Torrent of Portyngale
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Title: Torrent of Portyngale
Editor: E. Adam
Release date: February 9, 2011 [eBook #35190]
Language: English
Other information and formats: www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/35190
Credits: Produced by Louise Hope, Taavi Kalju and the Online
Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This
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*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK TORRENT OF PORTYNGALE ***
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[Transcriberâs Note:
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All footnotes are shown immediately after their referring paragraph.
Except in the Introduction, footnotes are identified by section: T1,
T2... (Torrent, main text), F1 (Fragments) and N1 (Notes).
The main text is shown stanza by stanza. Sidenotes are grouped at the
beginning of the stanza, linenotes and numbered footnotes (rare) at the
end. Headnotes that originally came at mid-stanza have been moved to the
following stanza break.
Italics representing expanded abbreviations are shown in {braces}. In
the âMetre and Versificationâ section of the introduction, emphasis
within italicized text is shown the same way. Emphasized words are
shown with +marks+. Typographic details are given at the end of the
e-text.
Errors and anomalies in the main text are shown in [[double brackets]]
immediately after the linenotes for each stanza. Other errors are listed
at the end of the e-text.
Except for brackets enclosing linenotes and errata, all brackets are
in the original. Line numbers in brackets are explained in the
Introduction.]
Torrent of Portyngale.
Early English Text Society.
Extra Series, No. LI.
1887.
Berlin: Asher & Co., 5, Unter Den Linden.
New York: C. Scribner & Co.; Leypoldt & Holt.
Philadelphia: J. B. Lippincott & Co.
TORRENT OF PORTYNGALE.
Re-Edited
From the Unique MS. in the Chetham Library, Manchester,
by
E. ADAM, Ph.D.
London:
Publisht for the Early English Text Society
By N. Trübner & Co., 57 & 59, Ludgate Hill.
MDCCCLXXXVII.
DEDICATED
TO MY TEACHER AND HELPER,
PROF. E. KÃLBING, Ph.D.
+Extra Series.+
LI.
Richard Clay & Sons, Limited, London & Bungay.
* * * * *
* * * *
Torrent of Portyngale.
* * * *
* * * * *
INTRODUCTION.
§ 1. _The MS. and Halliwellâs edition_, p. v.
§ 2. _Metre and Versification_, p. vi.
§ 3. _Dialect_, p. x;
_short vowels_, p. xi;
_long vowels_, p. xii;
_inflexions_, p. xiii.
§ 4. a. _The contents of the Romance_, p. xvi;
b. _its character_, p. xx;
c. _Origin of the story of Torrent_, p. xxi;
d. _Legend of Eustache or Plasidas_, p. xxii;
e. _Sir Isumbras_, p. xxiv;
f. _Romances of Octavian_, p. xxv;
g. _Sir Eglamour_, p. xxvi;
h. _Comparison of Torrent and Eglamour_, p. xxvii;
i. _the 2 Romances independent_, p. xxx.
§ 5. _Arrangement of this Edition_, p. xxxii.
§ 1. The manuscript from which the following romance of _Sir Torrent of
Portugal_ is taken, is a folio volume on paper, of the fifteenth
century, preserved in the Chetham Library at Manchester.
A description of this volume is given by Halliwell in his _Account of
the European MSS. in the Chetham Library at Manchester_, Manchester,
1842, page 16, and by Prof. Koelbing in his _Englische Studien_, vii.
195. The only edition of this romance that we have hitherto had was done
by Halliwell. As he had, besides his own transcript, another copy made
by Madden, his text is a pretty accurate one, and therefore the results
of Prof. Koelbingâs collation, printed in his _Englische Studien_, vii.
344 ff., concern, for the most part, things of little importance, except
one very curious passage, l. 88, where Halliwell renders the quite
correct reading of the MS., _p la more de dewe_ = _par lâamour de dieu_,
by _Pericula more bedew[n]e_. Also, from l. 1720, the counting of the
lines is wrong by 100 lines.
A few short fragments of a printed edition were found by Halliwell in
the Douce Collection, Bodleian Library, Oxford, and added to his work as
an Appendix. They contain the following passages of the MS.:
Fragment III. = lines 462-489.
â II. = â 492-520.
â VI. = â 820-851.
â V. = â 917-948.
â IV. = â 949-970.
â I. = â 1807-1866.
A seventh fragment, of which not much more than the rhyming words are
preserved, was omitted by Halliwell, and was printed for the first time
in Prof. Koelbingâs collation.
This Chetham MS. contains the romance in a very debased and corrupt
form, so that the original reading in many passages can hardly be
recognized.[1] The scribe, who copied the poem from an older MS., lived
(no doubt) at a far later period than the poet; he did not therefore
understand a great many old expressions, and these he used to supplant
by words of his own; he also transposed and even omitted many lines, and
spoiled the rhyme, because he had not the slightest idea of the nature
of the stanza in which the poem is composed. Halliwell did not trouble
himself about the restoration of the true readings; he merely reproduced
the traditional text, even where it would have been very easy to do
more, though many passages are hopelessly corrupt; still worse is the
fact, that he did not recognize the metre as the tail-rhymed twelve-line
stanza, for he prints six-line stanzas.
[Footnote 1: Halliwell says, Preface v f.: âIt is very incorrectly
written, and the copy of the romance of Torrent of Portugal, which
occupies 88 pages of the book, contains so many obvious blunders
and omissions, that it may be conjectured with great probability
to have been written down from oral recitation.â]
In consequence, the whole of the philological work on the text had still
to be done, and a new edition was plainly necessary; the more that this
poem, though not written in the best period of romance poetry, treats of
a legendary subject widely spread in the Middle Ages, and is nearly
related to another poem, _Syr Eglamour of Artois_.
§ 2. METRE AND VERSIFICATION.
As I mentioned before, the romance of _Sir Torrent_ is composed in the
well-known tail-rhymed twelve-line stanza, and belongs to that class of
it in which the first and the second couplets have different
rhyme-sounds (cf. Koelbing, _Amis and Amiloun_, p. xiv ff.). Only the
incompleteness of many stanzas, and the many defects in reference to the
rhyme, can excuse Halliwell for not apprehending the character of the
metre. As to the structure of the eight lines of the four couplets, each
contains (or at least ought to contain) four accents, the _caudæ_ three;
but as we, unfortunately, possess only one MS., a conclusive statement
on this point is impossible. There is no doubt about the fact that
neither the really incorrect rhymes nor the wanting of them can be due
to the author of the poem: even when romance poetry was decaying, the
poets were fairly perfect rhymers: with all deficiencies in this
department, the copyists are to be charged.
_Consonant_ rhymes (s. _Schipper Altengl. Metrik_, p. 299) are found
in _Torrent_ in the following passages: l. 141 _rode--rode_ ags.
_rôd--râd_. 450 _the--the_ ags. _þeón--þe_. 1558 _indede--dede_. 2205
_lay--lay_, _sg.--plr. prt._
_Identical_ rhymes are frequent, especially in the _caudæ_: 81
_stond--stond_. 177 _there--there_. 500 _he--hee_. 1887 _there--there_.
2538 _blithe--blithe_. 39 _take--take_. 342 _bold--bold_, a. s. o.
_Assonances_: 195 _bon~--Rome_. 518 _undyrstond--strong_. 537
_name--alone_. 699 _yod--fotte_. 758 _name--tane_. 896 _bryng--wynd_.
1257 _overcom~--Aragon~_. 1768 _man~--cam~_. 2164 _anon~--fome_. 2544
_sithe--hide_.
Besides the rhymes we find abundant alliteration, as in most of the
Middle English Romances. On alliteration, cf. Regel, Die alliteration in
LaÈamon, _Germ. Stud._ I. 171; F. Lindner, The alliteration in Chaucerâs
Canterbury Tales, _Essays on Chaucer_, Pt. III., p. 197 ff. Koelbing,
_Sir Tristrem_, p. xxxvii, and _Amis and Amiloun_, p. lxvi. Lindner as
well as Koelbing has adopted Regelâs classification, and so shall I. The
most frequent is two alliterative words in one verse; they can be
classed in the following way:--
I. A. The same word is repeated in two succeeding lines; v. 456 f.:
_Forthe sche browght a {whyt} sted, As {whyt} as the flowyr in~ med_;
v. 618 f.: _In IV {quarters} he hym drowe, And euery {quarter} vppon a
bowe_. v. 2026 f.: _But ran into a {wilde}rnes Amongist beests that
{wyld} wes_. v. 2465 f.: _They axid {hors} and armes bryght, to
{hors}bak went thay in ffere_.
B. _Alliterative combinations, one part of which is a proper name._
_Torrent_ is several times combined with the verb _take_; 26: _Towarde
hym he {t}akythe {T}orrayne_; 224: _{T}orrent thether {t}oke the way_;
519: _{T}orrent {t}oke a dulful wey_; 2269: _Whan sir {T}orent was
{t}akyn~ than~_; 91: _Now, be my {t}rowthe, seyd {T}orent than~_; 1161:
_Alas, said {D}esoneÆÆ the {d}ere_; 2523: _As was {d}ame {D}esoneÆÆ_;
1906 = 1946 = 1969: _{M}ary {m}yld. To {s}end unto her {S}athanas._
v. 1091: _The {c}asteÆÆ of {C}ardon~._
II. A. _Words of the same root are alliterative._ 133: _Torrent, on
{kne} {kne}lyd he_; 671: _That on hys {kne} he {kne}ld_; 2502: _And
{kne}lid on her {kne}_; 205: _Torrent {kne}lyd on hys {kne}_ = v. 528;
881: _And {kne}lyd vppon ys {kne}_; 1883: _She {kne}lid down~ vppon~ her
{kne}_; 2563: _Down~ they {kne}lid on~ her {kne}_; 512: _By {d}ymmynge
of the {da}y_; 1158: _For her love {d}id I never no {d}ede_; 1801: _That
ylke {d}ede, that she hath {d}one_; 1943: _How she {fl}ew in a
{ffl}ight_; 2384: _{Liffe} and {lyv}elode, whiÆÆ I {lyve}_; 233:
_AÂ {lyon~} & a {lyon}asse_; 1671: _For to {se} that {s}elly {s}ight_;
407: _For the {t}alles thou hast me {t}old_; 1466: _And fals {t}alis
hym~ {t}old_; 2578: _Euer we {wiÆÆ} be at youre {wiÆÆ}_.
B. Relations in which alliterative words stand to each other according
to their meaning.
_a._ Concrete ideas are joined together because they belong to the same
sphere of life. 2017: _{B}yrdus and {b}estis, aye woo ye be_; 113:
_{b}one and {b}lod_; 21: _{k}yng and {k}nyght_; 83: _And ryche
{c}astelles in that {c}ontre_; 251: _In lond with a {f}yndes {f}ere_;
102: _That {f}yndes {f}are for aye_; 1094: _Both at {k}nyght and
{k}nave_; 584: _Bothe in~ {f}rethe and in {f}eld_; 660: _Stomlyng
thurrow {f}rythe and {f}en~_; 1378: _Both be {h}old and be {h}yÆÆ_;
2398: _{l}ym~ and {l}ith_; 750: _{L}ytyÆÆ and {m}ykyÆÆ, {l}ese and
{m}ore_; 1899: _That was {l}ord of aÆÆ that {l}ond_; 2152: _Loo,
{l}ordys of euery {l}ond_; 2375: _With aÆÆ {m}aner of {m}ynstralsye_;
149: _He reynyd hys {st}ed vnto a {st}ake_; 1065: _{W}aytes on the
{w}aÆÆ gan blowe_; 13: _{w}ater and {w}ynde_.
_b._ In the same way abstract ideas are connected, so far as they belong
to the same sphere of life. 460: _That {d}ethe ys {d}ynt schalt þou not
thole_; 1600: _Of {d}eth yaue he no {d}out_; 782 = 2062: _{f}eyer and
{f}re_; 2153: _{F}alshode wyÆÆ haue a {f}oule end_; 1988: _{H}elpe and
{h}old I shaÆÆ hym yeve_; 1492: _They {s}at and {s}ong_; 683: _Cryst hym
{s}aue and {s}ee_; 1303: _That he was {s}ad and {s}ore_; 1612: _set
{s}adly and {s}ore_; 335: _God that {s}ofryd wonddes {s}ore_; 322:
_{st}yff and {st}rong_ = 1491 = 2590; 1205: _That {w}ekyd was and
{w}ight_; 1584: _{w}ekyd and {w}ight_; 1849: _Her one child {w}oke and
be-gan to {w}epe_; 1559: _And {w}ot ye {w}eÆÆ and not {w}ene_; 246:
_Sche {w}eppte_, _as sche were {w}od_.
C. The grammatical relations in which the alliterative words stand to
each other.
_a._ Subst. and adj. in attributive or predicative combinations. _As
{b}old as eny {b}ore_; _With {br}owes {br}od and wyde_; 142: _hys
{b}ugeÆÆ {b}old_; 307: _In a {d}ongon~ that ys {d}ym_; 82: _My {f}ayer~
{f}orestes {f}ellythe downe he_; 209: _The {f}eyer~ {f}yld_; 426:
_{gl}emyrryng ase the {gl}ase_; 1592: _{g}ood {g}ate_; 171 = 596: _the
{h}oltes {h}ore_; 1484: _To an {h}ye {h}yÆÆ_; 1183: _{s}ydes {s}are_;
154: _Thowe the {w}ey nevyr so {w}ykkyd were_; 2054: _{w}ekyd {w}eders_;
506: _In the {w}yld-some {w}ay_; 535: _{W}yldsom {w}eyes haue I {w}ent_;
2030: _She {w}ent on that {w}ilsom~ {w}ay_.
_b._ Verbs or adjectives combined with the adverb or substantive which
contains their secondary adverbial meaning. 1478: _To {b}e here at his
{b}ane_, cf. 1678: _That there his {b}ane hath {b}e_; 1944: _To her
{b}irdus was she {b}oun~_; 2016: _With {b}lis on euery {b}owÈe_; 135:
_That {b}owght hym with hys {b}lod_; 1045: _Thurrow the {b}ody he gan
hym {b}ere_; 1404: _To the {b}ote they {b}are_; 334: _Thus he {c}ovyrd
owt of {c}are_; 27: _That {d}owghtty ys in {d}edde_, cf. 1725; 98:
_With-owt {f}ere that he schold {f}are_; 603 = 977: _Also {f}ast ase he
myght {f}are_; 536: _With {f}yndes for to {f}yght_; 802: _To {f}yght
with that {f}yndes {f}ere_; 1262: _That was {gr}ow both {gr}ene and
{g}ay_; 1060 = 2330: _Torent be the {h}ond he {h}ent_; 270: _That
{m}eche ys of {m}yght_; 713: _That {m}eche wase of {m}yght_; 24: _For
God ys {m}ost of {m}yght_, cf. 1112: _To a {m}an off {m}yght_; 1879: _Vp
she {r}ose ageyn~ the {r}ough_; 2100: _Go {s}ech her in~ the {s}ee_;
2129: _And {s}ett hym~ oute in to the {s}ee_; 2469: _That {s}emely to
{s}e were_; 126: _And {s}ymly was to {s}ene_; 415: _That dare I
{s}othely {s}ey_; 1170: _Torrent {s}ett on hym~ so {s}ore_; 139:
_Serttes, yf I hym {sl}epyng {sl}one_; 181: _Torrent vndyr hys {sp}ryt
he {sp}rent_; 179: _But {st}ond {st}yÆÆ_; 2410: _He is so {st}iff at
euery {st}oure_; 987: _Torrent in~ the {st}orrope {st}od_; 1912: _For no
{st}roke wold she {st}ynt_; 2060: _By a {t}okyn~ I shaÆÆ the {t}eÆÆ_;
2397: _Or {w}alkyd in {w}ede_; 383: _In hys {w}alke ther ase he {w}ent_;
725: _And {w}ent forthe on hys {w}ey_; 107: _And on hys {w}ey gan he
{w}ynd_; 2030: _She {w}ent on that {w}ilsom~ {w}ay_; 989: _ale {w}yld at
{w}yle_; 2088: _In no {w}ise he {w}old_; 1206: _To {w}ed her to my
{w}yffe_; 749: _That {w}yt ys vndyr {w}ede_; 1315: _AÆÆ men {w}onderid
on that {w}ight_; 33: _{w}orthyest in {w}ede_.
_c._ Substantives and verbs are combined in the relation of subject and
predicate. 2221: _Down {kn}elid that {kn}yght_; 854: _Whether the {f}ynd
can {f}yght_; 2390: _There that his {l}ady {l}ent_; 2064: _My {l}ove was
on the {l}ent_; 1219: _Gret {l}ordys to churche her {l}ed_; 170: _The
fyndes {sp}ere {sp}arrythe hyme nothyng_; 84: _No {st}on lettythe he
{st}ond_.
_d._ Verbs and substantives are combined as predicate and object. 2490:
_his {b}ak to {b}end_; 2532: _That {c}outh moche {c}urtesye_; 273: _Thy
{d}ethe than wyÆÆ he {d}yght_, cf. 1043: _Hys {d}ethe to hyme ys
{d}yght_; 1648: _Thy {d}eth now is {d}ight_; 2123: _What {d}eth they
wold hym {d}o_; 161: _My lordes {f}rethe thus to {f}eÆÆ_; 2235: _{F}ound
hym his {fi}ÆÆ off {ffy}ght_; 1743: _The {ff}orward ye to
{f}ulleffylle_; 651: _He {g}athyred svm of hys {g}ere_; 210: _Vpp both
his {h}andes he {h}eld_; 1799: _For Iesu is love, that {h}arood {h}eÆÆ_;
1820: _Whan they {l}ed that {l}ady ffre_; 2080: _{L}eve we now that
{l}ady gent_; 1663: _Ech on other {l}aid good {l}ode_; 1495: _To god
that {m}ade {m}an_; 435: _AÂ gret {m}aynerey let he {m}ake ryght_; 264:
_To hym sche {m}ad here {m}one_; 645: _He {r}awght Torrent soche a
{r}owght_; 1172: _And aÆÆ to {sh}everd his {sh}eld_; 502: _Tho he be
{st}rod anoble {st}ede_; 2482: _Torent be {str}ode a stede {str}ong_;
281: _IÂ schaÆÆ the {t}eÆÆ soche a {t}okyn~_; 2013: _Ne {w}anted she no
{w}oo_; 115: _He that schaÆÆ {w}end soche a {w}ey_; 439: _Hom-ward to
{w}end ther {w}ey_; 2448: _And than~ to {w}end her {w}ay_; 2457: _And to
her logyng {w}ent her {w}ay_; 1544: _Other {w}ayes yf I {w}end_; 207:
_That hathe thys {w}orld to {w}yld_.
§ 3. THE DIALECT.
The stanza of twelve lines was probably first employed in the north of
England; at least it would be difficult to prove the existence of a poem
composed in this metre in the southern part of the country; therefore it
is beforehand probable that the romance of _Torrent_ was composed either
in some part of the Midlands or in the North. In order to determine the
dialect more precisely, we restrict ourselves to a careful consideration
of the rhymes.
1. SHORT VOWELS.
Old English _Ä_ is (1) preserved before _n_ and _m_: 744 and 788 _Iame
-- +name+_. 927 _Adryan -- +jentylmane+_. 13 _+londe+ -- +wonande+_. 352
_+stond+ -- +lygand+_. 1128 _+stond+ -- +shynand+_. No part. pres.
on-_ond_ rhyming with an unvariable _-ond_ has been traced out until
now, but 1824 _+wepand+ -- wonde_ (ags. _wunden_) seems to be the first.
2. Changed into _o_. 516 _rome -- +frome+_ ags. _rûm -- fram_. 2446
_+mon~+ -- done_. 1190 _none -- shone -- +anon+ -- done_. 1257
_+ouercom+ -- Aragon~_. 1989 _son -- +can+_ (=Â _+con+_). 2040 _+anon~+
-- bone_. A curious exception is 1929 _+grame+ (=Â greme) -- teme --
Ierusalem_; cf. _Gaw._ l. 312.
O.E. _e_, the _i_-umlaut of _a_, is preserved: 373 _end -- +wend+_. 476
_+went+ -- jent_. 924 _teÆÆ -- +hell+_. 1702 _+hell+ -- DesoneÆÆe_. 1798
_feÆÆ -- +heÆÆ+_. The past partic. of _seón_, _segen_, has been
contracted into _sen_. 1562 _+sene+ -- wene_.
O.E. _æ_ has become _a_: 45 _+spake+ -- take_. 363 _ffare -- +bare+_.
726 and 876 _+sale+ -- PortynggaÆÆe_. 1074 _passe -- +was+_. 1131
_+sale+ -- tale_. 1233 _+thare+ -- fare_. 1236 _+was+ -- Sathanas_. 1399
_care -- +thare+_. 2287 _+was+ -- alas_.
_æ_ has become _e_: 2026 _wildernes -- +was+_. 764 _derre -- clere --
+ware+_ (ags. _wær_). 1951 _+there+ -- bere_. 328 _+glad+_ (= _gled_) --
_redd_.
_æ_ has become _ay_ by the vocalization of the following _g_: 25
_+fayne+ -- Torrayne_. 1025 _+may+ -- +day+_, _+wey+ -- +laye+_. 1071
_+say+ -- +day+_. 2029 _+day+ -- +way+_.
O.E. _ea_ becomes _o_ before _ld_: 303 _+hold+ -- +bold+_, _fold_ (ags.
_folde_) -- _+cold+_. 422 _gold -- mold, +hold+ -- +told+_.
_ea_ has become _a_: 399 _PortyngaÆÆ -- +bale+_ (ags. _bealu_). 531
_+care+ -- far~_ (ags. _cearu_). 1891 _ffare -- +care+_.
_ea_ has become _e_: 1166 _beheld -- feld -- sheld -- +weld+_ (ags.
_wealdan_). 2359 _preste -- +breste+_ (ags. _bearst_).
O.E. _eo_ has turned into _e_: 1166 _+beheld+ -- ffeld -- sheld --
weld_.
O.E. _Ä_ is preserved as _i_ and _y_: 51 _+knyght+ -- +nyght+_. 307
_+dym+ -- +hym+_. 1783 _+myld+ -- +child+_. Only once this vowel has
changed into _e_: 714 _+wret+ -- get_. _i_ rhymes with _e_: 3 _wynde --
ende -- lende -- ffynde_.
O.E. _Å_ is unaltered: 422 _+gold+ -- +mold+_. 1122 _+gold+ -- +mold+_.
O.E. _Å_ has become _o_: 367 _+dore+_ (ags. _duru_) -- _befor~_. 765
_Aragon~ -- +son~+_. 1257 _+ouer com+ -- Aragon~_. 1762 _+com~+ --
kyngdome_. 1801 _done -- +sonne+_ (ags. _sunu_). 2320 _+sonne+ --
dungeon_.
O.E. _yÌ_, the _i_-umlaut of _Å_, has the value of _i_, written _i_ or
_y_: 390 _+kysse+ -- iwysse_. 1564 _tiÆÆ -- +fullefyÆÆ+_, _yÆÆ -- wyÆÆ_.
1740 _evyÆÆ -- +fulle fylle+_. Only once it rhymes with _e_: 1484
_+hyÆÆ+_ (=Â _+heÆÆ+_) -- _yeÆÆ -- befeÆÆ -- weÆÆ_, never with _u_.
2. LONG VOWELS.
O.E. _â_ is preserved in the following rhymes:[2] _a._ 39 _take --
+stroke+_ (= _strake_, ags. _strâc_), _spake -- take_. 97 _+sore+ --
fare_. 103 _+goos+ -- +takythe+_ (=Â _gas -- tas_). 280 _wakyn~ --
+tokyn+~_ (ags. _tâcen_). 334 _care -- +sore+_. 590 _fare -- wher_,
_+hore+ -- care_. 705 _fare -- +gere+_ (ags. _gâr_). 788 _Iame -- name_,
_+bone+ -- schame_. 834 _+ga+ -- ma_. 977 _fare -- bare_, _+sare+ --
chaffare_. 1143 _glade -- +rade+_. 1238 _Cate -- gate_, _bad -- +wott+_
(ags. _wât_). 1251 _+brod+ -- made_; cf. 1303, 1306, 1501, 1526, 1604,
1612, 1663, 1669, 1825, 1911, 2178, 2356, 2617.
[Footnote 2: The rhymes with _tane_ and with _John_ are not
quoted, as these words occur also as _tone_ and _Johan_; they are,
therefore, of no use in fixing the sound of the _â_.]
_b._ O.E. _â_ has changed into _o_: 16 _sone_ (ags. _sunu_) -- _+gon+_.
141 _rode -- +rode+_ (ags. _rôd -- râd_). 195 _+bon+_ (ags. _bân_) --
_Rome_. 238 _+wote+_ (ags. _wât_) -- _fote_. 654 _browÈ -- +goo+_. 1062
_+tho+ -- do_. Cf. 1196, 1226, 1295, 1381, 1809, 1812, 1815, 2013, 2025,
2028, 2037, 2046, 2295, 2298, 2301, 2542. The result is, that in 26
cases old _â_ is preserved, in 22 cases changed into _ô_.
O.E. _æÌ_ is turned into (1) _a_: 154 _+were+ -- fare_. 603 _fare --
+were+_. 1020 _+were+ -- fare_. 2074 _care -- +ware+_.
Into (2) _e_. 379 _+dede+_ (ags. _dæÌd_) -- _hed_. 1047 _+were+ --
chere_. 1053 _sped -- +lede+_ (ags. _læÌdan_). 1263 _stede -- +wede+_
(ags. _wæÌd_).
Into (3) _o_. 1113 _+mone+_ (ags. _mæÌnan_) -- _Aragon_. 1384 _beffore
-- there -- +were+_.
O.E. _ô_ is preserved throughout: 73 _+wode+ -- +good+_. 112 _+rode+ --
+blod+_. 118 _Rome -- +kyrstendome+_. 313 _+done+ -- +sone+_.
Before _g_ the vowel _u_ resp. _w_ is inserted: 145 _+browght+ --
nowght_. 279 _+browght+ -- +thowght+_. 2053 _+sought+ -- +brought+_.
