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

by Unknown

And sittinge alle at here soupe.		As they were sitting
Thai reheted the Sowdo and his Barons alle		at table, the twelve
And made orders wondir fast,	[2036]	peers rushed in and
Thai slowe dow alle, þat were in the halle,		slew all whom they
And made hem wondirly sore a-gast.		met.
Olyvere egerly sued Laba		Laban, pursued by
With swerd I-drawe in his honde.	2040	Oliver, jumps out of
Oute at the wyndowe lepte he þa		a window on to the
Vppo the salte see stronde,[153]		sea-shore and escaped
And he skaped away fro hime,
But woo was he þerfore,	2044
That he went awaye witħ ly		without injury.
To worche hem sorowe more.
Roulande tha came rennynge
And axed, where was Laban.	2048
Olyuere answerede moornynge		[leaf 51]
And saide, howe he was agoo.
Tho thai voided the Courtes at the last		They killed all in
And slowe tho, that wolde a-byde,	2052	the castle, and then
And drewe the brigge and teyed it fast,		drew up the bridges
And shitte the gatis, that were so wyde.		and shut the gates.
Laban, that by the ebbe escapede,
Of harde, er he come to londe,	2056
He alle astonyed and a-mapide,[154]
For sorowe he wronge botħ his honde
And made a vowe to Mahounde of myght,		Laban vowed a vow
He wolde that Cite wynne	2060
And never go thens by day nor nyght,
For foo, for frende, ner for kynne.
“And tho traytouris will I do honge,
On a Galowes hye with-oute the gate;	2064	that he would hang
And my Doghter, þat hore stronge,		them all and burn his
I-brente shal be there-ate.”		daughter. He sent to
To mauntryble he gan sende anoo		Mantrible for troops
Aftir men and tentis goode,	2068	and

[‹p060›] THE SOUDAN BESIEGES THE CASTLE.

And Engynes to throwe witħ stoo		engines,
And goode armumany foolde.
The sege he did leyen a-bowte		and besieged Agremore.
On every side of that Cite.	[2072]
To wallis with Engynes thai gan rowte,
To breke the Toures so fre.
Tho saide Flori, “lordingges goode,		Floripas recommends
Ye bene biseged in this toure,	2076	the peers
As ye bene wight of mayne and moode,
Proveth here to saue youre honou.
The toure is stronge, drede yonought,
And vitayle we have plente.	2080
Charles wole not leve yovnsougħt;
Truste ye welle alle to me.
Therefore go we soupe and make merye,		to enjoy themselves.
And takith ye alle your ease;	2084
And xxxti maydens lo here of Assyne,[155]
The fayrest of hem ye chese.
Take your sporte, and kith yoknyghtes,
Whan ye shalle haue to done;	2088
For to morowe, when the day is light,		[leaf 52]
Ye mooste to the wallis goo
And defende this place witħ caste of stoo
And with shotte of quarelles and darte.	2092
My maydyns and I sha bringe goode wone,
So eueryche of us shalle bere hir parte.”
On morowe the Sowdo made assaute		In the morning the
To hem, that were witħ-Inne,	2096	soudan attacks the
And certes in hem was no defaute,		castle,
For of he myght thay nought wynne.
Here shotte, here cast was so harde,
Thay durste not nyȝhe the walle.	2100
Thay drowe hem bakwarde,		but is repulsed.
Thay were bete over alle.
King Laba turnede to his tentesagay,

[‹p061›] HE ASKS BROULAND’S ADVICE.

