they may bee well kept and so that I may haue them againe in time of need for I feele my selfe that my heart is so light as either I shal forget theÌ„ or else looâ—e them Of this that thou saiest quoth Oberon I thinke thou speakest wisely therefore I doe wish them in Gerames side in such manner that they shall doe him no hurt He had no sooner spoken the word but by the will of God and the power that he had by the Fayrie they were closed in Gerames side in such wise that no man could sée them then he said to Huon Friend I must goe to my Castle of Momur I desire you to doe well yée shall take with you Escleremond daughter to the Admirall But I charge you on paine of your life and in as much as yee feare to displease me that ye be not so hardy as to company with her bodily vntill yée â—e married together in the citie of Roome for if thou doest the contrarie thou shalt find such pouertie and miserie that though thou hadst double the mischéefe that thou hast hadde â—â—nce thou camest out of Fraunce yet can it be nothing in regard of that that shall fall to thée hereafter if thou breake my commaundement Sir quoth Huon by the pleasure of our Lord Iesus Christ I shall well beware of doing of any thing against your pleasure Then Oberon apparelled a rich shippe well garnished with chambers and hanged so richly that it was incredible to be heard or seene there was no cord but it was of gould and silke if I should shew you the beautie and riches of this shippe it would be ouer long to recite it When the shippe was fournished with vittailes then he put therein his horses and Oberon tooke leaue of Huon and kissed and embraced him greatly lamenting When Huon saw him wéepe he had great maruaile and said Deare Sir for what cause doe you weepe Huon quoth he the thing that mooueth me thus to do is bicause I haue great pitie of thée For if thou knewest the pouertie and miserie that thou shalt endure there is no member that thou hast but it would tremble for feare for I know for certen that thou hast so much to suffer that no humane tongue can rehearse it and then Oberon departed without more speaking When Huon sawe Oberon depart he was right pensiue but his swéetnes of youth put him out of his sorow Then hee made his ordinance in the citie and christened the faire Ladie Escleremond and afterward did marrie his Cousin Sibilla to an Admirall of the countrey who was newly christened and Huon gaue to theÌ„ the Citie of Babylon and all that longed thereto Then he made and ordayned a little ship to goe with his owne ship to thintent to send a land for vittailes when need should require Then he and his companie went into his great ship and so tooke his leaue of his cousin that was newly married who was right sorowfull for his departing Then they set vp their sayles and had a good faire wind and so sayled till they were out of the riuer of Nyle and so passed by Damieta and came into the high sea and had wind at will And on a day as they sat at dinner and made good chéere for by reason of his Cup they had wine at their pleasure Ah good Lord quoth Huon I am greatly bound to thanke king Oberon that I haue such a Cup and Horne Armour for whensoeuer I shall blowe my Horne I can haue men ynough to come to aide me and also I haue the Admirals â—eard and great téeth but specially the faire Ladie Escleremond whome I loue so perfectly and am so enamoured with her faire body that I can no longer endure it How be it the Dwarffe Oberon to mocke me hath forbidden me strictly that I should not touch her in any wise But I will that he well know that in this case I will not obey him for she is mine own therfore I will do with her at my pleasure When Gerames heard him he said Alas sir what will yée doe Yée know well Oberon neuer as yet made any lye but alwaies ye haue found him true for if hee had not been so both you and wée all had béene lost before this time And now againe you would breake his commaundement if yee touch this Ladie ere the time come that he hath set you great misfortune shall fâ—ll thereby Gerames quoth Huon for you nor for any other will I forbeare but ere I depart I will haue of her my pleasure and if any of you be affraid I am content he shall depart in this little ship and goe where he list and take vittaile into it for his prouision Sir quoth Gerames séeing yée will doe none otherwise I am right sorowfull and I will depart and so will all our other companie Then Gerames departed out of the great shippe and entred into the little shippe with the xiij in his companie and Huon tarried still with the Ladie and when he saw that all his company was departed he went and made readie a bed and said to the Ladie Madame surely I must now haue my pleasure of you when shee heard Huon shée fell downe sore weeping and humbly desired Huon that he would forbeare her companie vntill â—he time that they should be married together according to the promise that he had made to king Oberon Faire Ladie quoth Huon no excuses can auaile for it must be thus then he tooke the Ladie and made her goe to bed and there they tooke together their pleasures He had no sooner accomplished his will but there arose such a maruailous tempest that the waues of the sea séemed so great and high as mountaines and therewith it blew and thundred and lightned that it was very fearefull to behould the sea and the shippe was so sore tormented that it burst all to péeces so that there remained but one péece of timber whereuppon Huon and the Ladie were And it happened so well for them that they were néere to an Isle and thither the winde draue them and when they saw that they were there arriued and that they were on the land they both kneeled downe and thanked our Lord Iesus Christ that they were so well escaped the perill of drowning The other companie that were in the little shippe draue at aduenture in the sea and they cried to our Lord Iesus Christ to saue them from drowning for they had séene well how the shippe with Huon and the Ladie was broken in the sea wherefore they thought surely that Huon and the Ladie were perished Now let vs leaue speaking of them returning againe to Huon of Bourdeaux and the faire Escleremond Chap. XLVII ¶ How Huon and Escleremond arriued in an Isle all naked and how the Pyrates of the sea tooke Escleremond and left Huon alone and bound his hands feete and eyes WHEN Huon and Escleremond saw how they were driuen a land al naked pitiously weeping
helpe him but rather hinder him therefore he lette it passe and so tooke leaue of his first Patron and lift vp their anthors and sayles and when they were in the sea the winde arose and increased more and more for the space of sixe weekes that the wind changed not so that if God had suffered the winde to haue continued one moneth or sixe weekes longer they had come to the place whereas they would haue beene But ere that they came there they suffered much paine for there arose vppon them such a winde and tempest that they were forced to auayle their sayles The heauens waxed darke the moone was couered the torment was great and daungerous the waues of the sea were of a great height terrible to beholde whereby whether they would or not they were constrained to goe as the winde would leade them theyr fortune was so great and terrible that there was neuer seene such a mightie storme before whereof Huon and his men and his Patron were greatly afraide specially the Patron more then Huon was hee was sore discomforted and pittiously he called on our Lord Iesus Christ requiring him to bring them to a good Port there was neither marriner nor Patron but all were sore afraide nor they wist not where they were They were in this torment for the space of ten dayes in all the which time they neuer sawe the cleerenesse of the sunne for the great darkenesse that was there as then the which did verie greatly annoy them And when it came to the eleuenth day and that the torment and winde beganne to abate and the sea waxed peaceable and still therewith Huon and his companie werâ— well comforted the heauen cleered by and the glorious sunne cast out his rayes along vpon the sea When the master of the shippe saw the fortune of the Sea and that the great torment beganne to cease hee caused one of the marriners to mount vppe into the toppe to see if hee might discrie any lande but hee could see none whereof the Patron was greatly abashed and sayde howe that hee knewe not in what Countrey hee was for hee neuer sayled in those parts and sayde to Huon Sir it is fiftie yéeres since that I first vsed the sea but yet I neuer sayled in these parts whereof I haue great maruaile When Huon heard that he was sore displeased and sayde Sir lette vs take the aduantage of the wind and let our Shippe driue vnder the conduct of our Lord Iesus Christ I hope that our Lord God will not suffer vs to bee perished in this Sea Sir quoth the Patrone I doe agree well to your saying and so let vs doe then they turned their helâ—â—â— and tooke the winde into their full sayle the winde was â—ood and fresh and the Sea very meeke and peaceable so that within a short space they had sayled a great iourney When Huon called vppon our Lorde God and helde vp his handes towards heauen and said Thou verie God who in 〈…〉 transitâ—rie world diddest vouchsafe to be borne in the 〈◊〉 of a maide and afterwards diddest raigne héere vpon earth xxxiâ— yeâ—res and then didst suffer death and passion vppon a Friday and after that didst rise from death to life and wentst into hell drewest out soules out of paines infernall Euen so as I beleeue that this is true I require thée to haue pitie and compassion vpon vs and giue vs grace that wée may safely escape out of this perillous Sea and to kéepe and saue my déere and louing wife Escleremond and my Childe and my noble Lords whome I left in the citie of Bourdeaux in great perill of their liues and giue mee the grace that I may bring with me such succour and aide that thereby I may bring them out of the danger that they he in Chap. LXXXXIX ¶ â—owe Huon arriued on the perillous Gulfe where as hee spake with â—â—das and howe hee arriued at the Port of the 〈◊〉 WHen Huon had made his praiers to God he beheld into the Sea and sawe a farre off like a great péece of Canuasse and there by he heard as great a noyse as though there had beene a Thousand Smithes and a Thousandâ— Carpenters and a Thousande great running Riuers together all beating and labouring together Huon who heard this great noise had great feare thereof so that hee wiâ—te not what to doe and so were all those that were in his companie the Patrone commaunded a Marriner to mount vp into the top of the Maâ—â— to see what 〈◊〉 it was that made all that noyse and so hee did and 〈◊〉 round about him and beheld that way and at 〈…〉 the daungerous Gulfe whereof hee hadde heard often times spoken and thereof hee had such great feare that neere hand hee had fallen downe into the Sea hee came downe and saide vnto the Patrone Sir wee bee all in the way to bee lost for wee bee neere one of the Gulfes of hell whereof Huon and the Patrone and all other had such great feare that they all trembled Sir quoth the Patrone knowe for troth that it is impossible to escape out of this perilous Gulfe for all the Seas and waters and Riuers there assembleth together and perforce wee muste passe that way which when Huon heard then hee beganne pitiously to complaine and sayd Ah sweete and loouing wife Escleremond I see nowe clearely that our loues muste depart the beautie and the bountie that is in you I cannot forget Alas I shall neuer see you more I pray to our Lord Iesus Christ to giue you that grace as to bee agreed with the Emperour Tirrey to the entent that in peace and rest you may vse the residue of your life for as for mee I shall neuer bring you any succour or ayd Then hee studied a long season and then sayd againe Good Lord I thanke thee and since it pleaseth thee that I shall passe out of this world I humbly require thee to receiue my Sâ—â—le into thine handes as for my bodie and life I care little for seeing it pleaseth thee that I shall thus end my dayes and depart this life Then Huon lefte his weeping and the winde ceased and the sayle abated yet neuerthelesse the shippe still went foorth alone in such wise as though it had flowne vppon the Sea Sir quoth the Maister of the Shippe you may see euidently that wee neede not to trauaile our selues to guide our Ship for the Gulfe that is so neere vs draweth the Shippe vnto him in such haste as yee may see and anone yee shall see that we shall tumble therein Maister quoth Huon it is conuenient now that wee abide the aduenture and fortune of the sea such as our Lord God will sende lette vs trust in him and desire him that his pleasure be fulfilled and more I cannot striue Then Huon Chaplaine confessed them one after another and then incontinent the great noyse ceased But they came thither at a good poynt for the verie same
and shining within it by reason of the rich stones that were therein wherof he had great maruaile and especially because hee saw within the Shippe but one man cleane armed hee wist not what to thinke but he thought that he was christened then he approached neere to the Shippe and saluted Huon and sayde Sir God giue you good aduenture for me thinkes you bee a Christian man Fréend quoth Huon God saue thée me thinkes by thy speach that thou wert borne in the good Countrey of France by reason that thou speakest French for I haue great ioy when I heare that language spoken and fréend I require thée to shew me where thou wert borne and what thou séekest for heere Sir quoth Barnard séeing you will know of my businesse I shall shew you as he that is right sorrowfull and heauie and little shall you winne thereby when you doe know it but séeing that it is your pleasure I shall shewe you the troth Sir I was borne in the good Citie of Bourdeaux whereas I haue left my house and heritage to séeke for my good Lord somtime Lord of the same Citie and he was called Duke Huon who went from Bourdeaux to séeke for some succour whiles the City was besieged and so it is my Lord Huon returned not nor it cannot bee knowne where he is become and because the Citie at his departing was beséeged by the Emperour of Almaine and the Citie but ill fournished with victuall to maintaine it long and also it was so sore beaten with Engins that the Emperor wanne the Citie perforce and slew all those that my Lord Huon had lefte there except thrée Hundred the which were taken Prisoners by the Emperour and led into the Citie of Mayence with the noble Duchesse Escleremond wife vnto my good Lord Huon and shee is kept in a straighc Prison whereas she spendeth her dayes miserably whereof my heart is in such sorrowe and gréefe that when I remember them it neere hand slayeth my heart When Huon hadde well heard and vnderstood Barnard hee knew him well but hee had no power to speake any word vnto him his heart was so full of sorrow and gréefe for that his Cozen Barnard had shewed him and the chéefest of his sorrow was for the trouble of his wife the faire Lady Escleremond who was in great perill of death Thus Huon was a great space and could speake no word for sorrow and gréefe and wist not what to doe and also hee saw his Coozen Barnard who hadde taken great paines to search for him whereof hee had such pitie that the teares fell from his eyes When Barnard saw that the Knight gaue him no answeare and beheld vnder the ventaile of his helmet the teares of water fell downe from his eyes hee was thereof so dismayed and abashed that he wist not what to say Then hee sayde Sir mee thinkes you are a Christian man and because I see and perceiue in you that you are a man that hath beene in many places and Countreys therefore I desire you to shewe mee if you heard euer any manner of speaking of my good Lord Huon Duke of Bourdeaux whome I haue sought for in many Countreys both by land and by Sea and I could neuer heare any certaine tidings of him whereof I am right sorrie for if I can heare no word of him by you I will neuer hope more to haue any knowledge of him I thinke I shall haue some knowledg by you if he be aliue for if I knowe nothing by you I will neuer séeke him further but I will goe into a Desart vnto some solitarie place and there to doe penance and to pray vnto God for my good Lord Huon and to pardon me of all my sinnes and offences and I require you in the name of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ to shewe mee what you bée and where you were borne and from whence you come that hath brought in your shippe so great riches for I knowe certainly that in all Fraunce cannot bee found the value of so great riches nor the puissant Charlemaine coulde neuer assemble together such riches as you haue in your Shippe When Huon had well heard Barnard hee sayde Freend I haue great maruaile of that I heare you say for in my Shippe I knowe neither gould nor siluer nor none other thing but my bodie and mine armour Sir quoth Barnard beware what you say for the riches that I see in your Shippe if you will sell it you may fill againe your shippe with monney if you will beleeue me the Treasure and riches that you haue brought in your Shippe the value thereof cannot bee estéemed When Huon heard that he had great maruaile and was right ioyfull then he looked downe into the bottome of the Shippe and saw the rich stones there lying among the grauell the which he neuer tooke heede of before for when he did cast it into his Ship hee thought all had beene but grauell to ballaice his Shippe withall that it might sayle the more surely Then Barnard sayd Sir I pray you hide it not from mee where haue you had this Treasure and in what Countrey all the stones that bee there I knowe the vertue of them all for since I came out of my Countrey I was a whole yeare with the best Lapidarie and knower of stones that was in all the world and he taught me his Science Sir surely the place whereas you had them in is of great dignitie Freend quoth Huon I shall shewe you the troth fortune brought me by the Gulfe of Persia whereas as I suffered much paine and trouble but thanked be God I escaped from that hard aduenture the force of the winde that came out of the Gulfe draue my Shippe out of the streame to the land and when I sawe that I was so néere to the land I went out of the shippe and tooke a scoope and therewith I did cast into the shippe some store of the grauell that lay by the sea side to ballays my shippe therewith not knowing that any precious stones had beene amonge the grauell and when I thought that I cast in sufficient I entred againe into my ship and so sayled foorth more surely then I did before there I had these stones that be in this shippe the which yée say be of so great value Sir quoth Barnard I pray you wherefore serueth yonder foote of a great Foule or beast that I see hange yonder in your Shippe I cannot tell whether it be of a Foule or of a Dragon for it is a fearfull thing to behold Fréend quoth Huon anone I shall shew you but first I pray you shewe mee what vertue and bountie are in these stones the which you haue so much praised and also to shew me vnto whome this noble Citie appertaineth Sir quoth Barnard this Citie is called Thauris whereof is Lord a rich Admirall who is Lord of all Persia and of Media who when hee shall bee aduertised of your
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
it had béene better for mee neuer to haue béene borne for I sée well that héere I must dye Alas I wot not whether to goe for in this Isle is neither man nor woman to whome I may goe for any refuge Thus sore complayning the Ladie went downe the Mountaine and by that time the Shippe that she came in was floated away and as shee looked into the Sea shee sawe a great Shippe comming towards the Port for fresh water and for wood and when shee sawe that she was right ioyfull and thanked our Lord Iesus Christ and she thought that they had béene Christian men but they were Sarazins Paynims and with them was a King who was their Lord and Soueraigne he was king of Granado and was returning into his Countrey but hee had such fortune vppon the Sea that hee was constrained to come thether then they cast anchor anâ— tooke land and the King when hee saw the Ladie vppon the Sea-side hee demaunded of her what shee was and of what Countrey Sir quoth shée séeing you will know of mine estate I shall shew you then the Ladie shewed before all them that were there present how shee was Daughter to Duke Huon of Bourdeaux and shewed all the aduenture that was fallen vnto her When the Sarazin Kinge heard that hee was right ioyfull and sayd Faire Ladie it is happie for you that I haue found you for I haue no Wife you shall be my Wife and ly with me this night but first you must denie your Lawe and beléeue vppon the Law of Mahomet vppon whome I doe beléeue When the faire Ladie heard the Paynim King shee sayd God forbid that I should leaue the Law of Iesus Christ to beléeue in the Law of Mahomet I had rather haue all my members drawne one péece from another with wild horses then to be wedded wife to such a kind of man as you bée When the King heard the Damsell that shee set so little by him hee had great displeasure thereat and lifted vp his hand and gaue her vppon the chéeke such a blow that the bloud ran out of her mouth and nose so that she fell to the earth whereof he was sore blamed of his men and hee said vnto them Why Sirs did you not heare how shee despised our Law and set no more by me then if I had béen but a boy then he commaunded that they should take and cast her into the Sea and he departed from her in great displeasure that shee answeared him so rudely Then the Sarazins came and tooke the Ladie rudely and caried her into the Ship and so saued her but the King knewe not thereof Then when the King came againe to the Shippe they drew vp their anchors and hoysed vp sayle and had good wind then as the King walked vp and downe in the Shippe he saw the Damsell within the Shippe whereof hee was sore abashed for he thought that his men had drowned her then he looked vppon her and thought that hee neuer saw so faire a Ladie and so he desired her with all his heart and sayd vnto her Faire Lady now you be here your deniall shall not auaile you for this night you shall lye with mee When the faire Ladie Clariet heard the Paynim King deuoutly she called vppon our Lord God and humbly required him to preserue her virginity and to bringe her out of the handes of the Sarazins and then she knéeled down before the King humbly desiring him to haue pittie of her and sayd how she was content to follow his pleasure assoone as he came into his owne Countrey Well quoth the King whether you will or not you must suffer my pleasure for I will not depart from you vntill I haue lyne with you one night and that I may hold you in mine armes and when shée vnderstood him shée beganne sore to weepe desiring God to aid and succour her at that time for otherwise shee sawe well that she was but lost Therewith there arose so great a wind and so horrible that the Sea that was calme and peaceable began to arise and the wind was so great that whether the Sarazins would or not it behooued them to abandon their Shippe to the winde whereof they were in such feare that the Kinge and all other had great doubt of their deathes for their sayles were all to torne with the wind and néere hand the Shippe perished they cryed and called vpon their God Mahomet for succor and ayd The King was in such feare that he had now no list to desire the faire Ladie Clariet of her loue who was sore afrayd and pale for feare this torment Tempest endured all the night and they were driuen the same night beyond Valencia the great and in the morning they saw the Towne of Tours to the which Port the wind draue them and when the Paynims saw that they were arriued there they were right sorrowfull for they knew well that the Towne was christened they sawe no way howe to eschew it but they had rather to â—e as slaues all their liues then to be drowned in the Sea The same time there was arriued at the same Port a noble Knight named Sir Peter of Aragon and when hee sawe the other Shippe comming to the Port by constraint of the winde and saw well without it were succoured the shippe should be perished against the Rocke whereby they within and all the riches should de perished and drowned then he cryed to the Galleys that lay in the Port to goe and succour that strange ship and then the Marriners went to the Sea and came to the Ship When the Sarazins sawe that the were in great feare to bee slaine then there came two Paynims to the Damsell to haue taken her and to haue cast her into the Sea Then shee tooke the Mask of the Ship in her armes and held it so fast that they could not drawe her from it then the Aragonoyse began to approach to the Shippe and cast their hookes to ioyne together The Ladie in the Shippe had great feare the which was no maruaile howbeit she was ioyfull when she knew that they that came were christened then the Aragonoys by the cordes and roapes entred into the shippe and when Peter of Aragon and his companie were entred into the Shippe he saw the Ladie sore weeping then hée demaunded of the Sarazins where they had gotten that Princesse right now quoth hee I sawe howe you would haue taken her and cast her into the Sea if I had not come hastely then one of them said Sir wee bee of Granado and fortune of the Sea hath driuen vs hether we be readie to bee your slaues or else to pay raunsome at your pleasure Paynims quoth Peter all the gould in the world shall not saue your liues none of you shall escape then hée commanded that they should bee all slaine and that none shall escape aliue the which was done incontinent all were slaine except the King
Ship or else we be all lost and feare not but you shall be well paid for your labour ye shall haue gold and siluer as much as yée will desire Sir quoth the Patrone yée néed not to speake of any gold or siluer for this our ship is yours to do therewith at your pleasure Sir quoth Huon I thanke you of your courtesie I pray you and your company come with me into the castle and I shall charge your ship with gold and Siluer and rich iewels and pretious stones that you and all yours shal be rich for euer this must be done in hast before the Paynims héere without perceiue vs for if they perceiue vs wee shal neuer get hence but incontinent they will send some of their shippes and take this shippe Sir quoth the Patrone wee are ready to obey your commaundement and then the Patron and xxiiii Maryners went with Huon into the Castle and charged all the treasure that was within the castell and other riches that Huon and his company had taken in the towne they bare all into the ship and vittayles sufficient then Huon tooke Escleremond by the hand all smiling and said Fayre Ladie one thing I demaund of you be yee not displeased to leaue that country land where as yée were borne Sir quoth shée I haue long desired to sée the day that I now doe sée therefore well wée may thanke our Lord God that hath giuen vs that grace to be set out of the handes of the enemies of the faith of Christ wherein wée ought to beleue then Huon entred into the ship and the faire Escleremond and Gerames and all the other cōpany so they were in number within the ship some xxxiiij persons and with them was Mouslet the Minstrell when they were all entred into the ship and the ship charged with all things necessarie they weyed vp their anchors and hoysed vp their sailes and had so good and fresh a wind that they were within a while farre from the lands of the twoo Admiralles Sarazins They sayled so long that ere it was day light they were passed the coast of the Roades so came by the Isle of Creet and so by the aid of God and good wind they arriued at the Port of Brandis And so about noone the Admirall that lay at siege before the castell of Anfalerne had gread maruaile that they could sée no man stirring within the castle then a Paynim said to Iuoryn Sir know for troth that within the castle yée shall find no man the Frenchmen are all fled but wée cannot tell how When the twoo Admirals heard that they were sore troubled and in hast they set foorth a Galley and xxx Paynims therein commaunding them to goe to the Posterne which they did incontinent and when they came there they found neyther man nor woman but found the Posterne open and so they entred into the castle and so opened the broad gates and the twoo Admirals entred in sore displeased that the Frenchmen were so escaped Now let vs leaue speaking of them and retourne to Huon who was arriued in sauegard at the Port of Brandis Chap. LXII ¶ How Huon and his company arriued at the Port of Brandis and from thence went to Roome to the Pope who wedded together Huon and the faire Escleremond and of their departing from thence WHen Huon and his company saw how they were arriued at the Port of Brandis they issued out of their shippe and deuoustly went to the church of our Lady and there gaue laud praise to our Lord God that had brought them thether in such sauegard then they went to Garyn of Saint Omers lodging when they came there the Ladie of the house who was right wise and courteous came to Huon said Sir of your comming I am right ioyfull but Sir I pray you where haue you left Garyn my Lord and husband for séeing I sée him not with you my heart trembleth for feare least he be dead or else of some great incumbrance happened vnto him Madame quoth Huon to hide the troth from you cannot cause you to haue him againe for it hath pleased god that he is departed out of this world wherefore I will coūsell you as much as yée may leaue dolour and heauinesse for wée must all come thereto and I repute you so wise that yée know well that for any sorow or wéeping that ye make yée cannot haue him againe When the Lady had heard Huon she fell downe in a traunce more like to be dead then aliue than Huon and his companie set her vp and comforted her as much as they might then Escleremond tooke brought her into her chamber and did so much with her faire swéet words that somewhat shée appeased her and then sore wéeping shée came to Huon and he said Madame appease your selfe and praye for him for wee must all passe the same passage With these wordes and such other the Lady was appeased then they washed and went to dinner and after Gerames and other of his company went into the towne and bought horse and Mules to ryde on and bought rich gownes all in one liuery there they tarried about viij daies and on the ix day they payed the Patrone of the ship in such wise that hee was rich euer after and euery Mariner had a good reward whereof they thanked Huon and offered to doe him seruice Then Huon and Escleremond with all their company tooke their leaue of their hostesse whome they left sore wéeping and at their departing Huon gaue her a rich guift whereof she humbly thanked him and when they were all readie and their baggage trussed vp they depatred and tooke the way towards Roome with great ioy and gladnes whosoeuer was ioyfull Guyer the Prouost was ioyfull in twoo maners one in that he had found his Lord Huon and the other for that he had found his brother Gerames and also bicause that his Lord Huon had fulfilled the Messuage that King Charlemaine had charged him to doe to the Admirall Gaudise So long they rode together that in a morning they came to Roome and alighted at their lodging then they all together went to heare diuine seruice and as they issued out of the Church they met a seruant of the Popes then Huon demaunded of him in what estate the Pope was in Sir quoth the Squier he is readie to heare seruice then Huon and his companie leapt on their horses and road to the Popes Pallaice and their alighted and then Huon held the faire Escleremond by the hand and the good Prouost Guyer held his brother Gerames by the hand and so all the other twoo and twoo together then they found the Pope sitting in his throne deuising with his Cardinalles then Huon approched and saluted him humbly When the Pope beheld Huon he knew him incontinent and arose vp and came to him and embraced and kissed his cheeke and said Faire sonne Huon yee be welcome I pray you shew me
