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

by Unknown

[‹p079›] THE SOUDAN DEFIES HIS GODS.

Floripe hem resceyved with honou
And thanked Roulande fele sythe,	2740	Floripas thanks
That she saugħ Gye hir paramou,		Roland for bringing
That wolde she him qwite and kithe.		back Sir Guy,
Thai ete and dronken and made hem gladde,
Hem neded ther aftyr fulle sore	2744
Of suche, as god hem sente hade,
I-nowe for iiij moonþes and more.		and proposes that he
Florip saide to Roulande than,		shall choose himself
“Ye moste chese you a love[177]	2748	a mistress from
Of alle my maydyns, white as swa.”—		amongst her maidens.
Quod Rouland “þat were myscheve;		But Roland refuses to
Oure lay wole not, þat we with youe dele,		take any that is no
Tille that ye Cristy be made;	2752	Christian.
Ner of your play we wole not fele,
For tha were we cursed in dede.”

Owe shall ye here of Laba. The soudan, on Whan tidyngges to him wecome, [2756] hearing such bad news, Tho was he a fulle sory ma.

Whan he herde, howe his vitaile were nome,
And howe his men were slayne,
And Gye was go safe he froo,	2760	[leaf 69]
He defyed Mahounde and Apolyne,		again defies his gods,
Iubiter, Ascarot and Alcaro also.
He commaundede a fire to be digħt		and threatens to
With picche and Brymsto to bre.	2764	throw them into the
He made a vowe with alle his mygħt,		flames.
“Thai shal be caste ther-Inne!”
The prestes of helawe ther-o,
Thai cride oute for drede	2768
And saide “alas, what wole ye done?
The worse than moste ye spede!”
The Sowdo made a grete othe
And swore by his hye trone,	2772
That though hem were never so lotħ,

[‹p080›] RICHARD ARRIVES AT MANTRIBLE.

Thai sholde be brente Icho.
Tho came the bisshope Cramadas		But bishop Cramadas
And kneled bifore the Sowdo,	2776	kneels before him and
And charged him by the hye name Sathanas,		appeases him.
To saven his goddes ycho:
“For if ye brenne youre goddes he,
Ye wynny her maliso,	2780
Than wole no man do yoche,
In feelde, Cite, nein tow.”
The Sowdo was astonyed þan
And gan him sore repente	2784
Of the foly, that he byga,
And els hade he be shente.
A thousande of Besauntes he offred þaym to,		The soudan makes an
By counsail of sir Cramadas,	2788	offering of 1000
To please witħ his goddys tho,		besants to his gods.
For fere of harde grace.
The Sowdone commaunded euery daye
To assaile the touwitħ caste.	[2792]
But thay with-in gafe not an Eye,
For thai wroghte in wast.		When Richard arrived

Owe speke we of Richarde of Normandy, as far as Mantrible, That on message was sente, 2796 he found the bridge Howe he spede and his meyne. barred by 24 chains,

Whan he to Mauntrible wente,		and Alagolafre
He founde the brigge Ichayned sore;		standing before it.
xxiiijti were ouere-drawe.	2800	[leaf 70]
Alagolofure stode there byfore,
That many a man hade slawene.
Whan Richard saugħ, ther was no gate,		Determined not to
But by flagot the flode,	2804	leave his errand
His message wolde he not lete;		unperformed, he knelt
His hors was botħ bigge and goode.		down and commended
He kneled, bisechinge god of his grace,		himself to God. A
To save him fro myschiefe.	2808	hind appears
A white hende he saugħ anoo in þat place,

[‹p081›] RICHARD CROSSES THE RIVER AND OVERTAKES CHARLES.

That swaovethe cliffe.		and swims across.
He blessed him in godis name		Richard follows her,
And folowed the same waye	2812	and, passing over in
The gentil hende, þat was so tame,		safety,
That o þat othir side gan playe.
He thanked god fele sythe,
That him hade sente comforte.	2816
He hied him in his message swiþe,		hurries on to
To speke witħ Charles his lorde.		Charlemagne.
But I shalle yo telle of a traytour,
That his name was called Genelyne,	2820
He counseiled Charles for his honou		Meanwhile Genelyn,
To turne homewarde agey.		the traitor, had
He saide “the xij peres bene alle dede,		advised Charles to
And ye spende your goode in vayne,	2824	retire to France,
And therfore dotħ nowe by my rede,		because the 12 peers
Ye shalle see hem no more certey.”		were all slain. The
The kinge bileved þat he saide,		king believed him,
And homwarde gan he fare.	[2828]	and marched homeward,
He of his xij Dosiperes was sore dismayed,		lamenting for his
His herte woxe right fulle of ca.		peers. Richard
Rycharde of Normandy came prikande		overtakes him, and is
And hertly to ride begane.	2832	recognised by Charles,
Kinge Charles aspyed him comande;
He commaunded to abide euery ma.		who asks him about
“What tidingges?” quod the kinge to Richarde,		the others. Richard
“Howe fare my felowes alle?”	2836	tells the king, how
“My lorde” he saide “god wote, ful harde,		they are besieged
For thai be byseged with-in ston-walle,		within the castle,
Abydynge youre helpe and yousocou,		and are waiting for
As men þat haue grete nede.	2840	his assistance.
For Ihesues loue, kinge of honou,
Thiderward ye yo spede!”		Charles, vowing
“O Genelyne” quod the kinge,		vengeance on
“Nowe knowe I thy treso,	2844	[leaf 71] Genelyn,
I shalle the qwite, be seynte Fremounde,