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

by Unknown

[‹p022›] CHARLES HEARS OF THE MISCHIEF DONE BY THE SARACENS.

Kinge Charles with him dide lede,	728
They were doughty in all stourys
And worthy men of dede.
Sir Roulande þat worthy knighte,		Roland led the
He ladde the Fowarde,	732	vanguard,
And Sir Olyue,that was so wighte,		Oliver the rear,
Gouerned the Rerewarde.
The Kinge himselfe and his Baronye,		the king was
With Dukes And Erilles roialle,	736
Gouerned alle the medil partye.		with the main body.
By commaundemente generall
He ordeynede grete plente		The provisions
Of Flessh and Fissh, brede and wyne,	[740]
In shippes to saile by the see,		were conveyed by sea.
To serven him ful wel and fyne.
Sir Gye aspied his comynge,		Guy seeing them come,
He knewe the baner of Fraunce,	744	went to
He wente anoo ayen the kinge		meet the king, and
And tolde him of þat myschaunce,		told him the mischief
Howe that the cursed Sowda		done by the soudan,
Hath brent Rome and bore the Relekis awaye,	748
And how he hath slay alle and some,
That he hatħ founde of Criste faye.
And more-over he made his a-vowe,		who moreover had made
To seke kinge Charles in Fraunce	752	a vow to seek Charles
And do him wo ther I-nowe.		in France in order
“God gif him moch myschaunce!”—		to afflict him with
“A” quoCharles “þat neditħ noght,		grief. [leaf 19] “He
He shal fynde me nere.	756	will find me near,”
By god, þat dere me bogħt,		said Charles, “and
He shal by it ful dere.		shall dearly pay for
I shalle him never leve I-wis		it.
Withinne walle ner witħoute,	760
I swere by god and seinte Denys,
Tille I have sought him oute;		Unless he consents to
And but if he will Baptised be		be baptized,

[‹p023›] HE GOES OVER TO SPAIN.

And lefe his fals laye,	764
Babyloyne shal he never see		he never shall see
For alle his grete aray.”		Babylon again.” They
Anoon to shippe every ma		all took ship without
With vitaile and with store,	768	delay.
Euen towarde the proud Sawda
With-oute any more.
Wynde him blewe ful fayre and goode
Into the Ryver of Gaȝe,	772	Propitious winds
Even over the salte flode		drove them into the
And ouer the profounde rase.		river Gase, where
XXX legeeȝ from Egremou		they landed, 30 miles
By londe for south it is,	[776]	from Agremore,
And ther withoute any more
To londe thai wente I-wis,
And brente and sloughe al þat thai fonde,		and laid waste the
And stroyed both Toure and tow.	780	country.
Thai lefte no thinge on grounde,
That thai ne bete it dow.
Tithinggis were tolde to Laban,		Laban, hearing this
Howe Charles was I-come	784	news,
And slough bouth childe, wyfe, man
And brente and stroyed alle and some
With thre hundred thousand of Bacheleris,
That were both stoute and gaye,	788
And with him al his Dosyperis,
Pepul of grete araye.
“And but ye ordeyne remedy,
He wole you brenne and sloo,	792
Youe and youre riche Baronye,
He wole leve a-life neuere oo.”
Whan Laban herde these tidyngys,
His herte woxe alle coolde	796
And saide “this is a wonder thinge!		[leaf 20]
Howe durste he be so boolde?		was astonished at
Litill kennyth he what I may doo,		Charles’s presumption.

[‹p024›] A GREAT BATTLE ENSUES.

