Vppo her fightinge thay wondride.
Tho cryed Laba to hem on hye,
“Traytours, yelde yo to me,2212Laban threatens to
Ye shall be hongede els by and byehang them, and utters
Vppo an hye Galowe tree.”imprecations
Tho spake Flori to the Sowdo
And sayde “thou fals tyraunte,[2216]
Were Charles come, thy pride wedone
Nowe, cursede myscreaunte.against Floripas, who
Alas! that thou ascapediste sooreturns them.
By the wyndowe vppo the stronde.2220
That thy nehade broke a-twoo!
God sende the shame and shonde!”—
“A! stronge hore, god gife the sorowe!
Tho venemouse serpente.2224
Withe wilde horses[158]tho shalt be drawe to morowe,
And on this hille be brente,
That al men may be waby the,
That cursed bene of kynde.2228
And thy love shalle honged be,
His hondes bounde him byhynde.”
He called forth Mavo, his Engynou,The soudan calls for
And saide “I charge the,2232Mavon, his engineer,
To throwe a magnelle to yon tou,and orders him to
And breke it downe on thre.”direct a mangonel
Mavon set vp his engyneagainst the walls.
With a stoo of .vj. C wigħt,2236Mavon knocked down
That wente as eve as eny lyne,a piece of the
And smote a cornell dow right.battlements.
Woo was Roulande and Olyue,
That þat myschief was be-falle,2240
And so were alle the xij peres;Roland and Oliver
But Floritha comforte hem alle:lament; they are
“Sires” she saide “beitħ of goode chere!comforted by Floripas.
This Toure is stronge I-nowe.2244

[‹p065›] MARSEDAGE IS KILLED AND BURIED.

He may cast twies or thries or he hit ayen þer,[159][leaf 56]
For sothe I telle it yo.”
Marsedage, the roialle kinge,
Rode in riche weede,2248
Fro Barbary commyng,
Vppo a sturdy stede,
Cryinge to hem vppo the walle:
“Traytouris, yelde yo here![2252]
Brenne you alle ellis I shalle,
By myghty god Iubyte.”
Gy aspied, that he came ne,Guy kills Marsedage
A darte to hime he threwe ful eve,2256the king of Barbary,
He smote him throwe herte & liver in fe.by throwing a dart at
Dame Floripe lough witħ loude stevehim.
And saide “Sir Gye, my loue so free,
Thou kanste welle hit the prikke.2260
He shall make no booste in his contre;
God giffe him sorowe thikke!”
WhaLaba herde of this myschie,
A sory ma was he.2264
He trumped, his mene to relefe;They stop the attack
For to cease that tyme mente he.
Mersadage, kinge of Barbarye,
He did carye to his tente,2268
And beryed him by right of Sarsenyeto bury Marsedage,
With brennynge fire and riche oynemente,
And songe the Dirige of Alkaro,
That bibill is of here laye,2272
And wayled his deth everycho,and bewail him 7 days
vij nyghtis and vij dayes.and nights.
Anoo the Sowdo, south to say,Then the soudan more
Sente iij hundrid of knightis,2276closely blockades the
To kepe the brigge and the wayecastle.
Oute of that Castil rightis,
That noo of hem shulde issue oute,

[‹p066›] FLORIPAS PRODUCES A MAGIC GIRDLE.

To feche vitayle by no waye.2280
He charged hem to wacche wel a abowte,
That thay for-fameli myght dye.
Thus thay kepte the place vij dayes,[leaf 57]
Tille alle hire vitaile was nyȝe spente.2284The provisions being
The yates thai pas the streyte weyes.exhausted,
Tho helde thai hem with-in I-shente.
Tho spake Roulande with hevy chere
Woordes lamentable,[2288]
Wha he saugħ the ladies so whiȝte of le,
Faile brede on here table,
And saide “Charles, tho curteys kinge,Roland complains
Why forgetist tho vs so longe?2292of Charles’s
This is to me a wondir thinge;forgetfulness;
Me thinkitħ, thou doiste vs grete wronge,
To let vs dye for faute of mete,
Closed thus in a dongeo.2296
To morowe wol we asaye what we ko gete,
By god, that berithe the crow.”
Tho saide Floripas “sires, drede noghtebut Floripas cheers
For noohoungthat may befalle.2300him up,
I knowe a medycyne in my thoughte
To comforte yo witħ alle.
I have a girdil in my Force,saying she possessed
Who so girde he ther-with aboute,2304a magic girdle which
Hunger ner thirste shal him neuer dere,was a talisman
Though he were vij yere witħ-oute.”against hunger and
“O” quod Sir Gy “my loue so trewe,thirst for those who
I-blessed mote ye be!2308wore it.
I pray yo, that ye wole us alle hit shewe,
That we may haue oure saule.”
She yede and set it fortħ anoo,
Thai proved alle the vertue,2312They all successively
And diden it aboute heeuerycho.put it on and felt as
It comforted alle both moo and fewe,if they had feasted.
As thai hade bene at a feste.