was waxed so feeble that he could scarce sustaine himselfe vppon his feete and vpon the eleauenth day at the Sunne rising hee sawe appeare the clearnesse of the day light and then he was out of the darknes and entred into the Sea of Persia the which was so pleasant and peaceable that great pleasure it was to behold it and then the Sunne arose and spread abroad his streames and spheares vppon the Sea whereof Huon was so ioyfull as though he had neuer felt paine nor feare then a farre off hee saw appeare before him a faire great Citie and in the hauen therof there were so many shippes and Galleys that their Mastes seemed to bée a great Forrest whereof Huon hadde such ioy at his heart that he knéeled downe lifting by his hands vnto Heauen and humbly thanking our Lord God that hee had saued him from this perilous Gulfe This Citie was called the great Citie of Thauris in Persia the Lord thereof was a puissant Admirall who had made to be proclaimed and published that all manner of Marchaunts by land or by Sea that would come to his Citie should haue frée going and frée comming without lette or disturbance either in their bodies or goods whether they were christian men or Sarazins so that if they lost the worth of a penny they should haue againe foure times the value thereof and the same time that Huon came and arriued at that Port was the day of their frée Feast wherefore there was so much people of diuers Landes that they could not well bee numbred When Huon was come into the Port hee cast his anchor neere vnto the bancke-side and was right ioyfull when hee sawe himselfe that he was vppon the firme land and then hee had great desire to knowe in what place hee was arriued in and whether hee was arriued at a good Port or no Now lette vs leaue speaking of the good Duke Huon vntill wee haue occasion to returne vnto him againe Chap. CXIII ¶ How Sir Barnard departed from the Abbey of Cluny and went to seeke for Huon his Cozen whom he found at the Port of the great Citie of Thauris YE haue heard heere before howe after the taking of Bourdeaux Barnard who was Cozen vnto Huon had borne Clariet Huons child into Burgoine and deliuered her to bee kept with the good Abbot of Cluny After that Barnard had taried there the space of eight dayes he was wearie with being there and vpon a day hee sayde vnto the Abbot Ah Sir I would at the taking of Bourdeaux I had béen slaine with my Cozen Gerames for when I remember my good Lord Huon my heart fayleth mee in such wise that it is great paine for mee to beare the sorrow that I endure and afterward when I remember the Duchesse Escleremond his Wife who endureth such miserie that it is pitie to thinke thereof doubleth the sorrowe and greefe that I haue at my heart Alas what shall Huon say if hee returne and find his Citie taken his men taken and destroyed and his Wife in Prison in great pouertie and miserie I feare mee that hee will die for sorrowe Alas I sée all that I haue is loste for the loue of Huon my Lord for the which I care little for if hee bee in safetie aliue and that hee may returne againe and I am in great displeasure that wée can heare no newes of him since hée departed from Bourdeaux I shall neuer rest as longe as I liue vntill I haue found him or heare some certaine newes of him Cozen quoth the Abbot if you will enter into this enquest you should doe mee great pleasure and for the great desire that I haue had that you should goe this Voyage I will giue you a Thousand Florents towardes your iourney Sir quoth Barnard I thanke you Then the Abbot deliuered him the money and Barnard made him readie to depart the next day and so hee did and tooke his leaue of the Abbot and departed and rested not vntill hee came to Venyce whereas hee found Galleys readie to goe to the holy Sepulchre whereof hee was right ioyfull and so sayled foorth vntill they came to the Port Iaffe whereas hee went a shoare with other Pilgrims and euer as he passed by the other Ports he euer demanded for Huon but he could neuer find any man that coulde shewe vnto him any manner of newes of him and then he departed from the Port Iaste and went vnto Ierusalem whereas he taried eight dayes Then when hee had done his Pilgrimage he tooke forth his iourney vnto Kayre in Babilon and when he came to Gasere which standeth at the entring of the Desarts hee met with many Marchants who were going to the frée Feast which was holden in the great Citie of Thauris Then hee thought to demaund of them whether so much people were going and all in one companie and he spake vnto a Marchant of Geanes and demaunded of him whether so much people went together in one companie for they were to the number of six-score Marchants christian men and hee Then the Marchant saide Sir as mee thinketh by you you are of the Countrey of Fraunce I shall shew you whether we goe Sir within this eight dayes the frée Feast shal be at the great Citie of Thauris whereas there shall come a great number of Marchants as well Christian men as Sarazins as wel by land as by Sea and there is nothing in this mortall world but there you shall find it and heare of all manner of newes from all the parts of the world Nowe I haue shewed you whether wee are going I pray you shewe mee whether you would goe and whome you doe seeke for Sir quoth Barnard knowe for troth that I am of the Realme of Fraunce and I doe séeke for a Knight who is Lord of Bourdeaux and is called Huon and it is longe since I departed out of my Countrey and I could neuer heare any thing of his life nor death Sir quoth the Geneuoys if euer you shall heare of him if you will beléeue mée you shall goe with vs into the Realme of Persia to the frée Feast at the great Citie of Thauris Sir quoth Barnard in a good houre I haue met with you I shall not leaue your companie vntill you come there to sée if God will send mee so good fortune as to find him that I seeke for Then the Marchants departed and road all together vntill they came vnto the great Citie of Thauris and when they were lodged they went about their marchandize whereas they lysted Thus Barnard was eight dayes in the Citie going heere and there euer enquiring newes for him whome he sought for and vppon a day he went down to the Port vnto the Sea-side whereas many Shippes and Galleys lay at anchor and as hée looked about he saw neere to the Sea-side a little proper Vessell maruailously faire and the neerer he came vnto it the fairer and richer it seemed for he saw great clearnesse
gréeuously he complained for his wife and Daughter and sayde Ah right noble Ladie Escleremond when I remember the paines and dolors and pouerties that by my cause you suffer and haue suffered all my body sweateth by paine and dolour Alas I had thought in short space to haue aided and succoured you but nowe I sée well that our departing is come for euer more in yonder perilous Sea I sée my Coozen Barnard and diuers other Lords that by my cause are in the way of perdition without God doe ayd and succour them whome I humbly require to send them that grace that they may arriue at some good Port and that I may sée them once againe to the entent that I may fight against the Paynims and Sarazins in exalting the Law of Iesus Christ Thus Huon of Bourdeaux made his prayers to our Lord Iesus Christ Chap. CXX ¶ How Huon went so long in this Desert that he found Cain and spake with him a long season and how hee beguiled Cain and departed AFter that Huon hadde thus made his prayers vnto our Lord God he arose vp and blessed him with the signe of the crosse recommending himselfe vnto our Lord God and came to the toppe of the Mountaine but when hée was there all his bodie trembled with trauaile so that he was verie faint and féeble Then hée looked round about him and sawe in a faire meadowe a cleare Fountaine thether he went to refresh and to rest him then he layde him downe vppon the grasse to refresh him before hee would drinke he was so hot and when he was well cooled hée came to the Fountaine and dranke thereof a little and washed his hands and face and then he went further into the Forrest and could find neither Towne nor Castle Garden nor Trées with fruit whereof hée was right sorrowfull and sore displeased and so searched all day to find some man or woman but al was in vaine and when he sawe that the Sunne went to rest and could find no creature he was sore discomforted he chose out a Trée and there vnder layd him downe and slept and in the morning when he saw the Sunne rise and that his beames spread abroad vppon the earth he arose and blessed him and so went foorth into the Desert and found neither man nor woman beast nor birde wherewith being sorrowfull and angrie deuoutly hée called vppon our Lord God praying him to haue in his tuition and kéeping his bodie and soule and that he might yet once sée his Wife the faire Escleremond and Clariet his Daughter He went so long in this Desert that at last he came to a plain of thrée bowe shoot large and in the middest thereof he sawe a Tunne made of the heart of Oake bound all about with bands of yron and it turned and rowled in the playne and neuer passed out of the circuit of the plaine and beside the Tunne he saw where there lay vppon the ground a great mall of yron great maruaile had Huon when hée sawe this Tunne roule about thus without cease like a Tempest and as it passed by Huon hee heard a pitifull voice within the Tunne sore complaning and when hee had heard it two or thrée times hée approached néere to the Tunne and sayd Thou that art in this Tunne speake vnto mée and shewe mée what thou art or what thing thou hast néede of and why thou art put there Then when he that was in the Tunne heard Huon he rested still and spake no word and when Huon saw that it would not speake he sayd Whatsoeuer thou art I coniure thée by him that created all the world and by his Sonne our Lord Iesus Christ whom he sent downe to suffer death and passion vppon the Trée of the Crosse to redéeme his Fréends who by the sinne of Adam and Eue were in Limbo and by his glorious Resurrection and by his Angels and Archangels Cherubins and Seraphins and by all his holy Saints I coniure thée to shewe mee what thou art and why and for what cause thou art set heere in this Tunne When hee that was within the Tunne heard howe sore hee was coniured he answeared and said Thou that hast coniured mée thou doest great euill to cause me to shew thée the troth know surely that I haue to name Cain and Sonne I was vnto Adam and Eue and am hee that slewe my Brother Abell by false and cursed enuie that I had vnto him because his oblations and Dismes that he made vnto God were exalted and the fume thereof went vpward to Heauen and those that I made the fume went downe-ward and when I sawe that I slewe and murdered my Brother Abell wherefore and for the great sinne that I haue committed I am damned to bee and to suffer this martirdome within this Tunne wherein I am closed burning and with Serpents and Toads héere within deuouring mee and yet I cannot die and héere I shall bee vntill the day of Iudgement and then my paine shall be doubled Now haue I shewed thee thy demaund wherefore I repute thée for a foole when thou art so hardy as to enter into this Desert whereas neuer man entred and departed without death for know for troth that hether repaireth twoo enemies Féends of Hell who shall slay thée and beare thy soule into Hell without thou wilt doe as I shall shew thée Fréend quoth Huon I pray thee to shew me what it is that thou speakest of or what thing thou wilt that I should doe and I will doe it to the entent that I may depart from hence there is nothing in the world but I shall doe it for thée so thou wilt shewe mée the way howe I may depart from hence Fréend quoth Cain I shall shewe thée what thou shalt doe thou shalt take this mall of iron that thou séest there and strike therewith so long vppon this Tunne vntill thou hast broken it to the entent that I may yssue out and when I am deliuered I shall set thée in sauegard in Ierusalem or in France or in what countrey soeuer thou wilt wish If thou wilt doe this that I haue sayd and deliuer me from this torment I shall set thée wheresoeuer thou wilt be in any Land Christian or Heathen and if thou doest not this that I haue saide before it be night I shall cause thée to die with great tormentes for anon thou shalt sée come hether two Diuels of Hell foule and hideous to behold and they shall stangle thée and beare thy soule into Hell Ah good Lorde quoth Huon humbly I require and beseech thée to saue mée from this torment Cain quoth Huon thou speakest mée faire and sayest as thou list but I will not deliuer thée out of this Tunne vntill first thou shewest mée how I may depart from hence Then Cain sayd if thou wilt promise mée by thy faith and by thy part of Paradice to deliuer mée out of this Tunne I shall shewe thée the manner howe thou shalt
the Garden to sée if he could find the Damsell he sought so long that he found the Damsell whereas shée lay in the bush in great perill to be drowned This Watchman was a wise man and as priuily as he could he yssued out of the Garden and went downe to the water side and there he found a little boat and entred into it so passed the vine Garden as priuily as he could so that none heard nor saw him and when he was against the bush whereas the Damsell was hée spake to her softly and sayd Faire Damsell be not abashed for if I may in any maner of wise I will ayd you come down and enter into this boat and I shall set you in the Forrest and tarie there vntil I bring to you Florence your Louer the which I shall doe by the grace of Iesus for if I can by any manner of meanes I shall bring him out of the danger that hee is in because I haue alwayes loued him and for the goodnesse that hée hath done to me I shall now reward it When the Damsell heard the Watch-man for ioy thereof shée forgat all her sorrow and incontinent aswell as she might she yssued out of the bush and went down the Riuer side then she entred into the boat and the Watch-man set her ouer and left her in the Forrest the which ioyned to the water side then he tooke his leaue of her and sayd Faire Damsell tarie here vntill I returne againe to you Fréende quoth the Damsell I pray to God that you may so spéed as to bring hether my Louer and to set him out of danger and so he departed and entred againe into the Garden hearkening towardes the Pallaice whereas there was great brute made for the escaping of the Damsell But there was no doubt made of Florence because the Tower that hee was in was stronge and thicke Also the Chamber that he was in was not toward the Pallaice but it lay open against the Garden then the sayd Watch-man came to the wall side whereas there was a straight loope hole into Florence Chamber and he had two Goates féete in his handes then hee called Florence and sayd Sir if you will bee with your Loue who tarieth for you in the Forrest whereas I haue lâ—â—t her in sauegard helpe your selfe that you were out of this Tower take heere this Goates foote and doe you so much there within to enlarge the loope that you may yssue out and héere without I shall make the hole wyder When Florence vnderstoode the Watch-man hee was neuer so ioyfull in all his life when he heard the man say that his Loue was in sauegard they laboured so sore that they made the loope so large that Florence yssued out and then the Watch-man brought Florence to the Stable whereas some of the Kinges horses stoode especially there was one whose like could not be found This Watch-man who had great affection and desire to doe seruice to this young Lord did so much that he brought vnto Florence his Armour his shéeld his helmet his sword and a good Speare and so Florence armed him and leapt vpon the good horse then the Watch-man shewed him the place in the Forrest whereas as hee had left the Damsell and then hee tooke his leaue of Florence who sayd Fréend the seruice that you haue done me shall be well rewarded in time to come then hee road foorth and left not vntill he came whereas his Loue was and when he saw her his ioy was renewed then he alighted and kissed his Loue and when he sawe that she was so bloudie he hadde great pitie of her and sayd Deere Loue it is néedfull that we depart before the day come Therefore make you readie and leape vp behind me and then Florence mounted and she leapt vp behind him and so departed assoone as they might When they were in the fields the Damsell looked backe towards the Citie and shee saw a great number of men yssuing out then shée sayd vnto Florence Sir I sée well that wee bee lost for I sée much people yssuing out of the Citie it is not possible for vs to be saued but that we shal be taken and especially I cannot escape I sée well that nowe our loue shall depart your Father is fell and cruell I knowe well that hee will slay mee Then the Watch-man came running after Florence for feare that he had of the king but he could not ouertake Florence who fled with his Loue behind him as fast as he might toward the Sea-side for Florence knew well the priuie wayes because he had often times vsed the wayes when he was woont to go a hauking or hunting So long he road that he came to a little Port where there was a Shippe readie to depart then Florence alighted and his Loue with him and tyed his horse to a Trée and then he tooke the Damsell by the hand and came to the Maister of the Shippe and agréed so with him that he and his Loue entred into the ship then they hoysed vp their sayles and so sayled from the land the Watch-man came to the Sea-side trusting to haue found Florence there and hee was right sorrowfull when he sawe them so farre on the Sea hee was in great feare of loosing of his life Then Kinge Garyn came thether with a great number and when he saw the Shippe so far in the Sea he sayd Ah good Lord now haue I lost my son for I know well he is gone inyonder Shippe and the Damsel with him but by the faith that I owe vnto our Lord Iesus Christ this Watch-man shall loose his head then the Watch-man was taken and fast bound so that the bloud came out at his fingers ends and sayd all wéeping Ah good Lord in an ill houre I was acquainted with Florence and his Loue Alas for the goodnesse that I haue done I shall haue a small reward this day I am like to loose my life for loue of my Lord. Chap. CLVII ¶ Of the great debate that was in the Pallaice for the VVatch-mans sake whome the King would haue had to be hanged and how the king of Nauarre tooke the Citie of Courtoys and how he departed from thence WHen the Earle Peter of Aragon saw the Watch-man taken by whom Florence and his Loue were saued hee was sorie to sée the man so sore beaten and threatened then he went in hast to the King and sayd Sir you shew well by your workes that you haue but small reason to suffer thus this poore man to be beaten and that you would put him to death for the goodnesse that he hath done to your Sonne he hath done therein but as he should doe and like a true Seruant you ought the better to loue him you shall doe ill to put him to death I will that you know that if you put him to death I will not serue you one day longer but I will rather goe to the King
sorrie that it endured so long When the King of Nauarre saw that all his men were yssued out of the Citie then hee withdrewe him into his Tent and he closed in the Citie with a siege abiding vntill the Truce was expired Now let vs leaue to speake of this warre betwéene these two Kinges and speake of Florence who sayled vppon the Sea with his Loue Clariet Chap. CLVIII ¶ How the Shippe wherein Florence was and his Loue was taken by the Sarazins and all their companie taken and slaine and ledde to the Castle of Anfalerne THe Historie sheweth that after that Florence was departed out of his couÌ„trey with his Loue Clariet howbeit he knewe not what she was so it was that the Maister of the Shippe that he was in was of Marsellis and when hee knewe that Florence was Sonne to King Garyn of Aragon and that he had put his trust in him then hee came vnto Florence and sayd Sir the goodnesse and honour that I sée in you causeth me to say vnto you that which I would not doe to another I well perceiue by you that you are in great doubt of the King your Father least hee should follow you to get you againe but Sir to the entent that you shall be well assured of me and of my Marriners I put into your handes my selfe my Shippe and all my Marriners and I will that they obay you as they haue done mee and that you are Maister ouer vs all and Sir neuer thinke that the king of Aragon your Father shall trouble you we are farre ynough from him by the grace of God we shall so conduct you that wee shall bring you to the holy Sepulchre and afterward bring you backe to Marsellis and then from thence you may goe whether as it please you Sir quoth Florence of the honour and great courtesie that you offer me I thanke you then all they that were within the Shippe sayd Sir refuse not to be our Maister for if the winde had not béene against vs wee had béene farre off by this time Sir haue no doubt we shall all obey you and doe as you commaund vs since it is so our Maisters pleasure Sirs quoth Florence I thanke you of your offer God suffer mee to dâ—serâ—e it Florence was ioyful of the good aduenture that God had sent him and thus hee and his Loue sayled ioyfully in the Sea of Affricke So long they sayled that they passed the Isles of Corsia and Sardania and Cicilie and â—n a Wednesday betimes they arriued néere to the Isle of Candy there arose vppon them a maruailous great winde and Tempest so that perforce they were driuen to the coast of Barbary the Tempest was so great that euery man was in feare of drowning the waues were great and fearefull the Damsell was in great doubt when she saw the mariners in such feare she called deuoutly vpon our Lord Iesus Christ desiring him to haue pitie of her to bring them to a good Port. When Florence perceiued his Loue and al the Marriners in such feare as they were hee comforted them the best he could but it auailed not for the wind draue them whether they would or not towards Bongy néere to a Citie named as then Anfalerne wheras they were faine to cast their anchor in great feare of loozing of their liues Then there fell on them a Galley wherein were a Hundred Sarazins another great Ship wherein were more then foure Hundred men and they all fell vppon Florence Shippe When Florence sawe both the Ship and Galley set vppon his Ship the Maister of the Ship and the Marriners began to wéepe and said vnto Florence Ah Sir you and we all are lost we shall be all slaues with the Sarazins yonder Galley and shippe are full of Sarazins and they are ready comming to sette vppon vs. When Florence heard that he said Sir bée not abashed hee whome God will saue cannot be perished no mortall man can hurt him lette vs put our trust in him take such grace as he will send vs the great number of people cannot hurt vs if God will ayd vs lette vs shewe our selues like men they bee without law and without faith and we beléeue in God by whome wee trust to be saued let vs arme our selues and shew our selues like men to defend our liues When the Maister and the Marriners heard Florence they sayd Sir into the sauegard of our Lord Iesus Christ and to you we commit our selues then they all armed them and euerie man stoode at their defence and Florence sayd Sirs let vs all thinke that we now doe fight for our liues and therefore let vs not be abashed euerie man thinke to do his best that he can I loue by amours behold her here by whome I am so mooued to doe well and to defend both her and me Sir quoth they shame haue hee that fainteth then the Ship and Galley came néere to Florence Shippe then the shotte of both parts flewe so thicke as though it hadde béene snowe there was a great Battaile betwéene them great hurt was done with casting out of barres from the tops two times Florence entred into the Ship of his enemies whereas he did maruailes and slewe so many Sarazins that the water was red with the bloud of them that were slaine on both parts there was an horrible Battaile many of Florence men were slaine the good Maister was slaine the most part of his men Also from the land there were shotte Bombardes and Gunnes at Florence ship so that thereby and with the great barres of yron the shippe was sore impaired for it was striken thorow in a hundred places in such sort that the Sea entred in with great abundance When the Damsell saw that mortall discomfiture how their company were slaine and their ship néere full of water and saw no more persons left aliue with Florence but six she was then in great feare and she thought that shee had rather enter into the Sarazins ship then to be drowned in the Sea shee sawe the Galley the which lay ioyning to the shippe she leapt into the Galley to saue her life When Florence sawe his Loue in the Galley hée was néere out of his wits for sorrow and hee sawe well that if he tarried still in his owne shippe hée should be drowned then he leapt into the Galley whereas his Loue was and there he slew many a Sarazin but there was so much people that with force of Darts and speares hée was borne downe then they tooke and bound his handes so sore that the bloud ran out at his nailes Thus Florence was taken and all his men slaine and drowned except some that were taken then Florence wept for pitie of them sayd Ah my Father how falsly haue you wrought against me thus by your folly I am in great daunger I shall neuer returne into my Countrey without God helpe me often times hée beheld his Loue whome the
stole to the entent that hee shoulde shew vnto him the troth chap. 144. How the Monke bare Huon and Escleremond ouer hils and Valleys in the ayre vntill he came into the countrey of King Oberon chap. 145. How Kinge Oberon crowned Huon and Escleremond and gaue them all his Realme and dignitie that he had in the Land of the Fayrie and made the Peace betweene Huon and King Arthur chap. 146. Of the Ordinances that the noble King Oberon made before he dyed chap. 147. How the Kinge of Hungary and the Kinge of England and Florence Sonne vnto the King of Aragon desired to haue in mariage the faire Ladie Clariet and how shee was betrayed by Brohart and howe Barnard was drowned and of the euils that the Traytour Brohart did vnto the Ladie Clariet and how he dyed at the last chap. 148. When the Traytour Brohart drowned Barnard and of theyr aduentures and how Brohart was slaine chap. 149. Of the great sorrow that was made at Blay by the abbot of Cluny and by the Princes of the noble City of Bourdeaux for the faire Ladie Clariet that was stollen away and of the sorrow that was made when they saw Barnard brought in dead by Six men And of the punishment that was done to the Lineage of the Traytour Brohart chap. 150. How the Ladie Clariet al alone came to the Sea-side whereas arriued the Kinge of Granado in a Ship who tooke away Clariet and of other matters chap. 151. How the King forbad his Son Florence that he should not be so harâ—â— as to fall acquainted with the faire Ladie Clariet and how Florence promised the King his Father to deliuer into his hands the King of Naâ—arre prisoner in case that he would bee content at his returne that he might haue the new found Damsell the which the King granted but he did it not for he had drowned her if Peter of Aragon had not bene who rescued and saued her from the death chap. 152. How Florence went to fight with his enemies and how Sir Peter of Aragon returned towards the Towne to bring thether Prisoners and how he rescued the faire Damsell Clariet from drowning and how afterward King Garin caused the Damsell to be closed vp in a Prison chap. 153. How Florence discomfited his enemies and tooke the King of Nauar and led him into the Towne and deliuered him to the King his Father and how Florence deliuered him again quit because that his Father shewed vnto him that the faire Damsell was drowned Chap. 154. How king Garyn put his Sonne Florence into a Tower in prison And how the Damsell escaped out of the Tower and spake with Florence her Louer at an arch vppon the Garden-side and how they were espyed and how she thought to haue drowned herselfe Chap. 155. How the first Watchman found out the Damsell and ledde her into a great wood there by and afterward the same Watchman deliuered Florence out of prison and shewed him the place where the Damsell was and how Florence and Clariet entred into the Sea and how the king went after his Sonne and the Watchman taken Chap. 156. Of the great debate that was in the Pallaice for the Watchmans sake whom the king would haue had to be hanged and how the king of Nauarre tooke the Citie of Courtoys how he departed thence chap. 157. Howe the Ship wherein Florence was and his Loue was taken by the Sarazins and all their companie taken and slaine and led to the Castle of Anfalerne Chap. 158. How Sorbarre the captaine comforted Florence and Clariet and how there arriued Foure Ships with Christian men by fortune of the Sea and how Florence was knowne by them Chap. 159. How Sorbarre and Florence and their companie went into the Towne and robbed and spoyled it and so tooke the Sea with great ioye and triumph and the faire Ladie Clariet with them and tooke their course to sayle towards the Realme of Aragon chap. 160. Howe king Huon King of the Fayrey sent twoo of his knightes to the two Kings And how he appeared between them with a great number and of the Peace that he made between them chap. 16â— How Florence and Clariet arriued there with their companie came to king Huon and of the great ioy that was made at their comming and howe there they were wedded together and the Peace confirmed betweene the two Kinges chap. 162. How king Huon and Queene Escleremond departed and how he gaue great rich guifts vnto the two Kinges and to all other Lordes Ladies Damsels And of the sorrowe that was betweene the Mother and the Daughter at their departing chap. 163. How Queene Clariet was brought to bed of a Daughter at which deliuerance the Queene dyed and how when the young Damsell came to the age of Fifteene yeares the King her Father would haue had her in mariage wherewith all his Lordes were sore troubled chap. 164. Of the great sorrowe that the Damsell I de made when shee heard her Father how he would haue her in marriage And how by the meanes of a noble Ladie and Sorbarre shee departed at midnight and went at the aduenture that God would send her Chap. 165. How Kinge Florence was sorrowfull when hee was aduertized of his Daughters departing who was apparelled like a man and howe shee came into Almaine and how she found certaine Theeues in a Forrest and how she came to Rome to the Emperour like a Squier chap. 166. Howe the Damsell I de was entertained with the Emperour of Roome and howe the Lady Oliue his Daughter was enamoured of Ide weening she had beene a man and how the King of Spaine came before the Cittie of Roome And how the Damsell I de tooke the King of Spaine in Battell and discomfited him Chap 167. How the Emperour of Rome highly receiued the noble Damsell Ide and of the honour that was made vnto her and how the Emperor made her Constable of his Empire And how the King of Spaine was deliuered out of prison and made homage to the Emperour Chap. 168. How the Emperor gaue his Daughter in marriage to the Damsell Ide knowing none other but that she had beene a man and how she was appeached by a Varlet that heard their deuises whiles they were in bed together whereby the Emperor would haue burnt the Damsell chap 169. How God made great miracles for Ide for he made her to change from the nature of a woman to become a perfect man wherof the Emperor and Oliue had great ioy and so Ide and Oliue lay together ingendred a Son named after Croissant and of the death of the Emperor chap. 170. How Kinge Florence sent twoo Knightes to Rome to the Emperour his Sonne desiring him to come see him and to leaue the Empire of Rome to his Sonne Croissant and to set noble men about him to guide him and also to bring with him the Empresse the faire Oliue Chap. 171. How the
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
