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

by Unknown

[‹p082›] CHARLES MARCHES TO AGREMORE.

Wha this viage is do.”
The kinge turned him agey,		turned and marched to
And alle his Ooste him witħ,	2848	Agremore.
Towarde Mountrible certeyne.
And[178] graunte him gree and grith!
Richarde him tolde of that place,
Howe stronge it was I-holde	2852	Richard informed him
With a geaunte foule of face,		of the giant, who
The brigge hath chayned many folde;		kept the bridge,
The River was both depe and brode,
Ther myght no ma over-ryde.	2856	and how he had passed
“The last tyme that I over-rode,		the river by a
By myracle I passed þat tide.		miracle.
Therfore sir, I shal yo telle,
Howe ye mote governe yo here.	2860
In yonde wode ye moste dwelle		He proposed a plan,
Priuely in this mane,		that 12 knights
And xij of vs shalle vs araye		disguised as
In gyse of stronge marchauntes,	[2864]	merchants, with
And fille oure somers withe fog and haye,
To passe the brigge Currauntes.
We shalle be armed vnder the cote		their arms hidden
With goode swerdes wele I-gyrde,	2868	under their clothes,
We moste paye tribute, wele I wote,		should pay the toll,
And elles over we may not sterte.		and the bridge being
But wha the chaynes be lete dow		let down,
Ouer ther for to passe,	2872
Than wole I, þat ye come o,
In haste to that same place.
Wha I see tyme for to come,
Tha shalle I my horne blowe.	2876	should blow a horn
Loke, ye be redy alle and some,		as a signal for the
For that sha ye welle knowe.”		others to approach.
Forth thay wente in þat araye		They start and arrive
To Mountrible, that Cite.	2880	at Mantrible.

[‹p083›] THE BRIDGEWARD OF MANTRIBLE REFUSES TO LET THEM PASS.

Alagolofuto he gan seye,		Alagolafre asks
“Felawes, wheder wole ye?”		whither they are
Richarde spake to the geaunte		going.
And saide “towarde the Sowdo,	2884	Richard says, they
With dyu[e]rs chaffeas trewe marchaunte,		are merchants on
We purpose for to goo,		their way to the
To shewen him of pelluand Gryse,[179]		Soudan,
Orfrays of Perse Imperyalle,	2888	[leaf 72]
We wole the yefe tribute of assaye		and they are willing
To passe by lycence in especya.”		to pay the toll.
“Licence gete ye noo of me,[180]		Alagolafre refuses to
I am charged that noone sha passe,	2892	let them pass, and
For x lurdeyns of Fraunce were he;		tells them about the
God yefe hem evell grace!		10 knights, who had
Thay passed this way to Egramou;		passed there and done
Thay haue done the Sowdo grete tene,	2896	so much mischief to
Thay have wonne his toure and his tresou,		the Soudan;
And yet holde thai it, I wene.
Wherfo,felawes, I arest yo alle,		therefore he will
Tille I knowe, what þat ye bene.”	[2900]	arrest them all.
Sire Focarde brayde oute his swerde witħ-alle,		Sir Focard draws his
Wel sore he gan to tene		sword and
And saide “fye o the Sarasyne!
For alle thy grete harde hede	2904
Shaltow never drinke water ner wyne,
By god! thou shalte be dede.”
He smote at him witħ egre chere		smites at him.
But he gafe thereof right nought.	2908
“Alas” quod Richard “thou combrest vs he,
By god, that me dehatħ boghte.”
The cheynes yet wealle faste,
The geaunte wexe nere wode,	2912
Richard blewe his horne in haste,		Richard blows his
That was both shrille and goode.		horn, and Charles
Kinge Charles hied him anoo		advances.

[‹p084›] ALAGOLAFRE AND BARROCK ARE SLAIN.

