naked skinne I should haue some comfort for then I might goe and séeke some aduenture greatly I ought to hate the crooked Dwarfe Oberon who hath brought me into all this paine but by the faith that I owe vnto God séeing he hath left me thus from hencefoorth to doe him the more spite I shall make lyes ynough I shall not leaue for him whom I recommend now to a hundred Thousand Diuels When he had béen there a certen space all alone hee arose and looked all about him to sée if he might perceiue anye man passe by from whome hee might haue any succour for he was néere famished for lacke of sustenance howbeit he thought to depart thence to séeke some aduenture so he went on his way and hée went so far that he found an aduenture such as you shall heare for our Lord Iesus Christ neuer forgetteth his Seruants Chap. LI. ¶ How Huon found a Minstrell who gaue him cloathing and meat and tooke Huon with him as his Varlet and went to Mombrance WHen Huon hadde gone a great way hee beheld on his right hand and saw néere him a little wood by a faire meadow-side and therein was standing a great Dake full of leaues and there beside was a cleare Fountaine and there he saw an ancient man with white haires sitting vnder the Dake and before him he had a little cloth spread abroad on the grasse and thereon flesh and bread and wine in a Bottell When Huon saw the old man he came vnto him and the ancient man sayd Ah thou wild man I pray thée for the loue of Mahound doe me no hurt but take meat and drinke at thy pleasure When Huon sawe him he espied lying beside him a Harpe and a Vyoll whereon he could well play for in all Pagany there was no Minstrell like him Fréend quoth Huon thou hast named me right for a more vnhappy man then I am there is none lyuing Fréend quoth the Minstrell goe to yonder Male and open it and take what thou likest best to couer thy naked skinne then come to mée and eat at thy pleasure Sir quoth Huon good aduenture is come vnto mée thus to find you Mahound reward you Sir quoth the Minstrell I pray you come and eate with me and kéepe me companie for you shall not find a more sorowfull man then I am By my faith quoth Huon a companion of your owne sort haue you found for there was neuer man that suffered so much pouertie as I haue praise be vnto him that fourmed me but séeing I haue found meat to eat blessed be the houre that I haue found you for you séeme to bee a good man Then Huon went to the Male and tooke cloathes and then came vnto the Minstrell and sat down and did eat and drinke as much as pleased him The Minstrell beheld Huon and sawe that he was a faire young man and a courteous and then hee demaunded of him where hée was borne and by what aduenture hee was arriued there in that case that he was in When Huon heard how the Minstrell demaunded of his estate he began to study in himselfe whether he should shew the troth or else to lye then he called to our Lord God and sayd Ah good Lord if I shew to this man the troth of mine aduenture I am but dead and King Oberon for a small offence thou hast left me in this case now if I shewe the troth of my life to this man I am but dead I shall neuer trust thée more but I will now put all my trust in God for the loue that I haue to my Loue thou hast mee in hate but séeing it is so as often as I haue néede I shall ly nor I shall not leaue it for feare of thée but rather do it in despite of thée then Huon saide to the Minstrell Sir you haue demanded of mine estate and as yet I haue made you none answeare the troth is I find my selfe so well at mine ease that I forgat to answeare you but I shall nowe shewe you séeing you would know it Sir of certaine I was borne in the countrey of Affricke and fell in company with diuers Marchants by the Sea in a Shippe thinking to haue sayled to Damieta but a great misfortune fell vppon vs there arose such an horrible tempest that our Shippe perished and all that were within it none escaped but I and I thanke Mahound that I am escaped aliue therefore I desire you now to shew mée your aduenture as I haue shewed you mine Fréend quoth the Minstrell séeing you will knowe it knowe for troth I am named Mouflet I am a Minstrell as thou séest héere by mine Instruments and I say vnto thée that from hence to the red Sea there is none so cunning in all Instruments as I am and I can doe many other things and the dolour that thou séest mee make is bycause of late I haue loste my good Lorde and Maister the Admirall Gaudise who was slayne miserably by a Vacabond of Fraunce called Huon that Mahound shame him and bring him to an ill death for by him I am fallen into pouerty and miserie I pray thée tell me thy name Sir quoth Huon my name is Solater Well quoth the Minstrell Solater dismay thée not for the great pouerties that thou hast suffered thou séest what aduenture Mahound hath sent thée thou art nowe better arayed then thou wert if thou wilt follow my counsel thou shalt haue no néed thou art faire and young thou oughtest not to be dismayed but I that am old and ancient haue cause to be discomforted séeing in mine olde dayes I haue lost my Lord and Maister the Admirall Gaudise who did me so much good and profit I would it pleased Mahound that he that slewe him were in my power When Huon heard that he spake no word but cast down his head Solater quoth the Minstrell séeing my Lord is dead I will goe to Mombrance to King Iuoryn to shew him the death of his Brother the Admirall Gaudise and if thou wilt abide with me so that thou wilt beare my Fardell and harpe a foote ere it be halfe a yéere past I warrant thée thou shalt haue a Horse for whensoseuer thou shalt heare me play vpon my instruments all the hearers shall take therein such pleasure that they shall giue mee both Gownes and Mantles so that thou shalt haue much adoe to trusse them in my Male. Well Sir quoth Huon I am content to serue you and to doe all your Commaundements Then Huon tooke the Male on his necke and the Harpe in his hand and Mouflet his Maister bare the Vyoll and thus the maister and the seruant went on their way to goe to Mombrance Ah good Lord quoth Huon my heart ought to bée sorrowfull when I sée my selfe in this case that nowe I must become a Minstrels Varlet Gods curse haue Oberon the Dwarfe who hath done mee all this trouble Alas if I had nowe my good Armour my
many a noble deed of armes for next Huon aboue all other that day hee bore the price Finally Huon and Othon and his other men did so much that the Almaines were chaced to their Tentes and many slaine in the chace and sore hurt so that they neuer road vppon horse-backe after Sometime it fortuneth that it is folly to venture too much forward and too late to repent afterward I say this for Huon and his company who were gone so much forward that in great dauâ—ger they returned to the Citie for the Almaines who were thirtie Thousand men ready before their Tents when they saw Huon and his men chace their company they set foorth againste Huon and when Huon saw them hee sayd vnto his men Sirs it is good that wee recoile into our Citie for yonder I see comminge 〈◊〉 then thirtie Thousand Almaines as fast as they can so when Huons company saw them they doubted greatly and not without cause for they had beene before at two great skirmishes whereby they and their horses were wearie and sore trauailed the which was no maruaile so by the counsaile of Huon they returned a false gallop toward their Citie and the Almaines were at their backe and chaced them so quickly that more then fiue Hundred Almaines entred into the Citie with them of Bourdeaux But they that kept the gates that day were wise and discreet for as soone as they perceiued that Huon and his company were entred and with them about fiue Hundred of their enemies they woulde keepe their gates no longer open for feare that their enemies should haue entred with too great a number so that for hast they cut asunder the cord that held vp the Portâ—â—lloys the which fell downe by such force that it fell vpon the horse of an Almaine that was vnder it the which horse was cutte cleane assunder so that the man and the fore part of the horse fell within the gate and the hinder part of the horse fell without whereat the Almaines that followed after were sorrowfull and angrie that they had not come thether sooner Then they returned to their Tents complaining for the great losse and damage that they had sustained that day by the high prowesse of Huon and his men and also they that were entred into the Citie were sore abashed when they sawe themselues encloased within the Citie When Huon perceiued it he had great maruaile that they were so entred in among his men for he knew not thereof and yet he himselfe was the laste that entred then hee sayde Ah yee false Traytours yee shall all die an ill death and then he sayd to his men Syrs slay them all then incontinent they alighted and kneeled downe before Huon and required him to haue mercie and pitie of them and to saue their liues and put vs in prison quoth they we be all men of a noble lineage and it may bee so that by vs yee may haue peace with the Emperour Then Gerames sayd vnto Huon Sir I require you to haue pitie of them and put them not to death for so it may bee that by them you may haue peace with the Emperour Freend quoth Huon I am content to doe at your pleasure as you will haue me doe then he commaunded that they should all bée vnarmed and they all made promise vnto Huon not to depart without licence Gerames quoth Huon I will that these Prisoners bee brought vp into the Borough and there parted and set into diuers houses that be sure and let them haue all things necessarie for their liuing then Gerames deliuered them to the keeping of such as hee trusted and so each of them was kept in a courteous Prison Now let vs leaue to speak of Huon and of his Prisoners and returne to the Emperour Chap. LXXXXIII ¶ Howe the Emperour assayled the Citie of Bourdeaux twoo times whereas he lost many of his men AS you haue heard here before how Huon chased his enemies to their tents and how it was time for him to returne to his Citie and how hee was so pursued by the Almaynes that more then fiue hundred of them entred into the Citie and were closed within it and the residue returned to their tents sorrowful and angrie for the great losse that they had So when they were returned the Emperour demaunded what tydings and how they had spedde and if they had not taken Huon quicke or dead Sir quoth a knight it is follie for you to speake thus for Huon is no man so lightly to bee taken for the fiftie men that you sent to haue beene hanged be rescued by Huon and the three thousand men that you sent with them are all slaine and diuers other sore hurt and in perill of death and besides that fiue hundred men of the best of your friendes are entred into Bourdeaux for wee so hastily pursued Huon and his men that entring into the Citie fiue hundred of our men entred into the Citie entermedled with Huons men and there they be inclosed within therfore Sir we aduise and counsell you that you agrée with Huon for if you doe not you shall loose all your men for Huon is so fell and cruell that hee will hange vp your men as ye had thought to haue done his of whom one of them was his cosin you may doe as it pleaseth you When the Emperour heard his Barons what counsell they gaue him he was verie sorowfull and sayd Sirs ye do me great wrong to require me to make any peace with Huon since ye know wel what â—ath and promise I haue made that I will neuer be at peace with him to the intent that ye shall speake no more therof know for troth that if X.M. of my néerest friends were taken by Huon I would rather suffâ—â— them to die a shamefull death then to agree to any peace with Huon till I haue slaine him and his Citie be burnt and destroyed Sir quoth they séeing it is your pleasure yée may do as you thinke best Sirs quoth the Emperour I will that yée assemble all mine hoast and send to my Brother that hée bring all his men then with all our puissance we will assaile the Citie and that none be so hardie as to recule back vntill the Citie be taken this was proclaymed through the Hoast and euery man was readie to assaile the Citie and the cheefe Captaine was Duke Sauary who brought all his men in good order to the dikes well fournished with ladders and other necessarie things pertaining to assault The same time Huon and his men were vnarmed and going to dinner but when he heard the noise and crie without he tooke a sop in wine and armed him all his men and euery man went to the walles to their defence and Huon old Gerames Othon and Barnard a valiant knight mounted on the towre ouer the gate and the Almaines on euery part entred into the dikes and raysed vp many a scaling ladder to the walles
