Caxton's Blanchardyn and Eglantine, c. 1489 : from Lord Spencer's unique imperfect copy, completed by the original French and the second English version of 1595BlancandinKellner, Leon, 1859-1928Caxton, William, ca. 1422-1491ca. 800 kbUniversity of Michigan Humanities Text InitiativeAnn Arbor, MIBlanchardyn
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1997Caxton's Blanchardyn and Eglantine, c. 1489 : from Lord Spencer's unique imperfect copy, completed by the original French and the second English version of 1595edited by Leon KellnerEarly English Text SocietyOxford University PressLondon1890Reprinted by Richard Clay and Company, Ltd.Bungay, Suffolk1962Early English Text Society (Series). Extra seriesno. 58Call number: 820.6 E13e no.58 1962Caxton's Blanchardyn and Eglantine was keyboarded by Chrisian, 5% proofed and found to be within 1 error in 20,000 characters specifications. All material, except for the back matter, including the Name Index and Glossary, is included and is represented in the electronic edition as it was in the print edition (so far as is possible). The text was encoded by Kenneth Church, proofread by Kenneth Church (5%), and the markup reviewed by Catherine Paul.
All "corr" tags correspond to corrections that the editor, Leon Kellner, made from the original. The "sic" attribute contains the word or phrase as it appeared in the manuscript.
Kellner has created three basic types of notes that are tagged in different ways. First, where text has been added by the scribe and noted by Kellner by the phrase "Wanting in the French," or "Wanting," the text has been surrounded by "add" tags and Kellner's note retained as a pointer or note inside the "add" tags. Second, where Kellner has supplied the original French for a phrase in the English text, the note contains both the French and the English parallel. Finally, on occasion Kellner notes where the English text omits the French original. These instances are marked as notes as they occur in the text.
Milestone markers are inserted as they occur in the English editions, although some are missing. Milestone markers that appear in brackets at the beginning of the two parallel versions of the English text have been inserted into this electronic edition to help orient the reader and do not occur in Kellner's edition.
At the beginning of the text, two versions of the first six chapters and part of the seventh chapter run parallel to one another -- the first from Caxton's 1489 edition, and the second from the 1595 translation by Thomas Pope Goodwine. Therefore, we have maintained the parallel structure by running each chapter of the 1595 edition after its counterpart from the Caxton edition (ca. 1489) . The chapter title for both versions is supplied from an abbreviated title from the Caxton chapters. Each version retains its original chapter title. Similarly, a parallel structure has been maintained at the end of the text for the final chapter, which consists of the English version of Caxton, continued by the 1595 edition of T.P. Goodwine, running parallel to a French version taken from the Paris MS. Bibl. Nat. 24,371 of the French original.
FrenchLatin
Caxton's Blanchardyn and Eglantine c. 1489 FROM LORD SPENCER'S UNIQUE IMPERFECT COPY, COMPLETED BY THE ORIGINAL FRENCH AND THE SECOND ENGLISH VERSION OF 1595,
EDITED BY LEON KELLNER
Published for THE EARLY ENGLISH TEXT SOCIETY by the OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS LONDON ; NEW YORK ; TORONTO. FIRST PUBLISHED 1890 ; REPRINTED 1962
Extra Series, No. 58
REPRINTED IN GREAT BRITAIN BY RICHARD CLAY AND COMPANY, LTD., BUNGAY, SUFFOLK.
TO
DR. F. J. FURNIVALL,
THE DISINTERESTED FURTHERER
OF
TRUE SCHOLARSHIP,
THIS BOOK IS DEDICATED.
CONTENTS.
INTRODUCTION ON CAXTON'S SYNTAX, STYLE, ETC. ... v-cxxviiCaxton's Blanchardyn and Eglantine (less Leaf VI, supplied from the Paris MS. Bibl. Nat.
24,371, of the French original.) ... ... 1-206 Continuation FROM THOMAS POPE GOODWINE'SThe unique copy of Part I of the second edition of 1597, in the Public Library, Hamburgh, has the name of 'the translator or paraphrast,' Thomas
Pope Goodwine, to its Dedication to M. William Peeter (see below, p. 229-233).—Hazlitt's
Collections and Notes (1876), p. 40. ENGLISHING OF 1595, AND THE PARIS MS. (which ends on p. 219) ... ... ... ... ... ... 206-223
APPENDIX.
TITLE-PAGES AND DEDICATIONS OF THE TWO PARTS OF
THE Blanchardine and Eglantine OF 1595, BY
THOMAS POPE GOODWINE, THEREIN CALLED "P. T. G.
GENT," p. 231 ... ... ... ... ... 225-234INDEX OF NAMES ... ... ... ... ... ... 235-236GLOSSARY ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 237-242
CONTENTS OF INTRODUCTION.
I. SYNTAX OF THE PARTS OF
SPEECH.NOUN.
§ 1. Relations between the Noun
and the other parts of
speech, p. v.§ 2. Abstract and concrete
Nouns interchanged, p.
viii.§ 3. Number, p. ix.§ 4. The Nominative Case, p. xi.§ 5. The Genitive Case, p. xv.§ 6. The Dative Case, p. xxiii.§ 7. The Accusative Case, p.
xxiv.§ 8. The Article, p. xxvi.§ 9. The Adjective, p. xxviii.§ 10. Personal Pronouns, p. xxix.§ 11. Reflexive Pronoun, p. xxxv.§ 12. The Possessive Pronoun, p.
xxxv.§ 13. The Demonstrative Pronouns,p. xxxvi.§ 14. Interrogative Pronouns, p.
xxxvii.§ 15. The Relative Pronoun, p.
xxxvii.§ 16. The Indefinite Pronouns,
p. xlvi.VERB.
§ 17. Impersonal Verbs, p. xlvii.§ 18. Intransitive, Transitive,
and Reflexive Verbs, p. li.§ 19. Auxiliary Verbs, p. liii.§ 20. Voice, p. liv.§ 21. Verbal Forms in Old English,
indifferent with regard
to Voice, p. lv.§ 22. Tense, p. lvi.§ 23. Mood, p. lix.§ 24. Imperative Mood, p. lx.§ 25. The Infinitive. Active and
Passive, p. lxi.§ 26. The Simple Infinitive not
so much restricted as in
Modern English, p. lxiv.§ 27. 'To' and 'for to' preceding
the Gerundial Infinitive,
p. lxv.§ 28. Functions of the Infinitive,
p. lxv.§ 29. The Infinitive Absolute, p.
lxvi.§ 30. The Infinitive in connection
with the Accusative
(or Nominative) Case, p.
lxx.§ 31. The Infinitive sometimes
omitted, p. lxxi.§ 32. The Present Participle, p.
lxxi.§ 33. The Past Participle, p.
lxxii.§ 34. The Verbal Noun, p. lxxiv.§ 35. The Adverb, p. lxxvii.§ 36. Prepositions, p. lxxxii.§ 37. Conjunctions, p. lxxxvi.
II. SYNTAX OF THE SENTENCE.§ 38. Concord, p. xci.§ 39. Co-ordination instead of
Subordination, p. xciv.§ 40. Noun Clauses, p. xcv.§ 41. Change of direct and indirect
speech. p. xcviii.§ 42. Adjective Clauses, p. c.
III. ARRANGEMENT OF WORDS.§ 43. Subject and Predicate (Inversion),
p. ci.§ 44. The Predicative Verb, p.
ciii.§ 45. Place of the Object, p. ciii.§ 46. Place of the Attribute, p. cv.§ 47. Place of the Adverb, p. cvi.§ 48. Apposition, p. cvii.§ 49. Contraction, p. cviii.
APPENDIX.I. Caxton as a translator. His
style, p. cx.II. The Manuscripts and Prints
of the Romance, p. cxvi.
LIST OF BOOKS QUOTED IN THE INTRODUCTION.
Abbott, A Shakspearian Grammar.Aelfric's Homilies. Ed. B. Thorpe.Aelfric's Lives of Saints. Ed. Skeat, E. E. T. S.Ancren Riwle. Ed. Morton.Ayenbite of Inwyt, by Dan Michel. Ed. R. Morris, E. E. T. S.Aymon, The four Sonnes of, by Caxton. Ed. Octavia Richardson, E. E. T. S.Beowulf. Ed. M. Heyne, Paderborn, 1879.Blades, William Caxton, 4o.Blanchardyn and Eglantyne. The present edition.Blickling Homilies. Ed. R. Morris, E. E. T. S.Boorde, Andrew. Ed. J. F. Furnivall, E. E. T. S.Charles the Grete, by Caxton. Ed. S. J. Herrtage, E. E. T. S.Chaucer, Boece. Boethius's De Consolatione philosophiæ. Ed. R. Morris, 1886.
Chaucer Society.Chaucer. Ed. R. Morris, 1866, 6 vols.Chronicle, Anglo-Saxon. Ed. Earle.Cura Pastoralis, Pope Gregory's. Old English Translation. Ed. Sweet, E. E. T. S.Curial, Caxton's. Ed. F. J. Furnivall, E. E. T. S.Cursor Mundi. A Northumbrian Poem of the 14th Century. Ed. R. Morris,
I—V. London, E. E. T. S.Curtesye, Book of, by Caxton. Ed. F. J. Furnivall, E. E. T. S.Einenkel, Streifzüge durch die M.E. Syntax. Münster, 1887.Elene, Cynewulf's. Ed. Zupitza. Berlin, 1877.Eneydos, Caxton's. Ed. M. T. Culley, E. E. T. S.Gascoigne, Steel-Glass. Ed. Arber.Genesis and Exodus, Story of. Ed. R. Morris, E. E. T. S.Gesta Romanorum. Ed. S. J. Herrtage, 1879, E. E. T. S.Gorboduc or Ferrex and Porrex. Ed. L. Toulmin-Smith. Heilbronn, 1883.Greene, Robt., Works. Ed. A. Dyce.Guy of Warwick. Ed. Zupitza, E. E. T. S.Hampole, Prose Treatises. Ed. Perry, E. E. T. S.Huon of Burdeux, by Sir John Bourchier, Lord Berners. Ed. S. L. Lee, E. E. T. S.Koch, C. F., Historische Grammatik der englischen Sprache II. Second edition.
Revised by Zupitza.Layamon's Brut. Ed. Sir F. Madden.Lyly's Euphues. Ed. Landmann. Heilbronn, 1887.Marlowe's Works. Ed. A. Dyce.Melusine. Ed. A. K. Donald, E. E. T. S.Morte Darthur, by Malory. Ed. O. H. Sommer, 1889.O. E. H. = Old English Homilies, I. II. Ed. R. Morris, E. E. T. S.Old English Miscellany. Ed. R. Morris, E. E. T. S.Orm. = Ormulum. Ed. White-Holt.Orosius. Ed. Sweet, E. E. T. S.Peele's Works. Ed. A. Dyce.Piers Plowman. Ed. Skeat, E. E. T. S.Schmidt, Alex., Shakspere-Lexicon.Shakspere's Works. Globe Edition.Spenser's Works. Ed. R. Morris.Starkey, England in the Reign of Henry VII. Ed. J. M. Cowper and S. H.
Herrtage, E. E. T. S.Trevisa, Higden's Polychronicon. Ed. Churchill Babington and Rawson Lumby.Wills, Bury. Camden Society.Wills, Early English. Ed. F. J. Furnivall, E. E. T. S.Wulfstan, Homilies. Ed. Napier. Berlin, 1883.Wyclif's English Works. Ed. F. D. Matthew, E. E. T. S.
INTRODUCTION.
I. SYNTAX OF THE PARTS OF SPEECH.
Introduction to the Noun
§1. RELATIONS between the Noun and the other parts of speech.
From the logician's point of view, every 'part of speech' has a
province of its own, strictly limited and separated from the other
'parts'; but in practice, language constantly cuts the line drawn by
Aristotle, and some English students are wont to say that nearly
every short English noun and verb can be used as verb, noun, and
adjective, while nearly every adjective can be used as a noun: 'a
plant, plant-life or plant-culture, to plant; tea, tea-district, we'll tea
you at our tent; love, love trifles, to love; his english, English ways,
to english; the true, the beautiful; true that line,' &c.;
In Old English there are several instances in which both noun
and adjective are denoted by the same form of a word, as earfoð
(difficulty and difficult), leoht (light sb., bright adj.), weorð (worth,
sb. and adj.), yrre (wrath, sb. and adj.); every adjective may be used
substantively, in the singular as well as in the plural, in the positive
as well as in the comparative and superlative degree; the infinitive
and the verbal noun (in -ung, -ing) may be said to belong to the
noun as well as to the verb. Theoretically, the tendency of every
literary language of the present day is to observe the laws of logic in
grammar and style, and to restrict as far as possible the use of every
part of speech to its own dominion, though practically, as stated
above, speakers and writers claim and exercise full freedom in this
respect. Caxton and his contemporaries did not care to be fettered
by niceties of logic, and thus we have to state the following relations,
in his books, between the noun and the other parts of speech.
1. Nouns used as adjectives.
We have kept in Modern English a few such expressions as
'queen-mother, queen-dowager, lord-lieutenant,'At the Philological Society's Meeting on Nov. 1., when parts of this Introduction were read as a Paper, the Members divided these 3 sample-words into
two classes, I. two nouns, 'queen-mother'; II. noun and adjective, 'queen-dowager,'
'lord-lieutenant.' where 'queen,' 'lord'
are to be looked on more as appositions than as the first part of
compounds; and there are others, like 'fellow-creature, deputy-marshal,
champion-sculler,' where 'fellow,' 'deputy,' 'champion' are
used quite adjectively. But while in Modern English this use is
restricted in common speech to a few cases,—I exclude the conscious
archaisms in poetry and historic romances,—Caxton is very free in
forming such appositive compositions:—
the paynem kynge Alymodes, Blanchardyn 38/2, 90/25, 133/11;
a man straunger,This postposition of the adjective-noun, due to French influence, will be
dealt with under Arrangement of Words.ibid. 43/9 (original: homme estrange); a knyght straunger,This postposition of the adjective-noun, due to French influence, will be
dealt with under Arrangement of Words. 51/19, 125/33; lady paramours, 78/31, 205/23; leches cyrurgiens,This postposition of the adjective-noun, due to French influence, will be
dealt with under Arrangement of Words. 102/18; kynge sarasyne,This postposition of the adjective-noun, due to French influence, will be
dealt with under Arrangement of Words. 129/8, 133/31 (sarasyn is a
pure adjective as well, cf. 131/15); kyng prysoner, 148/5; felon
conspiratours, 178/16; felon paynems, 189/1; felon enmyes, 205/25.
This is quite a common Middle English use.
—yon traitor juu, 4397; knau barns (male children),
5544. Cf. Orm. Gloss. s. v.
—a coward ape, IlI. 198; felon look, V. 9.
—the fole knyg̛t, p. 20; lorell knaue, p. 80;
a leper man, p. 190; the traitour servant, p. 316.
(ed. Furnivall)—the freres prechoures, 17/2.
—queens sorceresses, 187/27; cf. 212/19. the
same traitour knyght, 289/34; cf. 290/17, 294/33.
This use becomes rare in the 16th century, and probably dies out
for a time, though it is afterwards revived in literary, if not in
common, speech. Berners, in his Huon of Burdeux, has still 'a
felon traitour,' I. 5/4; 'thou ſalse traitour knyght,' I. 41/26. But
the edition of 1601 alters the latter passage into 'trayterous knyght.'
'Traitor knight' and like expressions will, however, be found in
plenty of later poems and romances, though more or less consciously
as archaisms.
2. Adjectives used substantively.
Compared with its power in Old English, and even in the first
two centuries of the Middle-English period, the adjective of the
present day has lost a good deal of its vigour and independence.
By inflexion, any adjective could formerly express alone what it can
now say only by adding a noun: e. g. se góda (the good man), þœt
gód (the good, in opposition to evil), þá gódan (the good ones, the
righteous). We can still use: 'the good and evil of this life, of
adversity,' &c.; 'the good (pl.) shall be happy, the evil (pl.) miserable,
hereafter.' But in consequence of the inflexion having decayed, the
independence of the adjective was to some extent given up, in order
to avoid ambiguity. In Modern English prose we only retain—and
in the plural only, as to persons—those which exclude all ambiguity,
e. g. 'the poor and the rich,' always plural now, Psalms and Bible
used singular, or whose ambiguity the context removes. Caxton's
use of the adjectives is, in this respect, nearly modern.
The adjectives used substantively may be divided into the
following groups:—
(a) Adjectives qualifying concrete nouns, mostly persons.
= intimate friend. 'That night noon of them alle,
were he neuer so moche her famyllyer, cam to see her,' Blanch.
51/16.
= the quick (living) flesh. Cf. the French: toucher
au vif, 'loue smote her ayen wyth a darte to the quycke tyll þe herte
of her,' Blanch. 67/32.
= his elders. 'He passed them that were his elder in
age,' Blanch. 13/21. Original: les plus sagies de soy.
(b) Adjectives used as abstract nouns.
Such adjectives in the positive degree are rarely met with.
'Casuall fryuolles,' Blanch. 44/21, translates Old French 'frivoleances.'
'yet ought ye to maynten & holde thapposite,' ibid. 44/17; in
certayne, 97/1.
To this group belong also the adjectives denoting a. languages,
as: frenshe, Blanch. 1/24; englysshe, 1/24, 2/9; b. colours, as: in red,
64/10, 164/5; and c. adjectives in the genitive case used adverbially,
as: of freshe, Blanch. 164/12, 165/21; of newe, ibid. 100/26, 147/18,
195/7. The latter correspond to the Middle English 'newes,' Story
of Gen. and Exodus (ed. R. Morris), l. 240, and note; of lyght =
lightly, 129/33.
There is one instance of an abstract adjective in the comparative
degree: 'men must suffre, for better to haue,' Blanch. 68/25.
But it occurs pretty often in the superlative:—The thykkest of
the folke = the thykkest press, 42/6, 59/5, 106/8, 167/16; it is for
your best, 44/23, 185/19; he sholde do the best and the worst, 48/16;
at the last, 188/20, and frequently.
3. Prepositions used as Nouns
'Her best biloued (Blanchardyn) was alle redy com to his aboue
ouere Rubyon,' Blanch. 85/3; his aboue (in this as well as in the
following two passages) translates the French au-dessus; 'they were
come to their aboue of their enmyes,' 142/32; 'ye are therof come to
your aboue,' 149/27.
4. The Adverb used as a Noun.
There is one instance only in Blanchardyn: 'he had called alle
his barons and lordes, & alle the gentylmen of there aboute,' 98/16.
Cf. Modern English, the whereabouts; perhaps also Aymon, 59/5:
'ye shall now here and understande from the hensfourthon a terryble
and a pyteous songe.'
§ 2. Abstract and concrete Nouns interchanged.
Logic classifies nouns, with reference to the mode in which
things exist, into concrete and abstract. However, not only in
poetry, but also in simple prose both classes are often (as now)
interchanged.
(a) Abstracts used in a concrete sense:—
= French conseil. '(She) spake at that same
owre wyth certayne of her counseyll,' Blanch. 76/32.
= knights. 'I do yelde and delyuere into your handes
the kynge of Polonye, your enemye, whiche I haue taken with the
helpe of your sone, and of your noble and worthy cheualrye,'So in Byron, Macaulay's Ivry, &c.; &c.; 108/34.
Cf. Morte Darthur, 47/22.
= gracious person. 'I presente this lytyl book unto the
noble grace of my sayd lady,' 1/7, 8. ('Her Grace, your Grace,'
now.)
Verbal nouns in -ing, originally abstracts, often become concrete.
= clothes, Blanch. 148/18, 159/32. (Bible: 'her
clothing was of wrought gold.')
= a kiss. 'That one onely kyssyng that I toke of yow,'
Blanch. 134/8.
It is doubtful whether 'helpes' in the following passage is correct,
or a misprint for helpers: Cf. our 'lady-help,' and 'help' (American), the regular word for servant.
'Would Subyon or not, and all his
helpes, the noble lady was taken out of his power,' 197/21. Helpe
= helper looks suspicious, because it does not occur, so far as I am
aware, elsewhere in Caxton; but it is used in the same sense in the
Story of Genesis and Exodus, l. 3409:
And (Ietro) at wið moysen festelike,And tagte him siðen witte likeUnder him helpes oðere don.
Of course 'helpe' is not to be confounded with 'help'; the
latter is abstract, the former concrete; cf. hunte = hunter. Layamon,
21337; O. E. Hom. II. 209; Orm. 13471; Chaucer, Knight's
Tale, 1160; Stratmann, s. v.; Skeat, Notes to Piers Plowman, p.
402.
Abstracts used for concretes are not very common in Middle
English:—
Cursor Mundi,
= barons, 4627, 8533.
Chaucer,
= messenger, Man of Law's Tale, 333. Cf.
sonde = messenger, O. E. Hom. I. 249, Story of Gen. and Ex.
Glossary.
Langland (Piers Plowman),
= a suit of retainers.
Skeat, Notes to P. Pl., p. 46. treuthe = a true man, a righteous
man, Skeat, l. c. 297.
A few are retained in Modern English, as a justice = judge, a
witness, &c.;
(b) Concrete nouns used as abstracts.
I know of only one instance in Blanchardyn,
= beginning:
'or euer he myght come to the chyeff of his enterpryse,' Blanch. 17/4.
chief is = cap (caput), which exactly answers to heafod, head. Cf.
Morte Darthur 144/8: 'ther by was the hede of the streme, a fayre
fountayn.'
= battle, occurs in Morte Darthur 172/17, and is often to
be met with in Elizabethan authors: Gorboduc, l. 230; Gascoigne,
Steel-Glass, pp. 58, 63, 64; Spenser, F. Q., I. iii. 379; Shakspere,
Schmidt, s. v.
§ 3. Number.
Not all nouns can be used in the singular as well as the plural;
some are restricted to the former, some to the latter. The so-called
pluralia tantum, which are so numerous in Modern English (bellows,
gallows, etc.), are not to be met with in Blanchardyn. Tydinge is
used in the singular as well as in the plural. Cf. Gloss., 'well garnyshed
of vytaylle,' Aymon, 182/31. Galloưs occurs three times.
'he shold doo make and to be sette up a galhouse,' 187/24; 'to
make him deye upon the galhouse,' 189/3; '(he) sawe a payre of
galhouse,' 188/2. The French has les fourches. To conclude by the
spelling, which also occurs in Four Sons of Aymon, 331/22, Caxton
apparently connected the word with house; hence the singular, as
proved by the indefinite article in the first instance.
There are several nouns in the singular and singular form, which,
according to modern use (save as to 'foot'), should appear in the
plural:
'Men see atte eye his beaulte,' 54/34, 118/1, 10; 'which of
heyght was XV fote long,' 56/34, 163/26; '(they) fel both doune
humbly at the fote of him,' 126/14; 'they followed after at the
back of hym, as the yonge lambe do the sheep,' 106/27.Or lambe = lambren? Stratman quotes 'lombe' as plural from Robert of Gloucester, 369.
On the other hand, we find a few plural forms where we should
expect the singular:
'When the fayr beatryx, that at her wyndow was lening her
hande ouer her brestes,' 189/11. In Old English, as well as in the
other Teutonic languages, 'breast,' even with reference to male persons,
was often used in the plural. Cf. Grein, s. v. breost.
= sky, 43/18, 98/5. The same in Old English, Grein, s. v.
heofon.
= shore. 'They were nyghe the lande, where as the sayd
mast, and Blanchardyn upon it, was cast of the waves unto the
shores,' 97/35; 'he sawe hem in grete nombre, for to fyght nyghe
by the see shoris,' 162/4.
Abstracts are, in Modern English, restricted to the singular; in
Old and Middle English the plural is very frequent. It then denotes
either singular actions, as: godnesses, Orm. Ded., 252, 276, etc.;
different kinds of the conception, as: twa sarinesse beoð, O. E. Hom.,
I. 103, 105; gleadshipes, Saules Warde, 263; or the unusual force
of the conception:
'whiche boke specyfyeth .... of the grete adventures, labours,
anguysshes, and many other grete diseases of theym bothe,' Blanch.
2/3, 4; 'the grete humylyte and courtoysyes that were in Blanchardyn,'
50/12; 'sore wepynge & sorowynge his byttirnesses,' 114/18;
'they beganne to make grete festes and grete Ioyes,' 201/1; 'other
infinyte thynges that are wont to tarry the corages of some enterpryses,'
17/11; 'But their corages were neuer the lesse therfore,' Aym.
262/29 (original: couraiges); 'all rewthis layde aparte' (French,
regretz), 17/8, 20/6; '(he) toke ayen his strenthes and corage wythin
hymself,' 190/13; '(he) gaff louynge and thankes to our lord,' 98/6,
119/36, 132/13.
Plurals of verbal nouns (-ing) occur: 26/3 (wepynges); 30/11 (the
same); 132/13 (praysynges); 133/29 (the same); 174/10 (sobbynges).
Cf. O. E. Hom., I. 103, 105, 253, 255; Ayenbite of Inwyt, 18, 19,
24, 83; Gesta Rom., 174, 176, 235, 287; Morte Darthur, 173/14,
193/32; Huon, 16/8, 172/17, 325/7, 387/24.
CASES.
§ 4. The Nominative Case.
The Nominative in Middle English ranges over a wider area than
in Old English. First, its dominion is enlarged in consequence of
the other cases losing their characteristic inflexions, and being mistaken
for the nominative; secondly, it is used in syntactic connections
and expressions which were unknown to the older periods of
the English language.
In the struggle between the nominative and the accusative (or
dative?) case of the personal pronoun (ye and you), as late as the end
of the 15th century, the nominative is far from being overcome.
1. The first function of the nominative is to express the subject
of a sentence. So far as the logical subject is concerned, there has
been no change from Old English down to Modern English times.
2. But in the course of the 14th and 15th centuries, the grammatical
subject became much more frequent and important than ever
it was before.
(a) While Old English is very rich in impersonal verbs, there is a
tendency in the later periods of Middle English towards the personal
expression, that is to say (as Koch puts it), what once appeared as a
dim sensation is made to appear as the conscious action of the free
mind. Instead of 'hit hreóưeð, hit sceameð, hit licað, hit langað,'
there appear 'I repent, I am ashamed, I like, I long.' This natural
development was favoured by two external causes. In such instances
as 'Wo was this kyng,' Chaucer, II. 193, what is an indirect object
was mistaken for the nominative case; and secondly, the French
model had great influence. See Chapter VI. on the Impersonal Verbs,
p. xlvii, below.
(b) The second encroachment of the nominative on the dative case
took place in the passive constructions of transitive verbs governing
a direct and an indirect object, or of intransitive verbs followed by
prepositions. This innovation was brought about first by the dative
and accusative cases being confounded. Objects governed by verbs
like 'command, answer,' etc., were consequently looked upon as
accusative cases, and were treated as such, so that they became
capable of the passive construction.
In Caxton's time, however, that process was not yet completed;
hence such expressions as the following, which we still keep: 'as
was tolde him by the knyght,' Blanch. 43/1; 'all that was told him,'
196/20. See the chapter on the Passive, p. lxi, below.
3. The Nominative absolute wholly supplanted the Old English
dative, and became much more popular than the Old English construction
(apparently from Latin) had ever been. This use, which is
quite common in the 14th century (for Chaucer, cf. Einenkel, p. 74,
ff.), occurs rather frequently in the time of Caxton, and offers nothing
of special interest:—
'This ansuere y-herde, Alymodes ... made his oost to approche,'
Blanch. 57/28; 'and that doon, ... he shall mowe,' etc., 73/24;—preceded
by after, 94/6; Charles the Grete, 44/21, 47/31, 58/31,
61/12, 62/17, and passim; Huon, 3/29, 39/5.
4. Another function of the nominative case was that in connection
with the infinitive:—
e. g. 'I say this, be ye redy with good herte To al my lust, and
that I frely may As me best liste do you laughe or smerte, And neuer
ye to gruch it night ne day.'—Chaucer, II. 289. See the chapter on
the Infinitive, p. lxiv, below.
5. Interchange of the Nominative and the Accusative cases.
(a) Though the use of you instead of ye occurs as early as the
middle of the 14th century ('yhow knaw,' Hampole, Pricke of
Conscience, p. 127, l. 4659; cf. Book of Curtesye, Introduction,
p. x), the nominative holds its place on to the time of Henry VIII.
Caxton, as a rule, has preserved ye; it is only in the inverted
position (imperative, less frequent in interrogative sentences) that you
is introduced; but the number of ye's, even in that position, prevails.
In Blanchardyn there are two you's in the imperative:—
'Come you with me,' 60/28; 'be you sure,' 185/17. (The
instances are, of course, much more numerous in The Foure Sonnes
of Aymon and Morte Darthur.)
Aymon. 'But knowe you, that Hernyer dyde mysse of his enterpryse,'
90/15; 'Fayr chyldren, now be you sure,' 129/1; 'defye you
hym on my behalfe,' 157/32; 'now gyue you me good counseyll,'
203/14, 361/9, 412/26.
Interrogative sentences. 'What be you, fayre knyghte?' 91/25;
'telle me, how thynke you?' 170/1; 'what thynge aske you of
me?' 246/20, 184/31, 291/31, 343/17, 373/29.
Morte Darthur, 206/6, 240/22, 242/14, 251/29, 255/16, 255/33,
269/8, 279/18, etc., etc.
Huon, 33/9, 33/19, 41/5, 79/32, 98/10, 102/5, 110/13, etc.
There are, however, several instances of you in another position:
'You holde,' Aymon, 26/18; 'Cosin, sayd Reynawde, you speke
well and wysely,' ibid. 132/33; 'now up, Ogyer, and you, duke
Naymes,' ibid. 157/23; 'yf you wyl yelde your selfe to his merci,'
189/22, 432/14, 438/10.
(b) There is another instance in which the nominative case has
been encroached upon by the dative. That well-known tendency of
using absolute personal pronouns in the dative case, which has divided
the French pronouns into two different classes (conjoints and absolus),
and which appears in such modern English phrases as 'it is me,
older than me,' is not wholly unknown to Caxton. He always
has 'it is I'Chaucer 'it am I.' (never me!), but in the following passages, p. xiv, there
is apparently a faint germ of that use.
In Blanchardyn the dative occurs twice where we expect the
nominative case; but there seems to be a sort of mixed construction:
'And syn aftre, he lyghtly dyde sette hande on the swerde, of the
whiche he smote here and there with bothe his handes by suche a
strengthe, that him that he rought with full stroke was all in to
brused,' 63/2,—him that = whom that, for 'he whom,' as if the
use of the flexionless that threw the case on to he; 'and sware that
he sholde neuer departe from afore the place unto the tyme that the
castel were take, and theym of within at his wyll,' 181/31,—'them'
for 'they.'
But the passages from Aymon do not admit of such an explanation:—
'whan thise wordes were fynysshed, all the foure brethren, and
all theym of theyr companye arayed themselfe ...' 78/22; 'the
base courte began to be sore moved, and the crye was so great, for al
them of the dongeon defended themselfe valyantlye,' 94/12; 'But I
telle you, upon your feythe that none other shal knowe the same,
but only we, us three, unto the tyme that the dede be accomplysshed,'
212/30. Cf. The Curial, 4/18: 'For ther is nothyng more suspecte
to euyl peple than them whom they knowe to be wyse and trewe.'
On the other hand, there are striking instances of the nominative
being used instead of the dative or accusative case:—
'But at thentree of a forest that was there, they loste their
trayne, and went oute of ther waye, wherby they myght not folowe
nor ouertake the pucell, nor they that brought her with theym.'—Blanchardyn,
181/22; 'Go ayen to Tormaday to see the noble lande
of that lady, she of whom thou art amorouse so moche,' 186/19.
On this point I cannot refrain from quoting those passages of a
16th century play which contain the same use, as I have never come
across any parallel earlier or later. Both in the last passage of
Caxton's and in those of Sir Clyoman and Sir Clamydes (falsely
attributed to Peele, and printed in Dyce's edition of Peele's works,
pp. 490—534; see my essay in Englische Studien, XIII, p. 187), a
pronoun referring as apposition to a noun in one of the oblique cases
appears in the nominative:—
To go and come, of custom free or any other task: I mean by Juliane, she, that blaze of beautie's breeding.491, b.Do never view thy father, I, in presence any more. 497, a.Sith that mine honour cowardly was stole by caitiff he.ibid.But shall I frame, then, mine excuse by serving Venus, she. 501, b.Than thus to see fell fortune, she, to hold her state in spite. 505, bClamydes, ah, by fortune, she, what froward luck and fateMost cruelly assigned is unto thy noble state.507, b.Fie on fell Fortune, she.508, a.Although that with Clamydes, he, I haue not kept my day.511, a.Yet though unto Neronis, she, I may not show my mind. ibid.Neronis, daughter to the king, by the king of Norway, he,Within a ship of merchandise convey'd away is she. 514, a.So do I fly from tyrant he, whose heart more hard than flint. 515, a.
The Foure Sonnes of Aymon and Huon contain several striking
instances of the nominative instead of the dative case:—
'Reynawde toke hym, ... and made all they that were wyth
hym ... to be hanged and slayne.'—Four Sons, 90/19; 'For never
Hector of Troy was worthe thou,' 127/29. 'Before you and all your
barons I haue dyscomfyted in playn batayll he that hath brought
you into all this trouble.'—Huon, i. 46/10. 'Syr, ye may se here
before you he that wolde do lyke case agaynst me.'—ibid. 288/16. 'I
haue found so nere me he that purchaseth my dethe and shame.'—ibid.
288/23. On pages 83, 84, and 87, thou is apparently a misprint
for you.
Finally, it is worth stating that but and sauf (save) don't govern
the accusative as prepositions, but are followed by the nominative, as
if they were conjunctions. 'Noon but I have seen it.'—Blanchardyn,
43/32. 'Al be ded sauf I.'—Charles the Grete, 102/31.
§ 5. The Genitive Case.
(a) The genitive in connection with nouns (and pronouns).
The applicability of this genitive, which was nearly unlimited in
Old English, especially in poetry, is rather restricted in Caxton's
time.
1. The first function of this case, viz., that denoting birth and
relationship (whence the name genetivus), shares its dominion with
the dative:—
'My lady Margarete . . Moder unto our naturel & souerayn
lorde.'—Blanchardyn, 1/3. 'Blanchardyn, sone unto the kynge of
Fryse.'—ibid. 1/27. 'Blanchardyn ansuered that he was of the lande
of Grece, and sone to a kynge,' 100/1; 'and sayde to the kynge,
fader unto Blanchardyn,' 174/18; 'daughter to Kyng Alymodes,' 83/9;
'quene Morgause of Orkeney, moder to Sire Gawayne.'—Morte
Darthur, 357/25; 'kynge Lots wyf and moder of sir Gawayne and
to sire Gaheris,' ibid. 425/12.
2. The objective genitive is not very frequent:—
'She bereth in her herte care ynough and dyspleysure for the
loue of him.'—Blanchardyn, 73/33, 76/5, 77/25; 'for right moche
he desyred to shewe hymself, for his ladyes loue,' 83/8.
3. The genitive denoting quality is used in the same way as
in Modern English; only it is noteworthy that Malory treats it quite
as if it were an adjective, so as to use it in the comparative and superlative
degree. 'She is the fairest lady and most of beautie in the
world,' Morte Darthur, 357/23; more of beautie, 358/13, 358/18,
360/33, 450/13, and frequently. Instead of of, a sometimes
appears:—
'yf he had been yet man alyue, I wolde haue gyuen you tyl his
wyff.'—Blanchardyn, 93/22. alyue = of life; cf. liues = alife.—Rob.
of Gloucester, 301/376; Owl and Nightingale, 1632; Morris,
note to l. 250 of Story of Genesis and Exodus. 'I am not a power
to reward the after thy merite.'—Blanchardyn, 109/9.
4. The genitive of the personal pronoun instead of the possessive
pronoun occurs very frequently:—
(I) 'knewe wel that the story of hit was honeste.'—Blanchardyn,
1/11. 'the sowle of the (thee),' 17/21; 'for pryde of her,' 39/14;
'the herte of hym,' 39/33, 64/17, 86/20, 87/31, 92/7, 106/17, 114/32,
etc.
This use is especially worth noting, when it occurs in sentences
like the following:—
'ye haue exposed the body of you and of your men,' 171/20. In
Modern English we should say: 'your body and those of your men.'
Malory once says: 'I pray you hertely to be my good frende and to
my sones,' Morte Darthur, 406/28.
5. The partitive genitive was not a great favourite with the
English of the 14th and 15th centuries. After comparing the use
of this case in that time with what it was in Old English, we
cannot but conclude that the idea of partition attached to such
phrases as MÁÐMA FELA (many treasures), Beówulf 36, in Old
English was about to be supplanted by that of the simple apposition.
Apart from the fact that the numerals, as well as many
indefinite adverbs and pronouns, no longer governed the genitive,
compare the following expressions:—
'þe þrydde
del my kingdom, y geue þe,' 285; 'þe þrydde del ys londe,' 711;
'From þe on ende Cornewayle,' 178.
'A busshel venym,' IV. 267; 'no
morsel bred,' III. 215; 'the beste galoun wyn,' III. 249.
'a peyre schetys,' 4/16, 5/8, 41/24,
76/16, 101/18; 'a peyre bedes,' 5/3.
'a pece medowe,' 47; 'a peyre
spectaclys,' 15; 'a quart wyne,' 16; 'a galon wine,' 30.
But there was a sudden stop in the development towards apposition
instead of the genitive; and at the end of the 15th century there
was a sort of reaction in favour of the Old English use. Expressions
like those quoted above are not to be met with in Caxton;
only a few traces of the Middle English tendency remained.
Maner without of occurs in Blanchardyn three times: 'by al
manere wayes,' 50/19; 'all manere noureture,' 74/8; 'al manere
poyntes,' 109/16; while there are 18 instances of maner + of
viz., 28/20, 53/17, 55/27, 58/19, 60/31, 73/34, 93/32, 111/28, 117/27,
119/2, 119/11, 159/34, 174/12, 177/4, 186/8, 188/26, 197/28,
200/18.
Other is used for 'others of.' 'Other her gentyll women,' 76/31;
'other his prysoners,' 121/25.
Also any occurs for 'any of':—
'Affermyng that I oughte rather tenprynte his actes and noble
feates than of Godefroy of boloyne or ony the eight.'—Caxton's
Preface to Morte Darthur, 2/1.
In Aymon is a curious remnant of what must have been rather
common in the 14th century, as Chaucer offers several instances of it.
The passage runs as follows: 'but of all Fraunce I am one of the best
& truest knyght that be in it,' 272/23. These are the parallels in
Chaucer:—
'Oon of the grettest auctour that men rede' (5 MSS., one has
'auctours'), III. 234; 'On of the best farynge man on lyue,' III. 8;
'On of the best enteched creature,' V. 35 (cf. Einenkel, p. 87).
This odd expression is made up of two constructions: I. 'One the
best knyght.' II. 'One of the best knyghtes.' The former, which
was at last supplanted by the second, crops up many times in Middle
English, and has its parallel in other numerals:—
'Oute of þilke hilles springeþ þre þe noblest ryueres of al Europe.'—Trevisa,
I. 199. 'I deuyse to Iohane my doughter ... III. the
best pilwes after choys of the forseyde Thomas my sone.'—E. E.
Wills, 5/9. 'I wyll that Richard my sone haue tweyne my best
hors.'—ibid. 23/23. 'II. the best yren broches.'—ibid. 46/17. 'too
the best sanapes,' 101/24, Guy of Warwick (ed. Zupitza), 8095; 'at
two the firste strokes,' Morte Darthur, 343/29; 'two the best knyghtes
that euer were in Arthurs dayes,' ibid. 419/31.
This free use of apposition (instead of the modern genitive) did
not die out before the time of James I.:—
'Enough is, that thy foe doth vanquisht standNow at thy mercy: Mercy not withstand:For he is one the truest knight aliue.'—Faerie Q., I. iii. 37.
'Or who shall not great Nightes children scorne,When two of three her Nephewes are so foule forlorne?'Ibid. I. v. 23.
'His living like sawe never living eye,Ne durst behold; his stature did exceedThe hight three the tallest sonnes of mortall seed.'—Ibid. I. vii. 8.
'Was reckoned one the wisest prince that there had reigned.'Shakspere, Henry VIII., II. ii. 48.
Apart from this liberty, we have to state a few other noteworthy
points respecting Caxton's use of the partitive genitive.
(a) There are numerous instances of the independent, or, as it is
sometimes called, the elliptic genitive partitive, which is so often
met with in Chaucer; cf. 'Of smale houndes hadde sche, that she
fedde,' II. 5. Before Chaucer the instances are rare. Perhaps the
following passages may be looked upon as approaching that use:—
'hwa se euer wule habbe lot wið þe of þi blisse: he mot dea'e
wið þe of þine pine on eorþe.'—O. E. Hom. I. 187. 'man eggeð his
negebure to done oðer to speken him harm, oðer s(c)ame, and haueð
uið elch wið oðer, and makeð him to forlese his aihte, oðer of his
rihte.'—O. E. Hom. II. 13. 'þe priue þyeues byeþ þo þet ue steleð
naȝt of oncouþe ac of priueþ. And of zuichen þer byeð of greate
and of smale. þe greate byeð of þe kneade and þe ontrewe reuen.'.
.—Ayenbite,
37.
Caxton has several instances of this use:—
'(She) tolde hym that she was right wel content of his seruyce,
and wolde reteyne hym in wages, and gyue hym of her goodes, for he
was worthy therof.'—Blanchardyn, 75/5. 'wherof the kynge was
right wele content, and reseyued hym of his hous.'—ibid. 99/21; =
as one of his house, or court. (Cf. Huon, I. 13/20: 'the two sonnes
of Duke Senyn of burdeux shal come to the courte, and, as I haue
harde say, the kynge hath sayde that, at there comynge, they shal be
made of hys pryuey counsell.') 'And wyte, that Guynon hadde wyth
hym of the beste knyghtes of Charlemagne.'—Aymon, 91/18. 'and
therefore lete us set upon hym or day, and we shalle slee doune of
his knyghtes: ther shal none escape.'—Morte Darthur, 121/10.
'(He) charged hym that he shold gyue hym of al maner of metes.'—ibid.
214/20. (Cf. Gesta Romanorum, 197: 'þe knyghte of baldak
sent to the knite of lumbardye of al maner thinges.')
This use too was continued in the time of Henry VIII.:—
'I wyll ye take of your best frendys.'—Huon, 5/25. 'this that
I haue shewid you is of truth.'—ibid. 61/26. 'I requyre you, shewe
me of your newes and adventures that ye haue had.'—ibid. 566/12.
'Englysh marchauntes do fetch of the erth of Irlonde to caste in
their gardens.'—Andrew Borde, p. 133; cf. p. 170.
From an alteration of the 1601 edition of Huon we may perhaps
conclude that the English of that time did not relish this use in
prose. The original edition has: 'for incontinent they wyll sende
of theyr shyppes, and take thys shyp,' 212/29; the edition of 1601
alters of into 'some of.'
(b) Here and there indefinite pronouns like 'much, many
(other)' are followed by of + noun: 'for he hath doon to us this
day so moche of euyl.'—Blanchardyn, 169/22. 'wherof soo many of
children (were) faderles, and soo many churches wasted.'—Aymon,
27/19. 'a grete many of prysoners.'—ibid. 87/4. But, as a rule,
the modern use prevails.
(c) There is another sort of Genitive, which we may, perhaps, not
improperly term pseudo-partitive, viz. that which appears in sentences
like 'a castle of hers, a knight of Arthur's.' It is true, that in many
cases we might translate these phrases by 'one of her castles, one of
Arthur's knights'; but there are many examples in Middle English
which do not admit of such an explanation, and the Modern English
use ('that beautiful face of hers!') proves that no idea of partition
is included in such expressions. After a close examination of the
oldest instances as met with in the 14th century (second half?), we
see that they are brought into existence by another necessity.
In Old English the possessive pronoun, or, as the French say,
'pronominal adjective,' expresses only the conception of belonging
and possession; it is a real adjective, and does not convey, as at
present, the idea of determination. If, therefore, Old English
authors want to make such nouns determinative, they add the
definite article:
hæleð mín se leofa, Elene, 511; þú eart dóhtor mín séo dýreste,
Juliana, 166; þæt tacnede Leoniða on his þæm nihstan gefeohte and
Persa, Orosius, 84/31; Mammea his sio gode modor, ibid. 270/26;
mid hire þære yfelan scéonnesse, Blickling Homilies, 5/1; openige nu
þin se fægresta fæþm, ibid. 7/24; þonne bið drihten ure se trumesta
staðol, ibid. 13/10; hé wolde oferswíðan úrne ðone écan déað, Ælfric's
Homilies, I. 168/1; úre se ælmihtiga scyppend, ibid. I. 192/6;
þurh his þæs mran forryneles and fulluhteres ðingunge, ibid. I.
364/5. The article preceding the possessive pronoun: se heora
cyning, Orosius, 56/31; seo heora iugoð, Blickling Homilies, 163/3;
seo hire gebyrd, 163/9, etc.
In Middle English the possessive pronoun apparently has a
determinative meaning (as in Modern English, Modern German, and
Modern French); therefore its connection with the definite article is
made superfluous, while the indefinite article is quite impossible.
Hence arises a certain embarrassment with regard to one case which
the language cannot do without. Suppose we want to say 'she is in
a castle belonging to her,' where it is of no importance whatever,
either to the speaker or hearer, to know whether 'she' has got more
than one castle—how could the English of the Middle period put it?
The French of the same age said still 'un sien castel'; but that was
no longer possible in English. There's only one instance of indefinite
article + possessive pronoun that has come to my knowledge, and that
is of the early period of Middle English: Sawles Warde (O. E. H.,
I. p. 265): 'for euch an is al mihti to don al þat he wule, ȝe, makie
to cwakien heouene ba ant eorþe wið his an finger' (for one is
mighty enough to do all that he desires, yea, to make heaven and
earth quake with one of his fingers. Translation by R. Morris). Other instances, however, may have escaped my notice, and it is worth while to search Middle English literature for evidence on this hitherto
puzzling point.
We should expect the genitive of the personal pronoun (of me,
etc., as in Modern German),—and there may have been a time when
this use prevailed,—but, so far as I know, the language decided in
favour of the more complicated and rather absurd construction 'of
mine, of thine,' etc.
This was, in all probability, brought about by the analogy of
the very numerous cases in which the indeterminative noun connected
with mine, etc., had a really partitive sense (cf. the examples
below), and, moreover, by the remembrance of the old construction
with the possessive pronoun.
There is a good deal of guesswork in this explanation, of course;
but one thing is sure—it was the impossibility of connecting the
indefinite article with the possessive pronoun which suggested the
new construction. This is proved by indisputable chronological facts.
I. First, we find the indefinite article (or the equally indefinite
words any, every, no) in connection with of mine, of thine, etc. This
construction is met with in the 14th century.
II. Next, analogy introduces the indefinite article in connection
with the double genitive of a noun, 'a knyght of king Arthur's.'
III. Last, we come across definite pronouns (this, that) in connection
with of mine; and exceptionally the definite article occurs
there also in connection with the double genitive of a noun (the
knight of kyng Arthur's).
A friend of his, IV. 130, IV. 257, IV. 356; an hors
of his, II. 271; an old felaw of youres, III. 97; eny neghebour of
myne, III. 198; every knight of his, II. 239; no maner lym of his,
V. 170.—Cf. that ilke proverbe of Ecclesiaste, II. 226; this my
sentence heere, III. 40; oure wreche is this, oure owen wo to drynke,
IV. 184 (Einenkel, pp. 86, 87).
I will that William . . . be paied of their
billes for making off a liuery of myn, 53/20; ȝif any servaunt of
myn haue labord for me . . . 53/23 (both instances ab. 1420 A.D.);
I will that Chace haue a habirion of myne, 54/7; he may haue such
a good honest booke of his owne, 59/9; every child of hires lyuynge
at the day of my decesse haue xx ƚi to their mariage, 107/1.
and more stuff I haue not occupied of
hers, p. 23; such goodes of myn as shall be sold, 24; such tyme as
money may be reysid of goodes as shal be sold of myn, 36.
In neither of these 'Wills' volumes is there any instance of the
second or third stage of the development of our construction. Cf.
E. E. Wills: this my present testament, 49/4; similar cases are in
51/5, 79/26, 119/15.
Gesta Romanorum offers instances of II, but not of III: I am
forrester of the Emperours, 206; a noþere knyȝt of the Emperours,
241.
In CAXTON the I. group is represented by numerous instances:
And for this cause departeth now my sayd lady from a castell of hers,
Blanchardyn 38/6. (Original: dun sien chastel.) He toke also a
grete spere from the hande of a knyght of his, ibid. 107/32; for the
kyng Alymodes hath a daughter of his owne . . . ibid. 125/4; a
yeoman of his owne, ibid. 201/18; a town of his, Aymon 69/15;
a gentylman of his, 412/29; a neuewe of his, 527/22. Cf. Malory's
Morte Darthur, 35/35, 38/28, 365/12, 366/2, 369/17, etc.
Group II. is often met with in the Morte Darthur: a knyghte of
the dukes, 37/7, 9; Syre gawayne, knyghte of kynge Arthurs, 146/30;
I am a knyghte of kynge Arthurs, 153/32, 263/31, 263/34,
330/22, 331/19; a trusty frende of Sir Tristrams, 363/8; and ryght
so cam in knyghtes of kynge Arthurs, 386/29; and he had gotten
hym ten good knyghtes of Arthurs, 459/33; and therewith foure
knyghtes of kynge Markes drewe their swerdes to slee syre Sadok,
469/30, 521/24, 522/12, 635/21.—In two instances s is omitted:
Thenne came forth a knyght, his name was lambegus, and he was a
knyght of syr Trystrem, 318/16; there was a knyghte of kyng
Arthur, 331/17.
The frequent occurrence of this genitive in connection with
Arthur and his knights has often (in English Grammars, &c.;) suggested
the supposition that there is a sort of ellipsis in this construction:
a knyghte of kynge Arthurs = a knyghte of kynge
Arthurs court.Cf. two knyghtes of kynge Arthurs Courte, 297/1, 6, 16, 298/33, etc. But first of all, such instances as 'a trusty frende
of syr Tristrams,' 'I am forester of the Emperors,' do not admit of
such an explanation—unless we say 'among Sir T.'s friends,' 'among
the Emperor's foresters';—and secondly, there are no other examples
of this elliptic construction in Caxton or Malory.
Of Group III., there are two instances in Blanchardyn with that,
and a few with the definite article in Morte Darthur:
'as for to wene to haue her, thou haste that berde of thyne ouer
whyte therto; thy face is so mykel wonne, and that olde skynne of
thyne ys ouer mykel shronken togyder,' 186/22-25. Original: 'vous
auez la barbe trop grise, la face trop usee, et le cuir trop retrait.'
Elsewhere Caxton is not afraid of using this in connection with
the possessive pronoun. Cf. this my towne, Blanch. 73/18; this her
werre, 90/1.
There are two passages in Morte Darthur belonging to this
group: 'Alle the knyghtes of kynge Arthurs,' 330/9; 'he sholde
haue her and her landes of her faders that sholde falle to her,' 488/14;—in
both instances the partitive genitive is wholly excluded.
B. The Genitive governed by adjectives and verbs is, on the
whole, the same as in Modern English. But it is worth noting that
the ideas of reference and cause are still expressed in Caxton by of,
while, in Modern English other prepositions (in, as to, with &c.;) are
preferred.
(a) Reference:—
The childe grewe and amended sore of the grete beaulte . . .
Blanchardyn, 13/6; of the tables and ches playing, and of gracious
and honeste talkynge, he passed them that were his elder in age,
13/9; demaunding of the batailles of Troy, 14/13, 15/8; sore
troubled of wyttis, 45/8; nought dommaged of nothing, 48/31;
there was no man that of prowes and worthynes coude go beyonde
hym, 65/21; wele shapen of alle membres, 99/14; sore chaunged of
face, 145/30; what wyl you do of me?, 146/16. Cf. 150/25, 178/21,
184/6, 193/14;—Aymon, 54/25, 64/5, 290/32;—Morte Darthur,
passim.
(b) Cause:—
(They) judged hem self right happy of a successoure legytyme,
12/17; (the kyng) that of this adventure was ful sory and dolaunt,
21/4; Blanchardyn sore angry and euyll apaid of that he sawe . . .
28/13; sore passioned of one accident, 68/20;—thank of, 49/33, 60/25;
pardon of, 50/9, 10.
Of is sometimes replaced by ouer: Right enamored they were
ouer hym, 66/25; auenged ouer hym, 86/30. Once for of occurs:
and also for of the grete dysplesure that he had . . . 111/34.
(c) For the Genitive used adverbially, see Adverb, p. lxxvii.
§ 6. The Dative Case.
After the decay of the Old English inflection there was a tendency
to make up for it by the preposition to. But from the time in which
the Old English Homilies were composed, down to our own days, to
never became the rule.
In CAXTON to is often used after verbs, where we omit it,
especially after tell:—
Now anon brynge to me myn armes, Charles the Grete 48/15;
but on the same page: he shold brynge hym hys armes, l. 4; after
brought he hym hys hors, l. 22. I assure to you by my faith that I
shall do it . . . ibid. 49/30; I graunte to you alle my goodes, ibid.
50/3; I do to the grete amytye, ibid. 55/34. Cf. Blanchardyn, 20/17;
Aymon, 362/31, 367/9.
Tell. and whan thou hast told to me thy name . . . Charles
the Grete, 53/16; I telle to the, ibid. 54/17. Cf. 55/2, 57/23, 61/3,
86/5, etc.
Demand is usually followed by of; but there is an exception,
perhaps brought about by French influence: 'Thenne cam kyng
Alymodes forthe, and demaunded to the stywarde' . . . Blanchardyn,
283/23. Require, also, occurs with to: Blanchardyn, 168/3; Aymon,
34/20. Ask, followed by two objects, occurs: Aymon, 362/31; (he)
asked for hym to two of his men.
There is one instance of offend + to: 'Yf there be ony man here
that I haue offended unto,' Morte Darthur, 292/19.
The Ethic Dative is not frequent in Caxton:
'A right grete and impetuouse tempeste rose, that lasted us thre
dayes,' Blanchardyn, 100/9; their sorrowe redoubled them full sore,
ibid. 119/34; the bloode ranne me doune, Aymon, 88/19. (But
ye withdrawen me þis man.—Chaucer, Boethius, ed. Morris, p. 7.
Caxton has: fro me.)
§ 7. The Accusative Case.
A. The Accusative Case, as governed by transitive verbs, sometimes
differs in Caxton from the modern use.
Besides such verbs as 'demand, require, serve, tell,' quoted above,
behold is followed by of, e. g. Aymon, 391/26; and especially noteworthy
is the construction of swear. In Middle English this verb is
followed by on. Cf. Chaucer, IV. 363: and this on every God
celestial I swere it yow, V. 222. Caxton uses 'swear' as a transitive
verb, and makes the accusative case follow it: he sware his Godes,
Blanchardyn, 92/25, 107/22; swore God, Aymon, 38/4, 73/14, 87/10,
185/4, 201/33, 459/11, 471/7, 515/7, 526/17. In Aymon are only
three examples of 'swear' followed by a preposition: (he) sware by
God, Aymon, 61/29; he sware by saint Denys, ibid. 411/11; I swere
upon all sayntes, ibid. 85/4.
From one passage of the Ayenbite, and another in Blanchardyn,
we may safely infer that this use is due to French influence.
Ayenbite, p. 6: huo þet zuereþ wiþ-oute skele þane name of oure
lhorde . . . he him uorzuereþ, Blanchardyn, 107/22; The kynge of
polonye . . . sware his goode goddes, that he sholde neuer haue
loye at his herte. Original: 'jura ses bons dieux.'
Dan Michel always translates literally; and Caxton too, in this
case, introduced the French construction.
The Cognate Object occurs several times:
And there she had not been no longe whyle, when she had
perceyued the playn choys and syght of a right grete and myghty
nauye, Blanchardyn, 56/2; (choys = syght). deye a shamefull dethe,
ibid. 190/4, and very often in the other works of Caxton. I rebuke
hym neuer for no hate that I hated hym, Morte Darthur, 349/4; the
good loue that I haue loued you . . . ibid. 364/4.
B. The Accusative absolute is used with great freedom by Caxton
and Malory, and even by Berners. Instances abound. I quote only
a few to illustrate my statement:—
He fonde hym the terres (= tears) at the eyes of him makynge
his full pituouse complayntes, Blanchardyn 123/24; (there) he toke
a bote, prest and garnysshed wyth eight goode felawes, eche of them
an ore in his hande . . . ibid. 154/7; The good erle, then, the
prouost, and the knyghte of the fery, their swerdes in their handes
naked, toke and seysyd her by force, ibid. 180/19; Thenne came
syluayn, his felawes wyth hym, and ascryed the two barons to dethe,
ibid. 205/19. Original: 'siluain auant auec ses compaignons.'
C. For the Accusative with Infinitive, see Infinitive, p. lxx.
D. The Adverbial Object exhibits some peculiarities worth stating.
(a) Time. Never the days of her lyff she sholde wedde paynem
nor no man infidele, Blanchardyn, 65/15. Malory has: neuer his
lif, 127/23; cf. Chaucer. Imeneus, that god of weddyng is, Seigh
neuer his lif so mery a weddid man, II. 333; many a wighte hath
loued thynge he neuer saugh his lyue, V. 8 (cf. Einenkel, p. 52;
Zupitza, note to Guy of Warwick, ll. 1747-8); (he) wend neuer to
haue come tyme enough, Blanchardyn, 158/4. Original: 'a tans
(temps).' Cf. 170/5; Aymon, 265/19, 343/5; Morte Darthur, 228/24;
Huon, 332/8, 334/10.
That tyme, in Morte Darthur, 48/8, is equivalent to 'at that
tyme,' ibid. 49/16. Cf. the same tyme, Blanchardyn, 127/13, 128/8,
143/29; and at that same houre, 139/8; at the tyme, 194/32;
Morte Darthur, 363/35; and the instructive example, Morte Darthur,
356/7, 8: sometyme he was putte to the werse by male fortune, and
at sometyme the wers knyghte putte the better knyghte to a rebuke.
(b) Manner.
Seeyng that noon otherwyse he myghte doo, Blanchardyn, 30/26;
and noon otherwyse wyll I doo, ibid. 93/25; the best wyse that he
myght or coude, he ordeyned his bataylles, 162/27, 171/32;—but
we find too: in like wise, 98/23; in the best wyse, 125/24, 166/2.
Chaucer never uses other wyse; only other weye, other weyes.
Cf. Einenkel, p. 66.
§ 8. The Article.
There are several remarkable peculiarities about Caxton's use of
the Article.
(a) Nouns in the Vocative case are preceded by the definite
article instead of O:—
'Sith that we haue lost thee, farewell the ioye of this world!'
Aymon, 574/30; 'Then syr Launcelot cryed: the knyght wyth the
blak shelde, make the redy to Iuste wyth me!' Morte Darthur,
392/16.
(b) Possessive Pronouns used substantively are sometimes preceded
by the definite Article:—
'Thenne toke the prouost his spere, and so dyde Blanchardyn the
his,' Blanchardyn, 48/20 (Original: la sienne); I praye you that
euery man force hymself to do worthily hys deuoyr, that your worship
and the oures be kepte, Aymon, 72/21; In whiche he hath not rendred
the reason or made any decision, to approve better the his than that
other, Eneydos, 23/19.
(c) Numerals denoting part of a whole are sometimes preceded by
the definite Article:—
'And yf perauenture one of them dare not come allone hardyly,
late come the two or thre or foure of the moost valyauntest' . . .
Charles the Grete, 41/27; and yf the foure dare not come, late come
fyue, ibid. 29. Cf. Morte Darthur, 355/5: wete thou wel, said sir
Tristram, the one of us shalle dye or we departe.
In all these three groups Caxton copied only too faithfully his
French originals. I do not know of any other Middle English
instance of 'the his'; but as for 'the two,' there is the authority of
Chaucer and the unknown translator of the Romaunt of the Rose, if
not to sanction it as a good Middle English expression, at least to
excuse it:
And sins he ran . . . And borwed him large boteles thre; and in
the two his poysoun poured he; The thrid he keped clene for his
drynke, Cant. T. III. 103; And if thou maist so fer forth wynne,
That thou resoun derst byginne, And woldist seyn thre thingis or mo,
Thou shalt fulle scarsly seyn the two.—Romaunt of the Rose, V. 77/8.
Perhaps the following expressions too may be attributed to
French influence:—
The captayne gaff the goode nyght to the damoyselle, Blanchardyn,
51/27 (Original: la bonne nuit); and gaff hym the goode nyght,
ibid. 74/26; onely the captayne of Tormaday, that cam for to make
unto her the reuerence, ibid. 51/17. Cf. 77/2, 158/16: Blanchardyn
coude not kepe hymself, but that the grete teerys dropped fast out of
his eyen, ibid. 145/33.
(d) Before two adjectives qualifying one noun, the Article is
often repeated:—
He sawe there under in a playn a moche ample and a grete
medowe, Blanchardyn, 32/2; the prouoste of the towne dyde ordeyne
a stronge and a bygge warde, 58/20; ye be enamored of a hyghe
and a ryche pryncesse, 75/7; he was a ryght valyaunt and a hardy
prynce, 113/20; makyng a grete and a solempne oath, 177/16.—There
are, in Blanchardyn, but two exceptionsThese are where Caxton is writing his own English, not englishing another man's French. I wish all his Prologues and Epilogues, as collected
in Blades's quarto, could be examined for other contrasts of his phrascology.—F.
J. F.: A noble and
victorious prynce, 1/26; the rude and comyn englysshe, 2/9.
(e) The definite article is repeated where one of the two adjectives
is in close connection with the noun. Thus in Blanchardyn 'proude'
and 'pucelle' are looked upon as one noun, hence the following
expressions:—
The right gracious and fayre, the proude pucelle in amours, 76/30;
the fayer, the proude pucell, 83/12; the right desolate, the
proude pucelle, 89/29; cf. 94/9, 96/7, 127/10, 129/29. There are
two exceptions: the fayr pucelle and proude in amours, 128/8; the
fayr proude mayden, 131/10.
(f) There are three instances (in Blanchardyn) of the indefinite
article used in analogy to such + adjective + a:—
It nedeth not to be doubted that he is come to his extremyte
of prowes and valyantes, wythout that amours hathe be the cause in
the persone of some hyghe a pryncesse, 72/20; hy gaf to hym-self
grete merueylle, and was wel abashed of that soudayne a wylle that
was come to hym, 126/9; which is the most fayr, and the most
noble, and the most complete a lady, and most pleasaunt of all the
remnaunt of the world, 156/13.
§ 9. The Adjective.
For adjectives used substantively see ò 1, p. vi. For the arrangement
of noun and adjective see the chapter below, on 'The Arrangement
of Words.' The tautology in the formation of the comparative
and superlative degree (more better, most best) so well known from
Shakspere, occurs here and there in Caxton, and is extremely
frequent in Morte Darthur:—
more werse, Blanch. 23/33; more better, ibid. 91/35; the most
valyauntest, Charles the Grete, 41/27; more sonner, ibid. 44/18;
most next, ibid. 44/17; more gretter, Curial, 5/13. Morte Darthur,
74/37, 142/8, 144/29, 35; 148/5, 215/29, 218/3, etc.
Adjectives referring to preceding nouns are not yet followed
by one:—
So grete a stroke and so heuy he gaffe hym, Blanch. 62/22; god
hath well kept hym from so moche an hap and so hyghe, 75/24; a
trusty man and secret, 81/23, 86/17, 97/20, 110/2, 156/14, 163/4,
169/17, 178/2, 179/5, 200/29. Aymon, 392/9, 504/20. Morte
Darthur constantly.
But the Middle English use of 'one' following a noun is met
with in Malory several times:—
There lyueth not a bygger knyght than he is one, 72/22; (it)
was grete pite that so worthy a knyght as he was one shold be
ouermatched, 87/35; such yong knyghtes as he is one . . . ben neuer
abydynge in no place, 251/25. Cf. Chaucer: For in my tyme a
seruaunt was I on, II. 56, V. 112. The oldest instance quoted by
Mätzner, Glossar, is from Robert of Gloucester, p. 17: 'a wonder
maister was he on;' but without the preceding article, the use goes
as far back as the Ormulum:—
So far as I know, but one instance occurs in Caxton of one
following an adjective:—
And after whan thou shalt haue employed thy body, thy tyme
and thy goodes for to deffende the, another newe one cometh to the
courte, and shall supplante thy benediction.—Curial, 12/13.
The syntax of the numerals is that of our own day.
THE PRONOUNS.
§ 10. Personal Pronouns.
(a) Cases interchanged. See § 4, p. xi.
(b) Use of thou and ye.
Thou is used from superiors to inferiors, or from equals to equals
as a sign of contempt or defiance:—
Lohier, the son of Charlemagne, delivering his message to the
duke Benes of Aygremonte, addresses him with 'thou,' Aymon, pp.
24, 25; and so do all the knights challenging each other to fight.
Instances abound.
In many cases thou and ye are used in the same speech:—
Eglantyne always addresses her lover with 'ye';
but on p. 109 the following passage occurs: 'Ha, my right trusty
frend . . . . that hath ben the pyler, susteynynge under thy swerde
bothe myself and all my royaulme, I am not a power to rewarde the
after the meryte that ye deserued to haue of me. Well ye haue
shewed . . . the excellent vertu of humylite that is in you,' etc., ll.
9 ff. Again, Beatrice addressing her father Alymodes with contempt,
says: 'medel thou nomore wyth loue, leue thys thoughte, and make
no more thyne accomptes for to entre wythin thir cite; for yf ye
haue taken and bounde my husband . . .' 186/28 ff.
Ogier the Dane addressing his sword Cortyne: 'Ha,
Cortyne that so moch I haue loued the, and, certes, it is wel rayson,
for ye be a good swerde, and in many places ye haue wel holpen me,'
268/1 ff.
—Charlemagne asks Rypus to hang Richard: 'Rypus, yf ye wyll
do soo moche for me that ye wyll go hange Rychard, I shall make
the lord of grete londes,' 333/6—8.
—Mawgis blaming Rypus: 'Ha, rypus, thou traytour, euyll man,
ye haue always be redy for to doo some euyll against us, but sith
that I haue found you here I shall not seke you nowhere else,' 339/17
ff. Cf. 435/10 ff., 468/8 ff.
The lady's thanking Sir Lancelot for his killing
the giant: 'For thou hast done the most worship that euer dyd
knyght in this world, that wyll we bere recorde, and we all pray you
to tell us your name,' 199/15 ff.
—Sir Raynold addressing Lancelot: 'thou art a strong man, and
I suppose thou hast slayn my two brethren . . . I wolde not haue a
doo wyth you,' 202/35 ff. Cf. 209/14, 211/8, 214/13, 224/20, 226/5,
227/14, 234/14, etc.
This change of the pronoun in the address may be observed even
in good Elizabethan prose:—
'Young gentleman, althoug[h] my acquaintaunce be small to
intreate you, and my authoritie lesse to commaund you, yet my good
will in giuing you good counsaile should induce you to beleeue me,
and my hoarie haires (ambassadors of experience) enforce you to
follow me, for by howe much the more I am a straunger to you, by
so much the more you are beholdinge to mee, hauing therefore opportunitie
to vtter my minde, I meane to be importunate with you to
followe my meaninge. As thy birth doth shewe the expresse and
liuely Image of gentle bloude, so thy bringing vp seemeth to mee to
bee a greate blotte to the linage of so noble a boute, so that I am
enforced to thincke, that either thou dyddest want one to giue thee
good instructions, or that thy parentes made thee a wanton wyth too
much cockeringe; either they were too foolishe in vsinge no discipline,
or thou too frowarde in reiecting their doctrine, eyther they
willinge to haue thee idle, or thou wylfull to be ill employed.'—Lyly,
Evphves, p. 2, ed. Landmann.
Philautus answering to Evphves: 'friend Euphues (for so your
talke warranteth me to terme you), I dare neither vse a long processe,
neither louing speach, least vnwittingly I should cause you to
conuince me of those thinges which you have already condemned.
And verily I am bolde to presume vpon your curtesie, since you
yourself haue vsed so little curiositie, perswading my selfe that my
short answere wil worke as great en effect in you, as your few words
did in me. Try all shall proue trust; heere is my hand, my heart,
my lands and my lyfe at thy commaundement: Thou maist well perceiue
that I did beleue thee; and I hope thou wilt the rather loue me,
in that I did beleeue thee.'
Lucilla, declaring her love to Euphues, uses both thou and you.—Ibid.
p. 50.
Cf. New Custom (Dodsley's Collection, ed. Hazlitt, Vol. IV.), p.
18; Trial of Treasure (ibid.), p. 264; Marlowe, Tamburlaine, l.
189 ff.; Greene, A Looking-Glass for London and England; for
Shakspere, see Abbott, § 231.
(c) Personal pronouns are emphasized by a preceding it is. It is
he . . . Aymon, 33/9, 251/18; it is she, Blades, p. 166; it was I,
Morte Darthur, 38/21, 83/25. In Malory the older expression
occurs several times: I am he, 36/18; I was he, 67/7.—'It is me'
was never used by Caxton, though he had the strong temptation of
the French.
(d) Pleonastic use of the personal pronoun. If the predicate is
separated from the subject by any adverbial, participial, or adjectival
(relative) clause, a personal pronoun is pleonastically inserted to
mark the subject:—
The proude pucelle in amours, with what peyne and grief that it
was, atte thynstaunce and requeste of her sayd maystresse, she mounted
anon upon her whyte palfray, Blanch. 45/4; The kyng thenne, after
the knyght had thus spoken to hym, he gaff commandment . . . ibid.
102/16; How Gryffon of Haultefelle and Guenelon, after that they
hadde slayne the Duke Benes of Aygremonte, they retorned to Paris,
Aymon, 58/13; whiche, whan he sawe that Guycharde was entred
into the castell, he retorned ayen, ibid. 73/6; the whiche whan he
founde not his master in the chirche, he was al abasshed, ibid. 573/16;
the damoysel that came from la Beale Isoud unto syr Tristram
alle the whyle the tournament was advoynge she was with Quene
Guenever, Morte Darthur, 389/8; thenne Kyng Arthur with a grete
egre herte he gate a spere in his hand . . . ibid. 391/18, 395/37.
This pleonasm is very frequent after participle clauses:—
Thenne one of the daughters of the provost, knowyng that Blanchardyn
was armed and redy to goo out wyth her fader, she cam and
brought with her a fayre whyte coueryng . . . Blanch. 61/5; the
Kynge Alymodes, seeynge the grete prowes that was in Blanchardyn,
and that non so hardy durste approche hym, he began to crye aloude
. . . ibid. 88/18; cf. 126/17, 128/28, 129/27, 138/9, 144/14, 150/19,
152/33, 167/12, 170/2, 173/24, 181/15.
But the pronoun was not the rule. The number of the passages
quoted above is 13; but there are 16 (in Blanchardyn) where the
pronoun is omitted, 22/20, 26/17, 27/23, 33/3, 41/27, 48/1, 50/1,
53/2, 56/12, 57/24, 93/11, 118/10, 148/22, 152/9, 166/30, 169/16.
This use crops up very often in the Gesta Romanorum, pp. 3, 5, 45,
171, 209, 210, 221, 233, 235, 276, 316, 335.
After adjectival or relative clauses this use may be traced back
to the earliest periods of the English language. A few instances will
suffice for the present occasion:—
Ac þa lond on east healfe Danais þe þær nihst
sindon, Albani hi sind genemnede, 14/23; and he Ninus Soroastrem
Bactriana cyning, se cuðe manna ærest dry cræftas, he hine oferwinnand
ofsloh, 30/10; cf. ibid. 12/16, 26/20, 72/13, 98/2, 124/16, 188/26,
204/6.
Ure ældren, þa þe þas stowa ær hioldon, hie
lufedon wisdom, p. 4; cf. 22.
Lazarus, þe Crist awehte þy feorpan dæge
pæs þe he on byrgenne wæs ful wunigende, he getacnað þysne middangeard,
75/4; cf. 85/25, 147/2.
þeo ilke þet he bledde vore ne brouhten heo him
to presente ne win et. 114.
I. pp. 3, 7, 9. 253; II. pp. 15, 19, 41, etc. Old
English Miscellany, pp. 17, 18, 40. Story of Gen. and Exodus, ll.
1003-4, 1065, 3839. Cursor Mundi, ll. 283, 285, 7184, 8940, 9014,
etc., etc.