holy Sepulchre he kneeled downe vpon his bare knées and all wéeping made his prayers to our Lord God requiring him to ayd and comfort him in his voyage so that he might returne againe into Fraunce and to haue peace with King Charlemaine And when they all had made their prayers and offered Huon and Garyn went into a little Chapell vpon the mount of Caluerye whereas nowe lyeth the bodies of Godfrey of Bullen and Bauldwin his Brother there Huon called vnto him all those that came with him out of Fraunce and said Sirs you that for the loue of mée haue left your Fathers and Mothers Wiues and Children Lands and Signiories for this courtesie that you haue shewed mee I thanke you Now you may returne into Fraunce againe and humbly recommend mée to the Kinges good grace and vnto all the other Barons and when you come to Bourdeaux do my dutie to the Duchesse my Mother and to Gerard my Brother and vnto the Lords of my Countrey Then Guichard and all the other Knights answeared Huon and said Sir as yet we will not leaue you neither for death nor life vntill we haue brought you vnto the red Sea why then quoth Huon for the great seruice and curtesie that you offer mee I thanke you Then Garyn called two of his seruants and commaunded them to returne vnto his wife and to desire her to be of good chéere and that shortly he would returne the which thing they did and returned and did their messuage When Huon vnderstood that his Vncle Garyn was disposed to abide with him he sayd Faire Vncle you shall not néede to trauaile so much I would councell you to returne vnto your Wife and Children Sir quoth Garyn God will I shall not leaue you no day vntill you returne your selfe Vncle quoth Huon I thanke you of your courtesie then they went to their lodging and dyned and after dinner tooke their horses and so road by Hils and Dales so that if I should recount all the aduentures that they found in their way it should be too long a processe to shew it but as the true Historie witnesseth they suffered much paine and trauaile for they passed such Deserts whereas they found but small sustenance whereof Huon was right sorrowfull for the loue of them that were with him and began to wéepe and to remember his owne Countrey saying Alas noble King of Fraunce great wrong and great sinne you haue done me thus to driue me out of my Countrey and to send mée into a strange Land to the entent to shorten my dayes I pray God to pardon you therefore then Garyn and the other Knights comforted him and said Alas Sir dismay you not for vs God is puissant ynough to ayd vs hée neuer fayleth them that loueth him Thus they road forth in the Desert so long vntill at last they saw a little Cottage before the which sat an old ancient man with a long white beard and his heare hanging ouer his shoulders when Huon perceiued him he drew thether and saluted the olde man in the name of God and of the blessed Virgin Marie then the ancient man lifted vp his eyes and beheld Huon and had great maruaile for of a long season before he had séene no man that spake of God then he beheld Huon in the face and began sore to wéepe and stepping vnto Huon tooke him by the Leg kissed it more then twentie times Fréend quoth Huon I desire you shew me why you make this sorrow Sir quoth he about thirtie yeares passed I came hether and since that time I neuer sawe man beléeuing on the Christian faith and now the regarding of â—our visage causeth me to remember a noble Prince that I haue séene in Fraunce who was called Duke Seuin of Bourdeaux therefore I require you shew me if euer you saw him I pray you hide it not from me Fréend quoth Huon I pray you shew me where you were borne of what lineage and Countrey you be of Nay sir quoth he that will I not doe first you shal shew me what you be and where you were borne and why you come hether Fréend quoth Huon séeing it pleaseth you to know I shall shew you then Huon and all his companye alighted and tyed theyr Horses to Trées When Huon was alighted he sat downe by the old man and said Fréend since you will néedes know my businesse I shall shew you know for troth I was borne in the Citie of Bourdeaux and am Son to Duke Seuin and Huon shewed him all his whole case and Enterprize and of the death of Charlot and how he discomfited Earle Amerie and howe that Charlemaine hadde chaced him out of Fraunce and of the Messuage that he was charged to say vnto the Admirall Gaudise affirming all to be for certaintie When the oulde man hadde well heard Huon he began sore to wéepe Sir quoth Huon since it pleaseth you to know of my sorrowe Duke Seuin my Father is dead seauen yeares past my Mother I trust be aliue and a Brother of mine whome I haue left with her And nowe sir séeing you haue heard of mine affaires I require you giue me your counsaile and aduice and also if it please you to shew me what you be and of what Countrey and how you came into these parts Sir quoth the old man know for troth I was borne in Geronâ—ill am brother to the good Prouost Guyer when I departed thence I was a young Knight haunted the Iustes and Tourneys so that on a daie it fortuned at a Tourney that was made at Poytiers I slew a Knight of a noble bloud wherefore I was banished out of the Realme of Fraunce But my brother the Prouost made such a request to Duke Seuin your Father that by his meanes my peace was made with the King and my land saued vpon condition that I should goe to the holy Sepulchre to punish my bodie for the Knight that I flew and to forgiue my faults Thus I departed out of my countrey and when I had done my voyage I thought to haue returned but as I departed out of the Citie of Ierusalem to take the way to Acres passing by a wood betwéene Ierusalem and Naples there came vpon me ten Sarazins who tooke me and brought me to the Citie of Babilon whereas I was in prison two yeares complet whereas I suffered much pouertie and miserie but our Lord God who neuer fayleth them that serueth him and haue in him full affiance he sent me the grace that by the meanes of a right noble Ladie I was brought out of prison in a night and so I fled into this Forrest whereas I haue béene this thirtie yeares in all this space I neuer saw nor heard man beléeuing in Iesus Christ thus I haue shewed you all mine affaires When Huon had heard the Knights tale he had great ioy and embraced him and saide howe often times he had séene Guyre his Brother the Prouost wéepe for
and yet euer the Cup was full When the people had well eaten and dronken the good wines and were well chased in their braines some began to sing and some to sleepe at the Table and some did beat their fysts vpon the boards that it was maruaile to sée the life that they led whereof Huon had great ioy The same time the Dukes Steward came into the Towne to buy his Maisters Supper but he could neither find bread nor flesh nor no other victuals whereof he was sore displeased and then he demaunded the cause why he found no victuals as he was accustomed to doe Sir quoth the Butchers and Bakers in the house of Gonder the Prouost is lodged a yong man who hath made to be cryed in all the City that al beggers and ribaulds should come to Supper at his lodging and he hath bought vp all the victuals that he could get in the Towne Then the Paynim in great despight went to the Pallaice vnto the Duke and said Sir I can get nothing in the Towne for your Supper there is a young man lodged in the Prouosts house that hath bought vp all the victuals to giue a Supper to all the beggers vacabounds and ribaulds that can be found in the Towne When the Duke vnderstood that he was sore displeased and swoore by Mahound that he would go see that Supper then he commaunded all his men to be readie in harnesse to goe with him and as he was going out of his Pallaice a Traytor who had stollen priuily out of the Prouosts house whereas he had been at supper with other said to the Duke sir know for troth there is in your Prouosts house a knight who hath giuen a Supper to all people that would come thether and so there is no begger no ribauld nor other that would sup but are come thether and Sir this Knight hath a Cup Letter worth then all this Citie for if all the people betweene East and West should dye for lacke of drinke they should haue all ynough for as often as you will emptie the Cup it will be full againe incontinent When the Duke heard that he had great maruaile and saide such a Cuppe were good for him and swoore by Mahound that he would haue that Cup let vs go thether for my will is to haue that Cup and all those Knights shall loose their horses and baggage I will leaue them nothing Then he went foorth with thirtie Knights and rested not vntill he came to the Prouosts house and founde the gates open When the Prouost perceiued him he came to Huon and saide Alas Sir you haue done ill héere is come the Duke in great displeasure if God haue not pitie of you I cannot sée how you can escape without death Sir quoth Huon dismay you not for I shall speake so faire that he shall be content then Huon with a merrie chéere came to the Duke and said Sir you be welcome Beware quoth the Duke come not néere me for no christian man may come into my Citie without my Licence wherefore I will thou knowest that you shall all loose your heads and all that you brought hether Sir quoth Huon when you haue slaine vs you shall win thereby but little and it were great wrong for you so to doe I shall tell thée quoth the Duke why I will so do it is bycause you be christian men therefore thou shalt be the first shewe me on thy faith why hast thou assembled all this companie héere to Supper Sir quoth Huon I haue done it bicause I am going to the red Sea and bicause these poore men will pray to God for me that I may safely returne Sir this is the cause that I haue made them to sup with me Well quoth the Duke great folly hast thou spoken for thou shalt neuer sée faire day you shall all loose your heads Sir quoth Huon leaue all this I pray you and your comapanie sit downe and eate and drinke at your pleasure and I shall serue you as well as I can and then Sir if I haue done any wrong I will make you amends in such wise that you shall be content for if you doe me any hurt it shall be to you but a small conquest Sir me thinks if you will do nobly you should somewhat forbeare vs for as I haue heard say you were once christened Then the Duke said vnto Huon thou hast sayd well I am content to sup for as yet I haue not supped Then the Duke commaunded euerie man to be disarmed and to sit downe at the Table the which they did and Huon and Gerames serued them and they were well serued at that supper then Huon tooke his Cup and came to the Duke and said Sir sée you not héere this Cup the which is voyd and emptie I sée well quoth the Duke there is nothing therein Then Huon made the signe of the crosse ouer the Cup and incontinent it was full of wine he tooke the Cuppe to the Duke who had great maruaile thereof and assoone as the Cuppe was in his handes it was voyd againe What quoth the Duke thou hast enchaunted mee Sir quoth Huon I am none Enchaunter but it is for the sin that you be in set it down for you are not worthy to hold it you were borne in an euill houre How art thou so hardy quoth the Duke to speake thus vnto me I repute thee for a proud foole thou knowest well it lyeth in my power to destroy thée there is no man dare say the contrarie yet I pray thée tell me thy name and where thou wert borne and whether thou goest and of what kinne thou art Sir quoth Huon for any thinge that may fal vnto me I wil not hide my name nor kindred therefore Sir know for troth I was borne at Bourdeaux vpon Gerone and am Sonne to Duke Seuin who is dead seauen yeares passed When the Duke heard how Huon was his Nephew he saide The Sonne of my Brother Nephew why hast thou taken in this Citie any other lodging but mine shewe mée whether thou wilt goe Sir quoth Huon I am going to Babilon to the Admirall Gaudise to doe to him a Messuage from King Charlemaine of Fraunce bycause I slewe his Sonne there so he shewed his Vncle all his aduenture and how the king had taken away his Land nor should he haue it againe vntill he had done his Messuage to the Admirall Faire Nephew quoth the Duke in like wise I was banished the Realme of Fraunce and since I haue denyed the faith of Iesus Christ and since I married héere in this Countrey a great Ladie by whome I haue great Lands to gouerne whereof I am Lord Nephew I will that you shall goe and lodge with me in my Castle and to morrow you shall haue of my Barons to conduct you vntill you come vnto Babilon Sir quoth Huon I thanke you since it is your pleasure I will goe with you to your Pallaice Then Gerames priuily
that ye haue put in prison When Gerames had heard the Lady he was right ioyfull for then he knew well that shee went not about to descrie him but that she did it of good heart and good will that she bare to Huon howbeit hee thought that hee would not discouer himselfe to her vntill the time he knew the troth of Huon wherfore he answered the Damsell angerly and said O thou false and vntrue maide how art thou so hardy as to speake or thinke thus surely the Admirall thy Father shall know it assoone as he commeth out of his chamber and then shalt thou be burned and the Frenchmen hanged Alas Sir quoth shee yet I pray you let mee goe into the prison with you to thintent that I may sée Huon once yet before I die for the loue of whome I am content to die for if he die I will not liue one day after therefore let me once take my leaue of him Well quoth Gerames for this time I am content that ye goe with me then Gerames tooke a torch in his hand and opened the dore entred he was no sooner entred but Huon knew him and went and embraced him and said Ah my true louer blessed be the houre that I found you then they all clipped and embraced him when the Lady saw their maner of saluting she was ioyfull for then she saw well that her intent should be more surely compassed then she came to Huon demaunded if they were his seruants that made so great loue together Madame quoth Huon surely all these that be heere be my men boldly ye may trust them for there is none of them but that they shall do your commaundment Huon quoth the Damsell their comming pleaseth me right well then Huon said to his companie Gentlemen and my deare friends forbeare this extremitie of kindnesse to me and bestow it vpon this noble Ladie for by her wee shal be deliuered and it is shee that hath saued my life theÌ„ they all together humbly thanked her Sirs quoth she if yée will worke by my councell I shall shew you how I may aid you to deliuer you froÌ„ hence First let me vnfainedly perswade ye that I doe firmely beléeue in Iesus Christ and at this day there is no man that I more hate than the Admirall Gaudise my Father bicause he beléeueth not in our Lord Iesus Christ for hee hateth so the christian men that he cannot abide to heare any speaking of them for he beléeueth but vpon Mahound and his Idols therefore my hart cannot loue him if he did otherwise I would purchase to him none ill for all the good in the world but I shall shewe you what yee must doe When it is the houre of midnight I shall bring you all into my chamber whereas I will prouide Armour for you all and there yée shall all be armed then I shall bring you into the Admirall my Fathers chamber whome yee shall find sléeping and there yee may slay him and as for mee I will bee the first that shall strike him and when he is slaine then shall wée depart surely When Huon had vnderstood her he said Madame and god will your Father shall not be so slaine the day shall come that ye shall otherwise deliuer vs wée thanke you that yee so much desire our deliuerance but I thinke it good that you and Gerames depart hence for this time for it is néere hand day to thintent that our busines be not perceiued Then the Lady and Gerames departed and closed againe the prison dore and went vp into the Pallaice as if they had not béene there at all And thus euery day Gerames the Lady went to visite the Prisoners and bare them euery thing that was néedefull for them Gerames was alwaies with the Admirall and did what he would for there was not any Paynim that durst do contrarie to his commaundment Now leaue wée to speake of the Admirall of Gerames and of Huon and of all them that were in prison vntill such time as wée may returne to them againe Chap. XLII ¶ How the great Giant Agrapart eldest brother to Angolofer whome Huon slew assembled his people and came to Babylon to haue the tribute of the Admirall as his brother had and of the battaile hand to hand that he desired of the Admirall Gaudis the which was agreed vnto IT hath beene sufficiently declared heere before how Huon slew the Gyant Angolofer the which Gyant had Seauentéene Brethren all elder than himselfe who liued distant from him in diuers seuerall places It was no longe while after but that his elder Brother named Agrapart was aduertised of the death of his Brother which he tooke to his hart excéeding heauilie Now you must vnderstand that he was in all respects of as huge stature as his brother for he was xvij foote of length and in bignes he was made therafter he was a foot betwéen the browes his eyes more redder and burning than a brand of fire and the gristle of his nose as great as the nostrill of an oxe and he had twoo téeth issuing out of his mouth more than a foot long each of them but if I should describe his foule figure at the full it would annoy all the hearers thereof therefore yee may well beléeue when he was in his displeasure that he had a fearefull countenance to looke vpon for then his twoo eyes séemed like twoo burning torches When he was certenly aduertised of the death of his brother he sent ouer all his countrey that euery man should come to him in armour and so they did and when they were come he declared to them the death of his brother Angolofer said how it was his mind to goe to Babylon to the Admirall Gaudise there to take possession of the landes and signiories that were his brothers and also to haue the tribute that was due by the Admirall then all his Lâ—â—ds said Sir commaund at your pleasure and wee shall obay it Well sirs quoth he then I will that euerye man mount on their horses to goe towards Babylon and so they all obayed and got on their horses and departed rode so long that they came into a plaine néere to the citie of Babylon there were about Ten Thowsand men together and Agrapart said Sirs tarie yée all héere till I come againe for I will goe all alone and speake with the Admirall Gaudise Then he armed himselfe and tooke a great fawchin in his hand and departed all alone and so went and entred into the citie of Babylon and so past the Foure gates there was no Paynim that durst say him nay and he rested not vntill he came to the Pallaice the same time as the Admirall was sitting at dinner Gerames with him then the Gyant came to the table said The same god Mahound vnder whome we liue confound the Admirall Gaudise as an ill caytiffe and a false Traytour When the Admirall heard himselfe so highly
Gyant and when he had made his praiers to god he put on his armour as quickly as though he had neuer béen in prison wherby he knew well that god was pleased with him and then he said Ah noble king Oberon I pray thée séeing God is pleased with me put away thy displeasure and pardon me for the breaking of thy commaundement I haue béen sore punished and I pray thee be not displeased if I spake any hasty worde being in prison for famine caused me to doe it In the breaking of thy commaundement I confesse I did ill therein yet it was but by negligence and forgetting Alas Sir remember but what courtesie ye shewed me when yée found me in the wood and gaue me your rich Horne and Cup by the which often times I haue been succoured therefore sir now I require thée to pardon me all my trespasses and helpe me at my néed for I sée well without it be by the grace of god your helpe there is nothing can saue my life thus he besought god of pardon and to giue him grace to destroy his enemy who was so horrible to behould And when he had made his prayer there came a Sarazin to Huon said Sir héere is your owne swoord that yée lost when yée were taken Friend quoth Huon yee do me great courtesie God giue me grace to reward thée Then he did on his helmet and girt on his sword and the Admirall sent him a good horse the best in all his Court for he was not so faire but he was in goodnes aboue all other When Huon saw him he was right ioyfull thanked the Admirall As for his rich fourniture I make no mention thereof the saddle harnesie and bridle were so rich that the value thereof could not be estéemed Then Huon made the signe of the crosse and mounted on his horse armed at all points and so rode out of the Pallaice into a faire meadow and there made a course to assay his horse then he rested him before the Admirall who leaned in a window in his Pallaice and when he beheld Huon he said to his Lords Trust me these Frenchmen are to be doubted feared for Huon is a goodly yong man and great wrong it had been if he had béen slaine The Admirall commaunded the field to be kept with a Thowsand Sarazins to thintent that no treason should be done or any iniurie offered to his faire séeming Champion Chap. XLIIII ¶ How Huon fought with Agrapart the Gyant and discomfited him and deliuered him to the Admirall who had great ioy thereof WHen Huon hadde made his course he came into the field whereas his enemie was ready and when Agrapart saw Huon hee said Thou that art of so great courage as to fight against me howe néere of kinne art thou to the Admirall séeing that for the loue of him thou wilt put thy selfe in aduenture of death Paynim quoth Huon know for troth that I am nothing of kinne to the Admirall but I was borne in the Realme of Fraunce and if thou desire to know what I am I say vnto thée that I am he that slew thy Brother For that quoth the Paynim I am the more sorowfull and yet againe ioyfull in that Mahound hath done mée the grace to haue power to reuenge his death but if thou wilt beléeue and worship my God Mahound and forsake thy beléefe and goe with me into my countrey I shall make thée so great a Lord that of all thy kinne there was neuer any such And I shall giue thée my sister in mariage who is a foote greater than I am and is as blacke as a cole Paynim quoth Huon I care neyther for thy land nor for thy sister but all the diuels in hell kéepe them both beware thou of me for I shall neuer ioy in my hart vntill the time that I haue slaine thee as I haue done thy brother I defie thée in the name of god and I thée quoth the Gyant in the name of Mahound Then they went a sunder to take their courses and they ran each at other and met so fiersly that their speares brake in péeces and the encounter was so rude that by force of the shocke both the horses fell to the earth but the Champions quickly recouered and came each vpon other Agrapart tooke vp his fawchin to haue striken Huon but he stept a litle on the one side whereby the Paynim missed his stroke Huon lifted vp his sword and strake the Gyant on the helmet so maruailous a stroke that he strake of a quarter therof and wounded him sore and the stroke descended downe and cut of his eare so that the black blood ran downe to the ground Then Huon said Paynim thou wert vnhappie when thou camest hether thou mightest haue béen content with the death of thy Brother and not to come hether to haue as much thy selfe for thou shalt neuer sée faire day more When the Gyant saw him selfe hurt he had great feare and said Cursed be he of Mahound that forged thy swoord I had rather I had béene bound to haue paid a great summe of money to haue saued my life than to be slaine héere therfore I yéeld my selfe to thée take héere my swoord I pray thée doe me no hurt Paynim quoth Huon haue no doubt séeing thou doest yéeld thée to me there is none so hardy that shall doe thée any displeasure Then Huon tooke the Paynim by the arme brought him into the Citie whereof the Admirall and all his Lords had great ioy but the inward content that Escleremond had passed all other When Gerames saw how the Gyant was ouercome he came to the Admiral and said Sir Admirall know for troth that I am christened and I am not your Nephew I came hether but only to search for my Lord Huon the better to know the troth I said I was sonne to Iuoryn of Mombrance your brother thereby to know the certentie what was become of Huon for I knew well he was sent to you from king Charlemaine on a Messuage Chap. XLV ¶ How Agrapart the Gyant cryed mercie to the Admirall and howe Huon desired the Admirall Gaudise to leaue his law and to be christened WHEN the Admirall heard Gerames he had great maruaile and said it is hard for any man to beware of the craft and subtiltie that is in a Frenchman Then the Admirall sawe where Huon was comming vp the steps and bringing with him the Gyant whereon the Admirall and all his Lords came met him and Gerames his company with him who were right ioyfull when they saw him come When Huon sawe the Admirall he tooke Agrapart by the hand and said to the Admirall Sir I deliuer him into your handes that this day did you so great iniurie euen he that drew you out of your chaire I deliuer to you to doe with him at your pleasure When Agrapart saw that he knéeled and said Sir Admirall he hath
Mahound I pray you haue pitie on me for I am no slaue but I am Daughter to the Admirall Gaudise of Babylon who is dead and slaine by a Frenchman the Mariners heere haue taken me and would carrie me to mine Vncle king Iuoryn of Mombrance and I know surely that if he had me he would burne me Faire Lady quoth the Admirall dismay you not for yee shall abide with mee whether they will or not then he commaunded the Mariners to bring the Ladie to him but they answered that they would not so doe then the Admirall commaunded to take her from them perforce and then they of the shippe began to make defence But anon they were all slaine and the Lady taken and brought to the Admirall who had great ioy therof howbeit he was sorie because one of them that were in the ship scaped away and fled to Mombrance notwithstanding the Admirall cared not greatly for it séeing he had the Ladie whome he brought into his Pallaice When the Admirall saw her so excéeding faire hee was taken in her loue so that incontinent he would haue married her after the Sarazins law whereof shee was right sorowfull and said Sir reason it is that I doe your pleasure séeing yée haue rid me out of the handes of these Pyrates of the sea But sir I require you for the loue that ye beare me that yee will forbeare your pleasure at this present time for Sir I haue made a faithfull vow and promise that for a yeere and a day from henceforth I will not lye with nor touch any man boldly for the which vow sir I am now sorie eueÌ„ for the loue that I beare to you but Sir I am right ioyfull that yee will doe me so much honor as to haue me to your wife our great god Mahound reward you Now sir for the loue of him I pray you be content vntill my vow be accomplished Faire Ladie quoth he know for troth that for the honour of my God Mahound but more for the loue of you I am content to tarrie this yeere yea and if it were Twentie yeeres to be sure of your loue then Sir quoth she Mahound reward you but she said to her selfe Ah deare Lord god Iesu Christ I humbly require thée to giue me that grace to kéepe my troth to my Louer Huon for ere I shall doe the contrarie I shall suffer as much paine and gréefe as euer womaÌ„ did and I will neuer breake my troth for feare of death Now leaue we to speak of her and say somewhat of the theefe that scaped out of the shippe Chap. XLIX ¶ How the Pyrate fled to Mombrance to Iuoryn and how he sent to defie the Admirall Galaffer of Anfalerne and of the answeare that he had there YE haue heard heere before how the faire Escleremond was receiued by the Admirall Galaffer and of the manner that shee found to keepe her selfe true to Huon and how one of the Mariners scaped away and fledde by land till at last he came to the Citie of Mombrance where he found Iuoryn to whome he shewed all the whole matter as ye haue heard and how his brother the Admirall Gaudise was slaine by a young french knight and how he and his companie found the said knight and his Néece the faire Escleremond whom they had thought to haue brought to him But quoth he the Admirall Galaffer hath taken them from vs by force and hath taken our shippe and slaine all your men that were within it so that none escaped but I alone When king Iuoryn vnderstood the Mariner he said Ah mightie Mahound how hast thou suffered that my brother Gaudise hath thus pitiously been slaine and also my Néece his Daughter to consent thereto certainely the gréefe that I féele at my heart constraineth mée rather to desire death than life And also moreouer to see him that is mine owne Subiect and houldeth his landes of me to keepe my Néece and thus to slay my men Alas I cannot well say what I should doe therein a little thing would cause me to slay my selfe Then in great displeasure he called his Lords and caused the Mariner to come before them there he made him to shew again all the matter bâ—fore them both how his brother the Admirall Gaudise was slaine and also how the Admirall Galaffer held his Néece by force and how he had slaine his men which when the Lords had heard they said thus to Iuoryn Sir our aduice is that yée should send one of your secret messengers to the Admirall Galaffer and commaund him incontinent to send you your Néece and to make amends for that he hath slaine your men and that he send you word by writing what cause hath mooued him thus to doe and if it be so that pride doth so surmount in him that hee will not obey your commaundements then by a iust quarrell ye may goe and make warre vpon him and take from him all his lands that he houldeth of you When Iuoryn vnderstood his Lords he said Sirs I perceaue well your opinion is good and then a Messenger was appointed and his charge giuen him and so he departed and rode so long till he came to Anfalerne where he found the Admirall Galaffer whome he saluted in the name of Mahound and then hee declared his Messuage at length but assoone as Galaffer had heard his messuage he said Friend goe and say to king Iuoryn that as for the deliuerance of his Néece I will not doe it and as for his men that are slaine it was through their owne folly and as touching that I should come to him I will not come to him let him do what he can but if he come to assaile me I shall defend as well as I can When the Messenger heard that he said Sir Admirall séeing yee will doe none otherwise in the name of our god Mahound and in the name of great king Iuoryn héere I defie you he sendeth you woord by me that he will leaue you neither Citie Towne nor Castle but he will put them all to flame and fire nor leaue you one foot of land but also if he may take you ye shall die a shamefull death When the Admirall saw how hee was defyed hee was more inflamed then a burning fire-brand and said to the messenger Go and say to thy Lord that I set nothing by his threatning and if I may know when hée commeth I shall do him that honour that I will not abide till hée enter into my country but I will méete with him before and say vnto him from me that if I can take him I shall soone ryd his soule out of his body So the messenger departed and came to Mombrance where wheÌ„ Iuoryn saw him he said Frend what saith Galaffer will hée send me my Néece Sir quoth the messenger hée will not doe it hée saith hée doubteth you nothing and if yee be so hardy as to come and assayle him then hée will meet