gaue as yet any good counsaile My Lord quoth the Duke I knew wel the long absence of Duke Seuins Sonnes was for none other cause but by reason of their youth When Earle Amerie heard the King speake and sawe beside howe hée was offended against him hée was sorrowfull and so departed secretly from the Court and sware that he would prouide for the two Sonnes of Duke Seuin such a traine as should cost both their liues and hazard the heauinesse and trouble of all Fraunce beside So hee went to his lodging sorrowfull and in great displeasure and then he imagined and studied on the matter and how to bring about his Enterprize then he departed from his lodging and went vnto Charlot the Kinges Son with whome he was right priuie hée found him sitting on a rich bed communing with a young Knight then Amerie shewing a verie sad countenance the teares in his eyes and trecherie in his heart knéeling downe before Charlot who had of him great pitie to sée him in that case the Prince tooke him vp and demaunded wherefore he made that sorrow and whether any man had displeased him My Lord quoth Amerie my gréefe is not without great cause for the two Sonnes of Duke Seuin of Bourdeaux shall come to the Court and as I haue heard say the King hath promised that at their comming they shall bée made of his priuie councell so that none other about the King but they shall haue any honour or reckoning made of them And assure your selfe my Lord that if the State be thus aduaunced they that now are greatest about his Maiestie shall then scarce haue a looke or any countenance at all So that within short while the best partes in your Fathers Kingdome will they be Lords of and you your selfe if you suffer this will hold no grace or fauour with the Emperour Therefore my Lord I require you to helpe me now in this businesse for in time past Duke Seuin their Father by great wrong and treason tooke from me a strong Castle of mine owne and I neuer dyd him displeasure therefore you ought to ayd me in this serious matter for I am of your linage deriued of the Noble Quéene your Mother When Charlot had well vnderstood Earle Amerie hée demaunded in what manner he might ayd him Sir quoth he I will shew you I shall assemble the best of my linage and you shall let me haue of yours thréescore Knights well armed and I shall lye in the way to méete with the two Boyes and I shall lay the ambushment in a little wood a league from Montleherry on the way to Orleance by the which way they must néeds come there we shall set on them and slay them so that none shall dare to speake thereof and if it be knowne after who dare speake against you or weare any healme in féeld against you Sir quoth Charlot qualifie and appease your sorow for I shall neuer haue ioy in my heart vntill I be reuenged of those two Boyes goe and make readie your men and I shall prepare mine and I will goe my selfe with you the sooner to make an end of this businesse When Amerie heard Charlot so liberally to offer himselfe to goe in his ayd he thanked him and embraced his Leg and Sicophant-like would haue kissed his Shooe but Charlot would not suffer him but tooke him vp and said Sir hast you and now be diligent that this businesse may come to a good end Amerie departed from Charlot right ioyfull and at the day appointed he ceased not day nor night to assemble his men and his néerest fréends and in the Euening before he came to Charlot who was as then also readie with his men and as secretly as they might they departed about the houre of midnight out of Paris all armed and they stayed not vntill they came to the place appointed to tarie the comming of the two Sonnes of Duke Seuin Now I will leaue to speake of them and returne to the twoo Sonnes of Duke Seuin Huon and Gerardin Chap. VI. ¶ How the two Sonnes of Duke Seuin of Bourdeaux tooke leaue of the Duchesse their Mother and howe in their way they ouer-tooke the good Abbot of Cluny their Vncle going towards Paris to the Emperour Charlemaine YOu haue heard here before how the Kings Messengers departed frō Bourdeaux then the two Sons made them readie to goe to the Court richly apparelled and well fournished of euerie thing néedfull aswell of gold and siluer and other apparell of silke as to their state appertained then there assembled the Barons of the Countrey to whom they recommended their Lands and Signiories and did choose out ten Knights and foure Councellors to ride with them to aid and to gouerne their businesse Then they sent for the prouost of Gerone called Sir Guyre to whom they recommended all the affaires of Iustice Then when Huon and his Brother had chosen them that should goe in their companie they tooke their leaue of the Duchesse their Mother and of the Barons of the Countrey who sore did wéepe bycause of their departure for the which they had good occasion so to do and more if they had knowne the haplesse aduenture that afterward befell them on the way Or had the good Duchesse but dreamed thereof shee would neuer haue suffered them to departe from her for after there fell such mischéefe that it is a lamentable thing to recount it Thus the twoo Brethren departed and kissed their Mother sore wéeping Then they tooke their Horses and their companie and in passing by the Stréets of the Towne the people made great sorrow for their departing and sore wéeping prayed to God to be their guide and conduct The wéepings and lamentations were so extreame that the twoo Brethren could not haue so firme courage but that they gaue many a sore sigh at the departing out of the Towne and when they had ridden a certaine space and that their sorrow was somewhat appeased then Huon called his Brother Gerard sayd Brother we go to the Court to serue the King wherefore wee haue cause to be ioyfull therefore let vs twoo sing a song to refresh vs. Brother quoth Gerard my heart is not very ioyfull to sing or make any sport at all for this night I dreamed a maruailous dreame mée thought thrée Leopardes assayled mée and drewe my heart out of my bodie but me thought you esaped safe and sound and returned backe Wherefore deare Brother if so it be your pleasure to withstand my dreame which makes me dread our iourney to be dangerous might I preuaile with you we would ride backe againe to Bourdeaux to our Mother who will bée ioyfull of our returne Brother quoth Huon and God will we shall not returne for feare of a dreame it should be foreuer to our reproach and shame I will not returne to Bourdeaux vntill I haue séene the King Therefore swéet Brother dismay you not but rather make good chéere our Lord Iesus
Companions he set his Horne to his mouth and blew so melodious a blast that the fourtéene Companions being vnder the Trée had so persit a ioy at their hearts that they al rose vp and began to sing and daunce Ah good Lord quoth Huon what fortune is come vnto vs me thinke we be in Paradise right now I could not sustaine my selfe for lacke of meat and drinke and nowe I féele my selfe neither hungrie nor thirstie from whence may this come Sir quoth Gerames knowe for troth this is done by the Dwarfe of the Fayrye whome you shall soone see passe by you But Sir I require you on ieopardie of loosing of your life that you speake to him no word without you purpose to abide euer with him Sir quoth Huon haue no doubt of me séeing I know the ieopardie Therewith the Dwarfe began to crie aloude and saide Yée fourtéene men that passe by my wood God kéepe you all and I desire you speake with mée and I coniure you thereto by God almightie and by the christendome that you haue receiued and by all that God hath made answeare mée Chap. XXII ¶ How King Oberon was right sorrowfull and sore displeased in that Huon would not speake and of the great feare that he put Huon and his companie in WHEN that Huon and his companie heard the Dwarfe speake they mounted on their Horses and road away as fast as they might without speaking of any word and the Dwarfe séeing how that they road away and would not speake hée was sorrowfull and angrie Then hée set one of his fingers on his Horne out of the which yssued such a winde and tempest so horrible to heare that it bare downe Trées and therewith came such a raine and hayle that it séemed that heauen and the earth had fought together and that the world should haue ended the beasts in the woods brayed and cryed and the foules of the ayre fell down dead for the feare that they were in there was no creature but he would haue béen afrayd of that tempest Then suddainly appeared before them a great Riuer that ran swifter then the birds did flye and the water was so blacke and so perilous made such a noyse that it might be heard ten Leagues of Alas quoth Huon I see well now we be all lost wée shall héere be oppressed without God haue pitie of vs I repent me that euer I entred into this wood I had béen better to haue trauailed a whole yéere then to haue come hether Sir quoth Gerames dismay you not for all this is done by the Dwarfe of the Fayrye Well quoth Huon I thinke it best to alight from our horses for I thinke we shall neuer escape from hence but that we shal be all oppressed Then Garyn and the other Companions had great maruaile and were in great feare Ah Gerames quoth Huon you shewed mee well that it was great perill to passe this wood I repent mée nowe that I had not beléeued you Then they sawe on the other side of the Riuer a faire Castell enuyroned with fourtéene great Towers and on euerie Tower a clocher of fine gould by séeming the which they long regarded and by that time they had gone a little by the Riuer side they lost the sight of the Castle it was cleane vanished away whereof Huon and his companie were sore abashed Huon quoth Gerames of all this that you sée dismay you not for all this is done by the crooked Dwarfe of the Fayrye and all to beguile you but he cannot gréeue you so you speake no word howbeit ere we depart from him he will make vs all abashed for anone he will come after vs like a mad man bicause you will not speake vnto him but sir I require you as in Gods name be nothing afrayd but ride foorth surely and euer beware that you speake vnto him no word Sir quoth Huon haue no doubt thereof for I had rather he were destroyed then I should speake one word vnto him then they road to passe the Riuer and they founde there nothing to let them and so road about fiue Leagues Sir quoth Huon wée may well thanke God that wee bée thus escaped this Dwarfe who thought to haue deceiued vs I was neuer in such feare during my life god confound him thus they road deuising of the little Dwarfe who had done them so much trouble Chap. XXIII ¶ How Kinge Oberon Dwarfe of the Fayry pursued so much Huon that he constrained him to speake to him at last WHen Gerames vnderstood the companie howe they thought they were escaped from the Dwarfe he began to smile and said Sirs make no braging that you be out of this danger for I beléeue you shall soone sée him againe and assoone as Gerames had spoke the same words they sawe before them a bridge the which they must passe and they sawe the Dwarfe on the other part Huon sawe him first and said I sée that Diuell who hath done vs so much trouble Oberon heard him and saide Fréend thou doest me iniurie without cause for I was neuer Diuell nor ill creature I am as other be but I coniure thée by the diuine puissance to speake vnto me Then Gerames said Sirs for Gods sake let him alone nor speake no word to him for by his faire language he may deceiue vs all as he hath done many other it is pity that he hath liued so long Then they road forth a good pace and left the Dwarfe alone sore displeased in that they would not speake to him then he tooke his Horne and set it to his mouth and blew it When Huon and his companie hearde it they had no power to ride any further but they began all to sing Then Oberon the Dwarfe said yonder company are fooles proud that for any salutation that I can giue them they disdaine to answeare mée but by the God that made me before they esâ—ape me the refusall of my words shal be déere bought Then he tooke againe his Horne and strooke it thrée times on his bowe and cryed out aloud said Yée my men come and appeare before me Then there came to him about foure hundred men of armes and demaunded of Oberon what was his pleasure who had displeased him Sirs quoth Oberon I shall shew you howbeit I am gréeued to shewe it héere in this woode there passed fourtéene Knights who disdaine to speake vnto me but to the entent that they shall not mocke me they shall déerely buy the refusing of their answeare Wherefore I will you goe after them and slay them all let none escape Then one of his Knights said Sir for Gods sake haue pitie of them Certainly quoth Oberon mine honour saued I cannot spare them since they disdaine to speake vnto me Sir quoth Glorianda for Gods sake doe not as you say but sir worke by my counsaile and after doe as it pleaseth you Sir I counsaile you yet once againe goe after them then if