Caxton exhibits several instances of this pleonasm:—
He that wyll bee enhaunced in price, he oughte not to looke so
nyghe, Aymon, 354/23; he that beginneth a game, he oughte to see
an ende of it to hys proffyte, 355/6; and again the Frenshemen
that sawe their kynge come agen, they were ryght glad, 413/19; for
he that had ony mete, he hyd it incontynent, 422/2; and Charlemagne,
that sawe aymon goo thus quyte, and that he had garnysshed
mountalban of vytayllis, he was full angry for it, 436/14; this
mornynge, thenne, reynawde that was wythin ardein, after that he
had herde his masse, he called his thre bredren, 476/10; and thenne
therle Faffras that was a worthy knyghte and a wyse, he wente to
the gate of saynt stevyn, and kepte hym there, 504/21; for he that
shall deye in the sawtynge of the holy cite, he shall be saved wythout
doubte, 512/8.
There are many instances of the pleonastic personal pronoun after
the compound relative who that or simple who = whosoever.
And who had seen him at that tyme, he wolde not haue trowed
that he had be a man . . . Blanch. 194/21; who soever rekeneth
wythoute his hoste, he rekeneth twys, ibid. 202/6; who that beleueth
ouermoche in dremes, he doth agenste the commaundemente of god,
Aymon, 222/12; who that doth you goode, he leseth well hys tyme,
269/18, 363/5, 368/5, 420/28, 453/3, 514/15, 590/24.
For the apparently pleonastic use of personal pronouns in the
oblique case, see 'Relative Pronouns,' p. xlii.
(e) Personal Pronoun omitted.
A. As subject.
This omission is a remnant of the oldest stage of the language,
when the personal endings of the verb made any pronoun (as a
subject) superfluous, as in Greek and Latin. It is common to Old
English, Middle English, and Old French:—
Her com Eomer from Cwichelme West Seaxna
cininge. þohte þæt he wolde ofstingan Eadwine cininge, Chronicle, ab.
626; cf. 656 (Laud MS.) þæs on þæm afterran geare Hannibal sende
sciphere on Rome, and þær ungemetlice geher gedon (scil. hie, namely
the army), Orosius, 180/3; cf. 68/27, 134/6.
and ȝif he hit naueð, aȝefe (scil. he) swa muchel
swa he mai, O. E. Hom., I. 29; þa he iseh Martham and Mariam
Magdalene þe sustren wepe for hore broðer deð, and ure drihten
ðurh rouðe þet he hefde of hom, schedde of his halie eȝene hate
teres, and hore broðer arerde, and (scil. heo, they) weren stille of hore
wope, ibid. 157; þu seist þat on gode bileuest (scil. thou), ibid. II.
25, l. 2; after þe forme word of þe salme abugest gode (scil. thou),
ibid. l. 4. Cf. 71, 89, 93, 97, 101, 111, 119, 123, 197, 199, 215.
Gen. and Exodus, ll. 1183, 1729, 1732, etc., etc.
Caxton is extremely free in omitting the pronoun. The instances
occurring may be divided into the following groups:—
1. When the subject is the same in two co-ordinate sentences, it
is omitted in the second. The omission is striking, whenever there
is a clause inserted between the two principal sentences:—
So ranne the vasselles to gyder, and roughte eche other by suche
a force upon the sheldes, that they were brusen and broken all to
peces; theire speres (that sore bygge and stronge were) broke also all
to peces. And thenne toke theire swerdes (scil. they) . . . Blanch. 28/11;
A lytyl shal here cease oure matere to speke of hym, unto tyme
and oure shal be for to retorne to the same. And shall shewe the
sorowes and the complayntes of the proude pucelle in amours (scil.
it, namely, oure matere), ibid. 43/5; [the provost is introduced making
a long speech; then the author continues:] and thenne (that is,
after the speech) wythout taryeng drewe his swerde (namely, the
provost), 49/29. On p. 52 the subject for the first sentence of the
16th chapter must be supplied from the preceding chapter:—whan
the proude lady in amours understode the squyer speke thus, the
bloode ranne up at her face, and [she] wexed red as a rose, 64/16;
wherof the provost was not lesse reioysshed than blanchardyn was.
The dyner was redy, and [they] made an ende of their proces tyl
another tyme, 81/26; cf. 14/21, 16/10, 22/15, 30/27, 32/7, 33/18,
41/19, 41/24, 42/8, 43/1, 52/17, 58/23, 64/16, 64/20, 66/17, 66/21,
67/4, 68/4, 69/1, 85/27, 85/32, 88/11, 99/32, 100/21, 106/8, 108/19,
127/4, 146/9, 157/3, 170/29, 174/20, 195/22, 203/29.
2. When the subject is the same in a principal and a subordinate
sentence, the pronoun is omitted in one of them.
(a) Pronoun omitted in the subordinate sentence:—
Blanchardyn emonge other passetymes, delyted hymself in hawkynge
and huntyng, wheras right moderately and manerly [he] mayntened
hymself, 13/18; cf. 21/2, 22/11, 25/8, 39/25, 97/32, 152/28,
169/13.
(b) Pronoun omitted in the principal sentence:—
And for tabredge, after the rewthes, syghes and wepynges that so
moche incessantly or wythout ceasse made the noble pucelle, [she]
fell doune sterk ded upon the stomak of her most dere louere, 30/13;
cf. 30/20, 49/11, 52/21, 53/24, 54/6, 65/3, 127/16.
3. When the subject of a subordinate sentence is not the same
as that of the principal one, and is yet omitted, it must be supplied
from the ontext.
How be it I knowe right wel, and make no doubt at all, but that
first of all hit shall tourne for pryde of her, tyl a grete displeasire
unto her, and [she] shal be therof wors apayed more than reason
requyreth, Blanch. 39/15; certaynly I shal doo folow hym; and
byleue for certayn that his laste daye is comen, and [he] shal deye,
44/12; cf. 45/16, 45/21, 87/10, 97/3, 133/33, 146/13, 150/23,
167/16.
4. It preceding impersonal verbs is omitted.
There are but two instances of this omission in Blanchardyn:—
But [it] seemed that she sholde slee herself to be more hastely
venged, 43/26; so [it] taryed not long after thys was doon that the
tempeste ceassed, 137/29.
Other instances: Charles the Grete, 41/6, 47/28, 49/11, 50/7,
63/11, 77/14, 83/9, 83/24, 85/7, etc. Morte Darthur, 136/7, 145/34,
163/35, 217/4, 241/34, 266/5, 278/20, 318/9, 354/29, etc.
Aymon, 24/15, 27/26, 31/32, 39/29, 43/26, 45/3, 47/3, 48/24, etc.
B. A pronoun as object is very rarely omitted.
'But the knyght that was ryght courteys, guyded hym and conduyted
a whyle,' Blanch. 39/30, is scarcely to be called an omission
(see 'Arrangement of Words,' p. ci); but the pronoun is certainly
wanting in the following passage: 'For as to his fadir, he wolde not
touche,' Aymon, 85/29. Cf. Starkey, England in the Reign of
Henry VII, 71/66: as for thys matter we shal ryght wel avoyd.
(f) The Emphatic Pronoun (himself, etc.) is used either in apposition
(he himself), or independently (himself):—
For yf I sholde doo it, he hymself sholde blame me for it,
Aymon, 189/33; and he hymselfe is delybered for to take the
habyte and to become a monke, ibid. 280/23. By my faith, said
Charlemagn, myself shall it be, ibid. 387/19; he thrested his
swerde in one of his flankes wel depe, and hys swerde, hymself, and
the place was all bybled of the blood, Charles the Grete, 77/12;
wherin hym self is buryed, ibid. 37/24. There are not instances
enough to decide which use prevails.
Own is sometimes inserted: 'I shall hang you my owne self.'
Aymon, 339/13.
§ 11. The Reflexive Pronoun.
Both the simple and the compound forms occur, but the latter
are apparently the rule. Of thirty instances occurring on the first
forty-two pages of Blanchardyn, only three are simple, namely, 1/22,
2/10, 41/21.
§ 12. The Possessive Pronoun.
(a) My, thy, are used before consonants; mine, thine, before
vowels. Its never occurs; in its place we find his, as in Old and
Middle English. For the possessive pronouns used substantively,
'mine, thine, ours, yours' is the rule; 'our, your' occur, but quite
exceptionally:—
I haue herde that ye haue called me and my broder the sones of
a traytour, and that the kyng knoweth well that our fader slewe
yours by trayson, wherof I wylle ye wyte that ye lie falsely, but
your fader dyde assaylle our by trayson, Aymon, 545/10; Ye wolle
enforce yourselfe to rescue oute of daunger of deth, my lorde and
youre, my good husband Sadoyne, Blanchardyn, 189/25. his is
sometimes preceded by the definite article. See 'Article,' p. xxvi.
The possessive pronouns are sometimes preceded by this: 'This
their message,' Morte Darthur, 160/30. Cf. above, ò 5, on the
Genitive Case, p. xv.
(b) The possessive pronoun my is used as a term of courtesy. It
occurs very frequently in connection with lady, so as to form almost
one word. This is made evident by the repetition of my in the
following instances:—
Unto the right noble puyssaunt and excellent pryncesse, my
redoubted lady, my lady Margarete, duchesse of Somercete, etc.,
Blanchardyn (Dedication), 1/2; I haue told you her byfore, that
the paynem kynge Alymodes apparreylleth hymself to make werre
to my lady, my maystresse, the proude pucelle in amours, ibid. 38/3;
my lady my susters name is dame Lyonesse, Morte Darthur, 232/13;
I byleue certeynly that he shall doo soo, for the kindness that my
lorde my fader dyde shewe unto Charlemagne, Aymon, 427/33; I
praye you ryde unto my lorde myn unkel kynge Arthur, Morte
Darthur, 267/32. I met with only one exception: At yonder
wyndowe is my lady syster dame Lyones, ibid. 237/3.
Instead of 'my lady his moder,' Caxton says several times his
lady moder: Aymon, 57/34, 62/20, 81/13.
(c) The possessive pronoun is often replaced by the genitive of
the personal pronoun: the head of him = his head. See 'Genitive.'
(d) his instead of the genitival inflexion 's is very rare:—
And with that renne, blanchardyn his courser ran ouer þe provost
that he tradd upon one of his armes, Blanchardyn, 48/35; to what
thynge Charles hys sone and hys doughters were instructe and taughte
to doo, Charles the Grete, 28/1; this lord of this castel, his name is
syr Damas, Morte Darthur, 126/17 (not exactly equal to a genitive);
the fyrste knyghte hys hors stumbled, ibid. 220/30.
(e) mine is sometimes equivalent to of me used in an objective
sense. It occurs in connection with the gerund, and translates the
French mon, etc. 'Thou knowest well, that I dyde was in my deffendynge,'
Aymon, 88/26; 'it was I that slewe this knyght in my deffendaunt,'
Morte Darthur, 83/25. This is false analogy to the other
gerundial constructions, like 'in my talking,' etc., formed out of the
intransitive or transitive verbs. There is a parallel passage in
Chaucer:—'Another homicidy is doon for necessite, as whan a man
sleth another in his defendaunt,' III. 312. One MS., however, has
him defendaunt.Perhaps the following passage cannot be explained in the same way:—'Syre, ye be a right fayre Iouncell . . . and to my seming right wel worthy to
haue the grace and fauour of the right gentyll damoyselle,' Blanchardyn,
37/22. Probably 'seem' is here 'think'; 'to my thinking' is still in use.
Cf. the chapter on the Impersonal Verb.
§ 13. The Demonstrative Pronouns.
With the exception of one remnant of Middle English use, the
syntax of the demonstrative pronouns is really the same in Caxton
as in our own time. That is sometimes used in connection with one
and other:—
looked upon that other for to see who wold sette fyrst
honde upon hym, Charles the Grete, 44/26; that one was named
babtysme, and that other grabam, ibid. 59/17-18. Cf. ibid. 59/24-5,
62/19, 70/21.
is often used as a mere equivalent of the simple personal
pronoun:—'Where by experience he shuld lerne to bere armes, and
shuld exercyce and take payne and dyligence upon hymself to knowe
the ways of the same = of them' (scil. armes), Blanchardyn 16/6; cf.
19/16, 22/1, 38/9, etc. It crops up very often in Elizabethan times:
Marlowe, Tamb. l. 2; Edward II. l. 1439; Greene, Looking Glass,
135 a, 142 a; Greene, Alphonsus, 228 a, 228 b, 229 a; Gorboduc,
18, 23; Spenser, View of the State of Ireland, p. 609 a, 624 a. For
Shakspere, see Schmidt, Lexicon, s. v.
§ 14. Interrogative pronouns.
With regard to Interrogative Pronouns it is noteworthy
that what often refers to persons:—
She loked bakward for to se what he was that so hastely rode
after her, Blanchardyn, 41/30; moche grete desyre I haue to wyte
and knowe what he may be, 64/1; (he) asked of him what he was,Though we say still 'What are you? an engineer or a teacher?' meaning 'of what profession or business are you?' the first quotation above shows that
what in it means who.
of what lande and of what lynage, 99/35. Cf. 43/13, 128/17, 154/11,
183/20, 194/3. Very often in Morte Darthur, and also in Berners's
Huon, we find 'what he was and who was his father,' 17/22. Cf. 23/12,
29/11, 30/3, 30/13, 54/7, 104/11, etc.
§ 15. The Relative Pronoun.
(A.) The relative clause either follows its antecedent, or rather
correlative, or precedes it. Accordingly we find two sorts of relative
pronouns in Caxton:—
I. That, which, the which, whom, where, as.
II. Who, who that, whosoever (whomsoever).
(I.) That is used of persons and things, especially after pronouns
(he, that), but is restricted to the nominative and accusative case,
when used alone, and is never preceded by a preposition. Of all
the relative pronouns it is by far the most frequent.
'That' conveys a vague idea of reference; this is its function
compared with the other relative pronouns. It answers thus to
Old English þe, to the German was, used by illiterate people, and to
the Hebrew ascher.
Dr. Abbott's rule with regard to the Elizabethan use of that
does not apply to Caxton. That is not only used (a) after a noun
preceded by the article, (b) after nouns used vocatively, in order to
complete the description of the antecedent by adding some essential
characteristics of it. Cf. the following passages:—
used of persons: Blanchardyn, 1/9 (theym that); 12/17
(people of the lande that Iudged hemself right happy); 14/5 (theym
that); 15/2 (Blanchardyn that); 15/22 (knyghtes that); 19/16 (dyuers
there were that); 19/19 (blanchardyn that); 19/21 (no tonge humayn
that); 19/23, 24; 20/1, 21/11, 22/2, 4, 17; 23/2, 7, 13, 17, 19,
24; 25/15, 16, 22, 24; 26/16, 27/11, 28/6, 31/2, 9; 32/13, 22, 25;
33/4, 5; 38/8, 39/29, etc.
Next in frequency comes which. It refers to persons and things,
but differs from that in three points.
1. It not only follows an immediate antecedent, but may be
separated from it by other nouns:—
he found the foot of the hors of hym for whom he wente in
enqueste, whiche (sic. the foot) he folowed ryght quykly, Blanchardyn,
25/19; at thynstaunce and requeste of my sayd lady,
whiche I repute as a commaundemente, I haue reduced, 1/23; he
gate a ryght goode and riche swerde, that longed unto the kynge
his fader, whiche afterward was to hym wel syttynge, 17/15;
where he fonde the leest courser of the kinge his fader, whiche was
the fairest and the best that coude haue ben founde in ony contreye
at that tyme, 18/1; cf. 19/10. There is a very instructive instance
in Morte Darthur: 'when syr Gaherys sawe hys tyme, he cam to
their beddes syde, alle armed, with his swerd naked and soddenly
gat his moder by the here and strake of her hede; whenne syr Lamorak
sawe the blood dasshe upon hym all hote, the whiche he lefte passynge
wel (i. e. his moder), wete ye wel he was sore abasshed,' 452/27.
2. Which is used in connection with prepositions. Upon whiche,
Blanchardyn, 18/7; in whiche, 22/2, 28/17, 31/16; through whiche,
32/3, 62/2.
3. It replaces a personal or demonstrative pronoun, in order to
bring about a closer connection between the two logically co-ordinate
sentences:—
I, wyllyam Caxton . . . presente this lytyl book unto the noble
grace of my sayd lady: whiche boke I late receyued in frenshe from
her sayd grace, etc., Blanchardyn, 1/7; I haue reduced this sayd
boke out of frenshe into our englyshe: whyche boke specyfyeth of
the noble actes and fayttes of warre . . . ibid. 1/25 (= and it); cf.
33/6; the noble mayden behelde hym moche humbly, whyche toke a
ryght grete pleasure to see his gracyouse and assured behauyng, 77/7
(= and she); but this function is shared also by the whiche and
whom. Cf. Of whom and of their behauynge I shal make mencion
after, Charles, 38/22.
(answering to the French liquels) is used most of
persons in the same function as which, Blanchardyn, 13/3, 18/16, 22/18,
26/10, 27/8, 29/7, 32/14, etc.
so far as I am aware, is used of persons, and in connection
with prepositions. Of whom, 15/15; for whom, 25/18; to
whom, 37/7. Cf. 82/12, 90/19, 94/22, 98/31, 99/3, 104/5, 105/11,
etc.
followed by of or by, refers to persons and things, and
whole sentences, and is equivalent to which and whom.
The childe grewe and amended sore of the grete beaulte, wherof
he was garnyssed, Blanchardyn, 13/6 (French dont); and (that) gaff
hym a wylle for to be lyke unto those noble and worthy knyghtes,
wherof he sawe the remembraunces, 15/19; thurgh the cite were herde
the voyces, wherby they were soone aduertysed, 20/4; (he) wrapped
his wounde, wherof he so sore sorowed, 23/11; and thenne toke their
swerdes, wherof they gaafe many a grete stroke, 28/11; cf. 28/16;
he sholde vaunce hymself for to kysse suche a pryncesse that neuer
he had seen before, and wherof thacquentaunce was so daungerous,
40/25; the rayson wherby I so saye I shall show it unto you, 53/9, etc.
Referring to sentences: but trowed all they that were present
that they had be bothe ded, wherof the pyteous cryes, wepyng and
lamentacyons began to be more grete . . . 20/2, 20/5.
is used after such as in Modern English; cf. 1/20, 2/11, etc.,
but such is also often followed by that:—
It shall not be taken so lightly as men wene, for suche folke doo
kepe it, that well and worthily shall deffende it, Aymon, 73/11; ye
aske counseyll of such that cannot counseyll theymselfe, ibid. 208/14;
I requyre and byseche alle suche that fynde faulte or error . . .
Blades, Caxton, 170. Cf. Chaucer, Boeth. (ed. Morris): such a place
that men clepen theatre. On the first forty pages of Blanchardyn,
the share of these pronouns expressed in figures is:—
Persons.Things.That 39 51 Whiche 6 17 The whiche 7 1 Whom3 —Where 2 7 As 1 1
(II.) Who as a relative preceding the correlative is met with in
Old English in connection with swa, and becomes in Middle English
whose, later whoso.
Who that is declared by the grammarians not to appear before
the second half of the 14th century; cf. Koch II.2, p. 282. But
there are instances of an earlier date:—
Þenne aȝaines kinde Gað hwa ðat swuche kinsemon ne luueð
and leueð (then against nature goes each man who loveth such a
kinsman and leaveth, Morris). Þe wohunge of ure Lauerd (O. E.
Hom. I. p. 275).
to quat contre sum þat þu wend, Cursor Mundi, 1149. Cf. 1151;
qua þat, iid. 1969.
huo þet yelpþ; he is aperteliche godes þyef, Ayenbite, 59; huo þet
godeleð his encristen, he is accorsed of god, ibid. 66; cf. 70, 75, 80,
81, 89, 93, 94, etc.
For Chaucer, see Koch, loc. cit.
Caxton has both who and who that equivalently: for who that was
that tyme yrought of hym, his dayes were fynyshed, Blanchardyn,
169/4; who had seen hym at that tyme, he wold not haue trowed,
that he had be a man mortal, ibid. 194/20; for who that believes
ouer moche in dremes, he dooth againste the commaundemente of god,
Aymon, 222/12; who that dooth you goode, he leseth wel hys tyme,
ibid. 269/17; who had seen the grete mone that alarde . . . made for
their cosyn, he wolde haue grete pyte for to see them, 363/3. Cf.
368/5 (who that), 420/28 (who), 453/3 (who that), 514/13 (who),
590/24 (who). Cf. Morte Darthur, 43/29, 45/23, 176/35, 264/23,
378/23, etc.
(B.) Relative pronouns in the sentence.For convenience' sake I prefer to discuss this important point in this place, instead of in the Syntax of the Sentence, as the system requires.
The structure of the relative clauses in Caxton is far from being
the same as in Modern English. There are three principal types of
relative constructions:—
(I.) The antecedent or correlative is a noun in a complete sentence,
which is followed by a many-worded adjective or relative clause:—
'She conceyued a ryght faire sone, whiche was named Blanchardyn.'—Blanchardyn,
12/12.
(a) If the relative pronoun is in the nominative case, the construction,
as a rule, is the same as in Modern English. There are
only a few exceptions:—
Ine þise zenȝeþ moche uolk: ine uele maneres . ase þise fole
wyfmen.
þet uor a lite wynnynge, hy yueþ ham to zenne, Ayenbite, 45.
A knight ther was and that a worthy man, That fro the time that
he firste began To riden out, he louede chevalrie.—Chaucer, Canterbury
Tales (quoted by Zupitza in a note to Koch II2. p. 278).
I have not come across any such instance in Caxton, but have
found two in Malory's Morte Darthur:—
Now tourne we unto sire Lamorak that upon a daye he took a
lytel Barget and his wyf . . . 330/24; here is a worshipfull knyght
sir Lamorak that for me he shal be lord of this countreye, 334/2; sir
Trystram that by adventure he cam . . . ibid. 407/21.
(b) The relative is an oblique case. Then, as a rule, the relatives
enumerated above are used in connection with the corresponding
preposition: 'Of whom, to whom, whom or which,' etc. But there
are exceptions in this case too. Instead of the simple relatives, there
occur
In the genitive: relative + his (her), their.
In the dative and accusative: relative + him (her, it), them.
Hwæt se god wre, þe þis his beâcen was, Elene,
162; se mon ne wât, þe him on foldan fægnost limneð, Cod. Ex.
306/25 (quoted by Koch, p. 277).
Þe pope Gregorie þþat þe fende him hadde wel
neiȝ icauȝt, Greg. ed. Schulz, 16 a; a doughter þþat wiþ hire was hire
moder ded, ibid. 32 a; It was hire owhen child, þat in his armes
aniȝt she went, ibid. 748; there were maydenes thretty, that for hys
seruyse in the halle there there loue on hym can falle, Guy of Warwick,
ed. Zupitza, l. 180, see note (Koch, p. 278, note by Zupitza).
There are a few instances in Caxton and Malory:—
Thenne answered Rubyon to Blanchardyn, that the daughter of
the myghty kynge Alymodes, the euen before had gyuen unto hym
her sleue, the whiche in presence of her father she had taken it from
her ryght arme, Blanchardyn, 84/12, 13; he fonde hym, the terres at
the eyes of hym, makynge his full pituouse complayntes, the whiche
sadoyne had herde part of hem, 123/25; Syre, I say the same for the
knyght, that is the most parfyt in all beaulte and condicyons thatPerhaps 'that' is here = so that? his
lyke can not be founde, 155/8; the whiche thenne, by old age and
lyuynge many yeres, his blood was wexen colde, Eneydos, 14/21; of
whom may not wel be recounted the valyaunce of hym, Charles, 38/20;
for he had lost moche of his blode by his foure mortal woundes, of
whyche the leste of them was suffysaunt for hym to haue deyed, ibid.
235/10; A, syr, ye are the same knyghte that I lodged ones in your
castel, Morte Darthur, 266/15; so leue we sire Trystram in Bretayne,
and speke we of sire Lamerak de galys, that as he sayled, his shyp
felle on a rok, and perysshed all, 330/2; and that was she that Breunys
saunce pyte took that shelde from her, 345/11, 12.
This use continued in the 16th century:—
I know no man lyuyng that I or my brother haue done to hym
any dyspleasure, Berners, Huon, 19/24; the whiche treasure I gaaf
part therof to the kynge, 263/9; I pray thee, show me what be
yonder two prynces that goth up the stayres, and that so moch
honour is done to them, 286/9.
Very rarely is a relative in the oblique case followed by a redundant
personal pronoun:-
(they) were all murderers, wherof the pryncypall and the mayster
of them all was named syluayne, Blanchardyn, 204/8; It is by cause
ther is come in to thy court he that hath slayne my brother whom
incontynente thou oughtest to haue slayne hym quyke, Huon,
141/24.
The edition of 1601 omits hym. There is perhaps a change of the
construction in Blanchardyn, 192/29: 'they recountred a peynem,
which they toke, and broughte hym before Blanchardyn.'
(II.) The correlative sentence is divided into two parts by the
relative clause:—
'He that wyll be enhaunced in price, he oughte not to loke soo
nyghe.'—Aymon, 354/23.
In Old and Middle English this type is nearly always a sort of
anacoluthon to our modern eyes and ears, and perhaps it was such
indeed. The essential point in which this construction differs from
the modern use is, that the correlative always appears in the nominative
case, without regard to its place in the sentence; it is only the
redundant pronoun, personal or possessive, in the second part, which
marks the subjective or objective case of the correlative, e. g., in
Modern English we might say:—'To her who was not skilled in
receiving such guests, his acquaintance was hard to make,' but
Caxton has:—'and she that was not lerned to receyue suche geestes,
sore harde was his acquaintance to her.'—Blanchardyn, 67/29, 30.
Accordingly I distinguish two groups of type II.
(a) The correlative is the subject of the sentence. Then the
redundant personal pronoun appears in the nominative case.
This pronoun is, as said above (see 'Personal Pronoun'), very
frequent in Old English and Middle English. Perhaps we might
say that this is the rule; at least the Old English Homilies seem to
suggest such a supposition. There are in the Second Series twenty-three
instances of the redundant pronoun, namely, p. 15, l. 4 from
top; p. 15, l. 4 from foot; p. 19, l. 9 from top; p. 43, l. 3 from
top; p. 45, l. 16 from foot, and on pages 69 (twice), 73, 75, 99,
115 (twice), 133 (twice), 143, 153 (three times), 155, 159, 201,
203, 207; while only six passages omit it, namely, on pages 11, 17,
19, 73, 111, 151.
In Caxton this is no longer the case. There is not one instance
of the group (a) in Blanchardyn; and in Aymon they are not very
numerous. See 'Personal Pronoun.'
(b) The correlative is the object (direct or indirect) of the sentence;
then, as a rule, it is in the nominative case, and the redundant
personal pronoun is either in the genitive (his, her, their) or dative
(accusative) case:—
Alle synfulle men þe heued-synnes don habbeð, and nel'eð þerof
no shrift nimen he bihat hem eche fur on helle, O. E. Hom.
II. 41; alle þo þe here synnen forleteð and beteð he heleð here
synwunden mid fulcnege, ibid.; þat (Harleian MS. þei þat) etys me
ȝitt hungres thaym, and þey þat drinkes me ȝitt þristes thaym.
Hampole, Prose Treatises, p. 3.
In Caxton, (b) is apparently the rule:—
The rayson wherby I so say, I shall show it unto you, Blanchardyn,
53/9, 67/30 (quoted above); but this that I haue tofore
wryton, I haue taken it oute of an autentyke book, Charles, 38/24;
he perceyued a right myghty nauye, wherof they that were come
upon lande, he sawe hem in grete nombre, ibid. 162/3; that whiche
I haue done in this behalue, I haue donn it for the beste, 185/19;
they that were about hym rebell, he dompted and subdewed them,
196/15; very instructive instances, ibid. 215; he that deyeth in
fleyinge, his soule shall neuer be saued, Aymon, 232/26; but the
sorou that the kyng made for his quene, that myghte no man telle.—Malory,
Morte Darthur, 274/34.
I found but a few instances of modern construction:—
And them that ben poure and caste doun, maketh she oftymes to
ryse and mounte from certaynte to Incertaynte, Curial, 6/13; and
them that were hurte, he lete the surgyens doo heale their woundes,
Malory, Morte Darthur, 174/13.
There is one instance in Malory in which—if Caxton or his
compositor did not introduce a first gaf not in the author's copy—both
the old and modern uses are mixed in one: 'Thenne the kyng
stablysshed all his knyghtes and [gaf] them that were of londes not
ryche, he gaf them londes . . .' Morte Darthur, 118/13. Malory
(if the first gaf was his) began with the modern construction: 'and
gaf them that were of londes not ryche (londes),' but in the second
half of the sentence he found it would be quite confusing and
impossible to add 'londes' only to his long adjective 'that were of
londes not ryche,' and he therefore repeated the words which
governed 'londes,' the old use suggesting itself to his memory as a
justification for his cumbrousness. This use occurs very often in
Berners:—
The londe that they hold, gyue it to Charlot your sone, Huon,
5/13; with my sworde I so defendyd me, that he that thought to
haue slayne me, I haue slayne hym, 27/5, 6; he that lieth there deed
before you, I slew him in my defence, 34/11; all the mete that he
could get in the towne, he shuld by it, 84/33.
(III.) The relative sentence precedes its correlative.
'who had seen hym at that tyme, he wold not haue trowed that
he had be a man mortal,' Blanchardyn, 194/21. The use of the
personal pronoun in the correlative is the same as in type II.
In the Ayenbite the pronoun is the rule, just as in the French
Original (qui-il, quiconque-il); quite exceptionally it is omitted,
e. g. 'huo þet wyle lede guod lif; zeche þet he habbe þet zoþe guod,'
p. 94 (omitted also in the Original). In the Gesta Romanorum, too,
it is always to be met with:—
who that euer comith thedir, he shall fare wele, p. 15; who so
euer wold come to that feste, he sholde haue his doughter, p. 87;
who so euer gote therby to the holy londe, he shall in pes go, p. 106;
who so euer wolde rin with his dowter, he shulde wed her, p. 122;
who so euer gothe with her to bedde, he shall anon falle in to a dede
sleep, p. 160; who so euer bere it upon him, he shal haue loue of al
men, p. 180; whosoeuer haue hit, he shall euermore joy, p. 286.
, 194/21 (quoted above); whosoeuer rekeneth
withoute his hoste, he rekeneth twys for ones, 202/6; who
that was that day yrought of hym, his dayes were fynyshed, 169/4;—Aymon,
222/12, 269/18. See above, p. xl.
Who that holdeth against it, we wylle
slee him, 43/29, 30; who saith nay, he shal be kyng, 45/23; whosomeuer
is hurte with this blade, he shalle neuer be staunched, 176/35;
who that may first mete ony of these two knyghtes, they sholde
torne hem unto Morgan le fays castel, 378/23.
The same use occurs in the 16th century as well:—
Whosoeuer that hath not seene the noble citie of Venis, he hath
not seene the bewyte and ryches of thys worlde, Andrew Boorde,
p. 181; whosoeuer wil buylde a mancyon place or a house, he must
cytuate . . . p. 233. Cf. pp. 236, 238, 242.
Shakspere has often what—it:—
What our contempt doth often hurl from us, We wish it ours
again, Antony, I. ii. 127; what you have spoke, it may be so perchance,
Macbeth, IV. iii. 11.
(C.) Attraction is to be observed in that = that which:—
Paynem, upon that thou me demaundest, I telle to thee . . .
Charles the Grete, 54/17; Olyuer answered that he wold not, and
that he sayd was folye, ibid. 56/35. Cf. Blanchardyn, 74/12, 91/7;
Morte Darthur, 257/31.
Stronger attractions occur in Blanchardyn:—
Blanchardyn, sore angry and euyl apayde of that he sawe the
untrewe knyghte to endure so longe . . . = 'of that which,' 28/13;
and wyth theym was the kynge of fryse, that of new had cast doune
to the grounde [him] that bare the chief standarde of kyng Alymodes,
195/8. that = him who.
(D.) Omission of the Relative.
The omission of the relative is very common in the 15th and 16th
centuries, after there is, there is not (no):—
There is no man in the world can compare to him, Charles, 54/19;
yet there were some of the grete lordes had indignation that Arthur
shold be kynge, Morte Darthur, 43/14; there was none dyd so wel
as he that day, ibid. 50/12; there was so fewe a felauship dyd suche
dedes, 53/33; there was no man myghte passe them, 59/20. Cf.
59/28, 61/17, 68/24, 146/38, 212/4, 222/33, 238/28, etc.
There are many instances of this omission in Berners and in
Elizabethan writers:—
Here be two of my nephese shall be pledge for me, Huon, 37/21;
among them there was one was not content, ibid. 73/16; there is no
man shal let me, 97/7. Cf. 113/25, 115/32, 122/17, 146/1, 238/30,
249/28, 296/16, 299/8, 440/16. For Shakspere, see Abbott, § 244;
and Anglia, III., p. 115 ff.
Beside the omission after there is, several striking instances occur
in Blanchardyn and Morte Darthur. It is impossible to account for
this use without entering into a discussion of the whole matter; so I
beg the reader to be satisfied for the time with a simple report of the
facts:—
Whan blanchardyn understode [that] the knyght thus went thretenyng
hym, and that [he] so moche inhumaynly entreated the gentyll
pucelle, [he] sayde unto hym, 27/10. Cf. [he] sawe syr Alysander was
assoted upon his lady,The omission of the relative here is still good English.Morte Darthur, 477/12; thou suffrest now
thyn enmyes to sette thy land al on a fyre, and wymmen and children
to be slayn of them, [that] are comen ferre wythin thy royaulme,
Blanchardyn, 101/27; haue pyte and compassyon upon thys pore
chylde, whiche is now al alone amonge wolves famyshed, [that] be
redy to devour me, ibid. 180/22.
In a chirche they found one was fair and riche, Morte Darthur,
84/5; I shall sende hym a gyfte shalle please hym moche more, 101/2;
where is the lady shold mete us here? 146/15; he mette with a
man was lyke a foster, 184/29; and thenne was he ware of a faucon
came fleynge ouer his hede, 208/11; but thou shalt see a syght shal
make the torne ageyne, 219/35; ryght soone ther shal mete a knyght
shal paye the alle thy wages, 228/11; by the feythe we owe unto
god, 233/8; I wil wel with this he make her amendys of al the
trespas he hath done ageynst her, 240/29; for the good lordship ye
shewed me, 305/14; that is the grettest payne a prysoner may haue,
400/4.
§ 16. The Indefinite Pronouns.
The modern English one = people = French on, German man,
does not occur in Caxton. Its place is still occupied by men.
And that by his behauoure and contenaunce, men might well
knowe that he was departed and come of noble extraction, Blanchardyn,
50/16; men see atte ey his beaulte, 54/33; (she) cam toward
a wyndowe, out of whiche men sawe right ferre into the see, 55/32.
Cf. 57/7, 68/24, 76/28, 80/7, 99/1, 116/11, 129/7.
From the passages 54/33, and 129/7, we see that 'men' was
followed by a predicate in the plural. Cf. 'men make often a rodde
for theym selfe,' Aymon, 97/11. There is one instance of 'man':—
A man told me in the castel of four stones, that ye were delyuered,
and that man had sene you in the court of kynge Arthur, Morte
Darthur, 83/4.
Everiche is equivalent to the modern 'everybody':—
Eueryche (went) in to his owne countrey, Aymon, 186/16; to do
eueriche Iustice and reson, Charles, 30/15; there came a byrde to his
ere in the presence of everiche that were aboute hym, ibid. 34/3; in a
plural sense = all.
THE VERB.
§ 17. Impersonal Verbs.
(A.) The Impersonal Verbs denoting natural or else external
events, as raining, thundering, freezing, etc., have remained the same,
with regard to their syntactical use, from Old English down to
modern times. We say still: it rains (O. E. hit rînð), it thunders
(O. E. hit þunrað), it freezes (O. E. hit freóseð), itThis it is a false subject, to throw the true subject after the verb. happens that, &c.;
(O. E. hit gelimpeð), etc.
But those Verbs which express states or actions of the human
mind have undergone an important change. As stated above (see
p. xi, 'Nominative Case'), many once Impersonal Verbs became
personal, and we have now but a few instances of such verbs as 'itThis it is a false subject, to throw the true subject after the verb.
seems to me, itThis it is a false subject, to throw the true subject after the verb. pleases me.'
In Caxton we see this tendency at work, but the change from
impersonal to personal verbs is far from being complete. Here is an
alphabetical list of the impersonal verbs in Caxton and Malory;
those used personally, too, are marked with *:—
Middle English eilen, impersonal, and so it is in Caxton.
'Ha broder, what yelleth you?' Aymon, 226/26; what eyleth you,
fayr cosyns, that ye make so euyll chere? ibid. 322/1.
Once personal. And when the duchesse sawe him, she began to
wepe full sore; and the duke knewe wel what she eylede (Original:
yeelde), Aymon, 66/2.
'Me were better' is the rule, but there is an instance
of the personal use. 'A, foole, said she, thou were better flee by
tymes,' Morte Darthur, 228/33.
(cf. rewe, repent), to repent. Middle English only
impersonal, see Stratmann, s. v. There are exceptions in the Ayenbite
(pp. 5, 29), but there Dan Michel apparently copied too faithfully
his French original.
Caxton does not use the word, which he replaces by 'rewe' and
'repent'; but there are several instances in Morte Darthur: 'Me
forthynketh of your displeasyr,' 97/32; 'that me forthynketh,' 82/2.
Cf. 324/17.
= happen, generally impersonal as in Middle English.
Once personal in Morte Darthur: 'And so he happed upon a daye
he came to the herd men' . . . 369/20. Einenkel quotes an earlier
instance from the Life of saynt Elisabeth, Wülcker's Lesebuch, II.,
p. 15: 'For who . . . In that holy iurne happe for to deye . . . he
goth a siker weye To heuenwarde.'
generally impersonal (Caxton, however, prefers 'have
leuer.' Cf. Aymon, 37/17, 148/12); but there is apparently the
beginning of the personal construction in the following mixed expression:
'Ha, false and renyed strompet, I were me leuer ded, than
that I sholde byleue nor doo thi cursed counseyll,' Blanchardyn, 185/32.
It is composed out of the two constructions struggling one with
another in the author's mind. Similar absurdities occur in Chaucer:
Him hadde wel leever . . . That she hadde a ship, II. 109; Him
lever had himselfe to mordre and dye, V. 323. See Einenkel, p. 112;
Zupitza, note to Guy, l. 5077.
is still impersonal. (Caxton prefers please.) 'Sir, like it
you (may it like, that is, please you) that we have doon,' Aymon,
568/25; me lyketh better the swerd, sayd Arthur: Malory, Morte
Darthur, 74/3; I assente, sayd the kynge, lyke as ye haue deuysed,
and at crystmas there to be crowned, and to holde my round table
with my knyghtes as me lyketh, ibid. 182/10. Cf. 222/10, 230/8.
I don't notice any instance of personal use in Caxton; but there is
one as early as 1440: 'Here me, and þou shalt like it for euer,' Gesta
Romanorum, p. 281.
is used impersonally (and intransitively) in Elizabethan
authors:'Therefore 'tis best, if so it like you all,To send my thousand horse incontinent.'Marlowe, Tamburlaine, l. 51.'And I'll dispose them as it likes me best.' ibid. 3839.Cf. Greene, Friar Bacon and Friar Bungay, p. 159, a.; Greene,
James IV., p. 202, a.; George-a-Greene, p. 260, a.
used both personally and impersonally.
Impersonal. Whan the kynge hath dyned, who that wyl may
goo playe where hym lyste,—Charles the Grete, 118/11; Breuse was
so wel horsed, that whan hym lyst to flee, he myght wel flee, and also
abyde whan hym lyst,—Morte Darthur, 398/8, 9. Cf. 245/8, 256/4.
Personal. Ye shall now here and understande from the hensfourthon
a terryble and a pyteous songe, yf ye therafter liste to
herken, Aymon, 59/7; ye shall understonde, yf ye liste to herken,
ibid. 90/21.
There are two instances of the personal use in Chaucer. For he
to vertu listeth not entende, III. 1; As doon this fooles that hire
sorw eche with sorowe . . . and listen nought to seche hem oother
cure, IV. 136.
Impersonal. I wold well kepe me, and be loth for to
denounce thynge unto you that shulde tourne you to a displeasure,
Blanchardyn, 76/17; that is me loth, said the knyght, Morte Darthur,
69/24.
Personal. I knowe thou arte a good knyghte, and loth I were
to slee thee, Morte Darthur, 203/17; therfor ony of hem will be loth
to haue adoo with other . . . ibid. 279/2; I am ful loth to haue
adoo with that knyght, ibid. 383/22.
There is an instance of the personal use in Chaucer. 'My
soverayn lady . . . Whom I most drede and love, as I best can, and
lothest were of all this world displese,' 111/19. But perhaps this
use may be traced back to as early as the Cursor Mundi. One line
shows the state of transition between the impersonal and personal.
'Of chastite has lichour leth' (loath), l. 31, Cotton MS. The Fairfax
MS. reads: 'of chastite ys licchour loþ.' Göttingen and Trinity
MSS. read: 'of chastite has lecchour lite.'
In another line, loth seems to be used quite personally: (these
names) þat lath er for to lie in rim, 9240, MSS. C. F. T.
= need, be in need of; avail.
Impersonal. lady moder, gramercy of so fayre a yefte as here is,
For it mystreth me wel, Aymon, 129/14; borgons, thys worde mystre
not to you for to saye, for ye must nedes defende yourselfe, ibid.
141/5; what mystreth hym (to Aeneas) to edifie cartage, and
enhabyte emonge his enmies . . . Eneydos, 62/13.
Personal. Wherefore I mystered gretly of thayde and socours
of you and of other, Blanchardyn, 77/33. (Of your helpe I had
grete myster, Morte Darthur, 224/34. Cf. 59/5.)
seems to be used only impersonally by Caxton and Malory.
It needeth not to be doubted that he is come to his extremite of
prowes and valyauntnes, Blanchardyn, 72/17; it nedeth not to be
asked, yf he was therof gladde, ibid. 101/4; it nede not to you to
make eny sorowe, ibid. 278/15. Cf. Aymon, 167/7, 490/6; Morte
Darthur, 278/15. Often used so by Spenser:
Now needeth him no lenger labour spend, His foes have slain
themselves.—Faerie Queene, I. i. 26; Him needed not long call, ibid.
II. vi. 19; Me little needed from my right way to have strayed, II.
vi. 22. Also by Shakspere, 3 Henry VI., I. iv. 125; Venus,
250.
= behove. Alas, said sir Lamorak, ful wel me ought to
knowe you, for ye are the man that most haue done for me, Morte
Darthur, 337/24. Cf. Chaucer, II. 313: and ther she was honoured
as hir oughte; Gesta Romanorum, p. 215: (she) mette him as hir
owte to do.
only impersonal. It playse me wel, Aymon, 75/8. Cf.
29/25, 159/28, 226/22, etc.; Morte Darthur, 198/3, etc.
Impersonal. Yf ye abide here ony lenger, it shall repente you
full sore, Aymon, 472/30; Me sore repenteth it, said sir gauayn,
Morte Darthur, 107/27; that me repenteth, sayd syr Turquyne, ibid.
185/25.
Personal. Wherof I me repente sore, Aymon, 38/21; I truste in
god myn eure is not suche but some neuer of them may sore repente
thys, Morte Darthur, 59/7; I repente me, ibid. 469/23.
impersonal. That rewyth me, sayd the provost, Blanchardyn,
156/10.
not only means 'appear,' but also 'think, believe,' as in
Old English, when used personally. There are two passages in
Blanchardyn which can be interpreted in this way: 'To my seming
ye sholde forclose and take awaye out of your herte all inutyle
sorowfulnesse,' 53/5; 'I am sure that he hath in his house a rote that,
as to my semyng shal gyf me help,' 70/17; Me semeth him a servaunt
nothing able, Courtesye, l. 455.
There are two passages in the E. E. Wills which sanction this
interpretation: 'like as mine executours seme best,' 79/21; and still
more indisputable: 'as they seme that gode ys,' 111/26.
only impersonal.
'Me shamed at that tyme to haue more adoo wyth you,' Morte
Darthur, 332/5; 'for me shameth of that I haue done,' 324/6.
In Middle English it is impersonal and personal; cf. Trevisa's
translation of Higden's Polychronicon: 'I knewe myn own pouert,
and schamede and dradde,' I., p. 11. Cf. I., p. 9: 'me schamed and
dradde to fynde so grete and so gostliche a bone to graunte.'
= seem, always impersonal. Charles, 55/11; Aymon,
410/30; Morte Darthur, 65/9, etc.
(B.) There is another sort of Impersonal Verbs, which denote
neither external events nor actions of the mind. These are the verbs
reherce, show, tell, occurring in Malory, as in Middle English,
without any subject. The context proves that we have to supply
'the author,' 'the book,' though sometimes we find 'in the booke':—
After they were wedded, as it telleth in the booke, Morte
Darthur, 63/18; as it telleth after, 63/35; as it telleth in the book
of aventures folowynge, 64/31; as it reherceth after in the book of
Balyn le saueage, that foloweth next after, 75/17; as it telleth after
in the sangraylle, 91/27; as it reherceth afore, 105/11. I found only
one instance in Caxton. The heading of chapter xvii. of Aymon
runs as follows:—Here sheweth how reynawde faught agenst rowland,
the whiche he conquered by the wyll of God, etc., 389/12.
This is an old Middle English use:—
Ase hit seið þer = as is said there, i. e. in the salutations, Ancren
Riwle, p. 34; hi scule habben þat brad þe seið iþe godspel (which is
spoken of in the gospel), O. E. Hom., I. 241; so it her telleð,
Bestiary (in O. E. Miscellany), l. 257. Cf. l. 630. (There is another
explanation in Grimm, IV. 53.)
(C.) There is often a striking want of inflexion in the Impersonal
Verbs, especially in thynk = seem:—
Bote ne þinche ham nawt ȝet þat he is ful pinet (but it seems to
them that he is not yet fully tormented).—Þe wohunge of ure Lauerd,
O. E. Hom., I. p. 283. In the Cursor Mundi, me thinc is the
rule! Cf. 225, 248, 2224, 2941, 3030, 5192, 5863, 6670, etc.;
otherwise as hem thenke, E. E. Wills, 124/10; as it please the seid
Denys, Bury Wills, p. 46; as them best seme to doon, E. E. Wills,
86/4. In Caxton—Me thynke that ye ought to take that the erle proffereth
to you, Aymon, 410/30; It playse me well, sayd the kynge,
ibid. 75/8; thys worde mystre not for you to saye, ibid. 141/5.
Lyst is nearly always without s. See above.
I suppose that this want of inflection is due to the analogy of the
frequent me lyst, which is the regular Old English form. Cf. fæst
(inf. fæstan), grét (inf. grétan). Sievers, A. S. Grammar, § 359/3.
§ 18. Intransitive, transitive, and reflexive verbs.
It is an unparalleld freedom of the English language to use the
same verb in an intransitive, transitive, or causative, and reflexive
sense, e. g. change, mend. Many causes have concurred in bringing
about this remarkable and most valuable peculiarity. There is a
faint germ of it in Old English, e. g. bídan, to abide (dwell and
wait for), intransitive and transitive; féran, go and carry; gesamnian,
to gather, reflexive and causative. It grows in Modern
English, e. g. drive, used intransitively, O. E. Miscellany, pp. 1, 15;
fill(en), Intr. O. E. Hom., II. 37; sink(en), causative, Story of
Genesis and Exodus, 1108; leren = to learn, ibid. 354, 1383, 3486;
O. E. Miscellany, pp. 4, 11; understand = to teach, ibid. p. 52;
kelen = to become cold.—Trevisa, Polychr. I. 177, etc.
It becomes ripe in the Elizabethan time, when nearly every verb
is used in all the three senses.
Caxton exhibits several instances, which show that the development
towards the Modern use was nearly complete:—
used as a causative. Soo pray I you that ye wyl cesse
your grete sorowe, Blanchardyn, 44/2; (I beseche you) that ye wyll
ceasse your sorowe, ibid. 53/27.
= teach. She was not lernyd to receyue suche geestes,
Blanchardyn, 67/29. Cf. 141/4.
Malory, too, has several instances of this use:—
I shalle be your rescowe, and lerne hym to be ruled as a knyghte,
Morte Darthur, 197/10; who dyde lerne thee to dystresse ladyes
and gentylwymmen, ibid. 197/17. Cf. 285/33, 333/23. Shakspere,
Othello, I. iii. 183: My life and education both do learn me How to
respect you.
= ruin. But through fortune chaungeable, my
lande hath he wasted and lost by darius, Blanchardyn, 146/5; Morte
Darthur, 82/21.
When he had gyuen to me my lande, and
possessed me in my contrey, I wold not accept it, Charles, 147/16.
= subdue. In their folysshe pryde I shal
succombe and brynge a lowe their corage, Blanchardyn, 104/30. The
original has: 'Et de la folle entre prinse qu ilz ont faicte pour
l'orgueil et oultrage qui les ensuient contre vous vouldroy abaissier
leur couraige follastre.'
There is a passage in Aymon where sit is used as a causative
= set; but there seems to be only one instance of this use, and
that makes me suspect a misprint. And he sat al his folk in a bushment
within a grete wode, 136/18. I never came across this use of
sit in older English, but several passages in Melusine, and the free
modern sit, as a reflexive or causal, come very near to it. And she
thanne wepynge satte herself by hym, Melusine, 157/2; [they] sate
themself at dyner, ibid. 157/20; 'Whatever he did, he was constantly
sitting himself down in his chair, and never stopping in it.'—Dickens,
Chimes, 66; 'sitting himself down on the very edge of the chair,'
Pickwick, II. 356. See Storm, English Philology, Colloquial English.
is used as an intransitive, reflexive, and causative verb.
(a) but not long hit taryed, when tolde and recounted was . . .
Blanchardyn, 19/17.
(b) the knyght there alone taryed himself,—Blanchardyn, 22/20.
Cf. 88/3.
(c) other Infynyte thynges that are wont to tarye the corages of
some enterpryses, Blanchardyn, 17/11; here we shal tarye tyl oure
penne, ibid. 182/11.
But Blanchardyn wyth a glad chere
waloped his courser as bruyauntly as he coude . . . = made to gallop,
Blanchardyn, 42/5. Cf. Morte Darthur, 176/5: and anon he
was ware of a man armed walkynge his horse easyly by a wodes syde.
(Both as in Modern English.)
There are a few verbs used reflexively, which seem to be mere
translations of the French.
The whiche, when he sawe Blanchardyn, anone escryed hymself
hyghe . . . Blanchardyn, 32/15; I haue not perceyued me of this
that ye telle me, ibid. 17/15 (Original: je ne me suis pas perceu
de . . .); I perceyue me well, Aymon, 229/15; after this he toke
hym self to syghe full sore = he began, Blanchardyn, 23/16; yet
sholde I neuer consent me to noo peas, Aymon, 409/23; I assente me,
said Arthur, Morte Darthur, 71/13; I assente me therto, ibid. 340/6.
At last, it is worth noting that a passive construction is sometimes
used with the meaning of a reflexive (or intransitive):—
Here we shal leue to speke of her, and shal retourne to speke of
Blanchardyn, that in the provostis house was sette atte dyner, Blanchardyn,
82/22; they wysshe their handes, ant were sette at dyner,
Aymon, 38/8; now was set Berthelot and the worthi reynawde for to
playe at the ches, ibid. 61/21; I pray you that ye wyl telle me in
what region and what marche it (i. e. the city) is sette = lies,
Blanchardyn, 128/25. Cf. Huon, 117/32. This too seems to be due
to the French.
§ 19. Auxiliary Verbs.
(a) The verbs can, may, will are still complete.
1. be able to: How shall I conne doo soo moche, that I maye
avenge myselfe of Charlemagne, Aymon, 61/9; full fayne [she]
wolde haue putte therunto a remedy yf by any meanes she had
conde,—Blanchardyn, 97/4.
2. with the meaning = to learn: 'Syre monke, in the deuylles
name, conne ye well your lesson,' ibid. 282/23.
3. The phrase 'I conne you thanke' (French: savoir gré): I
conne you grete thanke of the offre that now ye haue doon to me,
Aymon, 30/34, and 70/32.
The infinitive of may is may, or the more frequent and correct
mowe (Old English, múgan). In Blanchardyn there is only 1 may
against 12 mowe.
I pray you that ye wyl doo the beste that ye shal may toward
the kynge, 91/10; As ye shall mowe here hereafter, 14/8; by what
manere he sholde mowe passe it over, 32/7, 38/14, 43/14, 46/31,
54/28, 68/5, 73/25, 78/2, 101/34, 151/6, 173/33.
occurs twice as a past participle in Blanchardyn. And
wherby ye haue mowe knowen by the relacion of your captayne . . .
53/13; by all the seruyces and pleasures that I haue mowe doon unto
you, 53/23.
It is to be thought that he shall wyl giue hym one of his doughters
in mariage, Blanchardyn, 64/25.
I am at a loss how to explain wold = be willing,Dr. Furnivall says it is the past participle 'have been willing to,' 'have consented to.' in the
following passage: 'from þe owr that ye shal wold gyue your loue
unto kynge Alymodes, the right happy weal of peas shall be publysshed
through alle cuntreye,' Blanchardyn, 69/19. Well he had
woldPast part. wisht, been willing. that they myght be met wythall, ibid. 121/17.
Perhaps the past participle has influenced the infinitive, as in the
verbs of Latin origin, like 'mitigate, participate,' etc.
(b) Have often means = lead, take, bring. (The ladyes) toke
her up anone, and had her to bedde, Blanchardyn, 96/20; (Subyon)
toke her by the hande, and had her up fro the grounde, ibid. 177/32,
181/17, 183/2, 189/30; Aymon, 92/14, 525/9, 536/10, etc.; Morte
Darthur, 486/17.
(c) May is equivalent to can; they are sometimes used together
tautologically. 'The gretest honoure that man can or may do to a
knyght.'—Blanchardyn, 66/10.
(d) do is used to give the verb which it precedes a causative
meaning. I shal doo passe this same spyere throughe the myddes of
thy body, Blanchardyn, 27/17; I shal doo folow hym = I shall
cause him to be followed, ibid. 44/10 (Original: 'Ie le ferai Sieuir'),
112/7, 120/25, 126/28, 137/21, 148/3, 157/12, 186/4, 187/23, 190/3,
200/31. So in Malory. Compare 'make' in § 25 below.
(e) do used redundantly, as can or gan in Middle English. I
tried in vain to find out a rule in Caxton for using or omitting this
troublesome 'auxiliary.' There are 95 instances of this do in
Blanchardyn.
(f) Come is once used as an auxiliary, as in French, and probably
in obedience to it: 'She called hym nyghe her, and shewed
hym the ryght myghty nauye that cam to arryue there' = which
had just arrived (venoit d'arriver), Blanchardyn, 153/35.
(g) For owe, see 'Impersonal Verbs.'
(h) For the use of shall and will, in order to mark tense and
mood, see 'Tense' and 'Mood.'
§ 20. Voice.
The peculiarity of forming the passive voice from intransitive
verbs, which is characteristic of the English language, or rather the
conversion of what is the object of a verb into the subject (he was
given a book), is, so far as I am aware, not to be met with in Caxton,
and I found only one instance in Malory. Cf. the following
instances:—
As was tolde hym by the knyght, Blanchardyn, 43/1; all that
was told hym, ibid. 196/20; and whan it was told the kynges that
there were come messagers, Morte Darthur, 48/27; whan hit was
told hym that she asked his hede, ibid. 79/25, 327/35;—he departed
and came to his lord and told hym how he was answerd of sir Trystram,
ibid. 463/5.
This rigid observation of the difference between transitive and
intransitive verbs, with regard to the passive voice, is very strange at
the end of the 15th century, as there are instances of the modern
freedom as early as the beginning of the 13th century.
Koch quotes one instance from Layamon: 'þat we beon iquemed,'
1/40; and another from Robert of Gloucester: 'ycham ytold,' 5514.
But I find the passive construction even with the direct and
indirect object:—
'Nes among al moncun oni holi dole ifunden þet muhte beon
ileten blod,' Ancren Riwle, 112; þet is scarcely the dative; nor is Ure
Lauerd in 'Ure Lauerd beo iðonked,' ibid. 8, where MS. C has;
'beo hit þonked,' for another passage, on p. 112, is indisputable:
'þe he was þus ileten blod.'Einenkel was somewhat rash in saying, with regard to this use, that in Chaucer's time this revolution had just began, and that we must look upon
these instances as mere irregularities and licences, p. 110.
I may you devyse how that I may be holpe, III. 11;
I am commaundid, II. 294; ye schal be payd, III. 17; Thembassatours
ben answerde for fynal, IV. 306.
Chaucer offers no example of the passive with a double object,
but I find one in Hampole, Prose Treatises, p. 5: 'I fand Jesus
bowndene, scourgede, gyffene galle to drynke.'
Perhaps we may see in Caxton's apparent dislike of this construction,
a sort of negative influence of the French.
§ 21. Verbal Forms
There are verbal forms which, in Old English, were indifferent
with regard to voice. These were the infinitive, the verbal
noun (-ung, -ing), and sometimes the participle past, when used
adjectively.
In Middle English there is a faint beginning of creating new
passive constructions of the infinitive and gerund by means of the
auxiliary be; but before the Elizabethan age the modern use of the
passive infinitive and gerund is not complete.
In Caxton there is a distinct tendency towards the modern use,
but still the active constructions prevail. The Infinitive, Gerund,
and Participle will be dealt with in their proper place; here a few
instances will suffice:—
He made the toun sawte ofte tymes ful sore = to be assaulted,
Blanchardyn, 152/4; after that greuouse sorowe that she hath had of
my takynge, ibid. 148/32; (he) was remembred of it always, ibid.
31/7; he was ryght sore merueylled, ibid. 139/16.
§ 22. Tense.
(a) Sometimes the Present Tense occurs instead of the Preterite
(Præsens historicum):—
And then he taketh him bytwene his armes, and kisseth hym
by grete loue; and whan he had doon thus, he sayd . . . Aymon,
78/12; all they[m] of theyr companye arayed themselfe, and yssued
oute of the castell . . . and soo go upon the oost of Charlemagne,ibid. 78/25; but Reynawde the worthy knyght is not abasshed, but
he taketh all his folke, and setteth theym afore hym, and sayd to his
brother Alarde, ibid. 101/12.
(b) The Present used instead of the Future is very rare:—
'To morwe erly, whan we see houre and tyme goode, and alle
redy, we shal do sowne oure trompetter,' Blanchardyn, 157/11.
(c) The Preterite is used in the narrative; but sometimes the
Perfect alternates with it, often even in the same sentence:—
Charlemain is come to the frensshe men, and commaunded theym
for to wythdrawe theym selfe, Aymon, 84/7, 8; Reynawde and his
bredern are goon upon the walles, and loked about theym, and sawe
that the bassecourte of the castell brenned there as their wytaylles
were, ibid. 98/1, 2; Sir Bleoberis ouerthrewe hym, and sore hath
wounded hym, Morte Darthur, 296/32.
This use crops up pretty often in Middle English epic poetry.
Cf. Story of Genesis and Exodus:—
'Wið wines drinc he wenten is ðhogt,So ðat he haueð ðe dede wrogt.1149, 1150;Symeon and leui it bi-speken,And hauen here sister ðor i-wreken.' 1855, 1856, 2043,
2101, 2312, 2609, 2622, 3746, 3798, 3956.
(d) The Preterite instead of the Past Perfect Tense is still very
common in Caxton:—
(We) shall shewe the sorowes and the complayntes of the proude
pucelle in amours, and the manyere that she kept after the kysse
that blanchardyn toke of her, Blanchardyn, 43/8. And (the city)
hym semed the most fayre and most riche cyte that euer he sawe,
ibid. 45/17. Cf. 47/33, 57/29, 59/26, 66/15, 116/8, 128/34, 129/26,
145/12, 162/6, 185/6. Malory, Morte Darthur, 37/13, 49/2, 99/31,
150/25, 271/19, 313/14, 325/18, 337/7, 348/3.
(e) If what a person thinks, hopes, or tries does not agree with
the facts, the verb containing the object of the verbs think, believe,
trow, fear, hope, try, etc., appears, as a rule, in a tense anterior to
that of those verbs, e. g.:—
The prouost and the other of the towne entred ayen in to the
cyte, wenyng to them that Blanchardyn had be wyth them, but he
was not, Blanchardyn, 88/8.
1. for they were bothe fal in swone, so that no lyf coude be perceued
in theire bodyes, but trowed all they that were present that
they had be bothe deed, Blanchardyn, 20/2; as they sholde neuer
haue seen eche other, they toke leue one of other, 94/5; for well he
wend that he sholde neuyr haue seen ayen her, 95/30; but the
prouost . . . trowed that he (Blanchardyn) had ben a sarrasyne
as other were, 128/10; they were constreyned to enter into the
brode see agayne, lest they sholde haue smytten hemself agrounde,
136/13. (She) was in a grete feer lest he had ben drowned in the
grete tempest, 152/14; she was right glad, wenyng to her that it
had be Sadoyne, 183/13; and thenne sir launcelot wold haue yeuen
hym alle these fortresses and these brydges, Morte Darthur, 352/4.
Cf. ibid. 368/35, 369/30, 392/29, etc.
2. The infinitive of the perfect, instead of the present tense, after
such verbs is (with a very few exceptions) strictly observed:—
He wende to haue tourned the brydell of his horsse, Blanchardyn,
140/32; the cassydonyers had not syth the powere for to haue
dressyd it (the standarde) vp ayen, 141/30; (the prouost) wend
neuer to haue come tyme ynoughe there, 158/3; he wende to haue
lost his wyttes, 186/33; he trowed certaynly to haue fynysshed hys
dayes, 188/3. Cf. 107/11, 108/8, 113/22, 117/25, 136/22, 152/29,
166/8, 182/23, 184/2, 197/25, 203/9, 205/25, 205/31, 206/5; Charles
the Grete, 133/1, 142/13, 143/15; Aymon, 60/2, 85/26, 101/28, 175/23,
etc.; Morte Darthur, 35/12, 37/15, 83/1, 83/6, etc.
Exceptions:—
(Alymodes) wythdrewe hym self in to his pauyllyon, commaundyng
his folke that euery man shold loke to lodge hym self, trowyng
to be in a sewrete that his enmyes as for that same day sholde not
comen nomore out of their cyte (but they yssued out), Blanchardyn,
59/20; she shal neuer haue no parfytte Ioye at her herte, for loue of
a knyght of whom she is enamored, whiche she weneth to be peryshed
(but he was not), 155/3. Cf. 167/25, 185/14, 186/22, 186/27, 190/33;
Aymon, 196/26, 231/11; Morte Darthur, 227/13, 248/3.
This use was continued in the 16th century:—
He fell to the erthe, wenyng he had been slayne, BERNERS, Huon,
29/25; (Huon) drew out his sword to defende hym selfe, thynkyng
the beest wold haue assayled hym, 111/11; cf. 200/31, 291/2; with
the infinitive, 11/17, 26/30, 27/3, 31/13, 40/9, 44/20, 62/15, 69/6,
90/5, 100/4, 108/4, 108/30, etc.; he was about in such familiar sort to
have spoken to her, SIDNEY, Arcadia, p. 27; I was about to have
told you my reason thereof, SPENSER, Ireland, p. 613; I hope to have
kept, ibid. p. 620.
'Her scattered brood, soone as their Parent deareThey saw so rudely falling to the ground.Groning full deadly, all with troublous feare,Gathred themselves about her body round,Weening their wonted entrance to have foundAt her wide mouth.'SPENSER, Faërie Queene, I. i. 25.
'All cleane dismayd to see so uncouth sight,And half enraged at her shamelesse guise,He thought have slaine her in his fierce despight.' ibid. I. i. 503. Cf. I. ii. 362; I. ii. 39; I. iii. 5; I. iii. 24; I. iii. 41;
I. v. 13; I. vi. 3; I. vi. 40; I. vii. 14, etc.
(f) With regard to the agreement between the tenses in principal
sentences and clauses, the strictness of our modern rules, adopted
from the Latin grammar, is still unknown, and, in particular, the
Preterite in the principal sentence is often followed by the Present
in the clause. This is due to a sort of anacoluthon. There is, as it
were, a sudden transition from indirect to direct speech, which is
indeed very common in Middle English, as well as in Caxton and
Malory:—
(Blanchardyn) prayed hym that he vousshesauff to helpe hym
that he were doubed knyght, Blanchardyn, 24/2 (Original: 'quil le
aidast a adouber de ses armes'); and whan she myght speke vnto
her maystres that he that this Iniurye had doon to her what so euer
he be, Yf he may come in her handes or in her power, noon shal
mowe saue hym, but he shal lese his hed for the same, 43/13; and
sayde of a goode herte and a free wylle that he shal furnysshe
Rubyon of his requeste, 83/3; Blanchardyn made grete sorowe and
lamentacyon, wyshyng full often that he may yet see ones his lady,
97/17, 65/11, 69/19, 138/20, 185/7; (Charlemayne) sware god that
he sholde neuer retorne in to fraunce but that Ryynawde were take;
and that yf he maye haue hym, all the worlde shall not saue hym,
Aymon, 73/16; (the kyng) badde hym be redy and stuffe hym and
garnysshe hym, for within xl dayes he wold fetche hym oute of the
byggest castell that he hath, Morte Darthur, 35/33; and there
Dynadan told Palomydes all the tydynges that he herd and sawe of
syre Tristram, and how he was gone with kynge Marke, and with
hym he hath alle his wyll and desyre, ibid. 455/12.
§ 23. Mood.
Caxton's use of the Subjunctive is nearly modern; in the sentences,
however, which express a wish, the synthetic use is remarkable.
Instead of the modern 'may god help me' there is 'so helpe
me God'; instead of 'might it please God,' 'pleased God,' etc. This,
however, is very common, and is continued in the poetry of even
modern times. But there is another point worth noting. There are
several instances of the Indicative instead of the Subjunctive Mood,
which seem to suggest that the modern tendency of supplanting the
Subjunctive may be traced back to Caxton's time, or still earlier.
1. Sentences expressing wish:—
I beseke and praye þe, in the worship of the goddes, that at tyme
of nede, for the defense of my royalme, thou wylt uttir and shewe
that which I see appiere with in þe, Blanchardyn, 104/22.There are several instances of this use in Huon:—for I wyll thou
knowyst she is the fairest mayde that is now lyuynge, 50/14; I wyll
thou layest unto me good hostages, 51/9; I wyll thou knowest that
ye shall all lose, 87/28; I doubte me lest he hath slayne my sone
Lohyer, Aymon, 30/17.
Please occurs in Elizabethan authors in the Indicative, when
used in principal sentences expressing wish:—
Pleaseth it you therefore to sit down to supper,—Lyly, Euphues,
p. 28; pleaseth you walk with me down to this house—Shakspere,
Errors, IV. i. 12; pleaseth you ponder your Supplicant's plaint—Spenser,
Sheph. Cal., February.
There seems to be one instance as early as 1360, Sir Gawayne
and the Green Knight, 2439: 'bot on I wolde yow pray, displeses
yow neuer.'
2. Negative clauses:—
He began to ryde faste by the forest, in whiche he was bothe the
daye and the nyght . . . wythout adventure to fynde that doeth
to be recounted, Blanchardyn, 31/19 (original: qui a raconter face);
wythout fyndyng of eny aduenture that is to be recounted, ibid.
127/7; it nedeth not to be doubted that he is comme to his extremite
of prowes, wythout that amours hath ben the cause in the
person of some hyghe a pryncesse, 72/19.
3. Conditional sentences:—
(a) The clause (introduced by if) appears sometimes in the
Indicative:—
And yf thou wylt not doo it . . . Aymon, 25/6; always yf he
hath trespassed ayenst you in ony manere, I am ryghte sory for hit,
ibid. 30/28; now shall it be seen yf it is true or not, ibid. 325/3.
The Subjunctive appears in Aymon, 25/33, 26/1, etc.
(b) Sometimes the principal sentence following a conditional
clause appears in the Indicative, though the latter expresses irreality:—
For a ryght gode knyght he was, yf he had been a crysten man,
Blanchardyn, 86/13; for I was dysherited and undoon for euer, yf
they had not been, Aymon, 159/6.
§ 24. Imperative Mood.
1. The Imperative is very often followed by the personal pronoun.
Instances abound. Cf. p. xiii.
2. Here and there the imperative seems to be represented by the
Indicative, as the arrangement of words suggests:—
But wel ye knowe that he was not hadde sore ferre from the
kynge his fadre, Blanchardyn, 13/1 (original: sachiez); A, fayr
damoysels, said Amand, ye recommaunde unto la Beale Isoude,
Morte Darthur, 436/16.
This occurs very often in the Story of Genesis and Exodus, as in
the Cursor Mundi (frequent):—
'Almigtin louerd, hegest kinge,ðu giue me seli timinge.'
The Oriel Text of the Book of Curtesye has one instance:—
'As ye be commandyd, so ye do algate.'120.
Hill and Caxton have: 'so do ye algate.'
§ 25. The Infinitive. Active and Passive.
While, as mentioned above, the Infinitive in Old English—as well
as in the other Teutonic languages—was indifferent with regard to
voice, the later periods of Middle English develope the passive on the
same principle as Latin, and are probably modelled on that. Whenever
there is an action without a subject to do it, we find the passive
construction in Latin—infinitivus passivi and participium passivi (or
rather gerundium), e. g. militem occidi iussit; credendum est. So
far as I am aware both these constructions are translated in Old
English, as well as in Middle English of the first centuries, by the
simple infinitive. Instances abound:—
Þa hi þæt ne geþafodan, þa het he hi beheafdian,—Sweet, Oldest
English Texts, p. 177 (Martyrology); þa heht se casere gesponnan
fiower wildo hors to scride, ibid.; Eac is to geðencanne, Cura pastoralis,
53; denum eallum wæs . . . to geþolianne . . . oncyð,
Beowulf, 1418; ne bið swylc cwénlic pew, idese to efnanne . . .
þætte freoðu—webbe, ibid. 1941; we nu gehyrað þis halige godspel
beforan us rædan, Blickling Hom. 15/28. Cf. 55/25, 107/26; hit
is lang to areccene, Wulfstan, 7/12; seo menniscness is wundorlic
ymbe to smeagenne, ibid. 15/14, 25/6, 27/1, 158/16, etc., etc.
Middle English:—
Nu ne þerf na mon his sunne mid wite abuggen but toward crist
ane mid scrifte swa him his preost lered al swa his festen, þe swiðe
oner Rimet þes flesces wlongnesse and chuc (chirc?) ȝong and god to
donne þeruore monie and feole oðre godere werke þe nu were long
eou to telle,—O. E. Hom. I. 9; heo wes wurse to þolien þenne efreni
of alle þa oþre pine, ibid. I. 43; hwet is us to donne?—ibid. I. 91;
þan alden his to warniene wið uuele iþohtas, ibid. I. 109; II. 117,
139; þatt (sc. flocc) tœleþþ þatt to lofenn iss, Ormulum, 77; þeos
(þinges) beoð alle ine freo wille to donne or to leten, Ancren Riwle, 8;
leteð writen on one scrowe hwat se ȝe ne kunneð nout, ibid. 42.
'Ghe knew it for hire owen sune;And quane it sulde sundred ben,Ghe bar it teremuth for to sen.'Story of Genesis and Exodus, 2628;
'ðe bi-leuen brennen he bead.' ibid. 3154.
'O spuse-brek wommanþat þe Iuus dempt to stan.'Cursor Mundi, 186;
'worþie for to neuen.' ibid. 4056, 4420, 5634, 5678, 6364, 6718.
'And syn he best to love is and most meke.' Chancer, V. 77;
'ſoul artow to embrace.'ibid. III. 93.
'But ay thay wondren what sche mighte be,That in so pover array was for to se.' ibid. II. 310.
'His brest was hole withouten for to sene.' ibid. III. 13; 'it (sc. þe
oost) is to dispyse (orig. spernendum est).'Boethius, p. 12.
Þis emperour is to undirstand our Lord ihesu crist, Gesta Romanorum,
p. 22 (= by this emperour is understood, etc.); I wolle
haue this childe, that thi wife has brought forthe this nyght, to
norisshe in my palys, ibid. p. 208; sone the emperoure made letters
to send to the empresse, ibid. p. 213; thenne she brought him out of
þe prison, and gerte bathe him, ibid. p. 312.
The passive construction is rarely to be met with in the earliest
Middle English texts. There are, however, numerous instances in
the 14th century:—
Cursor Mundi (Cotton, Göttingen, and Trinity MSS.), 4856:'þair siluer he tok and gaue þam cornAnd to þair inne did it be born.'