with you before and fight with you and I heard him sweare that if hée may take you hée will slay you without mercy When Iuoryn heard that hée swet for anger was in that case that hée could not speake one word of a long space but when hée had somewhat asswaged his yre hée sware by his God Mahound that hée should neuer haue ioy nor mirth at his heart till hee had destroyed the towne of Anfalerne and slaine the Admirall Galaffer Then in hast hée sent for all his Lords and with them concluded to send for all his men of warre and gaue them day to be with him within xv daies before Mombrance the which thing was done for at that day they were all assembled as ye shall heare heereafter Now leaueth the Historie to speake of them and returneth againe to speake of King Oberon Chap. L. ¶ How king Oberon at the request of twoo Knights of the Fayrie called Gloriant and Mallaborn the monster of the Sea went and succoured Huon and carried him out of the Isle of Noysant NOw the Historie sheweth that King Oberon the same time that Huon was in the Isle of Noysant was in his wood where for the most part hee was accustomed to be conuersant bicause the place was very much delectable and farre from people there hee sat him downe vnder a faire oake and hee began to weepe and complaine When Gloriant a knight of the Fairie saw him he had great maruaile and demaunded of him why he lamented so much Gloriant quoth king Oberon the periured Huon of Bourdeaux causeth mee thus to doe whome I haue alwayes perfectly loued and yet he still trespasseth my commandements for when I departed from him I caused him to haue the Admirall Gaudise at his pleasure and also I made him to haue the faire Escleremond the Admirals Daughter and also I haue giuen him my rich Horne of Iuorie and my good Cup the which he hath lost by his pride and folly and therefore he hath been punished and now hee lyeth all naked bound handes and féete and his eyes blindfolded in an Isle in the which place I will suffer him to die most miserably Not so Sir quoth Gloriant for the honour of our Lord Iesus Christ call to your remembrance howe that by Gods owne mouth Adam and Eue were forbidden from the eating of the fruit that was in Paradise yet they by their fragilitie brake Gods commaundement howbeit our Lord God had great pitie of them And therefore Sir I pray you haue pitie of Huon then Mallaborn stept foorth and sayd Alas Sir for the honour and reuerence of our Lord God I desire you to graunt me this one time that I may goe and ayd him When Oberon sawe he was so earnestly desired of Glorian◠and Mallaborn he was sore displeased and answearing sayd Mallaborn it pleaseth me so well that this Caytiffe Huon who endureth so much paine be visited by thée therefore I condemne thée to bee xxviij yeares a Monster in the Sea beside xxx yeares that thou art enioyned too alreadie Now I will that thou giuest him none other counsaile nor aid but alonely to beare him out of the Isle that he is in and to set him on the maine Land then let him goe whether hée will for I desire neuer more to see him Also I will that thou bringest againe vnto me my rich Horne of Iuorie and my rich Cup and my Armour fetch them there as hee hath lost them Alas Sir quoth Mallaborn great paine you put him vnto when for so smal an offence you are so sore displeased with Huon And as for the Armour that you would haue againe you know well how Huon of Bourdeaux did conquer it and hée had been lost if it had not béene great ill you shall doe if you cause him not to haue it againe But Sir since I haue Licence to bring him out of the Isle I pray you shewe mée in what place is the Isle whereas he is Then Gloriant sayd Brother Mallaborn this Isle is néere vnto Hell and it is called the Isle Noysant Well quoth Mallaborn then I commend you all to our Lord Iesus Christ and so he departed and came to the sea-side and when he came there he leapt into the Sea and began to swim as fast as the bird flyeth in the ayre and so arriued in the Isle Noysaunt and so came vnto Huon whome hée found sore wéeping and sayd Sir Huon I pray our Lord Iesus Christ to succour and aide thée Ah deare God quoth Huon who is that that speaketh vnto me Huon quoth hée I am a man who loueth thée and am called Mallaborn and am a beast of the Sea who hath before this time borne thée ouer the salt water to Babilon Ah Mallaborn déere Brother quoth Huon I require thée vnbind mée and bring me out of this dolorous paine With a right good will quoth Mallaborn then he did vnbind him and opened his eyes When Huon sawe that hée was right ioyfull and demanded who sent him thether Huon quoth he knowe for troth that it was King Oberon and whereas I was condemned before to be a beast of the Sea Thirtie yeares now for thy sake I must endure so eight and Twentie yeares more yet I care not for the paine for the loue that I beare vnto thée there is no paine impossible vnto mée to beare but I must carie againe vnto Oberon the rich Horne and Cup and Armour for so I haue promised King Oberon to doe Ah quoth Huon I pray to our Lord Iesus Christ to confound the Dwarfe who hath caused me to endure all these paines for so small an occasion Huon quoth Mallaborn you doe ill to say so for you haue no sooner spoken it but that King Oberon doth know it Certainly quoth Huon I care not what he can doe he hath done me so much ill that I can neuer loue him but Sir I pray thée tell me if thou wilt beare me hence or else whether that I must abide héere for euer Fréend quoth Mallaborn I will beare thée out of this Isle and set thée on the maine Lande other ayd may I not doe thée and then Mallaborn tooke vppon him againe his beasts skin and sayd Sir leape vppon mée then Huon leapt vppon his backe as naked as euer he was borne and Mallaborn leapt into the Sea and began to swim and came to the mayne Land and sayd Fréend Huon more seruice can I not doe vnto thée at this time but I recommend thée to the kéeping of our Lord God who send thee comfort I now must goe and séeke for the Horne Cup and Armor the which thou wert woont to haue and enioy and I am to beare them vnto King Oberon for thus haue I promised to doe Now Huon was there all alone and naked pitiously complayning and sayde Ah good Lord I require thée to ayde mée I know not where I am nor whether I may goe yet if I had cloathes to couer my
Horne and my Cup I would reckon al the sorrow that I haue endured as nothing But when I had xiij Knights to serue me how is this chaunce now turned that I my selfe must serue a poore Minstrell When Mouflet heard Huon make such sorow within him selfe hée said Déere brother Solater take good comfort for before to morow at night thou shalt see the good cheere that shall bee made to mée wherof thou shalt haue part and of all the goodes that I can get Maister quoth Huon Mahound reward you for the goodnes that ye haue shewed mée and shall do thus the maister and the seruant went foorth together deuising at last Huon espied behind them coming certē men of armes houlding the waye to Mombrance Maister quoth Huon héere behind vs are coming men in armour I know not whether they will doe vs any hurt or not Solater quoth Mouflet bee not abashed wee will abide héere and know whether they will goe and within a while the man of war came to them who were in number Fiue C. persons the minstrell saluted them and said Sirs I pray you shewe mee whether ye will goe Frend quoth one of them bicause we sée that ye be a gentle minstrell I shall shew you we are going to king Iuoryn of Mombrance who will néeds goe and make warre vppon the Admirall Galaffer bicause that now of late the Damsell Escleremond daughter to the Admirall Gaudise passed by Anfalerne who should haue béen brought to her Vncle king Iuoryn of Mombrance but the Admirall Galaffer tooke her by force and slew all them that ledde her and hath maryed the faire Escleremond whereof King Iuoryn is as sorowfull as may be and for that cause we be sent for by king Iuoryn who is minded to assemble all his power to go destroy the Admirall Galaffer Now I haue shewed you the cause of our going to the Citie of Mombrance Chap. LII ¶ How Huon and his Maister Mouflet arriued at Mombrance and how Huon spake with king Iuoryn WHen Huon of Bourdeaux vnderstood the Paynims how they were going where the Ladie Escleremond was he was surprized with ioy said to his Maister Sir I require you lette vs goe to the warres with them Solater quoth Mouflet beware what thou sayest for where as warre is I would not come there for any thing Thus they went foorth vntill they came to Mombrance and went straight to the Pallaice whereas they found King Iuoryn and all his Barons when the Minstrell saw him hee saluted him in the name of Mahound and sayde Sir I am right dolorous for the newes that I bring you for Sir your Brother my Lord and Maister the Admirall Gaudise is pitiously slayn Mouflet quoth Iuoryn these newes hath béen brought vnto mée before this time whereof I am much agréeued and also I am sorrie for my Néece the faire Escleremond who is kept from mée by the Admirall Galaffer and for any Messuage that I can send to him he will not send her backe to mée But by the faith that I owe to my God Mahound I shall make him such warre that the memorie thereof shall bee had an Hundred yeares héereafter For I shall leaue him neuer a foote of Land but I shall bring all into fire and flame and cleane destroy him and in the despite of his téeth I will sée my Neece Escleremond and if I may get her I shall cause her to be striken al to péeces and burne her into ashes for my Brother is dead by a Villaine of Fraunce vppon whome shée was amourous When Huon heard him speake of his Lady his heart rose made promise in himselfe that ere the moneth was past he would goe and sée her and find the meanes how to speake with her Then King Iuoryn called Mouflet the Minstrell and sayd Fréend I pray thée doe some thinge to make mée merrie for by reason of the displeasure that I haue had my ioy is lost therefore it were better for me to take some mirth then to bee long in sorrow Sir quoth Mouflet I am readie to doe your pleasure then hée tooke his Vyoll and playd thereof in such wise that it was great melodie to heare it for al the Paynims that were there had great ioy and mirth and made great feasting when Huon heard it he said Good Lord I require thée that this great ioy may turne to mée as to heare some good newes of her who I desire so sore to sée When the Minstrell had finished his song the Paynims did of their cloathes and some gaue him their Gownes some their Mantles hee thought himselfe right well happie that could giue the Minstrell any thing Huon had ynough to doo to gather together the cloathes that were giuen him and hée put them into his Male whereof Huon was ioyfull bicause he should haue the one halfe King Iuoryn beheld Huon and sayd vnto them that were about him great dammage it is that so faire a younge man should serue a Minstrell Sir quoth Mouflet be not abashed though this young man doe serue me hee hath cause so to doe for when your Brother was dead I departed from thence to come hether by the way I found a great Dake vnder the which I sat downe to rest me and there by was a great Fountaine faire and cleare there I spread abroad a Towell on the grasse and set thereon bread and such meate and drinke as I had and the same time this young man arriued and came vnto mee all naked and prayed me for the loue of Mahound to giue him some of my bread and so I did and cloathed him as you sée and I did so much for him that he promised to serue mée and to beare my Fardell and my Harpe and moreouer when I came to any passage of water hee would cast me in his necke as light as though I had béen nothing he is so strong and beare me ouer Ah poore Catiffe quoth King Iuoryn hast thou liued so longe cannot perceiue why he doth it he abideth vntill thou hast gotten some riches and then he will cut thy threat and cast thée into the Riuer and then goe away with all thy riches cause him to come and speake with mée Sir quoth Mouflet hée shall come to you and so he called Huon and brought him to King Iuoryn My fréend quoth the King I pray thée shewe me where thou wert borne for I haue pitie of thée to sée thée in so low estate as to bee Varlet to a Minstrell it were better for thée to serue some Prince or helpe to kéepe a Towne or a Castle rather then thus to loose thy time I wote not what I should thinke therein but that it séemeth to mee that thou art of a faint courage what hath mooued thée thus to doe thou séeest thy Maister hath nothing but that hee getteth with his Vyoll canst thou find none other meanes to liue by more honestly Sir quoth Huon I can Crafts ynow the
therewith by feare of the Tempest the Shippe came into the Hauen and caste their anchors Then Huon approached to the Ship and demaunded for the Patron and for the maister of them that were in the ship then the Marriners regarded the place whereas they were and they knew plainly by the great Tower that they were in the Port of Anfalerne whereof they had great feare and sayd one to another Ah good Lord God helpe vs for we sée well wee are but dead séeing wee bée arriued héere in this Port for wée knowe well that the Lord of this place is the most cruellest Paynim betwéen this and the red Sea Thus they complayned them one to another and Huon who was néere them vnderstood them well and sayd Sirs haue yée no doubt of death for yée are arriued at a good Port I require you to shew me from whence you come and what yée bée and they answeared sayd Sir séeing you can speake French we shall shew you so that you will assure our liues Sirs quoth Huon haue no feare of death nor of any hurt that yée shall haue for wee that haue this place in kéeping are French-men therefore shew vs hardly your entents Sir quoth they since you would know what wée bee wée are all borne in the Countrey of Fraunce and one of vs is of Saint Omers and some of the Citie of Paris and of diuers other parts of the Realme of Fraunce Fréends quoth Huon I pray you shew me if there be any among you borne in the Citie of Bourdeaux Sir quoth one of them heere is one in this ship that was borne in Bourdeaux an ould ancient man I thinke he be of an hundred yeares of age his name is Guyer and wee are going on pilgrimage for the loue of our Lord Iesus Christ to visit the holy Sepulchre but fortune by force of Tempest of the Sea hath caused vs to arriue héere and this Tempest hath endured these thrée dayes and thrée nights passed whereby wee be so wearie and so sore trauailed that wée can doe no more Fréend quoth Huon I pray you shew him foorth that you speake of Then the Patron of the Ship commaunded that the old man of Bourdeaux should come forth then Guyer the Prouost came to Huon and sayd Sir behold me héere what pleaseth it you to say vnto mée When Huon saw him he knew incontinent that it was Guyer the Prouost and sayd Fréend I require you shew mee where you were borne and what hath mooued you to come hether séeing the great age that you be of and to shew me what is your name Sir quoth he I shall shew you the truth I had a Lord whome I loued entirely hee was Sonne to Duke Seuin of Bourdeaux and hee was called Huon and it fell so out that after the death of his Father about a Seauen yeares King Charlemaine sent for him to doe his homage to receiue his Land of him the young man by the commaundement of his Mother he and his brother Gerard with him tooke their way towards Paris and by the way King Charlemaines Sonne called Charlot was lying in a wood by the counsaile of certaine Traytours and there lay in a waight to haue slaine Huon and his Brother Gerard but the case fell otherwise for Huon slew Charlot not knowing who it was wherefore Kinge Charlemaine banished him out of the Realm of Fraunce and charged him ere he returned to goe to Babilon to do a Messuage to the Admi Gaudise But his Brother Gerard aboad still at Bourdeaux to kéepe the heritage and then the Duchesse his Mother was so full of sorrowe that her Sonne was so banished without cause that shee tooke thereof such a maladie that shee dyed thereof about fiue yeares past and so thereby Gerard is Lord and Gouernour of all the Lands and hee is married to the daughter of the most cruellest Tirant from thence into Spaine and this Gerard hath learned of him many ill customes and hath left all the good wayes that was vsed in the dayes of Duke Seuin and of the Duchesse his Mother and hee hath raysed vp in all his Landes new Tayles and Gables and Impositions and chaced and put from him all noble men hee destroyeth the Burgesses and Marchants Widdowes Orphelings there can no man shew you the ill that hée hath done and doth dayly and he hath disenherited me And on a day the Barons of the Countrey desired me that I would take the paines to goe and search aswell by land as by water if I might finde the young Lord Huon who is our rightfull Lord it is now about two yeares that I haue searched for him in diuers Countreys but I coulde neuer heare one word of him whereof I am right sorrowfull to séeke him I haue spent all my gould and siluer howbeit these good Marchants haue taken me into their Ship and for the loue of God they thought to haue brought me into Fraunce but by fortune we be héere arriued at this Port. Chap. LXI ¶ Howe Huon and Gerames and all their companie with the faire Escleremond departed from the Castle of Anfalerne and sayled thence on the Sea WHen Huon vnderstood the Prouost Guyer he said vnto Gerames Sir come foorth héere I haue found your Brother Then Gerames came to his Brother and embraced and kissed him all wéping and said My deare fréend and Brother you be right heartily welcome Ah Brother quoth Guyer nowe I care not whether I liue or die séeing I haue found you and if it were so that yet once ere I dyed I might sée my Lord Huon then I cared not howe soone I dyed Ah deare Brother quoth Gerames you shall not die so soone and yet you shall sée Huon whose presence you so sore desire it is Huon to whome you haue spoken all this season Then Huon sore wéeping came and embraced Guyer and said My deare Fréend your comming is a ioy to my heart for a more truer Knight cannot bee found Sir quoth Guyer doe you know mée Yea truely quoth Huon and do you know mée Yea Sir quoth Guyer you are greatly desired in Fraunce and Brother Gerames I desire you to shew me where you haue béen since I sawe you for it is about Fortie yeares since you departed out of Fraunce then Gerames shewed him all his life and shewed at length how he found Huon Longe they were talking together whereof they of the Ship were right ioyfull for then they sawe well they were arriued at a good Port and then Huon said to the Marriners Sirs I pray you make this night no great noyse nor make no fire nor shewe no light for héere before the castle is lodged two Admirals Paynims who haue swoorne that they will neuer goe hence vntill they haue vs at their pleasure therefore I counsaile that wee may escape out of this castle wée bée hére about thurteene persons and with vs a noble Ladie wherefore I require you let vs come into your
Sir if it be your pleasure to come to the Abbey of Saint Maurise there shall ye find your brother Huon who is come lately from beyond the sea when Duke Gerard heard certainely how his brother Huon was come to the Abbey of Saint Maurise hee was so ouercome with ire and displeasure that his visage became like a flame of fire and sayd to the messenger Goe and returne and say to my brother Huon that I will incontinent come and visite him Sir quoth he I shall shew him of your comming and so departed and came again to the Abby and shewed Huon what his brother Gerard had sayd And when Duke Gerard saw that the messenger was departed he was sorrowfull and pensiue and called to him his father in law his wiues father who was named Gibouars the most falsest traitour that was from the East to the West and Gerard said to him Sir I pray you giue me counsell in that I haue to doe for all the diuels in hell haue brought my Brother Huon from the parts beyond the Sea and he is now present in the Abbey of Saint Maurise the Abbot there hath sent me word thereof and that I should come thether to speake with him for as to morrow he would depart to goe to Paris to the king so that when he is come thether he will doe so much that all his land shal be rendred to him and that I shal haue neuer a foot of land left me but that which yée haue giuen me with my wife your Daughter wherefore deare Father in law I pray you in this great matter to councell and aid me or else I am but lost Faire Sonne quoth Gibouars dismay you nothing for without my wit doe faile me I thinke to play him a tourne that it had béen better for him to haue tarried where he was than to haue come hether to claime my land Chap. LXV ¶ How Gybouars of Beam and Gerard practised Huons death and how the traitour Gerard came to see his brother Huon who with great ioy receiued him THus as ye haue heard these two traitours conspired and then Gybouars sayd to Gerard. Faire sonne go ye your way to your brother Huon and take with you but one Squier and when you come there make to him all the chéere you can and shew him as great loue as ye can doe and humble your selfe to him to the intent that he take in you no suspicion But when the morning commeth hast him to depart and when ye câ—me with him néere such a little wood find some rigorous words to him and make as though ye were displeased with him and I shall be readie in that same little wood ambashed and xl men of armes with me And when I see that words are betwéene you I shall issue out and slay al those that come with him so that none shal escape aliue and then take your brother Huon and cast him into prison in one of the Towres of your Pallaice in Bourdeaux and there miserably he shall end his dayes and then in haste ye shall ride to Paris But ere ye goe to Paris ye shall take from him the Admiralles beard and great téeth and then ye shall shew to the King how Huon your brother is returned without bringing either beard or téeth of the Admirall Gaudys and how for that cause you haue put him in prison The King will beleeue you for he hateth Huon greatly because of the death of his sonne Charlot whom hee slew for the hate that the King hath to him in his heart shall neuer depart from him and therefore sonne when you be with your brother demaund of him if he haue the Admirals beard and téeth or not and whether he doe beare them himselfe or who else for if he haue them not he shall neuer haue peace with the King but he will cause him to be slaine of an euill death either hanged or drawne for your brother laide hostage promising that he would neuer returne without he brought with him the Admirall Gaudys beard and great téeth and also he promised that he would neuer enter into his heritage till he had spoken with the King and that was enioyned him on paine of death Thus as ye haue heard these two Traitours deuised and concluded the death of Huon Gerard quoth Gibouars thinke well on your businesse and I shall goe and assemble together fortie of my most secret seruants and in other places where I can get them to furnish this enterprise Sir quoth Gerard I shall goe to the Abbey to see my brother when it is a little néere to night So when the houre came the false Traytor departed from Bourdeaux and with him but one Squier and so they rode till they came to the Abbey and there alighted and when he perceiued his brother Huon hee imbraced and kissed him with such a kisse as Iudas kissed Christ When Huon saw his brother Gerard come with such humilitie the water fell from his eyes with kindnesse and embraced him and kissed him and sayd Right déere brother I haue great ioy to see you I pray you shew me how ye haue done since my departure Sir quoth Gerard right well now I see you in good health Brother quoth Huon I haue great maruaile that ye bee thus come alone without company Sir quoth Gerard I did it for the more humilitie because I know not how ye shall speede with the king nor whether ye shall haue againe your land or no if God will that ye shall haue it I shal assemble al the Barons of the court to receiue you to make you cheere according this Sir I shall do till you returne for often times these great Princes are mutable lightly beleeue for this cause Sir I am secretly come to you Brother quoth Huon your aduise is good I am content that you thus doe and to morrow betimes I will depart towards Paris then these two Brethren tooke each other by the hand making great ioy Brother quoth Gerard I am right ioyous when I sée you thus returned in health and prosperitie haue you accomplished the Messuage that Kinge Charles charged you withall Brother quoth Huon know for troth that I haue the beard and great téeth of the Admirall Gaudise and beside that I haue brought with me his Daughter the faire Escleremond whom I haue taken to my wife and wedded her in the Citie of Rome and also I haue héere with me thirtie Somers charged with gould and siluer and rich Iewels garnished with pecious stones whereof the halfe part shall be yours and if I should shew thee the paines trauailes and pouerties that I haue endured since I sawe you last it would bee ouer-long to rehearse Sir quoth Gerard I beléeue you well but Sir I pray you shew me by what meanes or aid you did bring your Enterprize to an end Brother quoth Huon it was by a king of the Fayrie called Oberon who did mée such succour and ayd that
Sir Emperour Charlemaine you haue well heard the confession of Gerard of the great treason that Gybouars and he haue done vnto Huon but by the Lord that fourmed me to his semblance both they two and the Abbot and his Chaplaine shall bée hanged for their false witnesse By the faith that I owe to Saint Denis quoth King Charlemaine they cannot escape it Sir quoth Duke Naymes it is great sinne to trouble a noble man you shall doe well if all foure be hanged When all the Lordes heard Gerard confesse that great treason that hée had done vnto his Brother they blessed them and had great maruaile of the false treason that the one Brother did to the other Chap. LXXV ¶ How King Oberon caused to be hanged the foure Traytours Gerard Gybouars and the two Monkes for their false witnesse and of the peace made betweene Huon and Charlemaine And how King Oberon gaue vnto Huon his Realme of the Fayrie WHEN King Oberon had heard Gerard confesse the treason done to his Brother and heard howe Gerard had offered to goe and fetch the beard great téeth and how he had denied him to goe then he sayd I wish them here vpon this Table he had no sooner made his wish but they were set on the Table whereof all such as were there hadde great maruaile Sir quoth Huon to King Oberon humbly I require you that of your grace you will pardon my Brother Gerard all the ill that he hath done against me for he did it by Gybouars and as for me héere and before God I pardon him and Sir if you will doe thus I shal be content therewith And to th entent that we may vse our liues from henceforth in good peace and loue I will giue him the halfe part of my Lands Signiories and Sir in the honour of our Lord Iesus Christ haue pity of him When the Lords that were there present vnderstood Huon they all for pity began to wéepe sayd among themselues that Huon was a noble knight and that it had béen pity if the matter had framed otherwise Sir Huon quoth Oberon it is not necessarie to request this for all the gold that is in the world shall not respit their deaths I wish by the puissance that I haue in the Fayrie that here beneath in the meadow there be a paire of Gallows and all iiij thereon hanged Incontinent it was don all iiij hanged thus as ye haue hard the traitors were paid their deserts When king Charlemaine had séene the great maruailes that were done by king Oberon he sayd to his Lords Sirs I beléeue this man be some God himselfe for there is no mortall man can doe this that he hath done When Oberon vnderstood the Emperour he sayd Sir know for truth I am no God but I am a mortall man as you be and was engendred on a woman as you were and my father was Iulius Cesar who engendred me on the Ladie of the Secret Isle who had béene before louer to Florymont sonne to the Duke of Albany she bare me nine moneths in her wombe and I was begotten by Iulius Cesar when he went into Thessaly after Pompey the Great he was amorous of my mother because she prophesied that my Father Iulius Cesar should winne the battaile as he did and when I was borne there were with my mother many Ladies of the Fairye and by them I had many gifts and among other there was one that gaue mee the gift to be such a one as you sée I am whereof I am sory but I cannot be none otherwise for when I came to the age of thrée yéeres I grew no more and when this Ladie sawe that I was so little to content againe my mother shee gaue me againe that I should be the fairest creature of the world and other Ladyes of the Fairie gaue me diuers other gifts the which I ouerpasse at this time and therefore Sir know for truth that aboue all things God loueth faith and troth when it is in men as it is here in Huon and because I know for certaine that he is true and faithfull therefore I haue alwaies loued him After that king Oberon had ended his words and shewed the Emperour Charlemaine of all his estate he called Huon and sayd Sir arise vp and take the beard and the téeth and beare them to king Charlemaine and desire him to render you your landes as he promised Sir quoth Huon I ought so to doe then Huon came to King Charlemaine and sayd Sir by your grace and if it may please you receiue here the beard and téeth of the Admirall Gaudis Huon quoth the King I hold you quit and I render to you all your lands and signiories and pardon you of all mine ill will and put all rancour from mée and from hencefoorth I retaine you as one of my Péeres Sir quoth Huon of this I thanke God and your grace Then the Emperour Charlemaine clipped and kissed Huon in token of peace and loue When the Lords saw that they wept for ioy and thanked God that the peace was made and especially Duke Naymes was ioyfull then within a while diuers of the Lords departed from the Court Then king Oberon called Huon vnto him and sayd Sir I commaund you as dearely as you loue mée that this same day foure yeare to come that you come into my Citie of Momur for I will giue you my Realme and all my dignitie the which I may lawfully do for at my birth it was giuen me that I might so doe for it lyeth in mée to giue it whereas I thinke best and bicause I loue you so entirely I shall set the crowne vpon your head and you shal be King of my Realme And also I will that you giue vnto Gerames all your Landes and Signiories in these parts for he hath well deserued it for with you and for your loue hee hath suffered many great trauailes Sir quoth Huon séeing this is your pleasure I ought well to be pleased therewith and I shall accomplish all your commandements Huon quoth Oberon know for troth I shall not abide longe in this world for so is the pleasure of god it be houeth me to go into paradice where as my place is appointed in the fayrie I shall bide no longer but beware as dearly as you loue your life that yée faile not to be with me at the daie that I haue appointed beware that yée forget it not for if yee faile I shall cause you to die an ill death and therefore remember it well When Huon heard king Oberon he was right ioyfull and stooped downe to haue kissed his féet but then Gloriant and Mallaborn tooke him vp Then said Huon Sir for this great guift I thanke you Chap. LXXVI ¶ How King Oberon departed and tooke leaue o f king Charlemaine and of Huon and Escleremond and also how king Charlemaine departed from Bourdeaux WHen king Oberon had imparted to Huon as much as he
sworne your death therefore if you enter into the Tourney you can neuer escape the death and I haue heard Duke Raoul sweare that when he hath slaine you hée will keepe all your Landes When Duke Huon had heard the Varlet hee sware by God and made a solemne promise that Duke Raoul should dearely buy his false treason Then the Duchesse Escleremond knéeled downe before Huon and sayd Deare Lord I desire you to forbeare your going thether at this time for I haue heard often repeated that this Duke Raoull is puissant and hath great Lands besides is Nephew to the Emperour of Almaine and also I haue heard say that a faller Traytour there is none lyuing in this world Madame quoth Huon I haue well heard you but by the Lord that fourmed me to his Image though I should loose halfe my landes yet will I goe to sée the Traytor what thinketh he to abash me with his threatenings If I may méete him at the Tournay or in any other place where soeuer it be though he had with him ten Thowsand men of armes and that I had alonely but my swoord in my hand I shall slay him whatsoeuer should fall thereof and let our Lord God do with me as it shall please him I shall neuer haue ioy at my heart till I haue slaine him When the Duchesse heard Huon how he would doe none otherwise and that shée could not let him of his enterprize she was sorrowfull and said Sir séeing it is your pleasure reason it is that I must be content but yet Sir I desire you to take with you x. M. men well armed to thintent that ye be not found vnprouided so that if ye be assayled yet yée may be of sufficient puissance to resist your enemies and that it will please you to suffer me to goe with you and I will he armed with my shéeld and swoord by my side and if I may méete Duke Raoull I shall giue him such a buffet that I shall strike him from his horse for I am so displeased with him that there is no ioynt in me but in trembleth for anger and I shall neuer haue ioy at my heart till I be reuenged of him When Huon heard the Duchesse his wife he was well comforted and began to laugh and said Faire Ladie I giue you great thankes for your wordes but yee are too farre gone with child to ride armed it is a vij moneths past since yée were first with child then Huon made to be proclaimed in all his lands that euery man should be readie to goe with him to the Tourney at Mayence The Dukes entent was anon knowen throughout all the countrie so that it being spread abroad the brute therof came to the hearing of the Duke Raoull and when he heard that Huon would come to the Tournay hee was not a little ioyfull thereof then hee sware he would go and sée Escleremond in the guise of a Pylgrime and then hee putte on a beggers garment and tooke a staffe and a wallet hée shewed his intent to them of his priuie Councell they would haue stopped his going but they could not Thus he apparelled himselfe like a beggar and with an hearbe rubbed on his face and handes that such as had not séene him otherwise apparelled could not haue knowne him hée was so foule and blacke then he desired his men to kéepe secret his enterprise Then hee departed from Vyenna and neuer rested till hee came to the Citie of Bourdeaux and so went vnto the Pallayce where hée founde Huon amongst his Barons making great chéere and feast for vnto him were come diuers Lords and Knights deuising of the Tourney that should be holden at Mayence Thus Raoull came before Huon and desired him for the honor of our Lord God to giue him some meat and almes Friend quoth Huon thou shalt haue inough but I pray thée tell me from whence thou commest and whether thou wilt go and of what countrie thou art Sir quoth Raoull I was borne in the countrey of Berry but it is xx yeres past since I was there when I departed thence I was but yong for if I saw my father or mother now before me I should not know them Sir I came froÌ„ beyond the Sea wheras I haue been prisoner among the Sarazins the space of 14. yéeres in a strong Castle where I haue suffered much disease of hunger and cold and at the last I escaped by reason of a yong man to whome I promised that if hée could bring mee to Acre in sauegard that I would then giue him twentie Duckets of gold the yong man was couetous to haue the money and founde the meanes that hee brought mee to Acre whereas I founde a kinsman of mine who payed the yonge man the money the which I had promised vnto him and also hee gaue me fifteene Ducates the which I haue spent with comming hether Fréend quoth Huon I pray vnto God to ayd thée for if thou wert not so ill apparelled thou shouldest séeme a man of a high lineage for it séemeth to me if thou wert well armed weaponed and were in some businesse thou wert like ynough to be feared Chap. LXXX ¶ Howe after that Duke Raoul had beene at Bourdeaux in the guise of a Pilgrime to see the faire Ladie Escleremond he returned againe to Vyenna AFter that Huon hadde long deuised with Raoul hée washed sat downe to diner and the Duchesse his wife by him then Huon commaunded that at the end of the Table right before his Table Raoul the Pilgrime should bee set and there hee was well serued but Raoul had litle care either of meat or drinke for his thought was of another matter whereupon he sore studied for before him he saw the noble Duchesse Escleremond of whom he was so amourous that he could not withdraw his eies from her for the more he beheld her the more hee was embraced with her loue he thought he neuer sawe before so faire a Ladie in all his life so that for the great beautie that was in her hée changed often times his colour but it could not bee perceiued bicause he was so blacke and foule with rubbing of certaine hearbes and he sayd within himselfe that whosoeuer had such a Ladie to his Wife might well make auant to be the happiest man of the world euen hee that might but haue his pastime with so faire a Ladie swâ—â—re by the Lorde that fourmed him though he should bée damned in hell for euer he would slay Huon and haue his Wife in mariage and all Huons Lands to be his for euer Alas that it had not pleased our Lord God that at this houre Huon might haue knowne the treason of Raoull hee shoulde then haue bought it full dearely When the Traytour had eaten and made good théere Huon gaue him a Gowne shirt hose and shooes and monney for his dispence Raoul tooke it he durst not refuse it but thanked Huon and so tooke his