He dredith me litil nowe.	800
But certes he shalle, ehe goo,
To Mahounde I make a vowe.
Sir Lucafeand Ferumbras		He assembled all his
To him dide he calle	804	barons,
And Mavo and Sortebras
And his Barons alle.
I charge you vppo youre legeaunce,
That ye bringe me that gloton,	808	and charged them to
That clepeth himselfe kinge of Fraunce,		bring him alive that
Hidere to my Pavilo.		glutton that called
Kepe him a-live, the remenaunte sle		himself king of
The xij Peris ychoo!	[812]	France, and to slay
I shalle tech him curtesye,		the remnant.
I swere by god Mahounde.”
Ferumbras anoo than		Ferumbras went forth
Arrayed him for to ride	816	with many Saracens.
With proude Sarasyns many a man,
That boldely durst a-bide.
Rowlande met with Ferumbras		He meets with Roland.
And gafe him such a stroke	820
That al astonyed þerof he was,
It made him lowe to stoupe.
Ferombras smote him agayne		They deal each other
With myghte and mayn, with ire	824	heavy strokes.
That he stenyed alle his brayne,
Him thought, his eye were alle on fyre.
With LucafeOlivemette,		Oliver cuts off a
And hit him on the sheelde	828	quarter of Lukafer’s
A stroke, that was right wel sette;		shield.
A quarter flye in the feelde.
Thus thai hurteled to-gedere		The combat lasted the
Alle the lefe longe daye,	832	whole day.
Nowe hider and nowe theder;
Mony an hors wente ther astraye.		Well fought the
The Dosyperis thay foughten wele,		twelve peers.

[‹p025›] CHARLES ENCOUNTERS FERUMBRAS AND LUKAFER.

Duke Neymys and Oge,	836
With goode swerdes of fyne stele
And so dide Gye and Syr Brye.
Ferumbras was euer a-bowte		[leaf 21]
To fyghte witħ Olyvere,	840	Ferumbras charges
And Olyuewith-oute dowte		Oliver.
Leyde on with goode chere.
Kinge Charles saugh Ferumbras,		King Charles, seeing
To him fast he rode	844	this, rides on to
And it on the helme witħ his mace,		Ferumbras,
That stroke sadlye abode.		and strikes his helm
Ferumbras was woode for woo,		with his heavy mace.
He myght for prees come him to	[848]	Ferumbras cannot
For no worldis thinge, that myght be tho.		approach him on
Kinge Charles anoon[119] Ioye oute-drowe,		account of the crowd.
And with his owen honde		Charlemagne with his
XXXti Sarseynys ther he slowe,	852	sword Mounjoy slew 30
That laie dede vppone the sonde;		Saracens.
Many of hem therfore made joy Inowe.
Sir Lucafere of Baldas,		Lukafer of Baldas,
He presed to Charles sone,	856	encountering Charles,
And saide “Sir, with harde grace,
What hastowe here to done?
I behight Laban to bringe the to him		told him that he had
And the xij peris alle;	860	promised the soudan
Now shaltowe come from al thy kyn		to bring him Charles
Into the Sowdans halle.		and the douzepeers.
Yelde the to me” he saide,
“Thy life shalle I safe.”	864
A stroke on him than Charles layde;		Charles strikes him
He made the Paynym to rafe.		on his helmet,
He smote him on the helme
With mown-Ioye, his gode bronde.	868
Ne hadde he be reskued than,
He hade slayn him with his honde.

[‹p026›] THE SARACENS QUIT THE FIELD.

Than came Baldeȝynȝ with thronge		but Lukafer is
To reskue there here lorde,	872	rescued by a great
And nubens with hem amonge		throng. Roland,
And Turkes by one accorde.		drawing Durendale,
Tho Roulande Durnedale oute-drowe		cleared a space
And made Romme[120] abowte.	876	around him and
XL of hem ther he slowe,
Tho were thai in grete dowte.
Roulande as fiers as a lio
With Durnedale[121] tho dinge	880	hammered the heads of
Vppon the Sarsyns crowne,		the Saracens.
As harde as he myght flynge.		[leaf 22]
Duke Neymys and Sir Olyue,		So do the other peers,
Gy and Alloreynes of Loreyne,	[884]
And alle the noble xij Peris,
Ogeand Bryeof Brytayne,
Thai foughten as feythfully in þat fight,
The feelde ful of dede men laye.	888
XXXti thousande, I you plight,		and 30,000 Saracens
Of Sarsenys ther were slay.		were slain.
Al thinge moste haue a ende,
The nyghte come on ful sone,	892	At night the Pagans
Every wighte retourned to wende;		quit the field.
Ferumbras to his men gan gone
And saide “oure hornes blowe we,
This day haue we a ful ille afraye,	896
To saie the south and not to lye,
Oure goddis holpe vs not to daye,
What devel þat ever he eilith.
This bataile was so sharpe in faye,	900
That many a man it wailyth.
Shalle I never in herte be glade to daye,		Ferumbras vows, never
Till I may preve my myghte		to desist
With Roulande, that proude ladde,	904
Or with Olyue,that is so lighte,