O.E. _ê_ is preserved: 123 _+kene+ -- sene_. 743 _dede -- +sped+, wede_.
1849 _+wepe+ -- slepe_. 2055 _grene -- +kene+_. 2458 _be dene --
+wene+_.
O.E. _î_ is preserved as _y_: 196 _+tyd+ -- +syd+_. 325 _+fyve+ --
+lyve+_. 777 _+wyse+ -- deuyce_. 900 _+ryde+ -- +syde+_.
O.E. _û_ is written _ou_ resp. _ow_ in the French way: 921 _renowne --
+towyn~+_. 978 _+downe+ -- renowne_. 1425 _+nowe+ -- rowe_. 2634
_+mouth+ -- +couth+_. It has become _o_: 516 _+rome+ -- frome_ (ags.
_rûm -- from_). Cf. 2641 _renown -- +son+_.
O.E. _eá_ has become _e_: 1929 _grame -- +streme+, Jerusalem_. 2554
_Jerusalem~ -- +streme+_ (ags. _streám_).
O.E. _eó_ has changed into _e_: 153 _+be+ -- hee_: 782 _+fre+ -- he_.
888 _+tre+ -- crystyanté_. 1643 _+be+ -- charité_. 1861 _+ffree+ --
cité_.
O.E. _Å·_ remains _y_: 1361 _pride -- +bedsyde+_. 1433 _pryde -- +ryde+_.
1473 _+wyde+ -- pride_. _ŷ_ or _ê_, the _i_-umlaut of _eá_ or _e_, is
found as _e_: 63 _were -- +here+_ (ags. _hÅ·ran_). 235 _+here+ -- were_.
327 _sted -- yed, +nede+ -- sped_. 408 _yede -- +ned+_. 1552 _stede --
+nede+, indede_.
3. THE INFLEXIONS.
The plural of the substantives terminates in (1) _s_ resp. _ys_: 837
_+ryghtys+ -- knyghtes_. 1298 _+stonys+ -- nonys_.
(2) in _n_: 458 _+slon+ -- appon_. 1116 _done -- +shone+_. 1193 _+shone+
-- anon, done_.
(3) is formed by _i_-umlaut: _+men+_ 1784, 2282, but 2197 _wan -- +men+_
(=Â _man_).
(4) has no inflexion: 651 _+gere+ -- +spere+_. 705 _far -- +gere+_. 836
_hend -- +frende+_, _sende_. 1173 _ffere -- +yere+_. 1405 _hend --
+frend+_. 1556 _+stone+ -- gone_. 2188 _were -- +yere+_. 2194 _here --
+yere+_. The inflexions of the adjectives have totally disappeared.
The _infinitive_ ends in _-ne_ or _n_, or has no termination at all.
(1)Â with _n_: 123 _kene -- see_ (=Â _+sene+_). 217 _ageyne -- +sayne+_.
262 _fayne -- +slayne+_. 489 _Mavdeleyn -- +seyne+_; 16 _sone -- +gon+_.
(2) without _n_: 67 _sake -- +take+_. 93 _kynd -- +fynd+_. 148 _+wake+
-- stake_. 184 _so -- +goo+_. 434 _Adolake -- +take+_. 1062 _tho --
+do+_. 1762 _me -- +se+_.
The 2nd person sing. of the pres. ind. occurs only once in the rhyme,
1333 _tase -- +thou hase+, tas -- gas_.
The 3rd person sing. of the present indicative ends in _s_: 187
_+tellys+ -- ellys_. 2317 _rose -- +gose+_. 558 _+tellythe+ -- elles_
(The rhyme shows that _+tellys+_ must be inserted; cf. 103 _gos --
takythe_, and 858 _gothe -- toke_ = _+gas+ -- +tas+_.) Only once _th_
occurs: 2047 _Nazareth -- +gethe+_ (ags. _gæð_). On this remarkable form
see Zupitza, _Guy of Warwick_, note on l. 11075. The plural has no
termination: 3Â _+wynde+ -- ende -- lende_.
The _subjunctive_ mood has no inflexions: 70 _+sped+ -- stede_, 3rd
pers. 87 _+blynd+ -- wynde_, 3rd pers. 213 _fyld -- +schyld+_, 3rd pers.
416 _sey -- +may+_, 2nd pers. sg. 584 _feld -- +schyld+_, 3rd pers. sg.
1978 _+saue+ -- haue_; but observe 139 _+slone+ -- none_ and 1839
_+sene+ -- grene_.
The _present participle_ ends usually in _-ande_ (_onde_): 13 _londe --
+wonande+_. 127 _fonde -- +growonde+_. 315 _+levand+ -- bond_. 352
_stand -- +lygand+_. 358 _vndyrstond -- +levand+_. 1128 _stond --
+shynand+_. 1280 _+fayland+ -- lond_. 1445 _+fleand+ -- waraunt_. 1452
_ffand -- +goand+_. 1821 _lond -- +wepand+_. 1899 _lond -- +pleyand+_.
2104 _hond -- +levand+_. Thrice _-yng_ is found: 268 _kyng --
+dwellyng+_, 1638 and 2568.
The _gerund_ terminates always in _ing_ (_yng_): 1479 _kyng --
+ryding+_. 1503 _+comyng+ -- kyng_. 1933 _ryng -- +lettyng+_. 2509 _kyng
-- +lesyng+_.
Observe the 2nd pers. sing. of a past tense, 1589 _+thou cam~+ --
slan~_, of a praeterito-praesens, 410 _they -- sey, +thow may+_. 1543
_away -- aye, +may+_. 2001 _+may+ -- welaway_.
The _past participle_ of strong verbs terminates in _n_: 482 _+syne+ --
schene, wene -- clene_. 675 _+slayne+ -- rayne_. 800 _+slayne+ --
trayne_. 1292 _fayn~ -- +slayn~+_. 1562 _+sene+ -- wene_. 2323 _alone --
+slone+_. We donât find one certain instance for the dropping of this
_n_, besides 1678 and 2063 _be_.
The _past tense plural_ of strong verbs has the same vowel as the
singular: 1452 They _+ffound+_ (r. _ffand_) -- _goand_. 1458 _+began+ --
gentilman_. 1753 _tong -- +dong+_.
The 3rd pers. of the present indic. of _to be_ = _ys_ or _es_: cf. 738
_blyse -- +ys+_. 2413 _+ys+ -- Raynes_. Once _+ys+_ is found as plural:
2524 _+ys+ -- iwys_. The _present subjunctive_ is _be_ through all
persons: 208 _+be+ -- me_, 2nd pers. 614 _+be+ -- se_, 3rd pers. 884
_the -- +bee+_, 3rd pers. 2017 _+be+ -- me_, 2nd pers. plr. The
infinitive _+be+_ and _bene_: 49 _the -- +bee+_. 483 _+be+ -- see_. 1643
_+be+ -- charite_. 903 _the -- +bee+_. 1833 _clene -- +bene+_. 2161
_quene -- +bene+_. 2613 _+bene+ -- kene_. The _past tense singular
number_ is _was_ or _wes_: 247 _alas -- +wase+_. 426 _glase -- +was+_.
771 _pase -- +wase+_. 1873 _wyldernes -- +was+_ (=Â _wes_). The plural
_were_, _ware_, _wore_, as well as _was_, _wes_: (1) l. 402 _+wer~+ --
cher_. 1047 _+were+ -- chere_. 1845 _+were+ -- ffere_. 2586 _squiere --
+were+, here -- clere_. (2) 603 _fare -- +were+_. 2494 _+ware+ -- bare_.
1384 _beffore -- there, +were+_ (=Â _wore_). (3) 384 _pase -- +wase+_.
1388 _passe -- +was+_. (4) 2026 _wildernes -- +was+_ (=Â _wes_). 2545
_wildernes -- +was+_; cf. l. 2584. The subjunctive mood of the past
tense is _were_ and _ware_, in sgl. and plr.: 225 _+were+ -- clere_. 235
_here -- +were+_. 1696 _chere -- +were+_. 2476 _+were+ -- bere_. 154
_+were+_ (=Â _ware_) -- _fare_. 1020 _+wer+_ (=Â _ware_) -- _fare_. 2074
_care -- +ware+_. The past participle: 7Â _bedene -- +ben+_. 172 _+byne+
-- seyn_. 2344 _+ibene+ -- kene_. 1678 _+be+ -- crystiaunte_.
From this inquiry into the sounds and inflexions, the following
conclusions can be drawn:
The development of _Ä_ is of no use in fixing the dialect. Nor is _ea_,
which has become _a_, _o_, and _e_, to be deemed a characteristic either
of the Midland or Northern dialect. Ags. _ea_ occurs as _o_ as early as
1250 in the _Northumbrian Psalter_, and 50 years afterwards in _Sir
Tristrem_ and _Sir Perceval_; even Richard Rolle in his _Pricke of
Conscience_ offers one instance of this change (cf. _Sir Tristrem_,
p. lxix f.).
The development of the ags. _â_, which we find in 26 passages as _a_, in
22 as _o_, is remarkable. There are only a very few instances of this
change in _Sir Tristrem_, p. lxxi, and in the _Psalter_; and this almost
equal number of _a_- and _o_-rhymes proves evidently that the poem
cannot belong to a Northern country. At the same time, a proportion like
that would be impossible in a text of Southern origin. The same negative
result is to be derived from the fact that Ags. _y_ is always
written _y_.
As to the inflexions, the plurals of the substantives are formed by
adding _-s_ or _-n_ (_en_), or by vowel change, or they have no
inflexions at all. As for the inflexion _-n_, it only occurs in _slon_
and _shon_, and of this very word the plural in _n_ is to be met with
even in Northern writers.
The infinitives both preserve or drop the final _n_, as is the rule with
the Midland dialect; the form of the past participle with _n_ accords
with the use of the Northern writers.
The present partic. ending in _-and_ and the past tense plurals of
strong verbs having adopted the vowel of the singular, agree with the
North as well as with the northern districts of the Midland, in the same
way as some forms of _to be_: plr. prs. _ys_ and plr. prt. _was_,
besides the usual forms _be_ and _are_, resp. _were_ and _ware_, and the
contracted forms of _take_: 758 _name -- +tane+_. 1095 _gane --
+itane+_. 1825 _+ta+ -- twa_ (cf. 231, 286, 859, 1333, 1475, 1722, 1733,
2617).
The forms _thou has_ and _thou may_ point to the West.
The inflexions of the 3rd pers. prs. sg. are _-th_ and _-s_. In the
western part of the Midland we never meet with the ending _th_, but only
with _s_. In _Amis and Amiloun_, the Eastern origin of which seems to be
sure, only the inflexion _-eþ_ is found in the rhyme (_Amis_,
p. xxx ff.).
The romance of _Sir Torrent_ seems to be the first document hitherto
considered where both these forms occur, one by the side of the other.
Perhaps this fact justifies us in concluding that this poem was composed
in the east, but on the borders of the west, Midland.
§ 4. THE CONTENTS OF THE ROMANCE.
Before entering on an inquiry into the sources of the romance, it may be
expedient to give a short account of its contents.
In Portugal once reigned a mighty king, whose name was Calamond.
He had an only daughter, the fair and gentle Desonelle, who was
loved by a young knight called Torrent, son of a Portuguese count.
As he could not win her, save by distinguishing himself by valiant
exploits, he undertook several adventurous expeditions. First he
set out, by the order of the king, against a mischievous and
dangerous giant, whom he found lying fast asleep on a hill. He
roused the giant by sounding his bugle, and challenged him to
fight. Instantly a fierce combat ensued, in which the awkward
giant lost his life. In the giantâs castle the young hero
delivered a maiden, Eleonore, daughter of the king of Gales, from
captivity, and rescued at the same time four princes, whom the
giant had taken some time before and imprisoned in an iron cage.
After a short rest Torrent returned into Portugal. He was kindly
received by King Calamond, and splendid festivities were
celebrated in his honour. The kings of Gales and of Provence
showed their gratitude by bestowing on him rich presents, among
them a precious sword wrought by Wayland Smith. Desonelle gave him
one of her fine palfreys. Calamond, however, shrewd as he was, and
envious of the heroâs fame, plotted his ruin. He caused him, by a
counterfeit letter of Desonelle, to catch her a falcon in the
forest of Maudlen, which was the haunt of a dangerous giant,
Rochense, and of many wild beasts. Torrent and his squire set out
immediately, but separated on entering the forest, to hunt in the
thicket each by himself. Torrent soon encountered a huge dragon,
and killed it by vehement strokes. The squire, having meanwhile
fallen in with the giant, had been slain by him. The hero, called
to the place by the tumult of battle, attacked the giant, and
overcame him after a hard struggle. He cut off his head to bear
with him as a trophy. He then went into the giantâs castle, where
he found a great many jewels, and a bright sword called
Mownpolyard. Having returned to the royal court, he ordered five
priests to say masses for his squireâs soul. At this very time it
happened that the king of Arragon sent messengers to the king of
Portugal, in order to bring about a marriage between Desonelle and
his youngest son. Calamond would not listen to the advice of his
spouse, that he should no longer refuse Desonelle to Torrent, but
he promised her to the prince of Arragon, and at the same time
sent the hero once more against a giant, Slogus of Foulles in
Calabre.
Torrent departed well armed, and after a prosperous voyage arrived
in Calabre. There he soon met the giant, who was one-eyed like the
Cyclops, and bore a huge cudgel as his only weapon. Torrent threw
his spear into the fiendâs eye, and thus overcame him without any
long struggle. The king of Calabre graciously welcomed the hero,
and largely rewarded him for the service he had rendered his
country. Having returned into Portugal, Torrent heard that in a
few weeks Desonelle was to be married to the prince of Arragon.
Arrayed in knightly dress, he rode right off to Calamondâs court,
and challenged his rival to fight. After a short struggle he
completely vanquished his antagonist, stretching him on the
ground. The next day, as the king, surrounded by his noble guests,
banqueted in the great hall of the castle, Torrent entered with
the giantâs head in his hand, and harshly demanded the kingâs
daughter; he called all the lords to witness of Calamondâs
perfidy.
The Emperor of Rome now interceded, and it was agreed at his
suggestion that Torrent should fight once more against a giant
named Cate; if he vanquished that adversary, he should obtain
Desonelle and half Arragon. On an isle near the sea-shore the
struggle began in presence of the assembled knights. Torrent
struck the club out of the giantâs hand, put him to flight, and
killed him as he ran away, casting stones at him. Then the Emperor
decided, with the approbation of all his knights, that the hero
had won both the land and the maiden.
Torrent obtained Desonelle, and rejoiced in the possession of her,
but no solemn marriage was performed.
Twelve weeks after, he left his spouse, impelled by his venturous
and ambitious mind; for the king of Norway asked him to fight
against a wild giant who had carried off his daughter and was
destroying his castles. Torrent bade his mistress farewell,
leaving her two golden rings as talismans, and set off with fifty
companions. Arrived at the coast of Norway, he and his companions
entered a dense forest, in which a great many wild beasts lived.
His companions, seized with fear, parted from him, and continued
their voyage at sea. They told the king of Norway the false tale
that Torrent had perished on shore. The king then set out himself
to rescue his daughter. Torrent meanwhile encountered a giant
named Weraunt, Cateâs brother, and slew him in a hard struggle,
but was himself wounded. In the giantâs castle he saved Gendres,
daughter of the Norwegian king, and conducted her to her father.
On the road they were met by a large train of gallant knights, and
were then convoyed in triumph to the kingâs court. There Torrent
soon recovered from his wounds, and was amply rewarded with
honours and presents. He stayed above twelve months at the
Norwegian court. The false companions of Torrent were drowned in
the sea by the kingâs command, but one squire escaped to Portugal,
and reported the tidings that Torrent yet remained in Norway. Soon
after, as Desonelle was delivered of twins, the hatred of Calamond
suddenly broke out against her. By his order, Desonelle and her
two children were put to sea in a small boat; but a favourable
wind saved them from ruin, and drove the boat upon the coast of
Palestine. As she, helpless, wandered about the downs, a huge
dragon (griffin or gripe) appeared, and seized one of her
children, and immediately after a wild leopard dragged away the
other. With submission she suffered her miserable fate, relying on
the help of the Holy Virgin.
The king of Jerusalem, just returning from a voyage, happened to
find the leopard with the child, which he ordered to be saved and
delivered to him. Seeing from the foundlingâs golden ring that the
child was of noble descent, and pitying its helpless state, he
took it into his palace, and brought him up as his own son (as it
were) at his court. The child was named Leobertus.
The dragon or gripe with the other child was seen by a pious
hermit, St. Antony, who, though son of the king of Greece, had in
his youth forsaken the world. Through his prayer St. Mary made the
dragon put down the infant; Antony carried him to his father, who
adopted him and ordered him to be baptized. He was named Antony
fice Greffoun (Antony, son of the griffin or gripe).
Desonelle wandered up and down, after the loss of her children,
till she happened to meet the king of Nazareth hunting. He,
recognizing her as the king of Portugalâs daughter, gave her a
kind welcome and assistance. At his court she lived several years
in happy retirement. Torrent returned at length into Portugal,
notwithstanding all the entreaties of the Norwegian king that he
would dwell in Norway somewhat longer. At his arrival, King
Calamond took refuge in his stronghold, and greeted him from
thence with scornful words. Torrent, after having summoned his
friends from Arragon, Provence, and Calabre, conquered the castle,
and took Calamond prisoner. The traitor was sent out to sea in a
leaky boat, and perished.
In his stead, Torrent was elected king by all the noblemen of the
empire, and took the crown. But forty days after this, he quitted
his realm, having intrusted two knights with its government, and
passed to the Holy Land at the head of a large force. There he
fought fifteen years against the infidels, conquered several
towns, and got immeasurable treasures as booty. The king of
Jerusalem, hearing about Torrentâs deeds, and anxious for his own
security, sent his son Leobertus, with an army of 50,000 men,
against Torrent. AÂ pitched battle began, but it was for a long
time doubtful to which side victory would incline, till at last
the two chiefs encountered. The son vanquishing his father decided
the fate of the battle. Torrent was conveyed as a prisoner to
Jerusalem, and thrown into a dungeon. There he lay above a year,
till he was once overheard complaining his misfortunes by his son,
who, touched with pity, prevailed upon the king to set Torrent at
liberty. In this new state Torrent soon found an opportunity to
show his valour and skill in arms, when a grand tournament was
held at Jerusalem. There he proved sole victor over all the
knights, and got the chief prize. The king of Nazareth, who had
assisted at this joust, telling his folk at home who had won the
prize, described the arms and escutcheon of the valiant knight. By
these Desonelle recognized her beloved spouse. At her request the
king called princes and knights from all parts of the world to a
great tournament. The kings of Jerusalem, Greece, Leobertus,
Antony fice Greffoun, and Torrent answered the call. Before an
illustrious assembly of mighty princes and noble ladies, all of
whom were surpassed by Desonelle in beauty and grace, the
tournament began. Leobertus and Antony excelled in it, but the
chief was Torrent, who performed wonders in the joust, vanquishing
all valiant adversaries. The next morning Desonelle could no
longer brook reserve, and was about to discover herself to
Torrent; but overwhelmed with joy she fainted, when she had
scarcely uttered the first words of greeting. It was not till
midday that she was able to tell Torrent and the other knights her
fates and those of her children. Then parents and children
passionately embraced on recognizing each other. At Torrentâs
request, all of them, with the kings of Nazareth, Jerusalem, and
Greece, and many attendants, sailed for Portugal. There the
nuptials of Torrent with Desonelle were celebrated with a great
round of splendid festivities. Torrent was finally elected Emperor
of Rome, and reigned a long time gloriously. He lies there buried
in a fair abbey.
A benediction finishes the romance.
If we take a survey of the poem, we shall recognize in its conception a
harmonious plan and a certain unity of action, which, as in most of the
romances, is founded on the hero and the interest he affects us with
(See Ten Brink, _Engl. Literat._, I. p. 317). In the centre of the
action is placed Torrentâs love of Desonelle; for all the various
combats that he undertakes against dragons and giants, against the
prince of Arragon and King Calamond, are undertaken solely to gain him
Desonelle. Even his expedition against the infidels and the fighting
with his son are designed by Providence to make him find again his lost
love. Halliwell (Preface, p. vii), therefore, is not right in deeming
the romance âa rambling poem of adventures without much plot.â The
length and tediousness of the episodes may have prevented him from
recognizing the unity of the whole. At the same time, however, it must
be admitted that the poem cannot rank with the masterpieces of romantic
poetry written in the same metre, like _Amis and Amiloun_, _Ipomadon_,
_Kyng of Tars_, _Octavian_, either in the invention of plot or in the
dissection of passions. The diction is so swelled with stereotyped
phrases, and so surfeited with trivialities, that we may justly suppose
the poem to have been composed at a period when romantic poetry had
passed its best time, and had begun to decay. As to the authorship of
the poem, it was probably composed by a monk. It is an easy thing to
show peculiarities in the course of the story which are essentially
monkish. As the romance begins and ends with a benediction, in the same
way each deed and each adventure of the hero is introduced and finished
by long prayers. Moreover, the poet points frequently to a direct
interposition of Heaven (ll. 675, 1568, 1948); he describes the anguish
and sorrow that Desonelle feels about her childrenâs baptism (ll.
1892-1896 and 2074-76); he mentions emphatically Communion and
Confession (1272 and 2139), Masses (756 and 813); he finally praises the
Emperor for founding churches and abbeys (l. 2658). On the other side,
we find very few of those marks which characterize the works of
minstrels: the poet seldom predicts the fates of his heroes to excite
the attention of his auditors; he mentions only by the way the
performances of the gleemen, and nowhere speaks of the rewards that they
get.
Passing to a special inquiry into the origin of the story of Torrent,
IÂ cannot persuade myself that it is of the poetâs own invention, as that
would be the only instance of a Middle-English romance not being taken
from foreign originals (except, of course, Chaucerâs _Sir Thopas_, which
was written to ridicule this whole branch of poetry), whilst slight
alterations or additions were frequently introduced by the translators.
AÂ French original of the romance is supposed by Halliwell to have
existed (Preface, vi). He says, âIt is probably, like the second copy of
the romance of Horn, a modernized version of an older English romance,
which was itself translated from the French. IÂ have not been able to
discover any traces of the French original, but there are some singular
allusions to its origin in the poem itself. IÂ allude to the frequent
references to the _Book of Rome_.[3] This term was applied to the French
language, in which most of the old romances were originally written.â As
for me, IÂ donât think that we can much rely upon references of this
kind, because they are common to all of these Middle-English romances.
Of a somewhat greater weight is perhaps the fact that one or two of the
proper names are French; and even the oath, âpar lâamour de dieu,â is
worth mentioning. After all, there is no evident proof as to the French
origin. But there is no doubt that the story of Torrent in its principal
features--the adversities of a family separated by misfortunes, the
mother robbed of her children by wild beasts, at last united
again--proceeded from the old Eustache legend.[4-5] Therewith another
motive is combined, that of the woman innocently condemned, on which
motive a large stock of legends is founded; for instance, those of
Crescentia, Sibilla, Oliva, Genovefa, Griseldis and Octavian legends.
Upon this motive and its old origin from India, see Streve, âThe
Octavian legend,â _Erlangen Dissert._, 84.
[Footnote 3: On this term see _Octavian_, ed. Sarrazin,
p. xxxviii.]
[Footnote 4: See Wartonâs opinion upon the legendary origin of
many romances, _History of Engl. Poetry_, London, 1824, I.
p. ccxliv: âMany romances were at first little more than legends
of devotion, containing the pilgrimage of an old warrior. At
length, as chivalry came into vogue, the youthful and active part
of the pilgrimâs life was also written. The penitent changed into
the knight-errant.â Sometimes, of course, the opposite change may
have taken place, as for instance is probably the case with the
story of the two faithful friends, Amis and Amiloun (cf. Koelbing,
_Amis_, p. lxxxi), and with the story of Robert the Devil (cf.
_Sir Gowther_, ed. Breul, p. 74).]
[Footnote 5: See the edition of _The worthie Hystorie of
Plasidas_, 1566, by H. H. Gibbs, for the Roxburghe Club, 1873.]
I will consider first the legend of Eustache in its original version.
According to the Greek Martyr Acts, which were probably composed in the
eighth century, this saint was before his baptism a captain of Trajan,
named Placidus. As he one day hunted in the forest, the Saviour appeared
to him between the antlers of a hart, and converted him. Placidus
changed his name into Eustache, when he was baptized with his wife and
sons. God announced to him by an angel his future martyrdom. Eustache
was afflicted by dreadful calamities, lost all his estate, and was
compelled to go abroad as a beggar with his wife and his children. As he
went on board a ship bound for Egypt, his wife was seized by the
shipmaster and carried off. Soon after, when Eustache was travelling
along the shore, his two children were borne away by a lion and a
leopard. Eustache then worked for a long time as a journeyman, till he
was discovered by the Emperor Trajan, who had sent out messengers for
him, and called him to his court. Reappointed captain, Eustache
undertook an expedition against the Dacians. During this war he found
his wife in a cottage as a gardener,--the shipmaster had fallen dead to
the ground as he ventured to touch her,--and in the same cottage he
found again his two sons as soldiers: herdsmen had rescued them from the
wild beasts, and brought them up. Glad was their meeting again! But as
they returned to Rome, they were all burnt in a glowing bull of brass by
the Emperorâs order, because they refused to sacrifice to the heathen
gods.
This legend, which reminds us at once of the story of Job, has been
incorporated in almost all mediæval collections of legends, and upon it
are founded some mediæval poems, which are enumerated by H. Knust in his
splendid work _Dos Obras Didácticas y dos Leyendas_, Madrid, 1878; cf.
R. Köhler, _Zeitschrift für rom. phil._ III, p. 272 ff., Varnhagen,
_Anglia_, III, p. 399 ff.; two latin versions are edited by the same,
_Zeitschrift für deutsches Alterthum_ XXIV, p. 241 ff., and XXV,
p. 1 ff.
English legends of Eustache are to be found
(1) In Ãlfricâs _Passiones Martyrum_; see Horstmann, _Altenglische
Legenden_, Second series, Heilbronn, 1881, p. xli.
