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

by Unknown

Assaile hem wole we!
And if thay haue any mete,
Parte withe he wole we.	2388
Or elles strokes thay shal gete
By God and seynte Mary myavou!”[162]
In the morne, er the larke songe,		In the morning
Thai ordeynede hem to ride	2392
To the Saresyns, þat hade so longe
Leyen hem besyde.
Duke Neymes and Oge		Naymes and Ogier
Were ordeynede to kepe the place.	[2396]	remain in the castle,
The x othir of the xij peres		the others start
Wente oute to assaye here grace.
Thay founde hem in logges slepynge,		and surprise the
Of hem hade thay no thought.	2400	Saracens still
Thai slowedow þat came to honde,		sleeping in their
Mahounde availed hem noghte.		huts. [leaf 60]
In shorte tyme the ende was made,
Thay ten slough iij hundred the.	2404	They slew 300 and
Tho founde thai vitaile, thay were glad,		carried off as much
As moche as thay myghte home be.		food as they could
Duke Neymes and Oge,that kept the tou,		bear.
Say hem witħ here praye.	2408
Thai thanked god hye of honoure,
That thai spedde so þat day.
Thay avaled the brigge and lete him yn,
Flori and here maydyns were gladde,	2412
And so were thay, that were with-yn;
For alle grete hounger thay hadde.
Thai ete and dronken right I-nowe
And made myrtħ ever amonge.	2416
But of the Sowdo laban speke we nowe,
Howe of sorowe was his songe.

Han tidyngges came to him, That his me were slay, 2420 And howe thai hade stuffed he also[163]

[‹p070›] THE SOUDAN IS ENRAGED WITH HIS GODS.

With vitaile in agayne,
For sorowe he woxe nere wode.		The soudan is enraged,
He cleped Brenlande and Sortybraunce.	2424
And tolde he witħ angry mode
Of his harde myschaunce.
“Remedye ordeyne me,
Ye be chief of my counsaile;	2428
That I of hem may vengede be,
It shalle you bouth availe.
O ye goddes, ye faile at nede,
That I have honoured so longe,	[2432]
I shalle yobre, so mote[164] I spede,		and is going to burn
In a fayre fyre ful stronge;		his gods,
Shalle I neuer more on yo bileve,
But renaye yo playnly alle.	2436
Ye shalle be brente this day er eve,
That foule mote yo befalle!”
The fire was made, the goddes were broght
To have be caste the-inne.	2440	[leaf 61]
Tho alle his counsaile him by-sought,		but, appeased by his
He shulde of þat erroure blynne,		wise men,
And saide “Sir, what wole ye done?
Wole ye your goddis for-sake?	2444
Vengeaunce shalle tha on yo come,
With sorowe, woo and wrake!
Ye moste make offrynge for youre offence,
For drede of grete vengeaunce,	2448
With oyle, mylke and ffrankecense
By youre prestis ordynaunce.”
Tho he dide bere hem in aye,		he sacrifices again,
And to hem made dewe offerynge.	2452
The prestis assoyled him of þat synne,		and is assoiled by
Ful lowly for him prayinge.		the priests.
Tho he cleped his counselers
Brulande and Sortybraunce,	2456	Laban holds council.

[‹p071›] THE PEERS THROW LABAN’S GOLD AT THE ASSAILANTS.

Axynge, howe he myght destroye the xij peres,
That Mahounde gife hem myschaunce.
Thay cowde no more ther-o,
But late saile aye the toure.	2460
Witħ xxti thousande thai gago,
And bigonne a newe shoure		A new assault begins,
To breke dow the Walles,
With mattokes and witħ pike,	2464	but the ditches
Tille iiij hundred of hem alle		are filled with
Lay slayne in the dike.		assailants, who were
So stronge was the cast of stoone.		slain by the showers
The Saresyns drewe he abakke,	[2468]	of stones hurled down
Tille it was at hye none;		by the peers. The
Tho gonne thay aye to shake.		Saracens retire. A
Tho fayled hem cast, þat were with-inne;		second attack ensues.
Tho cowde thai no rede,	2472	There being no stones,
For stoone was ther noone to wynne.
Tho were thay in grete drede.
Than saide Florip, “beitħ not dismayde!
Ye shalle be holpe anoo.	2476	Floripas gave
Here is syluer vessel and now,”[165] she sayde,		them her father’s
“That shulle ye prove goode woo.”		silver and gold to
She set it forth, thay caste oute faste		cast amongst the
Alle that came to honde.	2480	assailants. [leaf 62]
Off siluer and goolde vessel thay made waste
That wast[166]dowvppo the sonde.
Wha thai saugħ that roial sight,
Thai leften alle here dede;	2484
And for the tresoure thay do fight,
Who so myghte it awey lede.		The soudan in alarm
Tho the Sowdo wexe nere wode,		for his treasure
Seinge this tresoure thus dispoyle,	2488	gives up the assault.
That was to him so dere and goode
Laye in the dike thus defoule.
He bade that thai shulde leue

