
And syand Sowdoof hie Babilo,		relates how Laban, the
Conquerede grete parte of Christiante,		king of Babylon, who
That was born in Askalo.	32	was born at Ascalon,
And in the Cite of Agremare[92]		conquered a great part
Vppo the Rivere of Flagote		of Christendom. He was
At þat tyme he soiorned the†		holding his court in
Fulle roially, wel I wote,	36	the city of Agremore,
With kinges xij and Admyralles xiiij,		on the river Flagot,
With many a Baro & Kniȝtis ful boold,		with 12 kings and 14
That roialle were and semly to sene;		admirals, and many
Here worþynesse al may not be told.	40	worthy barons and
Hit bifelle by-twyxte March and Maye,		[lf 1, bk] knights,
Whan kynde corage begynneth to pryke,		when, in the time
Wha ffritħ and felde wexen gaye,		between March and May,
And every wight desirith his like,	44
Wha lovers slepe withe opy yȝe,
As Nightyngalis on grene tre,
And sore desire þat thai cowde flye,
That thay myghte withe here louere be:	48
This worthy Sowdo in this seso		he went to the chase
Shope him to grene woode to goo,
To chase the Bore or the Veneso,
The Wolfe, the Bere and the Bawson.	52
He roode tho vppo a fforeste stronde		in a wood near the sea.
With grete rowte and roialte,
The fairest, þat was in alle þat londe,
With Alauntes, Lymmeris and Racches free.	[56]
His huntes to chace he commaunde,
Here Bugles boldely for to blowe,
To fere the beestis in þat launde.

[‹p003›] OF THE CAPTURE OF A SARACEN SHIP BY THE ROMANS.

The Sowdo woxe wery I-nowe;	60	Being weary with
He rested him vndere an holme tre		hunting, he sat down
Sittynge vppo a grene sete		under a holm tree, and,
Seynge a Dromonde com seilyng in þe see		seeing a dromond
Anone he charged to beky him with honde	64	sailing on the sea, he charged
To here of him tidinges newe.		one to enquire for news
The maister sende a man to londe,		concerning the ship. The
Of diuers langages was gode and trewe,		interpreter of the vessel being
And saide “lorde, this Dromonde[93]	68	sent ashore, informed the
Fro Babyloyne come is,		soudan, that this
That was worþe thousande poundis,		dromond, freighted at
As[94] it mete with shrewes I-wis,		Babylon, with a cargo
Charged with perle and precious stones	72	of rich furs, spices,
And riche pelure and spicerye,		oil, brass and pearls,
With oyle and bras qweynte for the nones		intended as a present
To presente yow, my lorde worthy.		to the soudan, had been
A drift of wedi vs droffe to Rome,	76	driven by stress of
The Romaynes robbed vs anone;		weather to Rome, where
Of vs thai slowgh ful many one.		they had been robbed by
With sorwe and care we be bygone.		the Romans.
Whereof, lorde, remedye	80	[leaf 3]
Ye ordeyne by youre Barons boolde,		Therefore he solicited
To wreke the of this vilane;		that the soudan would
Or certes oure blis is coolde.”		take revenge on those
The Soudon hirynge this tyþinge,	84	who had done such
With egre chere he made a vowe		villainy to him.
To Mahounde and to Appolyne,		The soudan, hearing
That thai shulde by it dere I-nowe,		these tidings, made
Er that he wente fro theyme.[95]	88	a vow to Mahound and
“Where be ye, my kinges boolde,		to Apolyn, that they
My Barons and my Admyral?		should dearly pay for
Thes tidinges make myn herte coolde,		it.
But I be venged, dyen I shalle.	[92]	‘Ferumbras, my son,’ he
Sire Ferumbras, my sone so dere,		said, ‘and my daughter
Ye muste me comforte in this case;		Floripas, ye must