but they within cast them downe so that they had no power to rise vp againe for there was cast downe vpon them earth timber and stones Fierce was the assault that the Almaines made they within made noble defence for Huon and Gerames shot so with their crosbowes thar at euery shoote they slew some man or sore wounded him and long endured this assault so that finally the Almaines were constrained to recule backe a bow shoote whereof they within were very ioyfull Then the Emperour Tirrey being sorrowfull and full of rage came to his men and rebuked them shamefully commaunding them that incontinent they should returne again to assaile the Citie saying that they should not faile to winne it Then the Almaines to please their Lord retourned in great hast with their ladders pikes and came into the dikes whereas then there was no water raysed them vp to the walles but they were no sooner vp but they within beat them downe againe and put them in danger of their liues for they cast downe Timber stones and faggots with fire and hoat oyle and lead vppon them so that the assailants were faine perforce to recoile backe and they within shot arrowes so thicke that it seemed like snowe The Emperour was sore displeased and Duke Sauary when they saw none other remedie many were slaine and sore hurt and the Emperor and Sauary his Brother seeing that they could nothing profite sounded the retrait and so returned to their Tents sore displeased for their great losse that they had for they lost that day more then two Thousand men lyinge dead in the feeld and in the Dikes and more then thrée Thousand sore hurt Then Duke Sauary sayd to the Emperor Sir me thinks it is but folly to assaile this Citie it is strong and well furnished with men and good Knightes to defend it wherefore we may well perceiue that without great damage we cannot winne it without it be by famine for hee that is Lorde thereof is hardy and cruell and to be feared and doubted for he is expert in armes wherefore it is impossible to take the Citie perforce When the Emperour vnderstoode him hee was right sorrowfull and made againe newe promise not to depart thence vntill hee had Huon at his pleasure Huon who little set by the threatnings of the Emperour went into his Pallaice and said to his men Sirs we ought greatly to thanke God for the defence of our Citie many Almains â—ee slaine and hurt I doubt them nothing for our Citie is strong before it be lost it will cost many men their liues I desire you all take good héed that we be not beguiled Sir quoth they we shall take good héed thereof as well for you as for the sauegard of our liues Thus Huon and his men deuised together howbeit they were sore greeued for at the beginning they were about twentie Thousand men then they were not aboue six Thousand Now let vs leaue speaking of them and speake of the Emperour who was right sorrowfull for his losse Chap. LXXXXIIII ¶ How Huon sent Habourey his Messenger to the Emperour to require peace and of his answeare WHen the Emperor hadde heard Duke Sauary his Brother speake he made a solemne oath that whatsoeuer fortune should fall hee would not depart thence Winter nor Summer till hee had wonne the Citie and then he sent for his Réerband as farre as his Empire stretched commaunding euerie man to come to him all excuses layd apart and so they did Now of their comming by the way I make no mention but so long they trauailed that they came within a League of Bourdeaux and when the Emperour knew thereof he had great ioy and mounted on his horse with other Lords with him and road met them and spake to them and made them good cheere Thus his force encreased Huons diminished daily often times Huon issued out vpon his horse called Amphage made daily many great Skirmishes sometime hée wan and sometime hee lost he slew many Almaines so that they all feared him for there was none that durst abide him his horse was so cruell that none durst approach néere him without he were slaine Huons men quit them valiantly so that if they lost at one time they wan iij. times for it but their force could not long endure for their enemies were so many they so few they had made so many issues that they had lost many of their company for of xx M. they were left but v. C. men wherof Huon was sorowfull Now when he saw that he had but v. C. men he called to him Gerames Othon Barnard Richard saying Sirs I see that euery day we diminish wherfore we cannot long endure against the Emperors force therefore I thinke that it were good that wee sent to the Emperor to know if he wil heare speaking of any peace Sir quoth they wee thinke your aduise right good and it were good to knowe if hee will agrée thereto or not Then Huon called Habourey his Messenger and commaunded him that incontinent he should goe to the Emperour and say vnto him that if it bee his pleasure to heare speaking of any peace I shall quoth he condescend therto and to make him amends at his pleasure for the wronge and damage that I haue done vnto him and his men Also shew him how that I will become his man and doe him homage for all the Landes that I haue the which I was woont to hould of the King of Fraunce but séeing I haue no succour from him I am driuen perforce to purchase for my profit in some other place And besides that shewe him that the fiue Hundred Prisoners that I haue of his men I shall deliuer them quit without any raunsome paying and also when Lent commeth I and a Hundred knightes with me at my cost charges shall passe the Sea and goe to the holy Sepulchre to pray for the Soules of his Nephews that I haue slaine and for all other that haue been slaine by occasion of this warre Sir quoth the Messenger I am readie to fulfill your commaundement whatsoeuer fall thereof and so hee departed went to the Emperours Hoast entred into the riche Tent and then hee kneeled downe before the Emperour and sayd The almightie God who on the Crosse dyed to saue all humane kinde kéepe and defend from all ill the Emperour all his Barony Sir Duke Huon of Bourdeaux sendeth to you salutation and good amitie requiring you in the honour of god that he may haue peace with you by that hee will become your liege-man and doe you homage and hould his Landes of you and will deliuer quite the fiue Hundred men of yours that he hath in prison in the Citie and moreouer hee offereth himselfe and a Hundred Knights to passe the Sea this next Lent and to goe to the holy Sepulchre to pray to our Lord God for the soules of your Nephewes
daunger thereof When Huon vnderstood Iudas he had great maruaile ioyned his hands toward the heauen thanking God of the grace that hee had sent him Then Huon desired the Patron that they might depart from thence in haste Sir quoth he it shall bee done Then they drew vp theyr sayles and departed and they had not sailed a league but that the saw a farre off great brands of fire burning issuing out of the Gulfe so long and so high that they had neere hand come to theâ—r ship and the waues that issued out of the Gulfe were as high as mountaines and they approched so nere vnto their shippe that they had like to haue perâ—â—hes for there 〈◊〉 was neere hand full of water so that they had 〈◊〉 to 〈◊〉 to lade out the water and were fayne to abate theyr sayle and the water that â—ssed out of the Gulfe draâ—e them so â—â—orftly that a bird could not die no faster then they went In that case they weâ—e a moneth and durst neuer hoyse vppe sayle but thus they draue a great season without seeing of any land then Huon called vppon God and saide Ah verie God I hadde rather haue tarried still in mine owne Countrey and haue taken such fortune as it should haue pleased thée to send mee then heere to bée lost in this strange Sea Deare Laâ—ie Escleremond I pray vnto God to keepe you and Clariet my Daughter for I thinke that I shall neuer see you more Thus Huon complained sayling in the Sea in feare of his life and thus they were in the daunger of this Gulfe fiue weekes and neuer coulde see lande whereof they were in great feare often times they prayed to our Lord to haue pity of them Then Huon desired the Patrone to mount vp to the Mast to see if he might see any land and the Patrone who greatly desired so to doe anone hee mounted vp and regarded on all parts to see if hee might espy any land At last he saw a farre off an hye rocke and on the height thereof they sawe a thicke wood and at the entrie of the wood hee sawe a little house whereof hee thanked God and descended downe and shewed Huon what hee had seene and sayd Sir yonder a farre off I haue seen a great Rocke and on the height thereof a great thicke wood and therein I haue séene a little house or hermitage the house is white I cannot tell what it is but by the grace of God ere it be night wee shall land there and refresh our selues When Huon heard that hee was right ioyfull and thanked God then they drew to that Port and had good wind and a fresh wéening to haue come thether the same night but they sayled foure daies and foure nights and could come no neerer to the wood then they were before whereof they had maruaile for it seemed to them euer that the wood and the house roase vp higher and higher and then they could not tell whether they went for if they had known they would not haue gone thether for al the gold in the world for if God had not had pitie of them they were all likely to haue beene lost for the place that they sawe a farre of was a Castle and therein cloased the Rocke of the Adamant the which Castle was dangerous to approach for if any Ship come neere it and haue any yron nayles within it and that a shippe come but within the sight thereof the Adamant will draw the Shippe vnto him And therefore in those parts the Shippes that sayleth by that Sea are made and pinned with woodden nayles and without any manner of yron otherwise they be lost and perished for the propertie of the Adamant is to draw yron to him Thus Huon and his company were there the space of sixe dayes going and sayling about the Rocke of the Castle of the Adamant But if they had had a good wind the first day they had arriued euen at the white house that they saw first in the wood the which was the fairest and most richest house in the world within the which was so much gould and riches that no man liuing could esteeme the value thereof for the Pillars within that hâ—use were of Cassedony and the wals and Towers of white Alablaster There was neuer described in Scripture nor Historie the beautie of such a Castle as this was for when the Sun cast his rayes on it it seemed a farre of to be of fine christall it was so cleare shining In this Castle was neither man nor woman but dead mens bones lying at the gate of this Castle and at the Port there lay many Shippes so that their Mastes seemed a farre off to bee a great Forrest Chap. C. ¶ How Huon deuised with his Patrone in regarding of the Castle of the Adamant THis castle was set on a rock of the Adamant â—one from the East to the west was not so strong a Castle for if all the world had come before it and men within to defend it could neuer be wonne by any mortall men The forrest that so seemed to them a farre off were the â—aâ—â—s of shippes that had beene there arriued by constraint of the Adamant but for all the shippes that were there there was no man liuing therein yet there lay bones of men that had died by famine rage Huon and his câ—mâ—aâ—te had great maruaile for when they approached 〈◊〉 to the Castle they 〈◊〉 forced to strike sayle for the â—daâ—ant drew the shippe so sore that if they had not quickly striken their sayle their shippe had broken all to péeces and they all béen drowned in the sea The ship went so fast that it was maruailous to consider it and then the Patron of the shippe who was wise and discreet knew anon how they were néere to the Castle of the Adamant because their shippe went so fast without sayle thetherward faster than if they had had a full winde in all their sailes and they could not turne their ship any way from that part for they would gladly haue returned but it would not bee because the Adamant drew the yron so sore to him by nature When the Patron saw that néedes they must arriue there he began pitiously to lament and saide to Huon Sir our Lord God hath created vs in this world to liue and to die and there is none but must passe the passage of this and because wee knowe surely that no creature can escape that therefore we ought to be content with that which can be none otherwise Sir I say this that we must all dye When Huon heard the Patron he had great maruaile and said Patron I pray you shew me the cause why yée say thus in this Castle that we see before vs are there any Sarazins within it or spirits of hell that haue sworne our death surely I doubt them not make good cheere and bee nothing abashed take good courage and ioy â—or by the ayd of our
to get any fresh victuall then it is reason that the Lord and Captaine to haue the one halfe to his part and the other part 〈◊〉 to bee deuided amongest his men Maister quoth 〈◊〉 you may doe your pleasure doe as you shall thinke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Patrone caused all their victuals to bee brought 〈…〉 was deuided the Patrone was a wise man 〈…〉 that hee began to weepe hee did eate but 〈…〉 because his victuall should endure the 〈…〉 all that but little auailed for before fifteene 〈…〉 all their victuals were spent except Huons 〈…〉 man part and kept for 〈…〉 other men had And as they were in this 〈…〉 a Galley wherein were Thirtie men 〈…〉 and Pirats of the Sea they came and arriued â—eere â—â— the Shippe whereas Huon was in not knowing what place they were in when they arriued it was in a darke night they had great maruaile of Huons Shippe wherein they sawe great light and then they sayd one to another it is happie for 〈◊〉 that wee haue found heere this faire Shippe it can â—ot â—ee but it is rich and full of goods they shall not escape vs 〈◊〉 shalâ— bee ours for therâ—in are â—ut fewe men to defend the Shippe Chap. CX ¶ Howe a Galley with Sarazins came and â—ffâ—yled Huon who 〈…〉 and also all Huons men and how Huon went to 〈…〉 of the Adamant and slewe the great Serpent and of 〈…〉 that hee found there WHen Huon saw the Galley ariue and going to his Shippe hee hadde great maruaile what men they were then he alighted a torch and toâ—ke it in his hand and came 〈…〉 on the Shippe and sayd Sirs of this 〈…〉 well arriued heere wee haue great ioy of your companie wheÌ„ the Sarasins heard Huon they perceiued by his language that he and his companie were Christian men then each of them beheld other smiling for ioy one of them turned his spéech and spake good Spanish and sayde to Huon Fellow it is no néede for vs to hide what wee bée all wee that thou séest héere bee Sarasins and ye be Christned wherefore we will haue al the riches that is in your ship and beside that all your heads shall be striken off and your bodyes cast into the sea Paynim quoth Huon ere thou hast our shippe at thy commandement first thou shalt buye it déerely Then Huon cryed to his men that they should arme themselues to defende them from the Paynims the which they did diligently And Huon who was readie armed and by that time the Sarasins were entred into the shippe Huon was readie before them with his sword in his hand wherewith he strake the first that he mette with all in such wise that his head flew from his shoulders Then he strake another and claue him to the throat and so the third and the fourth were shortly slaine he layd on so rounde about him that his enemies were afrayde to behold him Then the cheefe maister of the theeues came and rebuked his men because they had suffered Huon to doe them so much hurt and domage he approached to Huon to haue striken him but Huon who was light and expert in déedes of armes auoyded his stroke and strake the Sarasin with a reuerse that his head flew from his body a great way off Then Huon cryed Bourdeaux to reioyce his men and to giue them courage Also Arnolde who had seene the Serpent in the Castle did maruailes and beate downe his enemies whereof Huon had great ioy And there was a great mightie Sarasin who came behinde this knight Arnold as he fought with another Sarasin and he gaue Arnold with an axe such a great stroke that hee claue his head to the téeth whereof Huon was right sorrowfull and sayd hee had rather die then the death of Arnold should not be reuenged Then hee approached neere vnto the same Paynim and lifting vppe his Sworde with both his handes hee strooke the Sarasin on the shoulder that the sword entred into the breast And the Patron of Huons Shippe vnarmed came into the battaile with a great staffe in his handes wherewith hee laid vppon the Sarazins in such wise that such as hee strake needed after no Surgion Then a Sarazin aduised him and came and gaue the Patrone such a stroake with a Swoord vppon the head that his head was clouen to the braine wherewith Huon was right sorrowfull and sore displeased But it was not long before he reuenged his death for hee strake the Sarazin such a stroake that hee claue him to the breast and when the Patrones Seruaunts sawe that their Maister was slayne they all made great sorrowe and disarmed as they were they came and entred into the Battaile with great staues in their handes and fought with them fiercely But the Sarazins who were all armed had anone slayne them all whereof Huon was right sorrowfull and angry for hee hadde then with him lest aliue no moe but foure men of defence And the Sarazins who in the beginning were Thirtie were all slayne except seauen persons they greatly feared Huon for they sawe well that none coulde endure against his stroakeâ— and then they fledde out of Huons shippe and entred into their owne Galley But Huon and his thrée Knightes that were with him followed them so fast that they slew them all and caste them into the Sea Then Huon and the thrée Knightes that were with him tooke all the flesh bread and wine that was in the Galley and bare it into their shippe whereby they liued more then seauen Monethes And then when their victuals begann to fayle then they were right sorrowfull they had no victuall to liue by longe and yet they did â—aâ—e but little so they beganne to be pale and leane through famine pitiously Huon complayned and sayd Oh yee my déere and true Freends who for my loue haue left your Lands your Wiues and Children nâ—we I peâ—ceiue yée must néedes die for thâ—â—agâ— of famine â—las poore Cayliffe that I am I shall not longe liue after you great pitie it was to heare the complaints that Huon made who saw that he must folow the same daunce Then hee sayd Ah faire Ladie Escleremond I shall neuer see you more I pray vnto our Lord God that hee will comfort you in all your affaires as for mee poore soule it is impossible to liue foure dayes longer After that hee had made this pitifull complaint hee beheld the thrée Knights who rendred vp their soules and died through hunger The pitifull complaints that then he made was pitie to heare he had no hope to be aided by any mortall man wherefore he knew surely that hee could not liue aboue twoo dayes longer Then all weeping hee went from his Knightes that lay there dead and went to the board of his shippe and looked into the Sea to see if hee might espie any manner of Shippe comming thether For hee thought that if any shippe came thether of the Sarazins hee woulde haue some victuals or else to
dye in the quarrell Thus Huon was there alone without any company sore weeping and almost dead through famine When Huon sawe that no manner of shippe was comming thether hee was right sorrowfull Then hee turned him and regarded the Castle the which seemed vnto him maruailously faire and great and sayd Ah good Lord how can it be that this faire and rich Castle should bee voyd without man or woman I haue great maruaile of that sir Arnold shewed mee for he shewed me that within the Castle there was neither man nor woman and howe that there should bee a great Serpent I cannot tell whether it be true or not or whether hee spake it for feare but by the grace of God though I shall die in the quarell I will knowe the troth for I were as good to die by the horrible Serpent as to die for hunger Then hee tooke his good Sword and put on his helmet and tooke his sheeld and did so much with going from shippe to shippe vntill hee came to the gate of the land And then with much paine hee mounted vp the degrees and so came to the Castle and then he sat downe and rested him and beheld the faire Castle he thought that he neuer saw none such before for the wals and Towers were of fine Alablaster cleare shining and the Towers richly couered with fine goulde of Arabia when the Sunne cast his rayes and spheares thereuppon it cast so great a light that it gaue light a farre off and when hee had longe beheld it at his pleasure hee sawe the gate the which was faire and rich that great beautie was to beholde it for the twoo leaues of the gate were couered with fine goulde intermedled with other rich ouerages And on his right side he saw by the gate a window and ouer the same there was written in Letters of gould saying Let any man beware how he entreth into this Castle without hee bee the worthyest Knight of all other or else it were folly to assay it For he shall find there such aduentures as if his bodie were harder then a stethye of steele yet hee should be but dead and lost without hee bee of that puissance to resiste againste the great Serpent and vanquishe him many men haue assayled that neuer coulde speed and he that will enter into the Castle behold a little purse that hangeth on the right hand of the gate where he shall find the key for to open the gate When Huon had read the writing hee began sore to muse in himselfe and said Good Lord since thou hast saued mee from so many perils in time past I humbly require thee at this time to ayde and succour mee and to giue me that grace that I may vanquish this horrible Serpent and bring him to the death for I had rather die in fighting like a valiant knight then to die for famine Then Huon arose vp and went to the purse and tooke out the key and opened the gate and entred and closed the gate againe after him Chap. CII ¶ How Huon of Bourdeaux fought with the horrible Serpent and slew him within the Castle of the Adamant WHen Huon was entred into the Castle hee sawe before the Hall dore the horrible Serpent who was risen vp his skin was of diuers colours and it was so hard that no yron nor steele could enter into it When Huon sawe the beast so great hee doubted himselfe and called vppon Iesus Christ requiring him to haue pity vppon him and to giue him the grace to slay that dreadfull beast when the beast sawe Huon hee had great maruaile for hee had beene there a long space that neuer man came there he stretched out his clawes and cast his tayle round about him and came hastily against Huon who when he sawe the beast approach neere to him hee made the signe of the Crosse vppon his forehead recommending himselfe to God with his Sword in his hand and his sheeld before him and hee fiercely marched towards the Serpent he was so hideous and fearful to behold that the beast seemed rather an enemie of Hell then any other beaste his bodie was maruailous great with an ougly head with twoo eyes bigger then twoo basons full of burning fire and when hee came neere vnto Huon hée lifted vp one of his pawes thinkinge to haue drawne downe Huon to the earth hee strake vpon Huons Sheeld with such force that hee pulled it from his shoulder leather nor buckle could not resiste it and then with his teeth and nayles hee tare the Sheeld all to peeces Huon who was legier and light leapt by the side of the Serpent and gaue him a great stroake with his Sword vppon the eare that he thought to haue clouen asunder his head But hee coulde doe it no more hurt then if hee had striken vppon a stethy so that his Sword rebounded againe whereof Huon was right sorrowfull and said Ah good Lord nowe I sée well that my dayes are at an end Ah faire Ladie Escleremond I pray our Lord God to saue you and my Daughter Clariet for this day you shall loose mée Then hee aduaunced him to the Serpent and gaue him a great stroake vppon the haunch behinde and if hée did but little with his first stroake hee did lesse hurt with that stroake for hee could in no wise cut through the Serpents skinne wherefore hee was in great feare and the Serpent when he felt himselfe striken cast his tayle rounde about Huon with such force that hee ouerthrew Huon to the earth yet hee quickly releeued againe Then he saw by the gate a great square Speare with a sharpe broad head and then hee put vp his Sword and tooke the Speare in both his handes and came with all his force and strength against the Serpent who came and encountred him with open mouth to haue swallowed Huon but Huon who was strong and light tooke the speare and layd it on his arme and saw the Serpent with his mouth open hee strake the Speare into the mouth of the Serpent so deepe that with the head of the Speare he cutte his heart asunder when the Serpent felt himselfe hurt to the death hee cast out a terrible crye so that all the place sounded and so that the noyse might be heard a league off Thus the horible Serpent was slaine When Huon saw that hee was dead hee kneeled downe and lift vp his hands to heauen thanking our Lord God for his grace Then he arose and went to the Serpent and behelde him for hee was hidious and fearefull to behold he was eighteene foote long When Huon had well beheld him he went and sate downe by the hall doore for to rest him for he was so wearie and faynt with the bloud that hee had lost and with sweat that he had much paine to draw his breath the which was no maruaile for hee had neither eate nor drunke of all that day When he had well rested him then he
perforce wée shall bee the first that shall receiue death and because I sée well that I cannot escape from hence I require you my deare Fréend and by the troth that you beare vnto Huon my Lord and yours that incontinent you take my deare Daughter Clariet whome I hold héere in mine armes and finde some meanes that you may depart out of this Citie and beare her straight to the Abbey of Cluny the which is in Burgoyne and deliuer her into the kéeping of the Abbot there and recommend me vnto him hée is Vncle to my Husband Huon and great Vncle to my Childe Lady quoth Bernard I know well that if I be taken here I shal be vtterly slaine howbeit if I could sée or knowe that my abiding héere could aid or succour you both for mine honour and for the loue of my good Lord and Maister Huon I woulde neuer depart hence from you but my resistance and force is but of small value and because I woulde serue you as I am bounde to doe I am readie sournished to take vppon mee that aduenture as to beare your Child away and to set her in sauegard by the grace of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ When the Duchesse vnderstood Barnard she was well comforted and as for her selfe shee regarded neither her life nor death when shee knewe that her Child should be saued Then shée deliuered her Childe vnto Barnard to the entent that in the night time hée should yssue out Then the Emperour and his Lordes came before the Castle and when the Duchesse knewe that shee came to the gate and at a windowe shee desired to speake with the Emperour who was there readie present and said Madame say what you will to mée at your pleasure and when shée sawe the Emperour shee sayd Sir I knowe well that you are the head and cheefest of all the christened and noblest whereby you are bound to defend and to kéepe from ill all noble men and women I that am the Daughter of an high and mightie Emperour and that for the loue of my good Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ haue forsaken mine owne false béeléefe to beléeue vppon the Christian faith Sir I require you for his sake that made and created you to haue pitie and compassion of mée and of all those that be héere with mée to respite our liues and to put from you all rancour and malice and pardon them that nothing had to doe with the beginning of this warre When the Emperour hadde heard the reasonable request of this faire Ladie hee cast from him all the mortall hate that hée had vnto her and vnto them that were within the Castle with her Then hée mooued with pitie and compassion of the noble Ladie aunsweared and sayde Madame for the loue of our Lord Iesus Christe I repell from mée all my displeasure so that you render vnto mee this Castle and to put it vnder mine obeysance to vse it at my pleasure and to yéelde your bodie as my Prisoner and all those that be within and thus you shall haue all your liues saued Sir quoth the Duchesse laude and praise bee giuen to our Lord Iesus Christ for this grace that you shewe vnto mée and to my companie Then the Emperour went backe and made expresse commandement throuhout the Citie that no man should bée so hardy as to doe any hurt or iniurie to any manner of person within the Citie but to suffer euerie man to abide in their owne houses peaceably without killinge whereof the Burgesses and communaltie of the Citie were right ioyfull Thus as yée haue heard the Citie of Bourdeaux was taken by the Emperour who was chosen in Almaine and committed by the Emperour Charlemaine vntill his Sonne Lewis shoulde bée of full age and able to rule the Empire Chap. CV ¶ How the Duchesse Escleremond deliuered her Daughter Clariet to Barnard to beare vnto the Abbot of Cluny of whome the Abbot was right ioyfull YEE haue heard the pitiful taking of the Citie of Bourdeaux and of the treatie and appointment that the Duchesse Escleremond had made with the Emperour when shee had made her appointment shee went vnto her companie pitiously weeping and shewed them all the manner of her treatie whereof euerie person was glad that their liues should bée saued but they made great sorrowe for that the Duchesse should become a Prisoner and then she called Barnard and sayd Sir when it is night yssue out by the Posterne with my Daughter Clariet and beare her vnto the good Abbot of Cluny who is her great Vncle. Madame quoth hée bée of good cheere and by the grace of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ I shall not rest twoo nights in one place vntill I haue deliuered your daughter vnto the good Abbot of Cluny her great Vncle. Then Barnard tooke leaue of the Duchesse who kissed her Daughter at her departing sore wéeping and pitifully complayning There was a Posterne that opened into the féeldes and it was so small that Barnard was faine to leade his horse in his hand the night was dark but he knew well the waies afterwards he mounted on his horse with the Childe in his armes and so road foorth and passed the Landes of Bourdeaux and was neuer séene by any mortall man vntill the next day he road so all the night that his horse was wearie And when hee sawe that hee was past all daungers and escaped all perils then hee road at his ease for loue of the Child and he complained greatly for the good horse Amphage that Huon had left in his kéeping vntill his returne but hee durst not take that Horse with him for feare that hée should haue dealt the worse with the Ladie Escleremond the which had béene true for the Emperour loued the horse so well that he desired more to haue the horse againe then for to winne the Citie and therefore Barnard durst not take the Horse with him So long Barnard road that hée arriued at Monglew the which is called Lyon on the Riuer of Roane and from thence hée road to Mascon and from thence he rested not vntill he came to the Abbey of Cluny and then hée alighted and desired to speake with the Abbot and when the Abbot sawe Barnard with a Child in his armes hee had great maruaile thereof and when Barnard sawe the Abbot all wéeping hee saluted him and said Sir the right desolate Duches of Bourdeaux your Néece and wise vnto the Duke Huon of Bourdeaux your Nephew hath sent héere vnto you her Daughter Clariet Then the good Abbot embraced him and tooke the child and kissed it more then twentie times and demaunded why hée brought the Child vnto him Sir quoth Barnard the Citie of Bourdeaux hath beene besieged by the Emperour of Almaine and so straightly kept that it was néere hand famished many Knightes that were within are slaine so that Huon your Nephewe by the counsaile of the Duchesse his wife and consent of all