[‹p072›] THE SOUDAN ASKS HIS GODS’ FORGIVENESS.

And turne he agayne in haste.	2492
He wente home tille his tente than
With grete sorowe and mournynmode.
To-fore his goddis wha he came,
He cryed, as he were wode:	2496
“O fals goddis, that ye betħ,		He is enraged with
I have trustid to longe youre mode.		his gods,
We[167] were leveto suffdede,
Tha lif this life here lenger nowe.	2500
I haue almoste loste the bretħ,
xij fals traytours me overe-lede,
And stroyen alle þat I haue.
Ye fals goddis, the devel youe spede!	[2504]
Ye make me nowe for to rave;
Ye do fayle me at my nede.”
In Ire he smote Mahounde,		and smites Mahound so
That was of goolde fulle rede,	2508	that he fell on his
That he fille dow to the grounde,		face;
As he hade bene dede.
Alle here bisshopes cryde oute
And saide “Mahounde, thy ore!”	2512
And dow to the erthe wele lowe thay loute,
Howlynge and wepynge sore,
And saide “Sire Sowdo, what haue ye done?
Vengeaunce shalle on the falle,	2516
But tho repente the here anone.”
“Ye” quod he “I shrewe yo alle!”		but the priests
Thai made a fyre of franencense		induce him
And blewe hornes of bras,	2520
And casten in milke hony for the offence,		[leaf 63]
To-fore Mahoundes face.
Thay counsailed Laban to knele a dow		to kneel down and ask
And aske forgevenes in that place.	2524	forgiveness.
And so he didde and hade pardo
Throgh prayere and specialle grace.

[‹p073›] RICHARD STARTS ON MESSAGE TO CHARLES.

Then[168] this was done, þa sayde Roulande		Meanwhile Roland
To his Felowes xj:	2528	exhorted Richard of
“Here may we not longe holde londe,		Normandy to go on
By God that is in heve.		message to Charles,
Therefore sende we to Charles, the kinge,		that he might come
That he wolde reskowe vs sone;	2532	to their rescue.
And certyfye him ooure strayȝte beinge,		They all would the
If ye thinke, it be to done.		following morning,
Richard of Normandye, ye most goo,		before day break,
I holde yo both wyse and hende.	2536	make an attack on
And we shalle tomorowe, as stil as stoo,		the Saracens, and
The Saresyns a-wake, er ye wynde.[169]		meanwhile he should
And while we be mooste bysy in oure werke,		steal off in the
And medel witħ hem alle in fere,	[2540]	darkness. In the
Stele ye a-waye in the derke!		morning
And spede you faste, ye were there!”
On the morowe aftithe daye
Thay were armede ful ryghte,	2544
Thai rode fortħ stilly in here way,		they sally out.
God gouerne hem, mooste of myght!
Floripe and here maydyns kept the tou		Floripas and her
And woonde vp the brigges on hye,	2548	maidens draw up the
And prayde god, to kepe here paramou,		bridges after them.
The Duke of Burgoyne, SirGe.
She preyde to Rouland, er he wente,
To take goode hede of hi,	2552
That he were neyþer take nere shente,
As he wolde her loue wynne.
On thay set with herte stronge
And alle he sore afrayed.	2556
Richard the whiles away he wronge,
Thile[170] thai were alle dismayede.		Richard went off
Towarde the Mountrible he hyed him faste,		towards Mantrible.
To passe, if that he myghte.	2560	[leaf 64]
Thedir he came at the laste.