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

by Unknown

On these Frenche dogges, that bene here,		to increase their
Ye moste avenge me nowe.		ardour,
Thai have done me vilanye,
Mikille of my people have thay slay.	1016
And yet more-over thay manace me
And drive me to my contrey agayn;
Wherefore I wole at the bygynnynge		ordered a solemn
To Mahounde and to my goddis alle	1020	sacrifice to his gods,
Make a solempne offerynge;
The better shall it vs byfalle.
The laste tyme thai were wrothe,
We hade not done oure dute.	1024
Therefore to saye the southe” . . . .
There were many hornys blowe,
The preestes sende thikke I-nowe
Goolde, and silver thikke thai throwe,	[1028]
With noyse and crye thai beestes slowe,
And thought to spede wel I-nowe;
And every man his vowe he made
To venge the Sowda of his tene.	1032
Here goddis of golde thai wex alle fade,
The smoke so grete was hem bitwene.
Whan alle was done, the Sowdan than
Charged Ferumbras redy to be	1036	and charged Ferumbras
On the morowe, ere day began,
To ride oute of þat Cite
With xxxti thousande of Assiens,		to march with 30,000
Frigys, Paens and Ascoloynes,	1040	of his people
Turkis, Indeis and Venysyens,
Barbarens, Ethiopes and Macidoynes,
“Bringe him to me, that proude kinge;		against the Christian
I shal him teche curtesye,	1044	King, whom he wished
Loke that thou leve for nothinge		to teach courtesy,
To sle alle his other mayne,		[leaf 26] and to slay
Safe Rouland and Olyuere,		all his men except
That bene of grete renowne,	1048	Roland and Oliver,

[‹p031›] FERUMBRAS CHALLENGES 6 CHRISTIAN KNIGHTS TO SINGLE COMBAT.

If thai wole reneye he goddis the		if they would
And leven on myghty Mahounde.”		renounce their

Erumbras with grete araye gods. Ferumbras led Rode forthe, Mahounde him spede, 1052 out his troops; Tille he came nyȝe the Charles lay until arriving near

By syde in a grene mede.		Charles’s camp, he
In a woode he buskede his men		ordered them to
Prively that same tyde,	1056	halt in a wood, and
And with his felowes noon but ten		advanced with only
To kinge Charles he gan ride		ten of his men to the
And said “sikinge, that Arte so kene,		camp of Charlemagne,
Upon trwes I come to speke with the,	1060
If thou be curteis, as I wene,
Thou wolte graunte a bone to me,
That I migħte fight vppo this grene,		and offered him to
With Rouland, Olyvere and Gye,	[1064]	fight at once against
Duke Neymes and OgeI mene,		Roland, Oliver, Guy,
Ye and Duke Richarde of Normandye,		Duke Naymes, Ogier
With al sex attones to fight.		the Dane, and Richard
My body I profhere to the	1068	of Normandy.
And requyre the, kinge, thodo me right,
As thou art gentille Lord and fre;
And if I may conquere hem in fere,		If he should conquer
To lede them home to my Faderis halle;	1072	them, he would lead
And if thai me, I graunte the here,		them away to his
To be thy man, body and alle.”		father’s hall; if he
The kinge Answered with wordis mylde		should be conquered,
And saide “felowe, þat neditħ nought,	1076	he would be his man.
I shalle fynde of my a Childe,
That shal the fynde that thou hast sought.”
The kinge lete calle Sir Roulande		The king sent for
And saide “thou most with this man figħt,	1080	Roland and ordered
To take this bataile here on honde,		him to undertake
Ther-to God gyfe the grace and myghte!”		the combat. Roland
Roulande answered with woordis boolde		refuses,
And saide “Sir, have me excuse!”	1084

[‹p032›] ROLAND REFUSES TO UNDERTAKE THE COMBAT.