abused he said to Agrapart in this that thou hast said thou lyest falsely thus shamefully to rebuke me in mine owne Court before all my Lords therefore shewe mee the â—ause why thou doest me this iniurie Admirall quoth hee it is bicause there is come into thy Court he that hath slaine my Brother whom incontinent thou oughtest to haue slain likewise wherefore if it were not for mine owne honour with my fist I would strike thée on the face thou hast put him in prison without any more hurt dooing vnto him therefore thou traytour théefe by Mahound be thou cursed thou art not worthy to sit in a seate royall therefore arise vp it is not méeâ—e for thée to sit there And therewith hée drew the Admirall so rudely out of his chaire that his hat and Crowne fell downe to the earth whereat the Admirall was sore abashed Then Agrapart sat downe in his chaire said thou false Traytour my Brother is dead therefore from hencefoorth thou shalt be my Subiect for it appertaineth to me to haue the Lands that my Brother had and the Tribute that thou wert woont to pay vnto my Brother or else I shall strike off thy head howbeit I will not doe against right for if thou wilt prooue the coÌ„trarie or find two Champions to be so hardy that for thy loue they dare or will fight with me in plaine battaile I shall fight with them or more if thou wilt send theÌ„ to me And if it be so that I be ouercome discomfited by any of theÌ„ I am content that froÌ„ hence foorth thou shalt hould thy landes franke frée without any tribute paying But if it fall out so that I conquer theÌ„ both then thou to be my subiect and to pay me tribute for euer also to pay me for a due taxe euery yéere Foure Ducates of gould as thy head money Agrapart quoth the Admirall I am content thus to do and to appoint twoo of my men to fight with thée Chap. XLIII ¶ How the Admirall Gaudis tooke Huon out of prison and armed him to fight with the Gyant Agrapart WHen the Admirall had heard the great Gyant he said alowd where bee the twoo gentle knights that will for euer be my friends now is the time come that all the goodnes and great gifts that I haue giuen among you is now to be rewarded If there be any of you that will fight against this Gyant I shall giue him my Daughter Escleremond in mariage and after my death to haue my Heritage no man shall be so bold as to say nay thereto But for any faire wordes or promises that the Admirall could make there was no Paynim so hardye to vndertake it whereuppon the Admirall made great sorow and began to lament and when the Gyant Agrapart sawe him he said Thy lamenting cannot auaile thée for whether thou wilt or not it must beheeue thée to pay these iiij péeces of gold yerely for I am sure there is no Paynim that dare fight against me When the faire Ladie Escleremond saw her Father wéepe it sore gréeued her hart and she said O my Father if I knewe that it should not displease you I would shew you one thing which should bring you out of this doubt Daughter quoth he I sweare by Mahound I will not be displeased whatsoeuer thou sayest Sir quoth shée I did once delude you in telling you that the French-man that brought you the Messuage from king Charlemaine was dead in prison but sir credite me he is as yet aliue if it please you I shall fetch him to you and without doubt I dare warrant you that he will take on him this Battaile against the Gyant for he shewed you how he slew the other Gyant Angolofer therefore I haue hope by the ayd of Mahound in likewise he shall slay his brother this Gyant Agrapart Daughter quoth the Admirall it is my pleasure that ye shall fetch the Prisoner to me for if he can discomfite this Gyant I am content that he all his company shall depart franke frée at their pleasure Then the Lady Gerames went to the prison tooke out Huon all his company brought them before the Admirall Then the Admirall earnestly beheld Huon and had great maruaile that he was in so good case yet his colour was somewhat pale by reason of lying so long in prison then the Admirall said Friend it séemeth by thy lookes that thou hast had no ill imprisonment Sir quoth Huon I thanke your Daughter therefore but I pray you shew me for what cause yée haue as now sent for me Frend quoth the Admirall I shall shewe thée behould yonder Sarazin that is armed who hath challenged to fight with me hand to hand or against twoo of the best men that I haue and I can find none so hardy that dare fight against this Paynim but if it be so that thou wilt take vpon thee this enterprise for me I shall then deliuer thée and all thy company quite to goe into thy country at thy pleasure and safely to conduct thée to the Citie of Acre And also I will giue thée a Sommer with gould the which thou shalt present froÌ„ me to king Charlemaine and euery yere from hencefoorth to send him like present as for my head money and to make such assurance as his councell can deuise Also if hee haue any warre I shall send him twoo M. men of armes payed for a whole yere before hand and if it be so that he desire mine owne person I will then passe the sea with a C.M. Paynims to serue him for I had rather to be in seruitude there than to pay iiij d. to this Gyant And moreouer if thou wilt abide héere with me I shal giue thée my daughter Escleremond in mariage and the halfe of my Realme to maintaine thine estate Sir quoth Huon I am content this to doe so that I may haue mine owne Armour and my rich Horne of Iuory and my cuppe the which were taken from me when I was yéelded Prisoner Frend quoth the Admirall all shal be deliuered to thée thou shalt not loose the value of one peny Then the Admirall sent for the Horne Armour and Cup and deliuered them to Huon whereof he had great ioy but when Agrapart saw knew that the Admirall had found a Champion to fight with him hee saide to the Admirall Sir I will goe out and speake with my Knights and in the meane time let thy ChampioÌ„ be ready apparelled for I shall not tary long beside I shall neuer haue ioy at my hart till I haue torne his hart out of his bodie therewith he departed and went to his men and Huon put on his coate of mayle and then he tooke Gerames his horne of Iuory and said Friend I pray you kéepe my Horne till I returne againe Then he went prayed to our Lord to forgiue him his sinnes and to succour ayd him to discomfite that foule â—â—end the
men send them to Bourdeaux and let them take Huon out of prison and bring him to you and heare what hee himselfe will say and if it be true that Gerard hath sayd then I desire you to haue no pittie on him but I beléeue surely yee shall finde the matter otherwise then Gerard his brother hath sayd Naymes quoth the king your saying is reasonable I accord thereto I will he be sent for Chap. LXXI ¶ How the Emperor Charlemain went himselfe to Bourdeaux to cause Huon to bee slaine for the great ill will that he bare to him YE haue heard before how the good Duke Naymes did so much that King Charlemain was content to send for Huon but the king was sore displeased with him that hée would not abide so long as to send for him but he made himself readie to go thether in person with all his traine and commanded that the pledges should be set in prison till his returne but the good Duke Naymes became pledge for them all to bée forth comming and so they went not to prison The King made him readie and tooke with him twelue of his Péeres and so tooke their way towards Bourdeaux God aide Huon for hee was now in perill of his life if God had not pitie on him Thus as I haue shewed you King Charlemaine nobly accompanied rode so long by his iourneyes that hee came within the sight of Bourdeaux and when he approched neere to the Citie Gerard came to the king and said Sir if it please you I would gladly ride before you into the Citie to ordain to receiue you accordingly Gerard quoth the King it is no néede that you goe before to prepare for my comming there be other that shall goe before you shall not goe till I goe my selfe When Duke Naymes heard the kings answere hee said to the king Sir you haue answered like a noble Prince blessed be he that counselled you so to say thus the king rode forth without giuing any knowledge of his comming and so entered into the Citie of Bourdeaux and rode to the Pallaice and there alighted Then dinner was made readie the King sate down and Duke Naymes by him and at other bordes other Lords and knights and there they were richly serued great brute was made in the Pallaice so that Huon being in prison had great maruel of the noyse that he heard and demaunded of the Gailer what noyse it was that hee heard aboue in the Pallaice the Gayler answered with great pride and despight and sayd It néedes not you to demaund for you are like to know it too soone but since you would know it I shall shew you the truth it is king Charlemaine and all his Barons who are come hether to iudge you to be hanged Goe thy way false traitour quoth Huon canst thou not shew to me none other tydings but that thus Huon answered the Gayler and there was as great brute in the Citie as in the Pallaice with lodging of the kings men The Commons and Burgesses of the Citie of Bourdeaux had full great maruaile why the king came thether at that time so sodainely and the king sitting at the table made good â—heere but Duke Naymes who sate by him began to wéepe and could neither eate nor drinke he rose vp then sodainely so â—udely that hee ouerthrew cuppes and dishes vpon the table Naymes quoth the King you haue done ill thus to doe Sir quoth Duke Naymes I haue good cause thus to doe and I haue wondrous great maruaile that I sée you so doted I am in such sorrow thereby that I am néere hand out of my wits how is it that you be come into the Citie of Bourdeaux for to eate and to drinke and to take your ease you néede not to haue gone out of France for that for you had meate and also good wines sufficient at home in your owne house Ah right Noble and worthie Emperour what meane you to do it is no small matter to iudge to death one of your twelue Peeres it is not possible to giue any true iudgement when you and we are full of wine and spices But Sir sayd the Duke by the Lord that mee fourmed that whosoeuer this day doth eate or drinke wine as long as the life is in my bodie I shall neuer loue him Naymes quoth the King I am content with your will Then the King commanded that the table should be auoyded commanded incontinent Huon to be taken out of prison and brought before him they that had commission to doe it went to the prison and there they tooke out Huon and his wife Escleremond and old Gerames and they were all three brought before the King and his Barons Huon sawe where King Charlemaine sate among all his Lordes and they all arose when they saw Huon and his companie so pale and ill coloured by reason of the noysome prison that his brother had put them in and Escleremond and old Gerames were greatly regarded and when the Pledges sawe Huon before the King they said Sir now yée may sée Huon for whom we be pledges wee trust now to be quit and discharged it lyeth now in you to doe with him at your pleasure Sirs quoth the King I hold you quit you may go from hence forth where you please for Huon cannot now scape our handes then Huon kneeled downe before the King right humblie and when Duke Naymes saw him the drops fell from his eyes and sayd to the king Sir I require you giue Huon audience and heare what hee will say I am content quoth the King let him say what hee will then Huon kneeling on his knées sayd Sir in the honour of our Lord Iesus Christ I first crie mercie to God and to you and to all your Barons I complaine me of that false traitour that I sée there who was my brother if there had béene any faith or troth in him but I beleeue in all the world cannot be found so cruell and false a Traytour for Cayne that slew Abell his brother was neuer so false nor so cruell When all the Lords heard Huon they al beganne to weepe saying each to others Ah good Lord where is the beautie become that was woont to be in Huon we haue séene him so faire that no one could passe him in beautie and now wee sée him pale and leane and ill coloured it appeareth well he hath not béene alwayes in the Ladies Chambers nor among damsels to sport and to play with him Thus they deuised of him and tooke no heede of Gerard who was by them Then Huon spake againe and sayd to the King Sir true it is the message that you gaue me in charge to doe vnto the Admirall Gaudys I haue doone to the verie vttermost as you haue commaunded vnto mee and I haue passed the Sea and came vnto Babilone to the Admirall Gaudys there I required of him in the presence of all his Lords to haue his beard
were woont to bée yée may well sée by these two Brethren the strife that is betwéene them is foule and dishonest wée should doe well if we could find the meanes by any manner of wayes to appease them and therefore I counsaile let vs all together goe to the King and desire him to haue mercie pitie of both these twoo Brethren and that it might please him to appease them renâ—er to Huon all his Landes and if wee could bring it to this point it should bée a good déede as to accord them together Chap. LXXIII ¶ How the Peeres layd all the deede vppon Duke Naymes to giue the iudgement vpon him But for all that euer he could say or doe the King iudged Huon to die AFter that the Earle of Flanders had spoken the Earle of Chalons rose vp and said My Lord of Flanders your reason is good and you haue spoken like an Noble man but I know surely that the King will doe nothing at our desires But Sirs if ye thinke it good let vs all put the whole matter vpon Duke Naymes of Bauyer and all that hee will say let vs agrée thereto then all the Lords accorded together and sayd how the Earle of Chalons had sayd right well Then they came to Duke Naymes and desired him that he would take the charge of that matter vpon him and whatsoeuer he did they were all agreed thereto when the Duke heard them he stood still a certaine space and beganne to studie on the matter and tooke all the tenne Peeres to counsell with him And when the faire Escleremond saw Huon her husband in that danger among them with whom he should haue béene in ioy then she beganne sore to wéepe and sayd Ah Huon I sée here great pouertie when in the same proper towne whereas you ought to be Lord to be in this danger and beside that ye are not beleeued nor heard of any man that is here for any proofe or witnesse that yee can say or shew King Charlemaine will not beléeue that you haue béene in the Citie of Babylone and yet surely there you haue beene for I saw you there slay my Father the Admirall Gaudys and tooke his beard and drew out of his mouth foure of his greatest teeth great pitie it were if you should die for your truth and faythfulnesse but the thing that most feareth me is that I sée none that be héere likelie to be a Noble man except the King who is chiefe of all other and yet me thinkes hee is full of falshood for I sée none other but he that séekes your death But I promise to God that if hee suffer you to haue this wrong and thus to die I say then as for my part that Mahound is better worth then your King Charlemaine and it be so that you receiue death without a cause I will neuer more beléeue in your king but renounce his law and beléeue in Mahound There were many Lords and knights that heard the Ladies words whereof they had such