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

by Unknown

[‹p027›] CHARLES PRAISES THE OLD KNIGHTS.

That evel hath vs ladde;
And in Paris be crowned kinge		unless he be crowned
In despite of hem alle,	908	king at Paris.
I wole leve for no thinge
What so evere byfalle.”
Kinge Charles with grete honou		Charles went to his
Wente to his Pavilo;	912	pavilion and
Of the treyumple he bare the flou
In dispite of Mahounde.
Almyghty God and Seynte Denyse		thanked God
He thanked ful ofte sithe	916
And oure lady Marie of Paris,		and St. Mary of
That made hem gladde and blitħ.		France.
He recomendide the olde Knightes,		He praised the elder
That þat daye hade the victorye,	[920]	knights for having
And charged the yonge with al her myghtes		won the victory and
To haue hem in memorye;		exhorted the young
For worthynesse wole not be hadde,		ones
But it be ofte sougħte,	924	[leaf 23]
Ner knigħthode wole not ben hadde,
Tille it be dere boghte.
“Therfore ye knightes, yonge of age,
Of oolde ye may now lere,	928
Howe ye shalle both hurle and rage
In felde with sheelde and spere.
And take ensample of the xij Peris,		to take an example by
Howe thai have proved her myght,	932	them.
And howe thai were both wight and fiers
To wynnen honourys in righte.
These hethen houndes we shal a-tame
By God in magiste,	936	They make merry and
Let us make myrtħ in goddis name		go to supper.
And to souper nowe goo we.”		Prayer addressed

Thow, rede Marȝ Armypotente, to the red Mars That in the trende baye hase made þy trone, 940 Armipotent, That god arte of bataile and regent

[‹p028›] SPRING IS THE TIME OF LOVE.

And rulist alle that alone,
To whom I profre precious present,
To the makande my moone	944
Witħ herte, body and alle myn entente,
A crow of precious stoones,
And howe to the I gyfe
Withouten fraude or engyne,	948
Vppo thy day to make offerynge,
And so shal I ever, while þat I live;
By righte þat longith to my laye,
In worshipe of thy reverence	952
On thyn owen Tewesdaye
With myr,aloes and Frankensense,
Vppocondicio that thou me graunte,		to grant the
The victorye of Crysty Dogges,	[956]	Mahometans the
And that I may some[122] hem adaunte		victory over the
And sle hem dow as hogges,		Christians.
That have done me distruccio
And grete disherytaunce	960
And eke slayn my men with wronge.
Mahounde gyfe hem myschaunce!”

N the semely seson of the yere, In the spring of the Of softenesse of the sonne, 964 year In the prymsauns of grene vere,

Whan floures spryngy and bygynne,		[leaf 24]
And alle the floures in the fritħ
Freshly shews here kynde,	968
Than it is semely therwytħ,		man ought to show his
That manhode be in mynde;		manhood
For corage wole a man to kitħ,
If he of menske haue mynde,	972
And of loue to lysty and lithe,		and to think of love.
And to seke honufor þat ende.		For none can be a
For he was neuere gode werryou,		good warrior, unless
That cowde not loue a-ryght;	976	he knows how to love.

[‹p029›] THE SOUDAN RALLIES HIS TROOPS.

For loue hath made many a conquerou
And many a worthy knighte.
This worthy Sowdan, though he heþen we,		The soudan was a
He was a worthy conquerou;	980	great conqueror;
Many a contrey with shelde and spere
He conquerede wyth grete honoure.
And his worthy sone Ferumbras,		Ferumbras and
That kinge was of Alisaund,	984
And Lucafeof Baldas,		Lukafer wrought
That cruel kinge of Cassaund,
That wroughten wonders with here honde		wonders with their
With myghte and mayne for to fyghte,	988	hands.
And over-ride mony a manly londe,
As men of Armes hardy and wighte.
The Sowdan seyinge this myschief,
How Charles hade him a-greved,	[992]
That grevaunce was him no thinge lese,[123]
He was ful sore ameved.
He sente oute his bassatoures		The soudan sent for
To Realmes, provynces ferand ne,	996	his vassals,
To Townes, Citeis, Castels and Tours,
To come to him thehe were,
To Inde Maior and to Assye,
To Ascoloyne, Venys, Frige and Ethiope,	1000
To Nubye, Turkye and Barbarye,
To Macedoine, Bulgaand to Europe.
Alle these people was gadred to Agremore,		and assembled more
Thre hundred thousand of Sarsyns felle,	1004	than 300,000 Saracens
Some bloo, some yolowe, some blake as more,		at Agremore.
Some horible and stronge as devel of helle.
He made hem drinke Wilde beestes bloode,		[leaf 25]
Of Tigre, Antilope and of Camalyo,	1008
As is here vse to egre here mode,
Whan þai in werre to battayle goon.
He saide to hem “my frendes de,		He addressed them in
As my trust is alle in you,	1012	order

[‹p030›] THE SARACENS SACRIFICE TO THEIR GODS.