[‹p074›] GUY IS MADE PRISONER.

God kepe him for his mocħ myght!
His xij[171] felowes besyed he sooThe others slay many
That many of he thay sloughe.[172]2564Saracens;
Gye slowe the kinge of Babyloyne tho;
The Babyloynes of his hors him drowe,but Guy, overpowered
And with force him drowe thereby the Babylonians,
And bounde his hondes ful fast.2568is taken prisoner.
A newe game thai ga him lere,
For in depe priso thay him caste.
But Laba wolde him first se,
To wete what he was.2572
“Telle me thy name nowe” quod he,Laban asks his name.
“Thy songe shalle be ‘alas.’”—
“Sire” he saide “my name is Gye,Guy tells him.
I wole it never forsake.[2576]
It were to me grete vilanye
A othir name to take.”—
“O fals traytour” quod Laba,
“My doghtir, þat stronge hore,2580
Hath me for-sake and the hath ta,
Tho shalte be honged therfore.”He is to be hanged.
Roulande made grete moone,
It wolde noo other be.2584
Homwarde thai gagoo,
.iij.c Saresyns ther saye he,300 Saracens crowding
That kepte the pace at the brigge-ende,near the gate of the
Armed wel in goode araye,2588castle, attempted to
That thai sholde not in wende,prevent the other
But be take or slay þat daye.peers from entering.
Roulande to his felowes saide:
“Beth alle of right gode chere!2592
And we shal make hem alle afrayde,
Ewe go to oure soupere.”
There byganne a bykeringe boldeA fearful struggle
Of x Bachelers that tyde,2596begins.

[‹p075›] BRYER IS SLAIN.

Agayne iijc me I-tolde,
That durste righte wel a-byde.
Tho was Durnedale set a werke,[leaf 65]
XL of hethen he sloughe,2600
He spared neþelewde ner clerke,
And Floripas the-ofloughe.
The shotte, the caste was so stronge,
Syr Bryer was slay there2604Sir Bryer is killed.
With dartes, gauylokes and speres longe,
xxti on hym there were.
Roulande was woo and Olyue,
Thay sloughe alle that thai mette.2608
Tho fledde the Turkes alle for fe,At last the Saracens
Thay durste no longer lettetake to flight.
And saide, thai weno men,
But develis abroke oute of helle,[2612]
“.iij. hundred of vs agay hem te.
Oure lorde Mahounde hem qwelle!
XL of vs here be ascaped,
And hardde we be bistadde.”—2616
“Who so wole of he more be iaped,
I holde him worsse than madde.”
Tho Roulande and OlyueThe peers retire
Made grete woo and sorowe,2620inside the castle,
And toke the corps of Sir Bryeretaking the corpse of
And beryed it on the morowe.Bryer with them.
Floripe asked Roulande anooneFloripas enquires
“Where is my loue Sir Gye?”—2624after Guy,
“Damesel” he saide “he is goo,
And therfore woo am I.”—and on hearing of his
“Alas” she saide “than am I dede,capture, begins to
Nowe Gye my lorde is slay,2628lament despairingly.
Shall I neuer more ete brede
Tille that I may se hiagay.”—
“Be stille” quod Roulande “and haue no ca,Roland promises to
We shal hy haue ful wele.2632rescue Guy.

[‹p076›] GUY IS GOING TO BE HANGED,

Tomorowe wele we thiderward fa
With spere and shelde of stele.
But we bringe him to this Tou—
Leeve me elles no more—2636
With victorye and grete honou,
Or thay shalle abye it ful sore.”[leaf 66]
On the morowe, whan tha daye was clere,
Laban ordeynede Gye honged to be.2640On the following
He cleped forth Sir Tamperemorning Laban orders
And badde him do make a Galowe tre,Sir Tamper to erect
“And set it eve by-fore the tou,a gallows before
That þilke hore may him see;2644the castle, where
For by lord Mahounde of honou,Floripas could see it.
This traitour there shalle honged be.
Take withe the .iij. hundred knigħtes
Of Ethiopis, Indens and Ascopartes,[2648]
That bene boolde and hardy to fight
With Wifles, Fauchons, Gauylokes[173] and Dartes;
Leste þat lurdeynes come skulkynge oute,
For ever thay haue bene shrewes.2652
Loke eche of he haue sucħ a cloute,
That thay neuer ete moo Sewes.”
Forth thay wente with Sir Gye,Guy is led bound.
That bounde was as a thefe faste,2656
Tille thay come the towful nye;
Thai rered the Galowes in haste.
Roulande perceyued here doynge
And saide “felows, let armes[174]!2660Roland calls his
I am ful gladde of here comynge,companions to arms.
Hem shall not helpe her charmes.”
Oute thai riden a wele gode spede,They rush forth.
Thai ix towarde hem alle.2664
Florip witħ here maydyns toke gode hede,
Biholdinge over the touwalle.
Thai met first witħ Sir Tampe,