Cf. 5004, 5080, 9098; worthy to be . . . i-preysed (= praeconiis
attollendi), Trevisa, Polychronicon, I. 3; suche serueþ and is good
to be knowe of Cristen men, ibid. I. 17; that made hem gentil men
y-callid be,—Chaucer, I. 240.
'And suffrith us . . .ful ofte to be bete in sondry wise.' ibid. II. 314.(Petrarch's Original, p. 170: et saepe nos multis ac gravibus flagellis
exerceri sinit.)
In Caxton the old use is still very frequent, if it is not the prevailing
one; and, to conclude ſrom several instances, the passive
construction was not quite familiar to him. The proportion between
the instances of active and passive construction is in
Blanchardyn 11 to 8.
(a) Governed by adjectives and answering to the Latin Supine.
The sore of loue is ryght anguyssous and heuy forto bere,—Blanchardyn,
68/23; lete vs not departe from hens for this is a goode place
for to deffende, Aymon, 108/10; but the foure sones of Aymon were
good to knowe by thother for they had on grete mauntelles of scarlet
furred with ermynes, ibid. 224/8.
(Subyon) tolde them . . . that he wold wedde the proude pucelle
in amours, for many causes and raysons that were to long to be
reherced,—Blanchardyn, 179/18; here shall you here of the hande
hewyng, and of a thynge heny to be recounted,—Aymon, 53/12; Reynawde
and his bredern are suche knyghtes that they ben not for to
be lightly ouerthrowen, ibid. 104/2; ye are gretly to be blamed, ibid.
234/6.
(b) Governed by verbs, especially by do and make, answering to
the Latin Infinitivus Passivi. Caxton very often uses a redundant
do, so that we find such awkward expressions as, 'he did do make.'
I shal doo folow hym (original: Ie le feray sieuir), Blanchardyn,
44/10; he made to drawe vp ancres, ibid. 111/13; they made
to take vp the ancres and to hale vp their saylles, ibid. 127/2; he
made the toun sawte ofte tymes, ibid. 152/4; Subyon domaged theym
ryght sore, and their place, wyth their bombardes and other engynes
of warre, that he had do brynge there, ibid. 200/31; but what so
euer goode sporte and pleysure that blanchardyn sawe ther make for
his sake nothyng coude playse hym, ibid. 110/11; very striking is
ibid. 12/22: Blanchardyn was taken in to the handes of a right
noble lady of the lande for to norysshe and bryngen vp (original:
pour le nourir et esleuer). Cf. Gesta Romanorum, p. 208 (quoted
above, p. lxii).
There is also both the active and passive construction governed
by the same verb:—
Kyng Alymodes commaunded expressely to the mareshall of his
ooste, that he shold doo make and to be sette vp a galhouse, Blanchardyn,
187/23; Aymon, 70/5, 73/30, 74/22, 78/14, 90/24, 96/21,
96/28, 129/4, 145/23, 147/21, etc.
for he made to be brought vnto hym by his folke al suche
armures and harneys as to hym behoued to haue, Blanchardyn,
47/19; (Blanchardyn) made hym to be armed,—ibid, 47/22; he made
his trompetto to be sowned, ibid. 119/23; Aymon, 65/8, 66/14, 69/34,
73/23, 73/26, 74/13, 80/1, 80/21, 84/31, 87/1, 96/24, 101/22, 167/32,
etc.; Morte Darthur, 37/1, 367/38, etc.
(c) Governed by the verb 'to be,' answering to the Latin Gerundium
or Futurum Passivi:—
And where vpon is to by-leue that blanchardyn was neuere in hys
lyff half so glad, Blanchardyn, 80/11; syr Emperour, this paynym
nameth hym self fyerabras, whiche is moche to redoubte and hath
done moche harme to crysten men, Charles the Grete, 42/26; and yf
thou mayst come vnto the hye secrets whyche ben strongly for to
doubte and drede in the doubtous courteynes of the most hye prynces.
Thenne shalt thou be most messhaunt, The Curial, 5/12; ye be to
blame (still kept), Aymon, 83/7, 99/13.
He began to ryde faste by the forest wythout aduenture to fynde
that doeth to be recounted (original: qui a raconter face), Blanchardyn,
31/19; wythout fyndyng of eny aduenture that is to be
recounted, ibid. 127/7; yf Blanchardyn was ryght glad of this adventure,
it is not to be axed, 42/1, 12; it is not to be told but Blanchardyn
mayntened hymself, 50/29.
Instead of the infinitive there occur two instances of the past
participle:—
Thise ben the folke of themperour Charlemayn, that goeth to
Ardeyn for to besege a castell that the foure sones of Aymon haue
do made there, Aymon, 70/29; how the kyng Charlemayn wold
have doon hanged Mawgys incontynent after that oliver had deliverde
hym to hym, ibid. 365/5. Cf. Alle the werk . . . which I haue do
maad,—Bury Wills, p. 39.
There are striking instances of group (b) in Berners's Huon:—
(Huon) toke the horne of Iuorey from his necke and toke it to
his host to kepe, sayenge, 'host, I take you this to kepe,' 85/15.
Cf. ibid. 233/16 (kepe, however, may be the substantive; Middle
English, kep. See Stratmann s. v.); thyder his doughter was brought
to hym to se, ibid. 313/31; how the duches Esclaramond deliueryd
her doughter Clariet to Barnarde to bere to the abbot of Cluny, ibid.
401/26.
For the Tense of the Infinitive, see above, p. lvii.
§ 26. The Simple Infinitive.
The Simple Infinitive is far from being so much restricted
as in Modern English. Caxton's use of it is nearly as free as
Chaucer's. A few instances will do:—
How after many dysputacyons Olyuer ayded arme fyerabras,
Charles the Grete, 57/4; But the valiaunt erle of rames pursued
hym so nygh that he suffred hym not goo at his wylle, Aymon,
517/9. Cf. Man schal not suffre his wyf go roule aboute, Chaucer,
II. 226; That wol not suffre us duellen here, ibid. II. 279.
The Infinitive governed by 'do' is nearly always simple: for
instances see the preceding paragraph.
After 'make' the simple Infinitive in a passive sense is very rare.
He made the toun sawte ofte tymes ful sore, Blanchardyn, 152/4;
The good lady made bryng lynnen, Aymon, 129/7. Cf. Chaucer,
Boece, p. 55, l. 1460: he lete brenne þe citee of Rome and made
slen þe senatours.Dr. Furnivall suggests that this construction may explain Shakspere's puzzle in All's Well, III. iv.: 'I see that men make rope's (make us to be
ensnared) in such a scarre (fright) that we'll forsake ourselves.'
§ 27. To and for to preceding the Gerundial Infinitive.
As a rule, Caxton uses for to,
(a) In order to denote aim and purpose; (b) after substantives.
The first translates the French pour, the latter de. There are,
however, exceptions. On the first sixty pages of Blanchardyn, to
occurs eighty-six times, and of these only two are governed by
nouns, viz., 16/6, 41/20. On the other hand, out of the eighty-six
passages containing for to, there are but three governed by verbs,
viz., 18/18, 29/25, 37/13. Here and there both to and for to occur
in the same sentence:—
They alle sholde mounte on horsbacke for tenquyre and seke after
his most dere and welbeloued sone, and to brynge hym ayen vnto
hym, Blanchardyn, 20/21; ye myght well kepe your selfe that ye
com not so often to see vs and for to doo vs harme, Aymon, 83/9.
§ 28. Functions of the Infinitive.
(a) Caxton sometimes uses the Infinitive—as in Old and Middle
English—where we use the Gerund, especially after prepositions:—
Wythout aduenture to fynde, Blanchardyn, 31/18; Wythout
to make ony noyse, Aymon, 78/24; yf I goo there wythoute myn
armes, nor wythout to be as it apperteyneth, ibid. 219/31; wythout
to be dyshonoured, ibid. 470/25. Infinitive with the Gerund, Blanchardyn,
37/15, 16; he salued hym prayng that for to paye well and
largely content him, he wold vouchsauf to take hym for his hoste,
Blanchardyn, 46/9; ye knowe well the offence that your broder
halde doon to me, for to haue slayn soo cruelly Lohier, Aymon,
60/2; but none myght compare wyth Reynawde for to do well,
Aymon, 82/3; yet ye be there and wel ferre for to be oute, Charles,
93/3; ye are gretely to blame for to displease kyng Arthur, Morte
Darthur, 80/12.
Remnants of this use occur still in Spenser (? as conscious
archaisms):—
'Or who shall let me knowOn this vile body for to wreak my wrong.'Faërie Queene, II. viii. 28/4.
'feare nought, then saide the Palmer well aviz'd,
for these same Monsters are not these in deed,But are into these fearefull shapes disguiz'dBy that same wicked witch, to worke in dreed,And draw from on this journey to proceed.'Ibid. II. xii. 26/5.
(b) The Infinitive used instead of a whole clause (as a manyworded
adverb):—
They kylled and slue and hurte sore many one, Deffendynge hem
selfe soo strongely ayenste their enmyes, to theyr grete losse and
damage, and to wythdrawe them self ayen = so that they withdrew
themselves (original: 'maint en naurerent et occirent en eul deffendant,
tellement que leurs ennemis, a leur grant perte et dommage,
sen retournerent arrieve sans gaires prouffiter, car moult en yolt de
mors et de naures'), Blanchardyn, 187/10; he lefte not for to be
forthwith quartered . . . but that he toke that same sarasyn by the
heyre, etc., Charles the Grete, 132/18; for to renne xxx leghes he
wold not be wery, ibid. 150/13; Here is to hard a mocke for me, and
ye wynne not moche by, for to gabbe me of this facyon, Aymon,
338/29 (conditional clause); and soo he lete conduyte the harper
out of the countrey but to say that kyng Mark was wonderly
wrothe he was (conditional clause), Morte Darthur, 465/12.
There are several instances of this use in Berners's Huon, and
here and there in Elizabethan writers:—
Syr, quod they, to dye in the quarell we shall ayde and socoure
you (edition of 1601: were we sure to dye, etc.), Huon, 22/2; I
thanke the of thy grace to haue gyuen me the puyssaunce to sle
such a creature (ed. of 1601: that thou hast gyuen me, etc.), ibid.
109/21; as long as I lyue I shal neuer forgete Huon, and shal
alwayes, to dye in the payne, kepe me for the bodely company of ony
man lyuinge (ed. of 1601: and shal alwayes be redy to dye in the
payne and kepe me fro, etc.), ibid. 195/14; yf he had knowen it to
haue dyed in the quarel he wolde neuer haue consented to that
treason, ibid. 284/6; Comforte your men, who hathe great desyre to
defende this citye for the sauegarde of their owne bodyes and lyues,
thus to make sorow ye can wyn nothynge therby, ibid. 387/30.
§ 29. The Infinitive Absolute.
There is a peculiar use of the Infinitive which turns up first in
the second half of the 14th century:—
'I say this, be ye redy with good herteTo al my lust, and that I frely mayAs me best liste do yow laughe or smerte,And never ye to gruch it.'—Chaucer, II. 289 (Grisilda).
'Let hym fynde a sarasynAnd y to fynde a knyght of myn.'—Guy of Warwick, 3531/2.
I have tried in vain to find any trace of this use in earlier days,
and can only account for it in the following way. There is an outspoken
tendency in the English of the 14th century to supplant
adverbial clauses of time, and express a condition by absolute constructions:—
þe same Plato lyvyng, hys maistre socrates deservede victorie
of unriȝtful deeþ in my presence, Chaucer's Boece, 184 (original:
'eodemque superstite praeceptor ejus Socrates injustae victoriam
mortis me adstante promeruit'); but I withstod þat ordinaunce and
overcom it, knowyng al þis þe kyng hym self,—ibid. 308; The service
doon, they soupen al by day, Chaucer, II. 364; This wordes seyde,
she on hire armes two fil gruf, ibid. IV. 337; The cause iknowe, and
of his harm the roote, Anon he yaf the syke man his boote, ibid.
II. 14.
As appears by the preceding examples, both participles serve to
represent clauses in the present and past tenses. But how about the
future? Why should there be no absolute construction for a clause
with a future tense? The want of a proper participle did not prevent
the language from completing the use of absolute constructions. It
resorted to the Infinitive. Wycliffe tried to introduce a future participle.
'He was to dyinge,'—Lucas, I. 2 (erat moriturus); 'to doynge,'
ibid. 22, 23 (facturus). But this innovation was not accepted.
There is, however, a similar formation in Caxton: 'Guy, hir loue
and tocoming husband,' Charles the Grete, 134/27, i. e. that was to
be; 'Our tocomyng souerayne lorde,' Blades, 139/140; it occurs also
in Piers Plowman. Cf. Skeat, Notes, p. 371, and Trevisa, Polychr.
I. 267. This probably gave birth to that peculiar use which, in the
course of its development, became more and more free, so that in the
15th century the Infinitive Absolute often serves to alternate with
any principal sentence and clause:—
'I dar the better ask of you a spaceOf audience, to schewen oure requestAnd ye, my lord, to doon right as yow lest.'—Chaucer, II. 281.
'Ne (he) in his desire none other fantasye bredde,But argumentes to this conclusioun,That sche of him wolde han compassiounAnd he to ben hire man whil he may dure.'—Chaucer, IV. 127.
'(I mene that ye wolde) agreen that I may ben heIn trowth alway to don yow my servyse,As to my lady right, and chief resorteWith al my wit and al my diligence,And I to han right as yow list conforte ....And that ye deigne me so muchel honoureMe to comaunden aught in any houre,And I to ben youre veray humble trewe.'—Chaucer, IV. 230.
'Men schold him brenne in a fuyr so reedIf he were founde, or if men myght him spye,And we also to bere him companye.'—Chaucer, III. 38.
Item, I geue and quethe to Willm Husher III s. IV d. and he to
haue his indentour of his prentished. Bury Wills, p. 16 (A.D. );
Item, I wyll that Maist. Thomas Harlowe sey the sermon at my interment,
if he vouchsafT, and he to haue VI s. and VIII d. to prey for
me, ibid. p. 17; ibid. p. 18. A striking instance occurs on p. 21:
I will that the seid preest ne his successours shal not lete to ferme
the seid place to no man nor woman, but he and his successours to
logge; Also y will þat Iohn Edmund (haue) al þe led . . . he to pay
þer for as it ys worthy, Earliest English Wills, 2/13 (A.D. 1387);
I yeue hem halli unto Maude my wyf, scho for to doo with them hir
owne fre wylle, ibid. 95/16 (A.D. 1433); ibid. 123/18 ff (A.D. 1439);
If all thre sonnes die withoute heires of their bodies, theire moder
than lyuyng, then she for to haue all the same maners, ibid. 124/25,
127/14, 15 (A.D. 1439):—
'frollo þat worthy knyghtProferyd wyth arthour for to fyghtVnder þis wyse and condicioun.—Ho hadde þe Maystrie haue þe crown;And no mo men but þey twa.'Arthur, ed. Furnivall, l. 76.
Caxton seems to have disliked this use; the following passages
are the only instances I have found of an Infinitive Absolute occurring
in his works:—
And with the remenaunte he shold make men ryche, and to sette
them in good poynte, Charles the Grete, 126/3; yf I retorne wythoute
to auenge my barons, I shall do pourely, sythe they haue susteyned
and borne up the crowne Imperial and my wylle, and I now
to retorne wythoute to auenge them. He that gaf me suche counceyll,
loueth me but lytel, I se wel, ibid. 16/14.
But Malory's Morte Darthur makes a very large use of it;
instances abound; and it is probably due to the influence of this
great favourite of the 16th century that the absolute infinitive is
very frequent in Berners, and occurs even in Elizabethan times:—
This is my counceill . . . that we lete puruey X knyghtes, men
of good fame and they to kepe this swerd, Morte Darthur, 40/37;
for hym thought no worship to haue a knyght at suche auaille he to
be on horsbak and he on foot, ibid. 71/23; hit was neuer the custome
of no place of worship that euer I came in whan a knyghte and a
lady asked herborugh and they to receyue hem and after to destroye
them, ibid. 310/23; and soo they rode vnto the keepers of beestes
and alle to bete them, ibid. 367/38; The custom was suche amonge
them, that none of the kynges wold helpe other, but alle the felauship
of euery standard to helpe other, ibid. 533/18. Cf. 461/27,
590/35.
In the following instances the Infinitive Absolute is used without
a subject:—
I wylle that ye gyue vnto your broder alle the hole manoir with
the appertenaunce, vnder thys forme, that sir Ontzelake hold the
manoir of yow, and yerely to gyue yow a palfrey, Morte Darthur,
134/18; I wyl foryeue the the dethe of my broder, and for euer to
become thy man, ibid. 224/19; thou shalt neuer escape this castel,
but euer here to be prys mer, ibid. 244/14; I will do to yow homage
and feaute, with an C knyghtes with me, and alle the dayes of my
lyf to doo you seruyse, ibid. 266/31; he shold fyghte body for body,
or els to fynde another knyght for hym, ibid. 303/14; there is non
other waye but thou must yelde the to me, outher els to dye, ibid.
314/3. Cf. 324/14, 408/8, 496/9, 527/25, 633/14, 646/32.
Berners goes a step beyond Malory in his free use of the Infinitive
Absolute:—
Yf it fortunyd that the vanquisser sle his enemye in the feld, or
he confesse the treason for the deth of his sonne, that than the vanquyssher
to lese all his londys, Huon, 40/26; it shall be sayde that
you who hath lyuyd in so grete tryumphe all the dayes of your lyfe,
and now in your latter dayes to become a chylde, ibid. 47/6; whan
thou seest hym sytte at the table, than thou to be armyde wyth thy
sworde, ibid. 50/7; And also thou to brynge me thy handfull of the
hereof hys herde, ibid. 50/20. Cf. 107/5, 116/32, 169/14, 169/20,
185/11, 256/21, 287/20, 303/26, 304/15, etc.
In all these instances the Infinitive Absolute is more or less
governed by, or at least in connection with, the finite verb of the
principal sentence; but there are some instances where the Infinitive
is used entirely apart from the preceding sentence:—
By God, quod he, I hope alway byhynde! And she to laugh,
Chaucer, IV. 198. Cf. IV. 185, V. 295.
'Most sencelesse man he, that himselfe doth hate,To love another; Lo! then, for thine ayd,Here take thy lovers token on thy pateSo they to fight.'—Spenser, Faërie Queene, I. vi. 47/8.
Mr. Kitchin, in his Clarendon Press edition, explains this expression
by 'and they go to fight'; but I am rather inclined to see in it
a remnant of the Infinitive Absolute, if not an imitation of the older
French use. See Littré, Dictionnaire, s. v. de, 20o.
§ 30. The Infinitive with the Accusative Case.
The Infinitive in connection with the Accusative (or Nominative)
case, where we now put for or for . . to.John Fisher has the modern construction: 'It is better for a synner to suffre trybulacyon.'—English Works of John Fisher, ed. Mayor (E. E. T. S.),
p. 41, l. 9.
As in Chaucer, the
Infinitive with the Accusative occurs governed by substantives,
adjectives, and impersonal verbs:—
No wondur is a lewid man to ruste,—Chaucer, II. 16; now
were it tyme a lady to gette henne, ibid. IV. 250; but it is good a
man be at his large, ibid. II. 71; (his folke) putte hem self vpon
their enmyes, so that it was force the polonyens to recule abak,
Blanchardyn, 107/18; it is better a man wysely to be stille than
folyssly to speke, Charles the Grete, 93/5; for it is gods wyll youre
body to be punysshed for your fowle dedes, Morte Darthur, 67/10; for
it semeth not yow to spede there as other haue failled, ibid. 77/34.
In Malory, and even in Shakspere, we sometimes find the
Infinitive in connection with the nominative case instead of the
expected accusative, after substantives, adjectives, and impersonal
verbs:—
Thow to lye by our moder is to muche shame for vs to suffre,
Morte Darthur, 453/4; hit was neuer the custome of no place of
worship that euer I came in, whan a knyghte and a lady asked
herberough, and they to receyue hem, and after to destroye them,
ibid. 310/23; a heauier task could not haue been imposed than I to
speak my griefs unspeakable,—Shakspere, Err. I. i. 33; what he is
indeed, more suits you to conceive than I to speak of,—As You
Like It, I. ii. 279; thou this to hazard needs must intimate skill
infinite or monstrous desperate,—All's Well, II. i. 186; I to bear
this . . . is some burden,—Timon, IV. iii. 266.
§ 31. The Infinitive Omitted.
Sometimes the Infinitive is omitted, and its function is
included in the preceding auxiliary verb. This is especially the case
where we now use verbs like 'go,' 'move,' etc.
This omission is rather frequent in Old English:—
Swa swa oferdruncan man wat þæt he sceolde to his huse and his
reste, Boethius, 132; ðat hie forgieten hwider hie scylen, Cura
Pastoralis, 387/14; for oft ðonne hy witodlice geseoþ þæt hy sceolon
to reste, Beda, 283; þæt he nyste, hwær ut sceolde, Orosius, 286/20;
le him æfter sceal, Beowulf, 2817; þonne he forð scile, ibid. 3178;
þonne ðu forð scyle metod-sceaſt seon! ibid. 1179; Ac hie to helle
sculon on þone sweartan sið, Genesis, 732; Min sceal of lice sawul on
sið ſæt, Iuliana, 699; Heo wæs on ofste, wolde ut þanon feore beorgan,
þa heo onfunden wæs, Beowulf, 1293; ær he in wille, ibid. 1371; Ic
to sæ wille, ibid. 318; nu wille ic eft þam lige near, Genesis, 760;
ða he him from wolde ða gefeng he hine, Cura Pastoralis, 35/19;
þa mid þæm þæ hi hie getrymed hæfdon and togædere woldon, þa
wearð eorþbeofung, Orosius, 160/28; ac þa hie togædere woldon þa
com swa ungemetlic ren, ibid. 194/17.
Middle English:—
'Bot I wyl to þe chapel, for chaunce þat may falle.'Sir Gawayne, 2132.
I could not find this use in Caxton, but there are instances in
Malory:—
But the brachet wold not from hym, Morte Darthur, 37/24; I
wylle to morowe to the courte of kyng Arthur, ibid. 446/1; whether
wylt thow? ibid. 560/32; that wold the none harme, ibid. 390/4.
§ 32. The Present Participle.
The Present Participle ending in -yng, -ynge (scarcely in
-ing), has the same functions as in Modern English; for tocoming,
see above, § 29, p. lxvii.
With regard to voice, there are but few exceptions to its active
meaning. Desplesaunt = displeasing occurs in Blanchardyn, 27/19;
'thy lyffe is to me so gretly displeasaunte.' But several times it has
the passive sense = displeased:—
Byfore whiche cyte was yet Kyng Alymodes at siege wyth his
oost, wherof the fayr the proude pucell in amours was sore displaysaunt,
Blanchardyn, 127/11; but on thys day . . . so desplaysaunt
ne sory was he neuer as I shal make hym for the, Charles the
Grete, 62/3; the noble flory pes was moche dysplaysaunte for the
necessyte of the frensshe men, ibid. 124/26; wher fore thadmyral was
so dysplaysaunt and angry that he wende to haue dyed, ibid. 143/14.
The verb displease occurs also several times in the phrase: dysplayse
you not, ibid. 113/20, 146/34; and in the past participle dysplaysed,
Aymon, 464/19, 510/8.
Malory has beholdyng = beholden:—
Ye are the man in the world that I am most beholdyng to, Morte
Darthur, 42/24; I am moche beholdyng vnto hym, ibid. 86/22; me
semeth ye ar moche beholdynge to this mayden, ibid. 476/32; therfor
ye are the more beholdyng vnto god than any other man to loue hym
and drede hym, ibid. 640/11; beholden occurs, ibid. 86/11, 89/5.
Cf. Skeat, Notes to Langland, p. 161. Instead of holden [B, A], we
find in [C] the form holdinge.
This represents a common corruption, which appears also in beholding,
as used for beholden by Shakspere and others, see Richard
III., II. i. 129; Julius Cœsar, III. ii. 70; and Abbott, Shakspere
Grammar, 3rd ed., sect. 372.
§ 33. The Past Participle.
The Past Participle exhibits far more irregularities with
regard to voice. Past Participles of transitive verbs used in an active
sense, or at least indifferent as to voice, turn up in all the periods of
the language.
Old English. Ond ic bebiode on godes naman, þæt nán mon þone
æstel from þáere béc ne dó, ne pá bóc from þæm mynstre: uncúþ hú
longe þær swá gelærede biscepas síen, Cura Pastoralis, Preface.
Uncúþ may very likely be an absolute participle = 'it being unknown,'
but I am rather inclined to take it in an active sense = 'not
knowing,' referring to ic. The Middle English use of the word seems
to justify this interpretation:—
His muð is get wel uncuð with pater noster and crede, O. E.
Miscellany, p. 4, 112; of his swike he arn uncuð, ibid. p. 16, 512;
'Here dede is al uncuðWið ðat spekeð here muð.' O. E. Miscellany, p. 19, 594.
Eftsone we þe beð uncuðe þe heuenliche kinge, for þat ure li flode
him swiðe mislikeð, alse he wile noht cnowe bute þat þe him beð
queme (we that do not know the heavenly king . . . he also will
not acknowledge us), O. E. Homilies, II. p. 45. Cf. unwiste.
There is a parallel to this use in Old Norse. Kunnr = Old
English cúð, is used in an active sense:—
Atli sendiár til Gunnarskunnan segg . . . (Attila sent once to Gunther, a knowing, i. e.
clever man), Edda, Atlakviða, 1/3; Geðrówod under ðám pontiscan
Pilate,—Ælfric, Homilies, II. 596/14; hwæt getácnode sé
gebrædda fisc, búton ðone geðrówodan crist? ibid. II. 292/13; and
his bróðer sunu Irtacus, yfele geworht man, féng tó his ríce, ibid. II.
476/17; ond hie þa wurdan hraþe gelyfde Crist him sealde gesihþe,
Blickling Homilies, p. 155/5; gelyfed = believing, also Ælfric,
Homilies, II. 26/32; Lives of Saints, II. 302; and æt nyhstan þæt
folc ða weard swa wið god forworht, þæt he let faran hæþenne here
and forhergjan eall þæt land, Wulfstan, 14/2. Cf. ibid. 155/11;
niniuéte wæron forsyngode swyðe, ac hy dydan, swa heam þearf wæs,
ibid. 170/11.
Middle English. The Old English Homilies exhibit the same
participles as those quoted above:—
And þa welle bi-wisten XII. meister deoflen swilc ha weren
kinges to pinen þer wiðinnen þa earming saulen þe for-gult weren,
O. E. Homilies, p. 41; nu leofe breðre ȝe habbeð iherð hwa erest biwon
reste þam forgulte saule, ibid. p. 45; he demað stiðne dom þam
forsunegede on his efter to-come þet is on domes deie, ibid. 95; on
hwan mei þe mon modegian þen he beo wel iþoȝen and iþungen, for
he mei findan fele þe beoð bet iþoȝen and istoȝen þene he, ibid. 107;
heo setten heore honden ofer ilefde men, and heo underfengen þene
halian gast, ibid. p. 91. Cf. unbilefde men, ibid. II. p. 81, 171, 195;
he scal beon swa iweorht þet him mon mote wið speken and his
neode menan, ibid. II. 111.
There are very numerous instances of participles of compound
verbs, the first part of which is for:—
All folle wass forrgillt,—Ormulum, 25, 26; ȝiff þatt tu forrlanged
arrt, Tu cumen upp till Criste, ibid. 1280; hwet sculen horlinges do,
þe swikere, þe forsworene,—Poema Morale, 103. Cf. Alle he weeron
forsworen and here treothes forloren,—Chronicle, ab anno 1137.
O. E. Homilies, I. 143.
'And it sal ben ðe laste tid,Quan al man-kinde, on werlde wid,Sal ben fro dede to liue brogt,And seli sad fro ðe forwrogt.'(And the righteous separated from the wicked.) Story of Genesis
and Exodus, 266; forswonken,—Cursor Mundi, 2017; forliuen (Cotton,
Göttingen, Trinity), forliued (Fairfax), ibid. 5315; forwalked
= tired out with walking,—Skeat, Notes to Langland, p. 312; forwandred
= tired out with wandering, ibid.
Chaucer, too, has several instances of this use:—
Now hadde Calkas left, in this mischaunce, Alle unwiste of this
fals and wikked dede, His doughter, IV. 111, 112. (Unwiste = not
knowing, ignorant;) þou and god . . . ben known wiþ me þat no
þing brouȝt me to maistrie or dignite; but þe comune studie of al
goodenes, ibid.; Boece, Consolation, 14 (original: 'tu mihi et . . .
deus conscii nullum me ad magistratum nisi commune bonnorum
omnium studium detulisse').'O olde, unholsom, and myslyved man!' ibid. IV. 313 = man of
ill living. Cf. Modern English, long-lived, though that is probably
an adj. in -ed from the compound noun long-life: its i is long.
Caxton's use of the past participle is pretty regular; there are,
however, several instances at variance with modern use. In his reprint
of Chaucer's Boece or Consolation, Caxton alters the 'known'
of the passage quoted above, into knowing:—
(Blanchardyn) was remembred of it allewayes, Blanchardyn, 31/6;
and the prouost aseed hym yf he was counseylled for to fulfylle the
construction of that texte, ibid. 47/12, 178/2; the lady . . . is well
trusted wyth me, ibid. 79/1; wherof he was right sore merueylled,—
ibid. 139/16, 162/7. Cf. I was wondyrde (Harleian MS., I wondered),
Hampole, Prose Treatises, p. 6; ha false and renyed strompet
= renegate, Blanchardyn, 185/31; I meruaylle me moche how
thou, that art prudent and wyse of goodes art so ouerseen and fro
thy self, for to dar expose thy self to so many perillis = mistaken
(Furnivall, Glossary), Curial, 3/13; whan charlemagne sawe hym
seased of mawgys, he called rowlande, Aymon, 365/26. Cf. Huon,
94/8; whan Huon sawe that he was sessyd of his horne (ed. of 1601:
possessed).
Malory is, in this respect as in many others, nearer the Middle
English use:—
They are wery and forfoughten,—Morte Darthur, 87/25, 105/35;
I pray you in no wyse be ye aknowen where I am, ibid. 254/21;
thenne he told the kyng alle that batail, And how sir Palomydes
was more weyker and more hurte and more lost of his blood, ibid.
447/13.
§ 34. The Verbal Noun.
The verbal noun in Caxton, with its functions of noun and verb,
may be traced back to two different sources.
(A.) When used as a noun, it derives from the Old English verbal noun in -ung, -ing. Instances of it are very commonly found even
in modern times. It is only worth noting when it forms part of a
compound:—
Muste I nedes deye thus shamefully, wythoute deffence makynge?
Blanchardyn, 188/31; the barons and knyghtes thenne of a right
gode wyll, wythout answer nor replye makyng, in grete haste . . .
went and armed hem self, ibid. 189/32; in thes wordes talkyng? pres. part. absolute 'they talking.'—F. J. F. togyder,
dyd arryue there foure of their men, ibid. 192/25: Reynawde
toke therof vengeaunce vpon Berthelot by good rayson and that more
is, it was his body deffendynge,—Aymon, 207/29, 566/26; and for that
honour doyng to Sir Tristram he was at that tyme more preysed,
Morte Darthur, 394/19.
These compounds are common in Old and Middle English:—
Sige forgeaf Constantino cyning ælmihtig, dómweorðunga,—Elene,
144; sincweorðung, ibid. 1218; dægweorðung, ibid. 1233; dustsceawung,
Blickling Hom., 113/29; unriht gitsung, ibid. 53/21; bi his
cloðes wrixlunge, O. E. Hom., I. 207; by his side openunge, ibid.;
in his blod swetunge, ibid.; þere is . . . fallyng in blode shedynge,
Piers Plowman (Text C), 12/282; in housing, in haterynge and in
to hiegh clergye shewynge, ibid. 15/76; late usage be ȝowre solace of
seyntes lyues redynge, ibid. 7/87; þorugh 'ibeatus virres' techynge,
ibid. 10/321; þorw bedes byddynge, ibid. 19/373; with herte or
syȝte shewynge, ibid. 13/279; without any money payenge, E. E.
Wills, 107/20 (A.D. 1436).
The more modern phrase 'the house is building'It is a pity that 'is being built,' &c.;, tend to displace this construction. is not met
with in Caxton; he has still a (or in) preceding the verbal noun:—
(He) herde the feste and the noyse that was adoynge in the prouostis
house, Blanchardyn, 67/5; she wyst not what she sholde saye
or thynke therof, whether she was a wakyng or a slepe, ibid. 152/34;
and as the feste was a doynge, there came a messager . . . Aymon,
163/7; he founde the chirche of saynte peter a makynge, ibid. 576/8;
atte the same oure that this Ioye and feste was in making (original:
'se faisoit'), Blanchardyn, 67/1; Morte Darthur, 84/12, 389/7.
(B.) The verbal noun is used as a verb: then it derives from the
present participle.
1. Governed by the preposition in.
We now use in in connection with the verbal noun, where, in
Old English, the simple participle was preferred, e. g. 'ealo drincende
oðer sædon' = others said in drinking ale, Beowulf, 1946. I
suppose that in, imitated from the French, was grafted upon the old
participle, so that it kept its verbal function. Therefore it was not
followed by of, even in the earliest periods of its use:—
And thei seye, that we synne dedly, in schavynge oure Berdes,—
Maundeville, p. 19; he was a dedly Creature, suche as God hadde
formed, and duelled in the Desertes, in purchasynge his Sustynance,
ibid. p. 47; and in bryngynge hire Servyse, thei syngen a Song, ibid.
p. 310.
Caxton very often drops in, as in Blanchardyn, 14/20, 16/8,
18/8, 33/12, etc. But even when it precedes the verbal noun, it is
not followed by of:—
I am come to serue her in kepyng my worship,—Blanchardyn,
76/11; and in tornynge hemself ayen, [they] layde hande on their
swerdes, ibid. 84/27; euery man cam forth to doo his deuoyre, eche
of hem in his rowme in defendynge the place,—ibid. 113/4, 123/17;
Charles the Grete, 26/34, 52/11, 66/34, 85/23, 163/19, etc.
2. There are a few passages in Caxton, which, in my opinion,
throw a most interesting light on the use of the verbal noun, both
in Middle English and in modern times. 'Most humblie beseekynge
my . . . lord to pardon me so presumyng,' Blades, 140; 'take no
displaysir on me so presuming,' ibid. 148. Cf. 165. I see in this
construction a mode of expression which was the only one used in
old times, and which still remains in vulgar English: 'don't mind me
sitting down.'
In Old English, as well as in Latin, Greek, and the old Teutonic
languages, it is not the action or state as an abstract, but the
person or thing acting, which is the subject of perception, feeling,
or thought. 'hac literae recitatae magnum luctum fecerunt' = the
reading of this letter, Livius, 27, 29; 'poena violatae religionis iustam
recusationem non habet' = for the violation of religion,—Cicero, De
Leg., 2, 15.
To this principle are due many of the so-called absolute constructions
in the Old Teutonic dialects. See Grimm, IV. 873, ff.
It appears also in the noun-clauses in Old and Middle English.
Instead of the modern abstract sentence, e. g. 'you see that he's going
away,' the old construction is, 'you see him that he goes away.' So
Old English Hom., I. 17; 'ȝif þu hine iseȝe þet he wulle assottie to
þes deofles.' See below, 'Noun Clauses.' The same principle appears
also in the following instances illustrating the older use:—
Be þe lifigendum (during thy life time), Beówulf, 2666; be þæm
lifigendum, Beda, 2, 5; To-janes þo sunne risindde = at the time of
sunrise, Old English Miscellany, 26.
'Alle waters als þai sall rynneAnd þat sal last fra þe son rysyngTil þe tyme of þe son doungangyng.'Pricke of Conscience, 4777 f.
'After the sunne goyng down.'—Genesis, 28, 11.
In later times this use began to decay, as indeed in every respect
abstraction supplanted intuition, and the verbal noun took the place
of the old present participle. Thus Purvey alters the instance quoted
above to 'aftir the goyng down of the sunne.' Cf. Exod. xxii. 26,
Deuteronomy xi. 30. Perhaps we may see the state of transition in
the following passages of the Ayenbite. The old participle is kept in
its outward form, but the new use, i. e. the verbal noun, throws its
shade on the construction. Thus we have: 'ȝef he zuereþ fals be his
wytinde,' p. 6. 'Be him wytinde' would answer to the Old English
'lifigendum'; 'be his wytinge' would be quite modern (as it really
occurs, see below); the connection of both gives 'be his wytinde.'
Cf. pp. 8, 28, 37, 40, 47, 94, etc. The French has: 'à son (leur)
escient.'
Both the mixed and the modern construction occur on p. 73,
Ayenb.: 'guo into helle ine þine libbinde: þet þou ne guo ine þine
steruinge' (original: 'en ton vivant, en ton morant').
The extremely free use of the verbal noun as an adjective to substantives,
which is characteristic of Elizabethan English ('undeserving
praise,' 'unrecalling crime' in Shakspere) is not met with in Caxton.
Perhaps these are worth noting: 'fallyng sekeness,' Charles the
Grete, 37/28; 'weepyng teerys,' Morte Darthur, 338/9. Cf. Huon,
219/25; Lucrece, 1375; Complaint, 304.
§ 35. The Adverb.
I. Derived from Nouns.
(a) In the Genitive Case.
= of longe = fully, at length. As alonge by the grace
of god it shall be shewed in thistorye of this present book, Blanchardyn,
2/6; (Blanchardyn) entred in to a chambre, hanged wyth
right fayre and riche tapysserye of the destruction of Troye, well and
alonge fygured, ibid. 15/2; his mayster . . . . well and alonge dide
aduertyse the chylde, ibid. 15/22; he dyde reherce unto blanchardyn
al alonge, how the royalme of tourmaday was come to a doughter full
fayre, ibid. 128/29.
= lightly. A man that is well garnysshed is not of
lighte overthrowe, Aymon, 106/6.
= anew.
After . . . began the batayll of a freshe, sore harde and fell,
Aymon, 110/23.
(b) Old Instrumental, now the Accusative case.
= sometimes. It is as requesyte
other whyle to rede in Auncyent hystoryes, Blanchardyn, 1/13.
Syr Sadok . . . gaf
hym a wonder grete falle, Morte Darthur, 532/19; soo they hurtled
togyders wonder sore,—Morte Darthur, 433/15; he merueylled wonder
gretely, ibid. 459/35.
Caxton has wonderfull. Wherof the good lady Margerye was
wounderfull wroth and sory, Aymon, 36/23. Cf. þat feht was wunder
strong,—Layamon, 1744; it fresethe wonder faste,—Maundeville, 11;
singe wondir swetly,—Gesta Romanorum, 334; wondyr hevy,—ibid.
The old instrumental case is contained also in the following
adverbial phrases:—
She rydeth the lytyl paas (orig.: a petit pas), Blanchardyn, 38/22
(Blanchardyn bygan to ryde on a good paas,—ibid. 40/10); accordyng
to my promyse, I haue holpen you the beste that I coude, ibid.
149/25; but the beste that to hym was possyble he dyde recomforte
her, ibid. 172/21; whiche came rennynge all his myght towarde
Subyon, ibid. 201/20.
Perhaps the following phrases are formed after the same principle,
if not in analogy to the cognate accusative:—
Dynadas was ouerthrowen hors and man a grete falle,—Morte
Darthur, 401/22; there was Kyng Arthur wounded in the lyfte syde
a grete wounde and a peryllous, ibid. 412/25; the spere wente in to
his syde a grete wounde and a peryllous, ibid. 442/20.
II. Derived from Adjectives.
Though the final e was scarcely more than a mere 'monumentum
scriptionis,' yet there are very numerous instances of adjectives used
as adverbs by means of (or without) the old -e.
1. Before adjectives.
Ye cam lyke a madde man clene oute of your wytte, Morte Darthur,
599/16.
He lyght ful quykly the shylde alonge the breast and the helmet
wel clos laced, Blanchardyn, 24/16.
Whan the admirall saw her so exceeding fayre he was taken in
loue, Huon, 162/8.
Sire Lamorak was hard byge for hym, Morte Darthur, 358/2.
Thys is a man meruayllous ryche, Charles the Grete, 42/15.
Now be the thre brethern newe horsed, Aymon, 63/29; there
was a chylde newe dede, Charles the Grete, 37/18; but they knewe
hym not for he was newe desguysed, Morthe Darthur, 636/24; when
he sawe that he was new horsed agayne he was ioyfull, Huon, 291/24.
The dukes Beues had slayne Lohier, the sone of the kynge
Charlemayn, wherof the goode lady Margerye was wounderfull wroth
and sory, Aymon, 36/23.
Whan he sawe a knyght with his lady he was wood wrothe,—
Morte Arthur, 407/12; thenne was kynge Marke wode wrothe oute
of mesure, ibid. 470/15, 487/7, 488/19, 610/13, 647/26; (Launcelot)
ranne wylde wod from place to place, ibid. 593/4.
2. Attached to verbs.
They made hym to be wasshed clene,—Blanchardyn, 148/18; all
the estates were set and Iuges armed clene,—Morte Darthur, 491/33;
thenne was sir Palamydes clene forgeten, ibid. 553/25; I counceyle
yow said the kynge to be confessid clene,—ibid. 577/28, 601/8, 611/10,
638/35, 647/9, 672/11; he saw within the shyppe but one man
clene aruyd, Huon, 447/3.
(An hand) helde within the fyst a grete candel whiche brenned
ryght clere,—Morte Darthur, 666/24.
Neuer deth was so sore solde ne so dere boughte as this shall be,
Aymon, 38/26.
Nature had fayre appareylled the gardyne, Blanchardyne, 122/28;
(Reynawd) wente fayr vpon the folke of charlemagne, Aymon,
449/12; soo they did saufly and fayre,—Morte Darthur, 370/17; he
salewed hym not fayre,—ibid. 659/18, 666/35. Cf. Gesta Romanorum,
p. 3, and passim; and fayre endyd his lyfe.
Gerarde of Roussyllon weneth for to fare fowll wyth vs, Aymon,
42/2; thou hast borne the foule this day ageynst me, Charles the
Grete, 69/31; my fader is kyng Bagdemagus that was foule rebuked
at the last turnement, Morte Darthur, 188/8; foule haue ye mocked
me, ibid. 511/31; haue done foule to yow, ibid. 599/35.
She called to her them that were in her chambre to whiche incontynent
she commaunded that they sholde goo, Blanchardyn, 56/16;
he shold late hym haue it in-contynuent,—ibid. 60/4; the maystres dyd
perceyue incontynent by her wordes . . . . ibid. 64/30, 187/1, 194/7,
etc.; than duke Naymes departyd, and incontenent he incounteryd
Charlot, Huon, 32/14; but Huon releuyd hym incontynent,—ibid. 56/24,
etc. Cf. Marlowe, Tamburlain, 52; Spenser, Faërie Queene, I.
vi. 8/5; ibid. II. ix. 1/7; Peele, Alphonsus, 229 a.
Now haste you thi rewarde, for my lorde Lohyers deeth that
thou late slew, Aymon, 56/18; he was but late made knyghte, Morte
Darthur, 471/15; cf. Blades, p. 172. Cf. That likewise late had
lost her dearest love,—Spenser, Faërie Queene, IV. viii. 3/4; ibid. I.
ii. 11/2.
He smote his hors wyth the spore . . . . escryeng as loude as he
myght, Blanchardyn, 170/13.
I am myself nere goon, Aymon, 565/23; the knyghtes name was
called Accolor that after had nere slayne kyng arthur, Morte Darthur,
89/15.
Thou newe made knyght thow hast shamed thy knyghthode,
Morte Darthur, 108/7; there was a fayre medowe that semed newe
mowen, ibid. 228/17; A. M. horses let to be new shode, Huon, 113/10;
let her be bayngned and wesshyde and new arayed, ibid. 536/25.
Cf. And streems of purple blood new die the verdant fields,—Spenser,
Faërie Queene, I. ii. 17.
How nyghe was I lost, Morte Darthur, 654/27.
Sir Palamydes dyd passynge wel and myghtely, Morte Darthur,
557/21 (there is also passyngly,—ibid. 543/13, 544/33). Cf. And all
the wyles of wemens wits (she) knew passing well,—Spenser, Faërie
Queene, III. viii. 8/9.
Kyd, Spanish Tragedy, 107.
I ware yow playne,—Morte Darthur, 621/34. Cf. By which he
saw the ugly Monster playne, Spenser, Faërie Queene, I. i. 14/6.
For they be not vytaylled scars for foure dayes, Charles the Grete,
122/3. Cf. Scarce them bad arise,—Spenser, Faërie Queene, I. iv.
14/14, 22/8.
He salued hym full softe,—Aymon, 33/27.
Soo stronge he spored his horse, that he wente ayenste Reynawde,
Aymon, 86/23.
The common adverb of negation is not used as in Modern
English.
(preceding the verb) occurs but quite exceptionally:
in Blanchardyn only nys = ne is:—
There nys no tonge humayn that coude to yow recounte ne saye
the grete sorow, Blanchardyn, 19/22; ther nys so grete sorowe, but
that it may be forgoten at the laste, ibid. 133/4; ther nys no tonge
of no creature mortall, that vnto you coude telle . . . the grete
Ioye, ibid. 148/2; there nys noo man so oolde but he sholde soone
gete hete there, Aymon, 452/12.
Here and there ne turns up also before other verbs:—
Charlemagn ne shall see the beste torne of the worlde, Aymon,
168/18; I ne entende but onely to reduce thauncyent ryme in to
prose. Charles the Grete, 39/6; he ne preysett kyng ne crle, ibid.
42/17; ne doubte ye not for I shal rendre you anone al hole, ibid.
95/11.
I holde nother castelle ne fortresse of hym, Aymon, 25/22.
Double negatives are very common: —
He neuere had borne noon armes, nor herde speke therof, Blanchardyn,
13/24; nor also had not seen the manere and thusage of
Ioustynge, ibid. 14/1; (Blanchardyn) neuere had taken theratte noo
hede, ibid. 15/2, etc. etc. There is an instance of four negatives in
one and the same sentence. For neuer daye nor owre the childe
Blanchardyn toke noo fode of none others brestis, ibid. 13/3.
§ 36. Prepositions.
= in or on.
(He) herde the feste and the noyse that was adoynge in the prouostis
house, Blanchardyn, 67/5. For other instances of this kind,
see Gerund. The prouoste descended a lande (= on land), Blanchardyn,
198/30, 199/25; Aymon, 145/30, 525/7, 529/4. They lepte
a horsbak (= on horsbak), ibid. 180/27, 183/16; Aymon, 26/28;
the kynge ascryed hym self a hyghe (= on high), ibid. 20/12; he
descended from his hors a foote, Aymon, 35/10, 186/5, 232/29,
490/20; they wende that the cyte had be sette a fyre (= on fire),
ibid. 511/30, 583/9; he thus founde hymselfe a grounde (on
grounde), ibid. 45/1, 232/10, 564/14.
is often = of.
(He) cut his helmet and the coyffe of stele in suche manere awyse
(= of wyse) that the goode swerde entred in to the brayne, Blanchardyn,
28/20. Cf. above, Genitive.
= upon, towards.
Hym happend ageynst a nyghte to come to a fayr courtelage,
Morte Darthur, 200/3; (Launcelot) ageynst nygyt rode vnto that
castel, ibid. 574/6.
= to.
He myght not brynge his entrepryse at an ende, Blanchardyn,
41/14; the bloode ran vp at her face, ibid. 64/16, 84/36, 176/26,
177/7, 177/21, 188/1. (He) wente wyth all hys oost at Mountlyon,
Aymon, 69/14, 66/27, 79/21, 349/5, 408/1, 430/9, 496/8.
= on.
Reynawde toke the kynge and drewe hym a lityll atte oo side,
Aymon, 146/7, 453/7.
= from, out of.
(He) laughe at them by grete love, Aymon, 230/25, 298/3,
303/30.
= in.
(He) smote a knyghte by suche a wyse, that he putte his spere
thorughe the body of hym, Aymon, 42/15, 61/24, 304/5, 453/1.
= on.
They dyd soo moche by their iourneys that they cam to saynt
Iames, Aymon, 156/19, 235/20, 239/32.
= with.
(He) smote a knyghte by suche a strengthe that he ouerthrewe
hym, Aymon, 43/12.
is used alternately with of and with in passive constructions;
but of prevails. Cf. Blanchardyn, 1/15, 2/12, 11/11, 18/10, 19/3,
42/13, 66/8, 97/35, 98/27, 101/27, 109/32, 113/34; by, 1/26, 124/16,
169/21; with, 91/19, 124/14; Aymon, 52/34, 53/1.
= in spite of, is rare in Caxton, but occurs several times in
Malory:—
This child wylle not laboure for me for ony thyng that my wyf
or I may do, Morte Darthur, 102/22; I wyll accomplysshe my
message for al your ferdful wordes, ibid. 167/31, etc. This use is
very common in Elizabethan writers. Marlowe, Massacre, 2114;
Spenser, Faërie Queene, 1, 3, 24/5; Peele, Old Wives' Tale, 453, b;
Kyd, Spanish Tragedy, 17; Shakspere; see Schmidt, s. v.
= from.
After she asked whi they were departed forMisprint for fro. the kynges courte,
Aymon, 36/19.
= into, is still very frequent.
Yf he may come in her handes or in her power, noon shal mowe
saue hym, Blanchardyn, 43/14; the prouost came ayen in the sayd
place, ibid. 81/16, 96/29, 105/5, 109/14, 109/24, 116/24, etc.;
Aymon, 63/1, 159/20, 210/20; Morte Darthur, 252/13.
Here and there also in the 16th century:—
By rise of virtue, vice shall grow in hate, Gorboduc, 180; how
canst thow in this condition; Bunyan, Pilgrim's Progress, p. 35.
= on, is rare.
That … in the crosse suffred deth and rassyon, Aymon, 24/20;
ye ascended in to heuen and lefte for your liyeutenant saynt Peter
thappostle in erthe, Charles the Grete, 71/27; Marlowe, Tamburlaine,
760.
'I think the pleasure they enjoy in heavenCannot compare with kingly joys in earth.'Cf. Lord's Prayer: Thy will be done in earth. And in the honour of
a kyng he sweares,—Marlowe, Edward II., 1216. He is in England's
ground, ibid. 1705; Shakspere, Venus, 118; Midsummer Night's
Dream, II. i. 185; Troilus, V. ii. 169.
= in spite of.
(They) ledde the lady by force to castel forde, maulgre Subyon,
Blanchardyn, 8/25, 9/1, 179/24, 180/29, 180/34, 189/9; Aymon,
86/14, 229/1; very often in Malory, and still in Shakspere.
Maugre occurs also as a substantive:—
They myghte no lenger endure the grete magre that Reynawde
bare to theym (original: 'dommaige'), Aymon, 86/16; I haue herd
moche of your maugre ageynst me, Morte Darthur, 405/28. So twice
in Spenser:—
'Ne deeme thy force by fortunes doome unjust,That hath (maugre? by the ill will of.—F. her spight) thus low me laid in dust.'Faërie Queene, II. v. 12/9; III. iv. 39/8.(= a curse upon? Morris, Glossary to Spenser's Works, Globe
edition).
differs in its functions from the modern use in several essential
points.
1. It denotes reference, as to:—
Pardoune me of the rude and comyn englyshe, Blanchardyn, 2/9;
the childe grewe and amended sore of the grete beaulte, ibid. 13/6;
of the tables and ches playinge and of gracyous and honeste talkynge,
he passed them that were his elder in age, ibid. 13/19, 20;
demaundynge of the bataylles of Troye (= about), ibid. 14/13; the
same, 15/8; wel shapen of alle membres, ibid. 37/21; sore troubled
of wyttis, ibid. 45/8, 48/31, 65/21, 97/10, 99/14, 145/30, etc.;
Aymon, 54/25, 64/5, 290/32, etc.
2. It denotes cause, in consequence of:—
(They) iudged hem self right happy of a successoure legytyme,
Blanchardyne, 12/17; sory of, ibid. 21/4; euyl apayde of (original:
maltalentif), ibid. 28/13; of a custume (= in consequence, according),
ibid. 112/32, 130/8; he ought of rayson to be well rewarded,
ibid. 126/6, 133/10.
3. Of = by in passive constructions. See by.
4. It seems to be mistaken for on, upon:—
(Kyng Charles) beyng in his dormytorye, trustyng of the syde of
our lord in grete deuocyon began to say the psaulter, Charles the
Grete, 33/32.
This mistake, probably brought about by a being equivalent to of
and on, is common in the 16th century:—
They began to slee alle suche as wolde not beleue of Ihesu Cryst
(ed. of 1601 on), Huon, 152/24; the same, ibid. 417/30, 462/12,
464/28; I wyll send thee of my errand, Sir Clyomon and Sir
Clamydes, 494 a; my master riding behind my mistress; both of
one horse, Taming Shrew, IV. i. 71; as when thou shouldst be
prancing of thy steed, Greene, Alphonsus, 235 b.
mistaken for of:—
On hym is no care, Aymon, 62/27; she began to thynke on that
poure man, Charles the Grete, 13/33. Probably also the phrase: on
lyue = alyue, Aymon, 64/18. See Genitive: he seith not ryght on
me, Morte Darthur, 138/25—16th century:—
'I tell you true, my heart is swoln with wrathOn this same thievish villain Tamburlaine.'Marlowe, Tamburlaine, 520.
'And tyme may yield us an occasionWhich on the sudden cannot serve the turn.'Marlowe, Jew of Malta, 473, 1078, 2338, 4690.
The middle on's face, Lear, IV. v. 20; my profit on't, Tempest,
I. ii. 365, 456; I'm glad on 't, Jul. Cœs., I. iii. 137.
= of:—
Kynge alymodes knyghtes had grete enuye ouer hym, Blanchardyn,
65/22; right enamored they were ouer hym, ibid. 66/25; to
thende he myght be auenged ouer hym, ibid. 86/30; Blanchardyn,
that grete slawghter dyde make ouer his men, ibid. 107/27.
= up to, equal to:—
Suche a worship apparteyneth not to be doon to me, for I am
not to the value therof, Blanchardyn, 109/20.
= before:—(He) presented hym selfe to-fore the kynge, Aymon, 186/24.
It is a remarkable custom in Caxton and other writers of the
15th century to use, for variety's sake, two different prepositions for
the same purpose:—
O thou free knyght, replenysshed wyth prowesse and of grete
wordynesse, Blanchardyn, 49/15; she cam and brought wyth her a
fayre whyte coueryng of damaske clothe, wherof she made the hors
of blanchardyn to be couered wyth,—ibid. 61/7, 8; loue serued her
wyth a messe sharp and sowre ynoughe tyl her tast that is to wyte of a
louely care, ibid. 67/17, 18; (Blanchardyn) cam ridyng through the
toun accompaned wyth the prouoste and of many other knyghtes,ibid. 83/23; the knyght of whom my sayde lady is so sore enamoured
vpon, hath to his name blanchardyn, ibid. 130/17; Sadoyne
sawe their shyppes redy and well stored wyth vytaylles and of other
thynges, ibid. 150/28; they all were eten wyth bores and of lions,
Aymon, 52/34, 53/1; Charlemayne apoynted not wyth the foure
sones of Aymon, nor to Mawgys, ibid. 58/24, 25; I shall shew you
whether I can do any thyng wyth the spere and of the swerde, ibid.
83/28; I am not a chyld wherof men oughte to mocke wyth, ibid.
360/12. (He) toke it and robbed wythall the nose, the mouth, and
the eyen of rowlande, and in like wyse to all thother xii peres of
fraunce, ibid. 371/21, 22; wysdom desyreth you to be hys wyf, and
for to be quene, Charles the Grete, 14/8,9; it is the same of whyche
your god was enbawmed wyth,—ibid. 56/29, 30; O fayre Quene of
Orkeney, Kynge Lot's wyf and moder of sir Gawayne and to sire
Gaheris, and modir to many other, for thy loue I am in grete paynes,
Morte Darthur, 425/12; and the begynnynge of the kynges letters
spak wonderly short vnto Kynge Arthur, and badde hym entermate
with hym self and with his wyf and of his knyghtes, ibid. 456/32, 33;
thenne by his aduys and of sire Sadoks he lete stuffe alle the townes
and castels, ibid. 495/19.
§ 37. Conjunctions.
used redundantly (compared with the Old English and the
present use), turns up pretty often in Caxton, as in other writers of
the 15th century, and is not unfrequent in Elizabethan times:—
And the thyrd tyme with a full grete herte she revyled hym,
and sayyng to hym that he was lyke an hounde, Trivet, p. 233; yf
thow wolt telle me, and I shalle gete the on fallyng to thin estate,
Gesta Romanorum, p. 173; the vertu of the broche is this, that who
so euere ber hit vpon his brest late him thinke what he wolle, and
he shalle mete þerwith at his likinge, ibid. p. 181; forsothe, sir,
quod he, and I shall tell you, ibid. 202; sir, quoþ he, and I shall tell
you not, ibid. 322; whiche boke I late receyued in frenshe . . . for to
reduce and translate it in to our maternal and englysh tonge, Blanchardyn,
1/9; by my feyth, sayd Reynawde, and we shall-deffende ourselfe
also to our power, Aymon, 235/11; O, brother Reynawd, and
what doo you here, ibid. 244/26; cosin Reynawd, sayd Ogyer, and we
shall kepe vs fro you, ibid. 263/11; alas, and that I dyde grete harme,
ibid. 283/4; for the more that ye praye him, and the worse shall he
doo, ibid. 330/27; syre, sayd Richarde, and ye shall see me anone,
ibid. 343/22; sir, sayd mawgis, and I yelde me to you, ibid. 357/5; I
praye you lete hym come here and that he awake myn vncle Charlemagne
oute of his slepe, ibid. 405/12; whan he herde the duke
naymes speke so, and it moved his blade full sore, ibid. 419/6; I
neuer put man to the erthe and thys hors present, Charles the Grete,
70/10; I requyre the that it may playse the to take the payne for to
rescowe and socoure my loue guye, and ellis I am a loste woman,
ibid. 135/3; alle the barons cam thyder and to assay to take the
swerd, Morte Darthur, 42/35: syre knyght, sayd the other, whoos
name was Hontzlake of wentland, and this lady I gat by my
prowesse of armes this day, ibid. 114/23; wylle ye, sayd syre
Gawayne, promyse me to doo alle that ye maye . . . to gete me
the loue of my lady. Ye syre, sayd she, and that I promyse you,
ibid. 150/11; whanne Elyzabeth, Kyng Melyodas, myst her lord,
and she was nyghe out of her wytte, ibid. 273/27; a mercy my lord,
sayd she, and I shalle telle you alle, ibid. 275/33; wel, said the
Kyng Melyodas, and therfor shal ye haue the lawe, ibid. 275/35;
but their horses he wold not suffre his squyers to medle with, and by
cause they were knyghtes erraunt, ibid. 442/29; telle me, said palomydes,
and in what manere was youre lord slayne, ibid. 518/31; and
therfore ye may be sory, said sire Tristram, of your vnkyndely dedes
to so noble a kynge. And a thynge that is done may not be vndone,
sayd Palomydes, ibid. 542/29; sir knyghte, said she, and ye wille
ensure me by the feyth that ye owe vnto knyghthode that ye shalle
doo my wylle . . . and I shalle brynge yow vnto that knyght, ibid.
652/12; syr and I wille doo hit, sayd sir launcelot, ibid. 658/9;
thenne had the kynge grete joye, and dressyng hym to sytte up, and
toke the swerde by the pomel, Melusine, 153/16; and þenne gaf hym
the swerd ayen, and thus makyng his wounde opend, and out of it
ranne blood, ibid. 153/22; by my feyth, said thenne Anthony, and
I accorde therunto, ibid. 217/10; sens he was aduertesyd, that with
kepyng his tonge fro spekynge he myght abrege hys iorney, and
he sayde that surely he wolde that way, Huon, 64/24 (ed. of 1601
omits and); syr, quod themperour, and he shal derely abye it, ibid.
305/27.
Gorboduc. 'Loe, this is all; now tell me your aduise.Arostus. And this is much, and asketh great aduise.' Gorboduc, 146;
'Warre would he haue? and he shall haue it so.' ibid. 680;
Barabas. 'Haply (the Turks) come for neither, but to pass alongTowards Venice by the Adriatic sea;With whom they have attempted many times,But never could effect their stratagem.Jew. And very wisely said. It may be so.'Marlowe, Jew of Malta, 205;
'Is she so fair?And matchless beautiful.'ibid. 617.
'O earth-mettled villains, and no Hebrews born!And will you basely thus submit yourselvesTo leave your goods to their arbitrament?'ibid. 310;
'Well, yet the old proverbe to disprove I purpose to begin,Which always saith that cowardly hearts fair ladies never win:Shall I not Julia win, and who hath a cowardlier heart?'Sir Clyamon and Sir Clamydes, 507, a;
Kendal. 'Thou, how art thou a gentleman?Jenkin. And such is my master.' Greene, George-a-Greene, 259, a;
Hamlet. 'Will the king hear this piece of work?Pol. And the queen too.'Hamlet, III. ii. 53;
Cass. 'This rudeness is a sauce to his good wit.Brut. And so it is.'Julius Cœsar, I. ii. 307.
= as:—
Also nighe as I can, Blades, 132.
= as if, is very common:—
Lepyng alwaye here and there, as hors and man had fowgthen in
thayer, Blanchardyn, 42/7; her gowne that she had on was therof
changed as grete shoure of rayne had come doune from the heuens,
ibid. 43/17; after thys fortune I haue ben syn, as force compellyd
me therto, seruaunt vnto a kynge sarasyn, as I had ben one of theym,
ibid. 133/31; he smote vpon his enmyes as it had be the thonder,
ibid. 169/2; he hewe the sarasins as they had ben wythoute harneys,
Aymon, 137/20; (he) kept hymself styll like as he had ben deed,
ibid. 179/11.
Still frequent in Elizabethan authors:—
'And lickt her lilly hands with fawning tong,As he her wronged innocence did weet.'Spenser, Faërie Queene, I. iii. 6/3. Cf. ibid. I. v. 20/9; III. i. 6/5;
'I hope our credit in the custom houseWill serve as well, as I were present there.'Marlowe, Jew of Malta, 94. For Shakspere, see Schmidt, s. v.
As is used redundantly before other conjunctions and adverbs in
Malory:—
I wist it were soth that ye say I shold do suche peryllous dede as
that I wold slee my self to make the a lyar, Morte Darthur, 84/38;
awaite vpon me as to morn secretely, ibid. 287/22; I wille be-redy as
to morne, ibid. 311/4; for as that same day this lady of the lake
knewe wel that kynge arthur shold be slayne, ibid. 361/25; he
charged the lady of the lake not to discouer his name as at that
tyme, ibid. 362/22; nay, said sire Palomydes, as att this tyme I
wille not Iuste with that knyght, ibid. 382/23; for as to morne the
grete turnement shalle be, ibid. 383/23; that shalle ye not wete as
at this tyme, ibid. 408/22; ye shalle not wete as at this time, ibid.
412/10.
= as well, also occurs in Morte Darthur, not
only in order to connect two, but more persons and things:—
I am sore hurte and he bothe,—ibid. 134/10; he smote syr
galahantyne on the helme that his nose braste out on blood, and
cerys and mouthe bothe,—ibid. 192/5; for my hors and I ben fresshe
bothe,—ibid. 323/20; now I wil say vnto you and to hym both,—
ibid. 349/3; fals treason hast thou wrouȝt and he both,—ibid. 403/31.
= also:—
eke harneys, Blanchardyn, 60/21; I shall delyuere you hors, and
wherof his son and eke Blanchardyn came, ibid. 126/13.
= nor, see 'Adverbs,' p. lxxvii.
= nor—either:—
For not a peny he wolde take of it, nor his brethern also,—
Aymon, 145/7.
= if:—
Yf nedes I shal dey, I were of it all well content, soo that it
were in the absence of her, Blanchardyn, 188/23; I shall now quyte
you and relesse vnto you all the servyse that ye owe me, to you and
to your eyres for evermore, soo that ye will take Richard, the sone of
Aymon, and see that he be hanged, Aymon, 324/7; I will not take
your yeldyng vnto me, But so that ye wylle yelde you vnto syr Kay
the Seneschal, Morte Darthur, 200/32; I wille ryde with you so
that ye wille not rebuke this knyght, ibid. 348/32.
This use is also frequent in Elizabethan authors:—
'So now the mighty emperor hears of you,Your highness needs not doubt but in short timeHe will . . . redeem you from this deadly servitude.'Marlowe, Tamburlaine, 1011; ibid. 3839; Faustus, 1364;
Jew of Malta, 189; ibid. 190.
= then = when (Old English ðonne):—
Thenne Brastias saw his felawe ferd so with al, he smote the
duke with a spere that hors and man fell doune, Morte Darthur,
54/2, than Syre Tor was redy he mounted vpon his horsbak and
rode after the knyght, ibid. 109/20; thenne the duke sawe he
myghte not escape the deth, he cryed to his sones and charged them
to yelde them, ibid. 155/4; and thenne Beaumayns sawe hym soo
well horsed and armed, thenne he alyghte doune and armed hym,
ibid. 222/26.
= than that, than if:—
For I had leuer that ye were confused and dysmembred than I
shold take armes or hors for to Iuste lyke as ye say, Charles the
Grete, 43/17; and yf thou haue broughte Arthurs wyf, damd
Gweneuer, he shall be gladder than thow haddest guyen to him half
fraunce, Morte Darthur, 167/24; now am I better pleasyd, saye
Pryamus, than thou haddest gyuen to me all the prouynce and
parys the ryche, ibid. 178/2; I had leuer to haue ben torn with
wylde horses than ony varlet had wonne such loos, ibid. 178/4.
like the Greek, is often used to introduce a direct speech
(oratio recta), so that it is equal in value to the modern colon:—
He sayd full angerly to the styward, that 'to an euyll owre hath
your lady ben so madde as to mary her self to a ladde, a straunger,'
Blanchardyn, 184/9; (Merlyn) late wryte balyns name on the tombe
with letters of gold, that here lyeth balyn le Saueage, Morte Darthur,
98/35; [how in the same function occurs, ibid. 84/7; (the kynge)
wrote the names of them bothe on the tombe, How here lyeth
launceor the kynges sone of Irlond, that at his owne requeste was
slayne by the handes of balyn.]
That often replaces other conjunctions in compound clauses,
especially when; this is a literal translation of the French 'que' in
the same function:—
When they of the cyte had seen the manere and the rewle of
their enmyes, and that all wyth leyser they had seen their puyssance
and their manere of doynge, The Captayne and the prouoste of the
towne dyde ordeyne a stronge and a bygge worde, Blanchardyn,
58/17; when he knewe and that he was aduertysed by his sone . . .
he was al ynough content, ibid. 126/10; and whan she sawe that by
no manere of meanes she myght not tourne ne chaunge the corage of
her cruel fader, And that she herde hym saye blame of her god . . .
she by grete wrath sayd, ibid. 186/9; and whan the nyght was
passed, and that reynawd was vp he went here and there, Aymon,
434/23; and whan the tables were take vp and that everi man had
eten at his ease, they wente to their warde, ibid. 463/27; and whan
the morowe came and that mawgys had his newe sloppe and his
hode he toke his palster, ibid. 467/9.—And after that the worke was
ended, and that all their enmyes were taken or slayn, they brought
hym and entred wythin the cyte, Blanchardyn, 195/26; after that
Sadoyne was crowned to be kynge, and that he had archyeued and
made all his ordonnaunces . . . Blanchardyn, his felawe, dysposed
him self for to retourne ayen toward Tormaday, ibid. 196/22.—So
began he to be ful of thoughte and all annoyed of hym self by cause
he was not armed tyl his plesure, and that he myght not yssue out,
ibid. 59/30; they sholde make theim gode chere of suche goodes as
god had lent hem: by cause they semed to be knyghtes, and that it
was sore late to ryde eny ferther, and that noo housyng nor no
retrayt was nyghe, ibid. 204/27, 28; thother laborers had so grete
enoy by cause he dide better his devour than thei, and that he was
better loved than thei, Aymon, 575/16.
That is used tautologically:—
None can telle it you, bycause that it (the beaulte) was so grete,
that god and nature had nothyng forgoten there, Blanchardyn, 13/7;
it is bycause that he is a straunger, ibid. 91/20; I shall now quyte
you and relesse vnto you all the servyse that ye owe me . . . for
evermore, soo that ye wyll take Richard . . . and see that he be
hanged, Aymon, 324/7; ye knowe how longe that he hath dammaged
vs, ibid. 402/14; me thynketh that we oughte to avenge vs vpon
hym, sith that we have hym, ibid. 402/16; ye wote well that I left
him by cause that peas shold be made, ibid. 407/26; I am wel
admeruaylled fro whens that cometh to the suche presumpcion
Charles the Grete, 53/13; for it is longe sythe that they haue ony
thynge holpen vs, ibid. 140/30.
II. SYNTAX OF THE SENTENCE.
§ 38. Concord.
The first rule of every syntax, namely, that a finite verb agrees
with its subject in number, is very often sinned against in the early
periods of the English language.
(A.) The slightest violation of grammar is the construction of
collective nouns with predicates in the plural. Of
this concession made by grammar to logic, there are instances from
Old English down to our own day:—
þæt fole sæt . . . and aríson, Exodus, xxxii. 6; se
here swór þæt hie woldon, Chronicle, 921; þin ofspring sceal âgan
heóra feónda gata, Genesis, xxii. 17. (March, Comparative Gram.,
ò 402.)
þat israelisshe folc was walkende toward ierusalem
on swinche, and on drede, and on wanrede, and þo wile was
hersum godes hese. Ac efter þan þe hie weren wuniende in ierusalem
. . . þo hie forleten godes lore, O. E. Homilies, II. 51. ðis wird
of engeles metten him, Story of Genesis and Exodus, 1790.
'And euerile on ðat helden wið him,ðo wurðen mirc, and swart, and dim.'—ibid. 285.
'And als ilkan for sere resunCom for to mak þair orisun.'—Cursor Mundi, 10,222.
'That all the folk schuln laughen in this place.'—Chaucer, II. 231.
'And saugh wel that hire folk weren al aweye.'—ibid. IV. 201.
'The remenaunt were anhanged, more and lesse.'—ibid. III. 84.
This use is rare in Caxton. 'People, folk,' are followed by a
singular verb, e. g. Aymon, 38/12, 100/19; the plural is an exception,
e. g. Aymon, 70/26: 'what are this folke?'
(B.) Plural nouns, or several nouns joined together by a copulative
conjunction, take a singular predicate. This striking irregularity
crops up very early, and is very frequent in the 15th century,
and in the time of Shakspere:—
Moren and wilde (h)uni was his mete,O. E. Homilies, II. 139;
'In firme begining, of nogtWas heuene and erðe samen wrogt.'—Story of Gen. and Exod., 40;
'For was sundri speches risen.'—ibid. 668;
'ðor was laid adam and eua.'—ibid. 817;
'Alle his wundres þat he doþ, is þurch þene vend.'—The Passion of
Our Lord, l. 60 (Old English Miscellany, 39).
'Alle his wundres þat he doþ, is þurch þene quede.'—ibid. l. 250.
(he) steaȝ into heuene þet is aboue alle ssepþe þet ys ine heuene,
Ayenbite, p. 11; þe neȝende article and þe þri laste belongeþ to þe
holi gost and is þellich, p. 13.
Siþen þe sege and þe assaut watz sesed at Troye, Sir Gawayne,
l. 1; out tak the forsayd matyns bokys that is bequethe to Thomas
my sone, 5/14; Early English Wills, 5/14;—the hole goodis that is
my owne, 92/12; Þis es the dettis þat es [h]owynge to me, 39/34
(Essex, ab. 1417); the 80 mark þe whiche is in Thomas Harwodes
hand, 44/12; forto dispende the goudis that es therin, 71/2; On the
finger was wretyn wordis: 'percate hic,' Gesta Romanorum, p. 7.
Cf. Zupitza, note to Guy of Warwick, l. 298.
CAXTON. The kyng Alymodes and alle his oost was right sore
affrayed, Blanchardyn, 119/29; here is xx li of money, Aymon,
332/7; here is grete merveylles, ibid. 444/31; Such II. brethren as
is kyng Ban and kyng bors, Morte Darthur, 57/38; there ben but
fewe now lyuynge that is so myghty as he is, ibid. 241/22; he
arryued up in Irland euen fast by a castel where the kynge and the
quene was,—ibid. 285/9; there was slain that morowe tyde x M good
mennys bodyes, ibid. 53/12.
