There thai founde two of here feris.they were glad to
Thay thanked thereof god of honoure.find Roland and
Tho sayde Duke Neymys of Baue:Oliver.
“Gladde men we be nowe here,1860
To fynde Roulande and Olyue
In helthe of bodye and of goode che.”
Thai kissed eche other with herte gladde
And thanked god of his grace;1864
And eche toolde othir, howe thay sped hadde,They told each other
And howe thay come in-to that placehow they had fared.
By helpe of mayde Flori hire self,
“God kepe hir in honoure!1868
For thus hath she brought vs hider alle twelfe,
To dwelle in hir owe boure.”
Tho thay wessh and wente to mete,After washing,
And were served welle and fyne1872
Of suche goode, as she myght gete,
Of Venyso, brede and gode wyne.
There thai were gladde and wel at ease;they dined off
The Soudo ne wist it noght.1876venison, bread and
Aftyr thay slepe and toke her ese,wine, and then
Of no man tha thay ne roght.went to sleep. The
On the morowe Flori, that mayde fre,following day,
To Duke Neymes spake in game:1880Floripas asks Naymes
“Sir gentil knigħt,” tho saide she,his name,
“Telle me, what is your name.”
“Whi axe ye, my lady dere,
My name here to knowe alle?”1884
“For he[149] spake with so bolde chere
To my Fadir yestirdaye in his halle.
Be not ye the Duke of Burgoyne, sir G,and enquires after
Nevewe unto the kinge Charles so fre?”1888[leaf 47] Guy of
“Noe, certes, lady, it is not I,Burgundy, whom she
It is yondir knight, þat ye may see.”had loved for a long
“A, him have I loved many a day;time, and for

[‹p055›] GUY CONSENTS TO TAKE HER FOR HIS WIFE.

And yet knowe I him noght.[1892]whom she would do all
For his loue I do alle that I maye,she could for their
To chere yowitħ dede and thought.benefit, and would be
For his love wille I cristenede bebaptised,
And lefe Mahoundes laye.1896
Spekith to him nowe for me,
As I yotruste maye;
And but he wole graunte me his loue,if he would agree to
Of yoaskape shalle none here.1900love her in return.
By him, þat is almyghty aboue,
Ye shalle abye it ellis ful dere.”
Tho wente Duke Neymes to Sir Gye
And saide “This ladye lovetħ the,1904Naymes tells Guy
For thy loue she maketħ us alle merye,
And Baptizede wole she be.
Ye shalle hir take to your wedded wife,to take her for his
For alle vs she may saue.”1908wife,
“By God” quod Gye “þat gafe me life,But Guy refuses,
Hire wole I never haue,
Wyle I neuer take hire ner no woma,as he never will take
But Charles the kinge hir me gife.1912a wife, unless she be
I hight him, as I was trewe ma,
To holde it, while I lyve.”given him by Charles.
Tho spake Roulande and Olyue,Rouland and Oliver
Certyfyinge him of he myschefe,1916persuaded him,
Tellinge him of the parelles, þat þay in we,
For to take this lady to his wedded wife.
“But thohelpe in this nede,
We be here in grete doute.1920
Almyghty god shalle quyte thy mede,
Elles come we nevere hennys oute.”
Thus thay treted him to and fro;
At the laste he sayde, he wolde.1924so that he at last
Floripas thay cleped fortħ tho;consented.
And brought fourth a Cuppe of golde,Floripas, holding a
Ful of noble myghty wyne,golden cup of wine,

[‹p056›] LUKAFER VISITS THE PRISONERS.

And saide “my loue and my lorde,[1928][leaf 48]
Myn herte, my body, my goode is thy,”
And kissed him witħ that worde,kissed him, and
And “sir” she saide “drinke to me,requested him to
As the Gyse is of my londe;1932drink to her after
And I shalle drinke agay to the,the fashion of her
As to my worthy hosbonde.”country. She also
Thay clipped and kissed botħ in feredrinks to him. They
And made grete Joye and game,1936all make merry.
And so did alle, that were the,
Thai made ful mery alle in same.
Tho spake Floripas to the Barons boolde
And saide “I haue armuI-nowe;1940
Therfore I tel yo,what I wolde,
And þat ye dide for your prowe.
To morue, wha my Fadir is at his soupe,For the following day
Ye shalle come in alle attonys;1944
Loke ye spare for no fere,
Sle dow and breke botħ bake and bones;
Kithe yoknightis of hardynesse!
Ther is none helpe, but in this wyse,1948
Then moste ye shewe youre prowes,
And wynne this Castel in this guyse.”
Thai sayden alle, it was welle saide,
And gladde thay were of this counsaile.1952
Here armuwas fortħ layde,they all prepare to
At souper the Sowdo to assaile.assail the Soudan at
Kinge Lucafere prayde the Sawdo,supper. Lukafer comes
That he wolde gif him lysence,1956to the Soudan and
To the prisoners for to goo,asks leave to see the
To see the maner of her presence.prisoners, in order
He gafe him lefe, and forth he wenteto know the manner of
Vp vnto Floripas Toure.1960their detention.
To asspie the maner was his enten,
He to accuse agayne honoure.Finding the door
Wha he come, he founde the dore fast I-stoke,locked, he burst it