pitie that the most part of them beganne to wéepe And when Huon heard his wife he turned toward her and sayd Ladie I desire you to leaue your sorrow and trust in God almightie who so oftentimes hath succoured vs you know not what he will doe let vs bee content with his good pleasure Thus with such words Huon appeased the fayre Escleremond And Duke Naymes who was in counsell with the other Peeres sayd to them Sirs I haue great sorrow at my heart bicause of these two Brethren so that I cannot tell what counsaile to find I desire you all in this waightie matter to counsaile me and shewe mee your opinions therein Sir quoth the Lords other counsaile you shall not haue of vs for we haue layde all the matter vppon you to doe therein what it shall please you Sirs quoth the Duke to dissemble the matter auayleth not but since that Huon must passe by iudgement how say you shall he be hanged or drawne Sir quoth Gaulter who was the first speaker mée thinkes he can escape none otherwise Ah Traytour quoth the Duke thou liest falsely for it shall not follow after thy councell whether thou wilt or not there is no man this day that shall be so hardie as to iudge him to die therefore Sirs yet shew me againe whether yée will agrée to my councell Sir quoth they wée haue laid the charge vpon you the which we will all abide by but whosoeuer was glad Gaulter was sorowfull angrie for he would haue consented to the death of Huon Then all the Barons right sad and pensiue went out of the counsell Chamber and they could find no manner of wayes how to saue Huon but they all prayed to God to aide and succour him And Huon seeing the Barons comming so sadly together thought that the matter was not at a good poynt whereby hee beganne sore to weepe when Escleremond and Gerames saw the sorrow that Huon made they had great pitie thereof Then Huon beheld Duke Naymes for he knew well all the matter lay in his hands he feared greatly the iudgement that should be made vpon him and said Thou very God and man as I beléeue verily that thou didst die on the holy crosse to redeeme vs all and that on the third day thou didst rise from death to life I require thee humbly in this great neede to succour me as truely as I am in the right for more wrong no man can haue Then the Duke Naymes of Bauier came to the king and sayd Sir will it please you to heare what we haue deuised Yea quoth the king I desire nothing else to know Well Sir quoth the Duke then I demaund of you in what place of your Region thinke you to iudge one of your Peeres of Fraunce Naymes quoth the King I know well you be a Nobleman and all that you say is to deliuer Huon of Bourdeaux but I will ye know all shall not profite him Then the Duke sayd Sir to say so ye doe great wrong Therefore sir regard well in what place you will haue one of your Peeres iudged if you know not where it should be done I will shew you In your Realme are but three places to doe it in The first is the Towne of Saint Omers the second is Orleance and the third is Paris and therefore Sir if you will proceede vpon Huon by iustice it is conuenient that it bee done in one of these three places for here in this town he cannot be iudged Naymes quoth the King I vnderstand well why you say this I well see and perceiue that you entend to none other end but to deliuer and quit Huon I had thought to haue entreated him by the order of iustice to the intent that none of you should haue reprooued mee therefore I ordained that he should haue beene iudged by you that bee the Péeres of France and I sée well you haue done nothing therein and therefore as long as
led them before Charlemaine without any woord speaking and caused them to sit downe with him at his own table that he had wished thither then he tooke his cup and made thereon thrée crosses then incontinent the cup was ful of wine then King Oberon tooke it gaue it to Escleremond to drinke and then to Huon and so to Gerames and when they had all three dranke well he said to Huon Friend arise vp and take the cuppe and beare it to King Charlemaine and say vnto him that he drinke to you in the name of peace if hee refuse it hee did neuer such a follie in all his life King Charlemaine who sate néere to them at his owne table hearing king Oberons words wist not what to thinke and so sate still and durst not speake one word for the great maruailes that he saw there and no more durst none of his men for they were so abashed that there was none there but that gladly would haue béene a hundred leagues thence But whosoeuer was afrayde Gerard was not verie well pleased Then Huon rose from Oberons table and tooke the cuppe and went therewith to king Charlemaine and deliuered it to him The king tooke it durst not refuse it as soone as it was in his hands it was drie voyde not a drop of wine therin Fellow quoth the King you haue inchaunted me Sir quoth Oberon it is because you are full of sin for the cup is of such dignitie that none can drinke thereof without he be a noble man and cleane without deadly sinne and I know one that ye did not long agoe the which as yet you were neuer confessed of and if it were not to your shame I should shew it héere openly that euery man should heare it When the Emperour Charlemaine heard King Oberon hee was abashed and afraid that King Oberon would haue shamed him openly then Huon tooke againe the cuppe and then incontinent it was full of wine againe and then Huon bare it to Duke Naymes who sate next to Charlemaine Naymes tooke the cup and dranke thereof at his pleasure but all the other could not touch the cup they were so full of sinne Then Huon returned to king Oberon and sate downe by him then Oberon called to him Duke Naymes and commanded him to rise from Charlemaines table and to sit downe by him at his table the which Duke Naymes did for hee durst not say nay Then Oberon sayd to him Sir Duke Naymes right good thanks I giue you in that you haue béene so true and iust to Huon and thou King Charlemaine that art Emperour of the Romaines behold here Huon whom wrongfully and without cause you haue disenherite and would take from him all his lands hee is a Noble man and true and besides that I say vnto you for truth hee hath done your message vnto the Admirall Gaudys and I ayded to bring him to his death and then hée tooke out of his mouth foure of his greatest téeth and also did cutte off his white beard and I did â—lose them within the side of Gerames by the will of God this that I haue sayd you may bee surely beléeue for at all these déedes I was present Sée yonder false Traitour Gerard who by his malicious intent hath done this treason and to the ende that you may know the matter more surely you shall heare it confessed by his owne mouth Then Oberon sayd to Gerard I coniure thée by the diuine puissance and power that God hath giuen mee that héere before King Charlemaine and all his Lords thou shew and declare the troth of this treason which thou hast done against Huon thy Brother When Gerard vnderstoode Oberon hee was in such feare that hée trembled for dread for hée felt in himselfe that hee coulde haue no power to hide the troth of the treason then he sayd Sir I sée well to hide the troth cannot auaile mée therefore true it is I went to the Abbey of Saint Maurise to sée my Brother Huon and Gybouars accompanied with Fortie men at armes wee departed from this Citie and layde our ambushment in a little wood about twoo Leagues from this Citie to watch when my Brother Huon should passe by that way Gerard quoth King Oberon speake out hyer that you may the better be heard and that euerie man may heare the treason falsenesse that you haue done vnto your Brother Sir quoth Gerard I wote not what to say for I haue done so ill and falsely against my Brother that more ill I could not doe and I am ashamed to recount it But to say truely that before it was midnight I made my Brother to rise and to depart from the Abbey and when wee came néere the place where as my Father in law Gibouars was with his ambushment I began to striue with my brother so highly that Gibouars might heare mee who when he heard me speake he brake forth of his ambushment and ranne at my brothers companie and so slew them all except these three that be here then we tooke the dead bodies and did cast them into the Riuer of Gerone then wee tooke Huon and his wife and the old Gerames and bound their handes and féete and blindfolded their eyes and so brought them on thrée leane horses into the Citie and I tooke out of the side of old Gerames the beard and foure great téeth the which if it please you I shall fetch from the place where I left them Gerard quoth Oberon you shall not neede to take that labour for when it shall please me I can haue them without you Well Sir quoth Gerard thus when I had set them in prison I went backe againe to the Abbey and then I demaunded of the Abbot and Couent where the treasure was that my Brother had left there and that hée should deliuer it to me bearing him in hand that my Brother Huon had sent for it The good Abbot would not deliuer it to me wherefore Gybouars and I slew him then wée made this Monke héere the Abbot who is néere of kinne to Gybouars to the entent that he should ayd to beare vs witnesse and to iustifie our sayings Then we tooke all the treasure that was there and brought it hether then I charged Tenne Somers the which I had with me to King Charlemaines Court at Paris the which treasure I gaue part thereof to the King and to other by whom I thought to be aided to performe mine vnhappie Enterprize and I beléeued surely that by reason of the riches that I gaue that my Brother should haue receiued death and thereby I to haue béene Lord and Maister of all his Landes and Signiories and all this treason that I haue shewed Gybouars caused me to doe it or else I had neuer thought to haue done it Gerard quoth King Oberon if it please our Lord Iesus Christ you and he both shal be hanged by the necks there is no man liuing shall saue you
Citie to be armed and come and succour the Emperour hastily for when I came from him he had great neede of ayde there is Huon of Bourdeaux who hath slayne thrée of his nephewes and this other day he was lodged in this Citie the Emperour knoweth well that you knew nothing thereof for Huon had lodged his men in the suburbs and in other little houses because hee would not be perceiued Syr Prouost make haste in this businesse When the Prouost heard what daunger the Emperour was in he sounded the watch bell and made to be cryed in euery stréete that euery man that was able to beare armes should arme them and goe out into the field to succour the Emperour who was in great daunger of his life When the Bourgesses of the towne heard that crie euery man armed them as well as they could some were harnessed behind and some in a Iacke all smoked and with staues and other weapons what a foote and a horse backe there went out of the Citie twentie thousand men if you had séene the horsemen you would haue laught at them for it séemed they were set on horse backe in despite there was neuer séene so rude a companie it was no maruaile for they were not accustomed to ryde in harnesse The Prouost went before and exhorted them to doe their deuoirs so they tooke their way to come to the battaile whereas Huon and his companie did part of their willes and the Emperour séeing that he began to loose his men and place hee rode searching in the battaile for Duke Huon whereas he found by aduenture Huon who had then newly slaine by aduenture the Emperours Seneschall When that the Emperour sawe him slaine he was right sorrowfull and in a great rage he cryed to Huon and saydâ— Thou knight that neuer art satisfied to shedde the bloud of my men to abate my linage and force I pray thée turne thy shield vnto mee for if thou knewest the great hate that I beare thée thou wouldst neuer appeare before me Sir quoth Huon I maruell that you so sorely hate me haue tarryâ—d so long for reueÌ„ge therfore beware for if I can I wil send you after your Nephewes whome yée say that yée loue so well They tooke their course with great and rude speares and so came together like the tempest and met so rudely that the buckles of their Armour all to brast and the Emperours speare brake all to péeces but Huons speare was bigge and strong therewith he strake the Emperour with such puissance that his speare ranne through his shoulder so that the Emperour fell to the earth so rudely that with the fall he brake the bone of his thigh whereby he was in such dolour that he swounded And when Huon saw him lye on the ground hee came to him with his swoord in his hand and would haue slaine him if he had not béene succoured but there came so many Almaines that whether Huon would or not they tooke the Emperour and bare him out of the field and laid him in the wood and then demaunded of him how he did Sirs quoth he I am sore hurt for my thigh is broken whereby I endure more gréefe than I can abide but as for death I trust by the grace of god I shall escape it When they heard that they were all ioyfull and said Sir know for troth that your men are sore discomfited for they be so sore oppressed by Huon and his men that wée feare all your men will be slaine wée will goe againe to the battaile and leaue some with you to looke vnto your Maiestie Well quoth the Emperour but your force nor your defence cannot auaile you any thing against Huon nor against his men But I shall shew you what yée shall doe yée shall send quickly to Huon and desire him in my name to cease slaying of my men and that there may be a truce had betwéene him and me for the space of halfe a yéere for within that time I hope to finde some other treatie that hee and I