(2) In the South-English collection, _l.c._ p. xlviii.
(3) In the Northern collection, pp. lxi and lxiv. Herrigâs _Archiv_ 57,
p. 262 ff.
(4) In the Scottish collection of legends, said to be Barbourâs. Cf.
Barbourâs _Legendensammlung_, ed. C. Horstmann, Heilbronn, 82, ii.
p. 12.
(5) In the old Engl. translation of the _Legenda aurea_, see Horstm.,
_l.c._, p. cxxxv. Caxtonâs edition of the legend, No. 196.
(6) The complete text of the legend printed in Horstmannâs
above-mentioned collection, _Altengl. Legendensamml._, p. 211 ff.
(7) _St. Eustas_, by I. Partridge, see Gibbsâ above-mentioned edition,
and Horstm., _l.c._ p. 472 ff.
With this legend are connected, more or less, the following poems, which
it is necessary to speak of in turn:
(1) The Pseudo-Chrestien epic poem, _Guillaume dâEngleterre_.[6]
[Footnote 6: _Guill. dâEngleterre_, ed. Fr. Michel, _Chron.
Anglo-Norm._, III. 39-172. On the authorship of this poem see C.
Hofmann, _Sitzungsberichte der Münch. Akad._, 1870, II. p. 51, and
P. Meyer, _Romania_, VIII. p. 815 f.]
(2) The two Middle High German poems, _Die gute Frau_,[7] and (3) _Der
Graf von Savoyen_.[8]
[Footnote 7: _Die gute Frau_, ed. E. Sommer in Hauptâs
_Zeitschrift für deutsches Alterthum_, II. 389.]
[Footnote 8: _Der Graf v. Savoyen_, ed. F. H. v. d. Hagen,
_Minnesinger_, IV. 640, and Eschenburg, _Denkmäler altdeutscher
Dichtkunst_, Bremen, 1799.]
(4) The romances of _Isumbras_; (5) of _Octavian_; (6) last, _Syr
Eglamour of Artois_, and (7) _Sir Torrent of Portugal_.
The first five have been treated by Holland in his book, _Chrestien de
Troies_, Tübingen, 1854.
According to Hollandâs opinion, all of these are derived from the legend
of Eustache. He has not exactly inquired into each of them, but
restricts himself to a detailed account of their contents. AÂ critical
inquiry into these poems, except the romance of _Octavian_, has been
recently published by J. Steinbach: _Der einfluss des Crestien de Troies
auf die altenglische literatur_. Leipzig, 1886, p. 41 ff. As to the
French and the two German poems, it may be sufficient to refer to this
exhaustive essay, since it is only by the same legendary origin that
they are connected with _Sir Torrent_; otherwise they are quite
different.
But of the English romances of _Sir Isumbras_ and of _Octavian_ it is
necessary to treat more minutely. _Isumbras_ was edited first by
Utterson in his _Select Pieces of Early Popular Poetry_, London, 1817;
secondly by Halliwell in _The Thornton Romances_, from the Lincoln MS.
A. i. 17. AÂ critical edition of this poem has long been promised by
Prof. Zupitza.
In this romance the legend of Eustache can be most clearly recognized.
Its contents are, indeed, somewhat transformed according to the taste of
the later Middle Ages: the Roman captain is changed into a Christian
knight, who performs wonders in fighting against the infidels; he finds
his wife as queen of a heathen country; they end their lives as mighty
princes, and so on. The legendary style has been supplanted by the
romantic diction,[9] but the leading features remain the same. In his
above-mentioned essay, pp. 46-48, Steinbach concludes, from a detailed
comparison of the contents, that the author of _Isumbras_ did not derive
his story from the epic poem, _Guillaume dâEngleterre_, but from an
original which bore a still greater resemblance to the legend of
Eustache, and, at the same time, contained many of those additions which
are to be found in all versions of the legend. Whether this original was
composed in Latin, French, or Anglo-Norman, Steinbach does not pretend
to determine.
[Footnote 9: On this text see Sarrazin, _Octav._, p. xlv; he
speaks of âdie entstellte, spielmannsmässig zersungene Form, in
der die Thornton Ms uns die legende überliefert. . . . . .
dasselbe Pathos, dieselbe Sentimentalität und Frömmelei, aber auch
dieselbe anschauliche und lebhafte Erzählungsweise (sc. as in
Oct.).â]
To _Isumbras_ I join a few remarks on the romance of _Octavian_, which
was edited by Halliwell for the Percy Society, _The Romance of the
Emperor Octavian_, London, 1844; and by Sarrazin, _Zwei mittelengl.
Versionen der Octaviansage_, in Koelbingâs _Altengl. Bibliothek_, Band
III. As for its contents, cf. Sarrazin, as above, p. xviii ff.
Concerning the origin of the story, he agrees in general with Holland,
only he shows a still nearer connection between _Isumbras_ and
_Octavian_, taking the former for a mere imitation of the latter. This
opinion, however, cannot be proved. As I cannot enter into detail,
IÂ only observe that the contents of _Octavian_ are a great deal more
complicated and copious than those of _Isumbras_, which is simple in its
plot and style, and shows the nearest resemblance to the old Eustache
legend, whilst _Octavian_ is a refined and adorned version of the
legendary tale with considerable change in the plan. Isumbras, of
course, bears a strict resemblance to Eustache, but not to the Emperor
Octavian, who has but little of the character of a suffering saint, as
he does not become an outlaw himself, nor is to lose his earthly goods.
Even those of his adventures which are conformable to the original--the
separation from his family, the rape of the children, the final
reunion--are exhibited in a different manner.
The principal contents of the romance of _Octavian_ bear internal
evidence of its later origin, as it treats chiefly of the adventures and
exploits of Florent, Octavianâs son; especially in the second half of
the story, exploits of Florent so prevail that the romance might justly
bear his name on the title instead of his fatherâs. IÂ therefore believe
that Sarrazinâs opinion, that _Isumbras_ is nothing but a bad imitation
of _Octavian_, is wrong; and I am rather inclined to think the two poems
were composed independently from each other, after French originals, as
is evidently the case with _Octavian_, and probably with _Isumbras_. See
Halliwell, _Thornt. Rom._, p. xviii. Sarrazin, moreover, supposes,
p. xlv, both poems to be due to the same author, in consequence of the
conformity of the dialect and style, and of some literal coincidences.
But the fact that both of these romances are written in the same dialect
is not sufficient to prove the identity of the authors, nor is the
style, which is nearly stereotyped in all of these romances. As to the
literal coincidences, only three of the nine passages quoted by Sarrazin
seem to me to be of any importance. See _Octavian_, notes on ll. 382,
397, 481. But even these only show that the writer of _Octavian_ knew
_Isumbras_, or _vice versâ_.
As to the relation between _Octavian_ and our poem, these two romances
have no other affinity than the same legendary origin, and the motive of
the woman innocently persecuted, which may very well have been
introduced independently by two different authors. In all other
particulars they are quite different.
The heroes bear little resemblance to their legendary models; in
_Octavian_ the Emperor of Rome; in _Torrent_ the young, hardy knight who
encounters marvellous struggles to win the hand of his spouse. Also in
the treatment of the other motive, each romance has taken its own
course. In _Octavian_, Florence is calumniated by her mother-in-law; in
_Torrent_, Desonelle is persecuted by her father. The causes are
consequently quite different: there the jealousy of the mother-in-law
against the mighty Empress; here Calamondâs hatred against Torrent.
These differences, now only alluded to, cause a great number of others,
and produce a general difference of the two poems, which renders the
opinion of a nearer connection between them altogether illusory.
Of all the poems mentioned above, the last, _Syr Eglamour of Artois_, is
most nearly related to _Sir Torrent_, a fact found out by Halliwell,[10]
who, however, thought that there was no necessity for him to prove a
similarity which would be at once detected by the reader; still, he
takes it for certain that the romance of _Torrent_ is younger than and
partly founded on _Sir Eglamour_. As he gives no proof for this opinion,
it will be worth while to enter once more into this question, in order
to see whether he is right or not.
[Footnote 10: _The Thornton Romances_, p. xxii f. âThe romance of
_Torrent_ is partly founded upon the story related in _Sir
Eglamour_. The names are changed, but the resemblance is too
striking to have been the result of chance. The treachery of the
sovereign, the prowess of the knight, the indiscretions and
misfortunes of the lady, and the happy conclusion of her
misfortunes, these form the leading incidents of each romance
. . . . there is, perhaps, a secret history attached to the source
of these romances that remains to be unravelled.â]
Upon it, the MSS. do not help us. The earliest MS. that can have
contained _Sir Eglamour_ is the parchment one of the Duke of
Sutherland,[11] written about the end of the 14th century. The other
four MSS. of it[12] are still later. The only MS. of _Sir Torrent_
belongs to the 15th century, so that neither of these romances can be
traced very far back.
[Footnote 11: Cf. Koelbingâs _Englische Studien_, vii. p. 191 ff.]
[Footnote 12: Cf. _The Thornton Romances_, p. xxv ff., and
p. xxxvi.]
_Sir Eglamour_ was printed several times in the beginning of the 16th
century, and edited anew by Halliwell from the Cambridge MS. in his
well-known collection. To judge from the numerous readings of the
Lincoln, Cotton, and Cambridge MSS. which he has quoted, the Lincoln MS.
shows best the original dialect, and offers in several passages a
reading preferable as to rhyme and meaning.[13] Even slight differences
in the contents occur now and then.[14]
[Footnote 13: See the following passages which Halliwell has
quoted in the notes: _Eglam._ 54, 96, 107, 111, 122, 128, 139,
153, 177, 195, 213, 247, 337, 347, 399, 445, 572, 605, 614, 737,
740, 765, 858, 883, 945, 985, 1081, 1143, 1206, 1216.]
[Footnote 14: See _Eglamour_, notes on ll. 1064, 1082, 1267.]
The metre and probably the dialect are the same in both romances; they
are composed in the tail-rhymed twelve-line stanzas, and written in a
North Midland dialect. In both of them the style is alike swelled with
the habitual phrases; only the long prayers and pious reflections so
frequent in _Torrent_ are not to be met with in _Eglamour_. On the other
hand, the poet is wont to predict the fates of his heroes (ll. 204,
951); he often demands attention (ll. 15, 39, 343, 634, 904); he never
omits, in describing the festivals, to mention the performances of the
minstrels, and to praise the liberality of the lords. These
characteristics render it probable that the author of _Eglamour_ was a
minstrel, not a clerk or monk, as I suppose the author of _Sir Torrent_
to be.
I now pass on to compare the contents of the two poems. The principal
features of the plot are the same in both. AÂ young knight who seeks the
hand of a princess engages to win her by valiant exploits. The
princessâs father opposes his wooing, jealous as he is of the heroâs
renown. The knight vanquishes all the giants and other monsters against
which he is told to fight, and at length gains his spouse. AÂ few weeks
after their marriage, he sets out again on adventurous expeditions.
While he stays abroad, his wife is delivered of twins. Her father sends
her to sea in a leaky boat; she lands on a foreign shore, where her
children are carried off by wild beasts; but they are saved in a
marvellous manner, and brought up at royal courts, whilst she herself
lives for a long time at a foreign court. As the hero, when he comes
home again, doesnât find her, he goes into the Holy Land to fight with
the infidels. After various adventures he finds his wife and children
after a tournament at a foreign court. They return home gladly, and
celebrate their nuptials by great festivals. The cruel father is duly
punished.
On entering into details, however, we find considerable discrepancies
between the two romances. First, the names are altogether different.
(Eglamour = Torrent. Crystyabelle = Desonelle. Prynsamour = Calamond.
Organata = Gendres. Degrabelle = Antony fice Greffoun.) The stage of the
plot is in _Eglamour_ Artois, Rome, and Egypt; in _Torrent_ Portugal,
Norway, and Calabre. Only the Holy Land is mentioned in both. There the
children are carried off by wild beasts, saved by princes and brought
up; there the hero fights against the infidels.
The differences of the plot itself are the following:
1. Eglamour confesses his love to Crystyabelle before his deeds;
a squire is the go-between in his suit; Eglamour finds love in return.
In _Torrent_ Desonelle does not know that she is adored by the hero till
after his first exploit. See ll. 109, 448.
2. Accordingly, Eglamour, setting out on adventures, receives two
greyhounds and a sword of St. Paul from Crystyabelle as presents,
whereas Torrent gets an ambler from his lady love, but not till after
his first deed.
3. Prynsamour charges Eglamour with three deeds by which he is to gain
Crystyabelle. Torrent is obliged to undertake not less than five
combats.
4. In _Torrent_ the combats of the hero are enlarged and adorned by
additions not to be found in _Eglamour_. The latter does not release the
daughters and sons of kings, nor does he find precious swords in the
castles of the giants, nor is he deceived by a kingâs counterfeit
letter, which causes Torrent a dangerous struggle and the rivalry of a
foreign prince. Only in _Eglamour_ (ll. 40-48) some knights are
mentioned who came to win Crystyabelle by jousting, but were all
vanquished by Eglamour.
The greatest differences are found in the second halves of the stories.
5. Crystyabelle has one child by Eglamour; Desonelle has two by Torrent.
6. Crystyabelle is driven away into Egypt, where she is graciously
received by the king. Desonelle finds refuge in the court of the king of
Nazareth.
7. Degrabelle, the son of Crystyabelle, is saved and brought up by the
king of Israel; the sons of Desonelle by the kings of Greece and
Jerusalem.
8. The father of Crystyabelle is not punished like Calamond in
_Torrent_, immediately after the heroâs return, but he dies at the end
of the poem, throwing himself down from the battlements.
9. Degrabelle is sent, when fifteen years old, into Egypt by his
adoptive father to sue for a spouse. In a joust he gains the hand of his
mother and marries her. On the very wedding-day the mother recognizes
her son by his escutcheon, and the marriage is instantly dissolved.
Quite differently does the story run in _Sir Torrent_. Leobertus,
fifteen years old, marches by order of the king of Jerusalem against his
father, and takes him prisoner, but at length solicits his release.
10. The tournament, which in both poems compasses the reunion of the
separated family, is brought on in a different manner. In _Eglamour_
Degrabelle himself proposes the hand of his mother as the prize in the
next tournament, to which his father comes. In _Torrent_ Desonelle,
hearing of the victories of the strange knight, supposes him to be her
spouse from his arms, and at her request a tournament is arranged. (Her
hand seems to have been likewise the prize, as may be gleaned from
l. 2440.)
11. At the very end of the poems two slight differences are to be noted:
in _Eglamour_, Degrabelle marries Organata, daughter of the king of
Sidon, whereas the sons of Torrent return into Greece and Jerusalem.
Eglamour is crowned prince of Artois; Torrent is elected Emperor of
Rome.
From this comparison we may conclude that _Torrent_ is not directly
founded upon _Eglamour_, or _vice versâ_; the differences are too great
to justify the supposition that either is drawn from the other.
Especially is the opinion of Halliwell, which I mentioned above, to be
rejected: _Sir Torrent_ cannot be founded on _Sir Eglamour_, simply
because it agrees more closely with the old legendary tale than _Syr
Eglamour_ does, and has preserved some essential features not to be
found in _Eglamour_, in which these are supplanted by others. Desonelle,
for instance, has two children according to the old legend, Crystyabelle
one; Torrent must fight and suffer in heathen lands like Eustache,
whereas Eglamour appears as a mere knight-errant. Further, neither in
the Eustache legend nor in _Torrent_ do we find the history of the son
who marries his mother, which motive the poet may have taken from the
legend of Pope Gregory, or perhaps from the tale of _Syr Degaré_.
But how can the resemblance of the leading features and the
discrepancies in particulars be explained? IÂ think the most probable
conjecture is, that an old poem, now lost, existed, with which the
authors of _Sir Eglamour_ and of _Sir Torrent_ were acquainted; but not
having a MS. of it, or knowing it by heart, both of them made up their
minds to rewrite the story in a well-known metre, changing, omitting,
adding whatever they liked, even filling up the gaps in their memories
by invention. Both of them recollected the first half of the story
better than the second.
That this poem was an English one seems to be shown by a good many
verbal coincidences in both poems; these I accordingly suppose to have
belonged to the lost original. They are, indeed, too frequent to be
counted simply amongst the large stock of conventional phrases which are
to be met with in every poem of this kind. Here they are:--
_Eglamour._
The boke of Rome th{u}s can telle. 408, 561, 886
_Torrent._
As the boke of Rome tellys. 187, 924, 1450, 1924
Ther ys a jeaunt here besyde, 478
That sorowe doyth ferre and wyde.
On us and odur moo.
There ys a gyante here besyde,
In ale thys covntre fare and wyde,
No man on lyve levythe hee. 960
And alle prayed for that knyght. 573
For hym aÆÆ they pray. 108
Alle that in the cyté ware. 598
AÆÆ that in~ the sytte were. 1047
Alle that cuntrey was fulle fayne, 640
That he homeward was comyn ageyne.
Gentilmen were blith and ffayn~, 1098
That he in helth was comyn~ agayn~.
Aftur sopur, as y yow telle,
He wendyd to chaumber with Crystyabelle. 670, 671
After mete, as I you teÆÆ,
To speke with mayden DesoneÆÆ
To her chamber he went. 1358-60
That lady was not for to hyde, 673-75
She sett hym on hur beddys syde,
And welcomyd home that knyght.
The damyseÆÆ so moche of pride,
Set hym on~ her bed-syde,
And said âwelcom~ verament.â 1363
So gracyously he come hur tylle, 679
Of poyntes of armys he schewyd hur hys fylle, 680
That there they dwellyd alle nyÈt.
Such gestenyng he a-right,
That there he dwellid aÆÆ nyÈt
With that lady gent. 1364-66
A golde rynge y schalle geve the, 715
Kepe yt wele my lady free,
Yf Cryste sende the a chylde! 717
Thes gold rynges I shaÆÆ yeve the,
Kepe them weÆÆ, my lady ffre,
Yf god a child vs send! 1396-1398
Doghtur, into the see schalt thou, 803
Yn a schypp alone,
And that bastard that to the ys dere!
There fore thou shalt in to the see
And that bastard with-in the! 1793
Sche prayed hur gentylwomen so free,
Grete wele my lord, whon ye hym see! 826, 827
She said âknyghtis and ladyes gent,
Grete weÆÆ my lord sir Torrent,
Yeff ye hym~ euer sene! 1837-39
Hur yonge sone away he bare. 842
A way he bare her yong son~. 1871
Thys chylde ys comyn of gentylle blode,
Where that ever that he was tane. 863
This chylde is come of gentiÆÆ teme,
Where euer this beest hym~ ffond. 1923
Kepe we thys lady whyte as flowre,
And speke we of syr Egyllamowre. 950
Leve we now that lady gent,
And speke we of sir Torrent. 2080-81
The knyght swownyd in that tyde. 975
Swith on sownyng there he feÆÆ. 2093
Be the XV yerys were comyn and gone,
The chylde that the grype hath tane,
Waxe bothe bold and stronge. 1018-20
And be the VII yere were gone,
The child that the liberd had tane,
Found hym his fiÆÆ off ffyght. 2233-35
Yn yustyng ne in turnament 1021
Ther myght no man withsytt hys dynte,
But to the erthe them thronge. 1023
With heve tymbyr and ovyrryde 40
Ther myght no man~ hys dent abyde,
But to the erthe he them strake. 42
Be thre wekys were comyn to Èende,
Yn the londe of Egypt can they lende. 1057
But ore thre wekes were comÌ
yn~ to end,
To PortynggaÆÆ gan he wend. 373
Gentilmen that herde of thys crye,
Thedur come they redylye. 1195-96
Gret lordys that herith this crye,
Theder come richely. 2431-32
Syr Egyllamour knelyd on his kne,
âA Lorde God Èylde hyt the! 1288-89
Torent knelid vppon~ his knee 2575
And said âGod yeld you, lordys ffree!
In swounynge than felle that lady free,
âWelcome, syr Eglamour, to me!
She said âwelcom~, my lord sir Torent!
And so be ye, my lady gent!
In sownyng than feÆÆ she. 2505
_Eglamour_, Linc. MS. Note on 1267:
Grete lordis thane told scho sone.
Gret lordys told she sone. 2539
Perhaps some more light will be thrown on this question when we get the
much-wanted critical edition of _Sir Eglamour_; but I fear that the
âsecret history attached to the source of these romancesâ will even then
remain to be unravelled. What I have proposed has no title to a better
name than a conjecture.
§ 5. THE ARRANGEMENT OF THE EDITION.
As to the only MS. in which this romance has come down to us, IÂ have
mentioned before that it is exceedingly corrupt; many conjectures, more
or less sure, were necessary in order to restore metre, rhyme, and
meaning; the greater part of them seemed worthy to be entered in the
text, the rest being offered in the notes. No attempt has been made to
introduce a uniform character of dialect, considering the quite
unsettled state of orthography in early times. The only exceptions are
where the sounds are fully determined by the rhyme. In general the
orthography of the MS. has been reproduced as accurately as possible.
The contractions used by the scribe are expanded and printed in italics.
At the beginning of a new period, or a proper name within the line,
capitals have been introduced. From l. 1200, where the numeration of my
text no longer coincides with that of Halliwellâs edition, the
line-numbers of the latter are added in brackets.
The fragments which I have added as an appendix to the text have been
consulted in all cases of difficulty, and proved of no little service in
correcting the blunders of the manuscript; they contain indeed a
somewhat better text than the MS., though they are by no means free from
clerical errors. AÂ detailed comparison gives the following result:
In fifty-one lines the text of the fragments is evidently correcter than
the MS.:
_Fragments._
_Manuscript._
The kyng of Nazareth sent hym me,
Torent, I wot-saue hym on the. 466
The kyng of PortynggaÆÆ seyd, âSo mot I the!
Torrent, I wet-saffe of the.
The kyng wolde fayne that he ded were,
And he wyst nat on what manere. 472
The kyng wolde fayne that he wer ded,
And hym wyst in what maner.
To Torent that was true as stele, 477
To Torrent trew ase styÆÆ,
In what londe that they brede. 487
In what lond they ne bred.
He bestrode a noble stede. 502
Tho he bestrod another stede.
Cf. 489, 498, 507-10, 512-15, 822, 825, 831, 833, 834, 837, 845, 848,
851, 929, 932, 933, 935, 947, 948, 951, 952, 958, 965, 968-70, 1807,
1808, 1810, 1827, 1828, 1831, 1834-36, 1844, 1854, 1866.
Forty-eight lines are coincident: 468, 470, 474, 479, 480, 486, 487,
495, 499, 501, 504, 505, 520, 823, 832, 842, 844, 846, 917, 918, 921,
922, 927, 928, 936, 938, 953, 957, 962, 1809, 1813-17, 1819-21, 1823,
1830, 1832, 1838, 1847, 1850, 1851-52, 1863, 1865.
In ninety-one lines it is doubtful which reading is to be considered as
the original one:
_Fragments._
_Manuscript._
As they walkyd by the ryvers syde. 469
Ase the went be the watyres syd.
Howe he myght hym shent. 473
How he schuld be schent.
The kyng sayde âwhat may this be?
Lorde, it is sent to me
For a faucon shene. 483-85
Syr, he seyd, what may thys be?
Loo, lord, come ner and see
Abowght a facon schene.
Than sayde the kyng vntrue,
âAnd ye fynde hawes of great value,
Brynge me one with the! 492-94
And than seyd the kyng ontrew,
âYf thow get hawkys of great valew,
Bryng on of them to me!
Of thy dowghter hende. 836
Of yowr dowghttyr hend.
Cf. 467, 475, 476, 478, 481, 482, 488, 496, 497, 500, 506, 511, 516-20,
821, 824, 826, 827, 829, 830, 835, 838-41, 843, 847, 850, 919, 920, 923,
925-26, 930-31, 934, 937, 939, 940-43, 945, 946, 949, 950, 954, 955,
959, 960-61, 963, 964, 966, 967, 1811, 1812, 1818, 1822, 1825, 1826,
1829, 1837, 1840, 1842, 1843, 1845-46, 1848-49, 1853, 1855-62, 1864.
In eleven lines the text of the MS. is superior to that of the fragment:
_Fragments._
_Manuscript._
âYe, by my trouthe!â sayd Torente. 828
âYe, be trouthe!â seyd Torrent than.
Delycyous notes on hyghe. 944
Delycyous nottis on hyght.
Frowarde the se. 956
Froward the sytte.
Cf. 488, 503, 820, 849, 924, 1824, 1833, 1839.
As to the sixth fragment, 1014-36, and the beginning of the first (in
Halliwellâs edition the third), 462-64, in which, as above mentioned,
not much more than the rhyming words are preserved, they have nearly the
same relation to the MS. as the other ones.
In the following passages they correct the rhymes of the MS.: 1017,
1018, 1028, 1033. Coincident rhymes: 1014, 1015, 1019, 1026, 1027, 1032,
1034-36. Undecided: 1020, 1021, 1023-24, 1029-30, 462-64. The rhymes of
the MS. are preferable in ll. 1016, 1022, 1025, 1031.
I need only add, that all the discrepancies between the MS. and the
fragments, however numerous they may be, concern, for the most part,
things of little importance; they are caused especially by the frequent
change of synonymous terms, by the difference of expletive words and
phrases, the transposition of words, the change of tenses, and so on.
But as there is nowhere any essential difference to be traced, we may
conjecture with great probability that the early printed edition of the
romance was taken from a manuscript which was pretty nearly related to
the Manchester MS., though somewhat more correctly written.
I gladly take the present opportunity of acknowledging my very great
obligation to Prof. Koelbing, from whom I have received ample assistance
throughout the whole of this work. It would be absolutely impossible to
me entirely to discriminate his part from mine. He carefully revised the
introduction, notes, and the glossary, before they went to press, and
after they came from it, and he looked several times through the proofs
of the text. Nor am I less indebted to Mr. Joseph Hall at Manchester,
who not only kindly read the proofs of the text with the MS. in the
Chetham Library, but also contributed some valuable notes, which are
marked by his name. The Director has added the head-lines and
side-notes.
Torrent of Portyngale.
Here bygynneth a good tale f. 76a.