[‹p067›] MAPYN ENTERS FLORIPAS’ CHAMBER.

So were thay alle wele at ease,2316
Thus were thai refresshed botħ moost & lest
And weren bifore in grete disese.
Laba wondred, how thai myght endu
Witħ-oute vitaile so longe.2320Laban wondered at
He remembred him on Floripas senctu,their endurance, but
And of the vertue so stronge.at last remembering
Tho wiste he welle, that throgħ famynethe girdle, [leaf 58]
Might he he never wynne.[2324]
He cleped to him fals Mapyne,he induced Mapyne
For he coude many a fals gynne:
He coude scale Castel and Toure
And over the walles wende.2328
“Mapyne” he saide “for my honoure,
Thou mooste haue this in mynde:
That hore, my doghter, a girdil hatħ she,
Fro hounger it savyth he alle,2332
That wonnen may thay never be,
That foule mote hir bifalle!
Kanstowe gete me that gyrdill by craft,to attempt to steal
A thousande pounde tha shal I gefe the;2336it at night.
So that it be there not lefte,[160]
But bringe it hithito me.
Tho kanste see by nyghte as welle
As any man doth by daye.2340
Whan thay bene in here beddes ful sti,
Than go forth thider right in thy waye.
Thou shalt it in here Chamber fynde,
Thou maist be thereofe sure.”2344
“Sir, there-to I wole me bynde,
If my life may endure.”
Fortħ wente this fals Mapyne
By nyght into the Tou—2348Mapyne entered the
God gife him evel endinge!—chamber of Floripas
Euen in to Floripas bou.through

[‹p068›] MAPYN WITH THE GIRDLE IS THROWN INTO THE SEA.

By a Chemney he wente inne;
Fulle stilly there he soughte it.2352a chimney;
He it founde and girde it aboute him,
And aftyr ful dere he bogħt it;he finds the girdle
For by the light of a lampe theand puts it on,
Floripas ga him aspye,2356but Floripas
Alle a-frayed oute of hir slepe for fere,perceives him
But lowde than gan she cryeand cries out.
And saide “a thefe is in my boure,
Robbe me he wole or sloo.”[2360]
Ther-with come Rouland fro his touRoland hurries to her
To wete of hir woo.assistance, [leaf 59]
He founde Mapyne bysyde hir bedde,
Stondinge amased for drede,2364
To the wyndowe he him ladde,[161]
And there he smote of his hedde,cuts off Mapine’s
And caste him oute in-to the see.head, and throws
Of the gyrdille was he not wa;2368him out through
But wha he wist, the girdel hade he,the window without
Tho hadde he sorowe and care.noticing the girdle.
Floripe to the Cheste wenteFloripas, seeing her
And aspyed, hire gyrdel was goo,2372girdle lost, is much
“Alas!” she saide, “alle is it shente!grieved;
Sir, what haue ye done?
He hath my girdel aboute hy.
Alas! þat harde while!2376
A rebelle hounde dotħ ofte grete tene;
Howe be we alle begilede.”
Tho spake Roulande witħ cheboolde,
“Dameselle! beytħ noughte aferde!2380Roland comforts her.
If any vitaile be aboute this hoolde,
We wole hem wynne withe dinte of swerde
To morowe wole wee oute-gooThey agree to attempt
And assaye, howe it wole it be.2384a sally to obtain
I make a vowe to god alone,food.

[‹p069›] THE PEERS, SURPRISING THE SARACENS, OBTAIN PROVISIONS.