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

by Unknown

[‹p011›] THE POPE DESPATCHES MESSENGERS TO CHARLEMAGNE.

With Sarisyns, that hade it wone;
And Estragot with him he mette
With bores hede, blake and donne.
For as a bore an hede hadde	348
And a grete mace stronge as stele.
He smote Sauaryz as he were madde,		and was slain by
That dede to grounde he felle.		Estragot, a black giant
This Astrogot of Ethiop,	352	of Ethiopia.
He was a kinge of grete strengtħ;
Ther was none suche in Europe
So stronge and so longe in lengtħ.
I trowe, he were a develes sone,	356
Of Belsabubbis lyne,
For ever he was thereto I-wone,
To do Criste men grete pyne.
Whan tidinggis came to the [P]ope,	360	After the death of
That Duke Sauaryz was dede slay,		Savaris, the Pope
Tha to woo turned alle his hope;
He dide calle tha to counsaile		summoned his council
Alle the Senatouris of Rome,	364	again.
What þinge þat myght hem most availe,
And what were beste to done.
Tho by-spake a worthy man of counsaile,
An Erille of the Senatouris:	368	An earl of the
“The best counsaile, þat I can		senatours suggested
		the necessity of
Sending vnto Charles the kinge[101]		dispatching messengers
Certifiynge him by your myssangeris		to Charlemagne,
The myschief þat ye are Inne,	372	imploring him to come
That he come with his Dosyperys		to their deliverance.
To reskue Cristiante fro this heþen.”		[leaf 10]
All thai assentede anone therto;		They all assented.
The lettres were made in haste.	376	Three messengers,
Thre messageres we ordey[102] therto,		with letters
That went forthe at the laste.		written in haste,

[‹p012›] THE SARACENS THROW DOWN A BASTILE OF ROME.

At a posterne thai wente oute		left the city by a
Pryvely aboute mydnygħt,	[380]	postern at midnight,
And passed through alle the route.		and passed the enemy’s
Of hem was war no wigħt.		camp without being

Vt let we nowe the messangeris goo, noticed by any wight. And speke we of Laba, 384 Howe he dide saile the Cite anoo, Laban

And commaundid, þat every man		commanded every
Shulde withe Pikeys or witħ bille		man to throw pikes and
The Wallis over throwe,	388	bills over the walls,
That he myght the Romaynes kille,		to kill the Romans.
Playnly on a rowe,
By water he ordeynede the shippes goo,		He ordered the ships
The bootis bownden to the maste,	392	to go up the water,
That thai myght fight with hem anoo,		with their boats bound
Honde of honde, þat was here caste.		to the mast, that they
To the Toure a bastile stode,		might fight in close
An engyne was I-throwe—	396	combat.
That was to the Cite ful goode—		Near the tower there
And brake dow towres both hie and lowe.		stood a bastile which
Tho sorowede alle the Citesyns		formed a principal
And were ful hevy tha.	400	protection to the city.
Tho wox prowde the Sarasyns,		It was laid low by
And than bispake sire laban		stones hurled from an
And saide “yolde youe here to me,		engine.
Ye may not longe endure,	404	Laban, growing proud,
Or ellis shall ye al slay be,		summoned the Romans to
By mahounde I you ensure.”		surrender.
A Romayne drife a darte him to		Instead of an answer, a
And smote him on the breste plate,	408	Roman hurled a dart at
Ne hadde his hawberke lasted tho,		his breast-plate, but
Mahounde had come to late.		his hauberk shielded
Tho was the Sowdo more þa wod,		him.
He cried to Ferumbras,	412	The soudan, more than
“For Mahoundes loue, þat is so good,		mad, charged Ferumbras
Destroye vp bothe man and place.		to destroy them all,

[‹p013›] ESTRAGOT IS CRUSHED BY A PORTCULLIS.

Spare no thinge that is alyve,
Hows, Toure ner Walle,	[416]	[leaf 11]
Beest, ner man, Childe nere Wife,
Brenne, slo and distroye alle.”
Tho Ferumbras ordeynede anone
To bende the Engynes to the tow	420
And bete dow botħ Toure and stoo.
He cleped fortħ Fortibraunce and Mavo		and enjoined
And saide “be youre Engynes goode?		Fortibrance and Mavon
Shewe forth here nowe your crafte	424	to direct their
For Mahoundis love, þat gevith man foode,		engines against the
That ther be no Toure lafte.”		walls.
Tho the grete gloto Estagote[103]		The great glutton
With his myghty mace sware	428	Estragot, with his
On the Gatis of Rome he smote		heavy mace,
And brake hem alle on thre thare.		smote on the gates
In he entrid at the Gate		and brake them in
The Porte-Colis on him thai lete falle.	432	pieces.
He wende, he hade come to late,		But as he was
It smote him through herte, lyuer and galle.		entering one of the
He lai cryande at the grounde		gates, they let the
Like a develle of Helle;	436	portcullis fall,
Through the Cite wente the sowne,		which crushed him to
So lowde than gan he yelle.		the ground,
Gladde were al the Romaynes,		where he lay crying
That he was take in the trappe,	440	like a devil.
And sorye were al the Sarsyns		The Romans were glad,
Of þat myschevos happe.		but the Saracens
Sory was the Soudotha		grieved.
And Ferumbras and Lukafe.	444	They withdrew to
Thai drowe hem tille her tentestha,		their tents, leaving
Thai left him ligginge there.		behind the corpse of
Mahounde toke his soule to him		Estragot, whose soul
And broght it to his blis.	448	went up to Mahound.
He loued him wel and al his kyn,

[‹p014›] THE POPE ATTEMPTS A SALLY.

Of þat myghte he not mys.
Anone the [P]ope dide somo alle;		The Pope called all
The peple of the Cite came,	[452]	his people to St.
To Seinte Petris he dide hem calle,		Peter’s,
And thidere came every man.
He saide on hie “my Children dere,		and proposed to them
Ye wote wel, howe it is;	456
Ayenst the Sarisyns, þat nowe be here,
We mowe not longe endure I-wis.
Thay brekene oure walles, oure Toures alle		[leaf 12]
With caste of his Engyne.	460
Therefore here amonge yoalle
Ye shalle here counsaile myne.
Thai bene withdrawe to here Oost,[104]
And on-armede thay ben alle.	464
Therfore, me thenketh, is beste		to attempt a sally
To-morowe erly on hem to falle.		with 20,000 men, to
We have xxxti thousande men;		attack the enemy
Twenty thousande shal go witħ me,	468	before day-break
And in this Cite leve ten		within their camp,
To governe the comynalte.”		and to leave 10,000
The Senatouris assentede sone		for the guard of the
And saide, beter myghte no man seyne.	472	city. The senators
On the morowe this was it done[105];		assented.
God bringe hem wele home agayne.		In the morning
The Pope did display than		the Pope displayed
The hie baner of Rome,	476	the banner of Rome,
And he assoiled every ma
Througħ gracious god in Dome.
He praide of helpe and socou		and after a prayer
Seinte Petir and Poule also	480	for the preservation
And oure lady, þat swete floure,		of the city,
To saue the Cite of Rome from woo.		they marched out.
Forth thai ride towarde the Oost.		But Ferumbras, going
Ferumbras romede a-boute;	484	his rounds,