He was nere wode for tene,	2104
He cryede to Mahounde and Apolyne		He accuses his gods
And to Termagaunte, þat was so kene,		of sleepiness, and
And saide “ye goddes, ye slepe to longe,		shakes them to wake
Awake and helpe me nowe,	[2108]	up.
Or ellis I may singe of sorowe a songe,
And of mournynge right I-nowe.
Wete ye not wele, that my tresoure
Is alle witħ-inne the walle?	2112
Helpe me nowe, I saye therfore,
Or ellis I forsake yoalle.”
He made grete lamentacio,
His goddis byganne to shake.	2116
Yet that comfortede his meditacio,
Supposinge thay didde awake.
He cleped Brenlande to aske counsaile,
What was beste to done,	2120
And what thinge myght hi moste avayle,
To wynne the Cite sone.
“Thou wotist welle, þat alle my tresou
Is there in here kepinge,	2124
And my doughter, þat stronge hore,
God yif her evelle endyn!”
“Sir” he saide “ye knowe welle,		[leaf 53] Brouland
That Toure is wondir stronge.	2128	tells him, as the
While þay haue vitayle to mele,		castle is strong and
Kepe it thay wole fulle longe.		well stored with
Sende to Mauntreble, youcheif Cite,		provisions, the peers
That is the keye of this londe,	2132	will hold it very
That no passe, where it so be,		long;
With-oute youre speciall sonde,		but if he would send
To Alagolofu,þat geaunte stronge,		orders to Alagolafre,
That is wardeyne of þat pas,	2136	the bridge-keeper at
That no man passe that brigge alonge,		Mantrible, not to
But he have special grace.		allow any one to pass
So shalle not Charles witħ his meyne		without leave,

[‹p062›] ESPIARD IS DESPATCHED TO MANTRIBLE.

Reskowe tha Agramoure.	2140	they would get no
Tha thay shalle enfamyched be,		assistance from
That shalle hem rewe ful sore.”—		Charles, and die from
“Mahoundis blessynge have thoand myne,		hunger.
Sortybraunce, for thy rede.”—	[2144]
“Espyarde, messangemyne,		Espiard is despatched
In haste thou most the spede		to Mantrible,
To my Cite Mavntreble,
To do my message there,	2148
To Alogolof,þat giaunte orrible.
Bydde him his charge wele lere,
And tel him, howe that the last daye
Ten fals traytours of Fraunce	2152
Passed by that same waye
By his defaute witħ myschaunce,
Charginge him vppo his hede to lese,
That no man by the brigge,[156]	2156
Be it rayne, snowe or freze,
But he his heede dow ligge.”
Espiarde spedde him in his waye,
Tille he to Mauntrible came,	2160
To seke the geaunte, ther he laye
On the banke bysyde the Dame,
And saide “the worthy Sowdo,
That of alle Spay is lorde and si,	2164
Vppo thy life commaundeth the anoo,		and commands the giant
To deserue better thyn hire.
The laste day tho letist here passe
Ten trattoures of douse Fraunce.	2168
God giffe the evel grace,
And he also moche myschaunce!
He charged the vppo life and detħ,
To kepe this place sikerlye;	2172
While in thy body lastetħ the bretħ,		not to suffer any one
Lette noo enemye passe the-bye.”		to pass the bridge.

[‹p063›] ALAGOLAFRE BARRICADES THE BRIDGE.

Alagolofur rolled his ye
And smote with his axe o the stone	2176
And swore by Termagaunte and Apolyne,
That ther-by shulde passen never one,
But if he smote of his hede,
And brought it to his lorde Laba,	[2180]
He wolde never ete no brede,
Nere never loke more on ma.
xxiiijti Cheynes he didde ouer-drawe,		Alagolafre drew 24
That noo man passe mygħt,	2184	chains across the
Neyther for loue nere for awe,		bridge.
No tyme by daye, nere by nyghte.
“Go, telle my lorde, I shalle it kepe;
On payne of my grete heede	2188
Shalle ther no ma goo ner crepe,
But he be take or dede.”
This geaunte hade a body longe
And hede, like an libarde.	2192
Ther-to he was devely stronge,
His skynne was blake and harde.
Of Ethiope he was bore,
Of the kinde of Ascopartes.	2196
He hade tuskes, like a bore,
An hede, like a liberde.
Laban nolde not forgete		The soudan assaults
The saute to renewe,[157]	2200	the castle again,
To wynne the Toure, he wolde not lete.
Here trumpes lowde thay blewe.
Every man wente to the walle,
With pikeys or witħ bowe.	2204	[leaf 55]
Thai made assaute generalle,
The walles downe to throwe.
But thay witħ-inne bare he soo,		but the 12 peers slay
Thay slowe of the Saresyns iij hundre.	2208	300 Saracens.
Thay wroghte hem both care and woo,

[‹p064›] MAVON BATTERS THE CASTLE.