his companie is departed out of Bourdeaux to séeke succour of the King of Auphamie brother vnto Escleremond Huons Wife and so it is a longe time since hee departed and wée neuer could heare word of him and thus hée left vs in Bourdeaux and our chéefe Captaine was the old Gerames your Coozen who was Brother to the good Prouost Guyer and so it was that vppon a night wée yssued out and roade to the Emperours Tents and slewe many of our enemies and when wée sawe our time wee returned towardes our Citie but by some spie wée were perceiued when wée yssued out whereby the Emperour knowing thereof sent Duke Sauary his Brother with tenne Thousand men to lye in ambushment néere to the Citie so that when wee hadde thought to haue entred into the Citie Duke Sauary was before vs with tenne Thousand men there wée fought a long space but finally the old Gerames and his companie were all slaine none escaped but my selfe and that was by reason of my horse so I entred into the Citie whereas there was made great sorrow and the next day the Emperour with great assault wanne the Citie and came to the Castle whereas the Duchesse was who saw well that shée could not long hold the Castle shée made her treatie to saue her bodie and her companie and so they are all Prisoners before she deliuered vppe the Castle shee deliuered me her daughter and so I issued out at a Posterne priuily and was not perceiued therefore Syr your Néece hath sent you her daughter to the intent that for the loue of her father and of her yee would kéepe and nourish her till her father Duke Huon were returned When the abbot vnderstood Bernard he beganne to weepe and tooke the childe in his armes and kissed her oftentimes and sayd My deere childe if it please our Lord God I shall bee to you both father and mother and shall nourish you vntill yee be great and then marrie you vnto some mightie Prince in whome it shall lie to conquers your heritage lands and signories for I haue here in my house such treasure that it is sufficient to conquer a whole Empire Then the Abbot sent for a noble Ladie of the countrey and a nurse and deliuered vnto them the child for to keepe and to nourish for a fayrer creature of her age was neuer seene Then the Abbot sayd to Barnard Sir yee shall abide heere still with mee vntill the childe bee of age or else till her father bee returned Now lette vs leaue to speake of this young child Clariet and of the Abbot and returne to speake of the dolorous companie that were in the Castle of the noble Citie of Bourdeaux Chap. CVI. ¶ How the Duchesse Escleremond yeelded vp the Castle to the Emperor and how she and her companie were prisoners in the Citie of Mayence YE haue well heard heere before that after the departing of Barnard from the Castle of Bourdeaux with Claret Huons daughter how the Emperour had made a treatie with the Duchesse Escleremond for the deliuerance of the Castle the which passed and on the next morning the Duchesse spake with the Emperour who with all his men was there readie before the place abiding to haue the deliuerance of the Castle And when hee saw the Duchesse at a window ouer the gate he sayd Madame I will that the promise that yee made mee yesterday ye performe or else I will do according as I thinke best Syr quoth the Duchesse I am readie to fulfill my promise so that ye promise me againe that my body and all Ladyes and Damselles and other shall be saued and not touched by no villaine nor no ill done vnto our bodyes Madame quoth the Emperour all this that you require heere I promise to performe but you and all such as be with you shall bee my prisoners Sir quoth the Duchesse my life and my bodie and all such as be here with mee I put them in the sauegard of God and of you Then she descended downe and came into the hall whereas she found her company making great sorow each to other for they knew not where euer they should méet againe or not Then the Duchesse commaunded to open the gate the which was doone immediatly Then the Emperour and all his Lords entred into the Castle but hee would not goe into the hall till he had all the Ladyes and other brought out to the intent that they should make no request to him and he ordained a thousand Knights of the most auncient men of his hoast and then be deliuered the Duchesse and sixe Ladyes with her and al the other prisoners as well they that were within the Castle as other that hadde beene taken before at diuers skirmishes sent them straight to the Citie of Mayence and sette them all in prison in Towres and other places but the duchesse was putte all alone in a strong towre within the which there was a déep dungeon and therein shée was set out of the which shee neuer yssued vntill shee was deliuered by Huon her Husband Then the Emperour being in the Castle of Bourdeaux sent ouer all the Countrey that all such as were aliue should come and do their homage vnto him and take their Landes of him the which they did according to his commaundement Then hée made his Prouosts and Officers to doe iustice both in the Citie and Countrey and after that the Emperour had béene there eight dayes he went out of the Citie and road and tooke possession of Blames and Gerone and set there his Officers and when hee hadde full possession of al the Countrey hee left Keepers in the Countrey and so returned to the Citie of Mayence whereas hee was receiued with great ioy and triumph Nowe lette vs leaue to speake of the Emperor Tirrey and speake of Duke Huon of Bourdeaux being in the Castle of the Adamant in great pouertie and famine Chap. CVII ¶ How there arriued at the Castle of the Adamant a Shippe full of Sanazins wherein was the Bishop of Mâ—llaine and how Huon caused them to bee christened and then hee brought them into the Castle whereas they found great store and plentie of victuals YEE haue heard here before howe Huon was in the Castle of the Adamant in great pouertie and famine whereas he had beene tenne dayes without meat and drinke except Apples and fruit that grew in the Garden whereby he became so féeble and weake that he had scarre power to sustaine himselfe vppon his feete hee found there riches inough gould and siluer apparell and Iewels and riche bedding so that he wanted nothing except victuall and as hee walked in the chamber whereas the treasure lay he beheld an Arch vaulted richly painted with gould and azure vnder the which stoode a riche chayre and therein a coushin of cloath of gould bordered with pearles and precious stones Huon who was wearie of walking sat downe in the chaire to reste him Then he beganne sore
his Lordes Seruants and said to himselfe if I may the Emperour shall deerly abuy that bargaine Then Huon went to the Garden and gathered fruit to bear into the Shippe and then hee went to the Fountaine whereas the Trée of youth was there by and there by the commaundement of the Angell hée gathered thrée Apples and trussed them safely and then he dranke of the Fountaine at his pleasure Then hee departed and tooke the little path the which was betweene the Garden and the streame that yssued out of the Fountaine the which streame ranne and fell into the great Riuer whereas the Shippe lay and when hée was entred into this streame he sawe the goodlyest precious stones that euer he sawe they were so faire and so rich that the value of them could not bee esteemed the grauell of the streame that yssued out of the Fountaine were all precious stones and they cast such light that all the Mountaine and Rocke did shine thereof whereof Huon had great maruaile Also he sawe the Shippe so faire that he was thereof greatly dismayed and abashed the Riuer ioyned to the rich Garden whereas Huon had gathered fruit of Fourteene sorts the which hee put into the Shippe and then recommending himselfe to our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ he entred into the Shippe and vntyed the ship from the chaine then the shippe departed from that Port this Riuer was called Diplayre Thus this shippe went as fast as though a bird hadde flowne and thus as yee haue heard Huon sayled all alonge in this Shippe vppon the Riuer of Diplayre right desirous to bring out of danger his Wife the faire Ladie Escleremond Chap. CXII ¶ How Huon of Bourdeaux sayled in a rich Shippe and of the perilous Gulfe that he passed by and how hee arriued at the Port of the great Citie of Thauris of Persia THus as yee haue heard was Huon vppon this rich Riuer in his Shippe the which was bordered with white Iuorie and nayled with nayles of fine gould and the fore Castle of white Christall mingled with riche Caâ—sidony and therein a Chamber the sealing wrought with starres of gould and precious stones the which gaue such clearnesse in the darke night as though it had beene faire day and the bedde that Huon lay vpon there is no humane tongue can estéeme the value thereof therein lay Huon euerie night and in the day came abroad in the Shippe it was yrkesome to him for that hee was alone without companie and sayled euerie day betwéene two Rockes without sight of any Towne or Village man or woman and when hee had béene in this Shippe thrée dayes and thrée nights hee beheld before him and sawe how the two Rockes beganne to drawe together and couer the Riuer and it séemed vnto his fight that the Shippe should enter into a darkenesse howbeit the Riuer euer still kept his full breadth but the néerer he came the darker the passage séemed and when the shippe came néere vnto it shee went so fast that Huon thought that no bird in all the world could flye so fast and then it beganne to be sore blacke and darke and the wind rose and it hayled so extreamly that hee thought the Ship should haue perished and Huon was so cold that hee wiste not howe to get him any heat Then he heard pitifull voyces speaking diuers languages cursing the time that euer they were borne Then hee heard thunder and saw lightning so often that certainly hee thought to haue beene perished and neuer to haue escaped out of that danger Thus Huon was in this shippe in great feare of loozing of his life and when he was hungrie hee did eat of the fruit that he had brought thether then againe he was comforted in that the Angell had said vnto him that he should sée again his Wife Escleremond and his Daughter Clariet When hée had beene in this case the space of thrée dayes he sat downe vpon the Sea board of the Ship and then hée heard such a brute so great and so horrible that if the thunder had fallen from the Heauens and that al the Riuers in the world had fallen downe from the Rockes they could not haue made so hideous a noyse as the Tempest of the Gulfe made the which is betweene the Sea of Persia and the great Sea Ocean it was neuer heard that euer any Shippe or Galley escaped that way without perishing When Huon saw himselfe in that danger deuoutly hee called vppon our Lord God and said Ah good Lord now I sée and perceiue that without thy ayd and succour I am lost and come to my end but séeing that it is your pleasure and will that I shall perish héere I beséech your beneuolent grace to accept my Soule into your fauourable handes Huon had no sooner spoken those words but a winde aroase with so great a Tempest that hee thought then surely to haue beene cast away Then he saw comming against him great barres of yron red hoat that fell downe from on high into the Riuer before Huon in such sort that when they fell into the water by reason of the heat of the barres troubled so the water that fearfull it was to behold it Thus Huon was a great space before he could passe the Gulfe the which was so perrilous and the Shippe went so sore by force of the wind so that the shippe went out of the middest of the streame and was neere to the Land so that the Ship was grounded and could goe no further When Huon saw and perceiued that the Shippe was vpon the grounde hee thought then surely to haue béene drowned Then hee tooke an anchor and put it into the water to knowe how many foote the water was of déepenesse and hee found it but fiue foote Then hee tooke one of his anchors and cast it a shoare and then drewe by the coard vntill the shippe came neere to the bancke-side then hee yssued out of the Shippe and leapt a land and then hee sawe suddainly about him a great clearnesse whereof he was greatly dismayed and abashed and wist not what to thinke then hee sawe before him that all the grauell in the water were mingled with precious stones and when Huon saw that he tooke a scoope and cast into the shippe so much of those precious stones that it gaue as great a light as though tenne Torches hadde beene burning and so much of this grauell Huon did cast into the Shippe that hee was wearie of labour and when hee sawe the Shippe sufficiently charged then hee entred againe and drewe vp the anchor and trauailed so sore that hee brought againe the shippe into the middest of the streame then the ship went so fast that a bird could not haue followed it Thus he was tenne dayes before he could passe that Gulfe and thus day and night hee sayled with great feare and sore oppressed through hunger and thirst for hee had nothing to eat nor drinke but fruit so that thereby hee
in the wound and incontinent he shall be whole When Huon heard that hee was right ioyfull and said that hee would keepe well that stone Sir quoth Barnard heere is another the which hath so great vertue that if a man or woman bée neuer so sicke shewe them but this stone and incontinent they shall be whole of any manner of maladie and also if a man were closed in prison in chaines and fetters handes and feet doe but touch them with this stone and the chaines shall breake and also if any man haue any cause to be pleaded in any Court before any Iudge be his matter rightfull or wrongfull hee shall winne his cause whether it bee for Landes or Goods and also if a man haue this stone in his hande and close it hee shall bee inuisible and may go whereas he list and shall not bee seene And you shall sée the proofe for as he had this stone in his hand he closed it and incontinent he was inuisible so that Huon could not see him whereof he was not content for he feared least that hee had lost his Cosen Barnard foreuer and sayd Ah good Lord thou hast giuen mee the grace to find my coosen Barnard who should haue kept me companie vntill I had returned into mine owne countrey and now I see well that I haue lost him When Barnard hearde Huon hee laughed and Huon who heard him groaped all about with his armes abroad vntill at last he embraced him and held him fast and when Barnard felt that hee opened his hande and then Huon sawe him againe whereof hee was right ioyfull and blessed him at the vertue of that stone and tooke it and layde it vp amonge the other in his bagge and sayd how that he would keepe that stone especially because it was of such a woonderfull great vertue Thus Barnard did choose out the stones one from another and there were so many good stones that the value of them coulde not be esteemed then hee turned vp the bottome of the grauell to seeke out the best and among other hee did choose out a Carbouncle the which cast out such a light as though twoo Torches had beene light Barnard tooke it and deliuered it vnto Huon and said Sir bee you sure that whosoeuer beares this stone vppon him may goe drie footed vppon the water as sure as though hee were in a Vessell and also if a man goe in the darke night he shall sée as well as though he had the light of sixe Torches and if a man bee in battaile hauing this stone about him hee cannot bee ouercome nor hurt nor his horse weari◠nor faint nor hurt nor wounded When Huon heard that hee smiled and tooke the stone and put into his bagge among the other Thus as they were deuising together there came vnto them diuers Marchants Sarazins who with great maruaile beheld this little shippe and they sawe it so faire and rich and so wel garnished with precious stones that they thought that all the marchandize that were in the Hauen was not halfe the value and woorth of that they sawe there then they approached vnto the shippe and saluted Huon and sayde Sirs is it your pleasure to sell vs any of your stones wee are heere diuers Marchants that will bee glad to buy of them if yee please Sirs quoth Huon as for mée as this day I will sell none vntill to morrow in the morning and then if it please yée you shall haue of them therewith the Marchants held their peace and spake no more but there came so many Sarazins and Paynims to behold the Shippe that great maruaile it was to behold them so that the newes thereof spread abroad in the City and the Admirall was aduertized thereof who incontinent accompanied with his Lords came to the Port side whereas this Ship lay at anchor When the Admirall was come thether he beheld the Ship the which hee thought faire and rich and how that there was neuer Kinge nor Emperour that euer behelde any such and it shined so cleare by reason of the stones that the Admirall and all such as were with him thought that it had been the Sunne shining in the middest of the day Then hée approached vnto the shippe and found there Huon and Barnard the Admirall saluted them and said Sirs it appeareth well that you be Christian men it is conuenient that you pay mee the Tribute that is accustomed to be payd in this Citie Sir quoth Huon it is good reason and right that we pay you as we ought to doe Sir heere is twoo stones the which I giue you and I desire you to take them in woorth the Admirall tooke the stones and beheld them well and said Fréend nowe you may goe and come into this Citie to make your marchandize at your pleasure to your most profite and gaine for the guift that you haue giuen me is to me more acceptable then if you had giuen mee the value of foure of the best Cities in all this Countrey right ioyfull was the Admirall for hee knewe well the vertue of the stones the one of them was of such bountie and dignitie that the bearer thereof could not bee poysoned nor no treason could be done nor purposed comming in the presence of him that beareth this stone but incontinent the dooer should fall downe dead and the other stone had that vertue and dignitie that the bearer thereof coulde neuer bee perished by fire nor water nor destroyed by yron for though hee were all a day burning in a hot Ouen or Fournace hee should not loose one haire of his head nor perish in the Sea Fréende quoth the Admirall the courtesie that you haue done vnto mee this day shall be well rewarded I will and commaund that throughout my Realme as well of Persia as of Media that you shall goe at your pleasure to sell your Marchandize and no man shall let nor trouble you but one thinge I would desire of you to shewe mee what aduenture hath brought you hether and of whence you bee and of what Countrey and in what place you haue founde these stones whereof you haue so great plentie howbeit I vnderstand your language whereby I knowe that you bee French-men longe agoe I was in Fraunce and dwelt there and serued in the Court of Kinge Charlemaine and was neuer knowne and I haue great maruaile where you haue found so many goodly stones it is neere hand a Hundred yeares since I was guirded with a Swoord but I neuer sawe so rich stones heere before Chap. CXV ¶ How the Admirall of Persia did great honor vnto Huon of Bourdeaux and ledde him into his Pallaice whereas he was receiued with great ioy and triumph WHen Huon of Bourdeaux had well heard and vnderstood the Admirall he regarded him much because hee was a faire olde man and séemed to be a noble man and sayd Sir because I knowe and sée apparantly in you great noblenesse troth and fréedome I shall
christened for Sir I am heere readie to doe it Then incontinent there was brought foorth Fortie great Vessels full of cleare water the Bishop did hallowe them and christened the Admirall and named him Huon because Huon was his Godfather Then afterward all the Lords and people were christened and receiued the Lawe of our Sauiour and Redéemer Iesus Christ When they were all christened the Admirall with great triumph and ioy returned vnto his Pallaice leading Huon by the hand and great ioy and feasting was made that day in the Citie and especially of the Christian Marchants that were there among the which there were about fiftéene Priests and they all aided the Bishoppe to christen the people the number could not be declared of the men women and children that receiued that day christendome The Admirall being in his Pallaice making great ioy and Feasting with the noble Duke Huon of Bourdeaux sayd vnto him Freend well you ought to render thankes to our Lord Iesus Christ séeing by you these two Realmes that is to say Persia and Media are reduced and brought vnto the Christian faith and Lawe and I will that you knowe that you may well say that in these two Realmes you may commaund any thing at your pleasure without finding any person to doe or say to the contrarie of your will and pleasure and to the entent that you shall surely beleeue what great loue and affection I beare vnto you I will that mine all onely Daughter you shall haue to your wife so that you be not bound vnto none other Sir knowe for troth the great desire that I haue to haue you tarie still heere with me mooueth mee thus to doe I haue none other heire but my Daughter whereby after my death you shall bee Lorde and heire of the Realmes and Dominions that I hold and in the meane season I will that the moitie of the reuenewes of these Realmes and Dominions shall bee yours for your companie pleaseth mée so entirely that I would neuer haue you to depart from hence Chap. CXVII ¶ Of the complaints that Huon made vnto the Admirall of Persia vppon the Emperour of Almaine and of the succours that the Admirall promised vnto Huon WHen Huon had well vnderstood the Admirall hee saide Sir knowe for troth that it is foure yéeres passed since I was maried vnto a noble Ladie who passeth in beautie all other that be aliue in these dayes and when I remember her all my bodie and heart trembleth for sorrow when I thinke of the trouble displeasure and pouertie that shee is in and therefore Sir I thanke you of the great honour and courtesie that of your bountie you offer mée I pray vnto God that hee may reward you Huon quoth the Admirall seeing it is so that you haue a Wife I hold you wel excused but I pray you to shew vnto me for what cause your Wife is in such case or what Christian Prince is so hardie as to trouble you or to doe you any displeasure Sir quoth Huon when I came out of my Countrey I left my Citie of Bourdeaux besieged by the Emperour of Almaine who hath taken my Citie and slaine my men and some hee keepeth in seruage and my Wife put in prison and there kept in great pouertie and miserie the which when I remember sorrowe and gréefe so sore gripeth my heart that all my members and ioynts tremble with displeasure Huon quoth the Admirall I pray you to leaue your sorrow and displeasure and cast it from you and take ioy and comfort for by the holy law that I haue receiued I shall so ayde and succour you that the Emperour who hath done vnto you so many displeasures I shall make him such warre that whether he will or not for the dammage and losse that you haue had and receiued I shall constraine him to make full restitution for I shall lead with me in your company such number of people that all the Valleys and Mountaines shall be couered with them Sir quoth Huon of the courtesie and succour that you offer me I humbly thanke you but if it please our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ who hath ayded mee out of many perils I hope that he will so aide mee that I shall not neede to make any warre to destroy the Christian bloud but Sir first I shall goe to the holy Sepulchre and then I will returne into my Countrey and doe what I can to get my Wife out of daunger and the paine that shee is in Sir the wife that I haue wedded was Daughter to the Admirall Gaudise who held as then Babilon and all the Realme of Egipt Then Huon shewed him all the matter how he came by the faire Escleremond whereof the Admirall was sore abashed for the great maruailes that hee hadde heard Huon declare and so were all other that heard it and said one to another that without Huon had beene well beloued of our Lord Iesus Christ hée could neuer haue escaped the death with one of the least aduentures that he had shewed vnto the Admirall Sir quoth Huon the Emperour of Almaine hath taken my Citie and my Wife and destroyed my men and hath taken into his handes all my Lands and Signiories but by the grace of God I shal doe so much to get them againe and if I cannot attaine thereto then I shall returne againe vnto you to haue your succour and ayd Huon quoth the Admirall put all melancholy from you for if you giue mee knowledge that you cannot haue your wil of this Emperour I shall bring you people innumerable that all Christendome shall tremble for feare of you and shall render vnto you your wife and al your Lands and Signiories and your men that bee in prison or in seruage and I shall put the Emperour into your hands to doe with him your pleasure or else I shal not leaue in all his Land neither Citie nor towne standing vppon the earth Sir quoth Huon of this I thanke you heartily but Sir I must woorke another way first for when I escaped from the Gulfe of Persia I promised vnto God that before I went into mine owne Countrey to goe and visite the holy Sepulchre in Ierusalem and to make warre vppon the Sarazins before I made any warre vppon any Christian men but Sir if I may get of the Emperour by faire speach my Landes and my wife I shall serue him with all my heart for as long as I liue I shall make no warre against any christian man if I may haue right and reason shewed vnto mee Sir quoth the Admirall of this that you say I giue you good thankes but by the grace of God I shall goe with you the Voyage to the holy Sepulchre and take with mee fiftie Thousand men to make warre against the Paynims and Sarazins such as beleeue not in God and I shall put to my paine with all my power to exalt and encrease the lawe of our Lord Iesus Christ Sir quoth Huon
to returne into the Desert whereas I shall die with famine and neuer more sée wife nor child but séeing it is thus I shall aduenture my selfe with him and if I may escape from this aduenture I shall goe to the holy Sepulchre whereas our Lorde Iesus Christ was quicke and dead and then I shall make warre vpon the Sarazins Then Duke Huon tooke vppon him heart and courage and with the Mall vppon his necke hee marched foorth fiercely then hee called the enemy and said Oh thou that kéepest this Vessell and passage passe me incontinent ouer this Sea and set me a land vpon the other side When the Diuell sawe Huon with the Mall vppon his necke and speaking so fiercely hee said What art thou whether wilt thou goe or what doest thou seeke for héere or how art thou so bold to come hether thou shalt neuer goe further but I shall cast thee into the Sea or strangle thée and then beare thy Soule into Hell When Huon heard him he beganne to tremble but he was nothing abashed for if he hadde fainted or taried to haue made answeare hee had incontinent béene destroyed and slaine but like a hardy Knight full of great Prowesse and firme in the faith of Iesus Christ sayde Hold thy peace thou Foole for I am Cain for whome thou hast taried héere so long I came euen now out of the rowling Tunne vpon the Mountaine hast thée and passe mée ouer this arme of the Sea for I shall find neither man nor woman that beléeueth in Iesus Christ but I shall slay him to the entent that hell may be filled with their soules When the Féend heard Huon say so he had great ioy and said Cain why hast thou made me tarie héere so long as I haue don I am ioyfull of thy comming for I could neuer haue departed out of this place without thou haddest béen deliuered out of the Tunne therefore Cain come on thy way enter into this Ship presently and I shall bring thée whereas thou wilt be gladly I will passe thée ouer the Sea to the entent that thou shouldest slay Christian men and Sarazins to haue their Soules into hell Then Huon entred into the Ship recommending himselfe to our Lord Iesus Christ and sayde Quickly passe me ouer Before Huon thought that he had gone but two Leagues he was ouer on the other side whereof Huon had great maruaile that hee was so soone ouer and thanked our Lord God that hee was out of that daunger then hee tooke leaue of the enemie and sayde Farewell I will returne againe shortly within these thrée dayes thou shalt heare tidinges of mee and then the Féend answeared shortly and sayd Cain goe thy way quickly and hast thée to the entent that when thou returnest into hell thou shalt haue good chéere of our Maisters who greatly desire thy comming Then Huon departed quickly he thought euer that the Diuell had followed him and hee went so longe that hee approached to a Citie called Colanders glad was Huon when hee had lost the sight of the euill Spirit and in the Euening he entred into the Citie of Colanders with the Mall vppon his necke the Paynims and Sarazins that were within the Citie had great maruaile when he came alone afoote cleane armed into the Citie and among other there was one demaunded of him what hee was and why hee went so alone armed Then Huon answered him fiercely to abash him therewith and said I am Cain who by mine ilnesse slew Abell my Brother wherewith God was angrie with mée but before it bee longe time I shall take such vengeance that as many men or women or children as I find beléeuing in the Lawe of Iesus Christ I shall destroy them all in such wise that the Paynims and Sarazins shall haue no doubt for any euill that they shall doe vnto them for I shall destroy and slay them all neither sparing old nor young When the Paynims heard that they were right ioyfull and that night serued Huon well and made him a great feast because they trusted that hee should destroy all Christendome and saide among themselues that as then hee was welcome thether because the Citie the day before was besieged by the Admirall of Persia Thus Huon had great ioy and feasting made vnto him and after Supper he was brought into a faire and rich Chamber wherein hee lay and slept soundly vntill the next morning Chap. CXXII ¶ How Huon of Bourdeaux had great ioy when he sawe the Admirall of Persia before Colanders where he fought with the Sarazins AFTER that the Admirall of Persia had left Huon in the Desert of Abillaunt and how he had a great storme vppon the sea and at last their Shippes assembled together and arriued at the Port before the Citie of Colanders in the which Citie Huon was now in who was right ioyfull when he knew that the Admirall was come thether to lay siege to the Citie and the Admirall and his companie was sorrowfull because they had lost Huon and especially Barnard his coozen for he thought neuer to haue seene him againe but hee had shortly tidinges of him as yée shall heare after When the Admirall was arriued at the Port they armed themselues and ordained their men as well as they might to assayle the citie of Colanders They yssued out of their Shippes and came marching towards the City and made a great assault and then the Paynims and Sarazins armed them on all sides and went to their defences then the Captaine of the Towne came vnto Huon and said Come on foorth Cain it is time for you to shew what you can doe for héere without are christian men assayling the Citie I pray you spare them not for wee haue great trust in you Sirs quoth Huon séeing I am in this citie yée néede not to feare any person anon yée shall sée what I can doe Cain quoth the captaine I pray you goe on before and wee shall followe you Well quoth Huon with this Mall I shall astone them all the Paynims had great ioy of his words wéening surely it had been Cain Then Huon armed himselfe and hee had a good horse brought vnto him whereuppon hee mounted then he and the Paynims yssued out of the citie and found as then the Admirall of Persia and all his companie readie arriued in Battaile And when hee sawe that the Sarazins were yssued out hee sette vppon them fiercely and Huon who was ioyfull of the aduenture that was fallen to him hee stept out apart to behold the battaile and wold not meddle because hee had beene so well receiued and feasted in the citie by them of the Towne and hee well perceiued that the assaults were of the Realme of Persia and howe the Admirall and his coozen Barnard were there whereof he had such ioy that hee wept for gladnesse and thanked God of the good fortune that he had sent him and said Ah good Lord thou oughtest greatly to be praysed for thou neuer