Of Torrente of Portyngale.
(1)
[Sidenote:
May God give us grace to win Heaven! Iâll tell you of a doughty
knight.]
+G+od, that ys worthy and Bold, _leaf_ 1]
Heuen~ and Erthe haue In hold,
Fyld, watyr, and wynde,
Yeve vse g{ra}ce hevyn~ to wyne,
And brynge vs owt off Dedly synne 5
And In thy s{er}uyse to Ende!
A stounde and ye woÆÆ lyst be-Dene,
Ale dowghtty men~ þ{a}t Euyr hathe b{e}n~,
Wher So that they lende,
I SchaÆÆ yow teÆÆ, ore I hense pase, 10
Off a knyght, þ{a}t Dowghtty wase,
In Rome ase clarkys ffynde.
[Linenote:
8. _byn_ MS.]
(2)
[Sidenote:
He dwelt in Portugal, and fought well when 18.]
In PortynggaÆÆ, that Ryche londe,
An EreÆÆ that wase wonande,
That curtese wase and {wyght}; 15
Sone aftyr he had a sone,
The feyerest þ{a}t on fot myght gon,
Tyrrant, men seyd, he hyght.
Be tyme he wase XVIII yer~ old,
Of dedd{es} of armys he wase bold, 20
To felle bothe kyng and knyght;
And now com{m}ythe dethe appon a day
And takythe hys father~, ase I yow sey,
For God ys most of myght.
[Linenotes:
15. _wyght_] _Dowghtty_ MS.
21. _felle_] first _l_ above the line MS.]
[Headnote: TORRENT LOVES DESONELL.]
(3)
[Sidenote:
The King gives Torrent an earldom, and he falls in love with the
Kingâs daughter Desonell,]
The kyng of PortynggaÆÆ wase fayne, 25
To-warde hym he takythe Torrayne,
That Dowghtty ys in~ dedde;
And ther he fesomnyd in~ hys hond
A good Eyrldom in~ that lond,
Bothe forest and {fede}. f. 76b. 30
The kyng hathe a dowghttyr {whyte} ase {fame},
Dys{o}ne{ll} wase her name,
Worthyest in wede.
When Torrent had of her~ a syght,
More he lovyd that swet{e} wy{gh}t 35
Than~ aÆÆ ys fathyrys l{e}de.
[Linenotes:
30. _fede_] _Downe_ MS.
31. _whyte ase fame_] _feyer ase flowyr_ MS.
32. _Dyscenys_, MS.
35. _swete_] _swet_, MS.
_wyght_] _wyte_Â MS.
36. _lede_] _londe_ MS.]
(4)
[Sidenote:
and for her, unhorses many knights.]
For love of thys lady Deyr~
In dede of armys far and nere
Aventorr{es} gan he take
W{i}t{h} heve tymbyr and ovyr-Ryde, 40
Ther myght no man~ hys dent a-bydde,
But to the Erthe he them str{a}ke.
Her father and other knyghtt{es} mo
Had farly, how he Ryd soo,
And on a day to hyme spake, 45
He Seyd: âTorrent, howe may thys byne,
That thow Dysp{i}syst thes knyghtt{es} kene
And ordurr{es} non woÆÆ take?â
[Linenotes:
39. _A ventorres_ MS.
42. _stroke_ MS.
47. _dysplesyst_ MS.]
(5)
[Sidenote:
The King knows that Torrent loves his daughter,]
Torrent sayd: âSo mvt I the,
An other sayment woÆÆ I {s}ee, 50
Ore I take ordor of knyght.â
Tho he sware be hevyn kyng,
Ther wase told hym a wondyr-thyng~
In hys chambyr to nyght:
âFor~ the love of my doughter dere 55
Thow makyst good far and nere
In~ Dedde of armys bryght;
And wyt thow wyÆÆ, so god me saue,
Thow schalt her~ wyne, yf thow her haue,
Be thow neuyr so wy{g}ht!â 60
[Linenotes:
50. _And_ MS.
_see_] _bee_ MS.
60. _wyght_] _wyttht_ MS.]
[Headnote: THE KING ASKS TORRENT TO FIGHT A GREEK GIANT.]
(6)
[Sidenote:
and asks him if, for her sake, heâll fight]
Torrent sayd: âBe Marry dere,
And I were off armyse clere, f. 77a.
Yowr Dowghttyr me leve were.â
The kyng seyd: âYf yt be soo,
Ore VII yere be a-go, 65
More schaÆÆ we here:
Durst thow, for my dowghttyr sake,
A poynt of armys for to take
W{i}t{h}-owt helpe of fere?â
Than seyd Torrant: âSo god me sped, 70
W{i}t{h} anny man~ that syttythe on stede
Other far ore nere!â
[Linenotes:
61. _Marry_] _e_ corrected into _y_.
65. _a-go_] _a gone_, _ne_ struck out, MS.]
(7)
Ther-of the kyng~ for tene wax wode:
âYf thow wylt make thy body good,
Be trew and hold thy cont{ena}nce . . . . . . . 75
Tho seyd Torrant: âSo god me sped ere!
And I wyst, in~ what sted they were,
Fore no man~ wold I cha{u}nce.â
[Linenotes:
75. _contnnce_ MS.
78. _chaunce_] corrected out of _change_ MS.]
(8)
[Sidenote:
a Giant in the Greek sea.]
âIn to the Grek{es} see a mylle
Ther ly{v}ythe a gyant {in an} yle, 80
FuÆÆ EuyÆÆ thow dourst hyme stond.
My fayer~ forest{es} fellythe downe he
And Ryche castell{es} in~ that contre,
No ston lettythe he stond.â
[Linenote:
80. _lyvythe_] _lyghttythe_ MS.
_in an yle_] _mauyle_ MS.]
[Headnote: TORRENT IS TO FIGHT THE GIANT BEGONMESE.]
(9)
[Sidenote:
Torrent agrees to fight]
+T+errent sayd: âBe Marre bryght, 85
Yt ys gret sorrow that he hathe syght,
The devyÆÆ of heÆÆ hym blynd!â
The {kyng} sayd: âP{ar} la-more de dewe,
Thow darryst fuÆÆ evyÆÆ w{i}t{h} thy Ey hym sewe,
He wold feÆÆ the w{i}t{h} hys wynde.â 90
âNow, be my trowthe,â seyd Torrent than~,
âAse I ame a jentylman~,
Yf I may hym fynd,
Won fot woÆÆ I not fro hym pase,
Thow he be stronger~ than Samson~ wase, f. 77b. 95
Or anny man~ of {hys} kynd!â
[Linenotes:
86. _he_] written above the line, MS.
88. _kyng_] _knyght_ MS.
96. _hys_] om. MS.]
(10)
[Sidenote:
the Giant Begonmese, and sets out.]
Hys squyerys, they mornyd s{a}re,
W{i}t{h}-owt fere that he schold fare
To that gret iorney,
W{i}t{h} the gyant heygh for to fyght. 100
Be-gon~-mese that gyant hyght,
That fyndd{es} f{e}re for aye.
To arme hyme Torrant g{a}s,
Hys good stede w{i}t{h} hym he ta{s},
W{i}t{h} owt squyer~ that Day. 105
He takythe leve at lorddys hend,
And on hys wey gan he wynd,
For hym aÆÆ they p{ra}y.
[Linenotes:
97. _sore_ MS.
102. _fare_ MS.
103. _gas_] _goos_ MS.
104. _tas_] _takythe_ MS.
108. _pray_] _prayd_ MS.]
(11)
[Sidenote:
Desonell knows not that it is for love of her. God give Torrent
victory!]
LytyÆÆ wyst DesoneÆÆ that jente,
For whos love that he went 110
To fyght w{i}t{h} that knave.
Now god, that Dyed appon a Rode,
Strengithe hym bothe bone and blod,
The fyld for to haue!
He that schaÆÆ wend soche a wey, 115
Yt were nede for hym to p{ra}y,
That I{es}u hym schuld saue.
Yt ys in~ the boke of Rome,
Ther was no knyght of kyrstendome,
That jorney Durst crave. 120
[Headnote: TORRENT SEES THE GIANT SLEEPING.]
(12)
[Sidenote:
After 6 daysâ ride he sees the Giant asleep.]
VI days Rydythe he
By the cost of the feyer~ see,
To seke the gyant kene.
By the cost as he Rode, f. 78a.
In a forest longe and brode 125
And symly wase to se{n}e,
Hey sperrys ther he fonde
And gret olyvys growonde
Coverd in~ levys {grene}.
Sone wase he ware, ase y yow say, 130
Vppon a movnteyn~ ther he laye
On slepe, ase I wene.
[Linenotes:
123. _seke_] _ches_, struck out, _seke_ written over with paler ink.
126. _see_ MS.
129. _grene_] _smale_ MS.]
(13)
[Sidenote:
He prays for Christâs help.]
Torrent, on kne knelyd he
And be-sowght J{es}u so fre,
That bowght hym w{i}t{h} hys blod: 135
âLord, ase thow dyd {r}yght for Mar{y},
Let me nev{er} take velony
And gef me of thy fode!
Sertt{es}, yf I hym slepyng~ slone,
ManfuÆÆ Ded were yt none 140
For my body, be the Rode.â
Tho Terrant blewe hys bugeÆÆ bold,
To loke that he a-wake wold,
And sythe ner~ hyme Rode.
[Linenote:
136. _ryght_] _lyght_ written above the line with paler ink.
_mare_ MS.]
[Headnote: TORRENT WAKES THE GIANT BEGONMESE.]
(14)
[Sidenote:
As Torrent canât wake the Giant with his bugle,]
So fast a-slepe he wase browght, 145
Hys hornys blast a-woke hyme nowght,
He swellyd ase dothe the see.
Torrent saw, he woÆÆ not wake,
He Reynyd hys sted vnto a stake,
Ase a jentyÆÆ man~ {so fre}. 150
So hy, he say, wase the movnteyne,
Ther mygh{t} no horse wynd hym~ a-geyn~
But yf he nowyd wold be; f. 78b.
Thowe the wey neuyr~ so wykkyd w{a}re,
On hys wey gan he fare, 155
In~ gret p{er}ayÆÆ went hee.
[Linenotes:
150. _so fre_] _in fere_ MS.
151. _say_] _sayd_ MS.
152. _mygh_ (!) MS.
154. _were_ MS.]
(15)
[Sidenote:
he stirs him up with his spear, and makes him wild.]
Torent went to that movnte{y}n~,
He put hys spere hyme a-geyne,
âA-Ryse, fellow!â gan he saye;
âWho made the so bold here to dweÆÆ, 160
My lord{es} frethe thus to feÆÆ?
A-mend{es} the be-hovythe to pay.â
The gyant Rysythe, ase he had byn~ wod,
And Redyly by hyme stode,
Be-syd hyme on a lay, 165
And seyd: âS{er}tes, yf I leve,
Soche a wed I woÆÆ the geff,
To meve the Euyr~ and ay.â
[Linenote:
157. _movnten_ MS.]
(16)
[Sidenote:
The fight begins.]
Thow the chyld were neuyr~ so y{i}nge,
The fynd{es} spere sparrythe hyme no-thyng~ 170
I{n} the holtt{es} h{a}ree;
Who had fare and nere byne,
And neu{er} had of fytyng syn~,
He myght a lernyd th{a}re.
The gyant, the fyrst stroke to hym he cast, 175
His good schyld aÆÆ to-brast,
In schevyr{es} spred wase {ya}re;
Tho covd he no bett{ur} R{e}d,
But stond styÆÆ, tyÆÆ one were ded;
The gyant lefte hym th{a}r. 180
[Linenotes:
169. _yonge_ MS.
171. _In_] _Ihū_ (!) MS.
_horee_ MS.
173. _seyn_ MS.
174. _there_ MS.
175. _to hym_] written above the line.
177. _there_ MS.
178. _he no_] _not he_ MS.
_Ryd_ MS.
180. _ther_ MS.]
[Headnote: THE GIANT BURSTS HIMSELF ON A ROCK.]
(17)
[Sidenote:
Torrent grips the Giant; they both fall, and roll down the mountain.
The Giant bursts]
Torrent vndyr hys spryt he spre{n}t
And a-bowght the body he hyme hente, f. 79a.
As far as he myght last.
âA! fellow, wylt thow so?â
And to the grownd gan they goo, 185
Of the movnteyn~ bothe downe they pas{t}.
Ase the boke of Rome tellys,
They tornyd XXXII {ellys},
In armys walloyng fast.
Yt tellythe in~ the boke of Rome, 190
Euyr~ ase the gyant a-boue come,
Hys gutt{es} owt of hys body {brast}.
[Linenotes:
181. _sprent_] _spred_ MS.
186. _they past_] _gan they pase_ MS.
188. _ellys_] _tymys_ MS.
192. _brast_] _Rane_ MS.]
[[spre{n}t _italicized as shown_]]
(18)
[Sidenote:
open against a big stone.]
At the fot of the movnteyn~
Ther lay a gret Ragyd ston~, s{er}teyn~,
Yt nyhed ys schuldyr bon~ 195
And also hys Ryght syd,
Ther to that gyant feÆÆ that tyd,
Ase {I} herd in~ Rome . . .
[Linenotes:
197 put before 196. MS.
198. _I_] _he_ MS.]
[Headnote: TORRENT THANKS GOD FOR HIS VICTORY.]
(19)
[Sidenote:
Torrent stabs the Giant,]
Thorrow hyme, that mad man~,
Torrent sone a-bovyn~ wane 200
And fast he gan {him quelle}
W{i}t{h} a knyffe feyer~ and bryght;
Torrent, w{i}t{h} aÆÆ hys myght
Ther-w{i}t{h} he gard hyme dweÆÆ.
[Linenotes:
199. after _Thorrow_, _of_ has been scraped out.
201. _him quelle_] _warke_ MS.
203. _hys_] _h_ corrected out of _m_Â MS.]
(20)
[Sidenote:
and then thanks Christ.]
Torent knelyd on hys kne, 205
To I{es}u Cryst p{ra}yd he,
That hathe thys world to wyld:
âLord, lovyd, evyr lovyd thowe be,
The feyer~ fyld thow hast lent Me,â
--Vpp bothe hys hand{es he} held-- f. 79b. 210
âAÆÆ onely w{i}t{h}-owt any knaue
Of the fynd the maystry to haue,
Of hym to wyn the fyld.â
Now ys ther none other to say,
Of hyme he wane the fyld þ{a}t day; 215
I p{ra}y God hyme schyld.
[Linenotes:
210. _he_] om. MS.
213. _wyn_] _wynd_, _d_ erased MS.
214. _to_ written above the line, MS.
215.
_Now ys ther non other say
Of hyme to wyne the fyld þat day_ add. (!) MS.]
(21)
[Sidenote:
He sees the sea, and goes to it. Torrent finds the Giantâs castle,]
Torrent went vppe a-geyne
To the movnt, ase I gan sayne,
The lond{es} to se far and nere;
In the see a myle, hyme thoÈt, 220
An hold wase Rychyly wrowt,
In that lond wase not here perre.
The see wase Ebbyd, I yow sey,
Torrent thether toke the way,
Werry aÆÆ thow he were; 225
And ther he fownd Ryche w{on}ys,
Towrr{es} Endentyd w{i}t{h} presyos stonys,
Schynyng ase crystaÆÆ clere.
[Linenote:
219. _to se_ written above the line.]
[Headnote: TORRENT GOES TO THE GIANTâS CASTLE.]
(22)
[Sidenote:
guarded by a lion and lioness.]
T{wo} gattys off yron~ ther he fond,
Ther in~ Torrent gan wonde, 230
A nyght{es} Rest there in~ {to} ta;
And at the hale dore ther wase
A lyon~ & a lyonasse,
Ther men be-twene them twa
Fast Etyng~, ase ye may here; 235
Crystyñ {man} thow {he} were,
Hys browys {wexe} bl{a}, f. 80a.
And wit yow wiÆÆ, lord god yt wote,
He durst goo no fote,
Lest they wold hyme sl{a}. 240
(23)
[Sidenote:
He hears a lady sighing within.]
+T+orrant stod and be-held,
And p{ra}yd to god, that ale may wyld,
To send hyme harborrow good.
Sone hard he w{i}t{h}in a whalle
The syghyng of a lady smalle, 245
Sche weppte, as sche were wod;
Sche mornyd sore and sayd: âAlas,
That Euyr~ kyng{es} dowghttyr wase
Ou{er}-come of so jentyÆÆ blod,
For now ame I holdyn~ here 250
In lond w{i}t{h} a fynd{es} fere!â
Torrent hard, wher he stod.
[Linenotes:
226. _wonys_] _wayes_ MS.
229. _Two_] _The_ MS.
231. _to ta_] _he take_ MS.
234. _twa_] _twayne_ MS.
236. _man_] _thow_ (!) MS.
_he_] _they_Â MS.
237. _wexe bla_] _be gan to blowe_ MS.
240. _sle_ MS.
244. _whalle_] with paler ink corrected from _whyle_.
245. _syghyng_] with paler ink corrected from _syngyng_.]
[Headnote: TORRENT WANTS TO ENTER THE GIANTâS CASTLE.]
(24)
[Sidenote:
Torrent asks for a nightâs lodging in the Castle.]
âDere god,â seyd Torrant than~,
âYff ther be anny crystyn~ man~
In thys hold of ston~, 255
That woÆÆ, for the love of god of myght,
Harbourrow a jentylman~ thys nyght,
For I ame but on~!â
âSeynt Marry,â seyd that lady clere,
âWhat crystyn~ man~ axithe harburrow here?â 260
Nere hym sche gothe a-non.
âI wold harburrow the fuÆÆ fayne,
But a gyant wyÆÆ the slayne.â
To hym sche mad here mone.
[Linenotes:
259. _clere_] _e_ corrected out of _r_Â MS.
261. _sche gothe anon_] _a non sche gothe_ MS.]
[[âDere god,â _open quote invisible_]]
(25)
[Sidenote:
The Lady says the Giant will kill him.]
âSay me now, fayer~ lady, {belyve}, f. 80b. 265
Who owte {of} thys plase schaÆÆ {me dryve},
Thes tourr{es}, that are so bryght?â
Ther sche Seyd: âBe hevyn~ kyng~,
Here ys a gyant Dwellyng,
That meche ys of myght. 270
Be my trowthe, and he the see,
Were ther~ XX lyvys in~ the,
Thy dethe than wyÆÆ he dyght.
I{es}u cryst yef me g{ra}ce
To hyd the in~ some preve plase 275
Owt of the fynd{es} syght! . . . . .
[Linenotes:
265. _bel._] om. MS.
266. _of_] om. MS.
_me dryve_] _hyght_Â MS.
267. _so_] _feyer and_ add. MS.
271. _the_] _thow_, _w_ erased and _e_ changed into _o_, MS.
273. _They_ (!) MS.
275. _hyd_] corrected from _hyde_.]
[[Linenote 271: _all âeâ and âoâ printed as shown_]]
(26)
[Sidenote:
The Lady takes Torrent past the Lions, into the Castle.]
âEuyr~ me thynkythe be thy tale,
The song of the burd{es} smale
On slepe hathe hyme browght.â
âYe,â seyd Torrent, âore he be wakyn~, 280
I schaÆÆ the teÆÆ soche a tokyn~,
Of hym thow haue no thowght!
But woldd{es} thow for thy gentry
Do the lyonnys downe lye,
That they nyee me nowght?â 285
By the hande sche gan{n}e hym ta
And led hyme in~ be{tw}e them twa;
Ryght ase sche wold, they wrowght.
[Linenotes:
277. _thy_] _my_ erased and _thy_ written above the line.
283. _thy_] _th_ corrected from _m_.
_gentry_] _gentre_, _e_ corrected from _y_.
285. _nyee_] first _e_ above the line.
286. _hande_] _d_ corrected from _e_.
_tane_Â MS.
287. _bewte_ MS.
_twayne_ MS.]
[Headnote: TORRENT IS TAKEN INTO THE GIANTâS CASTLE.]
(27)
[Sidenote:
He tells her he has kild the Giant.]
The lady wase neuyr~ so a-drad,
In to the hale sche hym lad, 290
That lemyred ase gold bryght;
Sche byrlyd whyt wyne and Rede: f. 81a.
âMake vse myrre a-geyne ow{re} Dedd,
I wot wiÆÆ, yt ys so dyght!â
âBe my trowthe!â seyd Torrent, 295
âI wole be thy warrant,
He comythe not here thys nyght.
On soche a slepe he ys browght,
AÆÆ men of lyve wakythe hym nowght,
But onely god{es myght}.â 300
[Linenote:
300. _godes myght_] _gode a lone_ MS.]
(28)
[Sidenote:
She tells him of Prince Verdownys, and 4 Earlsâ sons in the Giantâs
prison.]
Blythe then wase that lady jent,
For to on-harnes Torrent,
That dowghtty wase and bold;
âFor sothe,â sche seyd, âI wot wher ys
The kyng{es} sone {Verdownys}, 305
Fast put in hold
In a dongon~, that ys dym;
Fowyre good Eryll{es} sonnys be w{i}t{h} hyme
Ys fet in~ fere and fold.
The gyant wan theme in~ a tyde, 310
Ase they Rane be the watyr syd,
And put them in~ preson~ cold.
[Linenote:
305. _Verdownys_] _of pvense_ MS.]
[Headnote: TORRENT FREES A PRINCE AND 4 EARLSâ SONS.]
(29)
[Sidenote:
Torrent breaks open the prison,]
âIn an yron~ cage he hathe them done.â
Torrent went thether~ sone:
âAre ye yet levand?â 315
The kyng{es} sone askyd than~,
Yf ther were anny crysten man~,
âWold bryng vse ow{t} of bond?â
âLord,â he seyd, âgod aÆÆmyght,
I had levyr on a Day to fyght, f. 81b. 320
Than aÆÆ my fathyrys lond.â
W{i}t{h} an iryn~ maÆÆ styff and strong~
He brake vpe an yron~ dore or longe,
And sone the keyes he fond.
[Linenotes:
318. _owt_] _ow_ (!) MS.
323. _or longe_] added in paler ink.]
(30)
[Sidenote:
and frees the 5 youths. They sup.]
Owt he toke thys chyldyryn~ fyve, 325
The feyrest that were on lyve,
I-hold in~ anny sted.
The lady wase fuÆÆ gl{e}d,
Sche byrlyd whyt wyn~ and Redd,
And sethyn~ to soper sone they yed. 330
âLord{es},â he seyd, âsyn yow are her~,
I Red yow make Ryght good cher~,
For now ys aÆÆ thy nede.â
Thus he covyrd owt of care.
God, that sofryd wondd{es} s{a}re, 335
Grante vse weÆÆ to sped!
[Linenotes:
325. _chyld._] a _v_ struck out, follows.
328. _glad_ MS.
335. _sore_ MS.
336. _well{e} to sped_] _to sped welle_ MS.]
[Headnote: THEY ALL CHOOSE THEIR HORSES TO RIDE AWAY.]
(31)
[Sidenote:
Torrent freed Prince Verdownys, Lords Torren, Jakys, and Amyas, and
Princess Eleanor.]
Lordd{es}, and ye wol lythe,
The chyldyr namys I woÆÆ teÆÆ blythe,
Here kyn, how they were me told;
The kyng{es} sone, that dowghtty {ys}, 340
Wase clepyd Verdownys,
That dowghtty wase and bold,
And an Eryll{es} son, that hyght Torren~,
A nother Iakys of Berweyne,
The forthe was Amyas bold. f. 82a. 345
The kyng{es} dowghttyr of Gales lond,
Elyoner~, I vndyrstond,
That worthy wase in hold,
[Linenotes:
337. after _wol_, _be_ struck out MS.
340. _ys_] _wase_ MS.
346-348 put before 343-345, MS.]
(32)
[Sidenote:
She takes Torrent to his chamber, and then all of them to the
stable, where each chooses a horse.]
In to hys chambyr sche hyme led,
Ther gold and syluyr wase spred, 350
And asur~, that wase bl{o};
In yron ther he gan stond,
Body and armys {al sch}y{n}and,
In~ powynt to trusse and goo.
In to a stabyÆÆ sche hym led, 355
Eche toke a fuÆÆ feyer~ sted,
They were {redy} to goo;
And wote ye weÆÆ and vndyrstond,
Had the gyant be levand,
They had not p{ar}tyd soo. 360
[Linenotes:
351. _blo_] _blewe_ MS.
353. _al sch._] _lygand_ (!) MS.
354. _trusse_] corrected from _truste_.
357. _redy_] om. MS.
358. _wote_] with paler ink corrected from _what_.
359. _Had_] corrected out of _han_.
_byn_ follows, almost entirely erased.
_gyant_] _t_ corrected from _d_.]
(33)
[Sidenote:
Torrent feeds the lions on the Giantâs body, and puts his head on a
horse.]
They woÆÆ not to bed gan{ge},
TyÆÆ on the morrow the Day spronge,
Thus a wey to ffare.
Torrant sperryd the gattys, i-wyse,
AÆÆ that he lyst he clepyd hys, 365
The keys and thyng he bare.
The lyon{s that was} at the dore
Wase led to her~ mayst{er} that wase befor~,
{O}n hym thay fed them {ya}r{e},
Vpp won of the horse, that wase ther~ levyd, 370
{O}n hym thei trussyd the gyantt{es} he{ve}d.
Thus helpt hym god th{a}r~.
[Linenotes:
361. _gange_] _gan_ MS.
_ll{e} on the_ struck out, follows.
366. _keys_] _e_ written with paler ink above the line.
367. _lyons that was_] _lyone_ MS.
369. _Vn_ (!) MS.
_hym_] _y_ corrected out of _e_ MS.
_thay_] corrected from _that_.
_yare_] _ther_Â MS.
371. _Vn_ (!) MS.
_thei_] _i_ written above the line.
_hed_Â MS.
372. _ther_ MS.]
[Headnote: TORRENT RETURNS TO PORTUGAL.]
(34)
[Sidenote:
He goes back to Portugal.]
But ore III wek{es} wer~ com{m}yn~ to End,
To PortynggaÆÆ gan he wend,
Ther~ ase the kyng gan {lend}; 375
The porter~ sawe {hym} ther he stood,
He fled a wey, ase he were wod,
Flyngyng ase a fynd. f. 82b.