There are many instances of this freedom in the literature of the
16th century:—
There is more nobler portes in England, Andrew Boorde, p. 120;
there is at Bath certain waters, ibid.; the olde noble the Aungels and
the halfe aungels, is fine golde, p. 121; in Cornwall is two speches,
p. 123; in Wales is used these two stalticious matters, p. 127; yet
in Ireland is stupendous thinges, p. 133; XVIII Scotish pens is
worthe an Englysshe grote, p. 137; the mountains is very baryn,
p. 160; the greater is the flods, p. 161; there is many great
mountains, p. 165. Cf. 171, 172, 185, 191, 195, 208, 245.
There was many Dukes, Erles, and barons, Huon, I. 2/22 (ed. of
1601: were assembled); there was lenynge in wyndowes ladys and
damesels, ibid. 38/28 (ed. 1601: were); there was present in the feld
lordes and knyghtes, 43/4. Cf. 90/19, 115/19, 126/30, 156/6, 157/9,
167/3, 210/24, 313/25, 325/25, 371/13, 388/29, 390/6, 394/21, 413/15,
414/23, 422/11, 423/4, 471/22, 472/19, 473/31, 555/23, 29, 589/24,
605/28.
'What shooting is, how many kindes there is of it—is tolde.'—Ascham, Toxoph. 31.
'Both the mastur and rular of the sterne ys wyse and experte.'—Starkey, England, etc., p. 57, l. 1071.
'See, Diccon, 't was not so well washed this seven year, as ich neeen.'—Gammer Gurton, 193.
'There is five trumps besides the queen.'—ibid. 199.
'What needs these plaints?'—Mucedorus, 232.
'What needs these words?'—ibid. 232.
'Here is four angels for you.'—Greene, Looking-Glass, 125, a.
'Here is twenty angels.'—ibid.
'Each others equall puissaunce envies,And throug their iron sides with cruell spiesDoes seke to perce.'—Spenser, Faërie Queene, I. ii. 17, 4/6.
'He had yet lived, whose twelve labours displaysHis endless fame, and yet his honour spreads.'—Tancred, I. iii.
'Here's your thirty shillings.''Our neighbours, that were woont to quakeAnd tremble at the Persean Monarkes name,Now sits and laughs our regiment to skorne.'—Marlowe, Tamburlaine, 115.
'...... about their necksHangs massic chaines of golde . . .'—ibid. 314.
'Whose fiery cyrcles beare encompassedA heaven of heavenly bodies in their SphearesThat guides his steps and actions to the throne.'—ibid. 464.
'Was there such brethren, sweet Meander. say?'—ibid. 567.
'What saies my other friends?'—ibid. 768.
'Upon his browes was pourtraid vgly death,And in his eies the furie of his hart,That shine as Comets, menacing reueng,And casts a pale complexion on his cheeks.'—ibid. 1054/55.
'for Wil and Shall best fitteth Tamburlain,Whose smiling stars giues him assured hope.'—ibid. 1136.
'What is beauty, saith my sufferings, then?'—ibid. 1941.
'Now shame and duty, loue and feare presentsA thousand sorrowes to my martyred soule.'—ibid. 2166.
'My lord, such speeches to our princely sonnesDismaies their mindes before they come to prooueThe wounding troubles angry war affoords.'—ibid. 2646.
'from Trebizon in Asia the lesseNaturalized Turks and stout BythiniansCame to my hands full fifty thousand more,That, fighting, knowes not what retreat doth meane.'—ibid. 3538.
'See now, ye slaues, my children stoops your prideAnd leads your glories sheep-like to the sword!'—ibid. 3748/49.
'Distrest Olympia, whose weeping eiesSince thy arriuall here beheld no Sun,But closde within the compasse of a tent,Hath stain'd thy cheekes, and made thee look like death.'—ibid. 3883.
'The Humidum and Calor, which some holdeIs not a parcell of the Elements.'—ibid. 4477.
'Sometimes like women, so unwedded maides,Shadowing more beautie in their ayrie brows,Then has the white breasts of the queene of Loue.'—Marlowe, Faustus, ed. Breymann, 149 (B).
For Shakspere, see Abbott, § 335.
The instances with -s, and -th, however, may be also explained
as remnants of Northern and Southern endings.
§ 39. Co-ordination instead of Subordination.
It is a well-known characteristic feature of poetical style to use
sentences as co-ordinate ones, which, logically, stand in the relation
of subordination. But Caxton's prose also exhibits several striking
instances of this use. Two principal sentences are asyndetically
joined together, where we should expect a principal sentence and a
subordinate clause:—
Whan he see Blanchardyn, that all prest was to furnyshe hys
enterpryse, gaffe to hymselfe grete meruaylle, and praised hym but
litell, he asked hym of whens he was. Blanchardyn answerd, that for
no drede nor fere that he had of hym he shuld kepe his name from
hym, Blanchardyn, 84/3; whan the sarrasyns saw the kynge of the
gyauntes dede they were sore frayed and gretly abashed, for in hym
was alle their hope. they fled toward their tentes as faste as they
myght. Blanchardyn and they of Tormaday pursued them, ibid.
87/14, 15; Sadoyne behelde the pucell beatryx that so gentyl was
and so odly fayr, he enbraced and kyssed her, sayeng, ibid. 143/21.
Cf. 33/2, 39/16, 141/25, 168/24.
In the prose of the sixteenth century I noticed this use only in
Berners:—
So he went to hys lodgyng sorowfull and in grete dyspleasure,
and than he imagyned and studyed on the mater, and howe to
brynge about his interpryse; than he departed fro hys lodgyng, and
went to Charlot the kynges sone, with whome he was ryght pryuey;
he founde hym syttyng on a ryche couche with a yonge knyght,
Huon, 13/3—9; thus they 2 bretherne departyd and kyssyd theyr
mother, sore wepynge. Thus they toke theyr horses and theyr
companys, ibid. 14/3, 4; Charlot came agaynst the 2 brethern; the
Abbot of Cluny saw Charlot commynge al armyde, ibid. 19/13, 14;
as they lokyd in to the see they spyed a shyppe charged with xxx
paynemes, and grete ryches; then Gerames saw how the shipp was
commynge to that porte, then he sayd to his company, syrs, lett vs
go, ibid. 129/11, 12. (But, perhaps in this case then—then answers
to Old English ðonne—ðonne = when, then.) Cf. 134/20, 149/6—9,
152/16, 185/3, 4, 203/1, 273/8, 297/4, 313/25, 381/24, 388/2.
§ 40. Noun Clauses.
(A.) The Subject Clause, which, in Modern English, is introduced
by that, turns up very frequently in the shape of an Accusative in
connection with an Infinitive. 'It is better a man wysely to be
stille, than folysshly to speke,' Charles the Grete, 93/5. See § 30.
(B.) Much more interesting is the difference in the construction
of the Object Clause. Compare the following two sentences: 'And
God saw the light that it was good' (Genesis, i. 4); 'You see that I
am composed' (Dickens, Dombey and Son, iii. 9).
Logically speaking, the two constructions are equivalent; but
psychologically, how different is the idea which they represent! In
the first case the sentence expresses an abstract result; in the second,
the verb see has a concrete object, in which a certain attribute is
perceived.
The former way of expression is the older as well as the more
intuitive, and it crops up very often in Early English, though the
more modern one seems to have crept in at a very early period:—
Ic þœt gehre, þœt þis is hold wëorod, Beowulf, 290;
We þœt gehrdon þurh hálige héc, þæt éow dryhten geaf dóm unscyndne,
Elene, 364. Cf. 853.
Gif þu hine iseȝe þet he wulle asottie to þes
deofles hond send to his werkes. þet þu hine lettest, Old English
Homilies, I. 17; he scal soðfeste men setten him to irefen. and for
godes eie libban his lif rightliche and beon on erfeðnesse anred and
edmod on stilnesse. and his ofspringe ne iþauie þet hi beon unrightwise
(and shall not suffer his offspring to be unrighteous), ibid.
I. 115;
'ful wel þu me iseie þauh þu stille were.Hwar ich was and hwat i dude þauh þu me uorbere.'—On God Ureisun of ure Lefdi, 105/106;
'He wayned me vpon þis wyse to your wynne halle,for to assay þe surquidre, ȝif hit soth were,þat rennes of þe grete renoun of þe Rounde Table.'—Sir Gawayne and the Green Knight, 2457;
'(They) louen more here folye avowis to
fulfille hem þan to fulfille goddis hestis.'—Wyclif, Unprinted Engl. Works, ed. Matthew, p. 103;
'When the emperowre harde telleAll þat case, how hyt felle,That Saddok was so slayne,Therof was he nothyng fayne.'—Guy of Warwick, ed. Zupitza, 1498;
'When he sawe dewke RaynereAnd the constabull Waldynere,How þer men were broght to growndeWyth grete yre yn a stownde,Gye beganne to crye in hye.'—ibid. 1967.
For other instances in the same work, see Zupitza's note to l.
1497.
I aske þe ien of alle the men . . . þat þei be pikid oute,—Gesta
Romanorum, p. 154; knowist thow not me, what I am?—ibid. 208;
he weht to the sheldes where they lay, ibid. 235; and he had
grete envie of þis childe þat þe emperour loved him so moche,
ibid. 322.
Caxton and Malory are well acquainted with the old use. The
following instances are equivalent in their structure to those quoted
above:—
Syre, I knowe not your persone, what ye be, nor to whom I speke,
Blanchardyn, 183/26; whan sadoyne, that was the same tyme
lokyng out at a wyndowe wythin his castell of Cassydonye, and his
wyf the fayr Beatryx by hym sawe the two oostes that they wold
Ioyne togyder to batayl, he gaf hymselfe gret meruayl, ibid. 193/29;
the lady, that was shette wythin, was full sore and wroth for her
frende blanchardyn, that he was soo ferre from her, ibid. 197/30;
(he) went to the ryuage of the water, and byhelde it that it ranne
lyke a quarel out of a crosbowe, Charles the Grete, 157/26; byholde
me how I am obedyent to the commaundements of the chyrche, ibid.
238/25; (he) came to the bataille and sawe his knyghtes how they
had vaynquysshed the bataylle, Morte Darthur, 171/35; and we
here knowe the wel that thou arte syre Launcelot du laake, ibid. 186/38;
and therfor alle the myssayenge that ye myssayed me fordered
me in my bataill, and caused me to thynke to shewe and preue
my self at the ende what I was,—ibid. 229/35; that shalle cause me
that I shall not be knowen, ibid. 258/1; he knewe sir Blamor de
ganys that he was a noble knyght, ibid. 303/17; syr Danadan
knewe the knyght wel that he was a noble Knyght, ibid. 429/4; but
euer sir Dynadan thought he shold knowe hym by his shelde that it
shold be sir Tor, ibid. 429/18; he euermore desyred her to wedde
her,—ibid. 575/34; anon the good man knewe hym that he was one
of the knyȝtes erraunt, ibid. 671/33.
But the real meaning of this old construction seems already
drawing to decay in Malory and Caxton; for in many instances that
is no longer understood as a conjunction, but as a relative pronoun;
consequently the personal pronoun is dropped, and the noun clause
becomes an adjective one:—
Whan the kynge herde the prouoste, that soo grete offre made for
to haue ageyne blanchardyn, He gaff hym self grete merueylle, Blanchardyn,
91/29; but ouer moche dysplaysed her to see her feyth-full
frende Blanchardyn that wolde goo ayen out of the lande, Blanchardyn,
172/14; of that other part, he sawe his only doughter, that
denyed and defended hym his comynge in to his cyte, ibid. 184/7;
(Alymodes) sawe hym self bannyshed and chassed out of his towne
and royalme, and also his doughter that was wedded to his mortayll
enmye, ibid. 191/30; the kynge Alymodes, seeng his folke that fled
. . . cam and yelded hym self in to the handes of blanchardyn, ibid.
195/16; he sawe his cheff banner ouer thrawen, and hym self
enclosed of al sydes, his men that fled, and awayte non other but
after the stroke of deth, ibid. 203/17; thenne whan Charlemagne
saw his peres that were soo sore moved wyth angre agenste hym,
he sayd to theym, Aymon, 485/21; and whan reynawd saw mawgis
that dyde so well, he was glad, ibid. 516/19; neuertheles, Rychard
beyng on a lytel montayn, and byhelde the hoost of the paynyms
came ageynst hym with grete courage, ye may wel ymagyne in
what estat his hert was, ibid. 150/29; feragus, beyng euyl contente
for hys hors that was dede, took hys swerde for to smyte Rolland,
ibid. 222/28.
(C.) Whenever the object noun-clause is at the same time an
adjectival one, Caxton uses the old construction. Take for instance
this sentence, 'He saw a shield that he knew to be his brother's.'
Instead of using our accusative with the infinitive, Caxton says (as
we also often do now): 'He saw a shield that he knew was his
brother's':—
She commaunded that they sholde goo and arme them self for to
resiste ayenst her enmyes at their commyng on lande, whiche she
sawe approched alredy right nyghe, Blanchardyn, 56/19; and also
for of the grete dysplesure that he had of the quene his wyffe, that
suche a sorowe made for her entyerli beloued sone blanchardin whiche
she wyste not where he was becom . . . ibid. 112/1; the fayr pucelle and
proude in amours myght not seasse nor leue her sorowe ther fore, that
she contynually made for her right dere frende blanchardyn; that for
the loue of her she trowed that he had other be lost or ded,—ibid. 120/11;
the pouere folke of prusse, that is to wyte, the barons and
knyghtes that Sadoyne had brought wyth hym were sore dyscomfyted
and full of sorowe for thabsence of their maystre, that they sawe was
brought prysonner of the paynems, ibid. 171/30; I am he that thou
knowe that dyd doo destroye rome your cyte, and slewe the Pope and
many other, and bare awaye the relyques that I there founde, Charles
the Grete, 52/30; fals creature that thou arte (whome I byseche god
confounde), thou wendest to haue made me to muse in thy folyes,
ibid. 119/8; and amonge them he sawe his broders sheld syr Lyonel,
and many moo that he knewe that were his felawes,—Morte Darthur,
185/7; and so shull ye haue wel rewarded me of all that ye say that
my brother and I haue doo for you and for your realme, Melusine,
153/1; and thanne all they that were there byan to sorowe and wepe
for the pyte they had of the kyng, And also of the sorow that they
sawe the virgyne, his daughter, made so pitously, ibid. 154/22.
§ 41. Change of direct and indirect speech.
It is a frequent anacoluthon in Old French, Middle High German,
and Middle English writers to pass abruptly from indirect to direct
speech. This occurs several times in Caxton, but Malory makes a
most extravagant use of it:—
'Wex derke, ðis coren is gon,Iacob eft bit hem faren agon,Oc he ne duren ðe weie cumen in,"but go wið us senden beniamin;"ðo quað he, "quan it is ned."'—Genesis and Exodus, 2240;
'The dewke clepyd Gye there,And bad, yf hys wylle were,That Harrawde schulde haue wyth hym eche dellFyve hundurde knyghtys armed well,And wende forthe, wythowte fayle,Boldely them for to assayle,"And ye, syr Gye, a thousandeBolde men and wele bydande."'Guy of Warwick, ed. Zupitza, 1785;
'He clepyd hys hunte to hym thereAnd seyde, he wolde chace þe dereErly in the morowtydeIn the forest, þat was so wyde,Bothe at hartys and at hyndys,And wylde bestys of odur kyndys,"Preuely that hyt be wroght,That þe dewke wytt hyt noght."'—ibid. 2328/29;
'The emperowre asked then,What were all tho armed men.Oon seyde, hyt was syr Gyowne,"All in wrath goyth fro þe towneIn odur stedde to do hys besteWyth schelde and spere to fyght preste."'—ibid. 3162/70.
Cf. Zupitza, note to l. 1785.
Than the messanger sayde to her that the kyng made to hym so
harde and heuy countenaunce, that he wold nat heere speke worde,
neyther of yow hys lady, neyther of youre chylde, in any maner that
myght be, Trivet, p. 239 (Chaucer Society's Originals & Analogues);
and syth whan she was come ayen to her self, that she had the
myght to speke, she sayde to the prouost that soone and incontynent
he shold go toward the kyng Alymodes for to wyte, yf for golde or
syluer he wolde take to raenson þe knyght. And yf his playsure was
to sende hym ayen to her, 'I shal gyue him for his raenson seuen
dromadaryes al laden with fyn gold,' Blanchardyn, 90/2; he right
reuerently salued hym, sayeng vnto hym, that he was come there for
to beye ayen þe straunge knyght . . . thus right gladly she wolde
haue hym ayen, yf your plesure were for to putte hym to raenson,
ibid. 91/23; Alymodes ansuerd to hym, and sayd that it was more
than a monthe ago that they neuer made noo yssue . . . and that they
were made full symple, syth that the yonge knyght was taken,
whiche I betok you for to be brought vnto the kynge of salamandrye,
ibid. 116/14; Sadoyne departed and com to fore the kynge his fader,
to whome in the best wyse that he myght or coude dyde shewe vnto
him his wyll, and . . . that a lawfull and Iuste cause he had to do
soo, for to gyue socoure and helpe the yonge knyght straunger, 'that
thourgh his prouesse and grete worthynes hathe socoured you,' ibid.
126/1; the prouoste tolde to hym . . . that neuer syth that she
receyued the letter that he dyde sende to her by hym, she had no
Ioye at her herte, nor shal neuer haue vnto the tyme that she see
you ayen, ibid. 156/33; thenne they auysed the kynge to send for
the duke and his wyf by a grete charge, And yf he wille not come at
your somons thenne may ye do your best, Morte Darthur, 35/25;
the kynge commaunded II. knyghtes and II. ladyes to take the child
bound in a cloth of gold, and that ye delyuer hym to what poure
man ye mete, ibid. 59/6; (A squyer) told hym how ther was a knyght
in the forest had rered vp a pauelione by a well, and hath slayne my
mayster a good knyght, ibid. 68/25; Balyn told his broder of his
aduenture of the swerd, and of the deth of the lady of the lake, and
how kyng arthur was displeaysyd with hym, wherfor he sente this
knyȝt after me, ibid. 83/8, 9; (Pellinore) charged the heremyte with
the corps that seruyse shold be done for the soule, and take his
harneys for your payne, ibid. 117/15. Cf. ibid. 119/5, 129/26, 136/3,
146/34, 149/28, 169/13, 170/32, 178/22, 183/22, 203/5, 208/4, 227/17,
231/17, 239/10, 240/9, 242/37, 247/8, 271/20, 281/6, 282/2, 315/21
and passim; for yf they had not be, the paynemys had dystroyed
them all, or had constrayned to be conuerted to theire fals lawe,
whiche had be to vs wers and heuyer than ony deth corporall,
Melusine, 152/5, 6.
This freedom is very frequent in Berners, and occurs as late as
the second half of the 17th century:—
(Huon) embrassyd hym and sayde how often tymys he had sene
Guyer, his brother the prouost, wepe for you, and whan I departyd
fro Burdeux I delyueryd to hym all my londes to gouerne, Huon, 62/31,
32; than the admyrall answeryd, and sayd how he wolde pardon
hym on the condycyon that he shulde neuer after trespas hym, nor
no man in his countre, and be syde that, to become my man, and to
do me homage, ibid. 150/1; he founde Iuoryn, to whom he shewed
... howe he and his company founde the sayd knyght and your
nece the fayre Esclaramonde, ibid. 163/18; than he called all his
couent, and chargyd them, in the vertue of obedyence, to reuest them
selues with crosse and myter and copes, to reseyue Huon, the ryghtfull
enherytour to the countre of Burdeux though the kynges of
fraunce be our founders, ibid. 219/11, 12; they alyghted and kneled
downe before Huon, and requyred hym to haue mercy, and pyte of
theym as to saue theyr lyues and put vs in pryson, ibid. 336/17;
(Huon) commaunded him that incontynent he sholde go to the
emperour, and say vnto hym that yf it be his pleasure to here spekynge
of any peace, I shall condyscende therto, ibid. 342/10; then
he sayd to kynge Arthur, 'syr, I wyll ye holde your peas, for if ye
speke one worde more agaynst Huon the souerayne kynge of the
fayry, that he wold condemyne hym parpetually to be a warwolfe in
the se,' ibid. 602/21; they told him that they were poor pilgrims
going to Zion, but were led out of their way by a black man, clothed
in white, who bid us, said they, follow him,—Bunyan, The Pilgrim's
Progress, 133/1.
§ 42. Adjective Clauses.
(A.) For the construction of adjective clauses, see 'Relative
Pronoun,' § 15, B, p. xxxvii above.
(B.) Adjective clauses are sometimes used with a conditional
sense (who would speak = if somebody would speak):—
Certes, who someuer brought her this sorowfull and pyteuose
tydynge I doubte not but that she shold slee her self for grete displaysir,
Blanchardyn, 155/30; and I promyse you, that who shall
hange Richarde, I shall goo to Reynawde, and shall put myself in
hys pryson, Aymon, 326/23; who that sholde speke of the bredern
of reynaude and of theyr dedes, it were to longe to be recounted,
ibid. 536/3; for who that might take them fro the sarasyns, none of
them shuld neuer retourne foot, in sury nor in tharsy, Melusine, 169/32;
'By my hed,' said Anthony, 'who that shuld punysshe you ...
ye were not puyssaunt to make amendes suffysaunt therof,' ibid. 209/26;
'but, fayre Cousyn, it is wel trouth, that who myght goodly tary
the day of your weddyng it were your honour,' ibid. 238/1; and who
that shuld enquire of me what folke they were, I shuld say it was
one of Claude of Syon bretheren that camme toward his brother at his
mandement, ibid. 249/5.
For the so-called figures of syntax, like anacoluthon, pleonasm,
see the Appendix below, on Caxton's style, p. cix, &c.;
III. ARRANGEMENT OF WORDS.
§ 43. Subject and Predicate (Inversion).
Compared with Early English, the inversion of the present
language ranges over a very limited space. Caxton, in this respect,
is very near the Modern English; in two cases, however, he has kept
the Middle English.
1. Inversion used in emphatic sentences:—
Sore troubled of wyttis, and gretly vexed wythin her mynde as
ye here, rode forthe the gentel pucelle,—Blanchardyn, 45/10; so smot
they hem self wythin callyng vp a hyghe crye in to þe thikkest of
their enmyes, ibid. 59/4; and syth made eche hem self to be armed
hastely whan dressid and redy they were, they made their coursers to
be had forth out of the stable, ibid. 60/33; and after that announced
was there comyng, men made them to entre in to the chambre of
parement, ibid. 76/27; to the rescue of blanchardyn cam also the
gode prouost,—ibid. 166/23.
2. Co-ordinate sentences introduced by and are often inverted.
This use may be traced to the pre-historic time of the English
language. It appears in the oldest Teutonic dialects, and is still
kept in Modern German, though learned grammarians are untiring
in ridiculing this time-honoured use:—
Her Aeþel heard cyning forþferde and feng Cuþræd
to Westseaxna rice, Chronicle, a. 741; ac monige sindon me swiðe
onlice on ungelærednesse, þeah þe hi næfre leorning cnihtas næren,
wilniað ðeah lareowas to beorne, and ðynceð him swiðe leoht sio
byrðen pæs lareondomes, Cura Pastoralis, p. 24.
Syon was sum hwile iclepet þe hehe tur of Ierusalem.
And seið syon ase muchel on englische leodene ase heh sihðe,
and bitacneð þis tur þe heh schipe of meidenhad, Hali Meidenhad,
p. 5; and was his holie lichame leid in buriels in þe holie sepulcre,
Old English Hom., II. 21; also hit bi þe wimman and bi sheawere.
hie bihalt hire sheawere. and cumeð hire shadewe þeronne, ibid. 29;
and gif hit is swo. me ðingð ne bringð no synful man quemere loc
þene teares sheding for his sinnen. and wiste seinte peter, and Seinte
Marie Magdalene, ibid. 65. Cf. ibid. 83, 127, 165, 213; Saules
Warde, 249 (Old English Hom. I.);
'And tanne comm he siþþen utAll dumb and butenn spæche,and toc to becnenn till þe follc,and space he nohht wiþþ tunge.'—Orm. 224;
'He made an aucter on godes name,And sacred he ðor-on, for sowles frame.'Story of Genesis and Exodus, 626;
'ðo sente he after abram,and bitagte he him is leman.'—ibid. 782;
'It semet wel ðat ge spies ben,And into ðis lond cumen to sen,And cume ge for non oðer ðingBut for to spien ur lord ðe king.'—ibid. 2171;
'And al ðis unweder ðor atwond,And wurð ðis weder sone all stille.'—ibid. 3059.
Caxton offers several instances of this use:—
Thenne dylygently he demanded his mayster of the subtylnes of
the werke, of thystorye and of the personnages. And first recounted
vnto hym his mayster the puyssaunce the right grete cyrcuyte, and
the noblesse of the cyte of Troyes, Blanchardyn, 15/9; the wawes
wexed so bygge and so grete, that they semed to be mountayns. And
was the tempeste so perelouse, that they were constreyned to enter into
the brode see agayne, ibid. 136/11; Kynge Alymodes made the towne
to be assayled, and was there made grete alarme and grete fray,—
ibid. 152/23; and within a whyle they cam to the heremytage and
took lodgyng and was there gras otys and breed for their horses, soone
it was sped and full hard was their souper,—Morte Darthur, 111/7;
for moche he langed that he myght there be arryued for to shew hym
all the tydynges. And dured not long the scarmoushe, Melusine, 127/4;
Uryan thanne made the standarde to passe fourth rydyng in batayll
moche ordynatly and was Vryan before, hauyng a staf on hys fyste,ibid. 131/22; anoone camme there Vryan, whiche alyghted, toke hys
speere, and so dyde hys folke moche appertly, and made hys banere to
be dysployed abrode, and were the crosbowe men on bothe sydes of
hym vpon the bridge, ibid. 131/30; and so moche they dide that the
fals paynemes might gete nothing on them, but that they lost twyes
asmoche more, and was scarmusshing moche fyers and peryllous,
ibid. 137/20; and thanne Vryan smote hym vpon the helmet a grete
stroke with all his might, and was the sawdan so sore charged with
that stroke that he was so astonyed and amaysed that he neyther
sawe nor herde, ibid. 145/28; and thene Vryan and his folke lodged
them self in the paynems lodgys, and was the sommage of the cristen
sent fore,—ibid. 146/18. Cf. 203/17, 214/7, 12, 215/13, 234/7,
240/6.
§ 44. The Predicative Verb.
The Predicative verb, especially the verb be, is, as a rule,
placed at the end of adjective clauses, and exceptionally also in
others:—
The knyght thenne beholdynge the Iouencell Blanchardyn, that
right yong was, and sawe hym alone, Rose anone vpon his feet,
Blanchardyn, 26/16; theire sperys (that sore bygge and stronge
were) broke also all to pyces, ibid. 28/10; thenne her maystres, that
sage and dyscrete was comforted her, ibid. 43/19; whan blanchardyn
had wel loked and rede the verses that grauen were in the marbell
vpon the gate, and well vnderstode theire sentence, a lytyl he bygan
to smyle, ibid. 47/8; there beganne the trompettes, the hornes, the
olyphauntes, and the busynes to blowe, that suche a noyse made, that
the see and the erthe retentyssed wyth alle, ibid. 183/6. Cf. 41/29,
49/10, 51/18, 60/31, 62/20, 64/30, 88/27, 94/29, 97/6, 99/8, etc.
§ 45. Place of the Object.
(A.) The object, when a noun, precedes the verb: 1. in emphatic
sentences; 2. in clauses, especially before past participles and
infinitives:—
1. Your loue and lady I shal yelde vnto you this day, Blanchardyn,
25/2; so smot they hem self wythin callyng vp a hyghe crye
in to þe thikkest of their enmyes, where they slew and detrenched
many one, And dyuerse tentes and pauyllons they pulled doune, ibid.
59/6; for so helpe me god, as I loue you wyth all my veraye herte,
and am so esprysed wyth your loue, that reherce it to you I can not,
ibid. 9/34; he toke his way forth on, and folke he met ynoughe by
the waye, ibid. 98/30; to the rescue of blanchardyn cam also the
goode prouost, ibid. 166/22.
2. Thenne the proude pucelle in loue, after a lytyl musyng, vnderstode
well by the wordes of the captayne, and by the cognyssaunce
that he tolde her of his horse, that he was that self knyght that the
kysse had taken of her, Blanchardyn, 51/26; I shal suffre for this
nyght hym that so grete a dysplaysure hath don to me this day, ibid.
51/31; Blanchardyn thanked the messager, and prayed hym curtaysly
that he wold haue hym for humbly recomended to the goode grace of
the noble pucelle, that so fayre a present had sent to hym, ibid. 82/6;
the paynem knyght, that was full curteys, made a token to hym that
his request he dyde graunte, ibid. 90/26; and for thys werke to conducte
and brynge to an ende, I graunte you euen now, and chose you,
for to be in oure behalue Conestable and hed captayne of oure present
armye, ibid. 100/27; and none of them abode there, but that he was
ded or taken excepte som that fled awaye, that this tydynges brought
to Alymodes, ibid. 191/9; that god that created the firmamente, and
made alle thynges of noughte for the people to susteyne ... kepe and
saue the, Aymon, 24/19; I complayne me to you of the foure sonnes
of Aymon, that hathe my londe dystroyed and wasted, ibid. 89/13;
they coude no counceil gyue, but said they were bygge ynough, Morte
Darthur, 47/10.
(B.) The personal pronoun as an object is not bound by this
rule. In Old English its place was generally before the finite verb,
as may be seen from the Blickling Homilies, where more than 80 per
cent. of the pronouns in the oblique case precede the verb. In Middle
English prose the modern arrangement carries the day, and in Caxton
there are but a small number of instances exhibiting the old use; but
even in these the French influence may have been of some effect:—
I me recommende ryght humbly vnto your good grace, Blanchardyn,
133/18; and to the surplus, to the playsure of oure lorde, and
hym playsed ye shal vnderstande by mouthe ferthere of myn astate,
ibid. 134/4; and yf I maye take hym, I shall not leue hym, for the
duke Aymon that shamfully is goon from me, nor for his foure sones
that I haue made knyghtes, wherof I me repente sore, Aymon, 38/21;
the kyng gaaf hym ayen his salute, and hym demaunded what he was,
ibid. 40/26; he called afore hym his barons, and to theym sayd, ibid.
104/18; ye knowe wel the grete dishonour thei have doon to me,
wherof I me complayne vnto you, ibid. 183/15; I you supplye with
al myn herte that now ye wyll rewarde me wyth a yefte that I shal
desyre, Charles the Grete, 49/28; therof, madame, I you assure, ibid.
92/30. Cf. 127/1, 159/19, 160/15; God me spede, said Blamor de
ganys, Morte Darthur, 306/26; the kyng rode euen to her, and
salewed her, and said god yow saue, ibid. 541/5; I haue none other
wylle than to endeuoyre me þerto, how be it certayn that I may not
acomplysshe to the regarde of the grete honour that ye haue me
shewed, Melusine, 152/13; but it augmenteth my doulour, wherfore
I you commande that ye cesse of this heuynes, ibid. 155/8; but the
hauoir that is departed amonges my felawes I may not it rendre or
yeld to you, ibid. 211/6.
§ 46. Place of the Attribute.
(A.) One attribute.
In Old and Middle English, adjectives (as a rule) precede the
noun; this before-putting, though not unfrequent in poetry, occurs
rarely in prose. In Caxton, adjectives—not only of French, but also
of Teutonic origin, as well as present and past participles—follow the
noun, and we may safely say that this is due to French influence.
(B.) Of two adjectives belonging to the same noun, the first precedes,
the second follows it. This is nearly like the French use; but
Caxton was far from copying his original, he simply kept a very old
good English tradition:—
Gif ænig man hæbbemódigne sunu and rancne,—Deuter.
xxi. 18; to gódum lande and wídgillum, Exod. iii. 8; wæron
on þis um felda unríme gesomnunga hwíttra manna and fægerra,
Beda, v. 13; he gefór ... gód man and clæne and swiðe æðele,
Chronicle, 1056; þat se anweald ... becume tó gódum men and tó
wísum,—Boeth. xvi. 1.
heo wulle under fon swa heȝ þing and swa hali
swa is cristes licome, O. E. Hom., 25; þet frumkenede childe and þet
lefeste,—ibid. 87; non þe ledeð feir lif and clene,—ibid. 137; monie
wundre and muchele,—ibid. 139; þat loðeliche ward, and ateliche,
and grisliche,—ibid. II. 5; lomb is drih þing and milde,—ibid. 49;
þe olde men þe þo weren and lif holie, ibid. 51; after summ apel
man & good,—Orm. 611; Rihhtwise men and gode,—ibid. 116; ſull
mehhtiȝ mann and mœre,—ibid. 806;
'Of hem woren ðe getenes boren,Migti men, and figti, [and] for-loren.'—Story of Genesis and Exodus, 564;
'A michel fier he sag, and an brigt.'—ibid. 951;
'Ghe bed him gold, and agte, and fe,To maken him riche man and fre.'—ibid. 2018;
'Long weige and costful he ðor fond.'—ibid. 3880;
Troye, þat god mon was and wys,—Robert of Glos., p. 10; a lute bal and
round,—Wright, Pop. Treat. on Science, p. 137; Sire Emerde Valence,
gentil knyght and free,—Polit. Songs, (Camden Soc.) p. 216; ful modi
man and proud,—Anecd., p. 2; He was hardy mon and strong,—Alis.,
4402; the foulest contree, and the most cursed, and the porest,—Maundeville,
p. 129; a heȝe ernde and a hasty,—Gawayne, 1051; to
knawe god and lonye,—Ayenbite, 88; soþe blisse and ziker,—ibid. 93;
þa is guod lyf and yblyssed, ibid.; a gode zone and trewe,—ibid. 101;
and namely with a yong wif and a fair,—Chaucer, II. 327; an old
man and a pore with hem mette, ibid. III. 98; of such a parfyt God
and a stable,—ibid. III. 6; in a foul stynkynge stable and cold,—Wyclif,
17; in grete fatte hors and nedeles,—ibid. 60; gaie houses
and costy,—ibid. 61; open heretiks and stronge,—ibid.; new song
and costy,—ibid. 76; an heuenly yiefte and gostly,—ibid. 82; here
worldly lif and cursed,—ibid. 99; proude men and delicate,—ibid.
120; wide cloþis and precious,—ibid. 128. Cf. ibid. 129, 140, 145,
156, 181, 223. I am come of gret blode and riall,—Gesta Romanorum,
23; a strong man and a mighty,—ibid. 42; a wise man and a redy,—ibid.
148; a noble man, and a worthi,—ibid. 172; riche yiftes and
fair,—ibid. 190; a worthy knyȝt and a riche,—ibid. 202. Cf. ibid.
251, 264.
CAXTON: and so grete a stroke and so heuy he gaffe hym, Blanchardyn,
62/22; god hath well kept hym from so moche an hap and so
hyghe,—ibid. 75/24; that knewe hym for a trusty man and secret,—ibid.
81/23; he lete fall vpon daryus suche a stourdy strok, and so grete,
—ibid. 86/17; a grete tempeste roose in the see, and so horryble,—ibid.
97/20; that was a fayr knyght and yonge,—ibid. 110/2; ye
shall doo as a wyse woman and well counseylled,—ibid. 178/1; the
best tyme and most entier,—ibid. 179/5; the grete strokes and the
dangerous,—Aymon, 392/9; that was a worthy knyghte and a wyse,
—ibid. 504/20; a myghty spere and sharpe,—Charles the Grete,
48/27; O ryche emperour and noble,—ibid. 84/16; I had had ſyue
of the valyauntest erles of ſraunce and of the grettest,—ibid. 88/3;
she ledde them by an olde gate and secrete,—ibid. 94/1; in spayne
he had XVI grete townes and stronge,—ibid. 205/6; she was called
a fair lady and a passynge wyse,—Morte Darthur, 35/7; that is a
passyng true man and a ſeythful, ibid. 38/29; that was a passyng
good man and a yonge,—ibid. 52/8; thou art a boystous man and an
vnlykely,—ibid. 84/20; he was a likely man and a well made,—ibid.
94/27; the best knyght and the myghtyest,—ibid. 192/35; many in
this land of hyghe estate and lowe,—ibid. 198/1; this is an horryble
dede and a shameful,—ibid. 211/13; this is a fowle custome and a
shameful,—ibid. 310/31; they ſoughte vpon foote a noble batail
togyders and a myghty, ibid. 346/21. Cf. 353/5, 408/16, 412/25,
425/31, 432/2, 435/7, 442/20, 509/2, and passim.
§ 47. Place of the Adverb.
There is an evident tendency in Caxton to place the adverb
before the verb, and very often even before the subject:—
Thenne dylygently he demanded his mayster of the subtylnes of the
werke, Blanchardyn, 15/7; Blanchardyn toward the stables tourned his
waye, ibid. 17/20; right thus ... cam the yomen & grommes of þe
stable makynge grete noyse and crye for þe grete courser of þe kynge,
whiche that night was stolen fro theim, ibid. 19/10; (Blanchardyn)
founde a knyght that lay there on the grounde, armed of all pieces,
the whiche full pyteously complayned, ibid. 22/18; for hir sake I
wyl fight with you in fauoure of þe good knight her true louer, þe
whiche falsly, as an vntrewe knyght, ye haue be trayd, ibid. 26/11;
they ſounde þe knyght, that awayted after theym, that well and
curtoysly saluted Blanchardyn, ibid. 33/5; of the teerys that from
her eyen fyll doune, her gowne that she had on was therof charged,
ibid. 43/16; Blanchardyn herkned the prouost, to whom boldly he
answered, ibid. 48/15. Cf. 72/31, 85/8, 86/21, 87/21, 99/4, 101/5,
131/26, 133/17, 140/9, 145/7, 147/25, 151/7, 164/31, 169/25, 186/11,
194/12.
This is especially striking in passive constructions, where the adverbial
combination, stating by whom something is done precedes:—
So was he by the two doughters brought in to a chambre, Blanchardyn,
50/21; of what dethe mygt I do make hym to deye for to gyue
vnto hym his payment of the grete oultrage by hym commytted in my
persone, ibid. 52/30; and seen the battaylles and scarmysshynge that
by them of the towne and their enmyes were made, So began he to be
ful of thoughte, ibid. 59/27; syth he also perceyued the black sleue
that vpon his helmet was sette fast, ibid. 63/27; many of the gretest
of hem had ben slayn or taken, yf by the vertue and strengthe of
blanchardyn they had not be socoured, ibid. 66/13; I doubte not
that yf by aduenture she were out of his remembraunce, and by hym
putte in oblyuyon, that god forbede but that sholde dey sodaynly,
ibid. 74/1; he called blanchardyn his new Conestable and tolde hym
how, by hym and his barons, was ordeyned to hym the charge and
conduyte of his werre, ibid. 103/21; he sholde neuere haue Ioye at
herte tyll that the deth of his brother, and the damage that he had
receyued were by hym auenged, ibid. 107/24; he awoke out of his
slepe thurghe the pyteouse erye that of his men was made, ibid.
113/16. Cf. ibid. 142/34, 143/31, 159/19, 161/11, 194/8, 9, 10,
199/4.
§ 48. Apposition.
A word in apposition to a possessive genitive is, in Middle
English, and still in Caxton, put after the noun governing the genitive
(Cf. Skeat, notes to Piers Plowman, pp. 42, 157, 307, 329; Zupitza,
Guy of Warwick, l. 687). This arrangement is very old, though the
modern one may be found exceptionally as early as the Chronicle,
about the year 890:—
for his wed broðeres luuen Oswi, Chronicle, 656
(Laud MS.); for Saxulfes luuen þer abbodes, ibid. (very frequent);
on Torcvines dagum þæs oſer módan cyninges, Boethius, 16/1;
be Cnútes dæge cinges,—Hickes, Dissert., ep. p. 2. (Quoted by
Mætzner, Grammar, III., p. 355.)
þurh daviðes muð þe prophete, Old English
Hom., I. 139; in august time þe Imparour, Cursor Mundi, 11277;
ion heued, þi prisun, ibid. 13167; in Kynges hous Arthor, Gawayne,
2275; þe duches doȝter of Tyntagelle, ibid. 2465; for marye loue of
heuene, Piers Plowman, B I, 157; for the lordes loue of heuene,
ibid., B VI., 19; the kynges metynge Pharao, Chaucer, V. 163; that
was the kynge Priamus sone of Troye, ibid. IV. 108; and byd him
that on alle thynge That he take up Seys body, the kynge, ibid. V.
159; the faire yonge Ypsiphile the shene That whilom Thoas doughter
was the kynge, ibid. V. 321; to praye for my lordes soule,—Sir
Thomas West, Early English Wills, 7/4, 5; on þe maydenys halfe
Blanchflowre,—Zupitza, Guy of Warwick, 687; the dewkys men
Segwyne, ibid. 2427; my lordes sone þe emperowre, ibid. 2827; the
erlys doghtur Rohawte, ibid. 4005; the erlys sone Awbrye, ibid. 4339,
5352, 6054, etc.; goddes sone of heuen,—Perry, Religious Pieces,
p. 2.
for syn that he was departed from his fadres house, the
kynge of fryse, [he] had nothre eten nor dronken, Blanchardyn, 31/21;
but wel he tolde hym that he sholde be well lodged in the prouostys
house of the towne,—ibid. 46/3; here foloweth the ballade that was
wryton vpon the gate of the prouostis place of Tourmaday,—ibid.
46/21; for right moche he desyred to shewe hymself, for his ladyes
loue, doughter to kyng Alymodes,—ibid. 83/9; the kynges sone of
Irelond,—Morte Darthur, 80/23; I loue Gweneuer, the kynges
doughter Lodegrean,—ibid. 100/15; his name is syr gauayne kyng
Lots sone of Orkeney,—ibid. 108/37; I am the lordes doughter of
this castel,—ibid. 127/30; his name is Marhaus the kynges sone of
Irelond,—ibid. 141/4; for the kynges loue of heuen,—ibid. 177/32;
he sawe his broders sheld syr Lyonel,—ibid. 185/6, etc.; of the
kyngis deth of Armenye,—Melusine, 178/14.
There are also two instances of the modern construction:—
(They) gaff eche other soo vnmesurable strokes that the kynge of
Polonye spere brake al to peces, Blanchardyn, 108/1; they ſonde
three of þe kynge of frysys seruauntes,—ibid. 112/17.
§ 49. Contraction.
Instead of saying 'the ſather came, and the son came,' as
primitive tribes still do, we use the contraction 'the father and the
son came.' Caxton exhibits several interesting traces of that state of
the language, which takes the middle course between the primitive
repetition (anaphora), and the modern contraction.
The grete strokes and the dangerous, Aymon, 392/2 (instead of
'the grete and dangerous strokes.' See above, § 46).
(He answered) that he sholde putte peyne that his honoure sholde
be kepte, and his body ayenst hym, Blanchardyn, 48/19; hym
semed, yf he wold be baptysed and all his folk, and to byleue in our
feith, that the tempeste shold breke, ibid. 137/18; wold subyon or
not, and all his helpes, the noble lady, proude of loue, was taken
oute of his power, ibid. 197/20.
They were in a grete daunger of Subyon, that damaged theym
ryght sore, and their place, Blanchardyn, 200/29.
But the knyght, that was ryght curteys, guyded hym and conduyted
a whyle, Blanchardyn, 39/30.
To sum up:—Caxton's syntax, on the whole, is nearer Chaucer
than Shakspere; and there is a still greater kinship between his
prose and that of the fourteenth century, than that of the Elizabethan
age. In reading Caxton's books, the general impression resembles
very much that received by reading The Tale of Melibeus, or even
Maundeville; and the results of a minute analysis agrees with that
impression. It is true, many peculiarities of Caxton's language turn
up also in Shakspere and Spenser; but we must keep in mind, that
there is always a sort of tradition in poetry, which links together the
remotest periods, while in simple prose, as in daily life, the distance
of times is of great influence. There is a wide gap between the
language in Spenser's Faërie Queene, not to speak of the Shepherd's
Calendar, and his View of the State of Ireland.
Thus, the plural of abstracts is very frequent in the poem, but
very rare in the prose treatise; the article is extremely often omitted
in the former, while it is used in the latter, etc.
There are several points, which draw a very marked line between
Caxton's syntax and that of the sixteenth century:—
1. Ye, not you, is still, with a few exceptions, the nominative of
the 2nd pers. plural personal pronoun. This is quite common in
Berners. See p. xiii.
2. Adjectives referring to preceding nouns are not yet followed
by one. See p. xxviii.
3. The personal pronoun, when a subject, is still very often
omitted. See p. xxxiii.
4. Self is still considered an adjective, as seen by the 3rd
person plural: themselfe, never themselves. The latter becomes the
rule about the middle of the sixteenth century.
5. Who (in the nominative) as a relative pronoun is still unknown.
6. The indefinite pronoun one is not yet used; in its stead we
find men. See p. xlvi, §15.
7. Constructions like 'we are banished the court' are not yet in
use; there seems to be still a rigid observance of the difference
between transitive and intransitive verbs, with regard to the passive
voice. See p. lv.
8. Agreement between tenses (consecutia temporum) is not yet
strictly observed. See p. lviii.
9. The infinitive absolute is still in use. See p. lxvi.
10. The arrangement of words is much more free than in later
times. See pp. ci—cix.
APPENDIX.
I. CAXTON AS A TRANSLATOR. HIS STYLE.
'IN his translation of this work, Caxton shows himself piously
literal. Words and phrases, both foreign and unusual, he transferred
bodily to his text; nothing ever deterred him, simply because it was
French; he wandered along every winding of the sentences he was
rendering, and brought them over with all their sinuosities into
English. In consequence, his translation is perhaps one of the most
literal that has ever been produced in the English language; and
though to some extent stilted and even awkward, yet it is impossible
not to admire his faithfulness to his original; and the very quaintness
of those peculiarities of language sometimes adds a charm to his
composition.'—Octavia Richardson, in the Introduction to her edition
of The Four Sonnes of Aymon, E. E. T. Soc., p. vii.
I don't think Caxton was such a pious slave. His translation of
Blanchardyn, no doubt, is as 'quaint' and even as 'awkward' as
that of The Four Sonnes of Aymon; but I cannot admit Miss Octavia
Richardson's statement with regard to his 'piety.' On the other
hand, I contend that he was as good and free a translator as any
of the 15th century, and in his style certainly not inferior to Peacock,
the greatest prosaist of his time.
What makes Caxton's style appear so awkward in the eyes of a
modern reader, is his repetitions, tautologies, and anacolutha. But
these irregularities are, for the most part, conscious sins, committed
not only by him, but also by all the writers of his time. Read the
following sentences from Malory, whose like never occurs in Blanchardyn
or Aymon, and you will admit that Caxton was a very able
translator, for his time:—
Well, saide Merlyn / I knowe whome thou sekest / for thou sekest
Merlyn / therfore seke no ferther / for I am he, Morte Darthur, 36/16—18;
and moche blood they bledde bothe / that al the place there
as they ſaught was ouer bledde with blood, ibid. 71/26—28; but
traueilynge men are ofte wery, and their horses to / but though my
hors be wery / my hert is not wery, ibid. 96/21—23; for I haue
sene many of their sheldes that I knowe on yonder tree / there is
kayes shelde / & sir braundeles sheld / and syr Marhaus sheld, and
syre Galyndes shelde, and syre Bryan de lystnoyse sheld, and syr
Alydukes sheld with many mo, ibid. 195/36, 196/4; and toke his
swerd redy in his hand, redy vnto bataylle / and they were al armed
in black harneis redy with her sheldes, ibid. 206/18—20; but alweyes
quene gweneuer preysed syr kay for his dedes / and sayd what lady
that ye loue / and she loue yow not ageyne, she were gretely to
blame, ibid. 122/15—17; thenne ther was a lady in that countrey
that had loued kynge Melyodas longe / And by no meane she neuer
coude gete his loue; therfore she lete ordeyne vpon a day as kynge
Melyodas rode on huntynge / for he was a grete chacer / and there by
an enchauntement she made hym chace an herte by hym self alone /
til that he came to an old castel, ibid. 273/19—25; but as yet he
may not yet sytt sure on horsbak / for he that shalle be a good horsman
/ hit must come of vsage and excercyse, ibid. 344/23—25; and
as she wold haue ranne vpon the swerd, and to haue slayne herself /
alle this aspyed kyng Marke / how she kneled doune and saide /
swete lord Ihesu haue merey vpon me, ibid. 368/34, 369/2; now
maye ye saye, sayd syr launcelot vnto youre frendes, how & who
hath delyuered you, ibid. 199/24—26; thenne syr, he sayd, my
name is Garoth, and broder vnto syr Gawayn of fader and moder,ibid. 218/21, 22; fy on you bothe, said sir Gahoryse, for a fals
traitour / and fals treason hast thou wrouȝt / and he both vnder the
fayned chere that ye made vs, ibid. 403/29—31; but the Kynge of
Irland whos name was Marhalt, and fader to the good knyghte sir
Marhaus that sire Tristram slewe, had alle the speche that sir Tristram
myghte here it, ibid. 529/19—22; he told he of whens he was / and
sone vnto Launcelot, ibid. 622/3, 4.
Of course, Caxton followed the drift of the narrative in his
original as closely as possible; but so far as I am aware, there is no
ground whatever for supposing that he slavishly sacrificed the genius
of his native language to Latin or French. It will be seen by the
Introduction that Caxton's Syntax is essentially English, as much so
as that of Chaucer and Gower; his arrangement of words is, in spite
of his original, truly Saxon; and even in his introduction of foreign
words, he only continued what the preceding centuries had begun.
There are a very few decided Frenchisms in Blanchardyn; but
these are rather slips of the pen, than intended or conscious innovations.
Such are require, demand, governing the dative case, see § 6,
p. xxiii; swear, with the accusative, see § 7, p. xxiv, A; the article
used in the vocative case, § 7, a; the his, § 7, b, p. xxvi. Cf. Dr.
Furnivall, Introduction to Eneydos, p. xix.
As strong evidence against Miss Richardson's opinion, I quote
the fact that there is not one instance of the French moi = I being
translated by 'me'! See § 4, p. xi. With regard to Caxton's
style, its main feature is the tiresome tautology, which is apparently
produced by the translator's desire to make as much as he could of
his work, to render it as showy as possible;Compare the American girl who liked creaky shoes because they announced her coming and made folk look at her. his whole age was
affected by this fashion of intolerable verbosity: to convey an idea
through the medium of as many words as possible was considered as
a beauty of style.
This appears first in the choice of words. Generally, one French
expression is rendered by two consecutive synonyms; sometimes the
first of these is the word of the original, sometimes another; sometimes
one is French, the other Saxon; sometimes one strange, the other
familiar:—
Regned in fryse a kynge of right benewred and happy fame (orig.
de tres horeuse renomme), Blanchardyn, 11/10; but priuated and
voyde he was of the right desyred felicite, 12/1; of lignage or yssue
of his bodye (orig. lignie), 12/2; I leue to telle the bewayllyngis and
lamentaciouns (orig. regretz), 12/4; by her self al alone in solytary
places (orig. en lieux solitaires), 12/6; now it is soo that atte his
byrthe and comyng in to this world (orig. a laduenement duquel),
12/12; sourded and rose vp (orig. sourdy), 12/14; prest and redy
(orig. preste), 23/20; by his behauoure and contenaunce, men myght
well knowe that he was departed and come of noble extraction and
hyghe parentage (orig. haulte lignee), 50/16, 18; I holde hym so
courtoys and dyscret, or wyse, 54/27; for bothe of hem loued sore
blanchardyn, and right enamored they were ouer hym, 66/24;
Amoures or loue serued her wyth a messe, 67/17; she sette neuere
nought by amours and loue, 75/15; Blanchardyn sawe and perceyued
the noble, 77/1; mouyd wyth grete wrath and yre, 92/7; she wolde
not putte in oblyuyon nor forgete hym, 94/11; she myght see ne
chuse the nauye, 135/28; she byganne to chuse and perceyue the
saylles, 135/30; to gyue socoure and helpe vnto her, 150/16; the
grete malyuolence or euyll wylle, 153/21; (the proude pucelle)
mounted vp to a high toure for to see and beholde the batayl,
163/14; right grete was the effucyon or shedyng of blode, 165/22;
wythout answer nor replye, 189/32.
It is, however, worth noting that the original too sometimes
indulges in slight tautologies:—
Pourquay ne a quelle cause, 22/20; ne le sceut ne peult, 52/21,
66/10, 103/5, 122/20.
A second sort of tautology is Caxton's additions of his own, for
which there is not the slightest necessity whatever. (But who of us
doesn't like touching up other men's work?) Compare the following
instances, to which many more can be added:—
Blanchardyn grewe in beawte, wytte, and goode maners beyonde
mesure, and passed all other of his age, 13/10, 11; and recounted
vnto him his mayster ... the right grete valyaunce of Hector of
Troylus, Parys and Deyphebus brederen, and of Achilles, 15/15;
after, he demaunded of his mayster, the names and blasure of the
armes, 15/23; wythout that ony body coude telle any tydynges
where he was becomen, 18/13; thenne Blanchardyn, moued of pyte,
alyght from his courser, and sette fote on erthe, 23/9; to thees
wordes sayde Blanchardyn to the knyght, and prayed hym that he
vousshesauff to helpe hym, 24/1; he sholde auenge hym of his
enmye, and that he shulde yelde ayen his lady vnto hym, 24/5; and
that he shulde therfore dye shamefully in that place, 27/2; and yf
thou auaunce, or haste not thy self, I shal doo passe this same spyere
thrughe the myddes of thy body, 27/17; O thou proude berdles boye
(orig. garchon), 27/24; (Blanchardyn) syn departed, sore troubled
atte herte for the pyteouse dethe of the two true louers, 31/1; (he) had
nothre eten nor dronken, but onely that whyche he fonde vpon the
trees growynge in the grete forest, as crabbes and other wylde frutes
that are wonte to growe in wodes, 31/24, 25; (a marener) brought hym
a boote goode and sure that from the knyght of the ffery was sent
vnto hym, 32/26; right well it were your fayt and welthe for to goo
rendre your personne vnto her, 38/10; she rydeth the lytyl paas
vpon her swete and softe palfraye (orig. sa haguenee), 38/23. Cf.
44/1, 4, 12, 46/18, 26, 50/10, 52/3, 55/13, 20, 56/21, 58/30, 59/11,
63/12, 64/6, 65/34, etc.
There are very few passages in which Caxton is less verbose
than the original. Cf. 24/16, 44/6, 65/16.
There are also few instances in which Caxton seems to have
misinterpreted the French:—
For syth that by fayre meanes thou wylt not yelde agen the
pucelle, thou most nedes deffende the nowe, ayenst me, the right that
thou pretendest vpon her (orig. Il te conuient contre moi deffendre
le droit que tu y pretendez a auoir), 27/15, 16. Cf. 29/1.
The sudden transition from one construction to another is pretty
frequent in Caxton, and seems, to a certain degree, to have been
considered as a figure of speech. Compare the following passages:—
For I confesse me not lerned, ne knowynge the arte of rhetorik,
ne of suche gaye termes as now be sayd in these dayes and vsed,
Blanchardyn, 2/11; soo that by his dylygence taken wyth an
ardaunt desyre, fonde hymself nyghe her and of her maystres wythin
a short space of tyme, 41/24; O thou free knyght, replenysshed wyth
prowesse and of grete wordynesse, haue mercy vpon our fadre, 49/15;
(then sayd blanchardyn) that hym semed yf he wold be baptysed
and all his folk, and to byleue in our feith, that the tempeste shold
breke, 137/18; I gyue my self vnto you, prayeng that ye wol saue
bothe me and my cyte, and to take vs in to your mercy, 142/14.
Against the first important principle of modern composition, the
unity of sentence, Caxton often sins. Such strong anacolutha as the
following would be impossible nowadays; but Caxton and his
contemporaries used them without any scruple.
1. A principal sentence co-ordinate with a participle clause; a
perfect tense being substituted for a participle, or having its conjunction
and subject suppressed:—
The knyght thenne beholdynge the Iouencell Blanchardyn that
right yong man was, and sawe hym alone, Rose anone vpon his feet,
Blanchardyn, 26/16; and euyn at these wordes cam the prouost tyl
his owne knowlege ageyne, and vnderstandyng that he had lost the
felde for cause of the stourdy stroke that he had receyued of the spere
of blanchardyn, And sayde in this maner, 49/22; Alimodes, seeng
his enmyes cam a lande, and in so fayre ordonaunce y-sette of that
one part, and of that other syde he sawe them of the cyte that cam
wyth a grete puyssaunce vpon hym and his folke, It is well ynough
to be byleued, that he was not well assured, 162/24; Alymodes seeng
his folke lose grounde, and were smytten ded doun right by the hyghe
prouesse and grete worthynes of blanchardyn, desyred sore wyth al
his herte to joyne hym self wyth hym, 167/20; the kynge Alymodes,
seeng his folke that fled, his cheff standarde ouer thrawen and layng
vpon the grounde, His barons all to bet adoune, and also sawe that
Impossyble it was to hym to escape hym self quyk from the bataylle,
wherfore, assone as he mygt, or euer that a more grete myscheff sholde
happe vnto hym, cam and yelded hym self, 195/16.
2. Direct speech interrupting an indirect one. See Noun Clauses,
§ 40, p. xcv.
3. A principal sentence co-ordinate with a relative clause:—
(She) douted leest he shuld sette his loue on one of the doughters
of the prouoste, whom she hasteli sente for and spake to hym [= to
whom she spoke] as it foloweth, Blanchardyn, 69/12; and of another
part she sawe a grete noumbre of folke that retourned to the tentes,
[and then she] thoughte wel, and also her hert Iudged and gaf it to
her, that that was the worthy blanchardyn, 89/16; how sodayne toke
leue of his fader the kyng, and [how] so dyde Blanchardyn, and [how
both] toke the see wyth a grete naue, 125/16; he was cast in to an
hauen of the see of the sayde lande, where he made grete wast,
[where he] toke and slewe many men, and [whence] many he dyde
brynge wyth hym prysoners, 145/15; certes, who-someuer brought
her this sorowfull and pyteouse tydynge, I doubte not but that she
shold slee her self, 155/30; he perceyued a right myghty nauey,
wherof they that were comen vpon lande, he sawe hem in grete
nombre, 162/3.
4. Other instances:—
(He) byganne for to desyre the goode grace of the same proude
pucelle in amours, wythout makynge of eny semblaunt, nor to dyscouere
[= or discovering] it to the knyght, Blanchardyn, 37/15;
(she) commaunded hym to presente hit hastely from her behalue vnto
blanchardyn prayng hym that for her sake and loue, to dye [= he
would dye] the whyt coloure in to red, 168/21; whan the proude
pucelle in amours sawe her frende blanchardyn departed from her
chambre, where she lened vpon a wyndowe that loked vpon the see,
makyng full pyteouse rewthes for her loue that she sawe, nor neuer
thens she wolde departe as longe as she myght see the shyppes,
174/28 [where she = she there].
II. THE MANUSCRIPTS AND PRINTS OF THE ROMANCE.
The story of Blanchardyn and Eglantyne, not being connected
with the great epic subjects of the Middle Ages, viz., Arthur and
Charlemagne, has hitherto been but very little dealt with in the
literary history of England and France. We therefore seem still
rather in the dark about the origin and development of the story.
Up to now, the following versions are known:—
I. In French verse, all in MS.:
1. Bibl. Nationale, Fr. 375.2. Bibl. Nationale, Fr. 19,152.3. Turin, coté 44/158, I K 35.4. British Museum, Additional, 15, 212, ff. 197—266 b.5. Fragments, communicated by Paul Meyer, Romania, 1889.6. Fragments of a Middle High-German translation, or rather
rehandling, communicated by Haupt, Germania, xiv,
p. 68 ff.
II. In prose, 2 French in MS., 3 English in print:
1. Bibliothèque Nationale, Fr. 24,371.2. Bibliothèque Royale, Brussels.Michelant prints the chapter-headings of this in the Introduction to his Blancandin, pp. xiii—xviii.3. Caxton, unique, 1489 (?): here reprinted.4. 1595, in two Parts, unique. At Britwell. For the ſull
title, see p. 227.5. 1597. Part I., unique: Public Library, Hamburgh.
In 1867, H. Michelant published at Paris an edition of the
French Romance, Blancandin et L'Orgueilleuse d'Amour, from the
MS. 375 in Paris, and the Addit. MS. British Museum. The Poem
had before been analyzed by Emile Littré in the Histoire littéraire
tome xxii (1852), pp. 765—778, and Henry Ward has described the
Museum MS. in his Catalogue of Romances in the B. Mus. (1883) i. 727-8. He says:—
BLANCHANDIN ET ORGUEILLOSE D'AMORS. A poem of adventures,
in about 4800 octosyllabic lines. French. 'Blanchandin is the son
of a king of "Frise" (Phrygia?). He has been kept in ignorance of
chivalry, till he sees some figures upon a tapestry. He steals away
from home, and, after a ſew adventures, kisses Orgueillose d'Amors,
the Princess of Tormadai (apparently in or near Syria), out of sheer
bravado. Her indignation is before long changed into affection.
She is besieged by another suitor. Blanchandin is taken prisoner.
He is shipwrecked on the coast of India. In the end he returns to
Tormadai with Indian allies under a Prince Sadoine, and they relieve
Orgueillose d'Amors.'
M. Michelant thus sketches the contents of the earliest version
of the story in the St. Germain MS. 1239, of the 13th century,
which contains 4,826 lines (p. v—vii):—
'Blancandin has fled from his Father's court—where the practice
of arms was forbidden him—to seek adventures abroad. On his road,
a knight advises him to go and kiss, in the midst of her retinue, the
beauteous Orgueilleuse d'amour, whose name denotes her character.
This audacious deed stirs most highly the wrath of the young
princess. She vows she will take astounding vengeance on the
culprit, who has fled. She recognises him next day in the middle of
a tourney where he carries off the prize; but the valour and good
looks of the young knight make love supplant hatred in her heart;
and the two lovers have just avowed their mutual feelings, when an
old Saracen king (Alimodes) arrives, who besieges l'Orgueilleuse
d'amour, to force her to marry him, in spite of her repeated refusals.
Blancandin offers to defend her, and distinguishes himself in the
fight; but, overpowered by numbers, is taken prisoner. In vain is
the highest ransom offered to the Saracen king. He has sworn the
death of his rival, and sends him captive to a King of the Indies,
whose brother, Blancandin had slain in battle.
'During the voyage, a storm rises, which wrecks the vessel, and
Blancandin alone escapes. He arrives safe and sound at the court of
a certain King of Athens, who is besieged by a powerful enemy.
Blancandin offers his services to the King, and frees him. The King,
from gratitude, wishes to marry Blancandin [to his daughter?], but
Blancandin, faithful to 'the Lady-proud-in-love,' refuses. He conſides
his secret to the King's son (Sadoine), with whom he is bound
in firm friendship, and both embark to succour the still-besieged
Princess. At sea, they meet some of her folk; and Blancandin, without
making himself known, charges them to announce his speedy
arrival, for the purpose of delivering her. But, in very sight of the
harbour, a tempest drives them away, and Blancandin takes advantage
of the terror of his companions, to convert and baptise them. He
lands, with his friend Sadoine, in the very kingdom of the Prince
(Alimodes) who was besieging the Lady-proud-in-love, where his own
Father was moaning in the direst captivity. Blancandin promises to
give Sadoine in marriage the daughter of King Alimodes, a young
and beautiful Saraceness who, in the customary way, at first sight
falls in love with the Knight (Sadoine), whom she sees out hunting.
Blancandin takes the city, kills the King's son Darie, gives his sister
in marriage to his friend Sadoine, and sets his own father free. Then
all retake the road to Tormaday, where the Lady-proud-in-love is
besieged. She sends her Provost to know who the new-comers are,
and to ask them for help. The Provost—who had formerly been
Blancandin's host—recognises him, and announces his arrival to the
Lady-proud. She wants to prepare a brilliant reception for him,
while his foe Alimodes, on his side, makes ready for battle. In the
middle of the fight, the Lady-proud, to encourage Blancandin, sends
him her sleeve on the point of a spear; he redoubles his efforts, and
puts his rival to flight. Alimodes re-embarks in all haste. And
the two lovers, united at last, after so many thwartings, celebrate
their marriage; and the wedding ended, every one, says the poet in
concluding, goes home, S'en vet en sa contrée.'
The end of the text is—Michelant, p. 208:—
Et quant la messe fut chantée,Tuit s'en vont en la tor quarrée.Mult i ot harpes et vieles,Et tantes melodies beles:Tuit li baron del païs né,Iiii jors i sont séjorné.Au quint departent lor mesniée,En lor terre l'ont envoiée.Le roi de Frise s'en revet,Et en sa contrée s'en vet.Arriere s'en revet Sadoine,A sa moiller en Cassidoine,Des or a Blanchandins amie,Sage et proz sans vilenie.Blanchandins est sires et dus:Li romans faut; je n'en sai plus.Explicit de B. et de O.
This, says M. Michelant (p. vii) is the original story. But we
have two other versions of it which run almost side by side, and
differ from the original romance by an addition of about 1200 lines.
The second version is that in the Turin MS. coté 44/158, I K 35,
a small quarto of the 13th century (copied A.D. 1331), of which the
first Part may have been taken from the St. Germain MS. 1239, with
a few copier's changes, while the second Part is singularly close to
the 3rd version in MS. 375 (formerly 6987) in the National Library,
Paris, which Michelant has printed. The Turin MS. (Mich. p. 210)
ends thus:—
XIIII jors dura la cours.Qant Blanchandins fu coronés,Sadoines est arrier alésO sa moillier de Carsidonie.Ensi se departi SadoineDe son compaignon Blanchandin.Nostre chanĉons prant ici fin.Explicit de Blanchandin.
The story of the later addition to the first version of the Romance
is thus told by M. Michelant on pages viii, ix, of his edition:—
'In the fight which ended in raising the siege of Tormadai,
Sadoine, who had slain the brother of Alimodes, was taken prisoner
by the latter, and sent to Cassidonie [Chalcedony], to be there put to
death. Blancandin sets out to succour his friend, and delivers him
at the moment he was to be strung up on a gallows, notwithstanding
the prayers of the daughter of Alimodes, who begged in vain for
pardon for her spouse. Alimodes is conquered again. But, during
the absence of Blancandin, his Seneschal—in whose guard he had
left the Lady-proud-in-love—gets together the chief Lords of the
country, and plots with them to carry off at once both the Crown
and Love of Blancandin, that he, the Seneschal, may force her to
marry him. Two vassals who remain faithful, conduct Orgueilleuse
to a castle, where the treacherous Seneschal besieges them. They,
however, find means to warn Blancandin, who hastens to return to
Tormadai to revenge himself. The traitor flees,—pursued closely by
Blancandin and his friend Sadoine,—and takes refuge at a neighbouring
brigand's, where he hopes to get rid of the two knights who
have isolated themselves in the ardour of their pursuit. They, though
received with apparent good-will, suspect a snare; they persist in
keeping their arms, in spite of the most pressing invitations to give
them up; and, seizing on a favourable moment, they cut to pieces
the band of robbers, and carry off their leader and the Seneschal,
whom they punish with death. After this exploit, Blancandin
returns to Tormadai, where he celebrates his nuptials and those of
his friend Sadoine, with the greatest magnificence.'
Such, says M. Michelant, is the new ending of the poem in the
MSS. of Turin and the French National Library, 375. The differences
of it in these MSS. consist only in this, that in the Turin MS.
the episode of the amours of Sadoine with the daughter of Alimodes,
the first interview of the two lovers, and the combats which precede
the taking of Cassidonie are treated at greater length, and with details
which are not found in the other version.Does not this point to the Turin version being the later of the two?
The chapter-headings do not agree, word for word, with Caxton's.
They divide the Story into 3 Parts, and differ in expression, as the
englishing of a few below will show:—
This present book contains 3 Treatises, of which the First
speaks of the birth of Blanchendin; how he set out from the court
(ostel) of his Father, and why; how he became a knight, and how
he kissed l'Orgueilleuse d'amours: the which first Treatise is divided
into 10 Chapters, of which the First tells of the birth of Blanchendin,
of the joy which sprang from it, and how he was put to study as
soon as he was of fit age (eut aage), and how he got on (profita).
The 2nd Chapter tells how, on the information (relacion) of his
Master, and also because of his own inclination, his departure is
settled (l. 125 of the Verse-text).…
The 10th Chapter tells in what manner Blanchendin managed
to kiss (parvint au baisier de) the Proud-Lady-of-Love, and of the
displeasure that she took at it (ab. line 687 of the Verse-text).
The Second Treatise tells how Blanchendin came to Tourmaday,
and how he fought his Host; how and by what means he recovered
the good-will of the Proud-Lady-of-Love, and of the imprisonment
of the above-named; and contains 16 Chapters, of which the First
tells of the sharp grief that the Proud-Lady-of-Love made on account
of the aforesaid kiss; of the arguments between her, and her mistress
who comforted her (ab. line 710 of the Verse-text).
The 2nd Chapter speaks of the threats of the Lady-Proud-in-Love
to Blanchendin, and how Blanchendin came to Tourmaday to lodge;
of the Provost, and the verses which he found on the Provost's door
(line 781 of the Verse-text).…
The 16th Chapter tells how Blanchendin slew the King of the
Giants; how Blanchendin was captured; of the grief which the
Lady-Proud-in-Love made thereat; how she sent the Provost to
(devers) Allimodes for the ransom of Blanchendin; and of the
refusal of Allimodes, and how he had Blanchendin shipt off (fist
enmener) by sea (line 1903 of the Verse-text).
The Third Treatise tells how Blanchendin behaved himself (se
gouverna) at Athens towards the King; of his return; of the conquest
of Cassidonie; how he recognized his Father; of the victory that he
won against Allimodes and against the traitor Subiien; and is
divided into 22Michelant prints xii., but gives headings of xxij. Chapters, of which the First says that Allimodes
had Blanchendin shipt off; and how, by chance, he (Blanchendin)
was saved from the dangers of the sea, and pretended to be a
Saracen (line 2119 of the Verse-text).
The 2nd Chapter tells how Blanchendin was retained by the
King of Athens, and brought to good end (lui acheva) a war that
he had in hand (auoit). (line 2285 of the Verse-text).…
The 22nd Chapter tells how Subien thought to save himself;
and the way he was taken, and then hanged (line 5954 of the Verse-text).
We evidently want an edition of the Brussels MS., to show its
full differences from Caxton's original.
As to Blanchardyn pretending to be a Saracen, the Verse-text
says (p. 75) that after escaping to land from the shipwreck,
Il est en .I. tertre montés:Devant lui vëoit tors assesHautes, qui furent Rubien,Un roi du lin Octevien.Octeviens fu rois de Grece;Rubiens fu roi de Losgece.Son barnage ot par grant poesteTrestout ensanle à une feste;Paiens i ot et Sarrasins.Lors se porpense BlancandinsComment il pëust escaper,C'arriere se puist retorner.Diu reclama, le fil Marie,Que il li puist sauver sa vie,Sarrasin dist qu'il se fera,Et lor langage parlera,Car il set bien Sarrisonois,Et bien Latin, et bien Grigois,D'une herbe son visage frie,Lors fu plus noirs que pois boulie.A tant s'en torne le marois.Devant sa tor sëoit li rois:Il ot la barbe et les grenonsDusqu'as orelles gros et lons …
To enable the reader to judge how Caxton's French-prose original
expanded and altered the poem, the last 50 lines of M. Michelant's
text are given below. The robbers arm to attack Blanchardyn and
Sadoine:—
Lors sont li laron haubergié,Puis issent de la cambre hors.Selvains s'escrie, li plus fors:"Signor, prendes ces .II. glotons.Fremes les huis que les aions.Si me faites cel pont lever,Qu'il ne s'en puissent escaper."Blancandins voit le traïson,Et a dit à son compaignon:"Companis, dist il, nos sons trahi.Ce sont larron que je voi ci.S'or ne deffent cascuns sa vie,Jamais ne reverra s'amie.Veïstes mais tele aventure?Mult par est fols li hom qui jureDe rien qui avenir li doie."Lors recommence li harnoie.Li larron les dansiaus requierentEt cil as brans d'acier i fierent.Au premier colp ocist Selvain,Blancandin le fiert de sa main;Après a l'autre porfendu,Et Sadoines i a feruA une hace qu'il trova;.III. des ciés du bu sevra.Que vous feroie plus lonc conte?Tous les ocient à grant honte;N'en escapa viex ne kennus.Subiiens i fu reconnus;Nel vaurent pas illuac ocire,Ains l'enmenront à lor empire.Le matinet, à l'esclairier,Joste le fu le vont loier.Asses li font et duel et paine;Puis donent lor cevaus avaine,Et de la vitaille au larronSe courrerent li baron.Asses orent, et un et el,Et el demain wident l'ostel.Si enmainent lor prisonier;Tant penserent de chevaucier,Que repairié sont à lor gentQui d'aus estoient mult dolent;Mais deseur tot fait grant dolorMa dame Orgilleuse d'amor.Mais quant son dru voit revenir,A ses .II. bras le va saisir,Et cil le baise, et ele lui.Là s'entrespusent ambedui;S'es espousa .I. archevesques.Ases i ot abes et vesques,Et menestreus et ionglëurs. .VIII. jors entiers dura la cours, Et Blancandins fu coronés,Et Sadoines s'en est r'alésO sa moillier en Cassidoine.Blancandins se part de Sadoine.CHI FINE DE BLANCANDINS.