the which was parted and deuided to such as it appertained so that they were all made rich Then the Admirall and Huon departed from the playnes of Rames and then they went and lodged in the Towne and in the morning they determined to tarie there three dayes to refresh them and vppon the fourth day they departed because it was shewed them how that the Souldan was departed from Sayre and gone by sea with a small companie to the Citie of Acres Then the Admirall and Huon drewe their Hoast towards Napelous and there taried two dayes and from thence they went to Iene and so to the Citie of Nazareth and visited that holy place whereas the Angell brought the salutation Angel-like to the Virgin Marie Then from thence they went to the Castle of Saffet and tooke it with assault and slew all them that were within it except such as would beléeue in our Lord Iesus Christ and then from thence they went and lodged within halfe a League of Acres and there pitcht vp their Tents and Pauillions and when they were all lodged their Foragers ranne abroad and brought to the Hoast great plentie of victuals often times they skirmished before the Citie of Acres But they coulde neither finde man nor woman that durst yssue out to doe any deede of armes there they lay eight dayes and no man did them any dammage for the Paynims and Sarazins were so affraid for the great losse and dammage that they had suffered that they durst not stirre nor make any semblance And the Souldan who was within wrote Letters into all his Countreys as well into Arabia Egipt Barbary and Europe as to all other his Fréends that they would come and succour him at his neede he sent diuers Messengers both by land and by sea and also hée sent into Antioch and into Damas and to all other places wheras he thought to haue any ayd or succour and vpon a day two Foragers of the Admirals went foorth vppon the Sea-side and they found by the way Trampoiguiffle the Souldans Messenger they tooke and brought him into the Admirals Tent and there hee was examined and his Letters taken from him the which were seene and read before the Admirall and Huon the which when they heard it and the contents therof thereby they knewe somewhat of the Souldans counsaile then they tooke the Messenger and brought him before the Citie of Acres and made there a paire of Gallowes and hanged vp the Messenger within the sight of the Souldan and of them there within the Citie The same day the Admirall assembled his Lordes and Barons in his Tent and said vnto them Sirs all you that bee heere assembled know that I haue great desire to know what thing is best to be done and how we shall vse our selues in this warre that we haue begunne you know well that the Victorie by the grace of our Lord Iesus Christ and by the hye prowesse of Huon wee haue now obtained and haue heere our enemie inclosed who cannot flye except it be by the sea therefore I desire you all that euerie one of you will shew your aduise what is best to be done and that to morrowe about this time to giue me an answeare Then all the Lordes and Barons aduised together and so amonge them was diuers opinions and reasons howbeit they departed euerie man to their owne lodging because they had day of answeare and the next day following thus the day passed without any thinge done and at night euerie man went to rest except such as had the charge of the watch that night who went not to bed as is the order and custome of the warres Huon taried all that night in the Admirals Tent and about the houre of midnight Huon dreamed in his sleepe and thought that he was at the Citie of Mayence in prison and sawe the Emperour of Almaine take Escleremond his Wife out of prison and she séemed vnto him pale and leane and ill coloured and howe shee was in her Kirtle and her haire hanging about her shoulders and ten men leading her out of the Town to be burnt and he thought that she made pitious complaints for Huon her Husband and for Clariet her Daughter And also hee thought that he saw passe through the streets three Hundred Genlemen who had beene taken at Bourdeaux when the Citie was taken and he thought that he saw diuers Gallowes made and howe the Emperour had sworne to hang them all so that hee thought that hee was right sorrowful and sore gréeued in his mind to see that companie led toward their deaths for in his sleepe hee thought verily that all this had beene true and that he could not helpe it Thus as Huon was in this paine sleeping he gaue an horrible crie so that the Admirall and Barnard awoake therewith in hast thinkinge it had beene their enemies that had entred to haue slaine them then they heard Huon say Oh good Lord I pray thée euen for thy Sons sake and by thy pittie and grace to succour and comfort my good Wife for certainly I cannot tell but my heart thinketh that the false Emperour will cause her to die and all the other Prisoners Then the Admirall and Barnard arose vp and came vnto Huon and had well heard his complaints and sayd Ah Sir discomfort not your selfe nor giue no faith nor credence to dreames for the Emperour will neuer doe such a villany as to put to death so noble a Ladie it is nothinge but your thought and remembraunce that you haue dayly the which in the night representeth vnto you sléeping Ah Sir quoth Huon I cannot beleeue but that my Wife hath somewhat to do Alas too long haue I taried here but if your warres were at an end I would gladly go my way for I shall neuer haue ioy at my heart vntill I may knowe the troth Then they arose for it was day and the appointed houre was come that al the Lords of the counsaile should assemble together in the Admirals Tent and euerie man sat downe vppon benches well couered with cloath of gold and other rich clothes of silke and when they were there assembled the Marshall arose vp for he was a right sage wise man and sayd Sir Admirall wee haue communed together and debated the matter at length and wee haue had diuers opinions but wee bee all concluded to say nothing vntill that Huon who is there by you hath shewed first his opinion what hee thinketh is best to bee done in this matter for it is good reason that hee bee heard to speake first and then the Admirall beheld Huon and sayd My deare Freend you heare what my Lordes and Barons haue concluded together and how they all rest vppon you that first you shall say your aduise wherefore I require you for the loue of our Lord God to shewe mee what I ought to doe as you thinke best Chap. CXXIX ¶ How Huon of Bourdeaux counsailed the Admirall of Persia to
were they themselues The same time the Emperours Nephewe was slaine who was a goodly Knight and the Emperour had before sent him to Bourdeaux to gouerne the Land and Countrey of Burdeloys and he had ben there the space of foure yéeres of whose death the Lord of Vergier was sorrie for he had rather that he had béen taken Prisoner then they tooke his bodie and buried him in the chiefe Church of Tournous whereas they lay all night with their Prisoners who were to the number of eight Hundred they of Bourdeaux that were taken as Prisoners were right ioyfull when they were thus escaped from the handes of the Almaines After this discomfiture they returned to the Abbey of Cluny whereas they were receiued with great ioy of the Abbot and of the Couent then the Lord of Vergier shewed the whole discourse of their discomfiture and then the booties were deuided amongest them that had wonne and all the men of warre departed except a Thowsand men whome the Abbot retayned for the sauegard of the towne of Cluny who made many skirmishes with the Emperours menne And after this discomfiture the newes thereof was presently brought to the Citie of Mayence to the Emperour Tirrey who was right sorrowfull for the death of his Nephew who was his sisters sonne by reason of the sorrow and great displeasure that he had for hee was thrée dayes after before he would come foorth of his chamber and on the fourth day he sent for all his Lords and Councell and to them he made his complaints how by the occasion of Duke Huon of Bourdeaux he had lost foure of his Nephews and his Bastard sonne and said I ought greatly to be gréeued when I cannot bée reuenged of Huon I thinke hee shall neuer returne againe but séeing it is so that I can take no vengeance of him I shall take it vppon his Wife Escleremond and vppon the thrée Hundred Prisoners that I brought out of Burdeaux but by the same Lord that made and fourmed mee to his semblance I shall neuer haue ioy at my heart nor eate nor drinke vntill I haue seene Escleremond burnt in a fire and the thrée Hundred prisoners hanged and strangled and I wil that each of you knowe that he that speaketh to me first to the contrarie I shall hate him euer after When the Lords had well heard the Emperour make that promise there was none so hardy that durst speake one woord then the Emperour commaunded in hast great plentie of thornes to be caried out of the Citie vnto a little Mountaine there beside and there by to be reared vp certaine Gallowes to hange thereon the thrée Hundred Prisoners All this was done as hee commaunded for more then tenne Load of thornes were caried out to burne the noble Ladie Escleremond and she was sent for out of the prison by foure hangmen and the Prisoners with her were brought into the Citie and all to bée beaten by the way When the noble Ladie saw how shee was dealt withall shee pitiously complained for her good Husband Huon and for her Daughter Clariet and saide Ah my right swéet Lord and Husband Huon at this time shall bee the departure of vs two and then shee called vppon our Lord Iesus Christ praying him by his grace and pity to bring her soule into Paradice thus crying and complayning the noble Ladie was ledde through the Towne and then Ladies and Burgesses and Maidens of the Citie ranne to their windowes and dores and beheld the dolourous and pitifull companie leading towardes their deaths then they sayd a high Ah right noble Ladie where is become the great beautie that you were woont to bee of for now your Visage is pale and discoloured that was woont to be so faire and nowe so loathed and disfigured where is become your faire haires that nowe bee so blacke and rugged for the great pouertie that you haue endured Alas noble Ladie great pitie and compassion we haue to sée you in this estate if we could amend it thus as this Ladie was led through the Towne she was bemoned of them that sawe her the three Hundred Gentlemen were also led forth and the Emperour Tirrey and his Lords road after them for his desire was to see the noble Ladie burnt and the other Prisoners hanged hee made hast because of the sorrow that hee had for the death of his Nephewe and of his men who were newly slaine by the meanes of the Abbot of Cluny When they were yssued out of the Citie of Mayence Duke Hildebert a néere kinsman of the Emperours was comming into the Citie the same time that the Ladie was ledde foorth and hée sawe how rudely they dealt with the Ladie and when he sawe her he knew well that it was the faire Ladie Escleremond but when hee sawe her at that point the water was in his eyes and he sayd vnto them that ledde her Sirs go not too fast vntill I haue spoken with the Emperour the which they did gladly When the noble Ladie Escleremond had well heard and vnderstood the Duke shee had some little hope shee turned her eyes towards him sayd Ah right noble Prince haue pittie and compassion of mee for I haue done nothinge whereby I should deserue to die When the Duke had well vnderstood her he had such pitie that he could speake no word his heart was so full of sorrowe and then he road as fast as he might to méet with the Emperour and passed by the thrée hundred prisoners and had great pity and compassion of them and so he came vnto the Emperour all wéeping and said Ah right noble Emperour I require you in the honour of the passion of our Lord Iesus Christ haue pitie and compassion of this dolourous companie that are likely to die this day remember that it is nowe in the holy time of Lent wherefore I require you to respite their liues vntill it be past Easter and Sir humbly I require you for all the seruice that I and mine haue done vnto you graunt me but this request for my reward the which is both reasonable and iust great wronge you doe to reuenge your anger vppon this noble Ladie you haue chaced her out of her Countrey Landes and Signiories the which you hold in your handes and take the Reuenewes and profits thereof if you bee not sufficed with this I doubt that our Lord Iesus Christ will be sore displeased with you When the Emperour had well heard the Duke his Cozen hee stoode still and spake hastely and sayd Faire Coozen I haue well heard you and therefore I answeare you in briefe wordes how that if all the men that bee in mine Empire and all the Priestes and Friers were here and did preach vnto me a whole yeare desiring me to respite this Ladies death and the other that be with her I would doe nothing for all them and therefore speake no more to me in that matter for by the beard that hangeth vnder my chinne
that yet before I die I shall strike off his head from his bodie whatsoeuer fall thereof When the Ladie heard Huon how he sayd that hee was her Father shee changed colour and blushed as ruddie as a Rose and thought to her selfe by the words that he spake that hee was her Father whereof she was right ioyfull and said Ah Sir I pray you if you bee Duke Huon of Bourdeaux my Father to shew me My right deare Daughter beléeue it surely for I will no longer hide it from you When the Ladie heard that he was her Father she clipped him and Twentie times kissed him Then the Abbot came and embraced him and sayd My right deare Nephewe the ioy that my heart hath of your comming is to mee so acceptable that I cannot tell whether I dreame or not that I sée you heere and then againe hee embraced him making the greatest ioy in the world Also there was Clariet his Daughter who embraced and kissed him then all that were in the house came thether to make great chéere and feasting Faire Nephewe quoth the Abbot I am sore abashed that you be returned with so small a companie Good Vncle quoth Huon it could bee none otherwise I haue had such fortunes vppon the Sea that the most part of my men are dead and perished some by maladie and some are returned into their owne Countreys and especially they that went with me are abiding at the Rocke of the Adamant and there all be dead by famine and they that were my Guides to haue brought mee vnto Euphame are in like wise dead there Then Duke Huon beganne to shewe vnto the Abbot all the aduentures that he had since he departed from the noble Citie of Bourdeaux there were some that heard it that tooke it for a mocke and a lye he shewed of so many great maruailes they thought that the most part of them were lyes and one saide to another Great aduantage haue these Vagabounds to lye because they finde no man to say them nay and if any man say nay their answeare is readie to say go and sée then the good Abbot sayd Faire Nephew if I were of the age to beare armour gladly I would goe with you to ayde you to destroy this Emperour who hath done you so much ill I shall send for such a number of men of warre and pay them with my Treasure the which I haue long time gathered together and shall ayde you to make such war that it shall alwayes be had in remembrance or else I would die in the paine and all they that should goe with me and to cause him to make you amends of all the ils and dammages that he hath done vnto you yet somewhat I haue done alreadie for it is not long since that one of the Emperours Nephewes were slaine by my men and all they that were with him slaine or taken for Nephewe I haue gathered together a great Treasure that I may therewith entertaine a hundred Thousand men for two yeares without selling or laying to pledge any foote of Land appertaining to my Church but as now I am so old that I cannot ride out for I am a hundred and fourteene yeares of age and therefore séeing that I cannot goe with you I shall abandon vnto you all my Treasure and take thereof as much as it shall please you Sir quoth Huon you make me so great an offer that once before I die I trust to render vnto you the double value by the grace of God Chap. CXXXVI ¶ How Duke Huon of Bourdeaux shewed to his Vncle the Abbot of Cluny all the aduentures that hee had since he departed from the noble Citie of Bourdeaux and how he gaue the Abbot the Apple of youth whereby the good Abbot became againe to his beautie that hee had when hee was but of Thirtie yeares of age WHen Duke Huon of Bourdeaux had well vnderstood the good Abbot his Vncle and sawe the faire offer and seruice that he had offered vnto him he saide Sir of your courtesie and Larges and all the good that you haue done vnto me and to my Daughter Clariet God reward you for it true it is after that I had fought with the Griffens I came vnto a faire Fountaine and there by was a Trée growing charged full of faire fruit the Trée was called the Trée of youth of the which I gathered three Apples whereof you shall haue one and shall eate it and assoone as you haue eaten thereof thereby you shall become as young and as strong and lusty as you were when you were of the age of Thirty yeares Then there was a Monke in the house called Dan Iohan Saliuet who beganne to laugh and hasted him to speake and sayde Ah Sir what is it that you say these two Thousand yeares there was neuer man at the Tree of youth therefore this tale is not to be beléeued and when Huon heard the Monke he waxed red for anger and lifted vp his staffe and would haue striken therewith the Monke and if he had not skipt backe and sayd Ah thou false Monke thou lyest falsely I haue been there and that thou shalt sée the proofe thereof whether I say true or not Then the Abbot came betweâ—ne them and stopped the stroake and sayd vnto Huon 〈…〉 â—ight deare Nephewe appease your selfe and then hee sayd to the Monke Ah thou rude Groome by the faith that I owe vnto my Lord Saint Bennet for thy words thou shalt bee sore punished then he caused the Monke to be set in prison and then the Abbot sayd vnto Huon Sir I pray you to be no longer displeased Then Huon tooke one of his Apples and gaue it to his good Vncle the Abbot and sayd Sir take this Apple the which I gathered of the Trée of youth I gathered therof thrée and one I gaue to the Admirall of Persia and another I kept for my selfe the which I giue you and I woulde haue gathered moe but I was forbidden by an Angell sent from our Lord Iesus Christ and Sir knowe for troth that the Admirall of Persia before I gaue him the Apple he was of the age of Six-score yeares and more but assoone as hee had eaten thereof he became as faire and as strong as when he was of Thirtie yeares of age and hee is as now one of the fairest Princes in the world By the which Miracle he and all his people of his Realme did forsake the false and detestable Law of Mahomet and tooke vpon them the beliefe of our Lord Iesus Christ and were christened and they that woulde not were hewen all to péeces and after that for the loue that he bare vnto mée hée passed the Sea with mee with great puissance and wee entred into the Souldans Lande whereas wee discomfited him in plaine Battaile When the good Abbot had well heard and vnderstood his Nephew he had great ioy and tooke the Apple and made thereon the signe of the Crosse and did
nothing and haue suffered much paine cold and hunger and haue endured great pouertie and in great feare of death and desperation When Huon had wâ—ll heard and vnderstood his déere Wife who spake so pitiously sorrow and gréefe so closed his heart that hee had no power to speake one word and the teares fell from his eyes and trickled downe his chéekes for the pitie that he had of his louing Wife Escleremond and also the Iaylor for verie pitie thâ—t hee had was constrained to wéepe and so went downe into the Prison and brought the Ladie vp and then Huon and she beheld each other and could speake no word of a great space but renue and embraced and kissed each other and so fell downe to the ground both in a traunce and they lay vntill other Knightes came thether fearing that they had beene dead there was none but that wept for pitie Then the Emperour came thether himselfe and sore wept and repented himselfe of the illes that he had done to the Ladie and made her â—o suffer and then the Knightes and Lordes reuiued them then they clipped and kissed together and Huon sayd Faire Ladie I require you to pardon mee in that I haue taried so long from you and haue left you in such pouertie paine and daunger of death and haue escaped for the which I humbly thanke our Lord God of his grace Sir quoth shee we ought greatly to thanke almightie God when hee hath sent vs that grace to sée each other and to come together againe and that you haue peace with the Emperour Then the Iaylour went to all the Prisons and tooke out all Huons men and brought â—hem vnto him and they had great ioy when they saw their Lord Maister in sauegard and thanked our Lord God and humbly saluted Huon and sayd Sir blessed bee the houre of your comming whereby wee are deliuered from the paines trauailes and pouerties that we haue been in My right deare Freends quoth Huon thus goeth the world you and I are bound to thanke our Lord God for that hee sendeth vnto vs. Then the Emperour tooke Huon by the one hand and Escleremond by the other and ledde them into his Pallaice whereas the Tables were set and there sat downe together the Emperour and Huon and the Duchesse and all the Prisoners at another Table and were all richly serued Of their meats and Seruices and ioy that they made I will make thereof but small rehearsall And when they had all dyned the Emperour ordained Ladâ—es and Damsels to serue the Duches Escleremond and ordained Chambers for the Duke and her and for all the other they were there serued of all thinges that they desired and they had new apparell according to their degrées Anon the newes and tidinges were knowne in the Citie of the Peace made betwéene Huon and the Emperour and how hee had his Wife the Duchesse Escleremond rendred vnto him and his men deliuered out of prison whereof Bâ—rnarâ— as hee was in the Towne hearkening for newes was right ioyfull and went in hast vnto the Pallaice whereas he found Huon in his Chamber with his Wife the faire Esâ—leremond and assoone as hee sawe the Duchesse the water fell from his eyes for ioy then he saluted Huon and the Duchesse and the Ladie knew him incontinent and said Ah sir Barnard well I ought to loue and cherish you that yée haue so sought for my Lord and husband as that now at last through your tedious trauaile you haue found him and brought him hether Madame quoth he I haue done nothing but what I was bound in duty to doe I am sory for the great paines and trauaile that my Lord hath suffered and then hée shewed such newes as he knew whereof many great Lords and knights had great ioy to heare him for she maruayles that he discoursed vnto them Then when they had béene there the space of Eight dayes and that their men were well refreshed the Emperour assembled all his Lords said Sirs it is my will to lead and conduct Duke Huon and the Duches to Bourdeaux and to set them in possession of their Lands and Signiories and I will haue Ten Thowsand men to goe with mee and them and to bring mee againe hether to Mayence according to his commaundement the men were made readie and when the Emperour had ordained for Huons estate as it appertained for him and his Wife and his men and when euerie thing was readie they all mounted vpon their horses and the Duchesse had a rich Littour so they departed from the Citie of Mayence and ceased not till they came within twoo Leagues of the Abbey of Cluny The good Abbot who knew nothing of the agréement made betwéene the Emperour and Huon had gathered together of men of warre about twentie Thousand and they were lodged in the Towne of Cluny and the Abbot was aduertised of the Emperours comming into those parts and he heard no newes of Huon whereof he was right sorrowfull and sore displeased and thought that the Emperour hadde taken Huon Prisoner then hee yssued out of the Towne and ranged his men in good order of Battaile without the Towne in a faireplaine and there abiding for the Emperour whome he saw comming Chap. CXL ¶ How the Emperour arriued at Cluny and how the Abbot set vpon him and of the peace that was there made and how the Emperour conueyed Huon to Bourdeaux and rendred to him all his Lands and of the parting of them and the Emperour and how Huon made his prouision to goe to king Oberon WHen the Emperour sawe the Towne of Cluny he demaunded of Huon if he could tell him to whome that towne appertayned Sir quoth he it belongeth to an Vncle of mine who is Abbot thereof and wée must passe that way and also I must néedes speake with him before I goe to Bourdeaux The same time the Abbot who was then mounted on a puissant and strong Courser well armed at all points sawe the Emperour comming towards Cluny and then he said to his men Sirs thinke this day to doe well and valiantly for yonder before vs we may sée the Emperour our enemie comming wherefore wée cannot escape the Battaile I am sure he hath taken Huon my Nephew but by the faith that I owe to my Lord and to Saint Bennet my Patron that taking shal be déerely bought then they couched their speares and spurred their horses and came running towards the Emperour and when the Emperour saw them hee called Huon and said Sir yonder yée may sée men of warre all armed come running against vs I wot not what they meane to doe but they séeme to be our enemies as far as I can perceiue and they are a great number and therfore they are to be doubted and feared Sir quoth Huon it is mine Vncle the Abbot of Cluny who hath raysed vp his men to succour me for he is not aduertised of the Peace made betwéen you and mée surely he thinketh
that haue before this time made vnto mee fealtie and homage I deliuer you quite into the handes of your right naturall Lord as you haue beene before time and I quit clearely your homages and fealties done vnto mée then they all thanked the Emperour of his good iustice and reason that hee had alwayes done vnto them in the season whiles they were vnder him the Emperour was right ioyfull that they so praised him before Duke Huon and then they came vnto Duke Huon and to the Duches Escleremond his Wife and to Clariet their Daughter and did vnto them their reuerence accordingly Thus they came vnto the Citie of Bourdeaux whereas they were ioyfully receceiued and a cloath of estate was borne before the Emperour vnder the which he road still holding Huon by the hand vntill they came vnto the Pallaice the stréets were strewed with gréene hearbs and rushes and hanged richly the windowes garnished with Ladies and Damsels Burgesses and Maydens melodiously singing whereof the Emperour was right ioyfull the Children running in the Stréetes and crying noel noel for the great ioy and mirth that they had of the comming of their Lord and Ladie When they were come vnto the Pallaice they alighted and went to their Chambers readie appointed for them if I should rehearse the ioyes and sports and solemnities that was made at the noble Citie of Bourdeaux it would bee too tedious and ouer-long to declare it for the feast and chéere was such that no man as then liuing had séen any such the which endured for the space of Eight dayes during the which time the Emperour declared vnto them of that Countrey the Peace that was made betwéen him and Duke Huon and how hee would deliuer all his Landes and Signiories into his handes and clearely acquit euerie man of their fealtie homage to him made whereof euerie man was ioyfull and vppon the Ninth daye that the Emperour should depart he called Duke Huon vnto him and sayd My right déere Fréend he that I loue best in this world if any warre or businesse happen to fall vnto you let mée haue knowledge thereof and I shall send you fortie Thousand men at armes and my selfe in person to come to ayde and succour you Sir quoth Huon of the courtesie that you offer mee I hartely thanke you and alwayes I shall repute my selfe as your true Seruant and faithfull Fréend Then the Emperor went to the Duchesse Escleremond and tooke his leaue of her and of the faire Ladie Clariet her Daughter and embraced and kissed them at his departing and so hee did all the other Ladies and Damsels and gaue euerie one of them some guift hee gaue rich guiftes vnto the Duchesse and to her Daughter and then he tooke his leaue and mounted vppon his Horse and so yssued out of the Citie of Bourdeaux and Duke Huon and the good abbot of Cluny conuayed him about twoo Leagues then they tooke their leaue of the Emperour and of his Lords and Knightes and returned vnto the noble Citie of Bourdeaux Then after that Huon had soiourned there about Eight dayes he road vnto Geronnill and to Blames and vnto all other townes and Castles where he was receiued with great ioy and mirth and set Officers in them then hee returned againe vnto the Citie of Bourdeaux to the Duchesse Escleremond his Wife and after that he had taried there about a Moneth Duke Huon deuised with his Wife in the presence of the good Abbot his Vncle and of Barnard his Coozen and sayd My right déere wife hee that remembreth not the goodnesse done vnto him may bee reputed as vngratefull I say it because you know well that King Oberon hath done vnto vs great good and hath deliuered vs out of many great perils of death and as you sawe but lately by the twoo Knightes that rescued you from the death and from the daunger that you were in and you knowe well that the last time that Kinge Oberon departed from Bourdeaux hee gaue mee all his Realme of the Fayrie and the puissance that he hath there and he made mée to promise him that after that Foure yeares were passed that I should come vnto him and that he would then put me in possession of his Realme and hée saide that if I failed my day hée would vtterly destroy me you know well what hath fallen vnto me before this by breaking of his Commaundement and therefore déere Lady and Wife it is necessarie that I goe vnto him and I shall leaue with you Barnard who shall haue the kéeping of my Landes and of you and as for my Daughter I will leaue her with the Abbot héere mine Vncle who I desire héere before you that hee will kéepe and gouerne my Daughter Clariet and with him I will leaue all my riches and precious stones that I brought with mée to the entent to marrie her so that it be to a man of great valour but I will not that shee bee maried vnto any person for riches but a person that is worthy and valiant I would should haue her for she hath and shall haue riches ynough for her selfe and for a man of great authoritie Faire Nephew quoth the Abbot your going shall be displeasing vnto me if I might amend it if God will no man liuinge shall haue your Daughter my Néece in marriage except hee bée a man of a high Parentage and garnished with vertues and good manners and as for your riches pearles and Iewels shee shall not néede to haue any thereof for I haue Treasure and riches ynough to marrie her nobly Chap. CXLI ¶ How Duke Huon deuised with the Duchesse his Wife of his departing and how shee sayd that she would goe with him And how hee left his Daughter and Land and Signiories in the keeping of his Vncle the good Abbot of Cluny and of Barnard his Coozen WHen the Duchesse Escleremond had well heard her Husband the Duke make his deuises to goe vnto Kinge Oberon you may well beléeue that she had great dolour and gréefe at her heart and then all wéeping shée kneeled downe before her Husband and said My right deare Lord and if God will you shall not goe on foote but that I will goe with you if you take any ill or annoyance I will haue my part and if you haue any good aduenture I will haue my part with you for your long absence hath béen right hard for mée to endure Faire Ladie quoth Huon I pray you to forbeare your going and abide héere with your Daughter for the Voyage shall bée sore for you to doe here I shall leaue Barnard my Coozen and mine Vncle the good Abbot and they shal be vnto you as Fathers Sir quoth she I shall haue many sorowes to abide héere without you I had rather to endure whatsoeuer God shall send vs together then to abide héere without your companye Thus yée haue heard héere before that for any excuse or reason that Huon could shew vnto the Duchesse