âSyr kyng,â he seyd, âbe godd{es} dede,
Torrant bryngythe a devyÆÆ ys hed, 380
Ther w{i}t{h} he woÆÆ yow present.â
DesoneÆÆ seyd: âPorter~, be styÆÆ!â . . .
In hys walke ther ase he went.
[Linenotes:
373. _wer{e}_] _ther_, struck out, and _were_ written over.
375. _lend_] _lye_ MS.
376. _sawe h. th._] _ther sawe he_ MS.]
(35)
[Sidenote:
The King and his Lords are afraid of the lions. Torrent kisses the
King of Portugal.]
The kyng to the gatys gan pase,
Gret lord{es} that ther wase, 385
Bothe knyght{es} and squyerr{e},
Lord{es} wase fuÆÆ sore a-dred
Fore the lyonys, þ{a}t he had,
They durst not come hyme ner~.
The kyng seyd: âI wyÆÆ {the} kysse, 390
Durst I for~ thy best{es}, Iwysse.â
Torrent dyd them ly ther~,
And kyssyd the kyng w{i}t{h} joy and blyse;
And aftyr, other lord{es} of hys,
And aftyr, ladys {clere}. 395
[Linenotes:
386. _squyerres_ MS.
390. _the_] _hym_ MS.
395. _aftyr_] _other_ add. (!) MS.
_clere_] _jent_Â MS.]
[Headnote: VERDOWNYSâS FATHER IS TOLD OF HIS SAFETY.]
(36)
[Sidenote:
The King of Provyns is glad of his son Verdownysâs safety]
Messengyr{es} {went} the weye,
To the kyng of P{ro}vyns to sey,
Hys sone ys owt of hold:
âYyng Torrent of PortynggaÆÆ
Hathe browght hym owt of balle 400
And slayne the jeyant bold.â
LytyÆÆ and mykyÆÆ Ã¾{a}t ther wer~,
AÆÆ they mad good cher f. 83a.
Her~ prynse fayne se wold.
The kyng {seyd}: âSo mot I the, 405
I woÆÆ geff the towynnys thre
For~ the tall{es} thow hast me told.â
[Linenotes:
396. _went_] _to_ (!) MS.
397. after _Provyns_ _I_ MS.
399. _Yoyng_ MS.
405. _kyng seyd_] _kynges messengere_ MS.
405-7 put before 402-4.]
(37)
[Sidenote:
and promises Torrent gifts. The King of Gales offers Torrent his
daughter.]
Tha{n seyd} they, tha{t} to Gales yede,
Yeftys to {take} were h{e}m no ned,
Then {Ver}downys had they. 410
Ase they seyÅyd on a tyde,
At Perrown~ on the see syd
. . . . . . . . . . .
The kyng of P{ro}vy{n}se seyd: âSo mot I the,
Yftles schaÆÆ they not be, 415
That dare I sothely sey.â
The kyng of Gales proferd hym feyer~:
âWed my dowghttyr and myn Eyer~,
When so euyr~ thow may! . . . . .
[Linenotes:
408. _Than--that_] _That they than_ MS.
_Gales_] with paler ink corrected from _Calles_.
_yede_] corrected from _went_.
409. _take_] om. MS.
_hym_ MS.
410. _Then Downys_ MS.
417. _gales_] _g_ with paler ink corrected from _c_.]
[[seyÅyd _printed as shown, with line through single âlâ_]]
[Headnote: TORRENT GETS WELANDâS SWORD ADOLAKE.]
(38)
[Sidenote:
The King of Provyns gives Torrent his Sword made by Weland,]
The kyng of Perve{n}se seyd: âSo mot I the, 420
Thys seson~ yeftles schaÆÆ thow not be,
Haue here my Ryng of gold,
My sword, that so wyÆÆ ys wrowyt;
A bett{er} than~ yt know I nowght
W{i}t{h} in~ crystyn~ mold; 425
Yt ys ase glemyrryng ase the glase,
Thorrow Velond wroght yt wase,
Bettyr ys non~ to hold.
I have syne sum tyme in~ lond,
Whoso had yt of myn~ hond, 430
Faw{e} the{y were} I-told.â
[Linenotes:
429. _Loke thou hold yt with full{e} hond_, add. MS.
431. _I fawght therfore I told_ MS.]
(39)
[Sidenote:
and named Adolake. A fortnightâs Feast is held.]
Tho wase Torrent blythe and glad,
The good swerd ther he had,
The name wase Adolake.
A gret mayne{re}y let he make {ryght} 435
That lest aÆÆ a fortnyght,
Who so wiÆÆ hys met take. f. 83b.
Euyry man toke ys leve, ase {I} yow say,
Hom-ward to wend ther wey,
Eu{er}y man ys Rest to take. 440
TyÆÆ yt be-feÆÆ vppon a day,
Ase they went be the wey,
The kyng to hys dowghttyr spake:
[Linenotes:
435. _mayn._] _mayne let_, with paler ink corrected into _mayney_.
_ryght_] om. MS.
438. _I_] om. MS.
440. _to take ys Rest_ MS.]
[Headnote: DESONELL GIVES TORRENT A WHITE CHARGER.]
(40)
[Sidenote:
The King of Portugal tells Desonell that Torrent kild the Giant for
love of her.]
âYe schaÆÆ take hed of a jeentyÆÆ man~,
A feyer~ poynt for~ yow he wane, 445
DesoneÆÆ, at the last.â
âSyr,â sche seyd, âbe hevyn kyng,
TyÆÆ ye me told, I knewe no thyng,
For who ys love yt wase.â
âDesoneÆÆ, so mvt I the, 450
Yt wase for the lowe of the,
That he trovylld so fast.
I warne yow, dowghttyr, be the Rode,
Yt ys for yow bothe good,
Ther to I Red yow tr{a}st.â 455
[Linenote:
455. _trust_ MS.]
[[âSyr,â sche seyd, _open quote invisible_]]
(41)
[Sidenote:
She gives Torrent a white steed which the King of Nazareth had sent
her.]
Forthe sche browght a whyt sted,
As whyt as the flowyr in~ med,
Ys fytte blac ase slo{n}.
âLeman~, haue here thys fole,
That dethe ys dynt schalt þ{o}u not {thole}, 460
WhyÆÆ thow setty{s}te hyme appon~,
And yf thow had p{ersew}yd be
And hadyst ned fore to fle,
Fast for to gone.
The kyng of Nazareth sent hym me, 465
Torrent, I wet-saffe hym on the,
For bett{er} love may I none.â f. 84a.
[Linenotes:
458. _slo_ MS.
460. _thole_] _haue_ MS.
461. _settythe_ MS.
462. _pârevyd_ (!) MS.
465. So Fragm. I (F. I);
_The kyng of Portynggalle seyd: âSo mot I the_Â MS.
466. _hym on_] so F. I; _of_ MS.]
(42)
[Sidenote:
The King treacherously asks Torrent to get Desonell a Falcon]
Aftyr-ward vppon a tyd,
Ase the went be the watyr{es} syd,
The kyng and yong Torrent, 470
The kyng wold fayne, that he ded wer~,
And he wyst, in~ what maner~,
How he schuld be schent;
A false lettyr mad the kyng
And dyd messengyr{es} forthe yt bryng, 475
On the Rever~, ase they went,
To Torrent, that was trew ase styÆÆ,
Yf he love DesoneÆÆ wyÆÆ,
Get her a facon~ jent.
[Linenotes:
471. _ded wer{e}_] so F. I; _were ded_Â MS.
472. _he_] so F. I; _hym_ MS.
477. _that was_] so F. I; om. MS.]
[Headnote: THE FALSE KING OF PORTUGAL DECEIVES TORRENT.]
(43)
[Sidenote:
from the Forest of Magdalen.]
Torrent the lett{er} be-gan~ to Red, 480
The kyng lestyned & nere yed,
Ase he yt nevyr ad s{e}ne.
âSyr,â he seyd, âwhat may thys be,
Loo, lord, come ner~ and see,
A-bowght a facon~ schene? 485
I ne wot, so god me sped,
In what lond that they bred.â
The kyng answerd: âI wene,
In the forrest of Mavdeleyn~,
Ther be hawk{es}, ase I herd seyne, 490
That byn of lenage {cl}en~.â
[Linenotes:
482. _syne_ MS.
487. _that_] so F. I; om. MS.
_they_] _ne_ add. (!)Â MS.
489. _Mavd._] so F. I; _Mavdlen_ MS.
491. _clen~_] _gene_ MS.]
(44)
[Sidenote:
He agrees to do it. Torrent rides]
And than seyd the kyng on-trew:
âYf thow get hawkys of gret valew,
Bryng on of them to me!â
Torrent Seyd: âSo god me saue, f. 84b. 495
Yf yt be-tyd, that I may haue,
At yow{r} wyÆÆ they schal be.â
Hys squyere bode he th{a}r~,
Aftyr hys armor~ for to far~,
In the fyld byddythe he. 500
They armyd hym in~ hys wed,
Tho he be-strod a noble sted,
And forthe than Rod hee.
[Linenote:
498. _squyere_] so F. II; _squyeres_ MS.
_there_ MS.]
[Headnote: TORRENT FINDS A DRAGON IN THE FOREST.]
(45)
[Sidenote:
to the Forest of Magdalen, gets separated from his Squire,]
+T+orrent toke the wey a-geyn~
In to the forest of Mawdleyn~, 505
In the wyld-some way;
Berys and apes there founde he,
And wylde bestys great plente,
And lyons where they lay.
In a wod that wase tyght, 510
Yt Drew nere-hand nyght
By dymmynge of the Day,
Harkyn, lord{es}, {to} them came wo,
He and hys squyer~ p{ar}tyd in two,
CarfuÆÆ men then were they. 515
[Linenotes:
502. _noble_] so F. II; _nothere_ MS.
507-509: so F. II:
_Berrys he sawe stondyng
And wyld bestes ther goyng,
Gret lyonys ther he fond._Â MS.
510: _tyght_] so F. II; _thyke_ MS.
512: _By d._] so F. II; _And ine the Dawnyng_Â MS.
513: _to--wo_] so F. II;
_to_] of F. II.
_what I schalle sey_Â MS.
514: _in two_] so F. II; _they_ MS.
515: _men--they_] so F. II; _they were that Day_Â MS.]
(46)
[Sidenote:
and comes on a Dragon.]
At the schedyng of a Rome
Eche p{ar}tyd other frome,
For sothe, ase I vndyrstond.
Torrent toke a dulful wey
Downe in~ a depe valey 520
Be-syd a weÆÆ strong.
A lytyÆÆ be fore mydnyght
Of a dragon he had syght,
That grysly wase to {fond};
He had hym nowght to were, 525
But hys schyld and hys spere, f. 85a.
That wase in~ hys squyer{es} hond.
[Linenote:
524. _fond_] _syght_ MS.]
[Headnote: AÂ DRAGON ATTACKS TORRENT.]
(47)
[Sidenote:
Torrent prays to Christ to be his help.]
Torrent knelyd on hys kne,
To I{es}u Cryst p{ra}yd he:
âLord, mykyÆÆ of myght, 530
Syne I wase in~ meche care,
Let me nevuyr~ owt of {t}hys world far~,
TyÆÆ I haue take o{rd}er of knyght.
Ase I ame falsely hether~ sent,
Wyld-som weyes haue I went, 535
W{i}t{h} fynd{es} for to fyght.
Now, I{es}u, for thy holy name,
Ase I ame but man~ a-lone,
Than~ be my helpe to nyght!â
[Linenotes:
532. _thys_] _hys_ (!) MS.
533. _haue_] _or_ add. (!) MS.
_order_] _othere_ (!)Â MS.]
(48)
[Sidenote:
The Dragonâs tail is 7 yards long,]
Ase Torrent I{es}u gan~ p{ra}y, 540
He herd the dragon~, ther he lay
Vndyr-nethe a clo{w};
Of an{d} on he wase stronge,
Hys tayle wase VII yerd{es} long,
That aftyr hyme he dr{o}we; 545
Hys wyngg{es} wase long and wyght,
To the chyld he toke a flyght
W{i}t{h} an howge sw{ow}e;
Had he nether~ schyld ne spere,
But p{ra}yd to god, he schold hyme were, 550
For he wase in dred i-nowe.
[Linenotes:
542. _clow_] _colod_ or _colvd_, _l_ corrected from _d_, MS.
543. _and_] _an_ MS.
545. _drewe_ MS.
548. _swowe_] _swayne_ (!) MS.
551. _inowthe_ MS.]
(49)
[Sidenote:
and has a fiery head on it. Torrent cuts 4 ells off the Dragonâs
tail;]
On the tayle an hed ther~ wase,
That byrnyd Bryght as anny glase, f. 85b.
In fyer whan {yt} was dyght;
A-bowght the schyld he lappyd yt ther~, 555
Torrent the bowght a-sondyr schere
Thurrow the g{ra}ce of god almyght.
As the boke of Rome telly{s},
Of hys taylle he cut IIII ell{es}
W{i}t{h} hys swerd so bryght. 560
Than cryed the lothely thyng,
That aÆÆ the daÆÆ be-gan to Ryng,
That hard the gyant wyght.
[Linenotes:
554. _yt_] _he_ MS.
558. _Tellys_] _tellythe_ MS.
563. _That the gyant hard wyght_ MS.]
[[f. 85b. _Text has anomalous âfol.â_]]
[Headnote: TORRENT KILLS THE DRAGON.]
(50)
[Sidenote:
and while its Giant-owner is getting ready to help it,]
The gyant seyd: âI vndyrstond,
There ys sum crystyn~ man~ nere hond, 565
My dragon here I cry.
By hym, that schope bothe watyr~ and lond,
AÆÆ that I can se be-fore me stond,
Dere schaÆÆ they a-bye!
Me thynkythe, I here my dragon~ schowt, 570
I deme, ther be svme dowghtty man~ hym a-bowght,
I trow, to long I ly.
Yf I dweÆÆ in my pyÆÆ of ston~,
And my cheff-fost{er} were gone,
A false mayst{er} were I!â 575
[Linenote:
574. _foster_] _st_ corr. out of _t_.]
(51)
[Sidenote:
Torrent kills it. Torrentâs Squire]
Be the gyant wase Redy dyght,
Torrent had slayne the dragon~ Ryght;
Thus gan god hyme scheld.
To the mownteyne he toke the wey
To Rest hyme, aÆÆ that day, 580
He had myst{er}, to be kyld.
TyÆÆ the day be-gan to spryng, f. 87a.[T1]
Fowllys gan myrre to syng
Bothe in~ frethe and in feld.
Leve we now of Torrent th{o}re 585
And speke we of thys squyer~ more:
I{es}u hys sole fro heÆÆ shyld!
[Linenotes:
581. _kyllyd_ MS.
585. _there_ MS.]
[Footnote T1: There is no f. 86 in the paging of the MS.]
[Headnote: TORRENTâS SQUIRE IS MET BY A GIANT.]
(52)
[Sidenote:
rides all night in a wood,]
Hys squyer~ Rod aÆÆ nyght
In a wod, that wase fuÆÆ tyght,
W{i}t{h} meche care and gret fare, 590
For to seke hys lord Torrent,
That wy{ght}ly wase frome hyme sent,
And he wyst nevyr~ whethyr ne wh{a}r~.
He Durst neuyr~ cry ne schuot,
For wy{l}d best{es} were hym a-bowght 595
In~ the holtt{es} h{a}re;
A lyty{l} whyÆÆ be-fore the day
He toke in~ to a Ryde-wey
Hyme self to meche care.
[Linenotes:
592. _wysly_ MS.
593. _wher_ MS.
595. _wyld_] _wyd_ MS.
596. _hore_ MS.
597. _lyty_ MS.]
(53)
[Sidenote:
till he finds a highway,]
Forthe he Rod, I vndyrstond, 600
TyÆÆ he an hey wey fond,
W{i}t{h}-owtyn~ any Del{ite},
Also fast ase he myght fare,
Fore berrys and apys, þ{a}t ther w{a}re,
Lest they wold hym byght. 605
The sone a-Rose and schone bryght,
Of a castyÆÆ he had a syght,
That wase bothe feyer~ and whyte . . . .
[Linenotes:
602. _Delite_] _delay_ MS.
604. _were_ MS.]
(54)
[Sidenote:
and is met by a Giant. The Giant cuts Torrentâs Squire into 4
quarters.]
The gyant h{i}m se, & ny yed,
And seyd: âFellow, so god me sped, 610
Thow art welcom to me: f. 87b.
What dost thow here in my forest?â
âLord, to seke an hawkys nest,
Yff yt yow{r} wyl be.â
âThe be-hovythe to ley a wede.â 615
To an oke he hym led:
Gret Ruthe yt wase to se.
In IIII q{uar}ter{es} he hym dr{o}we,
And eu{er}y quarter vppon a bowe;
Lord, soche weys toke hee! 620
[Linenotes:
609. _hem_ MS.
618. _drewe_ MS.]
[Headnote: TORRENT IS ATTACKT BY THE GIANT ROCHENSE.]
(55)
[Sidenote:
Torrent finds these,]
Ase Torrent in~ the movnteyn~ dyd ly,
Hym thowght, he hard a ReufuÆÆ cry;
Gret fere ther hyme thowght.
âSeynt Marre,â seyd the chyld so f{re},
âWher euyr~ my jentyÆÆ squyer~ myght be, 625
That I w{i}t{h} me to wod browght?
On he dyd hys harnes a-geyne
And worthe on hys sted, s{er}teyne,
And thetherward he sowght.
And wot yow wyÆÆ, I vndyrstond, 630
In fowre quartyr{es} he hym fownd,
For other wyse wase yt nowght.
[Linenotes:
624. _fre_] _fer_ MS.
630. _wot_] _w_ add. (!) MS.]
(56)
[Sidenote:
and is attackt by this giant Rochense.]
The gyant lenyd to a tre
And be-hyld Torrent so free,
For sothe, ase {I} yow seye. 635
Thys fend wase ferly to fyght,
Rochense, seythe the boke, he hyght,
Ther wase a dredfuÆÆ fraye.
To the chyld than~ gan he smyght:
âA theff, yeld the asttyt, 640
As fast as thow may!â f. 88a.
âWhat,â seyd Torrent, âart thow wood?
God, that Dyed on the Rood,
Geff the evyÆÆ happe thys day!â
[Linenote:
635. _I_] om. MS.]
[Headnote: TORRENT FIGHTS THE GIANT ROCHENSE.]
(57)
[Sidenote:
Torrentâs steed is kild. He drives the Giant back]
He Rawght Torrent soche a Rowght, 645
Hys stedd{es} brayne he smot owte,
So mykyÆÆ he be-gan~.
Torrent tho a good sped
Ase fast a-bowte an eche {yede};
Ase swefte ase he myght, {he} R{a}n. 650
He gathyred svm of hys gere,
Bothe hys schyld and hys spere;
Nere hym yod he than~.
Bacward than be a browÈ
Twenty fote he gard hyme goo, 655
Thus erthe on hym he wane.
[Linenotes:
649. _yede_] _went_ MS.
650. _he Ran_] _Ryne_ MS.]
(58)
[Sidenote:
into a deep glen, where he stands in water.]
Yt solasyd Torrant th{e}n~,
When he sawe hyme bacward r{e}n
Downe be a movnteyn~ of Perowne,
Stomlyng thurrow frythe and fen~, 660
TyÆÆ he com to a depe {glen},
Ther myght non hym s{t}ere.
Torrent wase glad and folowyd fast,
And hys spere on hyme he brast,
Good Adyloke yed hyme nere. 665
The fynd in~ the watyr stod,
He fawte a-geyn, ase he were wod,
AÆÆ Ã¾e day in~ fere.
[Linenotes:
657. _than_ MS.
658. _ren_] _Rond_ (!) MS.
661. _glen_] _thorne_ MS.
662. _stere_] _schere_ MS.
668. _þe_] _the_ add. (!) MS.]
(59)
[Sidenote:
Torrent prays God for help. Jesus freshens up Torrent.]
Tho nere hond wase the day gone, f. 88b.
Torrent wase so werry than~ 670
That on hys kne he kneld:
âHelpe, god, that aÆÆ may!
DesoneÆÆ, haue good day!â
Fro hym he cest hys schyld.
I{es}u wold not, he were slayne, 675
To hym he sent a schowyr~ of Rayne,
Torrent fuÆÆ wyÆÆ yt keld.
The fynd saw, he wase ny mate,
Owt of the watyr he toke the gate,
He thowght to wyne the fyld. 680
[Linenotes:
671. _knelyd he_ MS.
677. _kelyd_ MS.]
[Headnote: TORRENT SLAYS THE GIANT ROCHENSE.]
(60)
[Sidenote:
The Giant attacks again. Torrent runs him throâ the heart, cuts his
head off,]
Thoo wase Torrent ffresse and good;
Nere the fynd sore he stod,
Cryst hym saue and see!
The fynd fawt w{i}t{h} an yron~ staff,
The fyrst stroke, to hym he gaffe, 685
He brast hys schyld on thre.
Torrent vndyr hys staff Rane,
To the hart he baryd hym than~,
And lothely cry gane he.
To the g{r}ownd he feÆÆ ase tyght, 690
And Torrent gan hys hed of-smyght,
And thus he wynnythe the gre.
[Linenote:
690. _gownd_ MS.]
(61)
[Sidenote:
finds him 24 ft. long, and goes to his Castle.]
Torrent knelyd on the grownd
And thankyd god þ{a}t ylke stownd,
That soche g{ra}ce hyme send. 695
Thus II journeys in thys woo
W{i}t{h} hys hand{es} slow {he} gyantys too,
That meny a man~ hathe schent. f. 89a.
Torrent forthe frome hyme þan yod,
And met hyme XXIIII fotte, 700
Ther he lay on the bent.
Hedles he left hym there,
Howt of the fyld the hed he bare
And to the casteÆÆ he went.]
[Linenote:
697. _he_] _II_ MS.]
[Headnote: THE SWORD AND STEED OF GIANT ROCHENSE.]
(62)
[Sidenote:
Torrent goes to the Giantâs Castle, and finds a splendid sword,]
To thys casteÆÆ he gan far~; 705
Ther fond he armor~ and other~ g{a}re,
A swerd, that wase bryght.
To the towre he toke the wey,
Ther the gyant{es} bed lay,
That Rychyly wase dyght. 710
At the bedd{es} hed he fond
A swerd, worthe an Erllys lond,
That meche wase of myght.
On the pomeÆÆ yt wase wret,
Fro a prynce yt wase get, 715
Mownpolyardn{us} he hyght.
[Linenote:
706. _gere_ MS.]
(63)
[Sidenote:
and a noble white steed. With the heads of the Giant and Dragon,
Torrent]
The sarten {to sey} w{i}t{h}-owt lese,
A scheff-chambyr~ he hym ches,
TyÆÆ on the morrow day.
To the stabuÆÆ tho he y{e}d, 720
There he fond a nobyÆÆ sted,
Wase comely whyt and grey.
The gyantt{es} hed gan he take,
And the dragonnys wold he not forsake,
And went forthe on hys wey. 725
He left mor~ good in that sale
Than wase w{i}t{h} in~ aÆÆ PortynggaÆÆ, f. 89b.
Ther ase the gyant laye.
[Linenotes:
717. _to sey_] om. MS.
718. _he_] _sche_ MS.
_chesys_ (!) MS.
720. _yod_ MS.]
(64)
[Sidenote:
rides back to Portugal. Torrent gives the King the Giantâs and
Dragonâs heads instead of a Falcon,]
Tho he Rod bothe Day and nyght,
TyÆÆ he come to a casteÆÆ bryght, 730
Ther ys lord gan dweÆÆ.
The kyng ys gone to the gate,
Torrent on kne he fond ther at,
Schort taÆÆ for to teÆÆ.
âHaue thow thys in~ thyn~ hond: 735
No nother hawkys ther I fond
At Mawdlenys weÆÆ.â
The kyng {quod}: âAse so haue I blyse,
Torrent, I trow, sy{bb}e ys
To the deweÆÆ of heÆÆ! . . . . 740
[Linenotes:
738. _quod_] om. (!) MS.
739. _sybbe_] _sylke_ MS.]
[Headnote: TORRENT IS LOVED BY DESONELL.]
(65)
[Sidenote:
and says the Giant Rochense was Slogus of Fuolles.]
âHere be syd dwellythe won on lond,
Ther ys no knyght, {hy}s dynt may stond,
So stronge he ys {in dede}!â
âSyr~,â he sayd, âfore sen Iame,
What ys the gyant{es} name, 745
So Euyr good me sped?â
âSyr~,â he seyd, âso mvt I the,
Slogus of Fu{o}ll{es}, thus hyte hee,
That wyt ys vndyr wede.â . . . . . .
[Linenotes:
742. _knyght hys_] _knyghtes_ MS.
743. _in d._] _on grond_ MS.]
(66)
[Sidenote:
Desonell gives her heart to Torrent.]
LytyÆÆ and mykyÆÆ, lese and more, 750
Wondyr on the hedd{es} thore,
That Torrent had browght whome.
{The} Lord{es} seyd âBe sen MyheÆÆ!
Syr kyng, but ye love hyme wyÆÆ,
To yow yt ys gret schame!â 755
Torent ordeynyd pryst{es} fyve, f. 90a.
To syng for hys squyerys lyve,
And menythe hym by name.
Therfor~ the lady whyt ase swane
To Torrant, here lord, sche went than~, 760
Here hert wase to hyme tane.
[Linenotes:
752. _browght_] _ho_ add. (!) MS.
753. _The_] om. MS.
_seyd_] _he_ add. MS.
_Myhell{e}_] _my her_, _r_ corrected to _lle_ with paler ink.
756. _prystes_] V add. (!) MS.]
[Headnote: AÂ PRINCE OF ARAGON WANTS TO WED DESONELL.]
(67)
[Sidenote:
The King of Aragon asks for Desonell for his youngest Son.]
