His witte was not worth a leke:[leaf 43]
“Woltowe for Angre thy Barons sende
To þat Tiraunte, þat alle men sleitħ?1728
Or thou doist for þat ende,
To bringe thy xij peres to the detħ.”
The kinge was wrotħ and swore in halle
By him, þat boght him witħ his blode:1732
“On my messange shall ye go alle!
Be ye never so wrotħ or wode.”
Thay toke here lefe and fortħ thay yede,The knights take
It availed not agayne him to sayne.1736leave and start.
I pray, god gif hem gode spede!
Ful harde it was to comeagay.
Owe let hem passe in goddis name,
And speke we of the Sowdo,1740The Soudan assembled
Howe he complayned him of his grame,his council.
And what that he myght beste done.
“Sortybraunnce and Bronlande[144]” seyde he,Sortibrance and
“Of counsail ye be fulle wyse.1744Brouland
How shal I do to avenge me
Of kinge Charles, and in what wyse?
He brennyth my Toures and my Citees,
And Burges he levethe me never oo.[1748]
He stroieth my me, my londe, my fees.
Thus shalle it not longe goo.
And yet me greveth most of alle,
He hath made Ferumbras renay his laye.1752

[‹p051›] HE DESPATCHES XII MESSENGERS TO CHARLES.

Therfore my counselors I calle,
To remedy this, howe thay best maye.
For me were lever that he were slay,
Thane he a Criste hounde shulde be,1756
Or witħ Wolfes be rente and slay,
By Mahounde mygħty of dignyte.”
To answerde Sortybraunce and Broulandeadvise him
And saide “gode counsaile we shal yogyfe,1760
If thoue wilte do aftyr covenaunte,
It shal yoprofit, while yolyve.
Take xij knightis of worthy dedeto send 12 knights,
And sende hem to Charles on message nowe.1764and to bid Charles
A-raye hem welle in roial wede,
Forth honouand for thy prowe.[leaf 44]
Bidde Charles sende thy sone to theto give up Ferumbras
And voyde thy londe in alle haste,1768and to withdraw from
Or ellis thou shalt him honge on a tre,his country.
As hye, as any shippes maste.”
“Nowe by Mahounde” quod Laban,
“This counseil is both trewe and goode,1772
I shalle him leve for no ma
To parforme this, though he wewoode.”
He did his lettris write in haste,
The knightes were called to goo þerwitħ,1776The knights are
That thay hyȝe he to Charles fastedispatched.
And charke[145]hyvppo life and lithe.
Fortħ thai ride towarde Mantrible þa,
In a medowe, was fayre and grene,1780Near Mantrible
Thai mette witħ Charles messageris te.they meet with the
Duke Neymes axed he, what thai wolde mene,Christian messengers.
And saide “Lordynges, whens come ye?Duke Naymes inquires
And whider ye are mente, telle vs this tyde.”[1784]whither they intend
“Fro the worthy Sowdo”tha saide he,to go.
“To Charles on message shalle we ride,

[‹p052›] THE PEERS KILL THE SOUDAN’S MESSENGERS.

Euel tithyngges we shalle him telle,
Fro Laban, that is lorde of Spayne.1788
Farewele, felowes, we may not dwelle.”
“A-byde” quod Gy “and turne agayne,Having heard their
We wole speke with yo,er ye goo,message,
For we be messengeris of his.1792
Ye shal aby everichone,
So God brynge me to blis.”
Anoo here swerdes oute thay brayde
And smotedow right al a-boute.1796
Tille the hethe were dow layde,
Thai reseyued many a sore cloute.
Thai smyte of here hedes alle,the delegates of
Eche ma toke one in his lappe.1800Charles cut off their
Fal what so euer byfalle,heads, which they
To the Soudo wole they trappe.take with them to
Tille thai come to Egremoure,present to the Soudan
Thai stynte for no worldes thinge;1804at Agremore.
Anone thai fonde the Sawda thore,
At his mete proudely sittynge,[leaf 45] The Soudan
And þat maide faiDame Floripaswas just dining.
And xiiij princes of grete price1808
And kinge Lukafeof Baldas,
Thas was both bolde, hardy and wyse.
Doughty Duke Neymes of BaueNaymes delivers
To the Sowdone his message tolde1812his message: ‘God
And saide “god, þat made heve so cle,confound Laban and
He saue kinge Charles so boldeall his Saracens, and
And confounde Laba and all his me,save Charles,
That on Mahounde byleved[146]1816
And gife hem evel endinge! ame.
To morue, longe er it be eve,who commands thee
He commaundith the vppo thy lifeto send back his
His Nevewes home to him sende,[1820]two nephews and to
And the Religes[147] of Rome withoute strife;restore the relics.’

[‹p053›] THE PEERS ARE IMPRISONED IN FLORIPAS’ TOWER.

And ellis getist thou an evel ende!
xij lurdeynes mette vs on the waye;
Thai saide, thay come streight fro the.1824
Thai made it botħ stoute and gay;
Here hedis here maistowe see.They then produce the
Thai saide, thai wolde to Charles goo,heads of the Soudan’s
Evel tidingges him to telle.1828messengers.
Loo here here heddis euerychone,
Here soulis bene in helle.”
“O” quod Lavane “what may this be,
To suffthis amonge my knightes alle?1832
To be rebuked thus here of theThe Soudan vowed
At mete in myn owe halle!a vow that they
To Mahounde myghty I make a vowe,should all ten be
Ye shall be hanged alle ten,1836hanged as soon as
Anoon as I have ete I-nowe,he had finished
In presence of alle my me.”his dinner. But
Maide Floripas answered thoFloripas recommended
And saide “my derworth Fadir de!1840him to put off his
By my counsaile ye shal not so,resolution, until
Tille ye haue your Barons alle in fe,a general council
That thai may se what is the best,of his barons had
For to delyuere my brother Sir Ferumbras.1844determined on the
And aftirward, if þat ye liste,best way of the
Ye may gife hem ful evel grace.”liberation of
“Gramercy, doghter, thou saieste welle,Ferumbras. [leaf 46]
Take hem alle into thy warde.1848The Soudan gives them
Do feter hem faste in Ire and steleinto her guard.
And set hem in strayȝte garde.
Thus was I neuer rebukede er nowe;
Mahounde myghty gyfe he sorowe!1852
Thay shalle be flayn and honged on a bowe,
Longe ere tyme[148] to morowe.”Floripas leads the
Flori toke these messangerisknights into her
And ladde hem vp in-to here tou,[1856]tower, where

[‹p054›] FLORIPAS ENQUIRES AFTER GUY.