As another sample, take the incident of the kiss, and note how
the prose writer has supprest much of the Maid-of-Honours' talk,
and has made Blanchardyn kiss Eglantine only once, instead of three
times. Orgilleuse's barons are talking of the uselessness of suitors
courting their mistress (p. 22, l. 633):—
Blancandins n'ot soing de lor feste,Ains chevauce, pas ne s'aresteDesor les mules Sarrasines:Là chevauchierent les mescines,Et si vont .II. et .II. ensanle.Li damoisiaus mult biaus lor sanleEt mult lor plaist à esgarder.L'une commenĉa à parler,Cele estoit fille au roi d'Espagne;Si le mostra à sa compaigne:"Ves quel dansel sor cel destrier!Com a gent cors per embracier!Ki'n porroit faire ses soulasA son plaisir, entre ses bras,Tos tans auroit joie d'amor;Jamais n'aroit nule paor.Car plëust ore au fil Marie,Qu'il fesist de moi s'amie!L'autre dist: "Ce seroit damage:Trop estes de legier corage.Si ne vous ameroit por rien;Mais en-droit moi seroit il bien,Car il est biax, et je sui bele,Virge de cors, gente pucele. Si ameroit miex mon deduitQue le vostre, si cum je cuit."L'autre pucele s'en aïre,Par mautalent li prist à dire:"Damoisele, trop estes baude, Et de vostre corage caude.Se or le voloit commencier,Ancui le porroit assaierLaquels feroit mix à plaisirU jou, u vous, à lui servir." Tant se sont entreamprosnéesQue andeus se fuissent mellées,Mais eles n'osent; si se tienent,Car Orgilleuse d'amor criementCascure forment le redoute,Et ele vient après sa route,Desor son palefroi NoroisDont li resne furent d'orfrois.La testiere fu bien ouvrée,.I. fevre i mist mainte jornée.Les clokes furent, et les serres,Aportées d'estranges terres.Li poitraus fu de mult ciere œvre,Mainte escalete d'or le cœvre.Toute la sele o le cevalFu covers d'un vermel cendal.De jouste li fu sa maitresse,Ki n'a perdue mainte messeEt mainte voie de moustierPor li et duire et castoier.Blancandins chevauce par forceTot .I. cencin, lés une roce,Et vit Orgilleuse d'amors.De li baisier fu angoissous,Et dist qu'il nel lairra por voirQue il n'en face son pooir,Coique soit ore del falir;Miex en vorroit après morir!Lors point son ceval, et eslesseEntre la dame et la maistresse,Jà nel tenra on por malvais.Cele part vint de plain eslais,Entre les .II. dames se mist,Et de l'autre tant s'entremist,Ains qu'ele fust bien acointie,L'ot Blancandins .III. fois baisie;Puis s'en torna grant alëure,Plus que galos ne amblëure,Mais tant comme cevax puet rendre,Car il n'a soing de plus atendre,Mais de l'escaper, se il pot.Ains se porra tenir por sot,Se Diex n'en pense, qui tout fist,Car Orgilleuse-d'-amor distQu'ele jamais ne sera lieDesi qu'ele ne sera vengie:"Car il m'a faite trop grant honte.S'il est fix à rois u à conte,Si perdra il demain la teste;Jà n'en ert de si grant poeste.A tant est këue pasméeDel ceval, sor l'erbe enversée.Mult en fu triste et courecieSa maistresse, plus ne detrie,De pasmison le releva.Oies comment le conforta…
Caxton's copy of his French original, which he sold to the
Duchess of Somerset, and from which he made the present translation,
was the same prose version which I have collated in Paris. In
the table of contents, in the headings of the chapters, and in the
whole drift of the narrative, both texts agree; there are but very
slight differences, pointed out in the footnotes, which may be either
due to the MS. which Caxton had before him, or, what is much
more probable, to the translator's system of touching-up his original.
The only known existing copy of Caxton's work, in the Library
of Earl Spenser, is imperfect. All the text after sig. M.iiij., and
one leaf after B.i., are wanting; they are now supplied from the
French original. See pp. 34 and 211 ff. Blades thus describes
Lord Spencer's copy:—
No. 78.—THE HISTORY OF BLANCHARDIN AND EGLANTINE. Folio.
Sine ullâ notâ (1489?).
COLLATION.—Imperfectly known. The introductory matter makes
a 3n [ternion], signed i, ii, iii, the 6th leaf being blank. A B C D
E F G H I K L M are 4ns [quaternions], and there were probably
several other additional signatures.
TYPOGRAPHICAL PARTICULARS.—Without title. The Type is all
No. 6. The lines, which are all of one length, measure 4 5/8 inches, and
there are 31 to a full page. Woodcut initials. Without folios or
catchwords.
The Text begins on sig. j recto, with a prologue by Caxton …
[and] finishes on the verso of the same leaf … The table follows on
sig. ij, with a 2-line initial … and finishes on the 5th recto, which,
however, in the only copy known, is unfortunately in manuscript.
This appears to have been copied from the very rare reprintWhy not from the chapter-heading on the last page of Caxton's Text? by
Wynken de Worde,An imaginary book. I can find no trace of it in Herbert's Ames, Bohn's Lowndes, Hazlitt, &c. the last 4 lines being:—
'How Blanchardin wedded his love the proude / pucelle in
amours: And of the grete ioye that / was made there . and of the
Kynge of Fryse deth. caplo liiijo.'
The 6th leaf is blank. On sig. Aj recto, the 1st chapter commences … As to the date there are only the typographical particulars to
guide us, which, however, all point to about the year 1489.
The only known EXISTING COPY is in the library of Earl Spencer.
It is, unfortunately, imperfect, wanting the 5th leaf of the preliminary
matter, A5, Bij, and all after Miiij. It is in a fair state, and
measures 8 3/4 x 6 3/4 inches.
One leaf (sig. L iij) has also been preserved among the Bagford
collections in the British Museum (Harl. MS. 5919, fol. 3 b), and
from this our specimen at Plate LIV has been obtained.
SALE PRICESYear.Sale Lot.Seller.AmountPurchaser.£s.d.1776783J. Ratcliffe360G. Mason1799IV.261G. Mason2100Duke of Roxburghe.18126360Duke of Roxburghe21550Earl Spenser
Blades, Life of Caxton, ii. 216-7 (1863.)
Of the edition of 1595—of which Mr. Christie-Miller has the
only copy—there are, in the present edition, two long specimens
under Caxton's text. Part I. of ed. 1597 is at Hamburg.
The shortest, and therefore the most ancient, version of Blanchardyn
and Eglantyne is that contained in the MS. 19,152 of the
National Library at Paris. In it the poet is kind enough to marry
both Blanchardyn and Sadoyne after their return from Cassidonie,
where they have killed Darie, the son of Alymodes, and conquered
the entire kingdom. The whole story answers to Caxton's chapters
1—42, and half of 43.
The Paris MS. 375, and that at Turin, add the taking of Sadoyne
in the Castle, Blanchardyn's setting out in order to save him and
the treason of Subion, as related by Caxton in chapters 43—56.
Thus far the report of M. Michelant, in his edition of Blancandin
et L'Orgueilleuse d'Amour (Paris, Librairie Tross, 1867), is right.
But with regard to the prose versions he commits a very gross
mistake. He believes the two only extant prose versions to be one
and the same. After having given a description of the Brussels
MS. he, referring to a short note dedicated to an unknown gentleman,
says:—
'Nous crayons qu'il est ici question du Duc de Bourgogne,
Philippe le Bel, qui à fait faire bon nombre de ces translations,
notamment celles de Siperis, d'Hélène, d'Eric et Enite, que l'on
trouve dans la même bibliothèque, bien que le second exemplaire de
cette translation semble infirmer notre hypothèse. Ce dernier fait
partie du fonds de Sorbonne No. 466, petit in-folio sur papier, aux
armes de Richelieu, de cent cinq feuillets à longues lignes, d'une
écriture du xve siècle, qui paraît postérieure à l'autre MS. La table
dont la première manque, contient en tout 54 chapitres sans division
de livres; elle diffère de la précédente bien que roman offre le même
texte.'
I really cannot conceive how the editor could venture to put
forward such a fallacy. The prose MS. of the Brussels Library has
not the least connection with that of Paris. They are quite independent
of each other, and differ not only in the Tables of Contents,
but also in the text. The Brussels MS. is a brief abstract of the
story,—as Michelant might have seen by the small number of leaves,
—while the Paris prose version is a full rendering of the romance.
Besides this, the former agrees with the poetic version as printed by
M. Michelant, in every name, while the latter, or Paris MS., exhibits
a most important alteration in the names of persons and places.
In the Brussels MS., as well as in Michelant's edition, Blanchardyn
kills Rubion, the 'roy des Gaians,' and is sent by Alymodes
to Salmandrie. During a storm he escapes, and comes to the shore
of Athens. He presents himself to the king Ruban, who makes him
'senechal' of his army, against his enemy Escamor de Beaudaire.
This is quite different in the Paris MS., in which Blanchardyn
is cast on the shore of Prussia, and comes to Marienburg. The
king of Prussia is pleased with him, and appoints him (Blanchardyn)
head-captain of his army. Meanwhile a wounded knight
arrives with the news that the king of Poland has invaded Prussia.
Blanchardyn, with Sadoyne, is sent against the Poles, and Blanchardyn
unhorses the king, who gives himself up as a prisoner.
What induced the author of the Paris prose version to alter
Athens into Marienburg? Probably he wanted a country better
known to the people of that time as a scene of constant war, and in
this respect his choice was very well made. After the Crusades to
the Holy Sepulchre had lost their charms, the knights of England
and France very often joined their colleagues of the Teutonic order,
who were in a state of constant warfare with their heathen neighbours
in Lettow (Lithuania), Ruce (Russia), and elsewbere. Compare
Chaucer's description of the Knight:—
'At Alisaundre he was whan it was wonne;Ful ofte tyme he hadde the bord bygonne,Abouen alle naciouns in Pruce.In Lettowe hadde he reysed, and in Ruce,No cristen man so ofte of his degre.—The Prologue, 51—55.
Forthy who secheth loves grace,Where that these worthy women are,He may nought than him selve spareUpon his travail for to serve,* * * * * *So that by londe and eke by shipHe mot travaile for worship,And make many hastif rodes,Somtime in Pruse, somtime in Rodes,And some tyme into Tartarie.'Gower, Confessio Amantis, ii., 5 C.
I feel grateful to Lord Spencer and Mr. Christie-Miller for so
kindly allowing their treasures to be used for this reproduction, and
I thank Mr. Graves and the other Officers of the British Museum
for the facilities they have afforded me. I am also indebted to Dr.
Furnivall for adding side-notes and head-lines to the text.
Vienna, Nov. 14, 1889.
Caxton's
Blanchardyn and Eglantine.
c. 1489.
[DEDICATION.]
Unto the right noble puyssaunt & excellent pryncesse, my
redoubted lady, my lady Margarete, duchesse of Somercete / Moder
vnto our naturel & souerayn lord and most Crysten Kynge henry þe
seuenth, by the grace of god, Kyng of englonde & of ffraunce, lord
of yrelonde, & cetera, I, wyllyam caxton, his most Indygne humble
subgette and lytil seruaunt, presente this lytyl book vnto the noble
grace of my sayd lady. whiche boke I late receyued in frenshe
from her good grace, and her commaundement wyth alle / for to
reduce & translate it in to our maternal & englysh tonge / whiche
boke I had longe to fore solde to my sayd lady, and knewe wel that
the storye of hit was honeste & Ioyefull to all vertuouse yong noble
gentylmen & wymmen for to rede therin, as for their passe tyme; for
vnder correction, in my Iugement / it is as requesyte other whyle to
rede in Auncyent hystoryes of noble fayttes & valiaunt actes of
armes & warre, whiche haue ben achyeued in olde tyme of many
noble prynces, lordes, & knyghtes / as wel for to see & knowe their
walyauntnes for to stande in the specyal grace & loue of their ladyes,
And in lykewyse for gentyl yonge ladyes & damoysellys, for to lerne
to be stedfaste & constaunt in their parte to theym that they ones
haue promysed and agreed to suche as haue putte their lyues ofte in
Ieopardye for to playse theym to stande in grace, As it is to occupye
theym and studye ouer moche in bokes of contemplacion; wherfore,
at thynstaunce and requeste of my sayd lady, whiche I repute as for a
commaundemente, I haue reduced this sayd boke out of frenshe in to
our englyshe: whiche boke specyfyeth of the noble actes and fayttes
of warre, achyeued by a noble and victorious prynce named Blanchardin,
sone vnto the kynge of Fryse / for the loue of a noble pryncesse
callyd Eglantyne, other wyse named in frensche 'lorguylleuse damours,'
whiche is as moche to saye in englyshe, as the proude lady of loue,
quene of tormaday: And of the grete aduentures, labours, anguysshes /
and many other grete dyseases of theym bothe, to-fore they myghte
atteyne for to come to the fynall conclusion of their desired loue / as
alonge by the grace of god it shall be shewed in thistorye of thys
present book / Bysechynge my sayd ladyes bountyuous grace to
receyue this lityll boke in gree of me, her humble seruaunt / and to
pardoune me of the rude and comyn englyshe, where as shall be
found faulte; For I confesse me not lerned, ne knowynge the arte of
rethoryk / ne of suche gaye termes as now be sayd in these dayes
and vsed: ButBat I hope that it shall be vnderstonden of the redars
and herers: And that shall suffyse.
¶ Besechynge allmyghty god
to graunte to her moste noble goode grace, longe lyffe / and thaccomplysshement
of hir hihe, noble, and Ioyes desires in thys present
lyff,
¶ And after this short and transytorye lyff, euer lastynge lyff
in heuen.
Amen /
HEre begynneth the table of the victoryous prynce
Blanchardyn / sone of the noble kyng of Fryse,
And of Eglantyne Quene of Tormaday, other wyse
callyd lorgoylleuse damours, whiche is to saye, the
proude lady in loue.
¶ The first chapitre conteyneth / how blanchardyn departed from his
fader and moder wythout lycence / ca primo [p. 11]How to fore his departyng he deuysed wyth his mayster, enquyring
hym of the bataylles of Troye the grete cyte / whiche he sawe
in tapysserye, the fygures of the knyghtes, and other affayresaffyares.capitulo ijo. [p. 14]¶ How blanchardyn departed wythout knowleche of the kynge his
fader, and the Quene his moder, and ledde wyth hym the beste
hors & courser that the kynge his fader hadde, and his goode
swerde. capitulo iijo. [p. 16]¶ How the kyng of fryse sent out men for to folowe and to seche
Blanchardyn his sone, and of the grete angre and displayser
that the kynge & the quene hadde / calo. iiij [p. 18]¶ How blanchardyn fonde in his waye a knyght wounded to the
deth by a nother knyght whiche had taken his lady from hym /
And how by the sayd blanchardyn was promysed to rescowe hir
agayn, & how he receyued thordre of chiualrye of the wounded
knyght / capitulo vo. [p. 21]¶ How Blanchardyn wente after the knyght soo ferre that he fonde
hym, And wolde haue enforced þe lady of[thorn]e of lady the hurte knyght /
capitulo vjo. [p. 25]Of the bataylle that [happed] betwene blanchardyn and the knyght,
whiche soo longe fought togyder that blanchardyn slewe hym,
and rescowed the mayden / whom he brought agayn to her loue
and frende, whome she fonde ded, wherfor the mayde deyde for
sorowe. capitulo vij [p. 27]How blanchardyn fonde a knyght whiche sente to hym a bote to
passe ouer a ryuer / and of the dyuyses that they had togyder /
and of the good chier that the goode knyght dyde to blanchardyn.
capitulo viij.o [p. 31]Of the deuyses and fayr exhortacions that the knyght of þe fery gaaf
to blanchardyn / and how he conueyed hym on the waye toward
Tormady curtoysly / capytulo ixo. [p. 34]¶ The x chapiter conteyneth how blanchardyn departed fro the
knyght of the ferye, and went all alone after thorguylleuse
damours. capitulo xo. [p. 40]How blanchardyn rode so ferre that he ouertoke thorguyllouse
damours, and kyssed her / For taccomplysshe his enterpryse,
wherof she was in grete sorow / caplo. xjo [p. 41]¶ Of the grete anger & sorowenWanting in the French. thorguylleuse damours had of the
kysse that blanchardyn had receyued of her, and of the complayntes
that she made to hir maystresse / whiche dyde grete
payne to appease her. capitulo xijo [p. 42]¶ How after that Blanchardyn had kyssed thorguylleuse damours,
[he] departed fro hirWanting in the French., and rode thynkyng all on her, tyl that
he cam to Tourmaday, & arryued at thostell of þe prouost, for to
lodge there: where as he dyd meruayllus armesWanting in the French.: Capitulo
xjijo. [p. 44]¶ How blanchardyn Iusted wyth the prouost and ouerthrewe hym;
and by two damyselles, doughters of the saide prouost, was
ladde in to their hous for to be lodged honorablyWanting in the French.. capitulo xiiij
[p. 47.]¶ How blanchardyn was richely lodged and receyued in to the hous
of the prouoste by his two doughters / and of the complayntes
that thorguylleuse damours made to her maystresse, of blanchardyn.capitulo xvo. [p. 50]Yet of the complayntes and grete thretenynges andWanting in the French.menaces that
thorguylleuse damours made to her sayd maystresse, of
Blanchardyn / capitulo xvj [p. 52]How thorguylleuse damours, after many remonstraunces whiche by
her maystresse were made to hir, bygan to modere et dechasser ensus delle her anger
and hate, whiche she hadde toward blanchardyn for the kysse.Wanting in the French.Capitulo xv.ijo. [p. 53]¶ How thorguyllouse damoursapres pluseurs remonstrances made thordynaunce for þe defence
of the cyte. And how the kyng Alymodes arryued & toke
the porte nyghe vnto Tormaday, where he sette his siege.
Capitulo xviijo. [p. 55]How a la
doughter of the prouoste brought to blanchardyn a whyte
couerture for his hors, and gaaf to hym one of hir sleues,
prayng hym to bere it on his helme / whiche he dyde gladlyWanting in the French. /
Capitulo xixo. [p. 58]¶ Ay parleOf the grete bataylle whiche was to fore Tormaday, ayenst the
people of kynge Alymodes / And of the grete prouesses that
Blanchardyn dyde that daye. And how thorguylleuse damours
becam amorouse of hym. And of the deuyses whiche
made to her maystresse of blanchardyn, and other thyngesWanting in the French. /
Capitulo xxo. [p. 61]How thorguylleuse damours, by the grete loue that she had sette
vpon blanchardyne / by cam moche Ialouse / & soreWanting in the French. doubted
leste he shold sette his loue in one of the doughters of the
prouost / for whom she sente moche hastely, & speke to hym
secretelyWanting in the French. / Capitulo xxjo. [p. 69]Ay parleOf the deuyses that were bytwene the prouost & thorguylleuse
damours, & of the grete loue that she had sette in blanchardyn /
Capitulo xxijo. [p. 72]How the prouost retourned home, & recounted to blanchardyn alle
that thorguylleuse damours had sayd to hym / & how she sent
for blanchardyn to com to her / þe whiche cam, & of the deuyses,
& how their loues were confermed. caplo. xxiijo. [p. 74]How blanchardyn retourned home wyth theretourned home with the = revint en lostel du prouoste, and the fayr
stede or courser all white, & of the sleue of cloth of golde,
whiche his lady thorguylleuse damours sente to him / and of
the grete bataylle bytwene blanchardyn & a geaunt, whiche was
slayn, & of the meruelouse prouese doon by blanchardyn: and
also how he was taken. capitulo xxijijo. [p. 80]How kyng Alymodes wold haue put to deth Blanchardyn / but at
the request of his doughter fayr & good / respyted hym of hys
deth / and how thorguylleuse damours sent the prouost to
alymodes to offre hym raenson for his delyueraunce, whiche
wold not accepte it. Capitulo xxvo. [p. 92]How daryus, by the commaundement of the kyng his fader, ledde
blanchardyn toward the kyng of salamandre / but the ship was
peryshed, & all drowned except blanchardyn / whiche arryued
on londe,on londe = a port & cam to þe kyng of maryenborugh, whiche reteyned
him, & made him conestable of his oost / ca. xxvjo. [p. 94]How a knyght wounded cam & reported tydynges to þe kynge of
maryenborugh, that þe kyng of polonie, his enemye, was entred
in to hys royalme wyth a grete armye.Wanting in the French.ca. xxvijo. [p. 100]How the kyng of Maryenborugh delyuered his sone sadoyn wyth
fourty thousand men to blanchardin for to fyghte wyth his
enmyes, and chasedjetter them oute of his royalme. Capitulo xxviij
[p. 102]How blanchardyn & sadoyn wyth ther armye dysconfyted their enemyes.
and blanchardyn toke þe kyng of polonye prysoner, whom
he delyuerd to þe kyng of maryenborough: et de lonneur quil fist a blanchandinca. xxix [p. 105]How daruys, sone of kyng Alymodes, by fortune of the see arryued
in fryse / where he tok the kyng, fader of blanchardyn, and
dyde there grete dommage, and ledde hym prysoner in to
Cassydonye. Capitulo xxxo. [p. 110]How darius arriued in thost of the kyng his fader, where he was
receyued with grete Ioye, bycause he brought grete foyson of
bestaylle, & almanere of vitayll, to þe oost.to the oost = quil ot amene du pays de frise a lost de soudit pere de quoy Ilz orent eu tresgrant dangiercaplo. xxxio. [p. 115]How the goode prouoste wente oute of Tormaday, And toke all
the bestayll / that Daryus hadde broughte in to the oostedu roy son pere /
And ladde it in to the cyte, Wherof they hadde grete nede.
Capitulo xxxij [p. 117]Ay parleOf the complayntes that Blanchardyn made: And of the grete comforte
that Sadoyne made to hym / promysyng that to his power
he wolde ayde hym. Capytulo xxxiij [p. 122]How Sadoyne toke leue of his fader and also Blanchardyn, and
wente to the see wyth a grete nauye full of men of armes / for
to socoure thorguylleuse damours / and of the goode prouoste
whiche they mette in the see, of whome Blanchardyn was
Ioyous.in the see, of whome Blanchardyn was Ioyous = en cheminCapitulo xxxiiij [p. 125]Of the grete deuyses of Blanchardyn and of the goode prouoste /
and of the lettres that he sente to thorguylleuse damours / and
of the Ioye that she had. Capitulo xxxvo. [p. 131]Yet of the Ioye that thorguylleuse damours had for the comynge of
her frende & loueWanting in the French. / & of the grete sorow that sone after she
demened, whan she sawe the tempest & fortune that so soone
put hym soo ferre fro the porte / Capitulo xxxvjo. [p. 134]How blanchardyn & sadoyne arryueden tofore Cassydonye, where
they fonde daryus, whiche cam and spake to theym /
Capitulo xxxvijo. [p. 137]Ay parleHow blanchardyn sleue daryus, & of the grete batayll where cassydoniens
were slayen & dyscomfyte, & the cyte taken / And how
sadoyne & the fayr beatryce dyd do baptyse theym & their
people. Capitulo xxxvjijo. [p. 140]How blanchardyn fonde ther his fader kyng of fryse, whiche ther
was prysoner / and of their pituose deuyces that thei had
togyder.Wanting in the French.capitulo xxxix [p. 144]
How blanchardynbanlchardyn, sadoyne, & the kyng of ffryse wente to þe see
wyth a gret puyssance for to com to socoure þe fayr orguillouse
damours, where they arryued in thende wyth right grete
Ioye, by the prouesse & valyaunce of armes that they dyde.Wanting in the French.Capitulo xlo. [p. 149]¶ How blanchardyn recountedreconuted to the kynge his fader, & to Sadoyne,
the beaulte and bounte of his lady: and of the prouoste whiche
cam for to mete theym / Capitulo xlj [p. 151]Of the grete Ioye that thorgulleusethorgullense damours had whan she herd saye
of the prouoste, the Ioyous tydynges of the comyng of blanchardyn,
her frende and loueWanting in the French. / caplo xlij [p. 157]Of the grete bataylle tofore Tourmaday ayenst the kyng Alymodes,
whiche was descomfyted / And of the takynge of Sadoyne: and
of the sorowe that blanchardyne made. Capitulo xliijo. [p. 160]¶ How Blanchardyn made hym redy, and toke his men in his shippe
for to goo socoure his felawe sadoyne, whom kyng alymodes ledde
wyth hym prysoner in grete distresse.Wanting in the French.Capitulo xliiijo. [p. 171]How blanchardyn put hymself to the see for to socoure his sayd
felawe Sadoyne / Capitulo xlvo. [p. 174]How subyon, to whom blanchardyn to fore his departing had lefte
the gouernaunce of his loue, thorguylleuse damours, had made
conspyracion ayenst her for to take hir to his wyff, & make hym
self kyng, & of his grete alyaunces& of his grete alyaunces = et ce quil en aduint / Capitulo xlvjo. [p. 175]How the erle of Castelforde: the prouoste, and the knyght of the
ferye, toke and ledde the lady by force to castelforde, maulgre
subyon & alle his puyssaunce. capitulo xlvijo. [p. 179]How the kyng Alymodes arryued to fore Cassydonye / & how he
spack to his doughter, the fayr beatryce. And for to doo her
despyte / he ded reyse a payr galowes, supposyng to haue hanged
theron sadoyne her husbonde. caplo. xlviij [p. 182]How the fayr beatryce sente socours to her husbond sadoyne, & was
rescowed fro deth / and brought wythin Cassydonye, maulgre
the kynge Alymodes / Caplo. xlix [p. 189]A leaf is out of the original. The next four Chapter-headings are taken from Caxton's text below. The last is from the edition of 1595.How Blanchardyn arryued in the hauen of Cassydonye, before
whiche Towne he founde Alymodos the Kynge.et se mist en ordonnaunce pour le combatrecap. l. [p. 191]How grete the Batayll was bytwyx Blanchardyn and kyng Alymodos
before Cassydonye, and how Alymodes was ouercome, take, &
broughte prysoner into the Cyte,et des nopces & of the Coronacyon of Sadoyn,
& of his Wyff Beatryse. cap. li. [p. 192]How the proude Mayden in loue sent the Prouost toward Blanchardin,
whiche after thees tydynges exployted so sore, that he arryued
wyth alle his Exeercyte nyghe to the oost of Subyon. cap. lii.
[p. 197]How Blanchardyn and Sadoyne dyscomfyted Subyon, and of the
grete bataylle and manere how he was taken, and what followed
after.Wanting in the French.cap. liii. [p. 202]How Blanchardin wedded his loue, the proude pucell in amours:
And of the grete joye that was made there, and of the Kynge of
Fryse deth.and of the Kynge of Fryse deth = et de la mort de subiencap. liv. [p. 206]
The first chapitre
¶ The first chapitre of this present boke
conteynethThe first chapitre of this present boke conteyneth = Et commence a parler how Blanchardyn departed
out of the court of his fader, kynge of
fryse / Capitulo. primo.[Caxton ed. c. 1489]
That tyme when the Right happy wele
of peas / flowrid for the most parte in
all cristen Realmes / And that moche
peple dyde moche peyne to gadre and
multyplye vertues / Regned in fryse
a kynge of right benewred and happy
fame of right benewred and happy fame = de tres horeuse renomme
/ loued / doubted and wel obeyed of his subgettis /
Ryght habundaunt of the goodes of fortune / But priuated
and voydeWanting in the French. he was of the right desyred felicite
in mariage / That is to wyte, of lignage or yssue of his
bodyelignage or yssue of his bodye = lignie / Wherof he and the quene his wyffe were sore
displesedsore displesed = tres desplaisans / I leue to telle the bewayllyngis and lamentaciounsbewayllyngis and lamentaciouns = regretz
that the goode lady, the quene, made full often
by her self al alone in solytary placesby her self al alone in soytary places = en lieux solitaires of her paleys
for this infortune.
¶ But she, knowyng the vertuouse
effecte of deuote and holy oryson / exercysed with al
her strengthe her right sorowful greuous herte to this
gloriouse occupacion / And after this fayre passetyme /
by veraye permyssion deuyne, conceyued a right faire
sone, whiche was named Blanchardyn / Now it is soo
that atte his byrthe and comyng in to this world,Now it is soo that atte his byrthe and comyng in to this world = a laduenement duquel
sourded and rose vpsourded and rose vp = sourdy one not acustomed Ioye and
gladnesse of the kynge and of the quene, of the prynces
and lordes, and of all the comyn people of the lande /
that Iudged hem self right happy of a successoure
legytyme / yf vnto you I wold recounte and telle the
Ioye and the myrthe that atte that daye was made / I
myght ouermoche lengthe oure matere / Blanchardyn,
the chylde, was taken in to the handes of a right noble
lady of the lande for to norysshe and bryngen vp.for to norysshe and bryngen vp = pour le nourir et esleuerThis is the first instance of a milestone in Kellner's rendition of the Caxton edition.But well ye knowewell ye knowe = sachiez that he was not hadde sore ferre
from the kynge his fadre, nor fro the quene his modre /
¶ For neuer daye nor owre the childe blanchardyn toke
noo fode of none others brestis, but all onely of the
quene his modres owne brestis.but all onely of the quene his modres owne brestis = que de celles de la Royne The childe grewe and
amended sore of the grete beaulte wherof he was
garnysshed. none can telle it you, bycause that it was
so grete, that god and nature had nothyng forgoten
there /
¶ Blanchardyn grewe in beawte / wytte and
goode maners beyonde mesure, and passed all other of
his ageWanting in the French.. Thenne whan he came atte thyssue of his
childhode, he was take for to be endoctryned in
lytterature and in goode maners / to a clerck, the
whiche wythin short tyme made hym expert and able
in many and dyuers sciences, that is to wyte, in
gramayre, logyke and philosophie.
¶ Blanchardyn,
emonge other passetymes, delyted hym self in hawkynge
and huntyngin hawkynge and huntyng = en chasses et valleries / where as right moderatly and
manerly mayntened hym self. Of the tables and ches
playingeplaynige, and of gracyous and honeste talkynge, he
passed them that were his elder in age. where as right moderatly and manerly mayntened hym self. Of the tables and ches playinge, and of gracyous and honeste talkynge, he passed them that were his elder in age = ou tresmodereement se contenoit des tables desches / De gracieusement et sagement deuiser passoit les plus sagies
de soy.
¶ And for to
speke the trouthe / he was naturelly inclyned, and vsed
alle that whiche the herte of a noble man appeteth and
desyreth / Reserued that he neuere had borne noon
armes, nor herde speke therof. Nor also had not seen
the manere and thusage of Ioustynge and tournoyingetournoynige /
And that was for bycause ofAnd that was for bycause of = Et ce par les the right expresse commandementes
of the kynge his fadre / doon to theym
that hadde the chylde in gouernaunce /
¶ Notwythstandyng
he lefte not to knowe theym / For it is sayde
in comyn langage, that the goode byrde affeyteth hirself
/ And so dyde Blanchardyn / as ye shall moweomwe
here heraftre /
Chap. 1.
The firſt Chapter entreateth of the
byrth of Blanchardine, his nurſſing
and his bringing vp. [edition of 1595]The editor, Leon Kellner, has made the following insertions above the chapter title: "(The first 6 Chapters of the edition of 1595)" followed by "[woodblock]".
Amongſt many antient Chronicles importing the
haughtie exploites of ſundry nations, Lords and
Princes, this ſtory of the valorous Blanchardine
deſerueth greateſt commendation of true and
perfect magnanimitie.
At the time when a generall peace concluded
throughout the moſt part of Chriſtendome,
when gentlemen and Noble Peeres made their
returne from armes, and applyed them ſelues to
domeſticall and cuntrie paſtimes:
There reigned a King in the Realme of Frize, redoubted for manhood
and prowes, abounding in goodes and poſſeſſions, reuerenced and
beloued both of his ſubiects and equalls, and moſt happie in all his
attempts, [ſauing in ye want of iſſue] to ſucceed him in his kingdome,
wherof, bothe he and the Queene his wife, were moſt penſiue and diſcontented,
and by mutuall complaints greatly bewailed this miſfortune.
But the Queene, deſirous to fruſtrate the ſcandal that might aryſe by
reaſon of her barrennes, day by day, (in moſte deuout and humble
manner) ſolicited the Gods to ſend her a ſonne; whoſe dayly and
deuout prayers, penetrating the heauens, by the permiſion and fauour
of the Gods ſhe conceiued and bare a ſonne, whome at the chriſtning
they na- med Blanchardine. This vnexpected ioy bred ſuch a contentment
to the King and Queene, and a comfort to all the Realme,
that after humble thankes giuen to the Gods, feaſts, banquets, and all
triumphes were proclaimed throughout the Realme of Friz. And leaſt
the Childe ſhould (by abſence from the Parents, through negligence of
the Nurſſe,) miſcarie, the Queene her ſelf vndertooke his nurſſing and
bringing vp.
The Childe grew in beautie, proportion, wit and manners, beyond
the expectation of all men. And when he was arriued to the age of
diſcretion, he was committed to the tuition of a graue and learned
Tutor, to be inſtructed in Philoſophie; by whoſe induſtrie and
painful labour, he ſoone attained to perfection. his exerciſes and
diſportes at idle times were hawking, hunting, and playing at Cheſſe;
and in ſuch paſtimes he ſpent ſome part of his youth, till his
maturitie and riper age made him deſirous to follow armes and feates
of chiualrie, as heerafter you ſhall heer.
The seconde chapytre
¶ The seconde chapytre conteyneth. how
Blanchardyn by fore his departyng talked
and deuysed wyth his mayster, demaundynge
of the bataylles of Troye, whiche
he sawe fygured in tapysseryes, And
the signyfycacion of the names of the
knyghtes, of theyre armures and of
theyre fayttes.Wanting in the French.[Caxton ed. c. 1489]
It happed that on a daye emonge othre / Blanchardyn
fonde hym self in aduyses wyth his mayster,
walkynge wythin the paleys. And by aduenture
entred in to a chambre, hanged wyth right fayre and
riche tapysserye of the destruction of Troye, Well and
alonge fygured. Blanchardyn, that neuere had taken
theratte noo hede, Ryght instantly dyde aduyse and
sette his syght toward the sayde tappysserie. And
coude not merueylle hym self to moche, in beholdynge
vpon the same, of the dyuerse and strange werkes that
he perceyued.
¶ Thenne dylygently he demanded his
mayster of the subtylnes of the werke, of thystorye
and of the personnages /
¶ And first recounted vnto
hym his mayster / the puyssaunce / the right grete
cyrcuyte and the noblesse of the cyte of Troyes.
¶ And syn the horryble and merueyllous bataylles of
the grekes ayenst the troians. the right grete valyaunce
of Hector / of Troylus, Parys / and Deyphebus brederen /
and of AchillesWanting in the French., and of many othre, Of whom he sawe
the representacyon in the sayde tappysserye, that sore
mouyd and styryd his noble and hyghe corage / And
gaffe hym awylle for to be lyke vnto those noble and
worthy knyghtes, wherof he sawe the remembraunces /
¶ After, he demaunded of his mayster, the names and
blasureWanting in the French. of the arpmes that the sayde knyghtes bare /
that well and alonge dide aduertyse 3the chylde. And
for tabredge longe taryengWanting in the French., to fore they departed fro
the chambre / by thynstruction of his mayster, he was
sage and endoctryned of the names and vsages for the
moost parte of thabylymentes necessary, and seruynge
to the werre / From that oure forthon the right noble
Iouencel Blanchardyn concluded in his corage, that he
shold fynde hym self, yf god graunted hym helthe, in
som place where by experyence he shuld lerne to bere
armes, and shuld exercyce and take payne and dyligence
vpon hym self to knowe the wayes of the same,
for the grete plesure that he toke in herynge therof
speke, thynkyng in hym self that the vse therof shulde
be to hym / ryght moche agreable and plaisaunt. And
so thenne departed from his mayster more pensefull
than he had be byfore tyme /
Chap. 2.
How Blanchardine, walking in his Fathers Pallace, accompaned
with his Tutor, he peruſed in the hangings of
Tapeſtrie and Arras, the ſack and diſtruction
of the famous Cittie of Troy. [1595 edition]
It happed on a day that Blanchardine and his Tutor, walking
within the Pallace of the King his father, and ſtedfaſtly
pervſing the abſtracts & deuiſes in the hangings, demaunded
of him what warlike ſeidge and ſlaughter of men that might
be, which he ſaw figured in the ſame; and hearing his
Maſter ſo to blazon ye warres of the Greekes, in this ten yeeres
ſeidge gainſt Troy, gaue more diligentdiilgent attendance, eſpecially when
he beheld the valiancie of Hector, Troylus, Paris, Diophœbus, Aiax,
and withall, the ingenious capacitie of graue Vliſſes, the large cercuite
of the Cittie, and princely buildings of the ſame, ſo that from that
time foorth hée conceiued ſmall delight in any thing, but only in
recording the magnanimitie, haughtie courages, and the great commendations
atcheiued by that victorie. Then queſtioned he with his
Maſter, of the blazonry of armes, and ye quartering of theſe coates,
which were portraied in the ſaid tapiſtry; wherin, beeing by him
moſt perſectly reſolued, his minde was more & more inſtigated and
pricked forward to atchiue the honor which others, in that map, had
(as he learned) acquired, ſo that (all other pleaſures and delights laid
apart) continually practiſed, both in action and in reading, the imitation
of thoſe valorous warres; neither thought he any time ſo wel
beſtowed as either in reciting, reading, or conferring of thoſe warres.
The thirde chapitre
¶ The thirde chapitre conteyneth how blanchardyn
departed wythout the knowlege
of his fadre, the kynge of fryse, and bare
awaye wyth hym his goode swerde, and
toke his goode courser / And of the
sorowe that the kynge and the quene
made for his departynge /[Caxton ed. c. 1489]
Blanchardyn, after the departynge that he made
from his mayster, cam in to his chambre al alone.
And there al his thoughtes he concluded in one, for to
fynde the manere and facyon for to departe out of his
faders hous, the kyngehis faders hous, the kynge = lostel du roy son pere /
¶ And it is not to be doubted /
but or euere he myght come to the chyeff of his enterpryse,
for to make his departynge, that his mynde was
full sore troubled wyth al, bycause of the dyuerse and
many conclusyons that his fantasyouse wylle dyde
present by fore hym / Neuerthelesse, all rewthisregretz layde
a departe, aswell for his fader as for his modre, kynrede
& fryndes, as other Infynyte thynges that are
wont to tarye þe corages of some enterpryses / concluded
by hym self his departynge, wythout shewyng tyl ony
body, & dyde so moche by his subtyll engyne that he
gate a ryght goode & riche swerde,Alimodes fut desconfit prins et mene prisonnier en la cite et des nopces et couronnement de sadoine et de la belle beatrix that longed vnto
the kynge his fadre, whiche afterward was to hym wel
syttyngebien séant / whan he sawe hym self thus garnyssed therwyth,
he was ful glad / Thenne went he all fayre &
softe dounedonne fro the paleys, euyn about the oure of
mydnight: the mone shone bright & faire. Blanchardyn
toward þe stables tourned his waye / where he
fonde, standing aparte, the best courser of þe kinge his
fader, whiche was þe fairest & the best that coude haue
ben founde in ony countrey at that tyme. So that for
the fyersnes of the sayd courser, he was kept in a litil
stable by him self, nere ynoughe the grete stables / The
Iouencel blanchardyn, Ioyful & gladde, cam & entred
in to þe stable, & sette the sadell & the brydell to the
riche and myghty courser, vpon whiche right quykly
he mounted; & smyting wyth the sporys, went his
waye anone, to thende that he shulde not be herde nor
aspyed of noo man. So rode he all that nyght, that
was to hym of auauntage, for cause of be mone that
spredde her bemes abrode, wythout that ony body coude
telle ony tydynges where he was becomenWanting in the French. / Thus
as ye here, the Iouencel blanchardyn all alone, wythout
companye, departed from the kynge his fader / the
whiche god wyl kepe & guide / so shal we leue him
drawing on his waye, & shal retourne to helpe the
sorowful kynge & quene for to complayne & wepe for
thabsence of theyre dere sone Blanchardyn.
Chap. 3.
The deuices of Blanchardine after he had left his conference
with his Maſter, & of his departure from his Fathers
Court, without the priuitie of any. [1595 edition]
Blanchardine, beeing come into his Chamber, penſiue and ſad
that he had not atchiued any enterprize, neither as yet had
lerned to beare armes, by reaſon of the tender care his
Parents had ouer him, concluded with himſelf the meanes of
his departure, and couertly practiſed with himſelf ſome ſecret way
for his eſcape, leaſt that the priuitie thereof beeing once diſcouered,
hee ſhould be preuented of his purpoſe.
In theſe perplexities and ſolitarye deuices hee ſpent great parte
of his time, ſur-channged with exceeding anguiſhe of minde, for his
aduenterous flight; and fearing leaſt pouertie might breed daunger,
he purueyed him ſelf of a moſt rich & truſty ſword, belonging to the
King his ſather, which when he had faſtned to his ſide, hee tooke
more courage then before; then, pricked forward with the ſpurre of
honor and armes, he foorthwith left his Parents and people ſurprized
with ſound ſleepe, and about the houre of one of the clock in the
morning, came to ye ſtable, where ſtood many gallant & ſeruiceable
horſes; but amongſt all other, hee choſe the courſer his father tooke
greateſt pleaſure in, whome incontinently hee ſadled and furniſhed
with a moſte ſumptious caparizon; whome, when he had made ready
(as he imagined), hee led ſoftly out of the ſtable, the Groomes, by
reaſon of their heauie ſleepe, hearing no noyes at all.
Thus finding him ſelfe free, and vnſeene of any, hee incontinently
mounted his horſſe; and, beeing mounted on his back, he poſted away
with all celeritie. But leauing Blanchardine on his iourney, that
way which fortune led him, I wil make mention what pittiful complaintes
were made in the Court after his departure, for his abſence.
The iiij. chapitre
¶ The iiij. chapitre conteyneth how the
kynge of fryse made to pursyew his sone
blanchardyn, & of the grete sorowe that
he & the quene his wyf made for hym /Wanting in the French.[Caxton ed. c. 1489]
After the partynge that blanchardynblancahardyn made, that
alone & wyth out companye rode lighteli, to
thende he shold not be folowed of noo man, The nyght
passed, & the fayre daye came, & the sonne rose vp
spredyng his bemes vpon the erthe, The owre cam
that euery man was rysen vp wythin the paleys / right
thus as many knyghtes & esquyers went there walkyng
& spekynge one wyth other, cam the yomen & grommes
of þe stable makynge grete noyse & crye for þe grete
courser of þe kynge, whiche that night was stolen fro
theim. So moche that the bruyt & the tydinge therof
ranne thrughe all the pallays. The kynge & the quene,
his wyf, atte that owre were rysen vp, herynge the
bruyt that there wythinne was made for that myschyef
that so was fallen, & had grete meruelle. dyuerse there /
weredyuerse there / were = assez fu that vnto them brought þe tydynge of the same.
but not long hit taryed, whan tolde and recounted was
to theim the harde departynge of theire right welbeloued
sone blanchardyn. þat al alone was gon no man
knewe where. whan þe good kyng & the quene vnder
stode þe voyce of theym, þat þe pyteouse tydynges brought
vnto theim there nys no tonge humayn þat coude to yow
recounte ne saye þe grete sorow & lamentacion that they
both togidre made / & so dyde al they that were wythinne,
for þe grete loue that they al had vnto þe Iouencel.
but þe lamentable sorowynge that þe king & the quene
made passed all other / for they were bothe fal in
swone, so that no lyf coude be perceued in theire
bodyes, but trowed all they that were present that they
had be bothe deed, wherof þe pyteouse cryes, wepyng &
lamentacions bygan to be more grete / so that thurgh
þe cyte were herde þe voyces, wherby they were soone
aduertysed, wherfor suche a sorowe was made wythin
þe palays / in the cyte & thurgh al the royalme / wept
ladyes / maydens / men & wymen / within a shortashort
while þe palays and the cyte were tourned from Ioye
vnto tristresse, & replenysshed wyth sorowe ful byttir.
The kynge & the quene, after that they had layen in a
swoune a goode while, came ayen to theyme self. And
the kynge ascryed hym self ahyghe, saynge: 'O my
rightbeloued sonn, the gladnes and Ioye of myn herte,
who moued you to leue me / and to parte soo? Certeynly
I perceyue in me the shortynge of my dolaunt
and sorowfull lyff.' After the rewthes and lamentacions
of the kynge, commaunded expressely to al his barons
and knyghtes in the cyte and thurghe alle the Realme,
that vpon the loue that they ought to hym, and vpon
asmoche as they entended to do hym playsire, That
they alle sholde mounte on horsbacke for tenquyre and
seke after his most dere and welbeloued sone, and to
brynge hym ayen vnto him. Thenne were anone
steryng out of alle partyes, knyghtes, noble men and
burgeys, and they parted for the cyte, toke dyuerse
wayes, enquyrynge in every place where they passed
by for to here and vnderstande some good and true
tydynges of the Iouencel blanchardyn. But so moche
they coude not seke nor enquyre that euer they coude
lerne nor here ony tydynges of hym, wherof alle dolant
and confuse tourned ayen to the kynge of Fryse, that
of this aduenture was full sory and dolaunt. And so
was his wyf the quene. I shal leue to telle yow of
the kynge and the quene, suffryng theym to demayne
theire rewthis and complayntes vnto that tyme and
oure shalbe for to retourne to the same /
Chap. 4.
The pittifull complantes made in the Court
for the abſence of Blanchardine. [1595 edition]
After the ſilent night had taken her pitchie Car to runne to
our Antipodes, Phœbus, being mounted on his glorious
coatch, entred the Horizon. the Groomes (according to
cuſtome), comming into the ſtable and miſſing the Kings
Courſer, ran heer and there, making moſt pittiful acclamations;
which, being ſuddainly brought to the eares of the King, the whole
Courte grew in an vprore what might betide of him, till being farther
enfourmed that his ſonne Blanchardine was no wher to be found,
preſent ſcoutes & poſtes were ſundry waies diſpatched, to make
inquirie after him; but all in vaine; for Blanchardine, being well
mounted, rode ſo faſt, that before day he had gone abooue twentie
miles from his Fathers Court. The Meſſengers, deſperate of his
inqueſt, in all places of their returne gaue ſtraight charge to the
inhabitants, that diligent ſearch ſhould forthwith be made throughout
the Realme of Frize for Blanchardine, and hee that could bring firſt
tidings of him to the Court, ſhould be moſt amply rewarded for his
paines. But when a moneth was paſt, and no tidings brought to the
King of his ſonne, Oh! the pit-tiefull outcries and continuall laments
that both the King, the Queene, and all the Court made, was farre
exceeding my capacitie to conceiue, & much more my pen to write.
But the Queene (whoſe tender care of her only ſonne was greater then
the reſt, vpon the preſent returne of the poſtes), ſounded with greif;
and remaining in this extaſie the ſpace of an houre, at length comming
to her ſelf, beganne her exclaimes in this ſort:
'Oh! vngentle heauens, by whoſe mightie powers all terreſtiall
things are gouerned, what diſaſters doe you continually heap vpon
our heads? oh! accurſed nature, that thus vnnaturallye thou ſhouldeſt
bereaue mee of the ioy of my ſoule, when my only ſolace reſted in
the happie ſight of my Blanchardine. and thou, accurſed earth!
why haſt thou giuen him leaue to walke on thee, from the ſight of
his Parents, whoſe ſolace is turnd to ſadnes, whoſe mirth to mourning,
whoſe bliſſe to bale, whoſe happines to heauines, whoſe life to
diſmall death? But, ah! fond Woman, what boote theſe booteleſſe
teares, theſe vncoth paſſions and tragicall complaints, when there reſts
no hope of recouerie?'
In theſe, and ſuch like extreames, the King, the Queene, and all
the Court did ſpend great part of their time; and, in theſe agonies, I
will leaue them, to recount what the aduenture of Blanchardine was.
The fyfthe, vj, and vij chapitres
The fyfthe, vj, and vij chapitres[Caxton ed. c. 1489]
¶ The fyfthefythe chapitre speketh how blanchardyn
founde a knyght on his waye
wounded to deth by another knyght, that
from hym had taken his lady awaye.
And how by the same, Blanchardyn was
made knyght, that promysed to rescue
his lady vnto hym. [Caxton ed. c. 1489]
As byfore ye haue herde of Blanchardyn, that alone
was departed wythout leue of the kynge, his
fader, holdynge the couert wayes, because that of his
faders folke he shold not be folowed or ouer taken / So
moche and so longe a space he rode wythout fyndyng
of ony aduenture that ought to be recounted or tolde,
that passyng forth on his waye thurghe the londe,
founde hym self in a hyghe waye brode ynoughe / that
ladde hym vnto thende of a greteagrete forest, in whiche he
entred and rode styl tyl the morowe none, wythout ony
aduenture whereof men ought to make mencion. And
so rode all nyght vnto the next morowe, tenn of the
clocke. And gooynge doune from a hylle in to a valeyeavaleye /
founde a knyght that lay there on the grounde armed
of all pieces, the whiche full pyteouslypyteouly complayned &
made grete mone / Thenne blanchardyn, seeyng the
knyght there alone taryed hym self, meruellyng why
nor what causewhy nor what cause = pourquoy ne a quelle cause moeuyd hym thus to sorowe and complayne.
He stode styl, makyng humble salutacion vnto
hym / and syth demaunded hym of the causes of his
sayde sorowe and greuaunce / The knyght, right humbly
and wyth a right lowe voyce, as heas he = comme cellui qui that hurt was
to deth / rendryd hym ayen his salewyng, & well alonge
aduertysed the Iouencel blanchardyn of his mysaduenture
/ shewyng to hym the place and the wounde
that drue hym toward to dethe by the hande of a
knyght that had taken his lady from hym, the whiche
thynge was but late doon vnto hym.
¶ Thenne
Blanchardyn, moued of pyte, alyght from his courser,Wanting in the French.
and sette fote on erthe, and disarmed the knyght from
his armures, and syth wrapped his wounde, wherof he
so sore sorowed, and dyde couere hym wyth his mantell,
axyng / yf he that Iniurye had doon to hym
myght be but lytyll ferre goon / The knyght answerd
and sayde / that he myght wel haue goon a myle and
nomore / After this he toke hym self to syghe full
sore, saynge / 'Alas! my right dere lady that so moche
I loued / This day shal the separacion be made of the
two hertes that so stedfastly loued eche other. I fele
deth atte thentree of my sorowefull herte, prest and
redyprest and redy = preste to make me pryuatedpryuatod of the swete remembraunce
of our entyre and feythfull loue / but moche more
werse and greuouse is to me that by vyolent opressyon /
that traytour that hath wounded me to deth / shall
enioye youre youghthe vnpolusshed.' To thees wordes
sayde Blanchardyn to the knyght, and prayed hymWanting in the French.
that he vousshesauff to helpe hym that he were doubed
knyght wyth his armesthat he vousshesauff to helpe hym that he were doubed
knyght wyth his armes = quil le aidast a adouber de ses armes / and that in fauoure and compassion
of his infortune he sholde auenge hym of his
enmye, and that he shulde yelde ayen his lady vnto
hymWanting in the French. / Thenne the knyght sore hurt to dethe, wyth grete
peyne rose up on feet, & armed blanchardyn with his
armes, & gaaf him þe necstroke of knighthode, & dowbed
knight for to strengthe þe more the good wylle þat he
had toward him / that tyme þethat tyme þe = alors que blanchardyn sawe
hym self armed of all his armures, he was right gladde
& Ioyous, & sore desyrynge for to auenge the dyshonnoure
& shame that to þe knyght had be late don / He
cam toward his goode courser, on whiche he lyght ful
quykly / the shylde alonge the brest, & the helmet wel
clos laced, the spere on the rest,the spere on the rest = la lance au poing & his goode swerde y-girdedhis goode swerde y-girded = sailly sur son destrier sans quelque auantage prendre
/ Whan blanchardyn sawe hym self on horsbacke
& thus wel armed, made a tourne upon the playne for
grete Ioye / & to þe knyght began thus to saye: 'vassell
enforce your self & take ayen your corage, for, to the
playsyre of our lorde, Your loue & lady I shal yelde
vnto you this day / & also youre enmye taken or ded' /
thenne brocheth blanchardyn forth wyth the sporys,
his ryche courser, takyng his leue of þe knyght sore
wounded, & kept the way that the knyght dyde shewe /
ful wel & right fayre dyde blanchardyn conteyne hym
self in his harneys, seen that neuer had borne non
armes a fore, & right wel halpe hym self wyth his spere,
& handled & tourned hit at his playsyre.
¶ The vj. chapytre conteyneth how Blanchardyn
went after the knyght so longe
that he founde him, where he wold haue
enforced the lady of the wounded knyght /[Caxton ed. c. 1489]
Blanchardyn, that wyth all his herte desyred to
fynde him that he went sekynge, rode forth
wythin the forest so moche, that he founde the foot of
the hors of hym for whom he wente in enqueste,
whiche he folowed ryght quykly, in so moche that fro
ferre he entre herde þe cryes ful piteouse of a mayden
wher by he thought and knewe for trouthe that it was
she that he went sekynge. So tourned he that parte /
& soone chose in the shadowe vnder a busshe the
knyght that he soughte, & the gentyl mayde or
damoysell dolaunt, & ful sprenct wyth grete teerys /
Ryght fowly handled & sore beten by the sayde knyght,
for the reffuse that she made to his shameles concupyscence
/ Blanchardyn herynge the cryes, & seeynge þe
wepynges, the grete sorowe & doleaunce of the vertuose
and noble mayden / broched wyth þe spowrys & swyftli
waloppyd that parte, tyl that he cam to the place where
as the sayde pucelle cryed so pyteously / Where as atte
thapproches that he made, said ful instantli to þe knyght:
'vassal, kepe þat ye nomore attouch þe pucel / & defende
youre self from me. for hir sake I wyl fight with you
in fauoure of þe good knight her truehertrue louer / þe whiche
falsly, as an vntrewe knyght, ye haue be trayd &
wounded vylaynously, wythout a cause goode or raysonable:
so yelde ye her ayen lightli to me by loueparamour / & I
shal lede her ageyn surely and saufly towards hertoward her right
dere loue.'ami
¶ The knyght thenne beholdynge the
Iouencell Blanchardyn that right yong was, and sawe
hym alone, Rose anone vpon his feet / all chaffed and
full of yre, as half madde for the contraryte of his
wylle that he founde in the same mayde, moche fyersly
behelde blanchardyn, & sayde vnto him, that in vayne
he traueylled for to require her from him for another /
in sainge to him that of suche purpose he wolde ceasse,
and that he shulde noo more speke therof, or ellys he
shulde shewe hym by his swerde / that the pursyewte
that he had made and wolde yet make for her / shulde
be to his shame / And that he shulde therfore dye
shamefullyshamefllyin that place.Wanting in the French.
¶ The vij chapytre conteyneth and speketh
of the bataylle that was made betwyx the
sayde knyght and Blanchardyn. And so
longe they fought that Blanchardyn slewe
hym sterke ded / and reskued the pucelle,
the whiche deyde for sorowe, bycause that
she founde her true louer ded.[Caxton ed. c. 1489]
Whan blanchardyn vnderstode the knyght thus
went thretnyng hym, and that so moche inhumaynly
entreated the gentyll pucelle / sayde vnto
hym, 'vassell, goo thou, and lyght vpon thy destrer. For
syth that by fayre meanes thou wylt not yelde ayen
the pucelle, thou most nedes deffende the nowe ayenst
me the right that thou pretendest vpon her.thou most nedes deffende the nowe ayenst
me the right that thou pretendest vpon her = Il te conuient contre moi deffendre le droit que tu y
pretendz a auoir. And yf
thou auaunce, or hasteWanting in the French. not thy self / I shal doo passe
this same spyere thrughe the myddes of thy body / For
thy lyffe is to me so gretly displeasaunte / But that
it were for shame that I see the a fote, I sholde haue
separed alredyI sholde haue
separed alredy = Ja te eust fait separer the sowle of the / from the body.'
¶ The knyght, heryng the grete wordes of the Iouencell
Blanchardyn / answerd hym, & sayde, 'o thou proude
berdles boyeberdles boye = garchon, and full of arrogaunce, ouer grete haste
thou makest to the purchas of thy deth whiche is right
sore nyghe, and the whiche I shal presente anone vnto
the wyth the yron of my spere whiche is full sore
trenchaunt' /
¶ Thenne wythoutwythont moo wordes the
kynght mounted hastely on horsbake, and toke his
spere whiche he cowched / and cam gyuyng the spores
ayenst blanchardyn, that had his spere all redy prest in
hande / Soo ranne the vasselles to gyder, and roughte
eche other by suche a force vpon the sheldes, that they
were brusen and broken all to peces; theire sperys (that
sore bygge and stronge were) broke also all to pyces.
And thenne toke theire swerdes, wherof they gaaffe
many a grete stroke tyl eche other / Blanchardyn sore
angry and euyl apaydesore
angry and euyl apayde = yre et maltalentif / of that he sawe the vntrewe
knyght to endure so longe / approched hym self ayenst
hym, and heued vp his good swerde wyth bothe his
handes, wherof he gaffe to the knyght suche an horryble
and dysmesurable a strok, in whiche he had employed
alle his strengthe & vertue, that he detrenched and
cut his helmet and the coyffe of stele in suche manere
awyse,in suche manere
awyse = tellement that the goode swerde entred in to the brayne
porfended, and cloue his hed vnto the chynne, and syn
wringed his strock atte the pullyng out ayen, that he
made of his swerde. So fell the knyght dounedonne from
his hors, that neuere moeued fote nor leggethat neuere moeued fote nor legge = que oncques puis ne remua pie ne jambe / The
pucelle thenne seeynge that she was delyuered by the
dethe of the knyght / wyst not what a manere she
shulde kepe, nor how to thanke humbli ynoughe
blanchardyn, whiche made the pucelle to lyght vpon
the hors of the knyght so slayne and deed / fro the
whiche incontynentincontnynent he dyde cut of the hed, & henged
hit atte forende of his sadel, for to shewe hit to the
knyght wounded, that he shulde take the more comfort
wyth the ryght wysshed desyre of the syght of hys present
maystresse /
¶ The noble pucelle, ryght desyrouse
to here tydynges of her right true louer / demaunded
of Blanchardyn whether he wyst not that her louer was
alyue / 'Bewtefull suster,' sayde blanchardyn, 'that
owre that I parted from hym I lefte hym strongly
greued and sore hurt, but I hope that yet, to the
plesure of oure lorde, we shal fynde hym alyue /
¶ So
late vs ryde a goode paas, to thende we may gyue hym
comfort' / 'Alas, syre,' sayde the mayden, 'I make grete
dowte, seenattendu his grete sore, that neuer I shal see hym
alyue / And yf thus it happed, that god forbede, I shuld
quyte and gyue vp the remenant of my lyffe. Syth
that we two helde but one party For our herte, thenne
shulde be departed, yf deth parted vs asondre in takynge
fro me my louer. and my parte shulde be wythout
powere, and as Imperfyht drawyng to the perfection of
his partye' / in suche deuyses as ye here, blanchardin
& the maiden rode forth tyl that they cam to þe place
where þe knyght her louer laye, whiche they founde
ded, & the sowle departed fro the body / whan the
pucelle sawe her feythfull loue dede, of the grete
sorowe that she toke therof / She fell dounedonne dyuerse
tymes in a swoune vpon the corps or euer thusaunce of
speche was in her restored for to complayne the intollerable
euyll that for this infortune enuyroned her
herte out of all sydes /
¶ And for tabredge, after the
rewthes, syghes, and wepynges that so moche incessauntly
or wythout ceasseWanting in the French. / made the noble pucelle,
fell doune sterk ded vpon the stomakle pis of her most dere
louere.
¶ This seeyngsceyng, blanchardyn right moche
abasshed hymself / and sayde in hym self that thees two
persones loued eche other full truly. wher of moche
grete pyte toke hym in tendryng theym,in tendryng theym = en soy rattendrissant so muche
that the teerys ranne dounedonne from his eyen / & right
muche dyspleased hym that he muste leue them there /
Ryght gladly / yf he had myght, wold haue brought
them bothe wythin some place for to gyue the corsses a
sepulture, to thende they shulde not abyde there to be
fode for birdes and bestes / But so ferre he was from
all townes, that agrete day Iournay nyhe were there
noo dwellers. wherfor it behoued hym for to leue
hem there, seeyng that noon otherwyse he myght doo /
But disarmed hym self of tharmures of the sayd knyght /
toke ayen his mantell, and syn departed, sore troubled
atte herte for the pyteouse dethe of the two trueWanting in the French. louers.
And also had wel in remembraunce the knyght that
he had slayne. Blanchardyn, all mournyng and pensefull,
departed & went his waye / And from that tyme
forthar began to fele a lytel of the state of loue / &
praysed & comended hit in his herte, and was remembred
of it allewayes /
Chap. 5.
How Blanchardine, hauing rode all night, found an armed
Knight, ſore wounded, lying on the ground, &c. [1595 edition]
Blanchardine, hauing rode all the night, and finding both
him ſelfe and his horſe begin to be wearie, and not any
aduenture woorthy recounting, traueling thorough a large
forreſt by many bye-paths (for feare of eſpialls), chaunced
at laſt to finde a man armed, lying groueling on the ground, all
imbrued in his owne gore, being by a knight moſte cowardly encountred;
who not only had bemangled his limbes, but alſo bereft
him of his looue and Miſtreſſe, which he had carried away perforce.
when Blanchardine beheld this moſte heauie ſpectacle, allighting
from his horſe, comforting the diſmaid knight, holpe to binde vp his
bleeding wounds, & withall inquiring of him ye cauſe of his miſhap,
& the man that ſo inhumainlike had left him in this diſtreſſe. hee
anſwered: "braue young Lord, I trauelling along theſe plaines,
tending my iorney to my houſe, diſtant from hence not paſt two
leagues, was on the ſuddain encountred by a vilain, who not only
hath left me mangled and wounded as you ſee, but alſo hath caried
by force from me my wife, whoſe abſence will be the preſent cauſe of
my death, and whoſe daunger brings greater ſorrow to my heart then
all theſe woundes which I endure."
'Why,' quoth Blanchardine, 'how long ſince departed hee hence,
and left you thus diſtreſſed?' the wounded Knight replyed: "ſcarce
half an houre agoe, he tooke his way towards yonder wood, and
caried my looue with him." then replyed Blanchardine: 'I neuer
yet until this day haue vndertaken armes; but let mee requeſt you
to honor me with the order of knight-hood, and I will pawne my life
to dye, or to recouer againe your looue.' Then ſaid the wounded
man: "I will not only make you knight, but withall (if you pleaſe)
arme you with this my armour and launce, that ſhall adde more
ſtrength to your courage; and beſides, I will exorate the Gods to
ſend you all happines, not only in this, but in all other your honorable
attemptes."
'Sir,' quoth Blanchardine, 'I thinke me ſufficiently honored by
this your offer; therfore diſarme your ſelfe ſpeedily, that he may not
be paſt recouerie, before I ouertake him.' So the wounded Knight
armed him, and inveſted him with the order of Knighthood. when
Blanchardine ſaw himſelfe thus arraied, his youthly courage prickt
him on; who, taking his horſe, mounted the Saddle, wher brauely
managing him vpon the plaine, to proue how well he could rule his
Launce, found himſelfe (as he thought) fit for this enterprize. And
ſo, with valiant courage and cheerefull countenance, hee tooke his
leaue of the w[ou]nded Knight, and poſted after the other, that had
carried away his wife. He had not ridden long, but he perceiued the
tracktes & footſteps of a horſe, that had lately gon that way; and,
following thoſe ſteps with a ſpeedy pace, he heard the pittifull complaint
that a Lady made, to appeaſe the raging luſt of a villaine, who
ſought perforce to rauiſh her: whom preſently hee found, hid vnder
the ſhadow of a leafye tree, beating ye poore diſtreſſed Lady, the wife
of the wounded knight. to whom, making ſpeedy approch, 'vaſſail,
(quoth he), deſiſt from this cruell and damnable enterprize! for I
ſweare by heauen, I will make thee repent this abſurd vilany.'
The Knight, feeing Blanchardine to be young, & greatly greeued
for his ſodaine approch, made ſemblance of much wrath; but Blanchardine,
with auſtere countenance & Princely voice, commaunded him
preſently to free the Lady, whom moſt wrongfully he had caried
away from her huſband, whom hee left almoſt ready to yeeld vp the
ghoſt.
The knight, diſdaining to be ſo vpbraid by ſo yong a knight,
beſtirred himſelfe preſently, and made him ready to the fight. But
(withall) commaunded Blanchardine to deſiſt from his enterprize
and leaue him to his pleaſure, (or if not) it ſhould coſt him his life.
Blanchardine, not able to endure theſe cruell menaces, willed
him to addreſſe him to the combat quickly, or he would send him,
body and ſoule, to hell: wherevpon he furniſhed himſelfe to the
fight.
The combate betweene Blanchardine and
the Knight.
Theſe braue caualiers, being mounted, encountred ech
other with ſuch agility, that their ſpeares ſhiuered in
the ayre; & each of them, admiring the valure of his
foe, and finding their launces broken, they betooke
them ſelues to their ſwords. long remained the fight
doubtfull, till Blanchardine, remembring the equitie of his quarrell,
and the honor he ſhould atchiue by this conqueſt, with all the agillity
and ſtrength hee could, (mounting himſelfe on his ſtirrops), ſo
feircely aſſailed his foe, that vnnayling his armor and vnlacing his
helmet, he ſent him to carry newes of Blanchardines valure, to the
infernall ghoſts: which when the Lady ſaw ſo brauely accompliſht,
ſhe foorthwith gaue thankes to God and him for this deliuerie.
Then Blanchardine, ſeuering the head of the ſlaine traitorous Knight
from his body, hung it at the pombell of his Saddle, and ſet the Lady
on the Knights horſe, and poſted towards the wounded knight. but
on the way, ſhee demaunded of Blanchardine in what ſtate he had
left her knight? to whome he replyed, that though hee were greatly
wounded, yet was he liuing. 'alas! (quoth ſhe), let vs poſt to
comfort him, with as great ſpeede as we may.' But approching the
place, where they found him dead, which ſight ſo amazed and diſcomforted
the ſorowfull Lady that, calling to heauen for vengeance
on the ſoule of her aduerſary, ſhe preſently yeelded vp the Ghoſt;
which ſtraunge event ſo amazed Blanchardine, to ſee ſuch perfect
amitie to reſt in two conioyned hearts, that leauing them, and diſarming
him ſelf of his armour (being to heauy for his cariage), he
tooke againe his mantle, which before hee had left with the knights,
and poſted away. but, remembring this integritie of affection
betweene them, he felt the ſting of loue to penetrate the intralls of
his tender hart.
The viij chapitre
¶ The viij chapitre conteyneth. how blanchardyn
fonde the knyght that made hym to
passe ouer the ryuere wythin a boteabote that
he sent hym. And of the deuyses that
they had to gydre. & of the goode chere
that the knyght made to hym /
Aftre that Blanchardyn was goon fro the place
where he lefte the two louers wythout lyffe / he
began to ryde faste by the forest, in whiche he was
bothe the daye and the nyght, vnto the morowe aboute
the owre of pryme, wythout aduenture to fynde that
doeth to be recounted.that
doeth to be recounted = qui a raconter face Ryght wery and sore trauaylled
he was for hunger & for thurste that he felte, For syn
that he was departed from his fadres house, the kynge
of Fryse / had nothre eten nor dronken / but onely that
whyche he fonde vpon the trees growynge in the grete
forest, as crabbes and other wylde frutes that are wonte
to growe in wodes.Wanting in the French. So longe rode blanchardyn by the
forest, that in comynge doun from an hylle / he sawehe sawe = Il choisy
there vnder in a playn a moche ample and a grete
medowe / thorugh which passed a grete ryuer wyth a
streme, sore bigge and right grete / Blanchardyn, seeyng
this riuere of so bygge a stremeastreme, so depe & so sore
grete, was moche abasshed how nor by what manere he
sholde mowe passe hit ouer. So descended and cam
dounedonne the hylle, and rode thurgh the medowe tyl he
cam to the banke of the ryuere, whiche he fonde grete
and large, wherof he was sore displeased, for Impossyble
was to hym for to passe ouer, tyl that by aduenture,
atte the other syde of the ryuere, he sawe a knyght
armed of al peces, that went hastly rydynge along the
ryuage; the whiche, whan he sawe Blanchardyn, anone
escryed hym self hyghe, sayeng / 'vassall, beware,
beware that ye putte / not your self wythin this ryuere
by noo manere for to passe hit ouer / For nother ye nor
your hors sholde neuer departe out wythout ye sholde
be bothe perysshed. Suffre alytel whyleSuffre alytel whyle = suffrez vous; For soone
I shal sende you a vessell for to passe for you and your
hors ouer'for to passe for you and your
hors ouer = ou nef pour vous passer / Thenne blanchardyn, herynge the knyght
that to hym wolde do this curtoyse to make hym passe
ouer, alyghted from hys courser, & sette fote on
grounde. Not long he had ben there, whan toward
hym arryued a marener, that brought hym a boote
goode and sure / that from the knyght of the fferyWanting in the French.
was sent vnto hym / he entred the vessell, ledynge his
hors by the brydell. Thenne began they to rowe, so
that wythin a short whyle they were ouer. Whan they
were passed ouer, they founde þe knyght, that awayted
after theym, that well and curtoysly saluted Blanchardyn;
whiche thanked hym moche of his curtoysy
that he had shewed vnto hym, of his goode aduertysynge,
and of the vessell that he had sent hym for to
passe ouer the ryuer / ¶ The knyght wyth grete merueyll
bygan to byholde blanchardyn. and the more he
loked vpon hym, the more lyked hym to be a childe
comen of a hyghe extraction / saynge in hym self, that
neuer noo day of his lyffe, a fayrer Iouencell had he
not seen / And that the disposicion of his membres
Iudged hym to be a man of grete myght. ¶ After he
mynded and dyde byholde he
mynded and dyde byholde = remiroit his Ioyouse esperyte, & his
assured contenaunce and goodely manereWanting in the French., that right
moche pleased hym / So aproched him self nygh
blanchardyn, and began to demaunde hym / axyng of
whens he was, and whyther he wold drawe to / Blanchardyn
full curtoysly answerd hym, sayeng / that he
was of the roalme of ffryse; & by cause, thanked be
god, that the marches there were in peas / he had sette
hym self to Iournaye / for to fynde som contreye
where werre was, for to proue his barnag, excercisyng
hym self in the noble crafte of armes for tacquyre lawde
& pryce as tyl a knyght apparteyneth / Thenne the
knyght, heryng þe haulte corage & goode wylle that the
yonge knyght Blanchardyn had, was ryght well
apayedryght well
apayed = trescontent of that answere, and praysed & comended hym
ryght moche in his herte.
Chap. 6.
How Blanchardine came to a riuer, which he could
not paſſe, and the knight of the Ferry ſent
him a boate to paſſe him ouer. [1595 edition]
Long ridde Blanchardine through the forreſt, till at length
he came to a high hill, at the foote wherof there ran a
riuer, moſt deep and perillous; whether, when Blanchardine
was come, he, trauerſing vp and doune to finde a
paſſage, was eſpied by the knight of the ferry, and by him aduiſed
not to venter ouer (in any caſe), becauſe there was no landing on the
other ſide. Blanchardine alighting, thanked the knight much, &
requeſted the boate to ſhip him ouer, which the knight of the Ferry
preſently diſpatched away. Blanchardine, entring the boate, was by
the in-duſtry of two Mariners conducted to the further ſhore; at
whoſe arriuall, the knight of the Ferry attended to receiue him, with
ſuch kinde and courteous ſalutations, that much encreaſed Blanchardines
loue towards him. and the knight, preciſely veiwing the
ſingular beautie of Blanchardine, mixt with a kinde of maieſtie and
courage, requeſted to knowe the place of his abode, and the cauſe of
his comming thither. to whome Blanchardine, with princely grace
and eloquent ſpeech, related at large the Cuntrey where he was born,
& the aduenture that mooued him to trauell, which was by reaſon
4 sign. B 3.
that all parts about the Realme of Frize, were ſetled in tranquilitie
& quiet: and heerupon hee vndertooke this inqueſt, to acquire honor
and fame by his Chiualrie.