Lettyrr{es} come ther w{ithalle}
To the kyng of PortynggaÆÆ,
To ax hys dowghttyr Derre,
Fro the kyng of Eragon~, 765
To wed her~ to hys yongeest son~,
The lady, that ys so clere.
For Torrent schuld not her~ haue,
{For} hyme fyrst he here gafe,
To the messenger~, 770
And hys {way} fast ageyn dyd pase,
Whyle Torrent an huntyng wase,
Ther of schuld he not be w{e}re.
[Linenotes:
762. _ther withalle_] _hetherward_ MS.
769. _For_] _To_ MS.
771. _way_] om. MS.
773. _ware_ MS.]
(68)
[Sidenote:
The Queen of Portugal wishes Torrent to have her.]
On a mornyng, ther ase he lay,
The kyng to the quene gan sey: 775
âMadame, for cherryte,
Thow art oftyn~ hold wyse;
Now woÆÆ ye teÆÆ me yow{r} deuyce,
How I may governe me:
The Ryche kyng hathe to me sent, 780
For to aske my dowghttyr gente
That ys so feyer~ and fre.â
âSyr,â sche Seyd, âso god me saue,
I Red yow let Torent her haue, f. 90b.
For best worthy ys he.â 785
[Linenotes:
775. _The (quene to the) kyng to the quene gan sey_Â MS.
779. _That how_ MS.
781. _aske_] _aseke_ MS.]
(69)
[Sidenote:
The King refuses.]
He sayd: âMadame, were that feyer~,
To make an erll{es} sone myn Eyer~?
I wiÆÆ not, by sen Iame!
There he hathe done maystr{es} thre,
Yt ys {hys} swerd, yt ys not he, 790
For Hatheloke ys ys name.â
âLord, he myght fuÆÆ wyÆÆ sped,
A knyght{es} dowghttyr wase hyme bed,
Ase whyt ase wall{es} b{a}ne;
And yf ye warne hyme DesoneÆÆ, 795
A{ll} that ther of here teÆÆ,
Ther of wyÆÆ speke schame.â
[Linenotes:
790. _hys_] om. MS.
794. _swalles_ (!) MS.
_bone_ MS.
796. _All_] _And_ MS.]
[Headnote: THE KING OF PORTUGALâS TREACHERY TO TORRENT.]
(70)
[Sidenote:
The false King of Portugal plots to have Torrent kild by another
Giant.]
âMadam, vnto thys tyd
There lythe a gyant here be-syd,
That many a man~ hathe slayne. 800
I schaÆÆ hyght hym my dowghttyr~ dere,
To fyght w{i}t{h} that fynd{es} fere,
Thus he holdythe hyme in~ trayne.
But I schaÆÆ make myn com{m}nant so,
That there schaÆÆ non w{i}t{h} hyme go, 805
{Neyther} squyer~ ne swayne.â
âSyr~,â sche seyd, âso mvt I the,
So sore be-stad hathe he be,
And wyÆÆ co{m}myn~ a-geyne!â
[Linenote:
806. _Neyther_] om. MS.]
(71)
[Sidenote:
He and his Queen go to Mass. Torrent sits at the head of a side
table.]
Tho the bell{es} be-gan to Ryng, 810
Vpe Rose that Ryche kyng,
And the lady {so fre},
And aftyr-ward they went to mase, f. 91a.
Ase the law of holy chyrge wase,
W{i}t{h} n{o}t{es} and solemnyte. 815
Trompettys on the waÆÆ gan blowe,
Knyght{es} semlyd on a Rowe,
Gret joy wase to see.
Torrent a syd bord began~,
The squyer{es} nexte hym than, 820
That good knyght{es} schuld be.
[Linenotes:
812. _so fre_] _in feree_ MS.
815. _nettes_ (!) MS.]
[Headnote: TORRENT AGREES TO FIGHT FOR DESONELL.]
(72)
[Sidenote:
The King asks Torrent if heâll do a deed of arms for Desonell.]
Ase they sat a-mydd{es} the mete,
The kyng wold not foreget;
To Torrent the kyng gan sey,
He seyd: âTorrent, so god me saue, 825
Thow wold{es} fayne my dowghttyr haue
And hast lovyd her~ many a day.â
âYe, be trouthe,â seyd Torrent than~,
âAnd yf þ{a}t I were a Ryche man~,
Ryght gladly, p{ar} ma fay!â 830
âYf thow durst for her sake
A poynt of armys vndyrtake,
Thow broke her~ weÆÆ fore ay!â
[Linenotes:
822. _a_] so F. III; _the_ MS.
825. _saue_] so F. III; _sped_ MS.
830. _gladly_] so F. III; _glad_ MS.
831. _for h. s._] so F. III; _par ma fay_Â MS.
833. _broke_] so F. III; _breke_ MS.]
(73)
[Sidenote:
âYes,â says Torrent.]
âYe,â seyd Torrent, âar I ga,
Sekyrnes ye schaÆÆ me ma 835
Of yow{r} dowghttyr hend,
And aftyrward my ryghtys,
Be-fore XXVII knyght{es}.â . . . . . .
And aÆÆ were Torrent{es} frende.
âNow, good s{er}is,â gan Torrant sey, f. 91b. 840
âBere wittnes her of som Daye,
A-geyne yf god me send!â
[Linenotes:
834. _go_ F. III; _gan Rage_ MS.
835. _make_ MS.
839. _frenddes_ MS.]
(74)
[Sidenote:
âThen go to Calabria, and fight the Giant Slochys.â]
Torrent seyd: âSo mvt I the
Wyst I, where my jorney schold {be},
Thether I wolde me dyght.â 845
The kyng gaff hyme an answere:
âIn the lond of Calabur ther~
Wonnythe a gyant wyhte,
And he ys bothe strong and bold,
Slochys he hyght, I the told, 850
God send the that waye Ryght!â
Than quod Torrent: âHaue goo{d} day,
And, or I come a-geyn~, I schaÆÆ asay,
Whether the fynd can fyght.â
[Linenotes:
844. _be_] om. MS.
845. _wolde_] so F. III; om. MS.
848. _wyhte_] so F. III; _whyte_ MS.
851. _that w._] so F. III; _ways_ MS.
852. _good_] _goo_ MS.
853. Space left here for an initial letter of the largest size
in MS.]
[Headnote: TORRENT STARTS TO FIGHT THE GIANT SLOCHYS.]
(75)
[Sidenote:
Torrent takes leave of Desonell, starts,]
Tho wold he no lenger~ a-byde, 855
He toke ys wey for to Ry{de}
On a sted of gret valewe.
In to a chambyr~ he g{as},
Hys leue of DesoneÆÆ he t{as},
Sche wepte, aÆÆ men myght Rewe; 860
He seyd: âLady, be styÆÆ!
I schaÆÆ come a-geyn th{e} tyÆÆ,
Thurrow helpe of Marry trewe.â
Thus he worthe on a stede.
In hys wey Cryst hyme sped, 865
Fore he yt no thyng knewe!
[Linenotes:
856. _Ryde_] _ryght_ MS.
858. _gas_] _gothe_ MS.
859. _tas_] _toke_ MS.
862. _the_] _than_ MS.]
(76)
[Sidenote:
and rides to the Castle of the King of Provyns.]
He toke hym a Redy wey,
Thurrow P{er}vy{n}s he toke the wey,
As hys Iorney feÆÆ. f. 91a.[T2]
TyÆÆ the casteÆÆ Be the See, 870
An hy stret heldythe hee,
Ther the kyng {dyd} dwell{e}.
To the porter he gan seye:
âWynd in~, fellow, I the p{ra}y,
And thy lord than t{e}ÆÆ, 875
P{ra}y hym, on won nyght in~ hys sale
To harburrow Torrent of PortynggaÆÆ,
Yf y{t} Bee ys wiÆÆ!â
[Linenotes:
868. _pvys_ MS.
871. _And_ MS.
872. _dyd dw._] _dwellyd_ MS.
875. _tyll_ MS.
878. _Yf ys wille to Bee_ MS.]
[Footnote T2: There are two folios 91 in the MS.]
[Headnote: TORRENT A GUEST OF THE KING OF PROVYNS.]
(77)
[Sidenote:
The King of Provyns welcomes Torrent, and]
The porter~ Dyd hys com{m}andment,
To the kynge he ys wente 880
And knelyd vppon~ ys kne:
âGod blyse þe, lord, In thy sale!
Torrent of Portynggale
Thus sendythe me to the;
He p{ra}ythe yow, yf ye myght, 885
To harburrow hym thys won~ nyght,
Yf yow{r} wiÆÆ yt bee.â
The kyng swere be hym, þ{a}t dyed on tre:
âThere ys no man~ in~ crystyante
More welcome to me!â 890
(78)
[Sidenote:
feeds him. Torrentâs sword is his only Squire.]
The kyng a-Rose and to the gat yod,
Lord{es} and other~ knyg{htes} good,
That were glad of hys com{m}yng.
In to the hale he hyme browght,
Ryche met spare they nowght, 895
Be-fore Torrent fore to bryng.
âSyr,â sayd the kyng, âI p{ra}y the, f. 91b.
Where be thy men off armys free,
That w{i}t{h} the schuld {leng}?â
âSyr, to a lord I mvst Ryde, 900
My squyer hongythe be my syde,
No man schaÆÆ w{i}t{h} me wend.â
[Linenotes:
892. _knyges_ MS.
899. _leng_] _wynd_ MS.]
(79)
[Sidenote:
Torrent says he has to fight in Calabria.]
âS{yr},â seyd the kyng, âI p{ra}y the,
Where schaÆÆ thy ded of armys bee,
Yf yt be thy wyÆÆ?â 905
âS{yr},â he seyd, âvttyrly,
At Calabur, sekyrly,
I ame aÆÆ Redy ther tyÆÆ
W{i}t{h} a squyer, þ{a}t wiÆÆ can Ryde;
Fast be the see Sydde 910
Schuld we pley ow{ur} fyle;
And wot ye wyÆÆ and vndyrstond,
Ther schaÆÆ no knyght come nere hond
Fore dred of dentt{es} yÆÆ.â
[Headnote: TORRENT IS OFFERD A PRINCESS OF PROVYNS.]
(80)
[Sidenote:
The King of Provyns warns him against the terrible Giant there,]
The kynge seyd: âBe godd{es} ore, 915
I Rede, þ{a}t þ{ou} come not th{o}re,
Fore why, I wyÆÆ the seye:
Meche folke of that contre
Come hether~ for~ sokor~ of me,
Bothe be nyght and day; 920
There ys a gyant of gret Renowne,
He dystrowythe bothe sete and towyn~
And aÆÆ Ã¾{a}t euyr~ he may;
And ase the boke of Rome dothe teÆÆ,
He wase get of the deweÆÆ of heÆÆ, 925
As hys moder on slepe lay.â
[Linenotes:
915. _kynges_ (!) MS.
916. _there_ MS.
922. _sete_] second _e_ corr. out of _a_Â MS.]
(81)
[Sidenote:
and offers him his Daughter and 2 Duchies instead. Torrent says he
must keep his troth.]
The kyng Seyd: âBe seynt Adryan~, f. 92a.
I Rede, a nother JentyÆÆ mane
Be there and haue the gre:
I haue a dowghttyr, þ{a}t ys me dere, 930
Thow schalt here wed to thy fere,
And, yf yt thy wyll be,
Two duchyes in {l}onde
I wille geve here in~ hande.â
âG{ra}marcy, syr,â sayd he, 935
âW{i}t{h} my tonge so haue I wrowght,
To breke my day than wiÆÆ I nowght,
Nedys me behovythe ther to bee.â
[Linenotes:
929. _the_] so F. IV; om. MS.
_degre_ MS.
932. So F. IV; om. (!) MS.
933. _londe_] _honde_ F. IV; om. MS.
935. _syr s. h._] so F. IV; _seyd he thane_ MS.]
[Headnote: TORRENT ARRIVES IN CALABRIA.]
(82)
[Sidenote:
He starts,]
âIn godd{es} name,â the kyng gane sayne,
âI{es}u send the wiÆÆ a-geyne, 940
Lord so mekyÆÆ of myghte!â
Menstrell{es} was them a-monge,
Trompett{es}, harpys, and myrre songe,
Delycyous nottis on hyght.
When tyme was, to bed they wente; 945
On the morrow Rose Torrente
And toke leve of kyng and knyght
And toke a Redy weyye,
Be a see syd as yt laye,
God send hym gatt{es} Ryght! 950
[Linenotes:
947. _of_] so F. IV; _on_ MS.
948. _toke_] so F. IV; _to_ MS.]
(83)
[Sidenote:
reaches Calabria, and hears of the Giant.]
A hye stret hathe he nome,
In to Calabur he ys come
W{i}t{h} in~ to days ore III;
Soo come ther~ folk{es} hym a-geyne,
Fast folloyng w{i}t{h} cart and wayne, 955
Fro-ward the sytte.
âDere god!â seyd Torrent nowe,
âLeve folk{es}, what Eyllythe yow,
Soo fast fore to flee?â
âThere ys a gyante here be-syde, 960
In ale thys covntre fare and wyde
No mane on lyve levythe hee.â f. 92b.
[Linenotes:
951. _nome_] so F. V; _none_ MS.
952. _come_] so F. V; _gone_ MS.
958. _yow_] _nowe_ add. (!) MS.]
(84)
[Sidenote:
The Giant Slongus is in Hungary;]
âDere god,â sayd Torrant thane,
âWhere schaÆÆ I fynd that lo{th}ly man~?â
Ther they answerd hym anone: 965
âIn a castyÆÆ be-syd the see,
Slongus, soo hyght hee,
Many a man had he slone.
We wot wiÆÆ wher he doth ly:
Be-fore the cyte of Hungry; 970
He wiÆÆ not th{en}s gone,
TyÆÆ he haue the Ryche kyng~
To hys p{re}sone for to bryngg,
To be lord of hyme self a-lone.â
[Linenotes:
964. _lothly_] so Hall.; _lovely_ MS.
965. _anone_] so F. V; _a geyne_ MS.
968. _slone_] so F. V; _slaylne_ (!) MS.
969. _doth ly_] so F. V; _ys_ MS.
970. _cyte_] so F. V; _knyghthod_ MS.
_Hungry_] so F. V; _Hongrys_Â MS.
971. _thens_] _thus_ MS.]
[Headnote: TORRENT FINDS THE GIANT SLONGUS IN HUNGARY.]
(85)
[Sidenote:
he has broken the City gates, and slain 50 men.]
Tho wold he no lenger~ a-byd, 975
But to the sytte gan he Ryde,
As fast as he myght fare;
Here barys feÆÆ and broke downe,
And the gatt{es} of gret Renowne
Stondyng~ aÆÆ baree. 980
Men of armys stond hyme a-geyne,
Mo than fyfty had he slayne
W{i}t{h} gryme woundd{es} and sare.
When Torrent of hym had a syght,
Thowe DesoneÆÆ be neuyr~ so bryght, 985
He will Reue hym hys chaff{a}r~.
[Linenote:
986. _hym_] _m_ corr. out of _s_. MS.
_chaffer_Â MS.]
(86)
[Sidenote:
Torrent prays to Christ for help.]
Torrent in~ the storrope stod
And p{ra}yd to god, þ{a}t dyed on Rode:
âLord, ase thow schalt ale wyld at wyle,
Gyff me g{ra}ce to wyn the fyld, 990
That thys {lothly} fynd hym yeld
A-non to me tyÆÆ!
A man schaÆÆ But onnys Dyee, f. 93a.
I wiÆÆ fyght, whiÆÆ I may Dryee.â
He mad cher~ nobyÆÆ. 995
When he had I{es}u p{ra}yd of g{ra}ce,
He wyscheyd hyme a batteÆÆ plase,
Ther as hym lyst we{ll}e.
[Linenotes:
990. _wynd_ (!) MS. _vndyr nethe spere and schyld_ add. (!)Â MS.
991. _lothly_] om. MS.
995. _nobill chere_ MS.
998. _welle_] _were_ MS.]
[Headnote: TORRENT CHALLENGES THE GIANT SLONGUS.]
(87)
[Sidenote:
Torrent blows his horn. The Giant Slongus, of Flonthus,]
Torrent hys spere a-say be-gane,
Bothe schyld and spere than~, 1000
That they were sekyr and good.
Aftyr þ{a}t, w{i}t{h} in a throwe,
Hys good horne gane he blowe.
The gyant sawe, wher~ he stodde:
Slong{es} of Flonthus staryd than~; 1005
Quod Torrent: âYf thow be a gentyÆÆ man~
Or come of gentyÆÆ blod,
Let thy beytyng and thy Ermyght be,
And come prove thy strenghe on me,
Therfor I sowght the, be the Rodde.â 1010
[Linenote:
1008. _Let be thy b. a. t. erm._ MS.]
(88)
[Sidenote:
says heâll wring Torrentâs nose. His Crook is 13 ft. long.]
The gyant sayd: âBe the Roode,
DeweÆÆ of heÆÆ send the fode,
Hether to seche me:
By the nose I schaÆÆ the wryng,
Thow berdles gadlyng~, 1015
That aÆÆ heÆÆ schaÆÆ thow see!â
The wey than to hym he toke
And on hys bake he bare a croke,
Wase X fot long and thre;
And thow he neu{er} so gret w{a}r~, 1020
Torrent thowght not fare to fare,
TyÆÆ wone of them ded bee. f. 93b.
[Linenotes:
1011. _sayd_] written above the line.
1017. _he_] so F. VI; om. MS.
1018. _he_] _her_ MS.
_croke_] so F. VI; _creke_ (!)Â MS.
1020. _were_ MS.]
[Headnote: TORRENT SLAYS THE GIANT SLONGUS OF FLONTHUS.]
(89)
[Sidenote:
Torrent charges, pierces the Giantâs eye,]
Thoo wold Torrent no lenger~ byd,
TyÆÆ the theff gan he Ryde,
Ase fast ase euyr~ he may. 1025
The theff had non ey but on~,
Soche sawe I neu{er} none,
{Ne}yther~ be nyght {nor} be day.
Thurrow godd{es} helpe and sent Awsden~
The spere {throw ye and herne gan ren}. 1030
God send hym the Ryght wey;
Than the theff be-gane to Rore.
AÆÆ that in~ the sytte wore,
Ouyr~ the wallys they laye.
[Linenotes:
1024. _the_] _f_ add. (!) MS.
1028. _Blyther_ (!) MS.
_nor_] so F. VI; _and_Â MS.
1030. _throw--ren_] _anon he toke to hym_Â MS.
1033. _wore_] so F. VI; _were_ MS.]
(90)
[Sidenote:
then spears him throâ the body,]
Thow the fynd{es} ey were owte, 1035
Fast he leyd hym a-bowte
AÆÆ Ã¾{a}t somyrr{es} nyght;
He set ys backe to an hyÆÆ,
That Torrent schuld not come hym tyÆÆ,
So meche þ{a}t theff covd of fyght. 1040
He bled so sore, I vndyrstond,
Hys croke feÆÆ owt of hys hond,
Hys dethe to hyme ys dyght.
Torrent to hyme Rane w{i}t{h} a spere,
Thurrow the body he gan hym bere, 1045
Thus helpe hym god of myght.
[Linenote:
1040. _þat_] þe add. MS.]
[[_Printed þ with superscript e_]]
(91)
[Sidenote:
and kills him. Torrent preserves the Giantâs head.]
AÆÆ that in~ the sytte were,
Mad fuÆÆ nobiÆÆ chere,
That thys fynd wase Dedde.
Forthe they Ran w{i}t{h} stavys of tre, f. 94a. 1050
Torrent seyd: âSo mvt I the,
Kepe hole hys hed!
Yf yt be broke, so god me sped,
Yt ys wyÆÆ the worse to lede.â
They dyd ase {he} h{e}m b{e}d{e}, 1055
Mo than thre hunderd on a throng
Yt ys solas Euyr~ a-mong
Whan that he was dede.
[Linenotes:
1047. _That alle_ MS.
1054. _lede_] _Rede_, struck out and _lede_ added in paler ink.
1055. _That seson they_ MS.
_he hem_] _hyme_ (!) MS.
_bede_] _bad_Â MS.
1057 _put before_ 1056 MS.]
[Headnote: TORRENT GOES TO THE CASTLE OF GIANT SLONGUS.]
[[Linenote 1056-57: _âMSâ printed in italics_]]
(92)
[Sidenote:
The King of Calabria feasts him,]
Than~ the kyng of Calaber ayen~ hym went,
Torrent be the hond he hent, 1060
To the haÆÆ he gan~ hym lede
And comaundid squiers t{w}o,
Of h{ys} harnes for to do
And cloth hym~ in another wede.
Waytes on the waÆÆ gan blowe, 1065
Knyghtis assemled on a Rowe,
And sith to the deyse they yede;
âSir,â quod the kyng, âof whens are ye?â
âOf Portingale, sir,â said he,
âI com heder, to sech my de{de}.â 1070
[Linenotes:
1062. _two_] _tho_ MS.
1063. _hys_] _her_ MS.
1070. _deth_ MS.]
(93)
[Sidenote:
and takes him to the Giantâs Castle. The King of Calabria gives
Torrent the Giantâs castle,]
FuÆÆ curtesly the kyng gan say
{To} Torrent on the oþ{ur}e day:
âWyÆÆ ye wend with me
A lituÆÆ here be-side to passe,
There as the Geaunt{es} dwelling was 1075
His man{er} now for to see?â
To the casteÆÆ gan~ they gone,
Richer saw they never none,
Better myght none be.
âSir,â he said, âbe god aÆÆ-myÈt~, 1080
For thou hym~ slew, þat it dight,
I vouche it saue on the,
[Linenotes:
1072. _To T._] _Torrent said_ MS.
1081. _it_] _is_ MS.]
[Headnote: TORRENT HEARS THAT DESONELL IS TO WED A KING.]
(94)
[Sidenote:
and an Earldom. The Castleâs name is Cardon.]
âI yeve {yt} the, s{ir}, of my {h}ond, f. 94b.
And there-to, an erledome of {my} lond,
For soth, ye shaÆÆ it haue; 1085
Omage thou shalte none {nor} ffyne,
But euer more to the and thyne,
Frely, so god me saue!â
Lordys, and ye liston wold,
What was clepud the riche hold: 1090
The casteÆÆ of Cardon~, {by sawe}.
Two days or thre dwellith he th{a}re
And sith he takythe {leve} to ffare,
Both at knyght and knave.
[Linenotes:
1083. _yt_] om. MS.
_of_] _alle_ add. MS.
_hond_] _lond_Â MS.
1084. _my_] om. MS.
1086. _nor_] om. MS.
1091. _by s._] om. MS.
1092. _there_ MS.]
(95)
[Sidenote:
Torrent hears that Desonell is to marry a strange King.]
By the kyng of P{er}vens he gan gane, 1095
That he had oute {of preson} i-tane
His son vppon a day.
Gentilmen were blith and ffayn~,
That he in helth was comyn~ agayn~,
That they myght with hym~ play. 1100
There of herd he, s{er}tayn{le},
That DesoneÆÆ wedid shold be
With an vncouth Ray.
And listonyth, lordis, of a chaunce,
Howe he lefte his countenaunce 1105
And takyth hym~ armes gay!
[Linenotes:
1098. _leve_] _the way_ MS.
1096. _of preson_] om. MS.
1101. _sertayn_ MS.
1103. _vnc._] _a_ add. MS.]
[Headnote: TORRENT IS KNIGHTED. DESONELL IS MARRIED.]
(96)
[Sidenote:
The King of Provyns knights Torrent.]
By-fore the kyng he feÆÆ on kne:
âGood lord,â he said, âfor charite,
Yeve me order of knyght!
I wott weÆÆ, leryd are ye, 1110
My lordys doughter shaÆÆ wed be
To a man~ off myght.â
âSir,â he said, âI trow, she mone f. 95a.
To the prynce off Aragon~,
By this day sevynnyght. 1115
Swith,â he seith, âthat this be done,
That thou be there and wyn~ thy shone,
Gete the armes bryght.â
[Linenotes:
1110. _ye are leryd_ MS.
1111. _be wed_ MS.
1115 and 1118 have changed their place in the MS.]
(97)
[Sidenote:
Torrent has an azure shield with a gold squire on it; and a grinning
dragon of gold on the crest of his helmet.]
Sir Torrent ordenyth hym a sheld,
It was ryche in euery ffeld, 1120
Listonyth, what he bare:
O{n} aÈure a squier off gold,
Richely bett on mold;
Listonyth, what he ware:
A dragon~ lying hym be-syde, 1125
His mouth grennyng fuÆÆ wyde,
AÆÆ ffyghtyng as they were;
The creste, that on his hede shold stond,
Hit was aÆÆ gold shynand,
Thus previd he hym~ there. 1130
[Linenote:
1122. _On_] _of_ MS.]
(98)
[Sidenote:
He hears that Desonellâs marriage is certain.]
Lordys assembelid in sale,
WeÆÆ mo than I haue in tale,
Or ellis gret wonder were.
There herd {he} teÆÆ ffor certan~,
That DesoneÆÆ wed shold be than~, 1135
That was hym selfe ffuÆÆ dere.
And whan~ he herd of that ffare,
Wors tydingis than were thare,
Might he none gladly here . . . . . . .
[Linenote:
1134. _he_] _l_ MS.]
[Headnote: TORRENT CHALLENGES THE PRINCE OF ARAGON.]
(99)
[Sidenote:
Torrent rides into the Hall where Desonell is, and challenges any
one to fight him for her.]
He wold not in passe, 1140
TiÆÆ {at} the myd mete was
The kyng and meny a knyght;
As they satt at theyre {mete} glade,
In at the haÆÆ dur {he} rade
In armes ffeyre and bryght, f. 95b. 1145
With a squier, that is ffre;
Vp to the lady ryduth he,
That rychely was i-dight.
âLordys,â he said, âamong you aÆÆ
I chalenge thre coursus in the haÆÆ, 1150
{Or} Delyuer {her} me with right!â
[Linenotes:
1141. _at_] om. MS.
1143. _mete_] om. MS.
1144. _he_] _they_ MS.
1151. _Delyuer it me_ MS.]