might be friendes and if he refuse this then I see none other remedie but that wée shall be all slaine or taken and then he will cause me to die in some noysome prison Sir quoth his knights we shall doe your commaundement but we feare sore that we shall not be heard Sirs quoth the Emperour goe to him and doe the best yée can Then they returned to the battaile whereas they founde their companie readie to flie away for they were neere all slaine and taken the Knights from the Emperour came to Huon and desired him in the name of the Emperour that he would cease the battaile and sound the treatie and they would do likewise in the same manner and that there might be a firme truce betweene them for halfe a yeere and in that season they trusted that some good wayes would be found that the Emperour and hee might be good friendes together Sirs quoth Huon if the Emperour your Master had mee in that danger which he is in hee would not suffer me to scape aliue for all the gold in the world howbeit I am content that he haue truce for halfe a yeere the which I shall surely kéepe on my part and if I be assayled I shall defend mee and if so be that hee come to Bourdeaux to assayle mee by the helpe of God and my good friendes I shall doe the best that I can But if he will haue peace with mee and pardon mee his displeasure for the death of his nephewes I shall be readie to make peace and I shall make amends for al wrongs though I was not the beginner Then Huon caused the retrait to bee sounded and in likewise so did the Almaynes who had thereof great ioy it came to them at a good poynt for else all had béene slaine or foyled When he had the vpper hand now that he pursued still his chase for then he might haue had an end of that warre and neither shield nor speare more broken whereas after many a man was slaine and was the cause that the Citie of Bourdeaux was lost and the fayre Escleremond taken and set in prison in the Citie of Mayens and Huon suffered so much paine and trouble that no mortall man can shewe it Thus as you haue heard Huon granted the truce and so both parts withdrew whereof the Emperour and his companie were right ioyfull Then Huon called his companie and shewed Gerames and his Lords how he had graunted truce to the Emperour for halfe a yeere and therefore I charge you all not to breake the peace the Emperour was glad when hee heard it for he knew well hee had scaped a great daunger Then he charged all his men on paine of death that they should not breake the truce And Sirs quoth he I pray you make readie a litter that I may be carried to Coleyne for the paine that I féele in my legges causeth all my bodie
shee had great cause to weepe and to be sorrowfull â—or before Huon returned to Bourdeaux shee and all they that were with her suffered so much pain and pouerty that to shew it would cause a hard heart to weepe for pitie And after that Huon had thus spoken to his companie hee entred into his Chappell and was confessed of the Bishops of the Citie and receiued the Sacrament Then the Bishop gaue to Huon a stoale that was hallowed and of great vertue and saide Sir I require you for the loue of our Lord Iesus Christ keepe well this stoale for such an houre may fall that it will stand you in good stead Huon right humbly tooke it and thanked the Bishop it did him good seruice afterward for on a day as hee passed he had thereof so great neede that he would not haue forborne it for fourtéene good Cities as yee shall heare more heereafter Chap. LXXXXVIII ¶ Howe Huon departed from the Citie of Bourdeaux and sayled vntill hee came into the hye Sea and hadde many great fortunes WHen Huon had taken the the halowed stoâ—le hee deliuered it to his Chaplain who was a wise man of a holy life and commaunded 〈◊〉 to keepe it well Then he toâ—ke fiue knights to haue with him and his Chaplayne and a clack to serue him Then Huon went to his wife and kissed her at his departing and she fell in a swound in his armes and Huon 〈…〉 releaued heâ— and sayd Faâ—re Lady I require 〈…〉 making of this sorrow Ah good sir quoth she 〈…〉 ought to bee sorrowfull since ye leaue mee besieged with them that desire your death Madam quoth Huon 〈…〉 you not for by the grace of God I shall make a short returne Then he clipped and kissed her recomâ—â—â—ding her to our Lord Iesus Christ Then Huon and such as were appoynted to goe with him departed out of the Pallaice and went to a backe posâ—erâ—e vpon the riuer of Gâ—round where there was a shippe ready and richly garnished with all things conuenient there Huon being armed and his men entred into the shippe and had no horse with them When Huon departed hee deliuered his good horse to the â—éeping of sir Bernarde his cosen and tooke his leaue of Gerâ—mes and of all his other companie so hoysed vp sayle and 〈◊〉 was day in the morning hee was more then two 〈◊〉 from Bourdeaux Then Huon regarded the Citie and â—â—re weeping did recommend it to our Lord Iesus Christ humbly requiring him to haue in his sauegard his 〈◊〉 wife and child and all other that were within it Thus 〈◊〉 Huon sailed along the riuer of Geround pitiously complayning for his wife the fayre Escleremond and for hiâ—â—ayre daughter Claryet whom he could not forget for he had so great doubt to loose them that when hee remembred them hee wept They sayled so long that they entred into the high Sea and hee had good cause to weepe and 〈◊〉 great sorrowe for hee 〈…〉 till the 〈◊〉 had taken it 〈…〉 Huon 〈◊〉 in his Shippe 〈…〉 his heart gaue him that before hee 〈…〉 Citie of Bourdeaux the Citie should bee taken and his 〈…〉 Escleremond 〈…〉 therefore he 〈…〉 that if it so 〈◊〉 and if euer he returned 〈…〉 end 〈◊〉 thereof he would 〈◊〉 the Emperour 〈◊〉 and that Castle nor Towne should noâ— saue him There was a notable knight with Huon who said 〈◊〉 him Sir leaue your musing and put your trust in God hee shall ayd you and succour you in all your 〈…〉 your Wiâ—e and keepe your Citie 〈…〉 for t your selfe no further 〈◊〉 thâ—nke of God and 〈◊〉 vnto him to giue you the grace to accomplish your Voyage the 〈◊〉 I hope you shall not faile of if you thus dâ—e When Huon heard him hee was much comforted and thanked the Knights and so sayled â—oorth vntill they were 〈…〉 the Sea and lost their right way for the â—hippe turned â—n the right hand and losse the way that they should haue saâ—led and 〈◊〉 vnto places not knowne to any of the 〈◊〉 whereof the Patron was sore abashed in himselfe without making any knowledge thereof and so long they sayled with winde and weather that they arriued at a Port whereas they found many boats there they casâ— their anchor and went a 〈…〉 themselues Then Huon called to him the 〈…〉 and demaunded of him if he could sayle 〈…〉 Sir quoth the Maister I was 〈…〉 no winde to goe thether it were a 〈…〉 me to sayle thether 〈…〉 by that straunge Sea But I 〈…〉 heere in this Port whereas you are nowe to 〈…〉 Patrone that can bring you 〈…〉 quoth Huon I pray you to doe so much as to get me 〈◊〉 Sir quoth 〈…〉 doe what I can then hâ—â— and Huon 〈…〉 Shippe and from boat to boat to get a Pilot 〈…〉 to an auncient man who sayde that he could well bring them thither and sayde how that hee had beene there before that time Friend quoth Huon if hee will bring me to the Realme of Aufamie I shall giue you gold and siluer plentie Sir quoth the old Patron I shall doe your pleasure but Sir one thing I say to you know for troth the voyage is very daungerous for to passe and a verie long voyage for it will be halfe a yeere â—re you can come thither and beside that wee must passe by a perilous Gulfe the which is reputed to be one of the mouthes of hell and if by aduenture or fortune of the winde that wee bee blowen neere vnto it wee shall neuer depart but be lost foreuer When Huon heard the Pilate hee beganne to weepe and complaine for his wife and his deere daughter whome he had left in the citie of Bourdeaux in great daunger to be taken For he saw well then that hee could not returne for the space of a whole yeere with any succour howbeit hee left not his voyage then hee commaunded his seruaunts to discharge all his baggage and victualles out of the one shippe into the other and when the newe shippe with the newe Patron was readye in all things Huon entred into it Then the new Patron demanded of the old marriner the cause why they came thither and from whence they came Sir quoth hee true it is wee came from the citie of Bourdeaux the which standeth vpon a notable riuer and when we were entred into the sea a sore winde rose vpon vs in such wise that wee were constrained to abandon our shippe to the winde and weather and fortune of the sea the which hath brought vs hither Friend quoth the newe Patron as soone as yee were out of the riuer of Gerone if yee had turned your sterne towards the sea roade yee had neuer come hither and within a moneth yee should haue come to the realme of Aufamie whereas now ye be verie farre off When Huon vnderstood the cause of their comming thither he was right sorrowfull and sore displeased if he could haue amended it But his displeasure could not
eâ—tent that they without shall not enter 〈…〉 to their great losse And if you will thus doe I put 〈…〉 that before it be midnight they shall bee all taken 〈◊〉 and the matter may so come to passe that you shall enter into the Citie at your pleasure Thus I haue shewed you as I thinke best if any man know any better way let him speake Then euerie man regarded the Emperour and sayde Sir the counsaile that Duke Sauary hath giuen you wee thinke that a better counsayle cannot bée giuen to any Prince When the Emperour vnderstod the counsaile of his brother Duke Sauary and that all his Lordes did allow the same hee was right ioyfull and sayde that it should bee so done Then he called his marshall and commanded that it should be done according as his Brother had deuised it before the which was done verie diligently and sent with him fiftie men with sixe hundred muttons and two hundred beasts néere vnto the Citie and then layd theyr ambushment of tenne thousande men by the little mountaine it was darke night and the Moone was not risen whereby they within could not perceiue them the which turned to theyr great losse and damage for all those that issued out of the Citie of Bourdeaux were slaine and taken prisoners as ye shal heare hereafter Chap. CIIII. ¶ Of the death of the olde Gerames and of the taking of the Citie of Bourdeaux and of the comming of the Duchesse with the Emperour and of the deliuering vp of the Castle to the Emperour YE haue heard before howe the Emperour assayled the Citie of Bourdeaux and of the great losse that he sustained wherof Gerames and they within the Citie were right ioyfull and made great feasts and thanked our Lord God Then after Supper Gerames called all the knights and other together and sayde Sirs ye haue séene this day the great assault that the Emperour and his men haue made to this Citie but thanked be God the losse is returned to them for there are dead and wounded a great number of them and many of them are sore wearyed with trauaile and thinke now for to rest themselues and now is their howre that they be sette at Supper and customably they sitte euer long at their Table farre longer then French men doe wherefore I thinke best that incontinent without delay we should arme our selues and issue out of the Citie and goe to their tents and rayse them and then lette vs doe there as good Knights ought to doe to the intent that good songs may bee made of vs and that the Almaines haue no cause to say but that wee bee as good men as they bee Sir quoth Othon and Barnard we be readie thus to doe Sirs quoth Gerames let vs make haste that we may returne againe ere the Moone riseth Then they armed themselues Alas what an il aduenture came to them at night for the most part of those that issued out were taken and slaine Ah good Lord what a losse fell to the Citie of Bourdeaux Ah noble Lady Escleremond yee may well weepe and complaine all your dayes for sorow paine and dolour approacheth néere whereby ye are like to beare such diseases and pouertie that no man liuing can recount it nor yee shall neuer bee out of that daunger and trouble till yee be deliuered by the good Duke Huon your husband When Gerames and his companie were readie they mounted on their horses and issued out at the gate as priuily as they could so that they were not perceiued by them that were set to watch for them nor they heard not when they were in the field they rode a false gallop to the tents the which they might well â—e cleerely by the lights that were in the tents when they came neere they dashed their spurres to their horses and cryed Bourdeaux and sâ—rake and cut asunder the cordes and stayes so that many tents fell to the earth and such as came out were slaine a great noyse and crie beganne to rise in the hoast and euerie man ranne to their armour and Gerames and his companie slew many of their enemies and made them for to flie before them it was dreadfull for to beholde the damage that they did there But finally the losse fell vpon them for the Emperour and all his men were readie when Gerames sawe howe all the hoast was mooued then he sayd to his companie Sirs it is time for vs to retyre backe for we may tarrie héere too long yonder commeth the Emperour with a mightie armie to close vs in it is needfull for vs to make haste that wee may goe away in safetie Then altogether in one companie they returned and went the way towards Bourdeaux But they had not gone farre ere that they were ouertaken by the Almaynes they layd on on all parts with their swords speares Then Gerames turned him to an Almaine and with his speare ran him cleane through and in drawing out his speare hee fell downe dead to the earth and then he strake another whome also he slew He did such déedes of armes that ere his speare brake hee slewe fiue of his enemies whereof the Almaynes were sore abashed He brake the prease in such wise that none durst approach néere vnto him right well did Othon and Bernard and such as were with him But when the Duke Sauary who with tenne thousand men lay in ambushment néere vnto the Citie had heard the greate noyse and crie hee supposed that they within the Citie were issued out When Gerames and his companie sawe howe they were inclosed both before and behinde they were sore abashed When Gerames sawe that their force and powers could not auayle them but that either they must bee taken or slaine then earnestly he called vpon our Lord Iesus Christ requiring him to saue and defend his good Lord Huon of Bourdeaux and the Duchesse Escleremond his wife And he cryed to his companie sayd Sirs I pray you hartily at this time shew forth your Prowesse and behaue your selues so valiantly that this Emperour Almaines haue no cause to make their auaunts that they haue found vs as men amazed but let vs shew them how our swords can cut Then all together they assayled their enemies in such wise that at the first brunt the Almaines were constrayned to retyre backe and Gerames did such déeds that none durst approach néere vnto him Then the Duke Sauary with ten thousand men came vpon them sodainely the which was no equall part and also the Emperour with his great battaile came also vpon old Gerames and his companie who had gotten themselues into the subburbs of the Citie and a mightie wall behind them at theyr backes whereas they did stand at a bay against the Almaines Gerames was in the middest of them and vnderneath his helmet appeared his long white beard and the Emperour who had great shame that so few men in number should kéepe a baye against his highnesse and doe vnto