He saide, certeynly he ne wolde;
The bataile vttirly he refused.		because Charles had
“The laste day ye preised faste		praised the old
The oolde knightes of heworthynes.	1088	knights. [leaf 27]
Let hem goon fortħ, I haue no haste,		“May they show their
Thai may goo shewen heprowes.”		valour now.” Charles,
For that worde the kinge was wrothe		vexed, smites Roland
And smote him on the mouthe o hye,	1092	on the mouth, so that
The bloode at his nose oute-goth,		the blood springs
And saide “traitour, thou shalte a-bye.”		from his nose, and he
“A-bye” quod Roulande “wole I noughte,		calls him a traitor.
And traitour was I never none,	1096
By þat lord, þat me dere hath bought!”
And braide oute Durnedale þeanone.		Roland draws his
He wolde haue smyte the kinge the,		sword, but the other
Ne hadde the barons ronne bytwene;	[1100]	barons separate them
The kinge with-drowe him for fe		and try to conciliate
And passed home as it myght beste bene.		them.
The Barons made hem at one
With grete prayeand instaunce,	1104
As every wrath moste over-gone,		Meanwhile Oliver,
Of the more myschiefe to make voydaunce.		who, being sorely
Olyuere herde telle of this,		wounded, kept his
That in his bedde laye seke sore.	1108	bed, on hearing of
He armede him ful sone I-wisse,		this dispute, had
And to the kinge he wente withoute more		armed himself and
And saide “Sir Kinge, a bone graunte me		went to Charles. He
For alle the servyse, that I haue done,	1112	reminds him of his
To fight with þat kinge so free		long services, and
To morue day, ere it be none.”		demands the battle.
Charles answered to Olyue:		Charles remonstrates
“Thou arte seke and woundede sore,	1116	with him.
And thou also my cosy dere,
Therfore speke thereof no more.”—
“Sir Kinge” he saide “I am alle hoole,		But Oliver insists.
I aske you this bone in goddis name.”	1120

[‹p033›] OLIVER GOES TO FIGHT WITH FERUMBRAS.

“Certes” he saide “I holde the a fole,
But I praye, god sheelde the fro shame.”		Oliver rides to the
Forth he rideth in that Forest,		forest, and finds
Tille he gan Ferumbras see,	1124	Ferumbras alighted
Where he was ligħt and toke his rest,		under a tree, to
His stede renewed til a grene tre.		a branch of which
“Sir” he saide “reste thowele!		his steed was tied.
Kinge Charles sente me hidu.	1128	“Arise,” he said,
If thou be curteys knighte and lele,		“I am come to fight
Rise vp and let vs fight to-geder.”		with thee.” [leaf 28]
Ferumbras sate stille and lough,		Ferumbras, without
Him liste not to rise oute of the place.	1132	moving, demands his
“My felowe” quod he “what arte thou?		name.
Telle me thy name for goddis grace.”
“Sir” he saide “Generyse,		“I am Generys,” says
A yonge knighte late dobbet newe.”	[1136]	Oliver, “a young
“By Mahounde” quod he “thou arte not wyse,		knight lately dubbed.”
For thy comyng shaltowe sore rewe.
I holde Charles but a foole		Ferumbras observes,
To sende the hideto me,	1140	“Charles is a fool to
I shall the lerne a newe scole,		send thee.
If thoue so hardy to fighte be.
I wende, he wolde haue sende Roulande,
Olyueand iiij mo Dosyperys,	1144
That hade bene mygħty men of honde		Go and tell him to
Bataile to a-bide stronge and fiers.		send me Roland and
With the me liste no playe begynne,		Oliver, and such four
Ride agay and saye him soo!	1148	other douzepeers. For
Of the may I no worshype wynne,		little honour were it
Though I slougħ the and such V mo.”		to me to fight with
“Howe longe” quod Olyue“wiltowe plete?		thee.”
Take thy armes and come to me,	1152	“Spare thy words,”
And prove þat thou saiest in dede,		says Oliver, “and
For boost thou blowest, and þenkes[124] me.”		take thy arms.”
Whan Ferumbras herde him speke so wel,

[‹p034›] OLIVER LAYS HOLD OF THE BOTTLES OF BALM,