(100)
[Sidenote:
The Prince of Aragon accepts,]
The kyng of Aragon~ sett her bye,
And he defendid her nobely:
âI wyÆÆ none delyu{er} the.â
His son said: âSo muste I thryve, 1155
There shaÆÆ no man just for my wiffe;
But yf youre wyÆÆ it be,
For her love did I never no dede,
I shaÆÆ to day, so god me spede:
Be-hold and ye shaÆÆ se.â 1160
âAlas!â said DesoneÆÆ the dere,
âFuÆÆ longe may I sitt here,
Or Torrent chalenge me.â
(101)
[Sidenote:
and the lists are made ready. Torrent unhorses the Prince of
Aragon,]
Trumpett{es} blew in the prese,
Lordys stond on {the grese}, 1165
Ladyes lay ou{er} and be-held.
The prynce and Torrent th{e}n
Eyther to other gan ren~,
Smertely in that ffeld;
Torrent sett on hym~ so sore, 1170
That hors and man down~ he bore,
And aÆÆ to-sheverd his sheld.
So they tombelid aÆÆ in ffere,
That afterward of VII yere
The prynce none armes myght weld. 1175
[Linenote:
1165. _the grese_] _reugis_ or _rengis_ MS.]
[Headnote: TORRENT BEATS THE PRINCE OF ARAGON.]
(102)
[Sidenote:
and he is carried indoors.]
Torrent said: âSo god me saue,
Other two coursus wyÆÆ I haue, f. 96a.
Yf ye do me law of lond.â
Gret lordys stond styÆÆ,
They said nether good ne yÆÆ 1180
For tynding of his hond.
The prynce of Aragon~ in they barr~
With lituÆÆ worshipp and sydes sare,
He had no fote on ffor to stond.
Thus thes lordys justid aye; 1185
Better {they} had to haue be away,
Suche comffort there he ffond.
[Linenotes:
1167. _than_ MS.
1186. _they_] _he_ MS.
1187. _ffound_ MS.]
(103)
[Sidenote:
At dinner, Torrent lays Slongusâs head on the table.]
He wold not in passe,
TiÆÆ they at myd mete was,
On the other day at none. 1190
His squiers habite he had,
Whan~ he to the deyse yad,
With oute couped shone,
And the hede on~ the bord he laid:
âLo, s{ir} kyng, hold this,â he said, 1195
âOr ellis wroth we anon~!â
They sett stiÆÆ at the bord,
None of hem spake one word,
But ryght that he had done.
[Linenote:
1198. _They spake nether ylle ne good_ add. (!)Â MS.]
[Headnote: TORRENT CLAIMS DESONELL, AND HALF PORTUGAL.]
(104)
[Sidenote:
Torrent proclaims the promise of the King of Portugal to give him
Desonell, and half Portugal, if he slew Slongus.]
Torrent at the syde bord stode: 1200
âLystonyth, lordyng{es}, gentiÆÆ of blood,
For the love of god aÆÆ-myght:
The kyng heyght me his doughter dere,
To ffyght with a ffendys ffere,
That wekyd was and wight, 1205
To wed her to my wyffe,
And halffe his kyngdome be his liffe,
And after his days aÆÆ his ryght. [1209]
Lokyth, lordys, you among, f. 96b.
Whether he do me ryght or wrong!â 1210
Tho waried hym~ both kyng & knyght.
[Linenote:
1211. _&_] _ky_, struck out, add. MS.]
(105)
[Sidenote:
The King of Aragon says his son has wedded Desonell. He will be
revenged on the King of Portugal.]
Tho said the kyng of Aragon, i-wys:
âTorrent, I wiste no thing of thys,
A gret maister arte thou!â
The kyng sware be seynt Gryffen~: 1215
âWith a sword thou shalte her wynne,
Or thou haue her nowe:
For why, my son to her was wed,
Gret lordys to churche her led, [1220]
I take wittnes of aÆÆ you.â 1220
âKyng Calamond, haue good day,
Thou shalt i-bye it, and I may,
To god I make avowe.â
[Linenote:
1220. _you alle_ MS.]
(106)
[Sidenote:
To settle the quarrel, the Emperor suggests a fight between 2
Champions.]
The Emp{er}oure of Rome ther was,
Be-twene thes kyng{es} gan~ he passe 1225
And said: âLordys, as sone,
This squier, that hath brought this hede,
The kyng had wend he had be dede,
And a-venturly gan~ he gone: [1230]
I rede you take a day of {ryghtes}, 1230
And do it vppon~ two knyght{es},
And let no man~ be sl{o}n~!â
Gret lordys, that were thare,
This talis lovid at that fare
And ordenyd tha{t} anon~. 1235
[Linenotes:
1230. _ryghtes_] _Restys_ MS.
1232. _slayn_ MS.
1235. _that_] _than_ MS.]
[Headnote: TORRENT IS TO FIGHT THE GIANT CATE.]
(107)
[Sidenote:
The King of Aragon sends to the giant Cate to fight Torrent]
To the kyng {the thoght} com~ was,
To send vnto Sathanas
For a geaunt, that hight Cate,
For to make hym~ knyght to his hond [1240]
And sease hym~ in aÆÆ his lond; 1240
The messingere toke the gate. f. 97a.
Gret othes he sware hym than~,
That he shold ffyght but w{i}t{h} one man~,
And purvey hym he bad
Iryn stavis two or thre, 1245
For to ffyght with Torent ffre,
Though he there of ne w{a}tt.
[Linenotes:
1236. _the thoght_ om. MS.
1247. _wott_ MS.]
(108)
[Sidenote:
on an island for half Portugal.]
Than take counseÆÆ kyng and knyght,
On lond that he shold not ffyght, [1250]
But ffar oute in the see, 1250
In an yle long and br{a}d;
A gret payn~ there was made,
That holdyn~ shold it be.
Yf Cate slow Torent, that ffre ys,
Halfe Portyngale shold be his, 1255
To spend with dedys ffre;
And yf s{ir} Torrent myght hym ou{er}-com~,
He shold haue halfe Aragon~,
Was better than suche thre. [1260]
[Linenotes:
1248. _couns._] _of_ add. MS.
1251. _brod_ MS.]
[Headnote: THE GIANT CATE, AND TORRENT, GO TO THE ISLAND.]
(109)
[Sidenote:
The Giant Cate comes to an Island.]
The Gyaunt shipped in a while 1260
And sett hym~ oute in an yle,
That was grow both grene and gay.
Sir Torrent com~ prekand on a stede,
Richely armed in his wede;
âLordyngys,â gan he say, 1265
âIt is semely ffor a knyght,
Vppon a stede ffor to ffyght.â
They said sone: âNay,
He is so hevy, he can not ryde. [1270]
Torrent said: âEviÆÆ mut he be-tyde, 1270
Falshode, woo worth it aye!â
(110)
[Sidenote:
Torrent prays for Christâs help,]
âSir, takyth houseÆÆ and shrefte!â f. 97b.
To god he did his hondys lifte,
And thankid hym of his sond:
âI{es}u Cryste, I the praye, 1275
Send me myght and strengith this day
A-yen~ the ffend to stond!â
To the shipp s{ir} Torent went,
With the grace, god had hym sent, [1280]
That was never ffayland; 1280
AÆÆ the lordys of that contre,
Frome Rome vnto the Grekys se,
Stode and be-held on lond.
[Linenotes:
1278. This line begins with a big initial letter.
_Torent_] _yode_, struck out, add. MS.
1283. _On lond stode and be held_ MS.]
(111)
[Sidenote:
and lands in the Island too. The Giant knocks Torrentâs staff out of
his hand,]
Whan s{ir} Torrent in to the Ile was brought,
The shipmen~ lenger wold tary nought, 1285
But hied hem sone ageyn~;
The Giaunt said: âSo must I the,
Sir, thou art welcom to me,
Thy deth is not to layn~!â [1290]
The ffirste stroke to hym he yaue, 1290
Oute of his hand flew his staff:
That thefe was fuÆÆ fayn~.
Tho s{ir} Torent went nere Cate, . . . . .
He thought, he wold hym~ haue slayn~.
[Headnote: TORRENT KILLS THE GIANT CATE WITH COBBLE-STONES.]
(112)
[Sidenote:
and runs into the sea. Torrent shies cobble-stones at him, kills
him,]
The theff couth no better wonne, 1295
In to the see rennyth he sone,
As faste as he myght ffare.
Sir Torrent gaderid cobled stonys, [1300]
Good and handsom ffor the nonys,
That good and round w{a}re; 1300
Meny of them to hym~ he caste,
He threw stonys on hym so faste,
That he was sad and s{a}re.
To the ground he did hym feÆÆ, f. 98a.
Men~ myght here the fend yeÆÆ 1305
Halfe a myle and m{a}re.
[Linenotes:
1298. _gad._] _good_ add. MS.
1300. _were_ MS.
1303. _sore_ MS.
1306. _more_ MS.]
(113)
[Sidenote:
and he is towd ashore. Torrent is shipt to the mainland.]
Sir Torent said, as he was wonne,
He thankid I{es}u, Maryes son~, [1310]
That kyng, that sent hym myÈt~;
He said: âLordys, for charite, 1310
A bote that ye send to me,
It is nere hand nyght!â
They Reysed a gale w{i}t{h} a sayÆÆ,
The Geaunt to lond for to trayÆÆ,
AÆÆ men wonderid on that wight. 1315
Whan that they had so done,
They went to s{ir} Torent fuÆÆ sone
And shipped that comly knyght. [1320]
[Headnote: TORRENT WINS DESONELL, LANDS, AND A CITY.]
(114)
[Sidenote:
Torrent is awarded Desonell, territory, and the City of Cargon.
Desonell is divorst from the Prince of Aragon.]
The emp{er}oure of Rome was there,
{The kynges} of P{er}vens and of Calabere yare, 1320
And other two or thre.
They yaue s{ir} Torent, that he wan,
Both the Erth and the woman~,
And said, weÆÆ worthy was he.
Sir Torent had in Aragon~ 1325
The riche Cite of Cargon~
And aÆÆ that riche contre;
Archbeshoppes, as the law feÆÆ, [1330]
Dep{ar}tid the prynce and DissoneÆÆ
With gret solempnite. 1330
[Linenotes:
1320. _The kynges_] om. MS.
1321. _other_] _kynges_ add. MS.
_or_] _the_ add. MS.]
(115)
[Sidenote:
The King of Portugal acknowledges Torrent,]
For s{ir} Torent the fend did faÆÆ,
Gret lordys honoured hym~ aÆÆ
And for a doughty knyght hym~ tase;
The kyng said: âI vnderstond,
Thou hast fought ffor my dought{er}
& my lond, f. 98b. 1335
And weÆÆ wonne her thou hase.â
He gaue to s{aint} Nycholas de Barr~
A grett Erldome and a {si}marr~ [1340]
That abbey of hym {tas}
For I{es}us love, moch of myght, 1340
That hym helpith day & nyght,
Whan~ he to the batteÆÆ {gas}.
[Linenotes:
1337. _saint_] _sir_ MS.
1338. _simarr{e}_] _marr_ MS.
1339. _tas_] _redith_ MS.
1342. _gas_] _yode_ MS.]
(116)
[Sidenote:
and the Queen is glad. The King of Portugal bids Torrent wait 6
months and a day for Desonell.]
Lordys than~ at the laste,
Echone on theyre way paste,
And euery man~ to his. 1345
The quene of Portingale was ffayn~,
That s{ir} Torent was com agayn~
And thankyd god of this. [1350]
Than said the kyng: âI vnderstond,
Thou hast fought for my dought{er} & my lond, 1350
And art my ward, i-wys,
And I wyÆÆ not ageyn~ the say;
But abyde halfe yere and a day,
And broke her weÆÆ with blis!â
[Headnote: TORRENT BEGETS TWINS ON DESONELL.]
(117)
[Sidenote:
Torrent passes a night with Desonell.]
Torent said: âSo muste I the, 1355
Sith it wyÆÆ no better be,
I cord with that assent!â
After mete, as I you teÆÆ, [1360]
To speke with mayden~ DesoneÆÆ,
To her chamber he went. 1360
The damyseÆÆ so moche of pride
Set hym on~ her bed-syde,
And said: âWelcom~, verament!â
Such gestenyng he a-right,
That there he dwellid aÆÆ nyÈt~ 1365
With that lady gent. f. 99a.
(118)
[Sidenote:
The King of Norway begs him to come and fight a Giant there.]
Sir Torent dwellid thare
Twelffe wekys and mare, [1370]
TiÆÆ letters com hym tiÆÆ
Fro the kyng of Norway; 1370
For I{es}us love he did hym p{r}aye,
Yf it were his wyÆÆ,
He shold com as a doughty knyght,
With a Geaunt for to ffyght,
That wyÆÆ his londys spyÆÆ; 1375
He wold hym yeve his doughter dere
And halfe Norway ffar and nere,
Both be hold and be hyÆÆ. [1380]
[Headnote: TORRENT SAILS TO FIGHT A NORWEGIAN GIANT.]
(119)
[Sidenote:
Torrent gives all his land to the King for Desonell;]
Sir Torent said: âSo god me saue,
I-nough to lyve vppon I haue, 1380
I wyÆÆ desire no more;
But it be, for I{es}u is sake
A poynt of armes for to take,
That hath helpid me be-ffore.
I yeve the here oute of my hond 1385
To thy doughter aÆÆ my lond,
Yf that I end th{o}re.â
And whan~ he toke his way to passe, [1390]
Mo than ffyfty with hym was,
That fals to hym~ w{o}re. 1390
[Linenotes:
1387. _there_ MS.
1390. _were_ MS.]
(120)
[Sidenote:
leaves 2 gold rings with her,]
+S+yr Torent to the lady went,
FuÆÆ curtesly and gent: . . . . .
âDesoneÆÆ, haue good day!
I muste now on my jurnay,
A kyngis lond for to fend. 1395
Thes gold ryng{es} I shaÆÆ yeve the,
Kepe {them} weÆÆ, my lady ffre,
Yf god a child vs send!â [1400]
She toke the ryngis with moche care, f. 99b.
Thries in sownyng feÆÆ she thare, 1400
Whan she saw, that he wold wend.
[Linenotes:
1393. _Denoselle_ MS.
1397. _them_] om. MS.]
(121)
[Sidenote:
and goes on board ship with his steed and armour. Torrent gets to
Norway.]
Shipp and takyÆÆ they dight,
Stede and armo{ur} ffor to ffyght
To the bote they bare.
Gentilmen~, that were hend, 1405
Toke her leve at theyre frend,
With hym ffor to fare.
Kyng Colomond, is not to layn~, [1410]
He wold, that he cam nev{ur}e agayn~;
There fore god yeff hym~ care! 1410
So within the ffyfty dayes
He Come in to the lond of Norways,
Hard Contre ffound he thare.
[Headnote: TORRENT REACHES NORWAY, AND HEARS OF A GIANT.]
(122)
[Sidenote:
The shipmen tell him of a Giant.]
Thus s{ir} Torrent, for soth, is fare,
A noble wynd droffe hym~ thare, 1415
Was blowyng oute of the weste.
Of the Coste of Norway they had a sight . . . [1419]
Of sayling they were aÆÆ preste.
So ffeyre a wynd had the knyght,
A lituÆÆ be-ffore the mydnyght 1420
He Rode be a foreste.
The shipmen said: âWe be shent;
Here dwellith a geaunt, verament,
On his lond are we {kest}!â
[Linenote:
1424. _kest_] _sett_ MS.]
(123)
[Sidenote:
Torrent resolves to land.]
The maistershipm{o}n~ said: âNowe 1425
I Rede, we take down~ sayle & Rowe,
While we haue this tyde. [1430]
Sir,â he said, âbe god aÆÆmyght,
The giant lieth euery nyght
On~ the mowntayn~ here be-syde; 1430
My lord the kyng wyÆÆ not ffyght, f. 100a.
TiÆÆ he of you haue a sight,
On you ys aÆÆ his pryde!â
Sir Torrent said: âHere my hond!
Sith we be ryven on this lond, 1435
To nyght wyÆÆ I ryde.â
[Linenotes:
1425. _maistershipmen_ MS.
1429. _lieth_] _here_ add. MS.
1434. _Torerent_ MS.]
[Headnote: TORRENT LANDS IN THE FOREST OF BRASILL.]
(124)
[Sidenote:
Torrent and his knights arm.]
Sir Torent armyd hym~ anon [1440]
And his knyght{es} euerychone
With sheld and spere in hond.
The shipmen~ said: âAs mut I thryve, 1440
I Rede, that euery man~ other shryve,
Or that we go to the lond.â
Sir Torent said: âAs god me spede,
We wiÆÆ firste se that ffede,
My lord was never f{ail}and! 1445
Gentilmen, ma{k}e chere good,
For I{es}u love, that died on Rood, [1450]
He wiÆÆ be oure waraunt!â
[Linenotes:
1445. _fleand_ MS.
1446. _make_] _made_ MS.]
(125)
[Sidenote:
They reach the Forest of Brasill. The coward knights flee to the
ship, and leave Torrent alone.]
In a forest can~ they passe,
Of BrasiÆÆ, saith the boke, it was, 1450
With bowes brod and wyde.
Lyons and berys there they ff{a}nd
And wyld best{es} aboute goand,
Reysing on euery side.
Thes men~ of armes, w{i}t{h} trayn~ 1455
To the shipp they flew agayn~
In to the see at that tyde; [1460]
Fast from land row they be-gan~,
A-bove they left that gentilman~,
With wyld beestis to haue kyde. 1460
[Linenotes:
1451. _bowes_] _browes_ MS.
1452. _ffound_ MS.
1460. _k_ corrected out of _r_.]
(126)
[Sidenote:
False tales of Torrent are told to the King of Norway.]
The shipmen~ of the same lond
Ryved vp, I vnderstond,
In another lond off hold. f. 100b.
To the chamber they toke the way,
There the kyng hym~ selfe lay, 1465
And fals talis hym~ told . . . . . .
For he wold not the geaunt abyde, [1470]
For aÆÆ this contrey feyre and wyde,
ThouÈ he yeff it hym wold.
[Linenote:
1465 put before 1464 MS.]
[Headnote: TORRENT COMES ON 2 DRAGONS IN A VALLEY.]
(127)
[Sidenote:
The King of Norway wants Torrent to come.]
âSir kyng, ye haue youre selfe 1470
Erlis {doughty be} ten~ or twelfe,
Better know I none:
Send youre messingeris ffar and wyde,
For to ffeÆÆ the geaunt{es} pride,
That youre doughter hath tane.â 1475
âI had lever to haue that knyght;
With hym~ is grace of god aÆÆmyÈt~,
To be here at his bane.â [1480]
FuÆÆ lituÆÆ wist that riche kyng
Of s{ir} Torrent{es} ryding 1480
In the forest aÆÆ alone.
[Linenotes:
1471. _doughty be_] om. MS.
1476. _that_] _ky_, struck out, add. MS.]
(128)
[Sidenote:
Torrent rides up to 2 Dragons.]
ThorouÈ helpe of god that w{i}t{h} hym was,
Fro the wyld bestis gan~ he passe
To an hye hyÆÆ.
A lituÆÆ while be-fore the day 1485
He herd in a valey
A dynnyng and a yeÆÆ. [1490]
Theder than~ riduth he,
To loke, what thing it myÈt be,
What adventure tha{re} be-feÆÆ. 1490
It were two dragons stiff and strong,
Vppon~ theyre lay they sat and song,
Be-side a depe weÆÆ.
[Linenote:
1490. _thare_] _that_ MS.]
(129)
[Sidenote:
Torrent prays to Christ, spears the first Dragon;]
Sir Torent said thanne
To god, that made man~ f. 101a. 1495
And died uppon~ a tree:
âLord, as thou mayst aÆÆ weld, [1500]
Yeve me grace, to wyn~ the feld
Of thes ffendys on{fre}!â
Whan he had his p{r}ayers made, 1500
Pertely to hem~ he Rade
And one thorouÈ oute bare he.
Thus sped the knyght at his comyng
Thorough the helpe of hevyn~ kyng:
Lord, lovid muste thou be! 1505
[Linenotes:
1499. _onfre_] _ontrewe_ MS.
1502. _he bare_ MS.]
[Headnote: TORRENT KILLS THE 2 DRAGONS, AND SEES A CASTLE.]
(130)
[Sidenote:
and then kills the second.]
The other dragon wold not flee, . . . . .
But sho{w}ith aÆÆ his myght; [1510]
He smote ffire, that lothely thing,
As it were the lightnyng,
Vppon~ that comly knyght. 1510
There fore s{ir} Torent wold not lett,
But on~ the dragon) fast~ he bett
And over-come that foule wight.
Tho anon the day sprong,
Fowles Rose, mery they song, 1515
The sonne a-Rose on hyÈ{t}.
[Linenotes:
1507. _shotith_ MS.
1516. _hyÈe_ MS.]
(131)
[Sidenote:
He sees a Castle.]
Torent of the day was fuÆÆ blithe, [1520]
And of the valey he did hym~ swith,
As fast as euer he may.
To a mowntayn~ he rode ryght, 1520
Of a casteÆÆ he had a sight
With towrys hyÈe and gay . . . . . .
He come in to an hyÈe strete,
Few folke gan~ he mete,
To wis hym~ the way. 1525
[Linenote:
1525. _wish_ MS.]
[Headnote: TORRENT BEFORE THE NORSE GIANTâS CASTLE.]
(132)
[Sidenote:
Torrent rides to the Norse Giantâs castle gates.]
To the gatys tho he R{a}de;
FuÆÆ craftely they were made f. 101b.
Of Irun~ and eke of tree. [1531]
One tre stonding there he ffond:
Nyne oxen~ of that lond 1530
Shold not drawe the tre.
The Giaunt wrought vp his w{a}ÆÆ
And laid stonys gret and smaÆÆ:
A lothely man~ was he.
âNow,â quod Torrent, âI {n}ot, whare, 1535
My squiers be ffro me to fare,
Euer waried th{ey} be! [1540]
[Linenotes:
1526. _rode_ MS.
1529. _ffound_ MS.
1532. _welle_ MS.
1535. _wot_ MS.
1537. _they_] _thou_ MS.]
(133)
[Sidenote:
He considers what he shall do, and resolves to fight.]
âLord god, what is beste,
So I{es}u me helpe, Est or Weste,
I Can not Rede to {say}. 1540
Yf I to the shipp fare,
No shipmen~ ffynd {I} thare;
It is long, sith they were away.
Other wayes yf I wend,
Wyld bestis wyÆÆ me shend: 1545
Falshede, woo worth it aye!
I ffyght here, I{es}u, for thy sake; [1560]
Lord, to me kepe thou take,
As thou best may!â
[Linenotes:
1540. _say_] _done_ MS.
1542. _And no_ MS.
_I_] om. MS.]
(134)
[Sidenote:
He baits his steed. The Norse Giant prepares to fight.]
Down~ light this gentiÆÆ knyght, 1550
To Rest hym~ a lituÆÆ wight,
And vnbrydelid his stede
And let hym~ bayte on~ the ground,
And aventid hym~ in~ that stound,
There of he had gret nede. 1555
The Gyaunt yode and gaderid stone
And sye, where the knyght gan~ gone, [1570]
AÆÆ armed in dede; f. 102a.
And wot ye weÆÆ and not wene,
Whan eyther of hem had other sene, 1560
Smertely {they} rerid her dede.
[Linenotes:
1553. _bayte_] _hym_ add. MS.
1561. _they_] om. MS.]
[Headnote: TORRENT GETS ASSURANCE FROM HEAVEN.]
(135)
[Sidenote:
Torrent prays to Christ, and is cheerd by a voice from Heaven.]
For that s{ir} Torent had hym sene,
He worth vppon his stede, I wene,
And I{es}u prayd{e} he tiÆÆ:
âMary son~, thou here my bone, 1565
As I am~ in venturus s{t}ad come,
My jurnay {to} fuÆÆ-ffyÆÆ!â [1580]
A voys was fro hevyn~ sent
And said: âBe blith, s{ir} Torent,
And yeve the no thing yÆÆ, 1570
To ffyght with my lordys enemy:
Whether that thou lyve or dye,
Thy mede the quyte he wyÆÆ!â
[Linenotes:
1566. _sad_ MS.
1567. _to_] _than_ MS.
1573. _He wylle quyte the thy mede_ MS.]
(136)
[Sidenote:
The Giant advances against Torrent.]
Be that the giaunt had hym dight,
Cam~ ageyn~ that gentiÆÆ knyght, 1575
As bold as eny bore;
He bare on~ his nek a croke, [1590]
Woo were the man~, that he ou{er}toke,
It was twelfe ffote and more.
âSir,â he said, âffor charite, 1580
Loke, curtes man~ that thou be,
Yf thy wyÆÆ ware:
I haue so fought aÆÆ this nyght
With thy II dragons wekyd and wight,
They haue bett me fuÆÆ sore.â 1585
[Headnote: THE NORSE GIANT, WERAUNT, WOUNDS TORRENT.]
(137)
[Sidenote:
The Giant says heâll punish Torrent for killing his 2 Dragons and
his Brother Cate.]
The Geaunt said: âBe my fay,
Wors tyding{es} to me this day [1600]
I myght not goodly here.
Thorough the valey as thou cam~,
My two dragons hast thou slan~, 1590
My solempnite they were. f. 102b.
To the I haue fuÆÆ good gate;
For thou slow my brother Cate,
That thou shalte by fuÆÆ dere!â
Be-twene the giaunt and the knyght 1595
Men myght se buffett{es} right,
Who so had be there. [1610]
[Linenote:
1590. _slayne_ MS.]
(138)
[Sidenote:
The Giantâs crook cuts through Torrentâs shield to his flesh, and
sticks there.]
Sir Torent yaue to hym~ a brayd;
He levid that the aungeÆÆ said,
Of deth yaue he no{ught}. 1600
In to the brest he hym~ bare,
His spere hede lefte he thare,
So eviÆÆ was hitt {bythought}.
The Giaunt hym ayen~ smate
Thorough his sheld and his plate, 1605
In to the flesh it sought;
And sith he pullith at his croke, [1620]
So fast in to the flesh it toke,
That oute myÈt he gete it nought.