his men so great damage he perceiued where the old Gerames was who had oftentimes slaine many of his men and done him so mightie damages that hee thought hee could neuer be reuenged thereof sufficiently and thought that if hee should haue scaped then aliue that hee would doe him much more hurt and damage after and sayd to himselfe that hee had rather die incontinent then he should not as then bee reuenged on him and therewith incontinent he couched his Speare and ran at old Gerames on the one side ere he was aware so that the Emperour ranne him cleane through the bodie so that the gentle knight Gerames fell to the earth and died incontinent great damage fell that day to Huon of Bourdeaux for he lost the truest and best friend that he had Alas for that pitious iourney that fell that day to them of Bourdeaux They had good cause for to wéepe alas good Duchesse Escleremond what losse haue yee receiued to loose him who was your cheefe comfort and refuge ye might haue called him more then father Ah right noble Ladie there neuer came to you a greater mischiefe then ye haue by the death of Gerames who lieth dead euen now among the enemies When the Almaines sawe that Gerames was dead then they fought so that within a short space all them of Bourdeaux were slaine and not one scaped aliue except Barnard who was on the puissant horse Amphage for the gambaudes and worke that he made not an Almaine durst approach neere him for Bernard next vnto Huon was the most valiaunt knight of his body that was as then liuing for when the Almaines sawe him vpon that horse they chased him no further but they went to theyr tents and Bernard ceased not till hee came vnto the gate of the Citie the which was opened when hee was entred and the gate closed againe the Burgesses and comunaltie saw how Bernard came in all alone they demaunded of him and sayd Sir where is your captaine and the old Gerames Then sore wéeping he shewed them at length the pittious and dolorous aduenture the which when they heard they made such cries and wéeping that pittie it was for to heare and to sée them the bruite and noyse was so great and loud that the Ladie Escleremond heard it whereat she maruailed and stood in a great feare Therewith Syr Bernard entred in at the Castle gate and so mounted into the hall whereas hee found the Duchesse Escleremond who was sore abashed when she sawe Syr Bernard come alone who shewed her the great losse that he had sustained that day wherwith for inward sorrow she fell down in a swound and so lay a long space as though she had beene dead Then the Ladyes and Damsels sore wéeping reléeued her and then shee cast out a great crie wringing her handes and tearing her hayre and sayde Ah Huon my right déere Lord this day yée haue lost your most sorrowfull and dolorous wife and well beloued daughter Then the Ladies Damselles and other wiues who had lost their husbands fathers and brethren came into the Castle and made such cryes and sorrow that the noyse thereof was heard into the Emperours hoast without and it was shewed the Emperour that the noyse and brute that was made within the Citie and Castle was for the losse they hadde receiued that day And then they sayde that it should be good that the next morning euerie man should be readie to goe and assayle the Citie and sayd that if euer they would winne it the howre then was come When the Emperour had heard that reason he sayd that the aduise was very good and that he would that it should so be done hee gaue the charge thereof to his Constable and Marshalles so the next morninge his hoast was readie and the Emperour commanded to set forward and then they came before the Citie garnished with all things néedfull and necessarie for assault and they marched forward and approached the Citie and when they came there they gaue a great crie and entred into the Dykes and reared vp their ladders to the walles in diuers places so that they that were within were sore afrayd For within were but Burgesses and Marchants who could but little skil of warre howbeit they mounted vpon the walles and defended their Cittie But the Citie was so sore assayled on all parts that the defendants wist not where to make resistance the shotte of them without slew so thicke that none within durst appeare vppon the walles whereby they entred perforce into the Citie and slew as many as they mette withall in their entring And then they went vnto the gate and opened it so that the Emperour and all his Lords entred into the Citie Then euerie man went abroade in the stréetes to take prisoners and to spoyle mens houses When the Emperour saw hee was Lord of the Citie hee caused it to be proclaimed in euerie streete that no man on paine of death should wrong any woman or deflowre anie mayde nor to breake any Church nor to set any house on fire and also such as were in any Church for sauegard that they should goe at their pleasure without any trouble or danger either of body or goods for the Emperour who was a wise Prince thought in himselfe that great damage and pittie it would bee to destroy and putte to ruine such a famous Citie so strong and well furnished with Burgesses and Marchants When such as were fledde into strong places for refuge vnderstood the Emperours commaundement euerie man and woman returned to their owne houses so that there was but little damage done and that was done by them that entred first When the Lady Escleremond saw how the Citie was taken ye may bee sure she was right sorrowfull For first shee saw her Citie taken by the enemie and her selfe closed within the Castle ill furnished with victualles and much people with her whereby she saw cleerely without God did ayde her that her death approched neere Then pitiously she complayned to God and sayd Verie God on whome I beléeue firmely and for whose sake I haue left my first misbeleefe and forsooke my parents and friends to take to my husband a Christian man to the intēt to receiue thy law O God I require thee of thy grace to haue pittie vpon mee poore desolate creature and to keepe and defend my deere children from all ill incombrances for if it be thy pleasure to saue my childe I am content to abide what fortune it shall please thee to send mee and beside that I require thy grace to saue and keepe Huon my deere Lord and husband Then all wéeping she called vnto her sir Bernard and said Right deare Fréend I can take no counsaile nowe but of you you sée well howe our deathes approache and that it is impossible for vs to kéepe and defend this Castle against the Emperour who hath wonne the Citie and I doubt if he enter into this Castle
When the Admirall of Persia sawe his time to depart he made it to bee proclaimed through-out the Citie by a Trumpet that euery man should make him ready to depart the next morning to goe whether it pleased the Admirall this was done so that at an houre before the next day there was great brute and noise made in the remoouing then the Admirall and Huon made them readie and mounted vppon their horses and yssued out of 〈◊〉 Citie and eâ—tred into the féelds and then the whole Hoast tooke the way towards Antioch Of their iourneys I make no 〈◊〉 fall they road foorth so that they passed by low Armenia 〈◊〉 thâ— hye Ermine and so vpon a Monday they came before 〈◊〉 whereas they lodged that night a longe by the the 〈…〉 without that any person of the Citie made any 〈…〉 or to let them but they brought out of the 〈…〉 bread wine and flesh and other thinges 〈…〉 their companie whereof the Admirall and Huon 〈…〉 ioyfull and gaue them great thankes and for that 〈…〉 woulde not suffer that any of his Hoast 〈…〉 hurt or dammage vnto any person of the Citie 〈…〉 buy when they had dyned they tooke their way to 〈◊〉 the Citie of Damas and as they went thether-ward they â—ooke certaine Townes and Castles and brought them vnder their obeysance and such as were taken perforce and 〈◊〉 not beléeue in our Sauiour and Redeemer Iesus Christ incontinent they were all slaine and brought to vtter ruine and destroyed 〈◊〉 wasting and destroying the Countrey in their way at last they came before the Citie of Damas. When they came thether they lodged about the Citie in the Gardens and 〈◊〉 and constrained them within the Citie to bringe them 〈…〉 the which they did for doubt of the destroying of their 〈…〉 and fruits there they lay one night and the next day 〈…〉 the way to Ierusalem and hadde diuers Battailes by the way but they were of so great puissance that none could 〈…〉 them So longe roade this christian Hoast that they came and lodged before Nâ—pelous and there left their hoast then the next morning the Admirall and Huon and diuers of the great Lords and Barons of Persia accompanied with them 〈◊〉 from Napelous to the number of foure Thousand valiâ—â—â— Knights to guard them into the Citie of Ierusalem thether they came about noone whereas they were receiued with great ioy of Kinge Thibault and of the Patriarke and Arch-priest who as then were in the Citie of Ierusalem whome the Emperour Constantine had left there and ordered for the keeping of the Citie When the Admirall of Persia and Duke Huon and Barnard and other went and offered to the holy Sepulchre then they went to the Temple of Salomon and vnto the holy Temple of Simeon whereas they made their offerings and the next Pilgrimages vnto all the holy places in the Citie with great deuotion and reuerence When they had accomplished their holy Pilgrimages they returned to the Pallaice of the King of Ierusalem whereas they were greatly feasted and honourably receiued of their seruice I will make none account but one thing I dare well say that there was neuer Kinge nor Admirall better serued And as they sat at dinner there entred a Sarazin â—oule and blacke called Trampoiguyffle the which is as much to saye as Balaach Then he said a hye before the Table the same God that made the Firmament and that downe to vs sent his holy Prophet Mahomet to teach vs his holy Lawe he saue and keepe Saphadin Souldan of Babilon and of Egipt and may confound them that be his enemies To the Admirall of Persia and of Media the Souldan sendeth word by mée that wrongfully and without cause thou goest and destroyest his Countrey and his people not giuing him any knowledge why thou doest so therefore by me he sendeth thee word that am his secret Messenger that he will assigne vnto thee the day of battaile that is vpon Thursday next comming between Rames and lafte whereas there is a plaine Countrey and hée will that thou knowest for certaine that if he take thée thou shalt be hanged and slaine all quicke and neuer sée faire day more and al other that I sée heere sitting at this Table Chap. CXXV ¶ Of the answere that the Admirall of Persia and of Media made vnto the Souldans Messenger and of the report that he made vnto his Maister WHen the Admirall had well heard and vnderstood the Souldans Messenger he beganne to smile and said Tell thy Maister that I set nothing by his threatning nor by nothing that he can do nor I will not leaue for all his saying to destroy and to take his Townes and his Castles and to slay all them that will not beleeue in the Lawe of Iesus Christ and say vnto him from me that I am not in minde to retire backe but by the ayde of God my creatour I shall come and meete with him so that he shall not neede to tarrie for mee and I shall fight with him my puissance against his to shew him howe they can doe that beleeue in Iesus Christ Goe thy way and say vnto thy Maister that he shall not find me flying for any feare that I haue of any man beléeuing in the false and detestable fayth of Mahomet Then the Admirall commaunded to giue the Messenger meate and drinke and fortie Florents the Messenger refused it not but tooke it and thanked the Admirall and when hee had dyned he taried not night nor day vntill hee came to the Citie of Gasere whereas he found the Souldan and al his Armie the which was a great number for they were a Hundred Thousand men and all they threatened the death of the Admirall of Persia but it is a comon saying that many things lacketh of foolish thoughts and so did they When the Messenger was arriued at Gasere hee came before the Souldan and made his reporte what answeare the Admirall had made him and when the Souldan had well heard and vnderstood the Messenger hee hadde great maruaile of the great outrage that hee thought to be in the Admirall of Persia in that hee durst abide him and sware by his Lawe that if hée might haue the vpper-hand of the Admirall that he would slay him quicke Then he commanded his Hoast to dislodge and to take the way towardes Escalonne the which they did Chap. CXXVI ¶ Howe the Admirall of Persia sent for his men that lay at Napelous and caused them to withdrawe towards Rames and howe they departed from Ierusalem and howe he went to fight with his enemies AFter that Trampoiguyfle the Messenger was departed from Ierusalem and returned to his Master the Souldan then the Admirall of Persia and Huon of Bourdeaux who were in the Pallaice with the Kinge of Ierusalem thether they called all their counsaile and when they were all assembled the Admirall sayd Sirs I pray you to counsaile me in what manner I shall vse my selfe to goe