[‹p077›] BUT IS RESCUED BY ROLAND AND OLIVER.

God gife him evelle fyne!2668
Such a stroke lente hym Olyue,Oliver cuts down Sir
He clefe him dow to the skyne.Tamper; Roland kills
Rouland bare the kinge of Yndea king of India,
Ther with his spere frome his stede.2672
.iiij. fote it passed his bak byhynde,
His herte blode þedidde he blede.
He caught the stede, he was ful goode,
And the swerde, þat the kinge hadde,2676takes his sword and
And rode to Gye, there he stode,horse, [leaf 67] and
And onbounde hy and bade him be gladde.gives them to Guy,
And girde him witħ that goode swerde,having unbound him.
And lepen vppo here stedes.2680
“Be thou” he saide “righte nougħt a-ferde,
But helpe vs wightly at this nede.”They slay many
An hundred of hem sone thay sloweSaracens, and put the
Of the beste of hem alle;[2684]rest to flight.
The remenaunte a-way fast thay flowe,
That foule motte hem byfalle!
Rouland and his Felowes were glad
That Gye was safe in dede.2688
Thay thanked god, that thay[175] him hadde
Gyfen thaye† sucħ grace to spede.
As thay wente towarde the Tou,Retiring towards the
A litil bysyde the hye waye,2692castle,
Thai saugh comynge with grete vigouthey see admiral
An hundred vppo a laye.[176]Costroye and
Costroye ther was, the Admyra,the soudan’s
With vitaile grete plente,2696standard-bearer
And the stondarte of the Sowdo Roial.escorting a great
Towarde Mauntrible ride he,convoy, destined for
.iiij. Chariotes I-charged witħ flessh and brede,the sultan, across a
And two othewith wyne,2700field near the high
Of divers colouris, yolowe, white and rede,road.
And iiij Somers of spicery fyne.

[‹p078›] THE PEERS LAY HOLD OF A CONVOY.

Tho saide Roulande to Olyue:
“With these meyne moste we shifte,2704
To haue parte of here vitailes he,
For therof us nedith by my thrifte.”—
“Howe, sires” he saide “god you see!Roland calls to them
We pray youe for youre curtesye,2708
Parte of your Vitaile graunte me,to share the
For we may nother borowe ner bye.”provisions with them.
Tho spake Cosdroye, that Admyral,
“Ye gete none here for nogħt.2712Costroye refuses,
Yf ye oght chalenge in specia,
It most be dere I-boght.”—
“O gentil knightes” quod Olyuere,
“He is no felowe, þat wole haue alle.”2716
“Go fortħ” quod the stondart, “tho getist noon here,
Thy parte shalle be fulle smalle.”—
“Forsoth” quod Roulande “and shift we wole,[leaf 68]
Gete the better, who gete maye![2720]
To parte with the nedy it is gode skille,
And so shalle ye by my faye.”
He rode to the Admyral witħ his swerdeand is slain by
And gafe him suche a cloute,2724Roland.
No wonder thogħ he were aferde,
Both his eyȝe braste oute.
Olyuere met withe the proude stondarde,
He smote him througħ the herte.2728Oliver kills the
That hade he for his rewarde;standard-bearer.
That wounde ga sore smerte.
Thai were slay, that wolde fight
Er durste bikure abyde.2732
Thai forsoke her parte anoo rigħt,
It lefte alle o that o side.
Forth thai drewe þat vitaileThe convoy is
Streight in-to the Toure.2736conveyed into the
There was no ma durst hem assaylecastle.
For drede of here vigou.