The knight of the Ferry, much delighted with this braue reſolution,
and highly commending the valour of Blanchardine (beeing ſo
young, and yet of ſo haughtie courage), requeſted him home to his
houſe, where bothe him ſelf and his horſe did reſt, and refreſhed
themſelues for a day or two. Then Blanchardine (loth to linger, or
make longer ſtay) craued leaue of his gentle hoſt, ye knight of the
Ferry, to depart; who, accompaning him a little way, diſcourſed at
large the ſtate of that Country vnto him, and many other nouels,
which heer after ſhalbe ſhowen.
The ix. chapitre
¶ The ix. chapitre conteyneth and speketh
of the deuyses and fayre exortynges that
the knyght of the feery made vnto
blanchardyn, and how he conueyed hym
vnto the waye of Tormaday /
After many dyuyses made betwene the knyght and
blanchardyn by the shorys of the ryuere, the
knyghtA leaf wanting in Caxton, now supplied from the French original. [le mena en son chastel, ou Il fut receu en grant
reuerence par la femme de dud cheualier / Se on pensa
bien de lui et de son destrier pas nest a demander, Coer
de tous les biens dont on pouoit corps dhomme aaisier,
blanchandin en fut seruy ainsi comme bien en auoit
mestier
¶ Blanchandin, apres ce quil ot mengie a son
aise et que Ilz furent leuez de table, demanda et enquist
au cheualier comment auoit nom la marche et le pays
ou Il estoit arriue
¶ Le cheualier, oyant le Iouencel, lui
respondy, et dist quil estoit seruiteur a la pucelle de tourmaday,
qui estoit succedee a la couronne du Royaulme
de darye, dont tourmaday estoit le chief et la maistresse
cite dudict royaulme / dont assez p[r]es estoit marchissant
vng roy payen tresancien, nomme alimodes de
cassidonie, qui par sa force et grandeur veult auoir a
femme ladicte damoiselle, lorguilleuse damours, et que
pluseurs grans princes chrestiens eussent bien voulu auoir
pour la grant bonte delle, et la noblesse de son royaulme
qui moult est riche
¶ Mais par le refus que la pucelle
a fait au roy alimodes, Il sest prepare et mis en ordre
pour faire grant guerre a ladicte pucelle, pour ce que
tant on luy auoit loee et prisee pour la tresexcellente
beaute qui est en elle, et aussi les tresgrans vertus dontelle est aournee, La quelle, entre les autres pucelles du
monde, est reputee la supellatiue / Se sa beaute, son humilite,
et les biens qui sont en elle, vous vouloye au long
raconter, trop vous pourroie tenir
¶ Neanmoins Ia soit
ce que elle soit telle comme vous me oez dire, si comme
toute commune vise recite, on ne la pourroit trop louer et
prisier
¶ La cause si est pour ce que elle na oncques
volu ne veult prester ses oreilles aux offres, prieres ne
requestes, que nullui ait fait en amours, tant feust grant
ne bien adreschie. Elle en est appelee de tous princes
pres et loingtains, 'lorguilleuse damours' Ia soit ce quelle
ait nom 'englentine'
¶ Blanchadin a grant merueilles
escoutoit le cheualier parler si gracieusement se deuisoit
que le chiualer ne se pouoit assez esbahir comment le
Ione chivaler pouoit auoir desia tant de vertus, comme
de excellente beaute, gracieusete et prudence, dont a
ceste occasion ne se polt tenir quil ne dist blanchandin
¶ 'Pleust ores a dieu sire que ma maistresse, lorguilleuse
damours, eust de vous fait son amy, par ainsi ce feust
voutre vouloir et vous la deussiez deffrendre (sic) alencontre
du roy alimodes'
¶ Blanchandin lors respondy
au cheualier, et lui dist, 'Sire, Ie vous remercie du bien
et de lonneur que vous me voulez; mais Ie congnois assez
que vng si grant bien ne mest pas deu, et que oultrecuidance
seroit a moy de y vouloir penser, veu que
comme vous dictes, tant de gens de bien lont voulu
requerre, et que pour riens elle ne veult oyr priere]
nor requeste of noon of theym / be he neuer of so
grete perfection.' 'Certes' / sayde thenne the knyght,
'me semeth not / that this manere at long rennynge
may endure the arowes of loue, ne hir dartes right
sharp / som daye / yf god be plesed / shall not be
ydle about her / But peraduenture she so quykly
hitte atte her herte ther wyth all, that daunger nor
refuse shal haue nomore lawe for to rule nor gouerne
hir prowde corage / as touching loue.
¶ God gyue
grace that this may be soone. and that he to whom we
wolde wysshe moste good in this worlde, be cause of
the reformacion of suche an obstynate wylle' / Moche
humbly remercyed blanchardyn the knyght, excusynge
hym self in dyuers facions by gracyouse langage of this
thynge. How be it,How be it = Ja soit ce that with in hym self alredy, by
thadmonestynge of the goodWanting in the French. knyght, byganne for to
desyre the goode grace of the same proude pucelle in
amours, wythout makynge of eny semblaunt, nor to
dyscouere it to the knyght.
¶ After many wordes
seruyng to the purpos afor sayd, and vtteryd betwyxt
them bothe / the knyght sayd vnto Blanchardyn,
'Syre, ye be a right fayre Iouencell, and of noble
representacion, well syttyng on horsbacke, and tyl a
wysshe wel shapen of alle membres / And to my
semynge right wel worthy to haue the grace and fauore
of the right gentyll damoyselle, the proude mayden
in amours. Soo thenne, after my counseyll, my aduyse
is that theffecte that shal procede therof shal be to you
moche prouffytable / I haue told you her byfore, that
the paynem kynge Alymodes apparreylleth hym self to
make werre to my lady, my maystresse, the proude
pucelle in amours, and commeth for to be-syege the
cyte of Tormaday. And for this cause departeth now
my sayd lady from a castell of hers,from a castell of hers = dun sien chastel not ferre hens, &
draweth toward Tormaday for to gyue a corage to the
knyghtes and other men of werre, that ben in the
towne for the deffense of the same ayenst the kynge
Alymades. Right well it were your fayt and weltheWanting in the French. /
for to goo rendre your persoune vnto her, for to serue
her as a soudyoure for tacquyre praysynge of worthynesse
and goode renomme, that thurghe this cause
shall mowe growe to your ward, somoche that the bruyt
wherof haply shal come to her knowlege, vnto the
preiudyce of her pryde dampnable / And to the felycyte
of your benewred persounethat thurghe this cause
shall mowe growe to your ward, somoche that the bruyt
wherof haply shal come to her knowlege, vnto the
preiudyce of her pryde dampnable / And to the felycyte
of your benewred persoune = qui a ceste cause vous pourra accroistre et auconter tant que le bruit espoir viendra a sa rongnoissance ou preiudice
de son dampnable orgueil / et a la felicite de vostre bieneuree
personne / deseruynge ther-by her
goode grace / I doubtedobute not / but that ye shall fynde
her by the waye / Ryght nobly accompanyed of
knyghtes and noble men, of seruauntes / of ladyes and
damoyselles / And by cause of her delyciouse custume
and tendernes of her selff, she rydeth the lytyl paasthe lytyl paas = a petit pas
vpon her swete and softe palfrayeher swete and softe palfraye = sa haguenee / And of her custome
whan she rydeth by the feldes awaye / she commeth
allewayes behynde, ferre ynoughe from all her folke,
hauynge onely besyde her a goode auncyent damoysell,
whiche dyde norysshe her of her brestys in her moost
tender and yonge age / And is called her nouryce and
maystresse. Wherfore I counseylle you to fynde the
waye and the manere for to haue a kysse or cusseWanting in the French. of
her mouth, how so euer that it be / Yf ye doo so, I
ensure yow ye shal be the happyest of alle other / For
my herte Iudgeth yf ye may haue that onely cusse /
and ye wyll but yf it be long on yowbut yf it be long on yow = se a vous nen tient / hit shal be
occasyon of a loue inseparable betwyx her and you in
tyme to come / How be it I knowe right wel, and
make no doubte at all / but that first of all hit shall
tourne / for pryde of her, tyl a grete displeasire vnto
her, and shal be therof wors apayed more then reason
requyreth.
¶ But care you not for that / ye be well
horsed; passe forthe wyth the spore wythout eny
spekynge as for that tyme, and ryde fast awaye,
wythout taryeng, tyl ye come to Tourmaday / And
whan ye come there, thynke to do that wher-by ye
may be comended.'
¶ whan Blanchardyn herd the
knyght thus speke, he was ryght glad, and promysed
hym to do soo yf possyble were to hym, what someuere
shold falle therof /
¶ And after the curteys thanke / that
wel coude make, Blanchardyn toke his leuetoke his leue = voult prendre conge of the
knyght, and of the lady his wyf, thankyng the knyght
of the goode counseyll and aduertysinge that he had
gyuen vnto hym / Thenne departed forth the chylde
Blanchardyn / But the knyght, that was right curteys,
guyded hym & conduyted a whyle, and shewed hym
the waye that he muste holde for to furnysshe his entrepryse
/ Prayeng our lord god that a gode adouenture
he myght fynde, as the herte of hym dyde desyre /
and syn toke leue of Blanchardyn, and tourned homward
ageyne /
CHAP. 7.Caxton's Chap. xi. corresponds to Chap. 8 of ed. 1595.How the Knight of the Ferry diſcourſed at large to Blanchardine the
ſtate of the Countrey, and the beautie of the Princeſſe thereof.[1595 edition]
After this freendly repaſt, which Blanchardine had receiued
with the Knight of the Ferry, Blanchardine riding ſoftly
on the riuer ſide with the knight in his companie, requeſted
him to enforme him of this Country, & the ſtate thereof,
vnder whoſe gouernment it then was: The knight, moſt
deſirous to ſatiſfie Blanchardines requeſt, beganne in this
ſort to vnfolde the circumſtance: "This Countrey (quoth
he) is called Dalmacia, wherof Tormaday is the principall
and cheife Cittie, gouerned by the moſt beautifull, chaſte & princely
Lady Eglantine, who is now regent and Queene therof: and by reaſon
that diuers Kings, Lords & Princes haue ſolicited her in mariage
(allured through her magnificencie and ſurpaſſing beautie, which all
the world admyreth), yet her chaſt life, beautified with virginitie,
controles and countermaundes loue and all his lawes. And heeruppon
ſhe is ſurnamed Eglantine the faire, Queene of Tormayday: yet the
proude Lady in looue. But not farre hence there is a proude Panim
King, called Alimodes of Caſſidone, that would haue enforced our
Princeſſe to marry him, after the refuſall of many chriſtian kings:
and by reaſon of her denyall, he is now preparing to inuade her
dominions; and that which he cannot winne by looue and promiſes,
he will attempt by fire and ſwoorde: for her beautie hath carryed
ſuch prayſe and commendation throughout the world, that all the
neighbouring Princes haue proſecuted her loue; and euery one hath
giuen ouer his ſute, ſauing Alimodes: & hee (I ſay) whome no
anſweres will ſatiſfie, endeuoreth to compell her to wed him by force.
Now (if it ſhall pleaſe God) that you, by your haughty prowes and
manly courage, ſhall defend her from Alimodes, I doubt not but that
in time (conſidering your excellencie of perſon and princely behauiour)
ſhee may conſent to be your wife:' 'alas, Sir (quoth Blanchardine),
can you imagine any poſſibilitie in mee to obtaine her whome ſo
many Princes of high eſtates haue vndertaken, and haue their intents
and purpoſes annihilated? no, no, Sir, I neither can [n]or will preſume
ſo high: but all the ſeruice that my abilitie is able to perfourme,
ſhall reſt at her imployment and commaund.'
'Wel, ſir,' anſſwered the knight of the ferry, 'nothing is impoſſible
in loue; and although ſhe haue been hetherto moſt obſtinate
and peruerſe in liking; yet loue may chance to make ſeizure vpon
her tender heart, when ſhee leaſt ſuſpecteth.
'And by reaſon of the entire affection I beare you, (ſeeing you
ſo reſolute to performe any thing for our Countries good,) If it ſhall
pleaſe you to bee rulde by my aduice, I will vndertake that our
Queene ſhalbe your wife, and thus it is:
'The King Alimodes (as I tolde you) intendes warre to our
Princeſſe.' ...
¶ The x. chapitre conteyneth. how Blanchardyn
parted fro the knyght of the Fery,
and rode on his waye al alone after
the proude damoyselle in amours, for
tacomplysshetacomplyssse his desyrable entrepryse,
as folowethWanting in the French. /
Aftre that þe knyght was retourned home, blanchardyn
bygan to ryde on a good paas, desiring
with all his herte to ouertake þe proude pucell in
amours, for to fulfylle his desyre and the promesse that
he made to the knyght /
¶ So thought he moche in
hym self by what manere he myght execute and brynge
at an ende the werke that he hath vndertaken, that is
to wyte, to kysse the proude mayden in amours, wherof in this manere of thoughte was his noble herte all
affrayed and replenysshed wyth grete fere lest he shold
faylle of his entrepryse / For wel it was thaduis of
blanchardyn that the thyng ought well to be putte in a
proffeought well to be putte in a
proffe = deuoit aduenir / syth his promesse was thus made to the knyght.
And for this cause entred wythin his thoughte a drede
as for to be so hardy that he sholde vaunce hym self
for to kysse suche a pryncesse that neuer he had seen
byfore / And wherof thacquentaunce was so daungerouse.
But loue, that wyth her dart had made in his
herte a grete wounde, admonested hym for to procede
constantly to his hyghe entrepryse. And after all
varyablenes and debates y-brought at an ende wythin
the mynde of this newe louer, his resolucion fynall
was / that he sholde putte peyne for to haue a cusse of
the proude pucelle in amours, al thoughe deth sholde
be vnto him adiudged onely for this cause; And herupon
went Blanchardyn sayenge: 'O veraye god, how
well happy shold myn herte be, that presently is ouer
moche pressed by cause of myn enterpryse, yf I myght
obteyne that one cussynge / And yf myn infortune or
feblenes of corage sholde lette me for this aduenture
that so sore I desyre / Deth make an ende of me' /
¶ The xj. chapitre speketh how Blanchardyn
ouertoke the proude mayden in amours
and kyssed her, wherof she toke a grete
anger /
Thus as ye here the Iouencell Blanchardyn went
stryuyng in herte, for fere that he had, lest he
myght not brynge his entrepryse at an ende, and rode
thus, thynkinge a goode while tyl that soone after he
herde the bruyt and the voyces of the proude pucelle
in amours folke / and in tornynge of a narowe waye /
by the knowlege that the knyght of the Fery had yeuen
to hym of her araye / knewe that it was she that he
went sekynge / & thought it was tyme to endeuoyre
hym self. he gaf the spore to þe hors & forced hym as
moche as he coude, for to ouertake the fayre pucelle,
Soo that by his dylygence taken wyth an ardaunt desyre
/ fonde hymself nyghe her and of her maystres
wythin a short space of tyme.
¶ Blanchardyn seeyng
the oure and the poynt that he sholde furnysshe hys
enterpryse that ful sore he desyred to fynysshe, smote
hys courser wyth the spore for to kysse her as he furth
by her went,as he furth
by her went = en passant wherof happed, by þe bruyt that his hors
made, that she loked bakward for to se what he was
that so hastely rode after her. And so well it fortuned
Blanchardyn that bothe theyre mouthes recountred, and
kyst eche other fast /
¶ Yf blanchardyn was right
glad of this aduenture / It is not to be axed. And of
that other party the proude mayden in amours coude
not kepe her behauoure in this byhalue for the grete
dyspleasyre that she toke therforede ce baisier / But blanchardyn
wyth a glad chere waloped his courser as bruyauntly as
he coude thurghe the thykkest of all the folke / lepyng
alwaye here and there, as hors and man had fowgthen
in the thayerfowgthen
in the thayer = volassent en lair / And dyde so moche in a short while
that he had passed ladyes & damoselles / knyghtes and
squyers, & all the grete companye of this proude pucelle
in amours / gyuyng a gracyouse and honourable salutacion
to them all where he went forth by. It is not to
be axed yf he was well loked vpon of all them of the
rowte /
¶ And in especall of the ladyes and gentyl
women, that all in one sayde he was a knyght right
goode and fayre, and that it semed wel by countenance
to be a man comen of hyghe extraction, merueyllyng
hem self what he myght be, and fro whens he came
there thus alone wythout eny companye.
¶ The xij. chapitre conteyneth and speketh
of the grete wrathe and anger that the
proude mayden in amours had for the
kysse that Blanchardyn had taken of her.
And of the complayntes that she made
ther fore vnto her maystres, that peyned
herself full sore for to pease her / as
herafter foloweth /Wanting in the French.
Whan Blanchardyn sawe that he had brought at
an ende his enterpryseeuterpryse, And that he had passed
alle the rowtes and compaynes of the proude pucelle in
amours, he was ryght glad of this fayre aduenture / Soo
toke his waye as right as he coude, as was tolde hym
by the knyght, and rode toward Tourmaday.
¶ A
lytyl shal here ceasse oure matere to speke of hym /
vnto tyme and oure shal be for to retourne to the
same / And shal shewe the sorowes and the complayntes
of the proude pucelle in amours / and the
manyere that she kept after the kysse that blanchardyn
toke of her.
¶ Incontynente that she felte her self to
be thus sodaynly kyst of a man straungerman straunger = homme estrange out of her
knowlege, she fell doune from her amblere as a woman
from her self and in a swoneas a woman
from her self and in a swone = haguenee comme vne femme oubliee et pasmee / And whan she myght
speke vnto her maystresAnd whan she myght
speke vnto her maystres = Et quant elle polt parler dist a sa maistresse / that he that this Iniurye
had doon to her what so euer he be / Yf he may come
in her handes or in her power, noon shal mowe saue
hym / but he shal lese his hed for the same /
¶ Of
the teerys that from her eyen fyll doune, her gowne
that she had on was therof charged as grete shoure of
rayne had come doune from the heuens / thenne her
maystres, that sage and dyscrete was / comforted her,
blamyng gretly þe grete sorowe that she made for a
cusse / but þe proude pucelle in amours kept so hard
that same kisse in her corage, whiche she reputed for
an Iniurye doon to her / that fayre speche nor non excusacion
that her goode mastres coude make nor shewe
to her / for to pease her of her anger / myght not in
nothynge conforte her. But semed that she sholde slee
her self to be more hastely venged. her maystres saide
vnto her: 'Alas, my goode damoyselle, I haue right
grete merueylle, how a prynces of so grete renounne as
ye be of, may make so grete a sorowe of a thynge of
nought. yf a gentyl man hath kyst you, take ye hit for
a folye or dishonoure whiche is not so. noon but I
haue seen it, & make no doubte that euere hit sholde be
discouered nor knowenWanting in the French. by me. Soo pray I you, that
ye wyl cesse your grete sorowe' / Thenne ansuered the
pucell to her maystres / 'how may ye requyre me to
leue myn anger, but that I sholde complayne meWanting in the French. / No
lenger may suffre me god to lyue in suche a sorowe /
yf that shame done to me / be not right sone auenged.Ie mourray piteusement
Now knowe I not yf he be a gentyl man or not.
¶ Alas, that my knyghtes knowe not, and my folke
that marchen byfore me / this aduenture. soone ynoughe
they wolde auenge me.
¶ Certaynly I shal doo folowI shal doo folow = Ie le feray sieuir
hym; and byleue for certayn that his laste daye is
comen and shal deyeWanting in the French..' 'O madame,' said the maystresse
vnto the yonge damysell / 'ye shal do more
wyseli. for yf thys thynge shuld come oute and be
knowen, your sorow ought to double sore therfor, yf
men sayden that of eueri man ye had taken a kysse.
yet ought ye to maynten & holde thapposite, saynge
strongly ayenst hitWanting in the French.. & ye wyll scandalyze & vttreWanting in the French. your
mysfal that is now happed to you of one man.Wanting in the French. lepe
vpon your palfraye. your folke ben ferre afore you / and
put out of your ymaginacyon suche casuall fryuolles,suche casuall fryuolles = les friuoleances
& that ouero[uacute] moche do greue your self / for it is for your
best, & worship grete yf ye wol vnderstande hit well' /
¶ The xiij chapitre conteyneth how blanchardyn,
after he had kyst the proude
mayden in loue / went forth on his waye,
hauyng styl his thought fast vpon here
beaulteWanting in the French./ tyll that he cam to the cyte of
tourmaday / where he alyghted at the
prouostis house for to be lodged there /
as herafter foloweth /Wanting in the French.
After many shewynges that the olde damoyselle had
don vnto her lady, the proude pucelle in amours,
wyth what peyne & grief that it waswyth what peyne & grief that it was = a quelque peinne et meschief que ce feust / atte thynstance
& requeste of her sayde maystresse, she mounted anon
vpon her whyte palfray amblyngwhyte palfray amblyng = la haguenee / And sayde she
sholde fynde at Tourmaday / hym that had doon her
this vyolence / And that by the morowe next she
sholde make him to be hanged.make him to be hanged = le ferra prendre Sore troubled of
wyttis, and gretly vexed wythin her mynde as ye here,
rode forthe the gentel pucelle after her folke towardes
her cyte of tourmaday. But we shal leue her sorowyng
/ wyth her maystresse that conforteth her, & shal
speke of blanchardyn, that alredy was nyghe comen
vnto the cyte of Tourmaday / whiche he dyde beholde
well, hauynge merueylle of the comodyouse and riche
contrey where the towne was sette / And hym semed
the most fayre and most riche cyte that euer he sawe /
The see was nyghe betyng on the walles atte one syde
of the towne, at the other syde were the grete medowes,
the fayre vynes and the londe arable / The wodes,
swete ryueres, and dyuerse fountaynes. And sayde in
hymself / that he that had suche a noble cyte of his
owne were a grete lorde. Blanchardyn exploytted so,
that he soone entred the cyte. And rode a goode waye
wythynne, beholding on eche syde the fayre houses and
ryche palayces, and the grete edyfyces, as monasterys,
chirches, and chapelles. and also he sawe the grete
multytude of peple, the fayre stretes ample and large /
tyl that he cam to the chyeff market place, Where he
dyde calle a man to hym for to brynge hym to a good
lodygys for hym self and his hors. The man ansuered
hym, that wyth grete payne he sholde be lodged / And
that the men of armes of the proude pucelle in amours
were comyng in so grete nombre for to awayte on þe
siege, that the Kynge Alymodes wold leye aboute the
cyte there / that the towne was not suffysauntsnffysaunt for to
lodge hem alle. / But wel he tolde hym that he sholde
be well lodged in the prouostys house of the towne, yf
he wolde receyue hym for his hoste.
¶ Blanchardyn
thanked hym humbly, and prayed hym that he wold
shewe hym the prouostys hous / And he wyth goode
wylle dyde soo / Blanchardyn drue thytherward / &
fonde the prouost syttyng at his gate / He salued hym /
prayng / that for to paye well and largely content him,
he wold vouchsauf to take hym for his hoste, and lodge
hym in his place. The prouost stode vp anon, & dede
beholde blanchardyn, whiche he praysed moche in his
herte, & sayde vnto hym thus: 'Syre, the manere of
this lodgyse is suche, that noon may lodge hym self
here / but yf he doth that whiche is wryton in that
marbel stone aboue the yate' / Than casted blanchardyn
his sight vpward, and sawe writon, graued wythin a
marbel stone, the verses that herafter folowen; wherof
he was glad / for non other sporte or non other thing
he desired / ¶ Here foloweth the ballade that was
wryton vpon the gate of the prouostis place of
Tourmaday /Wanting in the French.
This is set as prose by Caxton.Who that wol lodge hym self herynne,most furst befyght thost of herynnewyth spere, swerde, & eke of axe.Here nedeth non other craftes to gete ynne,for who that wol be receyued wyth chere fynMay thynke / that nedes he muste therto.But god graunte hym grace herto,to ouercome his host, thylke hardy foō /He shal mowe lawfulle entre this Inne /Quy se vouldra ceans logier, Loste fault combatre premierDe la lance, despee ou de hache;Il ne conuient aultre fourrier.Quy a desir dy herbegier,Pense quil fault quainsi le face;Mais se dieu luy donne la graceQue son oste vainque ou defface,En lostel saille sans songier.
¶ The xiiij chapitre conteyneth. how the
Iouencell blanchardyn Iosted and fought
ayenst the preuost, and ouerthrewe hym;
and how two yonge damoselles, doughters
to the prouost, cam and toke Blanchardyn
for to haue hym to be lodged wythin her
faders place /
Whan blanchardyn had wel loked and rede the
verses that grauen were in the marbell vpon
the gate, & well vnderstode theire sentence, a lytyl he
bygan to smyle / as he that lytyl dyde sette ther bylytyl dyde sette ther by = de ce tenoit peu de compte /
And the prouost axed hym yf he was counseylled for
to fulfylle the construction of that texte. Blanchardyn
ansuered that he was therof right wel content, so that
he myght haue harneys to arme hym selff wyth all /
The prouost sayd it sholde not lacke on that / and that
gladly he sholde furnysshe hym of goode and mete
harnoys to arme his body wyth all / And he dyde soo /
For he made to be brought vnto hym by his folke al
suche armures and harneys as to hym behoued to haue,
and that to suche a caas apperteyneth / Blanchardyn
sette fote a gronde, and made hym to be armed and
well appoyntted by the prouostis men, whiche was all
prest and redy poyntted to the Iouste /
¶ Whan Blanchardyn
sawe hym self well armed of alle peces / right
quykly he lept vpon his courser, the helme on his
hede / the shelde atte his necke, and the spere in his
fyste, wythout takyng any auauntage, wherof all thas-systents
that were comen there for to see hym Ioust with
the prouost of the toune, sayde that they neuere sawe no
fayrer man of armes, nor better pyght,adroit nor better syttyng
on horsbak. Grete multytude of peple was there
assembled for to see the Ioustynge of the two vasselles.
þe prouost seyng blanchardyn redy mounted vpon his
hors, þe spere in his fyste, & lepte out of his place, he
semed wel by his behauoure & mayntenaunce to be a
man of right grete fayte / for to saye trouthe, he was
a myghty man of body, wel renommed of prowesse.
And the valyant Blanchardyn, the spere couched on
his thye, awayted for hym in the strete all redy for to
assaylle hym. The prouost sayde to blanchardyn from
as ferre as he coude chusechoisir hym: 'Syre, thynke to
deffende your self well, For yf ye ouercome me I shal
lodge you in my house, where ye shalbe right richely
serued wythout your cost / but yf I may, it shal not
come therto, For I shal brynge you to dethe, or to me
ye shal yelde your self.'
¶ Blanchardyn herkned the
prouost, to whom boldly he answered that he shold
doo the best and the worst that he coude, and that he
shulde take no thoughte but onely for hym self, and
that he sholde putte peyne that his honoure sholde be
kepte, and his body ayenst hym / Thenne toke the
prouost his spere / and so dyde Blanchardyn the his,the his = la sienne
whiche was strong and bygge, that it was meruayll.
And as moche as the horses myght renne, came eche
ayenst other / The prouost brak his spere vpon blanchardyn,
but he hurted hym not, For his goode shelde
kept hym, and his stronge bones suffred hym not to
bowe bakward, by the right grete vertue wherof he was
garnysshed / Blanchardyn hytt the prouost in the
myddys of his shelde so myghtly that it was perced all
thourgh, that the yron was seen at the other syde of
the shelde / And yet the prouostis harneis was hole,
and nought dommaged of nothyng / But not-wythstandyng
the strok was so myghty grete and so sore
peysaunt / that hit lyfted the prouost out of the sadel
to the grounde more thenne tenn fot ferre bakward; &
with that renne, blanchardyn his courser ran ouer þe
prouost that he tradd vpon one of his armes, so that it
was hurt full sore. But he was so gretly astonyd of þe
myghty stroke wherby he was fallen doun, that he
wyst not where he was.where he was = quelle chose aduenue luy estoit Blanchardyn right quykly
alyghted from his hors / his swerd in his hande for to
cutte the laas ſro the helmet of the preuost, & so to
smyte of his hede yf he wolde not yelde hym self to
Blanchardyn, and gyue hym fre entre wythin his hous.
But whan the two doughters of the prouost, that right
praty and full fayre were, dyde see this harde bataylle,
and theire fadre in parell of deth / lepte hastely out of
their house, and cam to the place, where as bothe of
hem / puttyng them self vpon theyre knees byfore
blanchardyn, sayde vnto hym: 'O thou free knyght,
replenysshed wyth prowesse & of grete wordynesse /
haue mercy vponde our fadre' / And Blanchardyn, full of
courtoysye, to them answered / that for the loue of
them / he sholde be sauf from all euyll / And euyn at
these wordes / cam the prouost tyl his owne knowlege
ageyne, & vnderstandyng that he had lost the felde for
cause of þe stourdy stroke that he had receyued of the
spere of blanchardyn.
¶ And sayde in this maner:Wanting in the French. 'a,
right gentyl knyght, to whom none oughte to compare
hym self / For that right grete vertue that in you is
entred and sette, I yelde my self vnto you / And presente
my hous to your plesure and behouffe,Wanting in the French. prayeng
right affectually that in pacyence ye wyl taken hit
wyth suche as ye shall fynde in hit.' And thenne
wythout taryeng drewe his swerde, and toke it vnto
Blanchardyn, that wyth goode wyll gaff it hym ageyn,
and wyth-all pardoned hym alle that he myght haue
had mysprysed ayenst hym in that / that he wold
fyght wyth blanchardyn / wherof the prouost thanked
hym gretly.
¶ The xv. chapytre conteyneth how Blanchardyn
was moche richely lodged and
receyued in the prouostis hous, of the
two doughters of the prouoste. And of
the complayntes that the proude mayden
in amours made vnto her maystres of
Blanchardyn /
After this that blanchardyn, atte requeste of the
two yong damoyselles / had pardoned theyre
fader, the prouost, his euyll wylleWanting in the French. / dyuerse folke of
the towne / that had seen the valeauntnes and prowes,
the grete humylyte and courtoysyes that were in blanchardyn
/ praysed and commended hym right moche,
sayeng comonly that a fayrer knyght they had not seen
nor herd speke of in their tyme; And that by his
behauoure andWanting in the French. contenaunce, men myght well knowe
that he was departed and come of noble extraction and
hyghe parentage.noble extraction and
hyghe parentage = haulte lignee
¶ Soone after Blanchardyn / hauyng
the two yong damoyselles by the handes, was lad by
the prouoste in to his house, where he was receyued
and festyd, god knoweth how / So was he by the two
doughters brought in to a chambre full richely dressed
and hanged wyth riche tapysserye / where he was
desarmed by the two damoyselles, that helped him /
whiche toke him a longe gowne furred wyth fyn
martrons, that was her faders, for to clothe hym wyth /
And syth dyde sende for the wyn, and made hym the
best chere for the first acqueyntaunce that euer coude
be made to a knyght.
¶ It is not to be tolde but that
Blanchardyn mayntened hym self, talkyng emonge
hem more gracyously than euere dyde man, and shewed
hym self of so goodly and honneste behauoure / that
right sone he conquered the hertes and goode wylleWanting in the French.
of the two forsayde praty maydens; that was not a
lytell thyng that was not a
lytell thyng = qui nestoient pas peu de choses / For moche fayre and gentyl they were.
Whiche on that other part / sawe in Blanchardyn so grete a beaulteabeaulte / that neuere was seen by them noon
suche in noo man, wherfore it was noo meruaylle yf
they gladly behelde hym. We shal leue to speke of
this matere / And shal retourne to speke of the proude
mayden in amours, whiche alredy had exployted so
moche that she entred wythin her towne of Tormaday,
and in a dyspleasans right bytter of her acustumed
corage, descended in to her paleys wyth her stoute
rowte of folke of armes, & syth, moche tryste and
pensefull, entred her chambre, callyng wyth her her
mastres, that fulle soone cam there / wherfore that
night noon of them alle, were he neuer so moche her
famyllyer / cam to see her, but onely the captayne of
Tormaday, that cam for to make vnto hir the reuerence.
And emonge other deuyses, that ynough brief were,
recounted vnto her / how a knyght straunger was come
to the cyte / whiche was the fayrest gentylman that
myght be seen, and had befought the prouoste and
ouercomen hym.
¶ Thenne the proude pucelle in loue,
after a lytyl musyng, vnderstode well by the wordes of
the captayne, and by the cognyssaunce that he tolde
her of his horse, that he was that self knyght that the
kisse had taken of her. But she therof made noo
semblaunt / The captayne gaff the goode nyghtthe goode nyght = la bonne nuit to the
damoyselle, toke his leue of her, and went. The
proude mayden in amours, seeyng the captayne goon
from her presence / sayde anon vnto her maystres: 'I
shal suffre for this nyght hym that so grete a dysplaysure
hath don to me this day by the waye to be
festyd in the prouostis hous.I
shal suffre for this nyght hym that so grete a dysplaysure
hath don to me this day by the waye to be
festyd in the prouostis hous = Ie lairay meshuy festoier en lostel du preuost cellui qui tant ma fait de desplaisir au Iour duy sur les champs But ther nys man a
lyue, that so gretly be my frende / that myght kepe
me / But that I shal to morowe make hym for to deye
of an right euyll deth, Yf I am woman a lyue.Wanting in the French. And
wyth this, yf the prouost wolde not delyuer hym vnto
me / I shal destroye hymhym hym, and shal make hym pryuated
from all his tenementes that he holdeth of me' / Thus
as ye here, þe proude pucelle in amours, in her harde
herted wyll, abode all that nyght for to make Blanchardyn
to deye / wherof for this cause, for grete anger
that was in her, she had nother lust nor myght for to
ete nor drynk, nor also to take the reste of slepe /
¶ The xvj. chapitre conteyneth yet of the
complayntes & grete thretenynges that
the proude pucelle in amours made vnto
her maystres of the knyght Blanchardyn
In suche astate, and of the wrathe wherin she was /
talked & deuysed her self sore harde and angerly
wyth her maystres, whiche dysconseylled her by al
manere wayes of the deth of blanchardyn / But what
argument nor remonstrans that she coulde make to the
proude damoyselle in amours, coude nor not myght
notcoude nor not myght
not = ne le sceut ne peult moeue her for to haue awaye her corage from thobstynacion
that she had toward Blanchardyn / Thenne
sayde the fayre damoyselle, that so fyers was ayenst
the god of loueWanting in the French. / 'Of what dethe myght I do make
hym to deye for to tormente hym moost therby /
Other late hym be hanged / brente, or drowned / his
hed to be smytten of from his shulders / or to make
hym to be drawen and quartre l / for to gyue vnto hym
his payment of the grete oultrage by hym commytted
in my persone' / Her maystres, heryng her wylle /
conclusion, and haulte corage insaucyble / that right
sore touched thonestete and honoure of alle pryncesses /
was therof right Impacient / And bygan to saye suche
or semblable wordes: 'Alas, madamoselle, he that ye so
sore do hate / hath not desserued dethe, thoughe he
hath taken a kysse of you / To my semyng ye sholde
forclose and take awaye out of your herte all invtyle
sorowfulnesse, wherof ye ouer moche doo hurt hit,
And garnysshe hit of a newe Ioye / The rayson
wherby I so saye, I shal shewe hit vnto you, yf ye be
pleased to vnderstande it / Al ynough ye may thynke
and knowe / that what someuer he be / he hath a
gentyll herte, and is a man of hyghe facion. And
where all-redy ye haue mowe knowen by the relacion
ofyf youre captayne of Tourmaday / ye may vnderstande
of his worthynesse / Ye may well knowe / that yf he
had not chosen you full praty and ryght fayre, and
more than eny other accomplysshed in all manere of
beaulte and faycture / byleue certaynly that he neuere
wolde haue vaunced hym self to take a kysse of you /
nor had not put hym self in daunger of youre indyngnacion,
that gretly ought to be drad. Wherfore atte my
requeste, and for the loue that euere ye had to me; by
all the seruyces and pleasures that I haue mowe doondooon
unto you, And that herafter I myght doo, beseche
you / that this euyll wylle and grete indygnacion / that
ye haue to that yong knyght, ye putte and chasse out
from you. And that ye wyll ceasse your sorowe, and
take ayen vnto you thastate of Ioyfull lyuyng / For
vpon my sowle, it is the beste that ye can doo in this
world' /
¶ The xvij. chapytre conteyneth how the
proude pucelle in amours, after dyuers
and many remonstracions made by her
maystres vnto her, bygan to wexe moderate,
puttyng awaye from her the hate
that she had vpon blanchardyn /
After that the proude mayden in loue had largely
herde of her maystres, that all ynough semed
her raysonnable, wyst nomore what to replyque nor
gaynsaye, & bygan to leue her eerys thurghe a subtyl
and soubdayne hete of loue, that perced the veray hert
rote of her / for the delyuerance of the yong knyght
blanchardyn / She helde her self styl a longealonge whyle
wythout speche, and becam penseful, with a contenaunce
full sadde, more than euer she was byfore / But
at thende of a whyle, began for to saye wythin her
self:
¶ 'O veraye god, what bruyt of cruelnes and of
tyrannye sholde be spred ouer all the worlde of me,
that am a woman, Yf I, for by cause of a kysse onely,
sholde make to deye soo gentyll a knyght. I nedes
muste saye that he loueth me truly, and ouer moche
straunge sholde be the reward of his loue vnto hym, yf
deth sholde folowe therby by the sentence of me, that
may conforte hym.
¶ But alas, I make a grete doubte
that ouer moche sholde greue me / yf by aduenture
it happed that he fonde hym self somwhere, as he
presently doth wyth the doughters of the prouost,
sholde boste hym self to haue kyssed me / this remors
prycketh me to the herte. how be it, I holde hym so
courtoys and dyscret, or wyse, that noo bostyng shold
not mowe come out of his mouthe, & in especyall of
her vnto whom he hath shewed so grete a token of
loue. It is farce, and her to I am constrayned / that I
confesse that he hath the corage areysed vnto parfytte
noblenesse / And that yf he were otherwyse, he sholde
neuere haue made farce to kysse me /
¶ Men see atte
ey his beaulte,Men see atte
ey his beaulte = on voit a loeul wherof he is endowed hyghly / his
valyauntnes is alredy well preued. And therfore I
chuse hym and make hym myn Senescall and cheff of
my werre, For he is a man worthy to be taken soo /
¶ And by al thus, but yf it holdeth on hym / yf eny
malyuolence or euyll wylle I haue had byfore this vnto
hym, I altogydre pardone hym. But alwayes, yf he
hath eny loue to me / It is for nought; For neuer, daye
of my lyffe, hym nor other I wyll not loue. So wot I
neuer what loue ment, nor what it is of loue / nor
I loke not after to knowe it / For all suche thynges
I repute and take for foly, as / certaynly they be /
And wol that euery may knowe that it is / and
shalbe allewayes my souerayne desyreWanting in the French. and fynall
conclusion' /
¶ The xviij. chapitre conteyneth how the
proude pucelle in amours made her ordonaunces
for the kepynge of her cyte / And
how Kynge Alymodes arryued and toke
lande nyghe the cyte of Tourmaday,
whiche he beseged with a myghty power
of folke /Wanting in the French.
In this dyuersyte of purpos the proude pucelle in
amours, to what a peyne that it was passed the
tyme of the nyght / And on the morowe she made
the castell and her sayde cyte of Tourmaday to be
garnysshed right wel of vytaylles, of men of warre, and
of almanere of artyllary / by cause that she had had
tydynges that same daye / that for certayn she sholde
be beseged there, after whiche ordynaunces so made by
her knyghtes & captaynes, she wythdrewe her self in
to her castell of Tourmaday / She entred in her chambre
and cam toward a wyndowe, out of whiche men sawe
right ferre in to the see / And there she had not be no
longe whyle, whan she had perceyued the playn choys
ands fyght of a right grete and myghty nauye, and of
many a highe mast that bare grete saylles / And many
penoncelles, baners, and standardes that the wynde
shok here and there, wherof the golde & the azure was
glysteryng tyl vnto her eyen / bycause of the bryght
bemes of the sonne that spred were vpon them. All
the see was couered wyth shippes & galeyes, that wyth
a full sayll cam to take parte, and to caste theire ankers
byfore the cyte of Tourmaday.
¶ The damoselle seeng
that grete armee commyng, knewe all ynoughe that it
was thexcercyte of the sayd kynge Almodes, by the
banners & cognyssaunce that she sawe appyere vpon
the see / She called to her them that were in her
chambre / to whiche Incontynent she commaunded
that they sholde goo & arme them self for to resiste
ayenst her enmyes at their commyng on lande, whiche
she sawe approched alredy right nyghe / After this
commaundement made, they all went to arme and
arraye hem self, & thourgh all the cyte euery man toke
his harneys on hym, & made grete haste toward the
hauen.euery man toke
his harneys on hym, & made grete haste toward the
hauen = Chacun courut aulx armes. Troumpettes, claryons, & other instrumentes
bygan to blowe thurgh euery part of the towne / and
were all in affraye for to lepe out, to thende they
myght be at the descendyng of theyr enemyes to lande.
Neuer so soone they coude comen, But that the kynge
Alymodes had alredy taken lande, & his sone daryus
wyth hym, and one of his daughters that he hadhe had he had,
whiche was moche fayre, and a praty mayden, that
it was meruaylle / So had he one kynge in his companye
that hyght Rubyon. And wyth theym was come
another kynge right myghty and grete beyonde mesure,
whiche of heyght was xv fote long, and wyth-all right
foull and hydouse for to see / So moche they dede that
they cam all out of their vesselles, and had out all
theyr horses, tentes, & pauyllyons / artylleryes, and
harneys / And sprade them self thurgh the medowes
that be there full ample & large / They of the cyte
coude neuer lette hem nor defende / But that atte their
pleasure they descended from their shippes & toke
lande, for so grete a nombre they were, that men called
them about four score thousandthousaud men of warre or more,
besyde thos that kept their shippes / Ryght grete bruyt
& grete noyse they made at their comyng a lande, of
harnes, bussynes, and of tambours, so that an horryble
thyng it was to here / The Kynge Alymodes and his
son daryus, acompanyed wyth the two other kynges,
mounted vpon theire coursers & palfreys, & xx thousand
men wyth them,& xx thousand
men wyth them a dix mille hommes auec eulx & came to fore the cyte, The
kynge Alymodes so ferre that he was nyghe by the
gate, heuyng vpward his hand / sayeng to them that
kept theire warde / that they sholde yelde vp the cyte
vnto hym or euer that the lande aboute were wasted /
sweryng vpon all the goddes that he worshiped / that
he ne sholde departe from byfore the cyte, vnto the
tyme that he had the proude pucelle in amours tyl his
spouse and wyff / They of wythynne thenne heryng
Alymodes the kynge speke that wel they knewe, ansuered
vnto hym / that they had noo fere of hym /
And that theyre damoyselle & maystres doubted nor
feered hym nought in noo thynge / This ansuere y-herde,
Alymodes þe kynge, replenysshed wyth wrath
and Ire more than euer he was to fore / made his oost
to approche as nyghe the cyte as he coude / He made
there his tentes & his pauyllyons to be pyght, and his
folke to be lodged aboute hym / And made his chieff
standardstaudard to be sette al on hyghe vpon his riche pauyllyon
/ ayenst whiche they of the cyte casted full fast,
& often serpentynes and gunnes, wherof they dyde
grete dommage vnto their enemyes./ But what someuer
thinge that men euere dyde vnto them, nor that of
their folke was made grete occysion and slawghter,
Neuertheles, they lefte not to lodge hem self there,
what for daunger nor moleste that men coude do to
themwhat for daunger nor moleste that men coude do to
them = quelque dangier ou moleste que on leur sceust faire. / And all as nyghe the cyte as myght be /
makyng redy their canons and their bombardes, for to
bruse and bete doune the walles of the sayd towne /
¶ The xix. chapytre conteyneth how the
doughter of the prouost brought to Blanchardyn
a fayre coueryng, all of whyte
sylke,Wanting in the French. to couere his hors wyth all, and one
of her sleues, prayng hym that he wold
bere hit vpon his helme. And he dyde so.
When they of the cyte had seen the manere &
the rewlegouuernement of their enemyes, and that all wyth
leyser they had seen their puyssance and their manere
of doynge, The captayne and the prouoste of the
towne dyde ordeyne a stronge and a bygge warde that
they sette by a goode ordenaunce along the walles, and
in to the yates for the defence of the towne / And this
doon, toke wyth them two thousand men well chosen
and all in a goode array / lept out of the cyte, &
sodaynly wyth a grete cry that they made, charged
vpon theyre enmyes, wherof at their commyng on /
they dyde putte to deth grete foison of Kynge Alymodes
folke, whiche was right sory for it. But soone
ynough, by the prouysion that he putte therto, reculed
his enemyes abacke tyll wythin the barreys of the
townetyll wythin the barreys of the
towne = dedens de la cite. / Another posterne of the cyte was open, wherof
the enemyes toke noo kepe / out of whiche yssued out
a thousand men, goode & handy fyghters well shapen,
& strongly herted for to hurt their felon enmyes. So
smot they hem self, wythin callyng vp a hyghe crye in
to þe thikkest of their enmyes, where they slew and
detrenched many one / And dyuerse tentes and pauyllyons
they pulled doune, and brought to dethe theym
that were wythynne. Soo that the cry and the callyng
camen vnto the kynge Alymodes pauyllyon, that
hastely came there, acompanyed wyth x thousand of his
men / The noyse and the cry bygan thenne to be efte
as grete than it was to forebygan thenne to be efte
as grete than it was to fore = se renforca si tresgrande / so that the folke of the
proude pucelle in amours were constrayned to wythdrawe
them self ayen in to þe cyte, after that they had
brought & slayne wel xiiij c. of their enmyes, without
eny losyng of theire owne folke, wherof Alymodes the
kynge was right sory & dolaunt / & sore troubled &
heuy, wythdrewe hym self in to his pauyllyon, commaundyng
his folke that euery man shold loke to lodge
hym self, trowyng to be in a sewrete that his enmyes
as for that same day sholde not comen nomore out of
their cyte. Blanchardyn, that at the same owre was in
the prouostis hous, heryng the bruyt & the noyse that
wythout the towne was made by kynge Alymodes
folke, the whiche he had seen and aduysed from ouer
the walles where he went vp / And seen the battaylles
& scarmysshynge that by them of the towne & their
enmyes were made, SoSi began he to be ful of thoughte,
& all annoyed of hym self by cause he was not armed
tyl his plesure, and that he myght not yssue out vpon
the proude pucelle in amours enmyes wyth her folke.
The prouost, that right wyse was and subtyll / asked
blanchardin what moeuyd hym to be so sore sad &
pensefull, and yf he was not well lodged at his ease
and to his playsure / and yf he wanted eny thynge that
myght be recouerd for gold or syluer, that he sholde
telle it hym, & that he shold late hym haue hit in-contynentin contynent;
al sholde he putte in Ieopardye, bothe lyf &
goode, for to fulfille his wylle / 'Alas,' saide blanchardyn
/ 'Sire, of your lodgis and good chere I am right
wel content, & thanke you moche therfore / But one
thynge wol I telle you, syth that it playseth you to
knowe þe cause of my grete dysplaysaunce; ye shall
vnderstande that I haue habandonned & forsaken bothe
fadre & modre, kynnesmen & frendes, & eke lyflode &
lande & eke lyflode &
lande = terre et le pays where I toke my byrth & noureture, for to excercyse
& able my self in þe noble crafte of faytes of
armes, & to take & lerne þe discipline of knyghthode /
¶ And I se nowe that for defaulte of armures I may
not sette awerke nor employe my goode wylle / whiche
full sore greueth me, And moche more than I telle.'
¶ The prouoste, hering the goode wylle and grete affection
/ that this yonge knyght had / was therof right
glad / and sayde vnto hym / 'vassell, come wyth me,
and I shall delyuere you hors and eke harneys right
goode, so that ye shall haue noo cause for fawte of
armures / But that ye shal mowe proue your prowes
whiche I holde right grete.' 'Syre,' sayde blanchardynsaydeblanchardyn,
'of the curtosye that ye haue doon and proffre
vnto me, I thanke you moche;' thenne the prouost toke
Blanchardyn by the hand, smylyng, and to hym sayde:
'comesaydecome you wyth me, and I shal gyue you the choys of
suche armures as ye shal lyke.' They two went to
gidre, and entred in to a chambre that wel garnysshed
was of all manere of armes, suche as atte that tyme
were vsed.
¶ The prouost dilygently armed blanchardyn
of suche armures as he wold chose. And syth
made eche hem self to be armed hastely / Whan dressid
and redy they were, they made theire coursers to be had
forth out of the stable, whiche were brought anone to
the mountyng place before the halle. Thenne one of
the doughters of þe prouost, knowyng that blanchardyn
was armed and redy to goo out wyth her fader / she
cam and brought wyth her a fayre whyte coueryng of
damaske clothe, wherof she made the hors of blanchardyn
to be couered wyth, and vnto hym she gaffe one
of her gowne sleues, that was of damask blake / prayng
hym that for her sake and loue he wolde voche sauf to
were and bere it vpon his helmet / Blanchardyn toke
þe sleue of the damoysell, sayng that he sholde fulfylle
her request; & she, thankyng hym therof / sayde, she
sholde, be cause as her semed that god sholde gyue hym
some goode fortune that day /
¶ The xx. chapitre speketh of the grete
bataylle that was byfore the cyte of Tourmaday
ayenst kyng alymodes folke, and
of the grete prowes that blanchardyn
made there that day / and how the
proude mayden in amours becam sore
enamoured oúread on him. & of the deuyses or
communyng that she made wyth her
maystres.
After that the prouoste and Blanchardyn were
armed of all peces, and set vpon the myghty
coursers the shelde at the necke / theire helmes bokled,
and eythre of them the spere in the hande / toke leue
of hem that were there, and departed out of the place,
and cam to the towne gate, where they fonde thre
thousaund men alredy for to yssue out / the whiche by
the motion & warnyng of the prouoste / had appareylled
them self for to kepe hym felawship and folowe
hym /
¶ When the prouoste was come to the yate,
hit was soone open, thurghe whiche they alle yssued out
in goode and fayre ordynaunce / Blanchardin, whiche
was sore desyryng for to proueprone hym self and shewe his
strengthe and vertue, to haue bruyt and comendacion,
and that he myght be knowen / dyde putte hym self
in the fore front, hauyng a ryght bygge spere in his
hande /
¶ They bygan alle to vaunce, and marche
forth out of the barres of the towne. And syth all
atones gaaf a grete crye, Wherof theire enmyes that
all redy awayted there for them, were alle affrayed /
They byganne thenne to renne one vpon other by so
grete strengthe, that for the noyse and sowne that the
erthe gaffe by cause of the horses that ranne harde
vpon, It semed to them of wythin and wythout that
the foure elementes had fought theire togydre /
¶ The
duste rose vp fro the grounde that derked the lyght
of the sonne wyth the shot that drawe was of bothe
sides, one parte ayenst that other /
¶ Blanchardyn, that
in the fore fronte was the frist man of all, had his
spere in the rest, and ranne vponhad his
spere in the rest, and ranne vpon = baissa la lance de laquelle Il consieuy Corbadas, that neuewe
was to kynge Alymodes; and so grete a stroke and so
heuy he gaffe hym, that the spere hed appiered at the
backe thurgh the body of the sayd corbadas; & in
pulling ageyn his spere, he ouerthrew him doune sterke
dedsterke
dedmort to þe erthe; & syth anone he rought another of
kynge alymodes knyghtes in suche a wyse that he made
his spere to entre his body thurghe lungē and lyure,
and so kyld hym. And so moche he made atte the
first empraynte, that ar euere his spereswerde was broken,
he threwe doune ded syx of his enemyes from their
sadelles / the whiche emonge the horses fete fynisshed
myserably theyre dayes. And syn aftre, he lyghtly
dyde sette hande on the swerde, of the whiche he smote
here and there wyth bothe his handes by suche a
strengthe, that him that he rought wyth full stroke, was
all in to brused, and clouen in two pecesall in to brused, and clouen in two peces = tout fouldroye / He detrenched
and kutte bothe horses and knyghtes / he cloue
and rent helmes and sheldes, and brake the grete routes,
and made his enemyes to sprede abrode / Moche better
he semed to be a man of the fayrea man of the fayre = homme fae than a creature of
the worlde. All fled byfore hym, and made hym waye
to passe / There was noo man, how hardy that he was,
that durste mete hym, so sore fered and doubted hym
his enmyes / wythin a lytyl whyle he made so moche
of proesseWanting in the French. that his enemyes were therof ryght sore
abasshed, and that his swerde was well beknowen
emonge hem: ryght grete and horryble was the
battaylle / And so moche that they of Tourmaday
and his enemyes merueylled gretly of the grete
strengthe and hyghe proes that they sawe in Blanchardyn,
the whiche his enmyes fledde, as the larke doth
the sperhauke.
¶ The howlyng and the noyse bygan to ryse vp a
hyghe, and so moche that the fayre proude mayden in
amours, that lened atte a wyndowe, seeyng the grete
proesses & merueyllouse faytes of armes that by blanchardin
were there made, Asked of her maystres that was
nyghe her / yf she knowe not þe knyght that had his
hors couerid with whit rayment / & syth she also perceyued
the black sleue that vpon his helmet was sette
fast / Her maystres thenne wyst not what to thynke,
nor also what he myght be / But well ynough sayde
that he was the most valyaunt, & that dyde best that
day of al bothe partyes / And she sayde: 'a, madame,
loke / nowe ye may see that they all fle awaye byfore
hym, and ye may well perceyue that noman dare abyde
hym, moche grete desyre I haue to wyte & knowe
what he may be.'
¶ Euen atte this oure that the
proude mayden in amours and her maystres were in
suche talkyng, came vnto them a squyer that cryed on
hyghe, and sayde / 'O my right redoubted lady,
yonder wythout may you chuse and see the floure of
knyghthode, the subduer and sleer of your enemyes,
not yet satysfyed nor fylled of the deth of many of
hem, but styl destroyeth them.not yet satysfyed nor fylled of the deth of many of
hem, but styl destroyeth them = Insaule de les destriure. he heweth and felleth
doune right al byfore hym / his armes were not longe
syth all clere and whyt / but now they be dyed in red
wyth the blode of your enemyes that he hath slayne
and brought to deth / Madame, knowe for a trouthe
that it is the fayre knyght whiche is lodged at þe
prouostis house.' / Whan þe proude lady in amours
vnderstode the squyer speke thus, the bloode ranne vp
at her face, and wexed red as a rose / Well perceyued
hit her sayde maystres, and that the loue of hym smote
her / But no semblaunt she made therof to her. right
gladde and Ioyeful was the pucelle whan she knewe
that it was Blanchardyn / And bygan to thynke in her
self that he was wel worthy to be beloued. thenne she
sayde to her maystres / 'Certes that knyght that I see
yonder dooth merueylles of armes / I see þe prouost
that of nyghe foloweth him. it is to be thought þat he
shal wyl giue him one of his doughters in mariage,
with a grete parte of his grete hauoyre; but on my
fayth it were dommage, for he is a man of noble corage,
& right valyaunt / & nought it is to be doubted, but þat
he is come of som noble hous. The maystres, that right
sage was, dyd perceyue incontynent by her wordes that
her Indygnacion and euyll wylle, that she byfore that
had conceyued ayenst blanchardyn, was moderat in
her herte,Wanting in the French. And wyst not what she therof shold thynke,
but that loue had ouercome her euyll erroure, Wherof
she shold haue ben right glad. and lyke as her thought
was to be, so it was in dede happed / Among other
comynyng & deuyses that she myght more playnly
knowe how it was therof, right subtyly bygan to saye
thus to the proude pucelle in amours: 'Madame, as for
this I knowe, and can perceyue youre pryde shalbe
cause / but yf ye take hede, of the totall distruction of
your royalme. Concedere you not that ye be occasion,
and the cause mouyng of thassemble of the ostis that
are for your towne, and of the shedyng of bloode that
procedeth therof / Yf yeYf yf wolde wedde the kynge
Alymodes, all your lande shalbe in surete, quyete, and
peas' / Than the proude mayden in amours, after this
exhortyng, herde of her maystres, sayde that she sholde
noo more speke therof vnto her, and that neuer the
dayes of her lyff she sholde wedde paynem nor noo
man infydele.paynem nor noo
man infydele = vng Infidele aourant les ydoles dyaboliques
¶ And for this cause cessed a while
their talkyng / And loked bothe toward the felde,
where they saw the knyghtes ful sore fyghtyng of
bothe partyes / But Blanchardyn hath the praysyng
ouer hem alle, For ther was no man of nother syde that
of prowes & worthynes coude go beyonde hym, wherof
kynge alymodes knyghtes had grete enuye ouer hym,
and grete cure & laboure toke vpon them for to slee
hym; but non of them / how hardy þat he was, durste
not proche nor nyghe hym, For as many as he myght
reche vnto, he feld hem doune or slew hem, and
wounded them greuosly /
¶ The proude pucelle in
amours folke bare them self right wel that day / This
bataylle lasted tyl the nyght came; wherfore kynge
Alymodes, seeyng that he myght not by noo manere
putte nor close them fro the cyte, by cause of the wyse
wyt and worthynes of the goode knyght Blanchardyn
that conduyted them / made to sowne and call the
retreyte or wythdrawe his men,Wanting in the French. to his losse and grete
confusion / & wythdrewe hym self in to his tente, right
wrothe and sorowfull for the losse of dyuers his
knyghtes / And all thurgh the vertue and strengthe
of one knyght only / Blanchardyn & the prouost, wyth
theire folke, wyth grete glorye and tryumphe entred
ayen in to the cyte, and brought wyth them many a
riche prysonner. And to the prouostis house toke
blanchardyn his waye, wher vnto he was conueyed of
the most parte of the noble men, makyng to hym the
gretest honoure that men can or may doo to a knyght /
as to hym that best had doon that day / And to saye
the trouthe, many of the gretest of hem had ben slayn
or taken, yf by the vertue and strengthe of blanchardyn
they had not be socoured & holpen that day.
Some he helped ayen vpon theire horses whan they
were feld doune, some he rescued from the hande of
theire enmyes that had hem as prysoners, so bare him
self, that wyth grete tryumphe and grete glorye he
retourned fro the bataylle wyth them vnto the sayde
prouostes place / to the grete benyuolencebeuyuolence and gladnesse
of the peple of the cyte, and there alyghted from
his hors, and the prouost wyth hym, whos two doughters,
that were right fayre and praty, came there ayenst them /
For bothe of hem loued sore blanchardyn, & right enamored
they were ouer hym / There abode xx knyghtes
at souper wyth blanchardyn, for to chere and feste hym,
and to be acoynted of hym. harpe / lute / sawtrye,sawtrye = guisternes
and dyuerse other instruments of melodyouse musyke
were sent for, For to reioysshe the noble felawship that
was full fayre / fore there were comen diuerse ladyes,
many a gentyl woman, maydens / and noble bourgeyses,
at the requeste and prayers of the prouoste, and of his
two doughters twodoughters that were right besy for to chere & serue
Blanchardyn wyth all dyligence. Atte the same owre
that this Ioye & feste was in makyngwas in makyng = se faisoit in the prouostis
house / The proude pucelle in amours was in her
castel lenyng vp on one of her chambre wyndowes that
had syght wythin the towne, and herde the noyse and
the feste that was adoyng in the prouostis house for
loue of Blanchardyn, and for to doo hym worshipe &
honoure, wherof she was aduertysed alredy. And how
be it that as ye haue herde anone, she had gyuen herself
in hir herte to the sayd blanchardyn / alle wayes
at the same owre was taken the fynall and faste conclusion,
and altogydre was of her determyned, to make
of Blanchardyn her louer and her specyall,her louer and her specyall = son amy that a lytyl
before that / for one kysse onely was so ferre from her
gode grace, and in daunger of his lyf, yf the goddesse of
loue, that is so myghty of her grace, had not purueyed
better for hym / At the begynnyng of this new alyaunce,
amoures or loue serued her wyth a messe sharp and
sowre ynoughe tyl her tast / that is to wyte, of a louely
care / that is as moche worthe / as a suspecyouse
Ialousye of the doughters of the prouoste and her
specyall Blanchardyn. But she thought in her self
that she sholde puruey therto of a remedye mete &
goode to the cause / whiche thynge she dyde as ye shal
here herafter / loue that departeth wyth her goodes,
where as it semeth her best employed / forgate not her
newe seruaunt / but atte her first comyng made her to betobe
vysited and wayted vpon by a seruant of hersa seruant of hers = vng sien seruiteur named
Care, that well sore mouyd and troubled her spyrites.
And she that was not lernyd to receyue suche geestes,
sore harde was his queyntaunce to her. And yet wythin
a whyle after, loue smote her ayen wyth a darte to
the quycke tyll þe herte of her / so that the fayer
pucell wyst not her behauyng, nor how to mayntene
her selfWanting in the French. / and also had no power to drynke nor ete, nor
coude not slepe ne take no maner of resteWanting in the French. / but held
her hert so esprised & so ouer pressid wyth loue that
she had to blanchardyn / that she myght noo lenger
hyde her falle. Thenne cam to her maystres, & said
to her in thys maner: 'alas, who shall mowe recouer
helth to this pacient sore syke, that suffreth wyth
goode wyll of herte, both grete thurste, honger, &
shaketh for colde caused thrughe a hete intollerabyll?' /
The maystres perceyued anoone by her wordes and
maner, that she had ben in the chapiter of the / god of
loue / and by his grace men shuld haue gode accompte
of the pryde that ouer longe a tyme had ruled her
dismesurable herte / She thought thatthoughtthat she had ben
taken wyth kyng Alymodes loue, & syth said vnto /
her: 'Madame, ye oughte to yelde grete graces &
thankes to the myghty god of loue / seyng the vnknoulege
that ye haue had alwayes here byfore of his
vertues / that hath dayned to vysite you, & to altre
& change your corage. I byleue now that for cause of
thys soudayn mutacion ye be seke & sore passioned
of one accident that nameth hymself the sore of loue' /
'Alas,' said the pucell / 'the sore of loue is ryght
anguyssous and heuy forto bere, as me semeth.'
'Madame,' sayd her maystres / 'men must suffre for
better to haue / This euyll shalle be be cause of your perfeccion
/ and knouleche that loue is that thynge that
moost embellisheth and decoreth the nobyl corages /
And I can not thynke that euer man and woman,
hauyng bruyt or name of some goode vertues passyng
other / haue come nor raughte therunto wythoutewythonte that
they were or had ben in the seruice of loue.' The
proude mayden in amours herkened hir maystres / but
the feuere that loue had takn her for to plucke oute
the roote of pryde from her herte / lettid here sore.
and atte the ende of a whyle biganne to saye: 'Alas,
amours, I haue longe defendyd my sylf ayenst the
harde assautes and Impetuous excitacions, that often
tymes thy messangers made vnto me. Now haue I
nother power nor wyl to defende me eny more / vnto
the I yelde me.'
¶ The xxj. chapiter conteyneth how the
proude pucell in loue / by the grete loue
that she had sette vpon Blanchardyn,
bycam Ialouse / and douted leest he shuld
sette his loue on one of the doughters of
the prouoste / whom she hasteli sente for,
and spake to hym as it folowethWanting in the French. /
The maystres, herynge the complayntes of the proude
pucelle in amoures, had no lytyl Ioye to here
suche tydynges, and tyll her feete fell herself, and
sayd: 'Thanked be god, madame, þe werre wiche is
cause of so many euilles shal ceasse in your realme, yf
it please god, for from þe owr that ye shal wold gyue
your loue vnto kynge Alymodes, the right happy wele
of peas shal be publysshed thurgh alle the countrey.
But and yf ye suffre the siege to abyde any lenger
byfore youre cyte, Ye ought to wyte that the countrey
about shal vtterly be dystroyed of kyng alymodes
folke; wherfore at my request, vse youre self after þe
dyscyplyne of amours, to whome ye haue made obeyssance,
and take to youre lord and husbande the kynge
Alymodes: how well he ys ouerraged, take no hede
and care not therfore. he hath yet strenghe ynough.
ye see what it ys of warre' / And thenn the proude
mayden in loue answerd and sayde to her maystres:
'I haue absoluteli sayde to you, ones for alle / that
while I lyue, kyng Alymodes shall neuer wedde me.
I merueylle me gretli of you, that ar ferre in age, &
ought wele to knowe so ferre that a lesse euyll it were
for to suffre all my lande to be wasted, than to wed
and take to my lorde a kynge full of Idolatrye, acursed
and apostata of oure holy crysten feyth. Thynke not
that I sorough for hym, but byleue that there is grete
choys of alymodes & hym for whom loue hath taken
my fayth, that neuer I shall change hym.' The
maystres wyste not goodely what she shulde thynke,
but ynoughe she doubted that Blanchardyn had that
grace, from whiche he was alytyl afore sore ferre cast.
Sone after, wythoute lityll taryeng, the proude pucelle
in amoures sent for the prouoste, sayeng that she had
nede of his counceyl / 'he is sage, dyscrete, and experte
in many thynges,' sayd she; 'I am sure that he hath in
his house a rote that, as to my semyng, shal gyf me
help, and shal lyght my herte of the soris wherof I am
full sore passyonned' / her maystres, wythout more
enquyre to be made / sent one for the prouost, that
cam sone toward the proude mayden in amours / and
made to her the reuerence / She toke hym by the
hande, and made hym to syt doune by her, for to breke
her matere and to come to a conclusyon. She made
her premysses for to speke of her werre / But she
forgate not to telle hym how the knyght, his hoste,
that is to wyte, Blanchardyn, and he hym self had
borne hem self that day right valyauntly, wherof she
was right well content / And that yf it pleased god, she
sholde haue knowlege som day of thoos that helpeth
her to mayntene her were ayenst the false sarasynfalse sarasyn = desloyal
Alymodes / She that ardauntly sought occasion to
fynde matyere for to spek of Blanchardyn, sayde vnto
the prouost in this manyere: 'Prouost, I haue founde
you alwayes goode and / trewe seruaunt vnto me /
wherof I fele me moche beholden to yow / And wyl
aduertyse you of one thyng that dyspleseth me sore,
whiche is sayd of youre doughters, that is that they
wyll enamoure hem self of that knyght, youre ghest,
whiche is now lodged wyth yow, whiche is a thynge of
grete oultrage and grete dyshonoure vnto them, knowyng
that he is a man come of a grete house and
extracted of hyghe parentage, and a grete lorde in his
contrey / I make no doubte, but holde my self wel
certayn that he the lesse therfore setteth by them.
And also it is no merueylle, theyre grete foly displayseth
me moche. for it is to be presumed that this
myght be cause to mynusshe your worship and their
goode renomme' / 'Madame,' sayd the prouost, 'I haue
not perceyued me of this'I haue
not perceyued me of this = Je ne me suis pas perceu de that ye telle me / But yf it
were soo that the knyght wherof ye speke were wyllyng
to take one of hem, I sholde holde her to be employed
to the most valiaunt knyght that men euere speke of:
to the moost free, sage, and curteys that I trowed euere
to be acqueynted of. Now wolde god that his wylle
were suche / And that he had as grete desyre to take
her / as I sholde be wyllyng for to gyue her to hym,
shure bargayne shold be all thus lyghtly doon / that sore
lytyll that god hath lent me of goodes sholde not be
straunged vnto hym by me / for he is worthy to haue
mykel morefor he is worthy to haue
mykel more = car il le vault / hath he not taken this daye tenne
knyghtes prysonners, besydes threty coursers that he
hath conquered vpon youre enemyes; and so many of
them he hath clouen and slayne, that grete merueylle
it were to reherse the same. and to my demyngto my demyng = a mon ensient /
I trowe better that he is a man of the feyre than
otherwyse, for his prowes and worthynes, that ben
hyghe, are not to be tolde ne compared to the humayn
or wordely werkes.'
¶ The xxij. chapitre conteyneth and speketh
of the deuyses that were betwene the
prouost and the proude pucelle in amours.
And of the grete loue that she had sette
to blanchardyn the yonge knyght, as it
folowed here /Wanting in the French.
The proude pucel in loue, heryng þe prouost, was
right glad, for she herkened not to þe rewthes,
but onely to that loenge and praysynge of her louer and
frende specyall. But well she bethought her self that
the doughters of the prouost sholde not longe trouble
her heedes, for she sholde purueye therto of a remedy
conuenable. And whan she spake ageyne, her wordes
were suche. 'Prouost, as byfore I haue sayde vnto you,
the knyght of whom I speke, parauenture is of byrth
right hyghe; And suche and so vertuouyse in armes,
as ye knowe. It nedeth not to be doubted that he is
comme to his extremyte of prowes and valyantnes,
wythout that amours hathe be the cause in the persone
of some hyghe a pryncesse. And for to telle you I
knowe well soo moche, that he is this day in the goode
fauoure and grace of a kynges doughter, right ryche,
myghty, and well in lynage, & endowed as men sayen
of all that / that can be desyred in the body of a
woman. And therfore grete foly it is to youre doughters
to haue suche an ouerwenyngoultrecuidant wylle, wherof men gyuen
them a dysmesured proclame / Neuertheles, as dere as
ye haue my playsure to fulfylle / and aboue all to renne
in to myn indygnacion, holde the hande to this, that
they forbere hem self to the smylynges and fayre
shewes of their eyen, whiche wauntonly they caste
full often vpon that yonge knyght.that
they forbere hem self to the smylynges and fayre
shewes of their eyen, whiche wauntonly they caste
full often vpon that yonge knyght = que elles se deportent de semblant et regars quelles font vers le cheualier. And to thende
that ye may haue them totwo soner awaye from the loue of
the sayd knyght, gyue me hem bothe, and make them
to be brought here wythin, and wythout eny thyng to
youre charge nor cost: I shal mary hem right wel' /
¶ The prouoste, heryng his lady souerayne, right
humbly thanked her of the grete offre and curtosye
that she wolde do to his doughters / and was ryght
glad / he toke his leue of her in his most goodly
manere, as to suche a caas apparteyneth / After the
fayre offres had don vnto hym, and at his partyng from
her, she sayde vnto hym that she wold wel see the
knyght of whom they had spoken, and that he sholde
brynge hym to her the next day for to make aqueyntance
betwyxe hem bothe / & sayde that she was wel
holden to doo so, knowyng that he was in hir seruyse,
& that he exposed his body for the deffence of her
countrey. 'I wol,' saide she, 'knowe yf he shalbe
wyllyng to dwelle wythin this my towne, takyng suche
wages as ben acoustumed, or ellis yf not soo, I shal
doo so well reward hym that he shal by reason be well
content of me. and be sure, yf he serue me as he hath
bygonne, yf god be pleased I shal rewarde hym right
well / And I hope that thurgh his ayde my werre shall
take a good conclusion. and that doon / yf it pleaseth
hym, he shal mowe take to his spouse hyr that so
moche is his / & that so truly hath gyuen her self to
hym.
¶ And yf it cometh to purpos / forgete not to
say / that it were yl don of hym for to forgete her /
But on my feyth, this that I speke / the cause is
moued, bycause that the forsayde, his specyall maystres
and true louer / is my cosyn germayn. And also that
she bereth in hir herte care ynough and dyspleysure
for the loue of hym, And may nother slepe nor take
nomanere of naturall rest, so moche she is enamored on
hym. I doubte not that yf by aduenture she were out of his remembraunce, & by hym putte in oblyuyon,
that god forbede / but that sholde dey sodaynly / after
that suche pitteuouse tydynges were brought tyll her,
gryeuous sore and payne tendreth to pite the very herte
of myn owne body / and nedes muste I putte peyne to
the releuyng of her grete sorowe.
¶ for wythout fawte
it were domage yf suche a lady, that is so well condycioned,
and in all manere norreture right parfyt,Wanting in the French.
sholde perysshe thourgh the coulpe of a knyght /'
¶ The xxiij xxiiij chapiter conteyneth how Þe
prouost retourned tyll his house, and
recounted vnto Blanchardyn that the
proude pucelle in amours had tolde hym /
And how she sent for hym, that heshe
sholde come toward her / And how
Blanchardyn went thither / And how
they talked togydre at leyser, to the
grete pleasure of bothe partyes. And
how theyr loue was knytted andWanting in the French. confermed /
After the humble leue that the prouost toke of the
lady, he went homward agayn tyl his place, all
penseful of the wordes that he had herde of
the pucelle. It was tyme to go to bed; so cam he
toward blanchardyn / that was alredy goo in to his
chambre / and gaff hym the goode nyght / & on the
morowe, after the masse / the prouost sayde vnto
Blanchardyn that he wold talke wyth him atte leyser.