[Linenotes:
1600. _nought_] _no dynt_ MS.
1603. _byth._] _mynt_ MS.]
(139)
[Sidenote:
Torrent throws his shield and the Giantâs crook into the water. The
Giant goes in after them and is drowned.]
On hym~ he hath it broke, 1610
Glad pluckys there he toke,
Set sadly and s{a}re.
Sir Torent stalworth satt,
Oute of his handys he it gatt,
No lenger dwellid he th{a}re. 1615
In to the water he cast his sheld,
Croke and aÆÆ to-geders it held, [1630]
Fare after, how so euer it ffare.
The Geaunt folowid w{i}t{h} aÆÆ his mayn~,
And he come never quyk agayn~: 1620
God wold, that so it ware.
[Linenotes:
1612. _sore_ MS.
1615. _there_ MS.]
[Headnote: TORRENT SLAYS THE NORSE GIANT, WERAUNT.]
(140)
[Sidenote:
Torrent rides to the Giantâs castle,]
Sir Torent bet hym~ there, f. 103a.
TiÆÆ that this fend did were,
Or he thens wend.
On hym had he hurt but ane, 1625
Lesse myght be a mann{us} bane,
But god is fuÆÆ hend: [1640]
Thorough grace of hym, that aÆÆ shaÆÆ weld,
There the knyght had the feld,
Such grace god did hym~ send. 1630
Be than it nyed nere hand nyÈt~,
To a casteÆÆ he Rode right,
AÆÆ nyght there to lend.
[Linenote:
1626. _But lesse_ MS.]
(141)
[Sidenote:
and finds a fair Lady there. Torrent asks for a nightâs lodging.]
In the casteÆÆ found he nought,
That god on the Rode bought; 1635
High vppon~ a toure,
As he caste a side lokyng, [1650]
He saw a lady in her bed syttyng,
White as lylye ffloure;
Vp a-Rose that lady bryght, 1640
And said: âWelcom~, s{ir} knyght,
That fast art in stoure!â
âDamyseÆÆ, welcom~ mut thou be!
Graunt thou me, for charite,
Of one nyghtis so{i}oure!â 1645
[Linenote:
1645. _socoure_ MS.]
[Headnote: TORRENT IN THE GIANT WERAUNTâS CASTLE.]
(142)
[Sidenote:
The Lady says the Giant Weraunt will kill him.]
âBy Mary,â said that lady clere,
âMe for-thinkith, that thou com~ here, [1660]
Thy deth now is dight;
For here dwellith a geaunt,
He is clepud Weraunt, 1650
He is {to} the deviÆÆ be-taught.
To day at morn~ he toke his croke,
Forth at the yat{es} the way he toke,
And said, he wold haue a draught; f. 103b.
And here be chambers two or thre, 1655
In one of hem I shaÆÆ hide the,
God the saue ffrome harmes right!â [1670]
[Linenotes:
1650. _Weraunt_] _weraumt_ (?) MS.
1651. _to_] _of_ MS.]
(143)
[Sidenote:
Torrent tells her to come and see the Giant.]
âCertayn~,â tho said the knyght,
âThat theffe I saw to nyght,
Here be-side a sla{d}e. 1660
He was a ferly freke in ffyght,
With hym faught a yong knyght,
Ech on other laid good l{a}de;
Me thought weÆÆ, as he stode,
He was of the fend{us} blood, 1665
So Rude was he made.
Dame, yf thou leve not me, [1680]
Com~ nere, and thou shalt se,
Which of hem ab{a}de.â
[Linenotes:
1660. _slate_ or _flate_ MS.
1663. _lode_ MS.
1669. _abode_ MS.]
(144)
[Sidenote:
The Norwegian Princess sees the Giantâs corpse, and praises his
slayer.]
Blith was that lady bryght 1670
For to se that {selly} sight:
With the knyght went she.
Whan she cam, where the Geaunt lay,
âSir,â she said, âp{ar}maffay
I wott weÆÆ, it is he. 1675
Other he was of god aÆÆ-myght
Or seynt George, oure lady knyÈt~, [1690]
That there his bane hath be.
Yf eny cryston~ man smyte hym down~,
He is worthy to haue renown~ 1680
Thorough oute aÆÆ crystiaunte.â
[Linenote:
1671. _selly_] om. MS.]
[Headnote: TORRENT RESCUES THE PRINCESS OF NORWAY.]
(145)
[Sidenote:
She tells Torrent that her Father gave her, as his ransom, to the
Giant.]
âI haue wonder,â said the knyght,
âHow he gate the, lady bryght,
Fro my lord the kyng.â
âSir,â she said, âverament, f. 104a. 1685
As my fader on huntyng went
Erly in a mornyng, [1700]
For{e} his men pursued a dere,
To his casteÆÆ, that stondith here,
That doth my hondys wryng, 1690
This Giaunt hym toke, wo he be!
For his love he gevith hym~ me,
He wold none other thinge.â
[Linenote:
1688. _For_ MS.]
(146)
Forth she brought bred and wyne,
Fayn~ he was for to dyne . . . . . . 1695
This knyght made noble chere,
Though that he woundid were [1710]
With the Geaunt strong.
(147)
[Sidenote:
Torrent takes her away. Torrent longs for Desonell. The Norwegian
Princess sees her Father.]
Sir Torrent dwellid no lenger thare,
Than~ he myÈt away fare 1700
With that lady bryght.
âNow, I{es}u, that made heÆÆ,
Send me on lyve to DesoneÆÆ,
That I my trouth to plight!â
Tho sye they be a forest syde 1705
Men~ of armes ffaste ride
On coursers comly dight. [1720]
The lady said: âSo mvst I thee,
It is my fader, is com for me,
With the Geaunt to ffyght.â 1710
[Headnote: TORRENT IS WELCOMD BY THE KING OF NORWAY.]
(148)
[Sidenote:
Torrent is recognised]
An harood said anon~ right:
âYon I se an armed knyght,
And no squier, but hym~ one:
He is so {big} of bone & blood,
He is the Geaunt, be the Rode!â 1715
Som~ seith, he riduth vppon~.
âNay,â said the kyng, âverament, f. 104b. [1820]
It is the knyght, that I after sent,
I thanke god and seynt Iohñ,
For the Geaunt slayn~) hath he 1720
And wonne my dought{er}, weÆÆ is me!
AÆÆ his men are {a}t{o}ne!â
[Linenotes:
1714. _big_] _long_ MS.
1722. _at._] _tane_ MS.]
(149)
[Sidenote:
and welcomd by the King of Norway. His wounds are drest.]
Wott ye weÆÆ, with Ioy and blis
Sir Torent there recevid ys,
As doughty man~ of dede. 1725
The kyng and other lordys gent
Said, âWelcom~, s{ir} Torent, [1830]
In to this vncouth {thede}!â
In to a state they hym~ brought,
Lechis sone his woundis sought; 1730
They said, so god hem spede,
Were there no lyve but ane,
His liffe they wyÆÆ not vndertane,
For no gold ne ffor mede.
[Linenote:
1728. _thede_] _lond_ MS.]
[Headnote: PRINCESS GENDRES. TORRENT STAYS A YEAR IN NORWAY.]
(150)
[Sidenote:
The Princess claims Torrent as her husband.]
The lady wist not or than~, 1735
That he was hurt, that gentilman~,
And sith she went hym tyÆÆ; [1840]
She sought his wound{us} and said thare:
âThou shalte lyve and welfare,
Yf the no-thing evyÆÆ! 1740
My lord the kyng hath me hight,
That thou shalt wed me, s{ir} knyght,
The fforward ye to fulle ffyÆÆ.â
âDamyseÆÆ, loo here my hond:
And I take eny wyffe in this lond, 1745
It shaÆÆ be at thy wyÆÆ!â
(151)
[Sidenote:
Her name is Gendres. Torrent stays 12 months in Norway.]
Gendres was that ladyes name. [1850]
The Geaunt{es} hede he brought hame,
And the dragons {he brought}. f. 105a.
Mene myght here a myle aboute, 1750
How on the dede hedys they did shoute,
For the shame, that they hem~ wrought,
Both with dede and with tong
Fyfte on the hedys dong,
That to the ground they sought. 1755
Sir Torrent dwellid thare
Twelfe monythis and mare, [1860]
That ffurther myÈt he nought.
[Linenotes:
1749. _he br._] _also_ MS.
1752. _they_] _had_ add. MS.]
(152)
[Sidenote:
The King of Norway sends Torrentâs false Squires to sea, where all
drown, save one.]
The kyng of Norway said: âNowe,
Fals thevis, woo worth you, 1760
Ferly soteÆÆ were ye:
Ye said, the knyght wold not com~:
Swith oute of my kyngdome,
Or hangid shaÆÆ ye be!â
His squiers, that fro hym~ fled, 1765
With sore strokys are they spred
Vppon the wanne see, [1870]
And there they drenchid euery man~,
Saue one knave, that to lond cam~,
And woo be-gone is he. 1770
[Headnote: DESONELL IS NEAR CHILD-BEARING.]
(153)
[Sidenote:
He takes the news to the King of Portugal, and tells Desonell that
Torrent is in Norway.]
The child, to lond that god sent,
In Portyngale he is lent,
In a riche town~,
That hat{h} hight be her day,
And euer shaÆÆ, as I you say, 1775
The town~ of Peron~.
By-fore the kyng he hym sett, [1880]
âFuÆÆ weÆÆ thy men~, lord, the grett,
And in the see {did} they drown.â
DesoneÆÆ said: âWhere is Torent?â 1780
âIn Norway, lady, verament.â f. 105b.
On sownyng feÆÆ she down~.
[Linenotes:
1774. _hatt_ (!) MS.
1778. _the_] _they_ MS.
1779. _did_] _are_ MS.
_drowned_ MS.]
(154)
[Sidenote:
She swoons, and folk see she is big with child. The King of Portugal
declares heâll send Desonell and her Bastard to sea.]
As she sownyd, this lady myld,
Men myÈt se tokenyng of her child,
Steryng on~ her right syde. 1785
Gret Ruth it was to teÆÆ,
How her maydens on~ her feÆÆ, [1890]
Her to Couer and to hide.
Tho the kyng said: âMy dought{er}, do way!
By god, thy myrth is gone for aye, 1790
Spousage wyÆÆ thou none {bi}de!
There fore thou shalt in to the see
And that Bastard with-in the,
To lerne you ffor to ride.â
[Linenote:
1791. _bide_] _lede_ MS.]
[Headnote: DESONELL BEARS TWINS TO TORRENT.]
(155)
[Sidenote:
His Earls and the Queen pray for mercy for Desonell.]
Erlis and Barons, that were good, 1795
By-fore the kyng knelid and stode
For that lady free. [1900]
The quene, her moder, on knees feÆÆ,
âFor I{es}u is love, that harood heÆÆ,
Lord, haue mercy on~ me! 1800
That ylke dede, that she hath done,
It was with an Erlis sonne,
Riche man~ i-nough is he;
And yf ye wyÆÆ not let her lyve,
Right of lond ye her yeve, 1805
TiÆÆ she delyu{er}d be!â
(156)
[Sidenote:
She is delivered of 2 male children like Torrent. Her Father says
she shall be sent out to sea.]
Thus the lady dwellith there, [1910]
Tyll that she delyu{er}d were
Of men~ children~ two;
In all poyntes they were gent, 1810
And like they were to s{ir} Torent;
For his love they sufferid woo. f. 106a.
The kyng said: âSo mut I thee,
Thou shalte in-to the see
With oute wordys moo. 1815
Euery kyngis dought{er} ffer and nere,
At the shaÆÆ they lere, [1920]
Ayen~ the law to do.â
[Linenotes:
1807. _Thus the_] so F. VII; _This_ MS.
1808. _Tyll_] so F. VII; om. MS.
1810. _all_] so F. VII; om. MS.]
(157)
[Sidenote:
She is led from his land. The Queen bewails her daughterâs fate.
Desonell is sent to sea.]
Gret ruth it was to se,
Whan they led that lady ffree 1820
Oute of her faders lond.
The quene wexid tho nere wood
For her doughter, that gentiÆÆ ffode,
And knyghtis stode wepand;
A cloth of silke gan they ta 1825
And p{ar}tyd it be-twene hem twa,
Therin they were wonde.
Whan~ they had shypped that lady y{i}ng, [1930]
An hunderid feÆÆ in sownyng
At Peron~ on~ the sond. 1830
[Linenotes:
1827. so F. VII; om. MS.
1828. _had sh._] so F. VII; _clepud_ MS.
_yeng_Â MS.]
[Headnote: DESONELL IS SENT OUT TO SEA. SHE REACHES LAND.]
(158)
[Sidenote:
She prays to Christ for her children.]
Whan that lady was downe fall,
On Iesu Cryste dyd she call;
Down~ knelid that lady cle{n}e:
âRightfull god, ye me sende
Some good londe, on to lende, 1835
That my chyldren may crystonyd bene!â
She said, âKnyghtis and ladyes gent,
Grete weÆÆ my lord, s{ir} Torrent,
Yeff ye hym~ euer sene!â
The wynd Rose ayen~ the nyght, 1840
Fro lond it blew that lady bryght [1941]
Vppon the see so grene.
[Linenotes:
1831 f.] so F. VII; om. MS.
1833. _clene_] _clere_ MS.
1834 f.] so F. VII;
_Iesu Cryste, that com vp here
On this strond, as I wenyd_Â MS.
1836. _my ch._] so F. VII; _we_ MS.]
(159)
[Sidenote:
She and they reach land. Desonell stills her crying child,]
Wyndes and weders haue her drevyn~,
Ãat in a f{o}rest she is revyn~,
There wyld beestis were; 1845
The see was eb, and went her ffroo,
And lefte her and her children~ two f. 106b.
Alone with-oute ffere.
Her one child woke and be-gan~ to wepe,
The lady a-woke oute of her slepe 1850
And said: âBe stiÆÆ, my dere, [1951]
I{es}u Cryst hath sent vs lond;
Yf there be any cryston man~ nere hond,
We shaÆÆ haue som socoure here.â
[Linenote:
1844. _forest_] so F. VII; _ftrest_ MS.
_she is_] so F. VII; _be they_ MS.]
[Headnote: AÂ GRIFFIN CARRIES OFF ONE OF DESONELLâS BOYS.]
(160)
[Sidenote:
goes up a mountain,]
The carefuÆÆ lady was fuÆÆ blith, 1855
Vp to lond she went swith,
As fast as euer she myght.
Tho the day be-gan~ to spryng,
Foules a-Rose and mery gan syng
Delicious notys on~ hight. 1860
To a mowntayn went that lady ffree: [1961]
Sone was she warr~ of a Cite
With towrus ffeyre and bryght.
There fore, i-wys, she was fuÆÆ fayn~,
She sett her down~, as I herd sayn~, 1865
Her two children~ ffor to dight.
(161)
[Sidenote:
and finds an Arbour there. A Griffin carries off one of her boys.
She puts the other down,]
Vppon~ the low the lady ffound
An Erber wrought w{i}t{h} mann{us} hond,
With herbis, that were good.
A Grype was in~ the mowntayn~ wonne, 1870
A way he bare her yong son~ [1971]
Ou{er} a water fflood,
Over in to a wyldernes,
There seynt Antony ermet w{e}s,
There as his chapeÆÆ stode. 1875
The other child down~ gan~ she ly,
And on the ffoule did shoute & crye, f. 107a.
That she was nere hond wood.
[Linenotes:
1874. _was_ MS.
1876. _ly_] _lay_ MS.]
[Headnote: AÂ LEOPARD CARRIES OFF DESONELLâS 2ND BOY.]
(162)
[Sidenote:
and sorrows.]
Vp she rose ageyn~ the rough~,
With sorofuÆÆ hert and care Inough~, 1880
CarefuÆÆ of blood and bone . . . . . . . [1981]
She sye, it myght no better be,
She knelid down~ vppon~ her kne,
And thankid god and seynt Iohn~.
(163)
[Sidenote:
A leopard takes her other boy away.]
There come a libard vppon~ his pray, 1885
And her other child bare away,
She thankid god there
And his moder Mary bryght.
This lady is lefte alone ryght:
The sorow she made there . . . . . 1890
(164)
[Sidenote:
The King of Jerusalem sees the leopard and child.]
That she myght no further ffare: [1991]
âOf one poynt,â {she sayd}, âis my care,
As I do now vnderstond,
So my children~ crystenyd were,
Though they be with beest{es} there, 1895
Theyre liffe is in godd{us} hond.â
The kyng of Ierusalem~ had bene
At his brothers weddyng, I wene,
That was lord of aÆÆ that lond.
As he com homward on his way, 1900
He saw where the liberd lay [2001]
With a child pleyand.
[Linenote:
1892. _she s._] om. MS.]
(165)
[Sidenote:
Each child has one of Torrentâs rings. The Kingâs men kill the
Leopard,]
Torrent had yeve {her} ring{es} two,
And euery child had one of tho,
Hym~ with aÆÆ to saue. 1905
The kyng said: âBe Mary myld,
Yonder is a liberd w{i}t{h} a child,
A mayden~ or a knave.â
Tho men~ of armes theder went, f. 107b.
Anon~ they had theyre hors spent, 1910
Her guttys oute she Rave. [2011]
For no stroke wold she stynt;
TiÆÆ they her slew w{i}t{h} speris dynt,
The child myght they not haue.
[Linenote:
1903. _her_] _his lady_ MS.]
[Headnote: HE (LEOBERTUS) IS ADOPTED BY THE KING OF JERUSALEM.]
(166)
[Sidenote:
and take the Child to the King, who christens him âLeobertus,â]
Vp they toke the child y{i}ng 1915
And brought it be-ffore the kyng
And vndid the swathing band,
As his moder be-ffore had done,
A gold ryng they ffound sone,
Was closud in his hond. 1920
Tho said the kyng of Ierusalem~: [2021]
âThis child is come of gentiÆÆ teme,
Where euer this beest hym~ ffond.
The boke of Rome berith wytnes,
The kyng hym~ namyd Leobertus, 1925
That was hent in hethyn~ lond.
[Linenotes:
1915. _yong_ MS.
1923. _ffound_ MS.]
(167)
[Sidenote:
and takes him to Jerusalem.]
Two squiers to the town~ gan~ flyng,
And a noryse to the child did bryng,
Hym~ to kepe ffrome gr{e}me.
He led it in~ to his own~ lond 1930
And told the quene, how he it ffond [2031]
By a water streme.
Whan~ the lady saw the ryng,
She said, with-oute lettyng:
âThis child is com~ of gentiÆÆ teme: 1935
Thou hast none heyre, thy lond to take,
For I{es}u love thou {sh}oldist hym~ make
Prynce of Ierusalem~.â
[Linenotes:
1929. _grame_ MS.
1937. _woldist_ MS.]
[Headnote: ST. ANTONY GETS THE FIRST BOY FROM THE GRIFFIN.]
(168)
[Sidenote:
St. Anthony sees the Griffin and Desonellâs first boy, whom the bird
lays at his feet.]
Now, in boke as we rede,
As seynt Antony aboute yede, 1940
Byddyng his orysoun~, [2041]
Of the gripe he had a sight, f. 108a.
How she flew in a fflight,
To her birdus was she boun~.
Be-twene her clawes she bare a child: 1945
He prayed to god and Mary myld,
On lyve to send it down~.
That man was weÆÆ with god aÆÆ-myÈt~,
At his fote gan~ she light,
That foule of gret renown~. 1950
(169)
[Sidenote:
St. Antony takes the boy to his Father, the King of Greece.]
Vp he toke the child th{e}re, [2051]
To his auter he did it bere,
There his chapeÆÆ stode.
A knave child there he ffond,
There was closud in his hond 1955
A gold ryng riche and good.
He bare it to the Cite grett,
There the kyng his fader {s}ett
As a lord of jentiÆÆ blood,
For he wold saue it ffro dede; 1960
A grype flew a-bove his hede [2061]
And cryed, as he were wood.
[Linenotes:
1951. _thare_ MS.
1954. _ffound_ MS.
1958. _sett_] _lett_ MS.]
(170)
[Sidenote:
The King sees his son Antony,]
This holy man~ hied hym~ tyte
To a Cite w{i}t{h} touris white,
As fast as he may. 1965
The kyng at the yate stode
And other knyght{es} and lordys good
To se the squiers play.
The kyng said: âBe Mary myld,
Yonder comyth Antony, my child, 1970
With a gryffon~ gay. [2071]
Som~ of his byrdus take hath he,
And bryngith hem~ heder to me!â
Gret ferly had thaye.
[Headnote: HE (ANTONY FITZ-GRIFFIN) IS ADOPTED BY THE KING OF GREECE.]
(171)
[Sidenote:
who asks him to adopt Desonellâs boy as his heir.]
The kyng there of toke good hede, f. 108b. 1975
And a-geyn~ his sonne he yede
And said: âWelcom~ ye be!â
âFader,â he said, âgod you saue!
A knave child ffound I haue,
Loke, that it be dere to the! 1980
Frome a greffon~ he was refte, [2081]
Of what lond that he is lefte,
Of gentiÆÆ blood was he:
Thou hast none heyre, thy lond to take,
For I{es}u love thy sonne hym~ make, 1985
As in the stede of me!â
(172)
[Sidenote:
The King of Greece agrees, and has the Boy baptized. The Boy is
christend Antony Fitzgriffin.]
The kyng said: âYf I may lyve,
Helpe and hold I shaÆÆ hym yeve
And receyve hym as my son~.
Sith thou hast this lond forsake, 1990
My riche londys I shaÆÆ hym~ take, [2091]
Whan he kepe them~ c{o}n~.â
To a ffont they hym yaue,
And crystonyd this yong knave;
Fro care he is wonne. 1995
The holy man yaue hym~ name,
That I{es}u shild hym~ ffrome shame:
Antony fice greffoun~.
[Linenote:
1992. _can_ MS.]
[Headnote: DESONELL BEWAILS HER LOST CHILDREN.]
(173)
[Sidenote:
Desonell laments,]
âFader, than~ haue thou this ryng,
I ffound it on~ this swete thing, 2000
Kepe it, yf thou may: [2101]
It is good in euery {f}ight,
Yf god yeve grace, that he be knyght,
Be nyght {and} be day.â
Let we now this children~ dweÆÆ, 2005
And speke we more of DesoneÆÆ:
Her song was welaway. f. 109a.
God, that died vppon~ the Rode,
Yff grace, that she mete w{i}t{h} good!
Thus dispar{p}lid are thay. 2010
[Linenotes:
2002. _fight_] _sight_ MS.?
2004. _Other be_ MS.
_and_] _or forme of_ (!)Â MS.
2010. _disparlid_ MS.]
(174)
[Sidenote:
wanders among wild beasts,]
This lady walkyd aÆÆ alone [2111]
Amonge wyld bestis meny one,
Ne wanted she no Woo;
Anon~ the day be-gan to spryng,
And the ffoules gan to syng, 2015
With blis on euery bowÈe . . . . . . .
(175)
[Sidenote:
and bewails her lost children. Desonell flees from some hunters]
âByrdus and bestis, aye woo ye be!
Alone ye haue lefte me,
My children~ ye {have} slo{ne}.â
As she walkid than~ a-lone, 2020
She sye lordis on~ huntyng gone, [2121]
Nere hem~ she yede fuÆÆ sone.
This carfuÆÆ lady cried faste,
Than she herd this hornes blaste
By the yatis gone, 2025
But {ran} in to a wildernes,
Amongist beests that wyld w{e}s,
For drede, she shold be slone.
[Linenotes:
2018. _haue_] _a_ corrected out of _e_Â MS.
2019. _have sl._] _slough_ MS.
2026. _ran_] om. MS.
2027. _was_ MS.]
[Headnote: DESONELL FLEES TO THE LAND OF NAZARETH.]
(176)
[Sidenote:
into the land of Nazareth.]
TiÆÆ it were vnder of the Day,
She went {fro} that wilsom~ way, 2030
In to a lond playn~. [2131]
The kyng of NaÈareth huntid there,
Among the hert{es}, that gentiÆÆ were;
There of she was fuÆÆ ffayn~ . . . . . . . . .
[Linenote:
2030. _fro_] _in_ MS.]
(177)
[Sidenote:
She sees the King,]
They had ferly, kyng and knyght, 2035
Whens she come, that lady bryght,
Dwelli{n}g here a-lone.
She said to a squier, that there stode:
âWho is lord of most jentiÆÆ blood?â
And he answerid her anon~: f. 109b. 2040
âThis ys the lond of NaÈareth, [2141]
Se, where the kyng gethe,
Of speche he is ffuÆÆ bone;
AÆÆ in gold couerid is he.â
âGramercy, s{ir},â said she, 2045
And nere hym~ gan~ she gone.
(178)
[Sidenote:
whose Lords greet her. Desonell says that her boys are dead, and she
is left alone.]
Lordys anon ageyn~ her yode,
For she was com~ of gentiÆÆ blood,
In her lond had they bene:
âGod loke the, lady ffree, 2050
What makist thou in this contre?â [2151]
âSir,â she said, âI wene,
Seynt Katryn~ I shold haue sought,
Wekyd weders me heder hath brought
In to this fforest grene, 2055
And aÆÆ is dede, I vnderstond,
Saue my selfe, that com~ to lond
With wyld beestis and kene.â
[Headnote: DESONELL IS WELCOMD BY THE QUEEN OF NAZARETH.]
(179)
[Sidenote:
She is taken to Nazareth, and welcomd by the Queen,]
âWelcom,â he said,â DesoneÆÆ,
By a tokyn~ I shaÆÆ the teÆÆ: 2060
Onys a stede I the sent. [2161]
Lady gent, ffeyre and ffree,
To the shold I haue wedid be,
My love was on~ the lent.â
Knyghtis and squiers, that there were, 2065
They horsid the lady there,
And to the Cite they went.
The quene was curtes of that lond
And toke the lady be the hond
And said: âWelcom, my lady gent! 2070
(180)
[Sidenote:
with whom she stays.]
âLady, thou art welcom~ here, [2171]
As it aÆÆ thyn~ own~ were, f. 110a.
AÆÆ this ffeyre contree!â
âOf one poynt was my
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