The Romaunce of the Sowdone of Babylone and of Ferumbras his Sone who Conquerede Rome: ◊ (continued 3)

That she hade saued his meyne 3148 assistance to his

And holpe hem oute of peynes smerte knights, and for

And kepte the Relekes so fre. having preserved the

Kinge Charles did calle bisshope Turpy precious relics. He

And bade him ordeyne a grete fat, 3152 orders Turpin to

To baptyse the Sowdo yne; prepare a vessel,

“And loke what he shalle hat. wherein to baptize

Unarme him faste and bringe him ne, the Soudan

I shal his godfader be. 3156

Fille it fulle of wate cle,

For Baptysed shalle he be.

Make him naked as a Childe,

He moste plunge ther-inne. 3160

For now most he be meke and mylde, and to wash off his

And I-wassh awaye his synne.” sin in the water.

‹p091› LABAN IS SLAIN, AND FLORIPAS WEDDED TO GUY.

Turpyn toke him by the honde Turpin leads Laban to

And ladde him to the fonte. 3164 the font,

He smote the bisshope witħ a bronde but the Soudan

And gaf him an evel bronte. strikes at him,

He spitted in the water cle spits on the vessel,

And cryed oute on hem alle, 3168 utters invectives

And defied alle þat criste we. against all

That foule mote him by-falle! Christians,

“Ye and tho, hore serpentyne,

And that fals cursed Ferumbras, 3172 and curses Ferumbras.

Mahounde gyfe hem botħ evel endyn,

And almyghty Sathanas!

By you came all my sorowe,

And al my tresure for-lorne. 3176

Honged be ye both er tomorowe!

In cursed tyme were ye bor.”

Ferumbras saide to the kinge,

“Sir, ye see, it wole not be, 3180

Lete him take his endynge,

For he loueth not Cristyante.”

“Duke Neymes” quod Charles tho, Charles commands

“Loke þat execucio be do, 3184 Naymes to cut off his

Smyte of his hedde! god gyfe him woo! head. [leaf 79]

And goo we to mete anoone.”

It was done as the kinge commaunde, He is executed; his

His soule was fet to helle, 3188 soul goes to hell,

To daunse in þat sory lande there to dance with

With develes, þat we ful felle. devils.

Dame Florip was Baptysed tha

And here maydyns alle, 3192 Floripas was baptized

And to Sir Gye I-maryed. with all her maidens,

The Barons honoured hir alle. and wedded to Guy.

Alle the londe of Spayne Charles divided Spain

Kinge Charles gyfe he two, 3196 between Guy and

To departe bitwyxt hem twayne, Ferumbras,

Ferumbras and G also.

‹p092› CHARLES RETURNS TO FRANCE.

And so thay livede in ioye and game,

And brether both thay we, 3200

In pees and wer both I-same,

The durste no ma hem de.

Kinge Charles turned home agay

Towarde his contre, 3204

He charged Sir Brye of Bretayne and charges Sir Bryer

His tresoure for to be: of Bretayne to take

To kepe the Relikes of grete pris care of the relics,

And his other tresou, 3208 and to bring all his

And bringe hem safe to Parys, treasure to Paris.

There to a-bide in store.

He saide “farewell, Sir Ferumbras,

Ye and Gye, my dere frende! 3212 After taking leave of

And thy wyf Dame Floripas! Guy and Floripas,

For to Fraunce nowe wole I wende.

Be ye togeder as breth[e]r botħ!

No ma ye neditħ to drede, 3216

Be ye nevere to-gedere wrotħ,

But eyther helpe othir at his nede.

Vysityth me, wha ye haue space;

In-to Fraunce makitħ your disporte, 3220

God wole you sende the better grace,

In age to do me comforte.”

Thai toke leve of the kinge,

With ful hevy che, 3224

And turned agay botħ mornynge,

With wepynge water cle.

Kinge Charles with the victory he sails to Mounpeler,

Sailed to Mounpeleres, 3228

And thanked almyghty god in glorye, [leaf 80] where he

That he hade saued his Dosiperes, thanks God for the

And fende him of the Saresynes victory,

The hyer honde to have, 3232

For alle here strenghe186 and he Engynes

‹p093› GENELYN IS HANGED AT PARIS.

The Relikes of Rome to saue. and for the relics.

At oure lady of Parys He presents the

He offred the Crosse so fre; 3236 cross to Paris, the

The Crow he offred at seynte Denyse, Crown to St. Denis,

At Boloyne the nayles thre. the three nails to

Alle his Barons of him we gladd, Boulogne.

Thai gafe him grete presente. 3240

For he so wele hade I-spedde,

Thay did him grete reuerence. Charles well

The kinge hade wel in mynde remembered the

The tresone of Genelyne, 3244 treachery of Genelyn,

Anoo for him he dide sende

To yefe him an evel fyne:

“Thou traitour unkynde” quod the kynge,

“Remembrist tho not how ofte 3248

Thou hast me betrayed, þou fals Genelyne?

Therfore thoue shalt be honged on lofte!—

Loke that the execucio be do,

That throgh Parys he be drawe, 3252 and ordered him to be

And honged on hye on mount Fawco, drawn and hanged at

As longeth to traytoures by lawe; Montfaucon in Paris.

That alle men shall take hede,

What deth traytourys sha fele, 3256

That assente to such falshede,

Howe the wynde here bodyes shal kele.” Thus Charles

Thus Charles conquered Laba, conquered the Soudan

The Sowdo of Babyloyne, 3260 of Babylone.

That riche Rome stroyed and wa

And alle the brode londe of Spay.

187 . . . . . .[an]d of his Barons

. . . . . . .[hi]s pride 3264

. . . . . . . .eligons

. . . . . . . .þat tyde

. . . . . . .on Charles soule

. . . . . . .s also 3268

‹p094› CONCLUSION.

. . . . . . .Peter and Poule

God lete hem never wete of woo! [leaf 81]

But brynge here soules to goode reste!

That were so worthy in dede. 3272

And gyf vs ioye of the beste, God give joy to all

That of here gestes rede! who read this romance.

Here endithe the Romaunce of the Sowdon of Babyloyne and of Ferumbras his sone who conquerede Rome, And Kynge Charles off Fraunce withe xij. Dosyperes toke the Sowdon in the feelde And smote of his heede.

FOOTNOTES. ◊