rayse vp his siege before Acres for diuers reasons and to returne into Persia WHen Huon hadde well vnderstood the Admirall and that he had well heard the Lordes and Barons that their opinions was that they would not speake vntill hee had first shewed his aduise and opinion then hee said vnto the Admirall Sir if it be your pleasure I ought not to beginne first this reason for you haue many Lordes that can speake better in this matter then I but séeing that it is your pleasure and theirs I shall shewe vnto you shortly mine aduise and as I would doe if I were as you are Then Duke Huon of Bourdeaux sayd Sir Admirall of Persia and of Media it is a long season since you departed from your Countrey Landes and Signiories and not without great trauaile and much paine and that God hath done you that grace that with one Armie all you haue passed and taken Castles and haue slaine and destroyed the Countreys and men of the Souldans of Babilon and of Egipt and haue béen at the holy Citie of Ierusalem the which is in the middest of his Countrey after that the Souldan hath fought with you with people innumerable whom you haue discomfited and slaine almost all they that were with him And also God hath giuen you the grace that you are safely escaped with little losse or dammage and now you haue in this Citie before vs besieged and inclosed in the Souldan your enemie who night and day doth imagine howe hee may recouer his losse as you may well knowe by his Letters sent by his Messengers the which you haue séene and red the contents of the same And Sir you may well thinke that hee hath sent diuers other Messengers aswell by Land as by Sea to his Fréendes to seeke for succour and for ayd in the intention to bee reuenged of you wherefore I counsaile you séeing you are so farre off from your Countrey as shortly as you can to depart from hence and to rayse your siege and to returne into your owne Countrey your men be wearie and sore trauailed and the Souldan is in his owne Countrey hée will alwayes assemble great numbers of people and alwayes hee may haue succour and victuals the which you cannot doe nor haue for héere without great paine you shall haue no victuall for the Country is sore fowled and oppressed and you can haue no succour from any part wherefore of necessitie you must depart the which you may doe without any losse For you may passe the Riuer of Euphrates before his people bee assembled to doe you any dammage and when the spring time of the yeare commeth if it bee your pleasure you may returne with such number of men as you shall thinke best for you are of puissance so to doe Sir this that I say is for nothing that I would forsake or leaue you as long as you be in these parts I had rather die although it be so as you well knowe that the thing that I ought most to desire is to depart from you and to goe into my owne Countrey whereas I haue left my Wife my Daughter and my Countrey in great pouertie and daunger of death and destruction Chap. CXXX ¶ Howe the Admirall of Persia agreed well to the counsaile of Duke Huon of Bourdeaux and praised his saying and of the faire offer that the Admirall of Persia made vnto Duke Huon of Bourdeaux WHen the Admirall had well hearde and vnderstoode Huon hee behelde his Lordes and all wéeping saide Sirs all you that be my men you haue all well heard Duke Huon who hath shewed his aduice and opinion and therefore I commaund and desire you all to shewe mee what you thinke by the saying of Huon then they all with one voice sayd Sir a more noble or profitabler counsaile no mortall man can giue for your wealth and suerty of your person and of vs all there was neuer man spake better and therefore all we pray and counsaile you to vphold the counsaile that hee hath giuen you Then the Admirall séeing that all his Lordes and Barons agréed to the counsaile that Huon had giuen him hee sayd Sirs as for mée since yoâ—â—re agréed thereunto I am readie to beléeue all good counsaile there was neuer a higher counsaile giuen vnto any Kinge or Prince and when the Admirall had saide howe that hee would beleeue the counsaile that Huon had giuen him hee called then Huon vnto him and sayd Sir Duke of Bourdeaux the pillar shéeld and sword of the Christian faith and the Defendour of the Persians and Medians I knowe well that by right I ought not to kéepe you for it is good reason that you returne thether where as you were borne and to ayde and comfort your true Spouse and Wife for whome you be in great discomfort and not without cause and therefore for the goodnesse and honour that wée haue found in you wée offer to goe with you in our owne proper persons with all our Armie and more to the number inestimable and to aide to reuenge you of the false Emperour of Almaine who hath doone to you so much ill and dammage or else if you will returne vnto vs into Persia at this next springe time we shall deliuer vnto you such puissance and my selfe to goe with them into Almaine so that the Valleys and Mountaines shall bee full of people and wee shall doe so much by the grace of our Lord God that wée shall deliuer the Emperour into your hands to doe with him at your pleasure When Huon had well heard and vnderstood the Admirall of Persia and of Media who offered him so great an offer hée sayd Sir of the courtesâ—e and kindnesse that you offer mee I thanke you with all my heart God forbid that I should be the causer of destruction of Christian bloude first I will assay with all swéetnesse and reasonable offers as much as in mee is possible to doe to present and offer vnto the Emperour to the entent that I may attaine to his loue and to haue peace the which thinge I will and desire to doe with all my heart And if it be so that he will not encline neither to right nor reason then Huon will come to you and vnto all other that I thinke or knowe to bee my Fréends and then desire you all of your courtesies for ayd and succour Chap. CXXXI ¶ How Duke Huon of Bourdeaux tooke his leaue of the Admirall and of all the other Lordes of Persia and went and tooke shipping at the Port of Thesayre and how he arriued at Marsellis without finding of any strange aduenture WHen the Admirall had well vnderstood Huon he sayd My right deare and wel-beloued Fréend I giue you good thankes of that you say you may bee sure that if you haue any neede and that you can make no appointment with the Emperour the offers that I haue made vnto you I shall vphold and succour you in mine ownâ— person Sir
behould him there hee made good chéere and feasting for the space of right dayes and vppon the ninth day in the Morning he departed from thence priuily and tooke Barnard with him without the knowledge of any person except the Abbot vnto whom he sayde Faire Vncle I and Barnard will depart and I require you to let no man liuing know of my departing as long as you can keepe it secret vntill you doe héere from mee some tidings Sir it shall bee done quoth the Abbot and I commend you to the sauegard of our Lord Iesus Christ and I beséech him humbly that you may haue peace with the Emperour Tirrey Then Huon and Barnard departed before any man were rising and they tooke their way towards the Citie of Mayence and rested not vntill they came to Coleyne and the next Morning they road vntill they came within a League of the Citie of Mayence and then they entred into a wood there they alighted Then Huon apparelled himselfe like a Pilgrim in habite hose and shooes and he tooke a hearbe and rubbed therewith his Visage in such sort that hee séemed that hee had beene in the Sunne Ten yeares so that he was vnknowne and Barnard that was with him coulde not knowe him by the face and then Barnard laughed then he tooke his staffe and scrippe and saide vnto Barnard Sir goe your way before into the Citie with our horses and take none acquaintance of mee though you sée me and take vp some small lodging so Barnard went on before and Huon faire and easily went after him and so entred into the Citie and hee had with him the Thirtie rich stones in his bosome When hee was entred into the Citie hee rested not vntill he came to the Pallaice and as hee went vp the stayres he met the Steward of the Emperours house vnto whome hée sayd Sir I pray you in the honour of our Lord Iesus Christ to giue mee some meate for I am so hungrie that I can scarce goe vppon my Legges nor I haue no monney to buy mee one morsell of bread When the Steward had well heard and vnderstood the Pilgrim hee beheld him well and sawe howe his staffe shaked in his hand the which he thought had béene with féeblenesse and pouertie and hadde of him great pitie and compassion and demaunded of him from whence hee came Sir quoth Huon I come straight from the holy Sepulchre and I haue endured much pouertie and miserie Fréend quoth the Steward I pray you to tarie for me héere a little season vntil I haue been in the Prison to carie meat vnto the Duchesse Escleremond and to the other Prisoners who crye out through famine and rage that they be in for if they bee longe in this case that they bee in now they cannot endure it for the Emperour hath taken such an inward hate against her and against them that are in prison with her that he hath made promise that assoone as Easter is passed the Ladie shall be burnt and the other Prisoners al hanged and this day is Shroue Thursday so that they haue to liue but fiue dayes and I am right sorrie for the noble Ladie that our Emperour will put her to death without a iust cause When Huon had well heard that hee hadde no member nor ioynt but that trembled and he cast downe his Visage and beganne pitifully to wéepe and suffered the Steward to passe and spake no woorde vnto him but returned into the Towne and went and lodged in the Towne right heauie and sorrowfull howbeit he was right ioyfull in that his Wife was aliue for he greatly feared that she had been dead He lodged in a notable Burgesses house who receiued him wel for the loue of God but whatsoeuer he had there he could neither eat nor drinke for the sorrowe and gréefe that he had at his heart then hee sayde vnto his Host Sir to Morrowe is good Friday the which day I thinke the Emperour will giue great Almes Fréend quoth his Host you may surely beléeue that the Emperour will giue as to morrow great Almes hee will giue of his goods so largely vnto all poore men that if they come vnto him that day they shall bee all satisfied you shall not finde a Prince that doth giue greater Almes and of one thing I aduertise you the Emperour hath one custome that the first poore Pilgrim that commeth vnto him to morrowe shal bee happie for there is nothing in the world be it neuer so deare but if hee demaund it of the Emperour it shall not bee denied him it must bee at the same houre and time that the Emperour goeth vnto his Chappell to say his Orisons When Huon had well vnderstood his Host he beganne to reioyce and thought within himselfe that if hee could in any wise hee would bee the first that should demaund Almes of the Emperour but that should be neither gold nor siluer it should bee his Wife and his men that hee hath in Prison and also if he may he will aske therewith his Landes and Signiories Then the Host went to his rest and Huon abode in his Chamber alone and slept not of all the night but thought how he might deliuer his Wife and the other Prisoners that were with her and all the night he was at his prayers humbly desiring our Lord God to counsaile and to ayd him to recouer his good Wife Escleremond Early in the Morning hee arose and made him readie and tooke his scrippe and staffe and went straight to the Pallaice and sat down vpon the greeces whereas the Emperour should passe at which time the Emperour was newe rysen and there were many other Pilgrimes that were there abiding for the Emperours comming and euerie man coueted to haue the first guift but Huon did so much by his subtiltie that hee was the first that entred into the Chappell and none other perceiued him and he did hide himselfe closely in a corner néere vnto the Emperours Oratorie and there hee sat still without any word speaking abiding there for the comming of the Emperour Chap. CXXXVIII ¶ How Duke Huon of Bourdeaux did so much with the Emperor Tirrey that he had peace with him and his Wife rendred vnto him and all his Landes and Signiories and how the Emperour brought him vnto the Abbey of Cluny whereas they found the good Abbot in armour not knowing any thing of the Peace that was made NOwe sheweth the Historie that anon after that Huon was entred into the Chappell the Emperour came in and kneeled downe before the Aulter and made his prayers and many poore men were there abiding the end of his prayers and no man saw Huon whereas hee was hidden closely in a corner hard by the Emperours Oratorie When the Emperour had made his prayers hee arose and turned him to haue gone into his Oratorie and Huon who had great desire to bee the first and to haue the first guift of the Emperour hee drewe out of his