[‹p004›] THE SOUDAN STARTS FROM AGREMORE

My ioye is alle in the nowe here		be my comfort in this
And in my Doghter Dame Florypas.	96	case.
Sortybraunce, my Counselere,		Order Sortibrance,
Lete clepe him forthe to counsaile me,		my counsellor, to be
And Oliborne, my Chauncelere		called for, and my
And noble Clerke of hie degre,	100	chancellor Oliborn,
And Espiarde, my messangere,		and Espiard my
To goon to Assye and to Aufrike,		messenger, that he
To kinges, princes ferand ne,		may go to Africa and
Barons, Admyralls and Dukes frike,	104	to Asia and to all
Comaundinge hem vppo her legeaunce		the princes, who owe
To come in al hast vnto me,		me allegiance, and
Wel Armed with shelde and launse,		command them hastily to
To Egremoure þo riche Cite.”	108	assemble with shield
In shorte tyme this message was wroghte		and lance at Agremore.’
An hundred thouusande on a rowte		In a short time 100,000
That robbery was righte dere boght,		men had assembled.
Was never none derrer withouten douȝte.	112	On the advice of Lukafer,
The kinge of Baldas, sir Lukafe,		king of Baldas,
Of Aufryke lorde and governoure,		the soudan also
Spake to the Sowdo,that men myghte here,		brought together 700 sail
And saide “sir, for thyn honou,	116	and a dromond for himself,
Do sende for shippes both feand nere.”		for Ferumbras of
Carrikes, Galeis and shippes shene,		Alexandrie, for the
vij hundred were gadered al in fere		Asiatic king of
And a Dromonde for the Sowde kene.	120	[leaf 4] Chaunder and
Sir Ferumbras of Alisaundre		for Floripas. There
In the Dromonde with him was,		were two masters in
Of Assy the kinge of Chaunde,		that vessel, and two
And his faire dogħter Floripas.	124	idols placed on the
Two maistres were in the Dromounde,		main top, with round
Two goddes on hye sete thore		maces, therewith to
In the maister toppe, withe macis rounde,		menace the Christians.
To manace with the Criste lore.	[128]	The sails of red
The sailes were of rede Sendelle,		sendal-silk were
Embrowdred witħ riche araye,

[‹p005›] TO INVADE ROME WITH A GREAT ARMY.

With beestes and breddes every dele,		richly embroidered
That was right curious and gaye;	132	with figures of
The Armes displaied of Laban		animals and birds.
Of Asure and foure lions of goolde.		Four golden lions, the
Of Babiloyne the riche Sowdo,		arms of the soudan of
Moost myghty man he was of moolde,	136	Babylon, were also
He made a vowe to Termagaunte,		displayed thereon.
Whan Rome were distroied & hade myschaunce,		Laban made a vow to
He woolde turne ayen erraunte		Termagant, to destroy Rome,
And distroye Charles the kinge of Fraunce.	140	and after that Charlemagne.
Fortħ thai sailed on the flode,		Having disembarked in
Tille thai come to the haven of Rome:		the haven of Rome,
The wynde hem served, it was ful goode.		they slew all
Ther londed many a grymlye gome.	144	Christians, and burned
Thai brente and slowen, þat Cristen were,		towns, abbeys and
Tow, Abbey and holy chirche.		churches.
The hethen hade such power there,		The Pope of Rome,
That moche woo gan thai there wircħ.	148	hearing of the heathens
Tidinggis came to Rome anone		laying waste the whole
Unto the Pope, that þt tyme was,		country,
That the heþen came to bren and slone.
This was to hem a sory cas.	152
He lete cal his counsaile to-geder		assembled his council.
To wete, what was beste to do.
Anone as thai were come þede,
He asked of hem al ful sone:	156
“Lordinges, it is vnknowne[96] to you,
That this cursed hathen Sowdo
Brennyth and stroyeth oure pepul nowe,
Alive he leveth vnneth not one.	160
Seint Petir be oure governoure		[leaf 5]
And save this worthi Cite of Rome,
And Seinte Poule be oure gydoure
From this cursed hethe houne[97]!”	[164]
Ifreȝ he bispake him tha,		Jeffrez, a senator