his Wife he could not turne her from her opinion but that shee woulde in any wise goe with him When Huon saw that he sayd My right déere Ladie since it is your pleasure to go with mée and to be content whatsoeuer God doth send vs either good or euill your companie pleaseth mée well and I am right ioyfull thereof When the good Abbot and Barnard had well heard and vnderstood the will and pleasure of Duke Huon and of the Duchesse Escleremond his Wife they were sore displeased therewith if they could in any wise haue letted them but they could not turne him for any thing that they could doe then Huon sayd vnto the good Abbot Faire Vncle I leaue with you my Landes Signiories and my Daughter vntill I returne againe the which shall bée as shortly as I may But of force now I am driuen to goe and take possession of the Realme that Kinge Oberon hath giuen to mée Therefore faire Vncle and Coozen Barnard vnto you I recommend my Daughter whome I loue entirely and all my Landes and Signiories I leaue all in your kéeping vntill my returne and with you mine Vncle I leaue all my precious stones and Treasure for the mariage of my Daughter whom I leaue in your kéeping Faire Nephew quoth the good Abbot séeing that it is your pleasure I shall kéepe her as well as though she were mine owne Child Good Vncle quoth Huon I pray you that the Griffens foote that I brought with me may bée sent vnto the young Kinge Lewis of Fraunce and salute him from mee and present it vnto him to doe therewith his pleasure Sir quoth the good Abbot before Easter bee come your Messuage shall bee done and that being done the young King was ioyfull thereof and caused it to bée hanged in his Pallaice and afterward by King Phillip it was hanged in the holy Chappell whereas it is vntill this day Now let vs leaue speaking of the Griffens foote and returne to our former matter Chap. CXLII ¶ How Huon tooke leaue of his Daughter and of the good Abbot his Vncle and of Barnard his Cozen and entred into the Riuer of Gerone and the Duchesse with him and of the strange Fortunes that they had WHen the good Abbot and Barnard had well vnderstood Huon and hadde heard his will and pleasure they answeared that as for his Lands and Signiories and for his Daughter hee should not need to care but they sayd that it greatly displeased them the Voyage that they were in minde to doe but since it was his plâ—asure so to doe it was reason that they should bee content and then hee ordained that Barnard shoulde make readie a little Ship apparelled and garnished with victuals and other things necessarie and that another great Shippe to be made readie at the mouth of the Sea to enter into it when they were out of the Riuer of Gerone the which thinge was done Then hee tooke sixe Knightes and a Dozen Seruants of his owne and when Huon saw euerie thing readie and had shewed his Enterprize vnto his men and to the men of his Countrey and that euery thing was readie fournished then hee tooke his Daughter in in his armes and kissed her more then Ten times and in like wise so did Escleremond her Mother and her heart was so closed with sorrow and gréefe that shee could speake no word for the departing from her Daughter you may well thinke that great was the sorrow there at their departing for he that had beene there and seene the dolour and pitifull complaints that the Ladie Clariet made for the departing of her Father and Mother with whome shee had not beene no long season there is not so hard a heâ—rt but that needs he must haue taken part of her sorrow for there was neuer séene so heauie a departing Then Huon all wéeping embraced the good Abbot his Vncle who gaue Huon at his departing a hollowed stoole the which afterward did good seruice vnto Huon and to Escleremond Also Huon tooke leaue of Barnard his Cozen then the Duchesse sayde vnto the Abbot and to Barnard Sirs vnto you twoo I due recommend my Daughter Thus Huon departed and they went to the Posterne and there they found readie their little Shippe and they entred into it and so made sayle downe along the Riuer of Gerone and when they came to the mouth of the Sea they tooke their great Shippe and so made sayle and had good wind so that shortly they were farre off from any land and were in the hye Sea for the space of Sixe dayes and vppon the Seauenth day a wind arose with such an horrible Tempest that they were driuen into the great Spanish Sea and were so far from any land that they wyst not where they were and euer the Tempest encreased in such wise that there was neuer none such seen nor heard of before the waues were like Mountaines and like to haue swallowed vp the ship so that sometime there entred into the Shippe a Tunne of water at once Chap. CXLIII ¶ How Huon lost all his men and the Ship brake in peecesâ— and how hee and the Duchesse saued themselues vpon a board and came and arriued at the Castle of the Monkes WHen Duke Huon of Bourdeaux and the Duchesse Escleremond his Wife sawe these great and suddaine tempests they were in great feare of death they greatly complained for their Daughter Clariet whome they had left at Bourdeaux Then Huon who had with him in his bagge Nine of his déere precious stones hée drew out two of them and knew the vertue and bountie of them and gaue his wife one of them and sayd My déere and louing Wife hold this stone in your hand and haue no feare for the vertue of the stone will not let you perish nor me neither he that had heard the cryes and lamentations that the Marriners made would haue had pittie and compassion of them for they saw well that they should all perish And Huon and Escleremond were vpon their knees sore weeping holding each other by the hande humbly praying to our Lord Iesus Christ to haue pittie and compassion of them and to bringe them vnto some Port in sauegard of their liues great and horrible was the Tempest and long endured so that the healme Maâ— and sayles burst all to péeces and when the Shippe was without a sterne to guide it the great waues entred into it so that the Shippe was full of water whereby it was constrayned to sinke into the Sea in such sort that it was all couered with water and all that were within were drowned and perished except Huon and Escleremond who satte together vpon a Table floating vpon the Sea so that by the grace of our Lord God and by the great bountie and vertue of the precious stones that were vppon them they were saued And when they saw their Shippe all to péeces and their men drowned and perished and themselues floating vppon the Sea
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
saw neither Castle nor Church Rocke nor Riuer but hee sawe that they were in a faire meadowe whereof Huon and Escleremond were sore abashed and blessed them hauing great maruaile of that they had séen then the Monke desired Huon to let him go Monke quoth Huon to drawe or to struggle cannot auaile thee for thou shalt not escape out of my handes vntill thou hast shewed me the Citie of Momur whereas King Oberon is Huon quoth the Monke I am content to doe it but first I pray thée to take from my necke the stole Monke quoth Huon thy reasoning cannot auaile thée for thou shalt not escape from me vntill thou hast set both me and my Wife néere vnto the Citie of Momur for thou shalt goe with vs foote by foote Well quoth the Monke since it is thus I am content to fulfill your pleasure but one thinge I say vnto you you neuer did a wiser deed then that you would not let me goe away for if the stole were not wherewith you doe hold me and the precious stones that you haue about you you shold neuer haue departed from hence I thought to haue beguiled you so that you might haue let mée gone my wayes whether I would goe Monke quoth Huon if I can you shall not depart from me vntill you haue set mee and my Wife within the Citie of Momur Sir quoth the Monke that will I not doe nor I cannot doe it though I would but I shall sette you both vppon the Mount of Hircama and from thence you may well sée vnto the Citie of Momur and all the countrey of the Fayrie and then I will returne vnto my companie who by this time are passed the great Sea of Tâ—rtaâ—y Monke quoth Huon I am content so that thou wilt sette vs in that place whereas wée may see the Citie of Momur Chap. CXLV ¶ How the Monke bare Huon and Escleremond ouer hils and Valleys in the ayre vntill hee came into the Countrey of Kinge Oberon THen the Monke tooke Huon vppon the one arme and Escleremond vpon the other but alwayes Huon held the stoale still about the Monkes necke to the entent that the Monke shoulde not beguile him and thus by the Fayrie and enchauntment the Monke bare Huon and Escleremond vnto a hye Rocke to rest them and from thence hee bare them as fast as the bird flyeth in the ayre at last they alighted in a faire meadowe then the Monke said Sir in an euill houre I met with you for you haue caused me to suffer great paine and nowe Sir I can goe no further for you are now in the Land of King Oberon whereas wée haue no puissance but first I will bring you vnto your lodging whereas you shall rest then before them they sawe a Castle newly made the which was so faire rich and strong that if I should describe it to the vttermost it would be ouer-long to rehearse Then the Monke tooke his leaue of Huon and of the Duchesse Escleremond his Wife and left them in the Castle that hee had made Huon suffered him to goe and thanked him of his curtesie the Monke suddainly vanished away they wist not whether and then Huon and his louing Wife entred into the Castle and came into a rich Chamber well fournished and there they found a Table sette with diuers meates and drinkes but there was no man to speake vnto then they sat downe at the Table and did eat and drinke at their pleasure and then they went from thence and when they were gone a little way they looked behind them and saw neither Towne nor Castle wherof they were sore abashed and recommended themselues vnto our Lord God then they went foorth into the meadow and could see neither Towne nor Castle House nor Village nor man to demaund the way of and they went so long that they came to the foote of a Mountaine whereon they mounted with great paine and trauaile and when they were vppon the toppe of the hill they rested them and then within a little season Huon sawe appeare before him a great Citie and vpon the one side thereof a faire and rich Pallaice the wals and Towers of the Citie and the Pallaice were al of white Marble pollished the which did shine so bright against the Sunne as though it had been all of Christall then Huon said vnto his Wife Madame yonder before vs we may sée the noble Citie of Momur whereas King Oberon is Sir quoth Escleremond our Lord God hath done vnto vs a great grace in that hee hath brought vs hether in the sauegard of our persons Then they went foorth vntill they came néere vnto the Citie of Momur and before the Citie they sawe a maruailous great Riuer and verie déepe and two bowe shoots in largenesse and it was maruailous pleasant to behould and when they came to the Riuer-side they founde there a man with a little Vessel awaiting vppon all them that woulde come vnto the Citie to passe them ouer Then Huon and Escleremond his Wife entred into the little Shippe and saluted the Guider thereof but hee woulde giue them none aunsweare but maruailously behelde them and when they were ouer the Marriner who was named Clarimodes and he was Sonne to a Damsell of the Fayrie then he demaunded of Huon what he and his Wife were and sayd mée thinkes you be none of the Fayrie wherefore I am not content that I haue passed you ouer Then Huon gaue him none aunsweare but went foorth and entred into the Citie and as they passed they were greatly regarded of them within the Citie and sayd one to another it is great maruaile to sée these two persons enter into this Citie for King Oberon who lyeth sicke in his bedde gaue great charge vnto Clarimodes that no straunger should passe the Riuer to enter into this Citie Huon heard them and was thereof right sorrowfull when he heard that the King lay sicke in his bedde so he passed foorth and came vnto the Pallaice euery man there beheld him and his Wife and had great maruaile to sée any mortall persons to enter into that Pallaice and they were thereof abashed and wist not what to thinke At the same time Mallâ—bron and Gloriand were walking together in the hall they saw Huon and Escleremond entring into the Hall and incontinent they knew them and came vnto them and embraced them and sayd Ah noble Duke Huon and Duchesse Escleremond you are welcome of your comminge wee are right ioyfull then Mallabron went from them and went into the Chamber whereas the King lay sicke and sayd Right déere Sir your good Fréend Huon and Escleremond his Wife are come into your Hall When the King heard that Huon and Escleremond were come for the great ioy that he had he quickly arose out of his bedde Therewith Gloriand Huon and Escleremond entred into the chamber where King Oberon was and when the King saw them he came vnto them and sayde My right déere Fréende Huon
thought hee had béen dead and euerie man complayned for him and especially the king his Father was right sorrowfull and would as then that he had neuer begunne that matter When Florence came againe to himselfe hee sayde Oh good Lorde the earth ought to be cursed when it sustaineth such a trayterous kinge that hath done such a déede great perill it is to bee conuersant with him then Florence looked vppon the knightes about him and sayde Sirs I require you for the loue you ought of reason to beare me bring me to the same place whereas she whom I loued perfectly was perished and drowned for other Sepulcher I desire none but the same that she hath for the loue of her it shall please me well to bee vnder couert vnder the waues of the Sea whereas my Loue is to the entent that of me there be heard neuer more remembrance Then hee beheld the king of Nauarre his Vncle whome hee had taken Prisoner and sayd Sir king of Nauarre thou art my Prisoner but if thou wilt ayd mee to bee reuenged of this treason that my Father hath done I shall then let thée goe againe frée and quit Faire Nephew quoth he leaue that folly and speake no more thereof for it toucheth much your honour and you shall be blamed of all them that heare speaking thereof Sir quoth Florence what is that you say you knowe well that you are my Prisoner and that it lyeth in me whether you shall liue or die Faire Nephew quoth the king I will well agrée to your wordes but if you will beléeue mee beléeue the king your Father leaue to doe after your owne will What quoth Florence you know well that in me it lyeth to strike off your head without you will agrée vnto my will and pleasure the which thing I will doe except incontinent you sweare the death of kinge Garyn my Father and that neuer to take peace with him vntill you haue brought him to the death vpon this condition I shall set you in sauegard for the Traytour hath deceiued me of the thing that I loue best in all this world Then the king of Nauarre sayd Déere Nephewe you are as yet young I cannot tell whether your wordes and promises are stable and firme or not for the youth that I sée in you and also for the great displeasure that you be in now and therefore faire Nephew I haue great feare that you should beguile me Sir quoth Florence God forbid that I shoulde bée so deceiuable of my promise to promise you any thinge and fulfill it not whatsoeuer should fall thereof At this time there were but few persons in the Pallace with the kinge for all the Lordes and knightes were gone into the Towne to their Lodgings to refresh them of their trauaile and wearines therefore the king was in his Pallaice with a small companie the which Florence had well espyed and there was certaine of Florence knightes about him vnto whome hee sayd all wéeping Sirs incontinent goe and get mee my horse and also the king of Nauarre his horse readie at the gate the which was done and when they were come then Florence sayd vnto the kinge of Nauarre his Vncle. Good Vncle if there bee any courage in you to be safe and out of seruage take this sword in your hand and let vs leaue this vnhappie king to vse his daies in sorrow and come and follow me Faire Nephew quoth the king of Nauarre I haue great feare that you will beguile me Sir quoth Florence thinke it not but come after mee and you shall sée what I will doe then Florence departed and the kinge of Nauarre with him they leapt vppon their horses and when they were vpon their good horses there was no man at that time in the Towne abroad to let Florence of his Enterterprize but thus they passed both vntill they were without the Towne then Florence sayd to the king his Vncle. Sir nowe you knowe well that I haue brought you out of this Towne and therefore I require you againe that you neuer take peace with the king my Father vntill you haue slaine him Faire Nephew quoth the king that which you require me to doe I shall fulfill it and thus I recommend you to God When the kinge sawe himselfe so well deliuered hee was ioyfull and so road vntill hee came to his Hoast whereas his men receiued him with great ioy and they demaunded how he was escaped out of the handes of Florence then the king shewed all the manner howe Florence deliuered him whereof they had great maruaile and had great ioy of his comming and to accomplish his promise to Florence his Nephewe he sent to all his Realme of Nauarre to his Fréends and other to come and ayd him Now wee shall leaue speaking of the king of Nauarre and speake of Florence his Nephew Chap. CLV ¶ How King Garyn put Florence his Sonne into a Tower in prison and how the Damsell escaped out of the Tower and spake with Florence her Louer at an arch vpon the Garden-side and how they were espyed and howe shee thought to haue drowned her selfe WHen Florence had deliuered the king of Nauarre his Vncle whom hee had taken before in the Battaile then he returned againe into the Citie and so road till he came to the Pallaice whereas he found the king his Father and sayd as a man almost out of his wits Oh thou false Traytor thou hast done so much through thine ilnesse that I rather desire thy death then thy life Then he sayd to the Knightes that were there present Sirs I pray you bringe mee to the Sea and cast mee therein in the same place whereas my Loue was cast for I will not liue one houre longer if you doe not this I shall slay my selfe with mine own handes When king Garyn heard his Sonne say so hee was right sorrowfull and spake fiercely vnto his Sonne and commaunded to take him and to set him in prison in the Tower in such wise that hee may bee sure of him and sayde Well I ought to be angrie in my heart when this boy mine own Son thus dealeth with mee but by the faith that I owe vnto our Lord God the displeasure that he hath done vnto mee hee shall deerely abuy it for as long as he liueth hee shall haue no foote of my Land Sir quoth Florence by you nor by your Land nor by any thinge that you can doe I set not thereby a button for I hadde rather die then liue There was no man present but that wept greeuously for pitie and when Florence saw them wéepe he sayd vnto them Sirs come vnto mee take off my Armour and put me into the handes of the king my Father for I will not that any of you shoulde haue any displeasure for my sake let mee beare the blame my selfe séeing that I haue lost the thing that I loue best Then the Knightes came vnto Florence and vnarmed him and
and what they were determined to doe then he sayd to himselfe that surely he would aduertise Croissant of their malicious Enterprize to the intent that he should not be surprized then he departed as priuily as he could and so came to Croissant and shewed him how the Earles Sonne with Ten men were determined to murder him the very same night in his bed sléeping and how that each of them had a sharpe knife and he sayd Sir be readie armed to defend your life for they all haue sworne your death When Croissant vnderstood the Squier he waxed as red as a burning coale and sayd I cannot beleeue that such a treason should be in the courage of a noble man as to murder him that neuer did him trespasse Sir quoth the Squier you may doe as you please but except you finde a remedie you are but lost When Croissant heard that hee trembled for the displeasure that he was in and he thought within himselfe that he would not shew the matter to any person liuing but he sware that if any came to doe him displeasure with his Sword hee woulde cléeue his head to the braines Thus the matter rested vntill it was night so he went into the Hal among the other Lords and there he found the Earle who made him great chéere and Supper was readie then they satte downe of their seruice I make no rehearsall After they had supped diuers sports were shewed in the hall and when the houre requisite came euerie man went to bed the Earle Remon had prepared for Croissant a faire Chamber with a rich bed for him and a Couch for his Squier Then Croissant tooke leaue of the Earle and of the Damsel with whom he was enamoured then he came to his Chamber well accompanied with Knights Squiers within a while they tooke leaue of him then he was alone sauing onely his Squier whome he made to lye in the Couch shewed him nothing of that he thought to doe Then Croissant armed him at all péeces his helmet on his head his sheeld about his necke and his sword about him and so layd him downe in his bed and hid him with cloathes that his armour should not be séen by them that would come thether so there he lay as priuily as he could and then about midnight the Earles Son entred into the chamber al vnarmed with his sword in his hand and his ten companions with him each of them with a sharpe weapon in their hands then they approached to Croissants bed and the Earles Sonne lifted vp his Sword and strâ—ke Croissant such a stroake on the helmet that the sword swarned in his hand whereby he perceiued that hée was armed and that hée had warning of their comming whereof he was right sorrowfull then he recouered again another stroake thinking to haue â—â—aine Croissant but he could not his helmet was so good then the other Tenne strake at Croissant but they could doe him no hurt his armour was so good Then Croissant rose vp quickly as a hardy Knight with his sword in his hand When the Earles Sonne saw that he was neuer so afraid in all his life and thought to haue fled away but Croissant was before him and gaue him such a stroake on the head with his sword that he claue it to the chin and so he fell downe dead and the other had slaine Croissants Squier whereof hee was sorrie then hée ran at them like a man desperate and did so much that within a short space he had slaine Fiue of them and the other fledde away into another Chamber and durst not speake one word Chap. CLXXVIII ¶ Howe Croissant depated from Nise with his sword in his hand And howe the Earle Râ—mon was sorrowfull for the death of his Sonne and chased after Croissant but he could not bee found WHen Croissant saw himselfe so enterprized and that hée had slaine the Earles Sonne he was in great feare for hee knewe wel that if he were taken he should be in danger of his life therefore hastely he departed out of the Pallaice and when hee came to the Stable where his horse stood he found a great yron chaine before the dore to the 〈◊〉 that the horse should not bee taken out in the night time when he saw that he was sore discomforted and sayd Oh good Lord now by thy grace ayd me I ought well to be sorrie when I must leaue my horse Alas now I cannot tell how to 〈◊〉 mine armour certainely except God succour mee I sée no way how I can escape aliue Alas I thought to haue béene married to the Earles Daughter but now I am farre from it 〈◊〉 I haue slaine her Brother I was not minded to haue returned into my Countrey so soone vntill I had conquered some â—â—â—our and Landes whereby I might haue béene receiued honourably of them that did sette nothing by me then hee began sore to wéepe so he went through the towne as he might for he coulde not trauaile long in his armour but hee beheld a voide house in a corner of a streete hee went thether and vnarmed him of all his armour except his sword so he was in a white Iacket and then he rested not vntill hee came to the gate and called the Porter desired him to open the gate saying that he had businesse to doe a little without the Towne the Porter answeared stubbornely and sayd there rrquireth no hast hée might well abide for he sayd that hee would not open the gate vntill it was faire day Fréend quoth Croissant I pray thée shew me this courtesie the Porter answered him fiercely and sayd Thou doest but loose thy labour for the gate shall not be opened vntill the Sunne rise When Croissant saw that the Porter would not open the gate by faire meanes hee sette his hand to his sword and sayd Thou false Traitour except thou doest open the gate incontinent with my sword I shall slay thee When the Porter saw that Croissant held a naked sword in his hand to strike him he had great feare and he came forth in hast with the keyes in his hande and sayd Sir I shall open the gate with a good will howbeit he was so afraide that all his bodie trembled for feare then he came to the gate and opened the wicket and then Croissant yssued out vnarmed and hadde on but a Cloake ouer his Iacket and a sword about him and a little purse at his guirdle and therein Twentie Shillings in monney and no more Thus as yée haue heard Croissant yssued out of the Towne of Nise in Prouaunce and tooke the way towards Roome but before he had gone two Leagues the Fiue Traytours that fled from him and were hidden in a Chamber when they thought that Croissant was departed for they thought he would not tarie because hee had slaine the Earles Sonne then they went out of the Chamber making great brute and noise so that euerie
they entred into â—he Isle wheras there dwelt neither man nor woman but the earth was so faire and gréen that great ioy it was to sée it it was likewise so faire hot that they hid them selues in the greene grasse to thintent they should not be perceaued still the Lady wept pitiously and Huon said vnto her Lady bée not abashed for if we dye for loue wée shall not be the first for Tristram died for the loue of the faire Isoluda and shée for him and so all wéeping they clipped and kissed eche other And as they lay wrapped in the gréene grasse there ariued Tenne Sarazins in a litle vessell who entred into the Isle to take fresh water and other things that they needed then they said eche to other let vs goe foorth into this Isle and see if wée can find any aduenture these men were Pyrates of the sea and had serued before the Admirall Gaudise Father to Escleremond Huon who was with his Louer in the gréen grasse heard how neere to them people was comming hée thought to go to them to sée if he might get any meate Deere Louer quoth Huon I pray you goe not hence till I returne Sir quoth shée God be your guide but I requyre you to returne againe shortely Then hee departed all as naked as he was borne and so came to theÌ„ before they had dyned where he saluted them desired them humbly for the loue of God to gyue hym some bread One of them aunswered and saide Fréend thou shalt haue ynough but we pray thee shew vs what aduenture hath brought thee hether Sir quoth Huon the tempest of the sea hath brought me hether for the shippe that I was in is perished and all my companye When they heard him they had great pity and gaue him two loaues of bread Huon tooke them departed and thanking them went backe to his Loue and gaue her parte of the bread whereof shée was not a little glad Then the Pyrates that had giuen Huon the bread said one to another this man that is thus gone from vs surely it can not be but that he hath some other company therfore let vs goe presently after him and peraduenture wée shall finde out his company for mee thinkes if he were alone hée would not so haue come to vs. Let vs go and sée quoth all the other and not returne till we know the troth Than they went all together followed Huon as priuilie as they could and when they came néere whereas hée was they saw him and the Ladie hard by him eating of the bread that they had giuen him there they stood still aduised them to sée if they could haue any knowledge of him or of the Lady Now among them there was one that said Sirs neuer beleue mée but this Ladie is the faire Escleremond daughter to the Admirall Gaudise and hée that is with her is the same FrenchmaÌ„ that fought with Agrapart slew him and also the Admirall it is happy that we haue found them and specially that he is naked without armour for if that he were armed our lyues were but short When they knew certainely that it was Escleremond daughter to the Admirall Gaudise then they approched néere to them and cryed aloude and saide Madame Escleremond your flying away auayleth you nothing for by you and your meanes your father hath been slaine by the theefe that sitteth there by you therefore wee shall bring you to your Vncle Iuoryn of Mombrance who shall take of you such correction that ye shal be an example to all other the leachour that is by you shal be there slayne before your face When the Lady saw these Paynims sheâ— was right sorowfull and sore discomforted then she kneled down and held vp hir handes prayed them humbly that they would haue pitie on the frenchman as for her owne life shée did put it to their owne pleasures either to slay hir or to drowne her or else to bring her to her Vncle. And sirs quoth shee I sweare by Mahound that if ye will grant my request if I can be agreed with mine Vncle Iuorin I shall doe you all such pleasures that ye and all yours shall be rich for euer after for little shall yee winne by the death of one poore man Ladie quoth they we are well content to leaue him héere but wée shall doe him all the shame and rebuke that we can that hee may remember it for euer after Then they tooke Huon and laide him on the grene grasse and did blind his eies and binde his hands and féet so that the blood burst out at his nayles wherby hée was in such distres that hée swonded three times and pitiously called on our lord god to haue pitie of him and to forgiue him his sinnes When the swéet Escleremond saw her Louer Huon so handled and that shee should depart from him to shewe the pitifull complaints that shée made it were impossible Also Huon made pitious complainâ—s when his Loue Escleremond departed the which gréeued him more then his own paine that hée suffred Now wee shall leaue speaking of him and say what happened afterward to the faire Escleremond Chap. XLVIII ¶ How the faire Escleremond was led away with the Pyrates of the sea and how the Admirall Galaffer of Anfalerne deliuered her out of their hands NOw sheweth the Historie how that when these théeues had takeÌ„ and bound Huons hands féet and eyen they left him alone in the Isle and tooke the faire Escleremond and brought hir into their shippe Then they gaue hir a gowne and a mantell furred with ermyns for they were Robbers of the sea and had much goods in their shippe then they sayled foorth night and day at last a wind tooke them that whether they would or not they arriued at the Port of Anfalerne and at the same time the Admirall there was newly risen from his dinner and stood leaning out at a window in his Pallaice and when hée perceiued the shippe that lay at anchor in the hauen and saw the banners and streamers wauing with the winde thereby hée well perceiued that the ship pertayned to Kinge Iuoryn of Mombrance whereuppon hée with his Lords went downe to the hauen Then he cryed out aloude said Sirs what marchandize haue ye brought Sir quoth they we haue brought sendals clothes of silke wherefore sir if we shall pay any Tribute or custome wee are redie to pay it at your pleasure Then Galaffer the Admirall said I know well ynough if yee should pay any tribute yee should not choose but doe it But sirs I pray you tell mee what Damsell is that which I sée in your shippe sore wéeping Sir quoth they it is a slaue a Christian woman whome we bought at Damieta The Ladie heard well how the Admirall demaunded for her and likewise what answere the Mariners had made then shee cried out aloud and said Alas Sir Admirall for the loue and honour of