And blanchardyn ansuered, 'fayre hoost / in good oure
be it'in good oure
be it = en la bonne heure / Thenne they two sette hem self vpon a benche /
The prouost bygan hym to recounte and telle hou the
proude mayden in amoures, the euen last past, had
spoken wyth hym of many thynges, & emonge other
tolde hym that she was right well content of his
seruyce, and wolde reteyne hym in wages, and gyue
hym of her goodes, for he was worthy therof. 'Morouere,'
sayde þe prouost, 'sire, she hath tolde me that
ye be enamored of a hyghe and a riche pryncesse,
wherof I merueyll me not / for on my feyth ye be well
the man that ought to chuse your specyall loue in
a hyghe place. But allewayes it is force that j bere
you in hande that it is her owne silf, for it semeth me
not wel possyble that yf it were in som other place /
hit sholde not haue comen to her knowlege. how wel
that here is one doubte that retardeth myne ymagynacyon,
she sette neuere nought by amours / & loue, But
iapethse farse & playeth her self of theym that ben amerouse.
I wote not allewayes yf the god of loue myght haue
shewed his vertues in her. Alas, we sholde wel desyre
that it were so, to thende she myght take a goode lord
for to deffende vs and her lande' /
¶ After that the
prouost hade sayde to blanchardyn all that semed him
good to be tolde / Blanchardyn curtoysly, wyth a
smylyng contenaunce, ansuered hym, that god hath
well kept hym from so moche an hap and so hyghe, as
for to haue the grace of so noble and so grete prynces
as was the proude pucelle in amours / '& also I byleue,'
sayde blanchardyn, 'that ye make your self these
tydynges. But I can not bethynke to what purpos ye
haue seen eny token ne apparence for to coloure your
gracyouse suspecyon; I neuer spake wyth her, nor
neuer in my dayes I dyde see her / wherof sholde to
me come suche a wylle?' 'I wot not,' sayde the
prouost. 'I telle you that, that I haue herde of my
lady. Yf ought be ther to your auauntage, soo take
hit /
¶ Now pleased god that she were that woman
that suffred so moche of sorowe and angwysshe at her
herte for the loue of you.' 'I thanke you,' sayde
Blanchardyn /
¶ 'I wolde not that noobody sholde suffre for loue
of me any thyng to his dyspleasure, where as I myght
by ony manere of waye putte a remedy. But alwayes,'
sayde blanchardyn, 'I can merueyll me not to moche
wherof suche langage commeth, & can not thinke that
it shold come of the doughter of a kyng / for thus to
say, she in a manerein a manere = aucunement mocketh me: suffyse her yf I
am come to serue her in kepyng my worship. And as
to me, suche an vse I seke not; but I wyl onely proue
and aduenture honorably my body, as a gentyl man
ought for to doo / Ioustyng, tournoynge, and behonrdyngbehourdyngWanting in the French.
are my passe tyme / and no wyffe I thynke not
to take.' 'Aa, sire,' sayde the prouost, 'I wold well
kepe me, and be loth for to denounce thynge vnto
you that sholde tourne you to a displeasure, and praye
you that ye wyll not take the thynge other wyse than
I haue tolde hyt to you, and thynke nomore vpon it.
But let vs go see my lady / for in goode ernest she doth
sende for you by me' / Blanchardyn graciously ansuered
to his hoste that he was content, excusyng hym silf
alwayes of that loue that he had spoken to hym of.
How be it, he felt the contrary at his herte / They
cam to þe ladyes palays, and went thourgh þe grete
halle in to a fayre chambre. And after that announced
was there comyng, men made them to entre in to the
chambre of parement, wher as the right gracyouse and
fayre, the proude pucelle in amours, was wyth many of
her ladyes, and other her gentyll women / and spake at
that same owre wyth certayne of her counseyll vpon
the faytte of her werre. Blanchardyn and the prouost
entred in to the chambre; and thenne, as blanchardyn
sawe & perceyued þe noble pucelle, he dyde vaunce
him self toward her, & make vnto her the reuerence so
gracyously and so boldly in all worship / that non
coude amende it; and consequently to all the lordes,
ladyes, and gentyl women, so goodely & wel that euery
one saide good of hym. þe noble mayden behelde hym
moche humbly, whiche toke a right grete pleasure to
see his gracyouse & assured behauyng, that tysed and
doubled in her herte the fyre of loue, wherof she was
sore esprysed / And thenne, after the fayre and swete
welcomynges, the lady wythdrewe her toward a couche
that was in the sayd chambre, & toke blanchardyn by
the hande, and made hym to sytte besyde her. He
made hym self to be prayed & drawen sore or euer he
wolde vaunce hym self for to sytte hym doune by her.
But force was to hym to obeye her commaundement,
wherof al they that thenne were wythin the chambre
coude not tourne their eyen from Blanchardyn, for his
right grete beaulte, fayre behauoure, & good manyere.
And she to whome the dede most touched, had grete
Ioye at her herte / to fynde her self in the presence of
hym. And for to saye the trouth, she was so enbrased
and takenWanting in the French. wyth the brennyng fyre of loue, that she
not coude kepe her contenaunce; & yf rayson had not
restrayned her, wythout other premysses nor conclusyons,
she sholde haue gladly of pryme face tolde vnto
blanchardyn, how loue constrayned her for theto loue of
hym. And at ende of a while, the best wyse that she
coude, Wyth a lowe voyce she sayde vnto blanchardyn:
'Syre, ye knowe the werre that the vntrewe kynge
Alymodes hath alredy don to me dyuerse tymes, Wherfore
I mystered gretly of thayde and socours of you
and of other / So praye I you, that ye wyl helpe &
conforte me in my said werre, & I shal rewarde you so
that ye shalbe content.' 'Madame,' sayde Blanchardyn,
'I ensure you on my feyth, that in all that I shal
mowe, I shal employe me in your seruyce: I wyll not
spare my self. I am come out of myn owne contrey
for to fynde me in a place where as I myght excercise
the fayttes of armes, as longeth tyl a knyght to doo /
And thanked be god, I am here right well arryued: I
aske no thynge of you. But I praye you / syn that it
pleaseth you to gyue me wages, that ye wyl doo them
to be delyuered vnto myn hooste, youre prouost / for
moche beholdentenu I am to hym; and I shal gladly
dwelle wyth you, in the companye of your other
knyghtes / And shal serue you truly' / 'Syre,' sayd
the pucell, 'I promette you that youre hoste shalbe
al to gydre contented of you / and alle of myn owne' /
And after thees wordes she dyde cast a profound syghe,
that proceded from the depnes of her herte, that sore
was pressed / She was so ouer perced and enflammed
of loue / that she had so moche on it as the herte of
eny lady myght bere or comprehende, vnto the grete
extremyte. And the reyson is goode / for the strenthes
and vertues of the gode of loue, that departeth wyth
where as hym semeth goode, are suche that the more
that þe persone is more harde to be conuertysed and
tourned to his lawe, the more ought she afterward,
whan she is ouercome, to be more constant & stedfast
to kepe hit. This experyence was playnly shewed in
this lady. Blanchardyn trowed to perceyue a lytyl her
manere, and remembred hym self of the wordes that his
hooste had tolde hym the same daye, And syth sayde
to þe lady: 'Madame, myn hoste hath tolde me this
daye that ye knowe well my lady paramours, and that
she is of your lynage. by my ſeyth, this thynge semeth
me right straunge.' Thenne the proude pucelle in
amours byganne to ansuere, and sayde / 'The lady of
whom I touched the prouoste, your hoste, is well
trusted wyth me, and I wolde doo for her as moche
honoure as I wolde for my self' / 'A, madame,' saide
blanchardyn, 'pardoune me yf I desyre by manere
of replycacyon to knowe the name of her of whom ye
haue made nowe mencyon / for I ensure you, madame,
that whan I dyde that grete oultrage, wherto I was
constrayned by force, to nyghe & touche youre swete
mouthe, I had not seen no lady, nor non other gentylwoman,
of whom I desyred to be reteyned her
seruaunte / But syth I haue ben fayne of the seruyce
of one whiche I repute to me a grete fredom, in suche
a wyse / that yf I sholde deye for deffawte of her
socours, yet coulde I not, nor wolde not departe nor be
from her for no thyng of the worlde / & therfore, my
ryght redouted lady, I beseche you in all humylyte,
that it please you of your grace to pardoune me my
vayne wylle / for in you lyeth my bytter deth, or my
prosperouse lyf. I am and shalbe, yf it please you,
youre feythful & true seruaunt, for temploye my self
in youre seruyse in al that shal please you to commaunde
me, as longe as lyf shalbe in me, what someuer
happeth to me for' / whan the pucelle herde this swete
& graciouse langage, of the heryng of whiche she toke
no displeasure, wold no lenger suffre hym to be in
peyne, vpon whom she had sette her herte, & in whom
she hoped of goode seruise for to brynge her werres
tyl an ende / but seide vnto him: 'Aa, gentyl knyght,
forced I am atte this houre present, syth it is your
wylle, that I declare & saye that whiche my herte
thynketh & suffreth for your sake; be ye sure that all
that I sayde vnto þe prouost, toucheth noo body but
only to my self / for so helpe me god, as I loue you
wyth all my veraye herte / & am so esprysed wyth
your loue, that reherce it to you I can not. I haue
debated þe quarelle ayenst the god of loueof god loue / but at the
last I haue ben subdued & vttirly ouercome thourgh
the graciouse maneres, honeste behauing, hardy & noble
corage that I haue perceyued in your persone, whiche
I loue moche better than alle the remenant of the
world / And from hens forth I reteyne you myn onely
true louer and goode frende / neuer to chaunge vnto
the oure of deth' / Wherof men may thynke al ynough
that in spekyng and vttraunce of suche wordes / they
were not wythout mutacion of coloure, chaungyng of
contenaunce, and suche other thynges in this caas
acostumed / And where vpon is to byleue that blanchardyn
was neuere in hys lyff half so glad, and not
wythout a cause / as whan he vnderstode this Ioyouse
tydynge /
¶ And as that thinge whiche most he
desyred in this world, dyde accepte this gracyouse and
desyrable ansuere / and how he thanked that noble
mayden / It is not to be demaunded / for he forgate
noo worde that therto serued to be sayde. And thenne
thourghe a soubdayne fyre, that descended from the
heuens aboue, was theire loue confermed to gydre.
And fro that oure abode bothe their hertes in one hole
wylle. The prouost at the same tyme perceyued well
that blanchardyns besynes was in non euyll waye.
How be it he coude knowe noo thynge therof but by
suspecyon / Betwix the lady and blanchardin were noo
wordes more for that tyme, but that the yonge knyght
toke a gracyouse leue of the fayre pucelle, that myght
not tourne her eyen from Blanchardyn /
¶ The xxiiij. chapitre conteyneth how
Blanchardyn toke leue, and went ayen
to the prouostis house / And of the fayre
whyt courser, and of the sleue of cloth of
gold that his lady dyde sende to him.
And of the grete battayll that was byfore
Tourmaday, betwix blanchardyn and a
gyant, whiche was dyscomfyte / and of
the grete meruaylles of armes that blanchardyn
made there, & of his takynge /
After their deuyses the prouost vaunced hym self
for to take blanchardyn by the arme, and haue
hym to his house. But or they went, the proude
pucelle in amours sayde to the prouost that he sholde not
leue to bringe her [his] two doughters the next morowe.
And that she sholdeholde marrye hem right well / as she
dyde, vnto two of her knyghtes right noble and gentyl,
wythin fewe dayes after. I saye not that Ialousy was
cause of this thynge / but I leue it in the iugement /
that in suche a caas can good skyle /
¶ After the
gracyouse leue of the lady / Blanchardyn & the prouoste
came ayen in the sayd place / and was dyner
tyme / The prouost that wyth all his herte loued
Blanchardyn, coniuered hym, sayng, It semed hym that
he sholde be yet kynge and lorde of the londe of
Tormaday / And that their lady had hym well in her
grace / Thenne Blanchardyn, that well beholden was
to the prouost / and that knewe hym for a trusty man
and secret, mystrusted not hym / but recounted & tolde
hym al alonge the fayttes of his werkes in amours;
wherof the prouost was not lesse reioysshed than
blanchardyn was. The dyner was redy, and made an
ende of theyr proces tyl another tyme. They sette
hem self at the table / And had not be longe at their
meet, whan the lady sent to Blanchardyn a fayre whyte
courser / and wyth it her right sleue, whiche was of
riche clothe of golde crymosyn, to thende he sholde
bere it vpon his helme whan he shold go vpon her
enmyes, by cause she myght the better knowe hym
emonge other /
¶ This present was not to be reffused,
and the messanger sayde to Blanchardyn / that well
he ought to areyse his corage whan so gentyl a lady
wolde sende him suche a present / Blanchardyn
thanked the messager, and prayed hym curtaysly /
that he wold haue hym for humbly recomended to the
goode grace of the noble pucelle that so fayre a present
had sent to hym /
¶ Blanchardyn dyde putte his hand
into his aulmonere, and drewe out of it a riche ouchefremail
of golde, vpon whiche was sette a right riche ruby
enuyrouned wyth fyue grete perles, and gaffe hit to
þe messager, whiche thanked moche humbly blanchardyn
/ of whom he toke his leue, and departed and
taryed noo where vnto the tyme that he had tolde
and reherced to the lady the Ioye that blanchardyn
had made at the recepcion of the present that she had
sent vnto hym / And syth recounted her of the riche
gyfte that blanchardyn had don to hym, wherof the
proude mayden in amours was wel payd / sayng in her
self that suche largesse proceded to hym of veraye
noblenes. Here we shal leue to speke of her / and
shal retourne to speke of blanchardyn, that in the prouostis
house was sette atte dyner / Right soone aftre
the last messe was serued, a lytyll affray and alarmealytyll affray and a larme
roos wyth in the towne, for bycause of the kynge of
geauntes called rubyon, that was in the playne wythout
the cyte byfore the walles of the towne, And
demaunded after the Ioustes, for his ladyes sake that
daughter was vnto kynge Alymodes / the whiche had
taken hym a sleue that was of satyn vyolet, and had
sette hit vpon his helme for the loue of her / But bycause
he was of so hyghe & bygge corpulence, and so stronge
of body, and renomme of grete proes / the proes was
not grete of the knyghtes, nor of other folke of Tourmaday,
for to furnysshe his apetyte nor fulfylle his
requeste /
¶ The bruyt of this werke cam to the knowlege
and vnderstandyng of Blanchardyn, the whiche
for this tydyng was gladde by ouer mesure / And sayde
of a goode herte & a free wylle / that he shal furnysshe
Rubyon of his requeste / and that he was
comme in tyme. Redyly and soone he made hit to
be knowen to Rubyon, lest he sholde departe thens,
whiche was right Ioyous of þe tydynges, for right
moche he desyred to shewe hymself, for his ladyes
loue, daughter to kyng Alymodes, of whiche he was
amorouse, & of that other partye blanchardyn made
hymsylf to be armed quyckeli, and syn mounted vpon
þe myghty courser that the fayer, the proude pucell in
amours had sente to hym / he forgate not the sleue of
cloth of gold that vnto hym had be presented from her
bihalf, the whiche he couched along his shoulder in stede
of gardebras, and for that day he woldwlod haue therto noon
other armour, wherof the prouost was not wele content.
whan he was redy appareilled, mounted & armured of
all his armures, except the haulte pece where the
pucelles sleue kept stede, he made the signe of the
crosse ouer hym, and so departed oute of the prouostes
place, and cam ridyng through the toun accompaned
wyth the prouoste and of many other knyghtes. he
was sore loked vpon, and praysed of the ladyes &
gentyll women as he passed by / for al prayd to our
lord that wyth honoure & Ioye he wolde brynge hym
ayen. So longe rydde blanchardyn that he cam to the
toun gates, oute of whiche he yssued & parted, the
spere in the hande, the shelde sette afore hym, the
helmet lacid, & clos redy forto renne vpon his
ennemye that he sawe byfore hym / þat walked before
the barres of the toun, awaityng after hym that shuld
furnyshe hym of batayll, thynkynge that none shuld
dare come bicause he had taryed there longe, where
of he bare hymself wel proude. whan he see Blanchardyn,
that all prest was to furnyshe hys enterprise /
gaffe to hymself grete meruaylle, and praised hym but
litell, he asked hym of whens he was. Blanchardyn
answerd, that for no drede nor fere that he had of
hym he shuld kepe his name from hym / and tolde
hym that he was of the realme of fryse, and his name
was blanchardin, that vnto him was sent by the ſayer
þe proude pucell, his maystres in amours for to Iuste
and to aproue hymsylf vpon hym. Thenne answerd
Rubyon to blanchardyn, that the daughter of the
myghty kynge Alymodes, the euen byfore had gyuen
vnto hym her sleue, the whiche in presence of her
fader she had taken it from her ryght arme, to thende
that for the loue of her he shuld doo some thynge
wherby she myghte the better haue hym in her grace.
'vassayll,' sayd blanchardyn, 'thynke to do your werke /
ye see me here redy to furnyshe your requeste.' Thenne
bothe of them went abacke for to take their cours, and
turned ayen brochynge their horses wyth their spores,
that one ayenste þe other the speres in the rest, wherof
they raughte eche other vpon the sheldes by so grete a
strengthe, that nother of their sheldes abode there hole /
but were all quartred in peces / and in suche a wyse
they recountred eche other, that their speres brake vnto
their hands, that the shyuers flowe vpward / & syn
passed beyonde for to parfurnysshe their enterprise /
And in tornynge hemself ayen / layde hande on their
swerdes, wherwyth they began to smyte on̄e vpon that
other by so grete & horrybyll strokes / that the fire
cam oute of their helmes / Euyn atte the same oure
that the two vasselles be foughte / eche other / the
proude mayden in amours was lenyng at a wyndow,
thorough whyche she sawe pleynli the bataylle of her
speciall & of Rubyon / wherfore all ynoughe ye maye
byleue that she had grete fere that blanchardyn shulde
not retourne atte his honoure / How well she helde
hym so valiaunt / as he was / that her aduyse was for
the ryghte grete & goode desire that she had / that her
beste biloued was alle redy com to his aboue ouereto his aboue ouere = au-dessus de
Rubyon / The doughter of Alymodes the kynge was
atte this owre settyngesetytnge byfore her pauillyon for to
beholde þe batayll of þe two champions. She dyd
prayse & commende so moche blanchardyn / and
preuely atte her herte wishedwhished hersilf hys lady peramours,
for the grete worthynes / & proesse that she
perceyuid in hym there, for he smote so grete strokes
wyth his swerde, and so ofte that he had all astonyed
alredi his enmye Rubyon / Blanchardyn / seeng Rubyon
in that plyght, lefte vppe his swerde, of the whiche he
raughte Rubyon wyth a reuers myght by the eere wyth
suche a meruelous stroke, that he ouerthrewe hym doun
from his hors / The batayll had ben sone finyshed bytuyx
them both / and Rubyon ded / ne had ben kynge
Alymodes folke / that cam for to socure Rubyon, to
whom blanchardyn had smyten the hed of / yf they
had not come right soone. But the proude pucell in
amours for the grete care that she had to sende socoure
& helpe vnto her louer that she sawe in danger, &
enclosed with three score men / that aboute hym were
for to slee hym & brynge hym to deth / sent hastely
her men for to secoure hym / for he was assaylled of
eche side of good men of werre, but not wythstandyng
thys, right vygoriously defendid hymsylf ayenst them
all / and yelded them ynoughe to do wythoute þat they
euer coude hurte, nor wounde hym / vnto the tyme þat
socours cam to hym / for he detrenched & kyt them
both legges and armes, and cloue their heedes vnto the
brayne. And so fiersly mayntenid himself ther / that
none durst no more vaunce to approche nyghe hym /
whan they of kyng Alymodes oost sawe them of the
cite þat were comen oute, they mounted on horsebacke,
& came to themwarde as faste as they might come /
And atte the recountre that both partyes made one
ayenst that other / were many a spere broken, and
many a knyghte broughte to grounde, that were troden
wyth the ffeete of the horses, so that fewe of hem rose vp alyue. And in conclusyon, all they of Alymodes
partie had ben there slayne or taken / yf his son daryus
had not come the same tyme, that brought with hym a
grete companie of folke, and assembled and called ayen
to gydre theym that fled fro the battaylle /
¶ And thenne
entred hymselff in to the battaylle, where he byganne
to do merueylles of armes / for a ryght gode knyght he
was, yf he had ben a crysten man.yf he had ben a crysten man = si en dieu eust este creant. Grete slawghtyr he
made of them of the cyte / but Blanchardyn, that sone
was aware of his commyng, cam ayenst him, the swerde
in hande vp right on hyghe, whiche he lete fall vpon
daryus wyth suche a stourdy strok, & so grete, that he
amasyd hym wyth all, and ouer threwe hym doune
from his hors / And right sone wolde haue taken the
hede wyth the goode helmet from the body of hym, yf he
lyghtly had not be socoured of his men, that wyth right
grete peyne, strong wounded and sore hurt, remounted
hym on his hors, and had hymand had hym = et emmenerent to his pauyllyon, wher
he kept his bed the space of thre dayes. Rubyon, the
kynge of gyauntes, that of Blanchardyn had ben ouer
throwen, as it is sayde afore, fought full sore ayenst
theym of Tourmaday, beryng to them grete domage.
But blanchardyn, that alle his mynde and thoughte
had sette to fynde hym, to thende he myght be
auenged ouer hym / loked aboute at the right syde of
hym, where as he chose Rubyon, that made merueylles
of armes, and had ouer thrawen doune the goode prouoste,
whos hed he sholde haue stryken of right soone,
yf Blanchardyn had not be / that hastely brake the
presse, and camen there, and socoured hym, cryey[n]ge
vpon Rubyon in this manere of wyse /
¶ 'Ha, A! thou
false paynem and cursed man!Wanting in the French. this shall be thy laste
daye, for by false and grete traysen, and by a watche
thought before, wolde haue madest me to be murdered /by a watche
thought before, wolde haue madest me to be murdered = par aguet appeuse mais mas cuidie faire murdrir.
And by suche meanes thou escaped ones ſro my handes;
but to me nor to noon other thou shalt neuere werke
trayson.'
¶ And thenne Blanchardyn that had a stronge
axe in his handes, smote atte Rubyon wyth al his
strenthe, & gaff hym suche a stroke that his goode
armures coude not waraunt his lyff, But was feld doune
sterk ded, wherof the cry and the noyse rose vp ryght
grete / Whan the sarrasyns saw the kynge of the gyauntes
dede they were sore frayed and gretly abasshed, for in
hym was alle their hope. they fled toward their tentes
as faste as they myght /
¶ Blanchardyn and they of
Tourmaday pursued them, smytyng and ouer thrawyng
hem ded vnto their tentes. And so moche that Blanchardyn
cam to the kyng Alymodes tente, before the
whiche he fonde his doughter syttyng, that behelde the
battaylle that was afore the sayde towne / Whan blanchardyn
sawe the yong damoysell that was there syttyng /
he bowed hym self douneward vpon his hors necke, and
toke the mayden by the myddes of her body, and sette
her vp byfore hym, wythout any resystence made by
the pucelle, whiche made therof noo refuse / And syth
retourned ayen as faste as he myght toward the cyte of
Tourmaday. But Alymodes seyng this harde aduenture
so befalle, as a man madde and all to gyder from his
wyttes, cam rennyng after Blanchardyn wyth more
than foure thousand sarrasyns wyth hym that folowed
faste at the backe of hym for to socoure their lady /
¶ And blanchardyn that bare the pucelle byfore hym,
sawe a sarrasyn that moche nyghe folowed hym / he
tourned his horse hed toward hym, lyfte vpward his
swerde, and gaff suche a merueyllouse stroke to the sarrasyn that he cloue his hede to the hardeWanting in the French. tethe /
Alas, why dyde he tary hym self for to slee that
sarrasyn, for so sore nyghe he was pursiewed by kynge
Alymodes and his folke, that they closed hym anone
rounde aboute / The prouost and the other of the towne
entred ayen in to the cyte, wenyng to them that Blanchardyn
had be wyth them / but he was not, but was
enclosed from al sydes, and in suche wyse opressed
that they had all redy slayne his horse vnder hym, and
was a fote amonge the sarrasyns, where he fought wyth
þe swerde in the hande, wherof he made grete slawghter
of them. But what occysion or defence that he made
myght not warauntyse hym, for aboute him were more
than foure thousand sarrasins that desyred all for to
purchasse hym his deth. The kynge Alymodes seeyng
the grete prowes that was in Blanchardyn, & that non
so hardy durste approche hym, he bygan to crye a
lowde on hyghe / 'fy on you all, vntrewe paynemys!
cursed be the owre of your natyuyte / Whan for the
body of one knyght alone, I see you more than foure
thousand men to tourne & recule abacke! full yl haue I
employed þe godes that I haue doon vnto you! a full
sory noryshyng I haue doon ouer you' / thenne the
sarasyns, that herde their lorde soo speke to them,
whiche they dyde ferre ryght sore, all attones ranne
vpon Blanchardyn, that sore wery & traueylled was of
the grete strokes that he had / gyuen and receyued, soo
that the blode ranne out of dyuers places of his body.
wel he saw that it was Impossyble to hym to laste eny
lenger, but that he muste be other slayne or taken.
Notwythstandyng this, blanchardyn, lyke as other a
tygre or a lyon that is broken loos from his boundesgardes /
Heued vpward his swerde wyth bothe the handes, &
smote a knyght therwyth that neuewe was / vnto Kyng
alymodes, wyth suche a strengthe, that he cleued hym
vnto the chynne bone. But as he wythdrewe his
swerde to hym ward, from that grete and merueyllous
stroke, his fotyng faylled hym, for cause that the grasse
wher vpon he trad was sore weet & slyther. And so
nedes he muste falle / Thenne cam vpon hym sodaynly
out of all sydes grete foyson of paynemys, and toke
and bonde hym full fast /
¶ Whan the sarasyns dyde
see hym thus fallen to the grounde, they made all
atones suche a horryble crye that ferre wythin the cyte
was herde the sowne of hit.
¶ At the same owre the
proude pucell in amours, that yet was styll at her
wyndowe, and had seen her folke turne agayn in to the
towne wyth grete haste / And syth herde the crye and
the greate noyse that was made wythout the cyte /
And of another part she sawe a grete noumbre of folke
that retourned to the tentes / thoughte wel, & also her
herte Iudged & gaf it to her that, that was þe worthy
blanchardyn / her louer, þe sarasins ledde wyth them
prysoner / Seyng this confusion thus to be happed,
she wyst not how to conteyne her self, and byganne
full sore to wepe wyth grete teerys, that fell doune
alonge her swete vysage, And sayde: 'Alas, my right
dere and feythful louer / yf god thurgh his grace putteth
noo prouysion her-vnto / this day shalbe broken
and vndoo oure sore desyred acqueyntaunce /
¶ Thenne
the prouost, right sorowfull and gretly dysplaysed, wyth
a sad chere entred in to the chambre where the right
desolate, the proude pucelle in amours, made grete
mone, whiche he fonde fallen in a swoune in the lap
off one of her gentyl wymen / And syth whan she was
come ayen to her self, that she had the myght to speke,
she sayde to the prouost that soone and incontynent
he shold go toward the kyng Alymodes for to wyte
yf for golde or syluer he wolde take to raenson þe
knyght that was a straunger, whiche was but as her
sowldyour in this her werre. And yf his playsure was
to sende hym ayen to her, 'I shal gyue him for his
raenson seuen dromadaryes al laden with fyn gold /
so that he wyll sende hym to me sounde and hole' /
Whan the prouost sawe the grete amarytude, or by
termes grete sorowe,the grete amarytude, or by
termes grete sorowe = la grant doleur et la grant amertume where as his lady, the proude
pucelle in amours, was Inne, And the promesse that
she made for the delyueraunce of Blanchardyn, He,
moeud wyth pyte, ansuered and sayde to the pucelle,
that wyth all possyble dilygence he sholde do so
moche, that or euer the nyght sholde come he sholde
knowe the certeynte of that / that kynge Alymodes
wolde doo in this behalue. he toke his leue of the
proude pucelle, whiche he lefte sorowynge wyth in her
chambre wyth her maydens, and went anone hastly
vpon a hyghe toure that had syght toward kyng
Alymodes oost. And there he called out of the
batelmentes as hyghe as he myght, vpon a knyght
sarrasyn þat went forth by the same toure, to whom he
prayed sore moche that he wold doo hym as moche
curteysy toward the kynge alymodes, that he myght,
vndre gode suryte and saufcondyt, goo to speke wyth
hym, for to shewe and annonce to hym certayn message
from his lady the proude pucelle in amours / The
paynem knyght, that was full curteys, made a token to
hym that his request he dyde graunte. Soo went he
hastely, and dyde so moche that he brought to hym a
goode saufcondyt, where the prouoste right moche
thanked hym. the prouost anone after made hym self
redy toward his waye, and cam nygh ynoughe to the
tente of kynge Alymodes. and as he passed by, he saw
blanchardyn, that was kept in holde of six squyers,
syttyng byfore a pauyllyonapauyllyou / That tyme that Blanchardyn
perceyued the prouost that passed forth by hym /
he demaunded of hym what thyng he went there
sekynge. The prouost tolde hym that he went toward
Alymodes the kyng for his delyueraunce, saynge to
hym that he sholde not be abasshed of no thynge, &
that he sholde not care / but sholde make good chere /
And that he sholde not abyde behynde, so that for eny
golde or syluer he coude be had / 'frende, of that ye
telle me,' sayde blanchardyn, 'I am right glad, & Ioye
wel to thanke god therof.& Ioye
wel to thanke god therof = en suis moult Ioyeulx et en doy bien louer notre seigneur. I praye you that ye wyl
doo the beste that ye shal may toward the kynge
alymodes, for my confyance & trust is in you' / The
prouost toke leue of hym, and dyde so moche that he
cam and alyghted byfore kynge Alymodes tente, And
syth entred Inne, where he fonde kynge alymodes
and his barons aboute hym / He right reuerently
salued hym, sayeng vnto hym, that he was come there
for to beye ayen þe straunge knyght that he helde
prysonner, whiche is a souldyour, and reteyned in to
wages wyth the proude pucelle in amours. And the
cause that moeueth her herto, it is by cause that he is a
straunger, and that he is comen from ferre lande to
take wages: thus right gladly she wolde haue hym
ayen, yf your plesure were for to putte hym to raenson
/ and my lady, the proude pucelle, offreth you for
hym seuen dromadaryes, al charged of fyn golde, and a
thousand coursers, and as many amblynge horses and
armures, goode and fyn ynoughe for to arme a thousaund
knyghtes.
¶ Whan the kynge herde the prouoste,
that soo grete offre made for to haue ageyne
blanchardyn / He gaff hym self grete merueylle, &
bethoughte in hym silf a lytyl whyle / and syth dyde
sende for blanchardyn, whiche he behylde so moche
whan he was come afore hym, and sayde wythin hym
self, that neuer in his lyff he had not seen noo fayrer
knyght, nor more better made and myghty of body /
He dyde coueyte moche sore the grete hauoyre that
was proffred hym for his raencon / but a soubdayne
sparkle of Ialousye cam to hym byfore / that was lest
this yonge and fayre knyght blanchardyn were reteyned
of the proude pucelle in amours as her owne specyall
louer; the whiche thynge kept hym so sore at the hert
of hym, that he, mouyd wyth grete wrath & yre, wold
haue ronne vpon blanchardyn for to haue slayn hym /
sayeng for to couere his right false Ialousy / that it was
for the grete damage and grete slawghtir that he had
don of his folke / and that by the feyth that he owed
to his goddes, he sholde not abyde longe alyue, for he
sholde nother ete nor drynke tyll that he sholde see
hym deed /
¶ The xxv. chapiter conteyneth how kynge
Alymodes wolde make to be put to deth
blanchardyn / But at the request of the
fayre Beatryse, his doughter, he respyted
hym / And how the proude pucelle in
amours had sent þe prouost toward the
kynge Alymodes, offryng to hym a grete
raenson for the delyueraunce of Blanchardyn,
whiche he refused /
Thus after as ye haue herde, kynge Alymodes made
his auowe, and sware his goddes / that he sholde
neyther ete nor drynke tyl that Blanchardyn had lost
his lyff. Wherof daryus, the sone of the same kynge
Alymodes, and many other barons that were there present,
had grete pyte, for the right grete beaulte and
worthynes that they sawe and knewe in Blanchardyn /
¶ But the best of them all was not so hardy that he
durste speke one worde nor praye for hym, by cause they
drad and fered euer sore kynge Alymodes / And thenne
his doughter Beatryse that was there, whiche had taken
goode hede and well ouer loked the grete beaulte of
Blanchardyn, and well had also consydered the grete
and meruellous faytes of armes that she had seen hym
do that day, prosterned or casted her self doune byfore
her faders feet, on her knees humbly / requyryng, wyth
bothe handes heued vp faste to gyder, that pyte and
compassyon he wolde haue of the yonge knyght, and
that hys lyf myght be saued. Kynge Alymodes heryng
the request and humble prayer of his doughter, whiche
he loued tenderly / ansuered to her and sayde: 'My
ryght dere & right well beloued doughter, I wold for
mekell goode that ye had not requyred me herof, &
that ye had not ben here at this tyme / for the presence
and syght of hym for whom ye haue caused
your humble supplycacion,Wanting in the French. reneweth alle my sorowes.
But for to obtempre youre request, for this tyme I
graunte hym his lyf / but ye shall wyte that I shall
sende hym in to the royalme of Salmandry, vnto the
kynge of the geauntis brother, that is to wyte, Rubyon,
whiche he hath slayne, and the whiche I loued as myn
owne persone / for yf he had ben yet man alyue, I
wolde haue gyuen you tyl his wyff /
¶ So may ye
knowe that he shal doo goode Iustyce of hym, and shal
take cruelle vengeaunce / And noon other wyse wyll
I doo' / And syth dyde caste his eyen vpon the prouoste
full proudely as by grete despyte, and tolde hym
that he myght well go home ayen. And that he sholde
not leue, but that he sholde departe his presence incontynent,
or ellys he sholde make hym soone deye an
euyll deth / And that nother for noo golde nor for no
yefte that myght be don to hym, nor for noo manere of
raenson, he shold not respyte nor yelde ayen blanchardin
/ But he sholde sende hym in to a suche place
from whiche he sholde neuer retourne ayen. & thenne
the prouoste departed anone, & full sory of thaunsuere
that kyng Alymodes had gyuen to hym, ful sore
wepyng, went toward blanchardyn, & recounted hym
the harde tydynges that had be made of hym. And
euyn thus, as they sholde neuer haue seen eche other,
they toke leue one of other. And after their leue
taken / Blanchardyn, lokyng right pyteously vpon the
prouost, prayed hym that he wold haue hym for recomended
vnto the fayre, the proude pucelle in amours /
besechyng her on his byhalue that she wolde not putte
in oblyuyon nor forgete hym that is in her seruyse, for
he whom god wolde preserue can not peryshe.Wanting in the French. The
prouost heryng blanchardyn speke that, charged hym his
eraunde to be do vnto the proude pucelle in amours,
departed soon wythout eny more that he could say to
blanchardyn, ſor he had no power to speke no more for
the grete pyte that he had ouer hym / but retourned
to the cyte so full of hertely sorowe that no man can
expresse it to you, and rested hym not tyl he come to
the / paleys, where he alighted doune and went forth in
to the halle, and syth entred in to the chambre wher
the noble pucelle was / vnto whom he recounted and
tolde the harde & pytoyable tydynges, & the proude
ansueres that kynge Alymodes had gyuen vnto him,
wherof the right noble mayden made suche a sorowe &
grete heuynesse that neuer was sen like / we shal leue
her makynge her pytoyable complayntes, & shal retourne
to speke of kynge Alymodes þe-right and euyl
tyraunt, that all taken was wyth anger and wrathe.
¶ The xxvj. chapitre foloweth, whiche conteyneth
how darius had a commaundement
don vnto hym in his faders byhalue,
that he shold haue blanchardyn forth in
to Salamaundrye. ¶ And how the ship
in whiche Blanchardyn was Inne, was
perysshed by fortune and tempeste of the
see, and were all drowned except blanchardyn
/ And how he cam toward the
kynge of Maryenbourgh / that reteyned
hym in seruyse,in seruyse = de son hostel & of hym he made
his constable /
After the departynge of the prouost, Alymodes the
kyng gaaff commaundement vnto his sonn
daryus, that he sholde tourne ayen in to Cassydonye,
whiche is in the lande of Nourwaye, of whens he was
kynge.
¶ And that he sholde take wyth hym his
suster, and kepe wel his lande and countreye duryng
the tyme that he sholde kepe his siege before Tourmaday
/ And that he sholde haue wyth hym blanchardyn /
whome he sholde sende forth hastely assone as he were
comen to Cassydonye / to be pressented on his byhalue
to the kynge of salamandrye, whos brother blanchardyn
had brought to dethe, for to haue wrake vpon hym.Wanting in the French.
Daryus heryng his fadres commaundement, made to be
redy a shippe right bygge and grete / wher Inne he
and his suster entred wel garnysshed wyth folke &
vytaylle / And in another small shippe that was there
redy he made Blanchardyn to be brought ynne wyth
thre score men that had the kepyng of hym / Whan
they were redy theythy wonde theyr saylles vp and departed
/ Grete pyte it was to see and here the pyteouse
rewthe and complayntes that blanchardyn made / for
well he wend that he sholde neuyr haue seen ayen her
for whom he was brought in suche angwysshe and
sorowe / We shal at this tyme leue to speke of hym,
and shal retourne to speke of the proude pucelle in
amours, And of the grete tyraunte Alymodes that
wasted al the countrey aboute the city of Tourmaday,
& greued sore the towne and them of wyth-ynne wyth
his engynes asmoche as he coude / How be it that the
cytezeynes yssued oute often and slew fuson of their
enmyes / And ye fayre, the proude pucelle in amours
that euermore had her sight that parte that she wyst her
best beloued goon, whiche she wysshed sore agayne /
lamentyng for hym, for she sawe playn ynough whan
he departed from the porte, toke in her herte her leue
of hym, full sore wepynge / She brought thene in remembraunce
how swetly he had kyssed her, wherof she
had take so grete a dyspleasure; 'but alas!' sayde she,
'this displeasure passed ouer manyfolde that other, and
more than I can telle. Ha, A! fortune, shal I neuere
haue noon other, but alwayes dysplaysure' / And after
thes wordes she fel in a swone as half ded. And the
ladyes and other gentyl women full pyteously wepyng,
toke her vp anone, and had her to bedde, where fro she
parted not six dayes after / Of that other part, Daryus
and his folke, his suster wyth hym / & blanchardyn in
the lytyl shippe, saylled soo longe that they arryued in
the lande of Northweye, euyn at the hauene of the cyte
of Cassadonye where they ancred / But or that daryus
went out of his shippe, he commaunded and ordeyned
to them that had kepynge of Blanchardyn / that they
shold haue hym streyght forthe to the kynge of Salmaundrye
/ And that they sholde delyuere hym in his
hande / And telle hym that it was he that had slayne
Rubyon, his brother, byfore Tourmaday, where his fader
kynge Alymodes was yet kepyng the syege, whiche
made hym a present off hym that had kylled his brother,
for to take vengeaunce thereof atte his wylle / They
that had the charge to doo this, ansuered that they
sholde doo hys commaundement. They departed from
cassydonye; but ye may be wel in certayne that this
departynge dysplaysed moche vnto Beatrise, Daryus suster
/ & ful fayne wolde haue putte ther vnto a remedy
yf by any meanes she had coude; but atte that oure she
had noo power to do soo / Blanchardyn, that in the
lytyl ship was, was sore dolaunt whan he sawe hym
self to be had forthe from the other, and thoughte well
that a present sholde be made of hym in some straunge
lande. he dyde reclame & calle vpon oure lord god
right deuoutly, beseching that of his grace he wold
haue pyte and mercy vpon hym, that he myght yet ones
come to his sore desyred wylle / that is to wytte, to see
his fayre lady, the proude mayden in loue, and that he
wold kepe her sauff from kynge Alymodes handes /
Ye may byleue well that Blanchardyn made grete
sorowe and lamentacyon, wyshyng full often that he
may yet see ones his lady that he loued truly aboue all
other.Wanting in the French.
¶ And whan they were comen two days saylyng
nyghe the coste of Salamandre, a grete tempeste roose
in the see, and so horryble that the saylle of their
shippe was all to-rent in peces, that all the maryners
coude putte therto noo remedye. suche and so grete was
the tempeste that they must gyue nedes to the wyndes
and wawes of the see, the kepynge & the gydynge
bothe of their shippe and of them alle that were ther
Inne, whiche soone were brought besyde a grete roche,
wher vpon their ship smote by suche a force / that she
cloued anone in two peces, wher-by alle the mareners
and þe sayde thre score men were perysshed and drowned
in the see / And neuere non of them saued, But onely
blanchardyn, that couched hym self alonge vpon the
mast of the shippe, whiche enbraced & colled sore fast
wyth bothe his armes. They were nyghe the lande, as
it is sayde, where as the sayd mast and Blanchardyn
vpon it was cast of the wawes vnto the shores. whan
blanchardyn felt hym self nyghe a grounde, and fast by
the lande, he forsoke his maste, & lepte from hit to the
lande; and whan he was come there, he kneled doune
right sone vpon bothe his knees, and hauyng his handes
heued vp toward the heuens, rendered and gaff louynge
and thankes vnto our lord, that thus had delyuered
hym from that grete parell where he was Inne /
¶ After
that he had made his oryson to oure lord, he toke on
his waye all a fote, for to drawe hym self to that aduenture
that god wolde sende hym / And walked so longe
tyl that he fonde not, fer wythin the contrey, a right
fayre towne, whiche is now called Maryenbourgh, and
is in the lande of Pruce / wythin the whiche, at þe same
tyme, was a right myghty kynge that kept ther a grete
feste, wher-atte he had called alle his barons and
lordes, & alle the gentylmen of there aboute, whiche
alle arryued there vpon the daye that to them was
prefyxed or poynted for to come /
¶ Blanchardyn
thoughte wythin hym self that he wolde make black
his vysage, or of coloure suche that the folke of that
contrey had hers atte that tyme; he toke and gadred
som herbs that serued hym ther to, and rubbed therwyth
his vysage all aboute. And in lyke wyse his
handes / by cause that of noo body he sholde not be
knowen. He coude well speke dyuers langages, and in
especyall the hygh duchethe hygh duche = thioise tonge. He purueyed and
dyde ordeyne hym self so, that yf he had ben met of
them that had seen hym afore, they myght not thenne
haue knowen hym.
¶ Whan he had apareylled hym
self well, he toke his way forth on, and folke he met
ynoughe by the waye, of whom he asked the name of
the towne that he sawe a fore hym / and they tolde
hym that it was the city of Maryenbourgh / He went
so longe that he cam in to the towne, and asked whiche
was the waye to the paleys, for right well he coude
speke the langage of the contrey, as it is sayde. Men
shewed hym the paleys; and he went in, where he fonde
the kynge amonge his barons, to whom he made the
reuerence righte humbly & honorable, as ful wele coude
he doo it. The kynge thenne demaunded of hym yf
he was a yoman or els a squier, and Blanchardyn tolde
hym that he was a knyght, & that from his contree
that sore ferre was, thens he was departed / for to come
& serue hym, for by cause of the grete renommee þat he
had herde speke of him, and how thorugh fortune &
tempeste of the see his ship was perished, & he only
had saued hymsilf. The kynge ful besily behelde
Blanchardyn, that semed to hym a full faer yonge man,
and wele shapen of all membres / And wyth thys he
praysed hym ryght gretly that he was a knyght, and
so thought in hymself that he was come of som highe
& nobyl extraccion, for his fayr behauore & assured
contenaunce that the kynge sawe to be in hym, gaffe
demonstracion of the trouble of what byrthe he was
come of; wherfore the kynge was right wele content,
and reseyued hym of his hous. And commanded to
his stewarde that he sholde be brought to a chamber,
and that all suche thynges that necessarye were to
hym / shulde be delyuered wythoute onye gaynsaynge
vnto hym: the whiche thynge, after the commaundement
youen, was doon / he was ledde in to a chambre fayre
& clene, where was raymentes, & full riche clothynge
were to hym delyuerd, wherwyth he dyde araye hymsilf.
whan he was thus clothed & richely arayed, he
semed wele to be a man comen of some nobyl hous. he
cam ayen anon toward the kyng, that ful gladli sawe
hym and moche plesed him, and so dyd he to all þe
knyghtes and other of the kynges courte. The kynge,
that gretli desired to knowe of his estate, asked of hym
what he was, of what lande and of what lynage. blanchardyn
aunsuerd þat he was of the lande of Grece, and
sone to a kynge / 'but, sire, for cause of the right grete
renomme and goode fame that renneth of you ouer all
the world, is a wylle entred wythin me to departe
secretly out of my countreye, wyth a fewe men of myne,
wythout licence of the kynge, my fader, and brought
wyth me but thre score men / We toke the see, and
cam nyghe by the castell of Mocastre, byfore the whiche
a right grete & Impetuouse tempeste rose, that lasted
vs thre dayes and thre nyghtes without ceasse / In so
moche that fortune, thrugh stormes of wyndes, made
oure vessel to smite ayenst a grete roche, and brake, so
that all my men were drowned, and noon escaped sau
onely myself that ye see here. And wyth grete peyne
and traueyl, all a fote, I am come toward you hether /
Yf I sholde all suche aduentures as I haue fonde by
the waye, reherce vnto you, ouer moche myght let you
the heryng of hem / but thanked be Mahoum, that this
grace hath doon vnto me / I am comen to do you
seruyse after my powere' / 'Vassell,' sayde the kynge /
'of your commyn vnto me I am right glad / and wel
pleaseth me your seruyse, and wyl not reffuse it / And
for the grete losse and grete trouble and peyne that ye
haue had for to seke me / rayson requyreth / that ye
shold haue a goode reward of me / Well, ye are come
to passe for to serue me in a werre whiche to vs is
happed of newe, ayenst a kynge whos countrey is not
fer hens / And for thys werke to conducte & brynge to
an ende, I graunte you euen now, and chese you, for to
be in oure behalue Conestable and hed captayne of oure
present armye, for the grete trust and hope that we
haue in your worthynes and personne' /
¶ The xxvij. chapitre conteyneth how a
knyght, all sore wounded, cam and
brought tydynges to the kynge of Maryenborugh,
that his enmye, the kynge of
Poleyne, was entred wythin his royalme.
Whan the kynge had precented this grete worship
to blanchardyn, it nedeth not to be asked yf
he was therof gladde / or yf he forgate to thanke the
kynge for the same; yet he dyde th[e]rin his deuoyer
so well, that none coude haue doon it better, sayeng to
hym in this manere / 'Syr, sith that this grete honoure
ye haue proffred me / euyn now forthwythall I do
accepte it, promyttynge you that all my strenghe,
myght & vnderstandynge, that the goddes haue gyuen
to me, I wyll putte & applie in your seruyse' / The
kynge thenne, wyth a right glad chere, receyuyd
blanchardyn, and toke hym by the hande, and sayd
vnto hym: 'vassel, yf ye serue me well / a grete
rewarde shal be redy yeuen to you therfore of me' /
Ryght thus as the kynge was talkynge so wyth blanchardyn
/ cam there a knyghte armed of al peces, that
was sore hurt in dyuerse places of his body, his shelde
crasyd and broken, and his helmet all to-kutte / he
cam byfore the kynges presence, sayeng to hym all an
hyghe / 'Alas, noble kynge, where is now becomen the
grete prowesses and hardynesse that were wont to be in
the, that soo well hast ruled and kept vs of soo long
tyme paste, Whan thou suffrest now thyn enmyes to
sette thy land al on a fyre, and wymmen & children to
be slayn of them, are comen ferre wythin they royalme /
And but yf thou putte a prouysyon therto shortly,
thou shalt, are thre dayes be passed, see thy self
beseged wythin the cyte of Maryenbourgh / & knowe
for certayn that the kynge of polonye, thy mortall
aduersarye, is there in his persone, whiche hath
auaunced hym self for to brenne and waste all the
lande, the whiche thynge he shal mowe well doo, yf
remedy be not sone putte by the therunto; and alredy
thou mayste see by me that they be not fer from hens,
for as I was commynge towarde the / I dyde fynde
thyn enmyes byfore me, whiche haue broughte me to
the plyght that thou seest me nowe ynne / and yf wele
yhorsed I had not ben / I shulde neuer haue escaped,
but other I muste deye or be taken of hem.' Whan
the kyng herde the knyght speke, he vnderstode wele
by his wordes / that the thynge wente euyll for hym /
he asked hym in what countree of his realme he had
lefte his enmyes. 'Syr,' aunswerd the knyght / 'hyt
is wele xxx. myle from hens to the place where I lefte
them / but to myn aduyse, or euer thre dayes be past /
but yf ye se a remedy, ye shal se them lodged here
byfore the toun in their tentys & pauyllyons.' The
kynge thenne, after the knyght had thus spoken to
hym, he gaff commandement to his styward that he
sholde be seen wele to / that he were helyd of his
woundes, that were grete, by his owne leches cyrurgyens
/ the whiche thynge was doon as he had commaunded
/ The kynge wyth grete haste assembled
them of his counseyll, for to see how a remedye shulde
be had to the grete daunger that lykely was to comme,
wythoute a goode prouysion were had.Wanting in the French.
[Chapter XXVIII.] How the kyng of Maryenborugh
toke Sadoyne his sone to
blanchardyn, & thre score thowsand men
wyth / for to goo ayenste his enmyes to
fyghte wyth hem / and to caste hem oute
of his realme.
After that the kynge had herde the knyght, that
had rehersed to hym the commynge of his
enmyes / he sent for his lordes & barouns, whiche cam
to hym in his paleys; & to them he shewed all that
he had vnderstonde of the sayd knyghte / prayenge
them that they wolde gyue hym counseyll therupon, to
thende he myght resyste & goo ayenste the dampnable
enterpryse of his enmyes / The barouns and counsellers
answerde to the kynge, they that shold speke togyder,
for to aduyse the manere & how this thynge myght be
conducted. They wythdrewe them self asyde, &
assembled them in grete nombre to haue consideracion
vpon this matere / the whiche they sore debatyd
emonge them self by many & dyuerse oppynyons; but
at last they dyde conclude togyder all of one accorde /
that the kyng shold sende his new Conestable ayenst
his aduersaryes, acompanyed wyth thre score thousaund
off the most valyaunt & best chosen men of his
royalme / & that he sholde haue wyth hym the kynges
sone, that called was Sadoyne, by cause that the barons
& knyghtes of the sayd royalme sholde go wyth better
wylle wyth hym / They went ayen to the kynge, &
proferred and tolde hym their aduyse / Whan the
kynge had herde speke his barons, the thynge was to
hym right agreable / he called blanchardyn his new
Conestable / & tolde hym how, by hym & his barons,
was ordeyned to hym the charge & conduyte of his
werre / and that wyth thre score thousaund men he
sholde go ayenst his enmyes, for to fyght wyth hem &
dryue hem oute of his royalme / Whan Blanchardyn
vnderstode the kynge, he was therof right glad, &
thanked hym of the grete honoure that he dyde vnto
hym / Thenne sent the kynge his lettres myssyfemysfyfe in to
al the partyes of his royalme, to be directed in all
haste to his barons & knyghtes, that they sholde
wythout delaynge come hastely toward hym. The
messagers were sone redy, that bare the letters to them
vnto whom they were dyrected / & so grete a dilygence
they made that wythin short terme dyde arryue in the
cyte of maryenbourgh, fro the first to the last, wel
thre score thousaund men of werre, alredy prest & well
apparelled for to deffende their royalme & to go ayenst their enmyes / & whan the kyng sawe his men that
were comme, he was of them right glad / & so was
blanchardyn, that had the rule ouer hem all, to whome
he gaff in commaundement that they sholde be redy on
the morowe by tymes, for to departe in the felaweship
of Sadoyne, the kynges sone, & of hym. Whan the
morne cam, trompettes and claryons byganne to blowe
thourgh the towne, & in the subarbes of the same /
They alle departed from their lodgis, & cam wel
apparelled, in gode araye to the felde / where they
awayted after the counstable, that shold be their ruler
& their guyde / the whiche camm toward the kynge, &
sadoyne wyth hym, & to take their leue of hym / The
kyng, seyeng his sonis departyng, saide to blanchardyne:
'Vassall! vassal!Wanting in the French. to whom I haue taken in
hande that thynge most dere to me in this world / that
is my sone, my royalme, my knyghtes & my barons.
I beseke & praye þe, in the worship of the goddes,
that at tyme of nede, for the defense of my royalme,
thou wylt vttir & shewe that whiche I see appiere
wyth in þe, that callest thy self the sone of a kynge,
in whom ought to be graffed & setteWanting in the French. the floure of
knight-hode, with proesse & hardynesse, wher-with
thou art armed, as I holde'wher-with
thou art armed, as I holde' = dont Ie te cuide estre arme. / 'Syre,' sayde blanchardyn,
'as for me, thourgh the helpe of þe goddes, I
shal so moche do, that wythin fewe dayes your enmyes
shal haue no cause to be glad therof / & in their
folysshe pryde I shal succombe & brynge a lowe their
corage'& in their
folysshe pryde I shal succombe & brynge a lowe their
corage' = Et de la folle entreprinse quilz ont faicte pour lorgueil
et oultrage qui les esuient contre vous. vouldroy abaissier leur
couraige follastre / And thenne, wythout mo wordes, sadoyne &
blanchardyn toke leue of the kynge /
¶ The xxix chapitre conteyneth, how blanchardyn
& sadoyne & their folke, discomfyted
their enmyes, & how blanchardyn
toke prysoner the kynge of polonye, the
whiche he putte in the handes of the
kynge of Maryenbourgh. And of the
worship that they made to Blanchardyn /
After their leue taken of the kynge, the two barons
mounted on horsbacke, & camen to the felde,
where they fonden their folke renged to-gydre; to
whome they commaunded to departe, holdyng their
waye toward their enmyes, whiche they fonde two
dayes after, all redy aparailled for to fyght, for they
were aduertysed afore of the commyng of blanchardyn /
Whan they two oostes sawe eche other / the noyse &
the cry began to be grete on bothe sydes / soo beganne
they to marche forth toward eche other in right fayr
ordonnaunce, made by blanchardyn, that conduyted
the first bataylle; & had lefte sadoyne in the seconde
baytaylle, in the kepynge of two noble prynces, that
were there comen with hym / The shot beganne to fle
of bothe partyes so fast & soo thycke, that the lyght of
þe sonne was kept wythal from þe fyghters / And syth
cam to Ioyne hem self togyder wyth sperys & wyth
dartys, and wyth swerdes and axes, wherof they hewe
eche other, in so moche that the felde was sone couerd
wyth the bodyes ded that were slayne there / The
horses went, trauayllyng after theym their owne
bowellys, rennyng ouer hylles & dales here & there /
And blanchardyn thenne, that in proesse & hardynes
was entred, toke his spere doune, & ranne ayenst the
brother of the kynge of polonye, that grete damage had
done to þe prusyens / he rought hym so sore, & wyth so
grete a strenghthe, that he shoued and passed his spere
alle thourgh & thourgh his body, that he fel doune
sterk ded, wherof the noyse & the cry rose vp grete
thourgh the batall of þe polonyens. ful sone cam the
tydynges therof to the kynge, that grete sorowe made
for his brothers dethe / he sware and made his auowe
that he shold neuer haue Ioye at his herte vnto the
tyme his brothers deth were auenged / Sore an angred
& ful of wrath, smote hym self in to the thyckest of
the bataylle, where he dyde vpon the prussyens grete
merueylles of armes, so that there as he arryued no
man durste not abyde nor come nyghe hym. Of that
other parte was blanchardyn, that so many fayttes of
armes had doon that, or euer his spere was broken, he
had slayne and brought to deth, and borne to the
grounde more than xxiiijdix of his enmyes / And syth
toke in hande his swerde, wher wythall he brake the
grete presses; he kutte & cloue the polonyens by so
grete fyersnes that his swerde & bothe his armes were
dyed wyth red blode / He semed not to them that sawe
hym to be a man mortall, but semed better to be
a fende, or a spiryte of the fayrye. he brake þe arayes
of them that were renged, and the grete presses he
departed, & made waye byfore hym. Alle fled, & non
durste abyde hym, for the grete & merueyllouse faytes
of armes that he made there, wherof they of prusse that
wyth hym were, gaff hem self grete merueylle. they
folowed after at þe backe of hym, as the yonge lambe
do the sheep. sadoyne & his bataylle dyde approche
their enmyes; they smote hem self wythin them,
callyng a grete crye, wher for they of polonye lepte
and reculed hem self abake six passes or moo.six passes or moo = plus de six pas. But
the kynge of polonye, seeyng his folke go backe / was
ful sory / he ascryed & dyde calle vpon his mayster
Conestable, that he sholde ryde forth vpon his enmyes /
þe whiche thynge he dyde, wherof the batayll began to
be reforced ayen, so that þe prussyens, wolde they or
not, muste lose grounde and goo abak / And sholde
haue be full sore dealed wyth all yf they had not
be soone socoured of Blanchardyn / the whiche, seeyng
his folke recuyelle abacke, gaffe the spore to his hors,
& cam ayenst hym that bare the cheff standarde of
polonye, to whom he gaaff soo merueylouse a stroke
wyth his goode swerde that he cloue hym vnto the
brest, and fell doune emonge the hors feet /
¶ Thenne
byganne the noyse and the crye to ryse vp grete of the
polonyens, that trowed to haue taken vp ayen their
standarde. But blanchardyn, whiche at that owre
slept not, smot hym self emonge them / he kutte and
cloue them that nother helmet nor shelde coude helpe
there / Soo that none was so hardy to approche hym /
His folke dyde folowe hym, and putte hem self vpon
their enmyes, so that it was force the polonyens to
recule abak the space of an acre of lande or more. The
kynge of polonye, that sawe his folke recule & fle, and
his standarde ybrought to the grounde thourgh the
valyauntnes and strengthe of one knyght alone, sware
his goode goddessware
his goode goddes = Iura ses bon dieux that he sholde neuere haue Ioye at
herte tyll that the deth of his brother, and the damage
that he had receyued were by hym auenged / he smote
hym self in to the bataylle, and relyed his folke to
gyder as well as he coude / Soo chose he Blanchardyn,
that grete slawghter dyde make ouer his men. he toke
a bygge spere in his hande, and drewe that part where
he sawe hym that so moche of euyll and damage had
borne to hym / Blanchardyn sawe hym right well
commynge toward hym; he toke also a grete spere
from the hande of a knyght of his, that was nyghe
hym, and cam ayenst the kynge of Polonye, that soone
perceyued hym. They brought alowe their sperys, &
ranne sore one vpon the other, and gaff eche other soo
vnmesurable strokes that the kynge of Polonye spere
brake al to peces / but that other spere that blanchardyn
had, that was of wode right stronge and harde, brake
not, But roughte the kynge of Polonye wythall by
suche a strengthe and vertue, that he bare hym from
his horse doune to the grounde /
¶ Blanchardyn anon
cast from hym his goode spere, & syth tooke his goode
swerde in hande, and cam to the kynge for to haue
smytten of his hed / but þe kynge, seyenge that noon
of his folke came for to socoure hym, dyde take his
swerde to blanchardyn, yeldynge hym vp vnto hym, &
prayed hym to saue hym his lyff / Thenne was the
kynge redely taken to mercy of blanchardyn, that toke
hym by the hande, & gaf hym to tenn knyghtes for to
kepe hym, that had hym out of þe presse by cause that
they sholde be more sure of hym.Wanting in the French. Whan they of
polonye sawe & knewe their kynge to be take, they
wyst wel ynough that he was not to be recouered of
hem / wherfor gaffe vp the place & fled awaye / And
so fynably were all the polonyens discomfyted, taken,
or brought to dethe, that fewe of them escaped / but
grete gayne made there they of prusse, whiche was
departed by blanchardyn to them that had hit deserued.
After this bataylle doon, & that they had chassed their
enmyes oute of their royalme / Blanchardyn wyth grete
glorye & grete tryumphe, & Sadoyne his trusty felawe
wyth hym, retourned toward Maryenborugh, and their
folke wyth them, where they were receyued of the
kynge wyth grete Ioye & praysynge / Thenne cam
blanchardyn to the kynge, and to hym sayde: 'Syre, I
do yelde and delyuere in to your handes the kynge of
Polonye your enemye, whiche I haue taken wyth the
helpe of your sone, and of your noble and worthy
cheualrye; & ye may now doo wyth hym what youre
goode plesure is or shalbe' / The kynge, that therof
was well aduertysed by his sone and by his other
barons that the bataylle had ben ouercome, & the
kynge of polonye taken, thourgh þe right excellent &
hyghe proesse of Blanchardyn, toke hym in his armes,
and syth sayde vnto hym: 'Ha, my right trusty frende
& right noble knight, fulfylled with al gode maners and
vertues; that hath be the pyler, susteynynge vnder
thy swerdeWanting in the French. bothe my self & all my royalmede mon people deffendeur / De vefues et orphenins secure garde et droituriere / I am
not a power to reward the after the meryte that ye
haue deserued to haue of me. Well ye haue shewed, &
doon perfytly to be vnderstandeWanting in the French. thexcellent vertu of
humplite that is in you / and the right hyghe and noble
lynage that ye be descended of.sans nulle doubte et as bien averi fie tes parolles. But fro this owre
now I betake my self, my sone, & my royalme in your
protection, & wol that all your commaundementes be
obeyed and put to execucyon in all manere poyntes.'
The noble Blanchardyn thenne heryng the kynge, that
suche honoure made vnto hym, sayd: 'sire, suche a
worship apparteyneth not to be doon to me / for I am
not to the value therof / And it suffyseth me right well
to be symply taken and kept as one of youre knyghtes
wyth you and youre soone.' The kynge wyst not to
thanke hym ynough, that soo had delyuered hym from
his enmyes, and had put in his handes that kynge that
moost he hated in this world / Wherfore he sayde vnto
Blanchardyn that he had a Cosyn, that was of a right
excellent beaulte, whiche he wolde gyue hym right
gladly to be his wyff. But Blanchardyn dyde excuse him
self, saynge þat in his countrey he was trouthplyght
tyl another / The kynge herynge blanchardyn, helde
hym therof for excused. right grete honoure was don
vnto hym of the kynge & of all his barons / but aboue
al other he was most beloued & dere yholde of Sadoyne,
the kynges sone, that was a fayr knyght & yonge, right
hardy and valyaunt; and also Blanchardyn loued hym
moche, & yet more he wolde haue do yf he had be a
crysten man / but nought he durste to hym speke
therof /
¶ Here we shall leue to speke of Blanchardyn,
& shal leue hym wyth the kynge of Maryenbourgh in
prusse, and wyth his sone Sadoyne, that soo dere loued
hym that wythout he was alwayes wyth hym, he
myght not endure. but what so euer goode sporte &
pleysure that blanchardyn sawe ther make for his sake,
nothyng coude playse nor brynge hym tyll his hertys
ease, But euer more reforced and redoubled his sorowe
at alle tymes that he remembred wythin hym self his
right swete lady & goode maystres, the whiche he had
lefte beseged wythin her cyte of Tourmaday by the
vntrewe and crymynel tyraunt Alymodes, kynge of
Cassydonye, that had made his othe neuere to departe
thens Into the tyme that he had tyl his wyf the right
fayre and proude pucelle in amours /
¶ The xxx. chapitre conteyneth how daryus
the sone of Alimodes, by fortune of the
see, arryued in the lande of ffryse, where
he dyde grete hurt, damage, & toke the
kynge of ffryse, the fader of Blanchardyn,
and had hym wyth hym prysoner vnto
Cassydonye.
Well ye haue herde by-fore how Blanchardyn was
taken and had prysoner by kynge Alymodes
folke, the whiche betoke hym to his soone Daryus for
to brynge hym to cassydonye; And þe manere how
he escaped the fortune of the see, and cam & arryued
in the lande of prusse; Duryng the whiche tyme
Daryus, the sone of Alymodes, the kynge beyng in his
cyte of Cassydonye, awaytyng after tydynges of them
that had forth Blanchardyn toward the kynge of Salamandrye.
But his awaytyng that he made was in
vayne, for they were all perysshed and drowned in
the see, as ye haue herde aboue /
¶ Whan Daryus sawe
noo tydynges, he coulde not vnderstande of them; he
made redy a grete nauye laden wyth men of werre, and
wyth artylary, and vytaylles for to goo agayn to the
syege of Tourmaday toward his fader / Whan all these
thynges were redy, he toke his leue of his suster
Beatryse, to whom he betoke his citye to kepe. he syn
entred his shyp, made to drawe vp ancres, and began
anoon for to sayle, so that wythin a lytil / whyle they
were oute of syghte and fer ſrom the hauen. and so
longe they saylled wyth goode wynde, that they were
anoon nyghe the realme of Tourmadaye; but as they
shulde haue taken lande, a storme began to come, grete
& horribyll wynde to blowe, that rose oute of the
landes, soo that, wether they wolde or not, they must
habandoune their barkes & galleys to the wyndes &
wawes of the see, wherfor they were ful sore afrayed.
The wynde & the see were so horryble to here & see,
that they wende all to peryshe anoon / They were full
sone y-caste from the realme of Tourmaday / And the
wynde brought them in to a lytyl Isle, longyng to the
realme of fryse, the whiche was fruytfull & right fayr,
and replenyshed wyth all maner of goodes / So that
bycause of the grete commodytees of that Isle, Blanchardyns
fader, kynge of fryse, went for to sporte hym
there thre or four tymes in the yere, that he shulde forgete
ther by the grete sorowe that was atte his herte for
loue of his sone Blanchardyn, of whom no tydynges he
had syth his departynge from hym / And also for of the
grete dysplesure that he had of the quene his wyffe,
that suche a sorowe made for her entyerli beloued
sone / blanchardin / whiche she wyste not where he
was becom / that no body lyuyng myghte gyue her
consolaconn / nor brynge her herte oute of trystesse &
sorowe. And ther for the noble kynge, wyth a fewe
of his folke, was come to the sayde Isle for to dysporte
hym there, and to dryue his fantassye away. In the
whiche Isle he had do make a fayr paleyce ryghte
delectable / Duryng the tyme that he was thus there,
the sayd aduenture happed, that daryus, the sone of
kynge Alymodes, wyth his grete naue, by fortune of
the see arryued there, as it is sayde, euen at that same
hauen that was most nyghe to the sayde paleys where
the kynge of fryse lay / Daryus, that of his beynge
ther was soone aduertysed,Daryus, that of his beynge
ther was soone aduertysed = Daire et toute sa nauire y vint arriuer et prendre port par vng bien matin Il fist jette les ancres puis saillirent hors
tous ensamble moult Ioyeux de ce que hors de la tourmente de
la mer estoient eschappez. Mais pas bien ne scauoient en quel
pays Ilz-estoient arriuez. came anone wyth his puissaunce
of men to the paleys, where they founde but
litil resistaunce. whan they were come there, they fonde
threethere of þe kynge of frysys seruauntes, to whom they
asked to whom belongeth that paleys, and how the
lande was called. The sayd thre men ansuerd them
wyth grete fere, that the paleyce and the ysle was bylongyng
vnto the kynge of ffryse, that was come there
thre dayes afore that / 'frendes,' sayde daryus, 'what
lawe is there kept amonge you in this lande?' / 'Syre,'
sayde one of hem, 'we holden on the crysten feyth, &
are byleuyng in Ihesu cryste' / Thenne daryus, knowyng
that he was fortunatly arryued vpon the crysten peple,
enmye of his lawe / comaunded that they sholde be all
slayne & brought to deth / the whiche thynge was
putte to execucyon after his comaundement, except
vpon one of hem that escaped, that dyde soo moche,
that he went & entred in to the paleys thurghe the
wykettes of the gate, that of a custume were allewayes
lefte open. And whanwahn he was come wyth ynne, he
made a scrye, and called alowde after the watche / so
that euery man cam forth for to doo his deuoyre, eche
of hem in his rowmeeche
of hem in his rowme = chacun en son lieu accoustume in defending the place after their
powere / & whan he was come as ferre as the halle
wythin the paleys, he byganne to reforce his callynge,
cryinge wyth a hyghe voyce / sainge þat 'they were all
lost, and that þe sarrasyns were descended from their
shippes byfore þe paleyce in grete nombre.' thenne
rose & cam they of wythin out of all partyes of the
place, armed & arrayed as haste requyred, and no
bettre / Soone was the tydynges herof brought to the
kynge, that at that owre was at his rest, and slept fast
as a man that doubted hym self of noo suche aduenture
to be falle / he a-woke out of his slepe thurghe
the pyteouse crye that of his men was made. Notwythstandyng
he made hym self redy, and made a goode
ordynaunce as a prynce of hyghe corage and grete
vertue / for in all poyntes he was a right valyaunt and
a hardy prynce / but ouer sodaynly he was taken.
Neuerthelesse, full nobly, lyke a man of grete corage,
he admonested his folke, and trowed to haue goon to
the yate of his palayce, the whiche was all redy wonne
and taken / And daryus and his folke were entred
Inne / The kynge of ſryse seynge his paleys wonne, a
grete sorowe toke hym at his herte of that he was so
taken vnbeware / And anone hastely he and his folke
went and sought wythin the place where they myght
saue hymself best / but ouer sore oppressed they were,
and of so nyghe chassed that neuer one of them escaped,
but he was taken or ded / The kynge was taken and
seasid, the handes ybounde & the eyen yblynded, and
sent in to the shippes by daryus, and lykewyse was
doon of all his barons that were there / After that this
grete myshap was thus falle to the kynge of fryse /
Daryus & his folke serched the paleys / they robbed
alle the richesses and goodes that were ther Inne / &
were al brought in to daryus shippes /
¶ Thees pytoyable
thynges thus y-happed, they made their horses to
be had out of their shippes, and anone ouer ranne all
the ysle, & wasted and dystroyed all the countrey, and
slewe men, wymen, and children bothe yonge and olde /
they toke and rauysshed alle the bestyall, as oxen,
kene, and shepe, wherof was there wythout nombre,
and had them in to their shippes whyche they charged
wyth the praye and gayne that they made there in the
sayd Isle. And syn they dyde putte the palayce all in
a fire, and toke wyth them grete nombre of prysoners,
and entred agen in to their shippes, wyth grete Ioye &
gladnes for the goode aduenture that they had fonde.
all thus in grete dyspleasure & heuynes was taken þe
kyng of frise, and was broughte as a prisoner, sore
wepyng & sorowynge his byttirnesses. The poure
sorwfull kyng had his herte all replenished wyth
sorowe & heuynes, of the whiche the nobel quene his
wyff shall haue parte whan thees pituable tydynges
shall come to her eeris, for she toke in her self suche a
sorow & so grete a displesure therfor, wyth þat that she
sorowed before for the departynge of her dere sone
blanchardyn / that she was constrayned thorugh grete
passion & bytternes of hert to falle in a swoune; for her
legges nor feete myghte not bere her, and not wythoute
a cause, and bycamme so sore febil, & so full of sorowe /
that atte the laste, what for her sone blanchardyn as
for þe loue of her goode husbande & her lorde, she toke
suche a sekenes that her soule departed from the body
of her / And thus the noble ladye & goode quene of
fryse ended her dayes in heuynes & sorowe, for the
loue of her lorde that she so myserably had loste.Wanting in the French.
¶ The xxxj. chapiture conteyneth howe
daryus arryued in to the ooste of kynge
Alymodes his fader, wher he was receyuyd
wyth grete Ioye for loue of the vitaylles
that he broughte vnto them there.Wanting in the French.