whereof Huon hadde such sorrowe and greeâ—e at his heart that great pittie it was to sée him and saide Ah good Lord why was I euer borne into this world when I am so vnfortunate that I can haue no men to serue mée but at last they end their liues in my seruice miserably Ah my God why doest then suffer mée so longe to liue Then the Duchesse comforted him as much as shée could and said Ah Sir leaue your sorrowe and pray vnto our Lord God for his mercie and his grace and to haue pittie and compassion of vs that wée might arriue at some good Port. Thus the noble Duchesse Escleremond comforted Duke Huon her Husband howbeit shee was in as great feare and not without a cause and thus they floated vppon the Sea greatly bewailing the death of their men whome they sawe perish before their eyes Then Huon as farre off as he might sée he saw a Castle standing vppon a Rocke the which séemed darke and blacke and then hee lauded and praised our Lord God praying him humbly to bring them thether in sauegard Then the Sea was peaceable and the Tempest ceased and the winde fresh the which draue them in a short space vnto the Port vnder the Rocke and when they were neere to the land Huon and the Duchesse waded vnto the lande holding each other by the hand When they were vppon the drie land they kneeled downe and lifted vp their eyes vnto Heauen and made their deuoute prayers vnto our Lord Iesus Christ desiringe him to haue pitie and compassion of the Soules of their men that they sawe drowned and perished then they arose vp and saw a litle path way lying straight towardes the Castle and they entred into it and when they were néere vnto the Castle they sawe a great Riuer running round about it and sawe that the Castle was of maruailous great beautie thinkinge that they neuer sawe none such before the Towers were couered with glistering gould shining so bright as though the Sunne did shine thereon Also they sawe an auncient Church adioyning to the Castle with a goodly Steeple full of bels the which beganne to sound whereof Huon had great maruaile for he sawe neither man nor woman comming nor going and when hee had well regarded the Castle hee came vnto the gate and saw how that there were thrée bridges to passe before he could enter When Huon saw that hee sayd Ah good Lord in all my life I neuer sawe so faire a Castle hee that is Lord thereof séemeth to bee a great and a noble man for if there were within it but Fortie men to keepe it and garnished with victuals it would neuer be wonne for any man liuing So long Huon beheld this Castle that he had forgotten his sorrow the Castle pleased him so well and sayd vnto the Duchesse his Wife Madame I beléeue surely that this is the Castle of Momur appertaining vnto King Oberon wee may well thanke our Lord God that hee hath brought vs hether we shall sée him you knowe well that hée hath promised to giue mee his Realme and all his dignitie Sir quoth the Duchesse I haue heard say before this that Momur is a great and a noble Citie and full of people of all sorts wherefore you may well perceiue that this is not that Citie it may well bee that this Castle is his Madame quoth Huon the King hath that puissance that he may make Citie or Castle at his pleasure Sir quoth shee I beleeue it well Then Huon tooke his way to the gate and as hee went deuising with the Duchesse Escleremond his wife hee sawe before him foure Monkes in white apparell when they came vnto him they sayd Sir Duke of Bourdeaux of your comming we are right ioyfull for a more noble man came not heere of a long season God blesse you and the Duchesse your Wife Sirs quoth Huon God saue you I pray you to shew me what you be and who hath shewed you my name and who is Lord and Gouernor of this Castle Sir quoth one of the Monkes this Castle is ours and heere is no Gouernour but I and my Brethren wee make none answeare vnto any Lorde liuing therefore if it please you to enter wée shall make you as good feast and chéere as wée can if it please you to tarie Eight or fifteene dayes you shall bee welcome and when you depart wee shall giue you to carie with you meate and drinke sufficient to serue you and your Wife for Fifteene dayes and you shall haue neede thereof before you finde out Kinge Oberon Sirs quoth Duke Huon of your courtesie I most hartely thanke you Then Huon entred into the Castle with them and came into a great Hall well garnished and adorned with rich Pillers of white Marble vawted aboue and richly painted with goâ—ld and Azure and set full of rith precious stones the which cast a great light for by reason of the precious stones at midnight it was as bright as at noone dayes Huon and Escleremond thought that they neuer sawe so rich a thing Madame quoth Huon this place is delectable then they were brought into a rich Chamber whereas the Tables were set and garnished with euerie thinge that a man coulde wish for Then there came in many Seruants some brought in the Basons of gould adorned with precious stones and some brought in the Towell and water and they gaue the water vnto Huon and Escleremond to wash their handes then they satte downe at the Table and did eate and drinke at their pleasure for they had their meat and drinke at their wish When they hadde eaten at their pleasure and the cloathes taken vp then there were Spices brought and Huon did eate thereof but Escleremond would not so much as taft thereof then they were brought into a Garden to sport them and when they were there they thought that they had been in Paradice for the sweetnesse of flowers and fruites vppon euerie Trée and they heard diuers kind of birdes sing melodiously Sirs quoth Huon vnto the the Monkes well you ought to thanke our Lord Iesus Christ that he hath giuen you such a place to serue him in and Sirs I pray you when it is midnight awake me to the entent that I may ryse to go and heare your Seruice when you doe it Sir quoth one of them I shall awake you when the time is that you may come and héere vs. Sir quoth Huon therein shall you doe me great pleasure Then Duke Huon and the Duches Escleremond were brought into a rich Chamber well fournished with cloathes of gold and silke wherein was a rich and sumptuous bedde wherein Huon and the Duchesse his Wife lay together the Chamber was faire and rich for all the night it was as cleare as though the Chamber had been full of Torches by reason of the shining of the precious stones for there was no bench nor Post but that were set full of riche stones the
done In this respect he commaundeth you both for your own good conseruation of their Landes that you send them vnto him or if you doe not know then for certaine that he will take frō you those Lands you hould giue them to the Prince Charlot his Sonne This is the summe of our Messuage wée attend your answeare Chap. IIII. ¶ The answeare that the Duchesse of Bourdeaux made to the Emperours Messengers WHen the good Lady had well vnderstood the Messengers she answered them gently in this maner My Lordes and honourable Freendes the reason why I haue not sent my Sons to the Court before this time to serue my Lord the King as dutie required was in regarde of their tender yeares and some respect of loue to Duke Seuin their Father and bycause I knew certainlye that my rightfull Lord the Emperour Charlemaine loued alwayes Duke Seuin I neuer feared that he would take displeasure with his Children these thinges haue béene the principall cause why I haue not sent them all this while to serue the King Therefore let my entreats preuaile so much with you as to be a meanes to the Emperour and al the other Barons to hold me and my Children excused in this case for the fault is onelie mine not in them Then Huon stept foorth before his mother and sayd Madame if it had béene your pleasure you might haue sent vs before this time that is true quoth Gerardine for wee are ould ynough to haue our knighthood The Ladie heheld her two Sonnes and wéeping said to the Messengers Sirs you may returne to the King howbeit you shall rest you this night in my house and to morowe depart at your pleasure and you shall recommend me and my Sonnes to the Kings good grace and to the other Barons and Knightes and among other salute Duke Naymes who is néere kinsman to my Sonnes and desire him for the loue of Duke Seuin to stand a continuall fréend vnto them Madame quoth the Messengers haue you no doubt of that for Duke Naymes is a noble Man and a true Knight nor will he at any time be in place where any ill opinion shal passe against them Then the Duchesse commaunded her Sonnes that they should make the Kings Messengers good chéere and to bring them into their Chamber to rest them the which they did and were serued and feasted as appertained to their woorth Then the next morning they returned to the Pallace whereas they found the Duchesse and her two Sonnes and they humbly saluted the Ladie When the Duchesse sawe them she called Huon and Gerardin and said My Sonnes here in the presence of these two Knightes I say that at Easter you shall go to our Soueraigne Lord the Emperour Charlemaine and when you bée in the Court serue your Soueraigne Lord well and truely as subiects ought to doe bée diligent at all times to serue him faithfully kéepe companie with Noble men such as you sée to be of good vertuous condicions be not in place where ill woords be spoken or ill counsalie giuen fly from the companie of them that loue not honour and troth open not your eares to héere Lyers or false Reporters or Flatteres haunt often the Church and giue largly for Gods sake be liberall and courteous and giue to poore Knights fly the companie of Ianglers and all goodnesse shall follow thereby I will there be giuen to each of these Knights a Courser and a rich Gowne as it appertaineth to the Messengers of so noble an Emperour as Charlemaine is and also each of them to haue a hundred Florents Madame quoth Huon your pleasure shal be accomplished then the two Sonnes caused to be brought before the Pallace two goodly Horses and presented them to the two Knights and gaue each of them a rich Gowne and a hundred Florents Whereof the Messengers were ioyfull and thanked the Duchesse and her two Sonnes said that their courtesie should be remembred in time to come howbeit they knew well it was done for the honour of the King then they tooke leaue of the Duchesse and of her two Sonnes and so departed and road without let vntill they came to Paris whereas they found the Emperour in his Pallace sitting among his Barons the King perceiued them and incontinent called them to his presence ere they had leasure to speake the Kinge had them welcome home and demanded of them if they had béen at Bourdeaux and spoken with the Duchesse the two Sonnes of Duke Seuin whether they would come and serue him in his Court or not Dread Lord quoth they we haue béen at Bourdeaux and done your message to the Duchesse who right humbly receiued vs and gaue vs gentle entertainment when shée had heard vs speake and knewe that wée were your Messengers shée made vs the best chéere that shée could deuise and sayd that the cause why shée had not sent her Sonnes to your Court before this time was by reason of their young age and shée humbly requireth your grace to hold both her and her two Sonnes excused and that at this next Easter shée will send them to your Court. As for her Sonnes trust mée my Lord they are two such louely Gentlemen as wée tooke great delight in beholding them especially Huon the eldest he is so fayre and so well fourmed that nature cannot amend him Also my Lord for the loue of you shée hath giuen each of vs a goodly Horse and a rich Gowne and a hundred Florents of gould My Lord the goodnesse the valour and the courtesie that is in the Duchesse and in her Sonnes cannot be recounted and on their behalfe are we to entreat your Maiestie to retaine them alwayes in your fauour and good grace and to pardon the fault of their long absence Chap. V. ¶ How the Emperour was content with the report of the two Knights and how the Traytour Earle Amerie went and complayned to Charlot the Kings Sonne WHen the Emperour had heard the Messengers speake hée was right ioyfull and said I haue alwayes heard say that a good Trée bringeth foorth good fruit I speake it in the behalfe of Duke Seuin who in his time was a valiant true Knight and by that I sée that the twoo Children resemble their good Father I perceiue they haue receiued my Messengers right honourably and with great reuerence haue giuen thē no meane gifts which shal be vnto them auailable in time to come for they shall no sooner be come into my Court but in despight of any that shall speake against them I will doe for them in such wise that it shall bée an example to all other to doe well for I will make them for loue I bare to their Father of my priuie Counsaile and turning then to olde Duke Naymes sayd My Lord alwayes your kindred haue béen good and true and therfore I will that Amerie bee banished from my Court for hée nor euer any of his lineage