[‹p057›] HE TEACHES THEM A NEW GAME.

He smote there-on with his fist,[1964]open with a blow of
That the barbega to broke.his fist.
To make debate, wel him list.
“Who artowe” quod Floripas[150]
“Þat maketh hesucħ araye†?”1968
“I am kinge Lucafere of Baldas,[leaf 49]
The Sowdo sente me hidir in faye;
To see his prisoneris is my desire
And speke with hem everycho,1972He told them that he
To talke with hem by the firewas come to speak to
And speke of dedis of Armes amonge.”them,
Tho saide Duke Neymes “welcome be ye
To us prisoners here!1976
What is your wille, nowe telle ye;
For we be me of feble chere.”
“I woolde wete of Charles the kinge,and to enquire after
What ma he is in his contre,1980Charlemagne.
And what meyne he hatħ, and of what thinge
He rekyneth moost his dignyte.”
Duke Neymes saide “an EmperoureDuke Naymes answers.
And kinge he is of many a londe,1984
Of Citeis, Castels, and many a Toure,
Dukes, Erles, Barons bowynge to his honde.”
“But saye me, felowe, what is your vse,
To do in contaftyr the none.1988He then asks what
And what is the custome of your hous,amusements they have
Tille me to souper shalle gone?”after dinner. Naymes
“Sir, somme me iouste[151] witħ speand shelde,says, ‘Some joust,
And somme me Carol and singe gode songes,1992some sing, some play
Some shote with dartis in the feelde,at chess.’
And somme play at Chesse amonge.”
“Ye bene but foulis of gode dissporte;‘I will teach you
I wole yotech a newe play.1996a new game,’ says
Sitte dow here by one assorte,Lukafer.

[‹p058›] LUKAFER IS ROASTED TO CHARCOAL.

And better myrthe never ye saye.”
He teyde a tredde on a poleWith a thread he
With an nedil ther-on I-fest,[2000]fastened a needle
And ther vppo a qwicole.on a pole and put a
He bade every man blowe his blast.burning coal upon it.
Duke Neymes hade a long berde,He blew it at
Kinge Lucafeblewe eve to hy,2004Naymes’s beard and
That game hade he never before lered.burnt it. Naymes
He brent the heof Neymes berde to the skyne.waxed wroth, and
Duke Neymes tha gan wex wrotħ,snatching a burning
For he hade brente his berde so white2008[leaf 50] brand from
To the Chymneye forth he goththe fire he smites at
And caught a bronde him witħ to smyte.Lukafer and throws
Witħ a goode wille he him smote,him into the fire,
That both his eyebreste oute.2012
He caste him in the fire al hote;
For sothe he hadde a rigħt gode cloute.
And with a fyre forke he helde him doune,
Tille he were rosted to colis ilkadele.2016where he was roasted
His soule hade his god Mahou.to charcoal. Floripas
Flori bade hi warme him wele.applauds this,
“Sires” tho saide Floripas,
“Entendith nowe al to me!2020
This Lucafeof Baldas
Was a lorde of grete mayne.
My Fadir hade him euer yn che
I telle you for sothe everydele,2024
He wolde anoo aftyr him enque,but points out their
And therefore loke, ye arme you we!”danger, and advises
Florip wente in, as the maner was,them to arm. At
To here Fadir at souper tyme.2028supper time she goes
No man spake worde of kinge Baldas,to her father.
Ner no man knewe of his sharp pyne.
The xij peris armed hem wel and fyne
With swerdes drawe and egchere.2032
While thay mery[152] drinkynthe wyne

[‹p059›] THE PEERS TURN THE SARACENS OUT OF THE CASTLE.