Towarde the brigge so longe;	2916
The Geaunte faught with he alone,
He was so harde and stronge.
With a Cloof a Oke he faugħt,		Alagolafre fights
That was wele bound with stele.	2920	them with a great oak
He slough al þat evehe raugħt,		club.
So stronge was his dinte to dele.		Richard seizes a bar
Richard raught him witħ a barof bras,		of brass and knocks
That he caught at the gate.	2924	him down.
He brake his legges, he cryed “alas”
And felle alle che-mate.
Loude thaga he to yelle;
Thay herde him yelle througħ þat Cite,	2928
Like the grete develle of helle,
And saide “Mahounde, nowe helpe me!”		[leaf 73]
iiij men him caught the,		4 men get hold of him
So hevy he was and longe,	2932	and throw him into
And cast him ouer in-to the rive.		the river.
Chese he, whither[181] he wolde swymme or gon!		They loosened the
Anoo thay brast the Chaynes alle,		chains;
That ouer the brigge were I-drawe.	[2936]
The Saresyns ronne to the walle,		but, the Saracens
Many Criste men were theI-slawe.		assembling on the
Than came forth Dam barro,the bolde,		walls of the city,
With a sithe large and kene,	2940	many Christians were
And mewe a-dow as þikke as shepe in folde,		slain. Alagolafre’s
That came byforne hir by-dene.		wife, Barrock the
This Barrowas a geaunesse,		giantess, comes on
And wife she was to Astragote,	2944	with her scythe and
She did the Criste grete distresse,		mows down all whom
She felled downe alle þat she smote.		she meets.
There durst no man hire sithe abyde,
She grenned like a develle of helle.	2948
Kinge Charles with a quarel þat tide		Charles dashes out
Smote hir, that she lowde ga yelle,		her brains,

[‹p085›] CHARLES IS SHUT IN IN THE TOWN.

Euer[182] the founte througħ-oute the bray;
That cursede fende fille dow dede.	2952
Many a man hade she there slay,
Might she never aftyr ete more brede!
Charles entred in the firste warde		and with 15 knights
With xv knightis and no moo;	2956	enters the outer gate
Of hym his oste toke no garde,		of the town,
He wende his oste hade entred also.		thinking his army
The Sarysyns ronne to the gate,		would follow him.
And shet it wonder faste.	2960	But the gate was
Charles me come to late;		instantly closed upon
Tho was Charles sore agaste.		him, and his men came
Betwene two wardes he was shit,		too late.
Defende he him if he ca!	2964
The Sarysyns with him thay mette,		Charles was in great
Grete parel was he in tha.		danger;
Tho Genelyne saie, the kinge was inne		but Genelyn, seeing
And the yates faste I-stoke,	2968	him shut in,
Ther myght no ma to him wynne,
So was he faste witħ-inne I-loke,
To his frendes he gan speke
And saide “the kinge is dede,	[2973]	[leaf 74] exclaimed
And alle xij peres eke.		that the king and
On peyne” said he “to lese myn hede,		the 12 peers were
Let vs hye to Fraunce warde!		dead, and proposed to
For I wele be crownede kinge,	2976	retire, as he wished
I shalle yo alle wele rewarde,		to be king himself.
For I wole spare for no thinge.”
Anoo thay assented to Genelyne,
Thay saugh, ther was no better rede.	2980
The Frenssh me drewe he al ayene,		They are going to
Thay wende the kinge hade bene dedde.		return,
Tho Ferumbras witħ his meyne tha		but Ferumbras
Came for to seke the kinge,	2984
And saugh hem turne euery ma;

[‹p086›] CHARLES IS RESCUED BY FERUMBRAS.

Him thought, it was a wondir thin.
“Where is the kinge?” quod Ferumbras.
Quod Genelyne “with-in the walle,	2988
Shaltowe neuemore see his face!”
“God gyf the a yvel falle!
Turne agayne, tho traytoure!		calls him a traitour,
And helpe to reskowe thy lorde.	2992
And ye, sires, alle for youhonou!”		rallies the French,
Thay turned agayne with that worde.
Ferumbras with axe in honde,		and with his axe
Myghtyly brake up the gate,	2996	bursts open the gate.
Ther myght laste him nooyro bonde,
He hade ne-hondeI-come to late.
The kinge hadde fought so longe witħ-ynne,
That onnethe myght he no more.	3000
Many ther were aboute him,
His me were wounded ful sore.
Ferumbras came with gode spede,
He made the Sarasyns to fle.	3004	He chased the
He reskowed the kinge at his nede,		Saracens and rescued
XL Sarasyns sone killed he.		the king.
Thai ronnen a-weye by every side,
Thai durste nowherowte.	[3008]
In shorte tyme was falled her pride,
Thay caught many a sore cloute.
That Cite was wonne that same daye,		Mantrible is taken,
And every touther-ynne	3012
Of Mountreble, þat was so gaye,
For alle hesoubtile gynne,		[leaf 75]
Fulle of tresouand richesse,		with all its engines
Of Siluer and goolde and per,	3016	and treasures.
And clothes of goolde, wroght of Saresynes,
Of riche aray and roialte.		Richard found 2
Richarde, Duke of Normandy,		children of 7 months
Founde ij Children of .vij. monþes oolde,[183]	3020	old and