Whan daryus entred ayen in his ship, he thanked
moche his goddes, of aduenture & good fortune
that was happed to hym; he made the ancres to be
drawen vp and the sayles to be haled a lofte. The
wynde & the see were apeased, and a softe wynde
goode for them byganne to ryse oute of the west, that
droef forth their shippes there as they wolde, and wythoute
lettyng arryued on the therde daye byfore the
cytye of Tourmaday, where as thoost of kyng Alymodes
was lodged / they cast their ancres, & ful sone they
were knowen of kynge Alymodes that hastly cam
wyth hys barons toward the hauen / for to welcom
daryus his sone whiche was com a lande, & fonde his
fader / that wyth grete Ioye and gladnes receyued,
askyng of hem how he had doon syn his partyng from
hym / Daryus al alonge recounted to hym how by fortune
of the see they arryued & entred in to an Isle of
the see / whiche was crysten / where they dyde fynde
a kyng ryght puyssaunt / whiche he had broughte wyth
hym prysoner. And also tolde hym how he had dystroyed
the sayd Isle, & brente the paleys that was
there, & had brought wyth them a grete praye &
vytall ynough / as wyne & corne, sheepe & oxen, for
to susteyn his oost the space of thre monthes and
more / Wherof kyng Alymodes & they of his oost
were oute of mesure glad / but & yf god wol kepe
the goode prouost of Tourmaday / he shall haue or thys
two days be paste his parte of the sayd praye / Wherof
the Ioye shal be renewed amonge the knyghtes &
pepyll of Tourmaday, that grete scarcenes had of fleshe
& of other vytaylle / After that daryus had thus recounted
to his fader his aduenture that to hym was of
late happed / they two both to gyder cam toward theire
tentes talkyng of many thynges / Daryus demaunded of
his fader how they of þe cytye dyd,how they of þe cytye dyd = comment ceulx de lacite faisoient & yf hit was
longe agoo that they made eny yssue oute of their toun /
Alimodes aunsuerd to hym, and sayd that it was more
than a monthe ago that they neuer made noo yssue,
wherof men sholde take eny hede / and that he thought
wele that grete defaulte of vytaylles they had wyth-in,
and that they were made full symple, syth that the
yonge knyght was taken whiche I betok you for to be
brought vnto the kynge of salamandrye / 'Syre,' sayde
Daryus, 'I haue doon of hym as ye commaunded me' /
But neuer syth that they parted from me I haue herde
noo tydynges of hem, nor of hym, nor of thre score
men of myn owne that I dyde sende for to make present
of the knyght crysten, wherof I haue gyuen me
full ofte grete merueylle.' They thenne seased their
wordes / he was al nyght wyth his fader Alymodes,
vnto the morowe that Daryus made hym self redy by
thordonnaunce of his fader to retourne in his cyte of
cassydonye. ryght grete Ioye and gladnes made they
of the oost, for they made no doubte at all of their
enmyes. Daryus, after the feste & Ioyouse talkyng
that he had wyth his ſader and wyth his barons / He
toke his leue for to retourne and take his shippynge.
The kynge and the barons dyde conueye hym vnto the
ship where he entred ynne,The kynge and the barons dyde conueye hym vnto the
ship where he entred ynne = Desquelz Il auoit fait deschargier tousles vinres pour
revitailler lost de son pere / lequel le conuoya en grant Ioye et
leesse / et aussi firent tous les barons de lost Iusques a la nauire
sur laquelle Il monta en prenant congie du roy son pere et des
Barons. commaundyng hym in the
kepyng and protection of all their godes. The maronners
bygan to saylle, & seaced neuer tyl that he camen
in to the hauone of cassydonye, where he was receyued
wyth grete Ioye /Wanting in the French.
¶ The xxxij. chapitre conteyneth how the
goode prouost yssued out of Tourmadaye,
and cam to fet bestyall, that daryus had
brought in the oost, whiche was brought
in to the cyte wyth grete Ioye /
Evyn at the same owre that daryus toke shippyng
vpon the see, and that his fader the kynge
Alymodes, and a grete parte of his barons were goon to
conueye hym, and were there tyll he was departed
from the hauen and ferre fro the cleues, the prouost
of Tourmadaye and many other barons of the cyte
were vpon the walles beholdynge the manere and the
gouernauns of them of the oost, And were alredy
aduertysed of a spye / howe that the daye byfore,
darius, the sone of kyng Alymodes, was arryued in
thoost, and had broughte wyth hym grete plente of
vytayles / and that he retorned in to his countree, and
toke the see that same daye. And wyth this they
sawe the grete nombre of bestes, that toke their pasture
in a grete medowe not ferre thens, and that noo body
kept hem; for they went to haue be sure thourgh
all the ooste, by cause that they of the cyte had not
made longe tyme afore that no manere of entrepryse,
nor dyde not come out of their towne; and also that
the custume of them of wythin was, that they neuer
made non yssue but it were in the mornyng, or at
euyn. And for this cause the prouost, that thought
vpon the same, delybered in hym self, consideryng that
whiche he sawe at eye; how all thoost was styll, and
that kyng alymodes, nor his barons, nor his princypal
capitaynes were not comen yet from the see syde,
where they were all gon for to conueye and see daryus
take his shippynge.
¶ Of that other part, he sawe
also a fore hym, nyghe by the walles of the towne, the
grete multytude of bestes, that were wythout kepynge,
whiche was the thynge wherof they had most nede
wythin the cyte / He, seeng and consyderyng this that
he sawe at his eye, descended hastely from the walles,
and dyde calle to hym al the capitaynes, barons,
knyghtes and noble men,Wanting in the French. whiche he made to come
byfore theyr lady, the proude pucell in amours; and
byfore her he declared vnto them all his purpos, and
what he entended for to doo. Whan the lady, wyth
her barons, had well vnderstande the prouost, they all
in generall accorded wyth him for to putte to execucion
the wordes afore spoken; & for to do the same, they
went preuely & armed them self. & whan they were
redy, they fonde six thousand of hem all a horsebak,
the whiche were conducte by þe prouost. And another
of the capitayns had the charge of the foure thousand
archers, fote men / whiche yssued oute at a posterne
that was nyghe the see, & lepte anon in to the medowe
where the sayd bestes were fedyng / & of that other
partye, the prouost & his felauship wente oute of the
gate where as they were wonte to goo oute whan they
made their Issues. whan the capitayne of fote men
was wele aduertysed, and that he wyste the prouost to
be come oute of the toun, he made his folke to vaunce
hemself forth softly and by order alonge by the toune
dyches, whiche were drye at that syde of the toun /
and so made them to walke al vnder couerte vnto the
see syde all along the dyches, tyl that they cam & saw
the bestes, that wythoute eny kepyng were enclosed
wyth in a maner of a parke / and after they had putte
hemself betwyx the bestes and the oost / they taryed &
herkened there after there men on horsbacke, the
whiche they herde full sone makyng their cryes in
their enmyes tentes, where as they foughte wyth hem /
The fotemen thenne entred wythin the close medowe,
where the bestes were pasturyng, whiche they brought
all to gydre on a flok, & byganne to chasse them afore
hem to the towneward, where they brought Inne bothe
oxen, kyen, and sheep, wyth all other manere of
bestyall that was there, wherof the peple of the cyte
was gretly reioyced. And syth cam and put hym self
by fore the yate of the towne in fayre ordennaunce,
awaytyng that the prouost and his folke sholde tourne
ayen, whiche were wythin their enmyes tentes &
pauyllions, whiche they powlyd & brought doune /
and slewe many of their enmyes or euer that kynge
Alymodes nor his folke coude be garnysshed of their
armures / And whan the prouost sawe that it was tyme
for to departe, & that the bestes myght well be brought
in to the cyte by that tyme, he made his trompette to
be sowned, that euery man shold with draw hym self /
& so cam ayen wythin the cyte wythout eny losse of
his men, to their grete glorye & praysynge / & grete
confusion to theyr enmyes / to whom they had born so
grete domage, that neuer byfore that they had receyued
suche / Wherby the kynge alymodes & alle his oost
was right sore affrayed, and in grete heuynes of the
grete losse that they had susteyned by the sayd prouost
and his folke / And also of that other part, whan they
knewe how alle their bestes were / had aweye fro the
medowe and brought in to the towne, their sorowe
redoubled them full sore / The prouost, that lytyl dyde
care therfore, hym self and all his folke, bothe a fote &
a horsback, in gyuyng thankes & graces vnto our lord,
entred agayne in to the cyte wyth grete gladnes and
Ioye /The phrase, "wyth grete gladnes and
Ioye /", which appears in line two, originally appeared in line three after, "their lady". where they were ful curtoysly receyued of their
lady, that graciously thanked theym / The cyte of
Tourmaday was purueyed of vytaylles of the same for
a hole yere / & their enmyes oost sore dysgarnyshed
ther by, wherfor they made emonge hem self grete
sorowe / but what so euer Ioye & gladnes that they
made wythin the towne, the fayr pucelle and proude
in amours myght not seasse nor leue her sorowe therfore,
that she contynually made for her right dere
frende blanchardyn; that for the loue of her she
trowed that he had other be lost or ded, & wyst not
what she sholde thynke therof / But sawe wel that yf
by proces of tyme she had [not] som socours, that force
sholde be to her to yelde vp & deliuer her cyte vnto
kynge Alymodes, but rather she wolde deye / than she
sholde see suche a sorowe to be falle to her; & for to
see a remedy to the same / she dyde sende for the
prouost, to whome she sayde thus / 'Prouoste, oure
cyte is nowe garnyshed, thanked be oure lorde, both
of vytaylles & of artyllerye for a grete space of tyme;
and wyth this, for the defence of þe same, hit ys wele
& suffysaunly furnyshed of goode knyghtes, & of goode
souldyers grete foyson. Wherfore ryght instanly I
praye you that ye doo make redy a galleye, & I shal
furnysshe her welle wyth vytaylles, & wyth goode
artylerye for the defence of your self and of them that
shall be wyth you / and ye shal goo as myn ambassatour
toward myn vncle, the kyng of grete Norweyghe
/ to whom ye shall declare & shewe, in my
behalf, the estate where presently I am inne / prayeng
hym, in my behalf, that now atte my grete nede / he
wolde sende me folke for to helpe & socoure me, or els
that my sylf & my royalme are in wey of perdycion' /
'Madame,' sayde the prouost, 'wyte ye for certeyn,
that to the pleasure of our lorde I shall doo therin my
best, wyth all deligence vnto me possyble / And I hope
I shall brynge you good tydynges, & suche a socours
that shal not be pleysaunt vnto Alymodes the false
kyng' / The prouost, after many other deuyses, toke
hys leue of the pucel, & cam to his hous / he made a
galee to be dressyd wyth all her apereylle / And whan
all his thynges was redy & preste, he went oute of a
posterne pryuely wyth suche as he wolde take in his
companye toward the see syde; & entred his ship so
preuely in the mornyng, that none of his enmyes coude
see hym tyl that they were gon awaye from the lande,
& wyth oute fere of them / whan kyng alymodes knew
the same, he wexed sore angry & wroth, but no remedy
he myght not put therto / for or euer he was aduertysed
therof, the prouost & his felauship were almost oute of
syghtWanting in the French. / well he had wold that they myght be met
wythall by daryus his sone / but he oughte not to care
for it / ſor daryus & hys nauey helde their waye
toward Cassydonye, wher they arryued in fewe dayes
wythout eny fortune / & the prouost saylled & rowed
toward the costes of nourthwegheWanting in the French. / Whan daryus was
come to lande in to the hauen of Cassydonye, where
he arryued wythin short tyme wythout ony fortune, as
it is saydWanting in the French. / he made the kynge of fryse, & other his
prysoners, to be had out from the shippes in to a grete
& strong toure, where as was a tenebrouse & derke
dongeon; wherin the poure sorowfull kynge, replenysshed
and sore beten wyth the flayel of fortune, was
cast in pryson, there to consume his olde dayes ful
myserably, vnto the tyme that by his right wel beloued
sone blanchardyn he be had out from this grete pouerte
& myserye. So shal we leue hym thus makyng his
sorowfull complaynte tyl that tyme be for to speke of
hym / & shal retourne to speke of his sone, the goode
yonge knyghtWanting in the French. blanchardyn / Whiche we haue lefte
wythin the paleys of Maryenborugh wyth Sadoyne.Wanting in the French.
¶ The xxxiij chapyter conteyneth how
Blanchardyn made pyteouse complayntes
for his lady wythin a gardyne,Wanting in the French. and of
the grete recomforte that was made to
hym of sadoyne /En promettant que de tout son pouoir lui aideroit
Ye haue all ynoughe vnderstande here a fore how
blanchardyn had the goode grace of the kynge
of prusse, of Sadoyne his sone, & the loue of all the
barons of the sayde royalme. And how he had reffused
the kynges cosyne for to haue her in maryage; but the
grete loue & fydelyte that he had toward his lady, the
proude pucelle in amours, kept hym there fro / for
rather he wold haue deyed than to haue falsed his feyth
ayenst her, for whome he had at herte so many a
sorowful & hevy thought for to bere / for nother nyght
nor daye he dyde non other thinge, but thynke how &
what manere he myght departe out of the contrey
where he was Inne, for to go to gyue socoure vnto the
proude pucell in amours his fayre loue, that was his
souerayn desyre & his right besy & contynually thoughte,
wherof it happed upon a daye amonge other as blanchardyn
was entred in a gardyne wythin þe kynges paleys
alone, wythout eny feliship, for to complayne the better
his hertes sorowes, that in beholdyng vpon the fayre
flouris wherof nature had fayre appareylled the gardyne,
& amonge other he sawe a rosier tree laden with many
a fayr rose that had a smel ful swete / emonge whiche
one was ther that of flagraunt odoure & of beaulte
passed all the other; wherfore vpon her he dyde arrest
his eyen, & said in this maner / 'Ha, noble rose, preelect
& chosen byfore all other flouris that ben about
the / how be it they be right fayre / thou puttest into
my remembraunce thurgh the fayrnes that I see in the /
the right parfyt & excellent beaulte of myn owne goode
lady, the proude mayden in amours,the right parfyt & excellent beaulte of myn owne goode
lady, the proude mayden in amours = madame whom god gyue
all that whiche her noble herte wysheth & desyreth / I
am so ferre from her / that aduyse it is to me, and also
I byleue the same / that I neuer shal see her nomore. I
can not curse to moche myn vnfortune that hath brought
me, whiche was come to haue the goode grace of the
most parfyt creature that god & nature wythout comparison
wold euer make, in to the grete sorowes where
I am now Inne / Now most I be ferre from her: wolde
god now that ye, myn owne swete lady, wyst that I am
aliue, & how goode a wyll I haue to socoure you, yf it
were to me possible;' & in proferryng this wordes, þe
teeris fel grete from his eyen in grete haboundaunce
without ceasseWanting in the French. / sadoyne that coude not dure nor be
with-out blanchardyn, went him seking in all þe place
so longe that at the last he cam & sawe hym wythin
the gardyne / & cam there as he was or euer blanchardyn
was aware of hym / He fonde him the terres at
the eyes of hym makynge his full pituouse complayntes /
the whiche sadoyne had herde a part of hem / he cam
& set hym self doun besyde blanchardyn, & prayed
hym that he wolde telle him the cause of his sorowe &
grete lamentacion, promyttyng to hym that it sholde
neuer be told noo knowen by him, & saide vnto him:
'My right trusty felawe, ye do sobbe & make grete
sorowe, wherfor I true & thinke for ueray throuth /
that it is loue that so ledes you' / 'Certes, sadoyne,'
sayde blanchardyn, 'ye may beleue well for certayn
that the god of loue werreth ayenst me right sore, to
holde & kepe me here inherein this contrey / & to myn
aduyse, yf he wolde be content wyth reason / he sholde
suffre that som worde were brought here to me to the
comforte of one parte of my grete sorowe, from her for
whos sake they be sore grounded wythin my penseful
herteWanting in the French. / I loke styl ouer the mountaynes & valeye als
ferre as my sight can comprehende; but, alas, I can not
chuse nor see the toure wherynne she holdeth her self' /
'O my right trusty frende & dere felawe,' sayde sadoyne,
'is it the toure of babylonye where she doth holde her /
or of Rome, of spayne, or of Almanye.'of spayne, or of Almanye = patras despaigne ditalie ou dallemaigne. 'Certes,'
sayde blanchardyn, 'it is not so ferre as ye wene,as ye wene = ou madame se tient que celles que vous auez nommees sont. but
syth that ye desyre so sore to knowe myn angwyshe &
sorowe, I shall telle you what is me befal / I am a
seruaunt reteyned wyth the lady of Tourmaday, that is
called of euery man the proude mayden in amours.
She is beseged within her cyte by Kynge Alymodes, a
cruel tyraunt, kynge of Cassydonye, that hath had me
as his prysoner here before, but by fortune of the see
and the goode aduenture, thanked be oure lord, j am
escaped; he wold haue by strengthe & puyssaunce to
his spouse my sayd lady / But by cause that she wil
not haue him tyl her lord, he hath purposed to kepe
his power men of werre by fore her cyte of tourmaday
vnto tyme that he haue her at his wylle.' After the
wordes, the teeres ranne doune from his eyen.
¶ And
whan Sadoyne sawe his true and feythfull felawe
Blanchardyn make suche a sorowe, his herte bygan to
quake wythin hymself for pyte that he had of blanchardyn
/ & sayde thus vnto hym, 'Certaynly, dere
felawe myne, yf ye wol do after me, we shal go wyth
all pouer & myght to helpe & socoure your lady, for
whos loue ye take suche a sorowe, & shal delyuere her
from Kynge Alymodes handes' / Blanchardyn, thenne
beholdyng ful pyteously vpon his felawe sadoyne,
sayde vnto hym, 'O the right grete recomforte of my
sorowful lyf / wolde god it were so as ye saye / for þe
Kyng Alymodes hath a daughter of his owne, whiche
is so fayr that god & nature can not amende her, nor
in no lande can be choson no fayrer / Certaynly yf we
coude bringe this werke at an ende, she sholde be yours
wythout faylle' / 'My frende dere,' sayde sadoyne, 'it
lieth in the wylle of the goddes. We haue goode men of
werre ynough for to furnysshe this enterpryse, whiche
I sore do desyre for to gyue helpe to youre sorowes. I
wyll go toward the kynge my fader, for to haue leue
for you & for me.' Whether blanchardyn of this
tydynge was glad / it is not to be asked /
¶ The xxxiiij chapiter conteyneth how sadoyne
toke leue of his fader the kyng, &
so dyde Blanchardyn, & toke the see wyth
a grete naue, charged wyth men of werre,
for to gyue socoure to the proude pucelle
in amours / And of the prouost of Tourmaday,
whiche they founde by the waye.
After many wordes proferred & sayde betwene þe
two yonge knyghtes, sadoyne departed & com to
fore the kynge his fader, to whome in the best wyse
that he myght or coude / dyde shewe vnto him his
wyll / requiring of him that it myght be accomplisshed
/ shewyng vnto hym how that his royalme
was in peas & tranquilite that tyme, & that it was not
lyke that werre shold happe there to befal; and by cause
he was a yonge man, he wolde yet faine excercyse him
self in þe noble crafte of armes, & that a lawfull &
Iuste cause he had to do soo, for to gyue socoure &
helpe the yonge knyght straunger, 'that thourgh his
prouesse & grete worthynes hathe socoured you, and
holpen to putte out your mortal enmyes that were ferre
come wythin this your royalme / and hath brought in
to your handes as prysonner, your enmye the kynge of
polonye, for to do your owne wylle vpon hym / of the
whiche good seruyse, he ought of rayson to be well
rewarded' / Whan the kynge of prusse vnderstode his
son / he gaf to hym-self grete merueylle, & was wel
abashed of that soudayne a wylle that was come to him.
Neuertheles, whan he knewe, & that he was aduertysed
by his sone al alonge of the cause & quarelle of Blanchardyn,
he was al ynough content, and graunted hym his
request / Wherof his son & eke Blanchardyn cam &
fel bothe doune humbly at þe fote of hym, and thanked
him of that grete curtosye. And for to see and furnysshe
that this were doon, the kynge dyde make redy
suche shippes as apparteyned therunto, and made them
to be garnished well of vytaylles and of artyllery nedeful
to suche an enterpryse. Vpon whiche nauye he
sent wyth his son and wyth Blanchardyn the nombre
of twelue thousand knyghtes of the most approued and
best chosen of al his royalme / and other men of werre
in grete nombre / Al their arraye was made redy, & the
daye come that they sholde departe. The kynge seenge
the barkes and shippes of his sone to be furnysshed of
men of werre and of vytaylles, of golde and syluer, and
of alle thynge that were necessary to them / he was
therof right glad / And syth dyde doo putte wyth the
shippes foure ydoles, his goddes, that were all of fyne
golde and garnyshed full richely wyth grete perles and
precyouse stones.
¶ And after this he entred hym self
wythin the ship & toke his leue of his sone Sadoyne /
prayng vnto blanchardyn that he shold haue him for
recomended / & toke his leue of them / Whan the
kynge was come out of the ship where he had lefte his
sone sadoyne wyth blanchardyn / he beganne to wepe /
And after that he was gon from hem / they made to
take vp the ancres & to hale vp their saylles, wher-in
þe wynde entred that had them soone ferre from the
lande out of syght / & toke the hyghe see assone as
they myght, sayllyng by the costes of many a strange
regyon wythout fyndyng of eny aduenture that is to
be recounted / & so longe they saylled bothe daye and
nyght that they cam nyghe Tourmaday as two dayes
Iournay / byfore whiche cyte was yet kyng Alymodes
at siege wyth his oost, wherof the fayr the proude
pucell in amours was sore displeysaunt. And in especyall
she was sore discomfited at her herte for the loue
of her frende blanchardyn, that was the same tyme
wyth his felawe sadoyne sayllyng vpon the see in grete
gladnesse for the wynde & the see that were peasible.
And saylled so longe that they perceyued a galeye
from ferre, that made fast waye ther as they went hem
self, In whiche vessell was the prouost of Tourmadaye
& other seruauntes to the proude pucelle in amours,
and cam ayen from the oncle, the kyng of the grete
Norweghe, whiche they fonde but late ded whan they
cam there, where they retourned wyth-out expedicyon
of that wherfore they were goon thyder. Whan the
prouost & they of the galeye dyde perceyue the shippes
of Blanchardyn, they were full sore affrayed, by cause
they knewe well anoon that they were all sarrasyns.
¶ And of that other parte, Blanchardyn and sadoyne
perceyued sone that they of the galleye were crysten /
they made anon after the sayd galleye for to enclose &
take her / And whan they cam nyghe by her, they
called & asked 'of whens was the vessell, What they
were, & fro whens they came;' & thenne the prouost,
wyth a grete drede & feer of his lyfe, lept forthe &
sayde / 'Lordes, we see wel that we can not escape
you / but for drede of noo deth I shal not leue to telle
vnto you the trouth of all oure affayre / We all that
be here, come from the grete north weghe, & were sent
toward the kynge of the lande, whiche was oncle to the
proude mayden in loue, whiche is oure ladye & maystresse.'
¶ Blanchardyn, right Ioyouse, knewe fulsone
the prouost, & thought that sone ynought he sholde
here of hym som goode tydynges of that thynge whiche
he most desyred in this worlde / But the prouost knewe
not blanchardyn the same tyme, by cause he was made
blak, disfigured & sore chaunged of face by strengthe
of the sonne / but trowed that he had ben a sarrasyne
as other were / Thenne cam blanchardyn nyghe the
bordours of the galley, & toke the prouoste by the hand,
& made hym to come wythin his ship. Of dyuerses
thynges he questyoned hym, but the prouost ansuered
ferfully, for he doubted them sore. So prayed he to
blanchardyn, after he had exposed vnto hym of whens
he cam & what he was, that he wolde doo them no
harme. Blanchardyn right humbly aysuered hym &
sayde / 'ffrende, take no feere at all, for nother damage
nor euyl shal not be don to you nor to non of yours,
for I shal myself conueye you yf nede be' / the prouost
thanketh hym moche & was right glad. 'Sir,'
sayde blanchardyn to the prouost, 'ye haue tolde me
that ye be of the cite of tourmaday. I pray you that
ye wyl telle me in what regyon & what marche it is
sette, and who is lord there. I praye you to telle me
the trouth of it' / þe prouost thenne seeng þat feabli he
myght speke without doubte or fear, he dyde reherce
unto blanchardyn al a longe, how þe royalme of tourmaday
was come to a doughter full fayre and goode,
that made her self to be called the proude pucelle in
amours, that neuer wolde wedde kynge, duc, nor erle,
how grete that he were; & that for the loue of a gentyl
knyght that not longe agoo cam and socoured her in
her werre, that she had and yet hath ayenst the kynge
Alymodes, that wolde haue her to his wyff. 'But,
sire,' sayde the prouost / 'by grete infortune the worthy
knyght wherof I do speke to you, and the most valyaunt
and most fayre that euer man myght or coude seke
noowher in all the worlde, was taken of kynge Alymodes
folke by-fore the cyte of Tourmaday; whiche
kynge hath sent hym in to exile in ferre landes, that
none can not knowe where / But that men saye that of
hym sholde be made a present to a kynge sarrasyne,
whos brother the sayd knyght had slayen. Wherfor
my sayd lady is in grete displaysure, & ceaseth not
nyght nor day to wysshe hym wyth her / praying god
for his retourne agayne. The sayd kynge Alymodes is
alwaye kepynge his siege before her cyte of Tourmaday,
& wasteth & distroyeth al the contrey about, for other
harme can he not do to her, the towne and the castel
are stronge ynoghe and are vytayled alle ynough, so that
or euer he coude haue them, my sayde lady sholde be
for aaged.' Blanchardyn herde wel gladly the prouost /
and sayde to sadoyne his felowe in his ere, that of his
lady in amours thees wordes were sayde. Sadoyne
dyde here hem gladly, and the deuyses wyth Blanchardyn
to the said prouost of many thynges concernyng
this matyre. And Blanchardyn coude vnderstande
noo thynge by the prouost, but that all was at his
auantage, wherby he knewe that he was in his lady's
grace as well as he was euer afore /
¶ The prouost
thenne seeng soo many fayre men of armes, he pryuely
demaunded of Blanchardyn / yff they wolde be souldyours
of the fayre, the proude mayden in amours,
ayenst the kyng Alymodes, and they shold be right
well payed / Thenne ansuered to hym Blanchardyn and
sayde, 'I byleue al ynough well that yf she wolde
make of one of vs a kyng, she myght of lyght be serued
of vs and of oure men.' 'Syre,' sayde the prouost, 'it
is no nede to speke more herof / for she shal neuer take,
I am well sure, non other man tyl her lord, but that self
knyght of whom I spake right now to you of / nor
non shal haue her royalme of her but only hym self.'
¶ 'How thenne,' sayd blanchardyn, 'thynke ye that
her loue be so stedfastly & so truly sette vpon hym
that kynge Alymodes hath sent to be presented as ye
saye / Is it your aduyse that yf of aduenture he cam
ayen to her, that she wolde sette ought by hym / for
it is sayde of a custume, that the herte of a woman is
mutable and inconstaunt, and not in purpos stedfast' /
'Ha, ha, sire,' sayde the prouoste, 'pleysed god that
he myght come to her ayen, Neuer happed so goode a
daye to the contrey nor to hym also / for he shold
renewe manyfold þe goode grace of her that so truli
loueth him.' 'frende,' sayde Blanchardyn, 'I praye
you telle me the name of the knyght of whom ye doo
speke so moche.' 'Sir,' sayde the prouost, 'the knyght
of whom my sayde lady is so sore enamoured vpon, hath
to his name blanchardyn / Ye may well be sure that
she shal neuer forgete hym, nor sette her herte from
hym / though she were insured neuer to see hym / for
she wol not here nother prayer nor requeste of no man
in this world, al be he neuer so grete a kyng or prince.
She dremeth often that her frende Blanchardyn cometh
ayen, & that they enbrace & kysse each other in recompence
of þe right euyl tyme in whiche they haue be
longe in grete displaisure one from another / & for to
telle you þe trouthtroutghi of it, It were not possyble to [l]oue
more tenderly nor more truly than she doth hym / so
oughte wel þe said knyght to haue her ryght dere, yf
he lyue yet.' 'frende,' sayd blanchardyn, 'I doute not
but he doth so / and aduyse is to me that wyth al
dilygence he shold himsilf come to socoure her at her
nede, after his power, yf / he applye him itis to do
soo' /after his power, yf / he applye him it to do
soo' = se en lui estoit de ce faire.
¶ The xxxv chapter speketh of the gretethegtere
deuyses of Þe prouost & of blanchardyn /
and of the lettres that he sent to his
lady, the proude pucell in amours / And
of the Ioye that she made whan she had
red them.
Affter all the deuyses aboue sayd, blanchardyn drew
hymsylf aside wyth-in his vessell, and toke both
ynke & paper, and wrote a letter with his owne hande
vnto the fayer proude mayden in loue / whiche lettres
he toke to the prouost for to be presented vnto his
lady. The prouoste toke them, promyttyng to do
therwyth his deuoyr / And thenne blanchardyn sayd
vnto the prouoste / 'frende, all these shyppes &
tharmye that is herin are sarasyns; and I am a
paynem, & ful well I knowe blanchardyn, wyche is
enprysoned in paynems land, where he suffreth grete
euyls & grete sorowe / but so moche do I knowe of his
doynge / that he doth not care so moche for all that /
as he doth of that he knoweth wel that the proude
pucell in amours is, for his sake, sore greued atte her
hert' / 'Syr,' sayd the prouoste, 'I praye to our lorde
that the knyght for whos loue my said lady taketh
suche an heuynes atte herte, more than I can tell
you / maye retorne ayen wthyin shorte tyme / for the
pytyuoes complayntes that she daily maketh for her
louer, maketh vs al to lyue in grete dyscomforte' /
After dyuerse talkynke don by blanchardyn & the
prouost, they sepayred hemsylf, & toke leue of eche
other. So went the prouost & entred ayen in to his
galee, holdyng goode fortune & a goode wynde, wherby
wythin a whyle he was ferre a-fore the shyp where
blanchardyn was inne / & so sore exployted wyth sayles
& oores, that at thende of thre dayes he arryued wythin
the hauen of Tourmaday wyth his ſelyshyp, wythoute
eny lette were don to them / But a lytyl afore, they had
be ryght sore afrayed leste they shold be recountred by
kynge Alymodes folke / how be yt that there was no
ship that waye that coude haue hurte theym. Notwythstandyng
this, there were smal rennyng vesselles,
that oftymes dyspoyled & robbed theym that cam to
the sayd hauen of Tourmaday, aswell by lande as vpon
the see. whan the prouost was arryued, or euer he
went in / his owne hous nor noo where, he & all his
felyship went into our ladyes chirche of Tourmaday, ſor
to yelde vnto her thankes & praysynges of the goode
aduenture that was com to hym: they made theyr
offrynges, & syn departed / Ye may wele thynke that
the prouost was that tyme full well accompanyed of
the barons, nobyl men, & bourgeys of the sayd cyte,
for the grete loue that they had vnto hym / and also
that he was worthy therof / and thus accompanyed, he
cam in to the paleys, where he fonde the proude pucell
in amours, that welcomed hym & made hym grete
chere, and was ryght glad of his commynge ayen /
and then þe pucell asked hym tydynges of the kynge
her vncle, & how he had exployted & furnyshed her
message. 'Madame,' sayd the prouost, 'I haue ben in
the grete Norweyghe, wenyng to fynde ther the kynge
your vncle / but thre dayes byfore my comyng thyder,
it pleased god that your vncle the kyng termyned his
lyff by deth, that then toke hym; wherby the barons
of the realme ben in grete troubyl, & haue noo recomforte
but in you, that are theyr lady by verey successyon,
as heyre of the land most nexte parent /
Wherfore they sende worde to you by me / that after
thobsequyes and fyneralles of your sayd vncle be doon /
they shall approche, puttyng theymself in ordynaunce
for to helpe & socoure you, as they ought for to do
to their natural lady and souerayn prynces.' Whan
the nobyl mayden herde & vnderstode the prouost, she
began to make grete sorowe / but þe prouost sayde vnto
her, for to recomforte her / 'Madame, ther nys so grete
sorowe, but that it may be forgoton at the laste / and
afterwarde cometh som other message, that is cause to
reioyse & brynge the creatures into consolacion. I
saye this, therfor / that after the pyteous tydynges that
I haue brought vnto you of your vncles deth / I shall
now telle you one thynge that of reason ought please
you well / loke! here ys a letter that a paynem knyght
hath taken to me, whiche ful sore prayed me that
I shulde dyrecte them vnto you.' The lady, that
wepte ryght sore, toke the letter & red yt / wherof the
tenore was suche as foloweth.
¶ 'My ryght redoubted
lady, the supportans of my poure lyff, the gladnes of
the hert of me, and the thynge whiche in this worlde
I most desyre, I me recomende ryght humbly vnto
your good grace / After the harde fortune that I had
to be prysoner vnto kynge Alymodes, god, my swete
creatour, whom I yelde praysynges & louynge, hath
long preserued & kept me from deth; and hath delyuerd
me from the peryles of the see, wherof I all alone am
escaped; but myn enmyes that led me forth wyth
them, were all drowned and peryshed in the see, and
not one that escaped alyue, sauf my self alonely / to
whom our lord hath don thys grace, wherof I ought
wel to Ioye my self in yeuyng vnto hym thankes &
praysynges euermore / After thys fortune I haue ben
syn, as force compellyd me therto, seruaunt vnto a
kynge sarasyn, as I had ben one of theym; ffro the
whiche kyng, to myn worship and wyth grete loue, I
am departed; & hath taken me in my kepyng his
sone and twelue thousand knyghtis, right expert in
armes, and other souldyours in grete nombre, for to
come and socoure you, and to take vengeaunce vpon
kynge Alymodes the tyraunt, that was the thynge that
most I dyde desyre in this world, as of reason my
dutye was. And to the surplus, to the playsure of
oure lorde, and hym playsed / ye shal vnderstande by
mouthe ferthere of myn astate / And by cause ye shall
gyue credence and feyth to this, myn owne hande
wrytyng, I do now bringe to your remembrance that
one onely kyssyng that I toke of yow, not ferre
wythout youre cyte of Tourmaday, afore that I was of
you reteyned in to your noble seruyse.
¶ My right
redoubted lady, I praye to god to gyue you the
complyshement of your noble desyres. Wryton vpon
the see by the hande of the knyght unfortunate /
Thus signed Blanchardyn.'
¶ The xxxvj chapiter conteyneth and
speketh of the Ioye that the proude
pucelle in amours made for loue of the
commyng of her specyall frende blanchardyn
/ And of the grete sorowe that
she made anone after, whan she see that
fortune so lyghtly had hym and his
nauye ayen in to the see, ferre from the
hauen of Tourmaday /
Whan the proude mayden in amours had red the
saide letters al alonge, & wel vnderstand the
tenoure therof, the Ioye was not lytyl that she made
for the reception of the same. She demaunded of the
prouost yf he knewe not hym that had taken the
letters vnto hym / he sayde 'nay' / but vnto her he
recounted & tolde the manere, & how as by a happe /
he had fonde & met wyth a myghty nauey, vpon
whiche was a right grete excercyte of folke of armes;
but they were alle sarrasyns, & had theyre byleue
vpon their ydolles / & emonge them all was one knyght
that coude speke to me / 'Ha. ha, prouost!' sayde the
lady / 'well ye haue be deceyued, whan ye dyde not
knowe hym that somtyme ye haue lodged in your
house wyth you. It was, I ensure you, my moost dere
frende blanchardyn, that at my grete nede cometh to
socoure and helpe me / how thenne haue ye not knowe
hym? a grete merueylle I haue therof'Wanting in the French. / 'Madame,'
sayd the prouost, 'as to the body of hym, he may be
lykened well ynough to blanchardyn / but the face of
hym was dyed and blake, as all other of his felyship
were. Moche grete merueylle I gyue to my self that
he dyde not dyscouere hym self vnto me' / The
pucelle, heryng the prouost speke, beganne to smyle
and lawhe strongly / full sone was forgoton her onclis
deth, for cause of the right Ioyfull tydynges that she
had herd of blanchardyn, the whiche were full soone
knowen thourgh all the cyte, whyche thynge brought a
newe Ioye to alle the enhabytantes there. But who
someuer made Ioye therof, the proude pucell in amours
reioysshed her self aboue all other, by cause that this
nyghed her at herte. All ynough she red and ouered
the sayd letters, whiche she dyde kysse full ofte, soo
sore was her thoughte vpon blanchardyn / The nyght
passed, and the fayr day cam. And erly in the
mornyng the pucelle rose from her bed; and whan she
was clothed, and opened the wyndowe, and loked ferre
vpon the see, yf euere by aduenture she myght see ne
chuse the nauye of blanchardyn / She behelde so longe
on euery syde, that she byganne to chuse and perceyue
the saylles of the shippes of hym that so sore moche
she had desyred / She was thenne recomforted of all
thynges, and remembred her self of non euyl that she
had suffred byfore that / An hundred tymes she salued
& made obeyssaunce to þe shippes, prayng to god that
they may arryue sauf & sounde. Atte that hour her
maystres was beside her, whiche was ful glad to see
her thus mery & ful of Ioye; to whom the lady sayd,
that sone she shuld haue socours of xxx. thousand
knyghtes &Wanting in the French. souldyors, that ayenst king alymodes
shold helpe her. As she was thus talkyng wyth her
maystres, and that the vessayls beganne to com nyghe,
and made redy all thynges to take lande, a south wynd
rose vp sodanly, horryble & gret; the see beganne to ryse
& swelle, and the wawes wexed so bygge & so grete, that
they semed to be mountayns / And was the tempeste
so perelouse, that they were constreyned to enter into
the brode see agayne, leste they sholde haue smytten
hemself agrounde / and so wythdrew hemsylf fro lande /
they were so sore tourmentyd that the cordes and the
saylles breke of all their shyppes, or of the most
partye, and were fayne to cutte of their mastes, habandounnynge
to the wynde & wawes of the see the
conducte of them alle / and were caste so ferre into the
hyghe see, that in a shorte whyle they knewe not in
what marche of the see they were / The proude pucell
in amours seeng thys grete infortune, wende to haue
deyd ancne for the grete dyspleasure that she toke of
thys cursed aduenture, & reputed her self indygne to
haue eny helpe nor socours, whan she see her fortune
thus torned ayenst her. She began to crye aloude,
sayng in thys wyse / 'Alas, my ryght trusty & feythful
louer, I perceyue well that I shall neuer see you more /
I am the cause of your Inconuenyent ye were taken
in my seruyse' / She made so grete mone and so
pytefull complayntes, as any body in thys worlde
myghte doo / alwayes dyscomfortyng her owne self
wythouten mesure.
¶ we shall leue to speke of the
proude pucell in amours, vnto the tyme be comen that
her sorowe be lefte, and her Ioye recouered and
renewed / and shal shewe you of blanchardyn, and of
Sadoyne his feythful felaweWanting in the French..
¶ The xxxvij chapiter conteyneth how
blanchardyn and Sadoyne arryued by
fore the cyte of Cassydonye, wher they
founde daryus, that cam to speke of
them /of
them = a eulx
Well, ye haue herde here aboue the ryght merueyllouse
& horrybyl fortune that happed to
blanchardyn and to Sadoyne, that daye they shold
haue taken lande atte the hauen of Tourmadaye, whiche
were all redy caste ferre frome all costes, & waited but
þe hour whan they shold be drowned, wherof they were
in a grete fere / Then sayd blanchardyn to Sadoyne,
that he doubted ryght sore lest god were wroth vpon
theym by cause they had brought wyth theym theys
cursed ydolles, and that hym semed yf he wold be
baptysed & all his folk, & to byleue in our feith, that
the tempeste shold breke, he preched so longe sadoyn
& his folke, that they all of one assent & accorde promytted
vnto Blanchardyn that they sholde deuoutly do
baptyse hem self, and shold byleue in the holy crysten
feyth whan they shold come to lande, or in place where
hit myght be doon. The whyche thynge euyn so as
they promysed it full deuoutly ded accomplyshe hit
afterward. They toke awaye the preciouse stones, &
the gold & syluer from theyre ydolles & maumetys,ydolles & maumetys = decepuables et dampnables ydolles
and syn cast them in the see wyth goode herte / Soo
taryed not long after thys was doon that the tempeste
ceassed, and the see became swete and amyable / and be
came as a lytyll ryuer.
¶ After the ceasse of thys
tempest that had broughte theym so ferre oute of
theyre knowleche that they wyste not where they
were, fortune ledde theym in atte the hauon of Cassydonye,
where Daryus, the sone of Kyng Alymodes, was
that daye, 1and the fayre Beatryx his suster wyth hym,
whiche was vttyrly fayre, and replenysshed of all goode
condicyons and maners that may be in a creature /
Blanchardyn and Sadoyne, seeyng that they were
comen tyl a sure hauene, and they and their folke all
sauf, they were right glad. They thanked our lord,
and had doune their saylles / cast their ancres, and
syth lepte a lande and their men of armes wyth them,
whiche they renged, and dyde set hem in gode ordonaunce
of battaylle al alonge the medowes that were
there full fayre and grete, by cause that they knewe not
in what marche they were arryued, no whether they of
the contrey were frendes or enmyes. Sadoyne wende
at fyrst that it had be Tourmaday / but they fonde a
man, and asked hym the name of the towne, and who
was lord of it. He ansuerd to them that it was the
cyte of Cassydonye, wherof Alimodes is lord and kynge
of this royalme, that for the tyme beyng was wyth a
right grete puyssaunce of men of werre before Tourmaday
kepyng there his siege / And that his sonn daryus
and the fayre Beatryx his doughter were bothe togyder
wythinne the towne of Cassydonye / ¶ Blanchardyn
was Ioyfull and glad to here these tydynges, and sayde,
all lawghyng to Sadoyne, 'that they were well arryued
vpon their enmyes, And that euery man sholde thynke
to proue hym self well, for they must assaylle the
towne, bycause that the lady that he dyde promytte to
hym was within Cassydonye' / And, morouer, he
sayde vnto Sadoyne: 'my right trusty felawe, we ben
come to a goode hauen / it is to vs force that this cyte
be wonne and conquested by oure strengthe / and after
that we shal go to the playsure of god for to socoure
and helpe myn owne dere lady, the proude pucelle in
amours' / Sadoyne, heryng Blanchardyn, that sayde
to hym that the fayre Beatryx, whiche he had so sore
desyred afore was wythin the cyte of Cassydonye, was
right glad that they were arryued there. He toke and
gadred all newe corage wythin hym self / and mounted
to gyder on horsbacke, Blanchardyn and he, and alle
theyr folke dyde so, and poynted hemself for to fyght
or for to gyue assawte to the towne. Euyn at that
same houre that the sayde barouns were in the medowe
renged one nyghe another, and redy for to fyght /
Daryus, kynge Alymodes sone, was at a wyndowe
of a grete toure wythin his paleys, out of whiche he
loked, and behelde ouerouer and ouer the medowes and ouer the
playne, whiche he see all coueryd with men of armes
that were afore the towne, wherof he was right sore
merueylled, and wyst not yf they were frendes or foes.
¶ He made hym self to be armed hastely, & dyde
publishe thourgh alle the towne, and to them of his
house, that all sholde be armed on horsbacke, and redy
for to go wyth hym wyth out makynge eny delaye /
for he sayde that he wold go to vnderstande what folke
they were that comen in armes so nyghe his towne /
And after that daryus commaunded was publyshed /
ther were tenn thousand Cassydonyens soone redy,
right well in harneys, wel appoynted, that folowed
hym, and yssued out of the towne wyth daryus, that
was rydyng before hem all vpon a right myghty
courser / And Blanchardyn and Sadoyne that sawe
hym comen made on her bataylles, and cam ayenst
daryus, that sore hyghe byganne to calle, and sayde:
'Ye lordes that are here comen, & haue seased my
hauen, and taken lande / and that shewe tokens that
your purpos is for to werre vpon me / telle me yf ye
be sarrasyns.'
¶ Thenne Blanchardyn, his spere in
hande, and all armed fro top to tooWanting in the French. byfore his
bataylle, ansuered hym that they were not sarrasyns,
'but we ben,' sayde he, 'crysten men that wyl go to
gyue socoure and helpe vnto that mayden, the lady of
Tourmaday, where as the tyraunt alymodes kepeth now
his siege byfore þe towne; but I wyl wel that thou
know that in an euyl houre he cam euere there / for yf
we may fynde hym, we shall make hym to deye a
shamefull dethe. And wyth this, yf it pleyseth vnto
Ihesu cryst, in whom we byleue / we shal this daye
take by strengthe his cyte of Cassydonye / And see
here by me Sadoyne, the sone of the kynge of prusse,
that shal mary his doughter thy suster, the fayr Beatryx.
So shall he rengne in this lande, where he shal soone be
obeyed, loued, and dred as a lord souerayne. And we
shal not ceasse vnto tyme, that to the playsure of Ihesu
cryst / we shall haue all our wylle in this byhalve' /Wanting in the French.
¶ The xxxviij chapiter conteyneth how the
valyaunt blanchardyn slewe daryus, and
of the grete bataylle, where the Cassydonyens
were dyscomfyted and ouerthrawen,
and the cyte taken. And the
fayr Beatryx was taken to mercy,Wanting in the French. & how
Sadoyne and the fayre Beatryx made
hem self to be baptyzed, and their folke
wyth them /
Whan Daryus vnderstode thees wordes, he knewe
all ynough that it was blanchardyn the worthy
knight; wherof he gaff hym selff moche grete merueylle
of the manere how he was escaped from thre score
men, to whom he had taken the charge to kepe hym,
and to haue presented hym vnto the kynge of Salamandrye.
He wende to haue tourned the brydell of
his horsse, for he was right sore affrayed to see hym
there byfore hym /Wanting in the French.
¶ But Blanchardyn perceyued it anone, and he
that well lerned was in all poyntes of werre / kept
Darius ther fro. He gaff his hors the spore, and cam
and kutte the waye betwene their two bataylles / for
he was right well horsed. he folowed daryus of so
nyghe that he ouer reched hym with his swerde, as he
was fleyng at the right syde of hym, soo that his riche
cote of maylle myght not warauntyze hym. But he
cutte bothe fleshe and bone, and made in his body a
grete wounde mortall, And syth recouered another
stroke, so that he smote hym doune ded to the grounde
from his horse. Atte that oure were the Cassydonyens
sore abasshed whan they sawe their lorde that laye
vpon the grounde sterk ded / They wyshed and complayned
hym sore, But neuerthelesse they auaunced
themself proudely, & ranne vpon their enmyes /
¶ Thenne byganne the bataylle grete and cruell of
bothe partes. Blanchardyn and Sadoyne made there
merueylles of armes / they brake and cutte Cassydonyens
on all sydes. No man was there so hardy
that durste approche hem, where al as they came they
made þe presse to sprede abrode / Blanchardyn dyde
espye a knyght that bare the standarde of the cassydonyens
/ he ranne vpon hym, and gaaff hym suche
an horryble stroke vpon his helme that he all tobrayned
hym wyth his swerde. And thus he ouerthrewe
doune bothe man & standarde, so that the
Cassydonyens had not syth the powere for to haue
dressyd it vp ayen, but were slayne and all to-cutte and
clouen, that all the wayes were couered of bodyes ded
and wounded men. The same tyme was the fayre
Beatryx at a wyndowe wythin the paleys lokyng vpon
the batayll, that sone perceyued & knewe that the losse
was tourned vpon her party. Wherfore she wyst well
for certayne that Impossyble was to her for to kepe the
towne ayenst so grete a puyssaunce as she dyde see by-fore
her / consyderyng that the best defense & the
moost worthy knyghtes of the lande were wyth her
fader, the kynge Alymodes, at the siege by fore
Tourmaday / and that suche as were yssued out there
were almost all ouer throwen / Wel saw þe fayre
Beatryx that she muste yelde vp her self. The same
tyme passed Sadoyne by-fore the wyndowe, that wyth
bothe handes smote vpon his enmyes / The fayre
Beatryx called hym, sayng in this manere: 'Alas,
right noble knyght, I gyue my self vnto you / prayeng
that ye wol saue bothe me and my cyte, And to take
vs in to your mercy and pyte / hauyng compassyon
vpon a yong mayden that yeldeth her self vnto you' /
Sadoyne, lokyng toward the wyndow, heued right
soone his hand vpward and sayde, & promysed her
that he sholde warauntyse her from all harme; he was
right glad of these tydynges. It was not longe after
this that blanchardyn and Sadoyne dyde mete to
gyder, hauyng their swerdes in their fystes, all dyed
wyth the blode of their enmyes that they had al to-hewen
and clouen, and fynally dyde so moche by their
prouesse that wythin a whyle they made the Cassy
donyens to fle, and discomfyted them / & so nyghe
they chassed them that they entred in to þe cyte wyth
them. It was grete horrour to see the horryble occysion
and slawghter that was made in the playne byfore
the towne, where the bodyes lay by ded, grete hepes
here and there in many places / whan blanchardyn saw
that they were com to their aboue of their enmyes,
And that no resystence at all was made ayenst hem /
He made by a trompette to be proclamed that the
slawhter sholde ceasse wyth in the Note marker inserted here in Kellner edition without corresponding note.towne, syth that
they were lordes & maysters of the same, the whiche
thyng was don as yt was commaunded. Sone after
thys blanchardyn & Sadoyne cam to the paleys wythoute
to fynd eny body that wold hem lete or gaynsey
thentre therof. they went into the hall, where the
founde the fayer Beatryx, that cam ayenst them &
yelded herself to them, prayng that they wold haue
pyte vpon her. Blanchardyn toke the mayden by the
hande, sayng to her: 'ffayer damesel, god forbede that
euyl nor harme sholde be don to you!' he cam toward
sadoyn, & sayd vnto hym / 'My ryght trusty felawe /
the promysse that byfore this tyme I made vnto you I
wol now quyte my self therof toward you. Take thys
pucell, I geue her to you / by suche a condycoun that
ye shal helpe me to socoure the proude pusell in amours.'
Sadoyne, ryght glad, all laughyng, aunsuerd to blanchardyn:
'ffrend myn, yt is wel reson that I do so, and
wyth ryght a good hert I shal goo to helpe you, for wel
I am bounde therunto / your promysse ye haue ryght
wele acquyted vnto me, & an houndred thousand
thankes I gyue you therfor.' sadoyne behelde þe pucell
beatryx, þe so gentyl was, & so odly fayr /þe so gentyl was, & so odly fayr = qui tant estoit belle et gente he enbraced
& kyssed her, sayeng: 'ffayr dameseyll, ye & I my
self shal be babtysed, and after that I shall take you to
myn own dere spouse & wyff / for I woll that thys
false lawe & vnabyl byleue, & thys peruerse sacryfyces,
that ben to this false Idoles, ye leue & forsake.'
¶ She
aunswerd full mekely, that she shulde so do wyth ryghte
a goode wylle.
¶ wythin the same cyte of Cassydonye
were the same tyme certeyne crysten men that dwelled
there vnder trybute, that were ryghte glad whan they
sawe by the crysten men the town was take. But by
the comaundement of Blanchardyn the preeste of the
crysten men that were dwellynge there assembled anone,
and made redy many tubbys and other vesselles full of
fayre water, whiche he blessed and halowed therthher ynne.
Sadoyne and Beatryx, and all their people, made hem
self to be baptyzed. And namely,mesmement all the people of
that contrey were conuerted into our holy feythe.
After these thynges thus happed and doon / Sadoyne
wedded the fayre Beatryx, the doughter of kynge
Alymodes / The solemnytez of the wedlok were made
grete and notable, where the knyghtes and ladyes of
the lande were all of the noble clothyng, wherof þe
pucelle was ornated wyth all, it is no nede to telle you
of it. But wel I dare saye, that neuer in thoo dayes,
nor an hondred yere afore, men had not seen eny quene
nor pryncesse more richely arayed; for so many a ryche
Iewell, so grete haboundance of precyouse stones, and
so grete a tresoure was ther wyth-in the paleys, ygadred
by the kyng Alymodes, that it was a thyng Infynyte,
by cause that all the dayes of his lyff he had be a grete
tyraunt / Soo had he taken and rauysshed, & by stronge
hande vpon his neyghbours, bothe ferre and nere, all
that he fonde of grete value.
¶ Thre dayes hool lasted
the feste / And syth after Sadoyne byganne to enquyre
of the gouernaunce and astate of the lande, as to hym
was nedefull to be doo. The euyll custumes he dyd
brynge doune, And sette vp the goode / and syth
putte goode prouysyon for the Iustyse, and dyde
stablysshe prouostes, ballyffes, and rulers of the lande /
and putte sure watche in all the townes and castelles.
And by all the counseyll and goode aduyse of Blanchardyn,
that was right wyse /
¶ The xxxix chapiter conteyneth how
blanchardyn fonde his fader, the kynge
of ffryse, that was prysoner wythin Cassydonye,
and of the pyteouse deuyses that
the fader and the sone had to gydre.
After these tydynges don and brought at an ende,
It happed that one a day blanchardyn, Sadoyne,
and his wyff the fayer Beatryx, were sittyng at the
bord takynge their recreacyon / The same tyme herde
blanchardyn a voyce of a man that full pyteuosly lamented
hym self;lamented
hym self = se lamentoit wherof he toke grete merueylle, for
he alredy had herde hym crye by whiles thre tymes /
he demaunded of theym that were there byfore the
table, who myght be that wayled and cryed so pyteously
/
¶ Ther was a knyght that ansuered hym,
and sayde: 'Syre, it is not long a goo that Daryus
made a coursse in to ffryse, wyth a grete nombre of
shippes, in so moche that by tempeste of the see he
was cast in to an hauen of the see of the sayde lande,
where he made grete wast, toke and slewe many men,
and many he dyde brynge wyth hym prysoners /
wherof emong other is one that called hym self lord of
them alle / and the same is he that ye haue herde crye
so pyteously' / Whan Blanchardyn herde speke of
ffryse, he doubted hym well sone that it was som man of
his lynage and sybbe, and was sore dyspleased for the
dystruction of his lande, & wel glad to be auenged
wyth his owne hande vpon the personne of Darius,
that the said distruction had commytted and don /
Sadoyne thenne dyde sende incontynent toward the
pryson, and made to be brought out of it the noble
kynge of fryse / The tables were alredy taken vp
whan he was brought into the halle / Whan blanchardyn
sawe the noble kynge his fader, he knewe hym
anone, how wel that he was ryght sore chaunged of
face, for grete sorowe and hardnesse of the pryson.
¶ Blanchardyn coude not kepe hym self, but that the
grete teerys dropped fast out of his eyen, for grete pyte
that he had of his fader / and myght kepe his counteynaunce,
nor behaue hym self.Wanting in the French. And whan he was
com ayen to his manere / he demaunded of his fader
what lande he was of / The goode kynge ansuered
hym, and sayde: 'I am a power caytyf kyng, that
somtyme regned in fryse lande / But thourgh fortune
changeable my lande hath be wasted and lost by
darius, the sone of kyng Alymodes; and after that he
had vttirly dystroyed a grete part of my royalme, he
brought me wyth hym to be here his prysoner, lyuyng
full pourly wythin a derke dongeon / and wold neuer
putte me to noo raenson / A fayr sone I had somtyme
of myn owne spouse, my wyff, whiche I helde & had
full tenderly dere; but bycause I wolde not make
hym a knyght / yongthe mouid hym & departed from
me. And syth, as I haue tolde you / my self, my
royalme, & my folke haue be thus dystroyed and
wasted. what wol ye doo of me? I am but a man
lost for euer more / I requyre you that ye wyl slee me,
for to brynge my grete myserye at an ende / And nought
to putte me ayen in to the harde andWanting in the French. tenebrouse
pryson, where I and my knyghtes haue be so longe,
shortyng oure dayes in suche pouerte, as ye may
see'Wanting in the French. / The goode kynge thenne, that thus reherced his
angwysshe and displaysirs, byganne to wepe & sobbe
right sore / Blanchardyn asked of the kynge, yf he
sawe his sone / whether he sholde knowe hym. 'Alas,'
sayde the kyng, 'wel I am sure / that I shall neuer see
hym.' Blanchardyn myght not conteyne hym self,
and sobbed full sore in his herte. And syth sayde
vnto the kynge his fader:
¶ 'Syre, I spake wyth your
sone not longe a goo, whan he departed from vs / We
two felawes, this gentyllman & I, haue ben a longealonge
espace wyth hym / & nothyng was partyd amonge vs,
lyke as the one of us wold haue yt / that other was
therof content / he loued me as he dyde hymself, & I
heeld hym as dere as my self. we were long tyme
to gyder, in somoche that for grete loue that he had to
me, he gaff me this rynge of gold, that ye now see on
my fynger.'Wanting in the French. The kyng loked vpon the rynge, & knew
yt ryght well; but he knew not the fynger, nor the
hande that had yt onnor the
hande that had yt on = ou elle estoit / 'Certaynly,' sayd the kyng,
'I see & knowe right wel by the tokens that ye shewe
vnto me, that ye haue seen hym / Wherfore, sire, I
requyre & praye you, for the recomforte of me, that am
a poure olde man, & replenyshed wyth bytternes / that
ye wol telle me where my sone blanchardyn may be' /
Then blanchardyn, wyth grete payne, spake wyth a
lowe voyce, aunswerde him & sayd: 'Syr, ye muste
knowe that he that ye askd for is ded.' Whan the
nobyl kyng vnderstode hym, from a hyghe as he was,
he lete hymself falle doun to the erthe all in a swoun
before all them that were there / for the grete dyspleasure
that he toke atte his hert whan he herd that
bytter & pytous tydynge, that of new Ioyned vnto his
olde trybulacions / And then blanchardyn, seeng the
sorow where the kyng his fader was ynne, toke repentaunce
of that he had so longe hyd hymself / and wyth
eyen all tempred wyth teerys, dyde put hymself vpon
his knees by-fore the kynge his fader, & ryght swetly
cryed hym mercy, sayeng in thys wyse / 'My ryght
doubted lord & fader! byfore you ye maye see your
sone blanchardyn, that from you did departe wythoute
your knowyng & lycense; wherof he asketh of you
mercy & grace / and thoffence that I dyde take &
brynge wyth me your good courser, whiche ys wythoute
pyere amonge al other, wyth your good swerde, of
whiche I haue brought to deth daryus your enmye' /
whan the kyng of ffryse, that alredy was come ayen to
hym sylf, herde his son blanchardyn speke, the whiche
he knewe not atte that tyme well / for his sighte, that
was sore troubled of the derkenes of the pryson, in
whiche he had suffred grete peyne & grete sorow,
there nys no tounge of no creature mortall, that vnto
you coude telle, wryte, or do to be rehersed,Wanting in the French. the grete
Ioye that the same howre entred into the hert of that
nobyl kyng prysoner;Wanting in the French. and of all thassystens that were
there the same daye, for theyr terys were parted among
them. And in especyal, Sadoyne & his wyff had of hit
their parte, in suche a wyse that the teerys fell from
their eyen al alonge their faces, in so grete habondaunce
that theyr ryche raymentes that they hadde on that
daye, were all wete wythall. The nobel kyng of fryse
was enbrased & kyssed of his sone blanchardyn. the
reuerence and honoure that sadoyne & his wyff made,
for loue of blanchardyn, to his fader, sholde be longe
for to be recounted here / Wyth [r]yght grete Ioye and
gladnes they had hym in to the chamberes, where was
a bayne redy made, where they made hym to be
wasshed clene; And syth toke hym clothyng, accordyng
to hys royal astate. And in lyke wyse they ded to all
þe knyghtes that had be prysoners wyth hym, euery
man after hys degree.
¶ Blanchardyn thenne, seeng
the aduenture that was happed to hym, came toward
the kyng hys fader, and sayd vnto hym: 'My ryghte
dere and honoured lorde and fader, I bespeke you that
ye woll / telle me howe the quene my moder dyd
byfore your harde Infortune?' 'My ryght dere sone,'
said the kynge / 'knowe now, that neuer syth thy
departyng, thy sorowfull moder had no Ioye at her
herte; and noon was there, my self nor noon other,
that myghte recomforte her / wherof thou mayst thynke
wele, that after that greuouse sorowe that she hath had
of my takynge, and that she had neuer no worde from
me syth that I was take and broughte here of the
sarasyns, Wherby I knowe certeynli, as I fere me /
that she ys rather ded than a lyue' / After thees
wordes, the kynge byganne full sore to wepe / and so
ded blanchardyn, so that Sadoyne nor Beatryx his wyff
coude do no thynge to stynte them.
¶ The xl. chapytur conteyneth how Blanchardyn
and sadoyne and the good kynge of
fryse toke the see wyth a grete excercyte
of folke / for to gyue socours vnto the
proude pucelle in amours.
After their teeris and pytuable reconyssaunce were
past and chassed, they taryed the space of a
moneth wyth in the cyte of Cassydonye / abydyng
that the kyng of fryse, fader vnto blanchardyn, were
hole, and brought ayen in to the astate of his owne
strength / that was yet that tyme of resonabel age for
to suffer the excercise of armes / Blanchardyn, that all
his hert and his thought had sette vpon his ladye, thelady ethe
proude pucell in amours, ryght sore desiryng to haue
her oute of thraldom and power of Alymodes the
kynge / and also seeng his fader broughte vp ayen in
good conualescence and helth, cam by-fore Sadoyne and
seyd: 'my feythfull felawe and ryght trusty frende,
god and fortune hath helped you, so that ye be come
to that thynge that ye moost dyd desire by-fore this
tyme / for þe whiche thynge to be complete / accordyng
to my promyse, I haue holpen you the beste that I
coude, so thanked be our lord, ye are therof come to
your aboue. Wherfore I praye you that in lyke case
ye woll do so to me / as in you ys my verey truste and
parfyte confydence.
¶ Whyche certaynly I knowe
welle that ye woll doo. It ys soo, that I beseke you
now that ye woll helpe and socoure me now ayenste
the kynge Alymodes, that by his grete crueltee and
tyrannye kepeth shette & closed that thynge that I
oughte moste to be desirouse of in thys worlde / for to
haue her oute of seruytude into franchyse. It is my
ryghte doubted ladye, the proude pucell in amours.'
Whan Sadoyne vnderstode the wordes of blanchardyn,
all smylyng he ansuerde vnto hym, and sayde: 'My
ryghte verey frende and goode felawe, your desyer and
your wylle is myn own; and neuere whyle I am man
alyue, nothynge shall be parted, for, bytwene vs? shall be parted betwene us, for your wylle, &c. /
your wylle and my wyll is but one wylle so stedfasteli
knytted,neuere whyle I am man
alyue, nothynge shall be parted, for, bytwene vs? shall be parted betwene us, for your wylle, &c. /
your wylle and my wyll is but one wylle so stedfasteli
knytted = Iamais entre nous et moy ny a riens party. Vostre volonte et la mienne est vne telleque that hit shall be lefte for an ensample / to
them that shal come herafter / in perpetuall memorye.
¶ And your commaundemmentys and myn shalbe
wyth vs two persones but one thynge / Late oure
shyppes be made redy and appareyled / so shall we
thenne goo for to gyue socoure and helpe vnto her,
whos presence we so sore do desyre' / Thenne blanchardyn,
heryng the gracyous ansuer of Sadoyne his feythful
felaw / he thanked hym right moche / And syn
afterward, by ordenance of Sadoyne & blanchardyn, the
nauey was apparelled & redy made, stored & garnyshed
wyth good men of werre, & wyth artylarye / as was
perteynyng to suche a thyng, & made hemself redy in
fayr araye for to goo to socour & helpe her that passed
all other of beaute,her that passed
all other of beaute = lorguilleuse damours that beseged was by kyng alymodes
& his folke wythin her cyte of Tourmaday& his folke wythin her cyte of Tourmaday = le quel par sa cruaulte est cause que le Royaulme de
frize auoit este degaste par daire son filz / dont le bon roy
pere de blanchandin auoit grant desir de sen vengier / tresconuoitant
de soy trouver en lieu ou Il lui peust porter dommage
car il estoit encorres de bon eaige pour porter et excercicer
les armes / after
this that blanchardyn & Sadoyne sawe their shyppes
redy & well stored wyth vytaylles & of other thynges
necessare to fynyshe their enterpryse to the socours &
helpe of the proude pucel in amours, Sadoyne toke leue
of his wyff, the fayre Beatryx, and so dyd blanchardyn
/ whiche they shall neuer see tyll that she & her
husbonde Sadoyne haue ben in grete peryll of their
lyues / as here after ye shall mowe here /
¶ Sadoyne,
thorugh the counseyll of his felaw blanchardyn lefte
wythin his cyte of Cassydonye foure thousand of goode
knyghtes, chosen for to defende and kepe it ayenste
kynge Alymodes, yf by eny aduenture he cam thider
ayen / as he dyd afterwarde. After their leue thus
taken of the fayr Beatryx, they departed & toke the
see, leuynge behinde theym the fayr Beatryx, that
made so grete sorowe for her goode husbonde
Sadoyne / Whan the barons were vpon the see the
maryners made saylle. The wynde was ryght goode
that broughte theym forth by suche a wyse, that wythin
a whyle they were ferre fro the lande / And were
togyder xxxxxxij grete shyppes and four score galeys
subtyl / Duryng the tyme that the goode kynge of
fryse, Blanchardyn and Sadoyne, and their folke shall
be thus saylynge towarde Tourmaday / We shall retorne
to speke of the tyraunte, the kynge Alymodes,
and the proude pucell in amours /
¶ The xlj chapyter sheweth how Blanchardyn
recounted to his fader & to Sadoyne
the beaulte and the godnes of his lady,
the proude pucell in amours, And of the
prouoste that cam ayenste hem /
We haue herde here tofore howe kynge alymodes
had beseged the nobel cyte of Tormaday,
where was the nobel lady, the proude mayden
in amours, byfore whiche cyte he made gounes & other
engynes to be caste ayenste the walles bothe nyghte
and daye, for to brynge hem adoun; and wyth the
same he made the toun sawte ofte tymes ful sore,
where he made grete losse of his folke / But yt is all
ynough to be byleuyd for a trouth that it was not donn
wyth oute slaughter and damage to theym of the
towne / The proude pucell in amours, seeng herself so
sore expressydoppresse / her knyghtes and her men slayne, was
ryght sory / And of that other partye she had no hope
of eny socours / but only of Blanchardyn, in whom was
al her trust / but by no manere she myght not knowe
in to what parte of the worlde he was dryuen, and was
in a grete feer lest he had ben drowned in the grete
tempeste of wyndes that had reculed them in to the
hyghe see from the costes of Tourmaday; and full often
nyght and day she wyshed hym wyth her / and was so
sory for hym that she wyst not what she sholde doo,
and noo playsure she coude taken in no thynge / but
was euer more sorowyng at the herte of her / In so
moche that one daye amonge other, erly in a mornyng,
kynge Alymodes made the towne to be assayled, and
was there made grete alarme & grete fray, so that the
noyse and the callynge that was made of bothe partyes
cam vnto the eerys of the proude pucelle in amours.
Wherfor she rose out of her bed and bygan to wyshe
sore after blanchardyn /
¶ She cam toward a wyndowe
whiche opened her self; and as she dyde cast alwayes
her syght toward the see, she trowed to haue seen a
grete nombre of shippes that were appyeryng vpon the
water / and cam sayllynge, as her aduyse was, toward
Tourmaday / She seeng that thynge, for grete Ioye
that she toke, she wyst not what she sholde saye or
thynke therof, whether she was a wakyng or a slepe.
And for to be better in certaynte of the trouth, she
went vp at a hyghe wyndowe, and loked so longe tyl
that she myght perceyue clerly that they were shyppes
and vesselles of werre / 'Ha, god,' saide she, 'myght som
socours come to me of eny souldyours? for of noo man
of my sybbe I awayte for none, syth that the kynge of
the grete Nourthweghe, myn oncle, is decessed, that
wold helpe me ayenst the tyraunt kynge Alymodes.'
Atte the same houre Blanchardyn was vpon the borde
of his ship, and talked wyth the kynge of fryse his
fader / And as they were thus in deuyses / blanchardyn
loked on the see, and byganne to espye the
toures of the paleys of Tourmaday, and shewed them
to his fader and to sadoyne his felawe. He recounted
to his fader, the kynge of ffryse, the beaulte, goodnes,
and other goode vertues and maners that were in his
lady, the proude pucelle in amours, And how he was
in her goode grace, and she lyke wyse in his; & that yf
god gaff hym that hap, that he myght come to bataylle
ayenst her enmye the kyng alymodes / he sholde shewe
to hym the beneuolence that he ought to his lady /
And the grete malyuolence or euyll wylle that he had
for her sake toward the tyraunt, that by so grete wronge
and wythout laufull cause made to her suche force and
Iniurye.
¶ Thus talkyng of many thynges, they exploytted
so by a goode wynde that they had, that they
cam so nyghe the lande, that they see playnly the
tentes and the pauyllyons of kynge Alymodes, the
whiche Blanchardyn dyde shewe vnto the kynge his
fader, and to his felawe Sadoyne. The proude pucelle
in amours, that at this houre was lenyng vpon her
wyndowe, sent hastely for the prouost, that he sholde
come and speke wyth her / whiche cam anone to her /
he entred in to her chambre, and right humbly salued
the pucelle / she called hym nyghe her, and shewed
hym the right myghty nauye that cam to arryue there /
the prouost, that was right wyse and subtyll, perceyued,
and knewe full sone that they were crysten, and sayde
to his lady that he sholde go to them to wyte what
folke they were, and yf he coude doo so moche by
eny wyse, that they wolde take her wages and serue
her. He toke his leue, and went oute of the chambre,
and cam streyght to the hauen, where he toke a bote,
prest and garnyshed wyth eyght goode felawes, eche of
them an ore in his hande, whiche wythin a short whyle
brought the prouost nyghe to the galleyes / & so wel
they stered that they cam and borded the ship wherin
blanchardyn was, that desyred sore to knowe what
they were that so fast rowed toward his vessel /
Thenne the prouost, seeyng hym self arryued where he
wolde be / Right highly he salued theym that were
wythin þe ship / Blanchardyn, that lened vpon þe
borde of it, rendred to hym his salutacion / The prouost
thenne al on hyghe exposed & sayde the charge that he
had of his maystres byhalue, the lady of tourmaday /
Blanchardyn, that wel knewe the prouost, ansuered,
demaundyng of hym yf his lady was so sore oppressed
by her enmyes as he sayde / & whether she might
holde the towne longe ayenst them that had layde
siege to it by fore her / The prouost ansuered to hym &
sayde / 'ye, right wel / but one thynge there is, that she
may not haue nother helthe nor Ioye, but alweyes she
most be chaunged vpon her bed,chaunged vpon her bed = couchid where she can not
haue rest nor noo goode slepe by night nor by daye.'
'frende,' saide blanchardyn, 'wherof may come this
dysease vnto her that so traueylleth & tourmenteth
her? for myn aduyse is this, that at all endes she
ought to force her self from her bed, for to shewe her
self, admonestyng her folke to do wel, bycause they
sholde take a better corage for the persone & sight of
her' / 'Syre,' sayde the prouost, 'be ye sure, & knowe
for a trouthe, that so moche I knowe by my lady, that
she shal neuer haue no parfytte Ioye at her herte, for
loue of a knyght of whom she is enamored, whiche she
weneth to be peryshed & ded / but my hope is in god,
that he shall yet come ayen hyther; for men sayen
comynly, that he whome god wyll haue kept, may not
be peryshed / Syre, I saye the same for the knyght,
that is the most parfyt in all beaulte & condicyons /
that his lyke can not be founde. how be it that not
long ago we herde tydynges of hym of a pylgryme that
passed here byfore, that sayde to vs for veray trouth,
that he and his felawe Sadoyne were arryued in to the
cyte of Cassydonye, whiche they had taken & goten
by force of armes / for the whiche tydynge my sayde
lady hath be wel asswaged of her dysplaysure, trustyng
in god that shortly she shal vnderstande more playnly
the certaynte therof.' Whan blanchardyn vnderstode
the prouost / he sayde vnto hym, that this whiche the
pylgryme had sayd was true, & that blanchardyn had
sent hem there for to socoure and help his maistres.
but som men wyl saye that he shal wedde the doughter
of kynge Alymodes, whiche is lady of the lande where
he is, & that he shal maynteyne & kepe the contrey
with her / 'Ha, ha, sire! what is that / that ye saye? /
what a grete synne & vntrouth it were to blanchardin,
to take nor haue to his wyf another than the proude
pucell in amours, þat loueth him so truly / & that so
longe hath wayted & taryed after hym / & that for þe
grete loue that she hath to him, she hath reffused so
many kynges & so hyghe prynces that dayly do requyre
her. Certes, who someuer brought her this sorowfull
& pyteuose tydynge / I doubte not but that she shold
slee her self for grete displaysir / for suche, & so true,
I knowe her. Now, god for-bede that I be the brynger
of thys tydynges / that so sore displaysaunt shalbe to
me for to vttir & declare hem, that I had almost as lief
to deye as to reherce them vnto my said maystresse.
But, sire, syth it is therof as ye saye, & that ye come
from Blanchardyn, I praye you to telle me yf he
wryteth or sendeth eny wordes to my sayde lady by
you / for nothyng coude make me to byleue that this
grete & lothely vntrouthe sholde be in blanchardyn /
to leue & for-sake her of whom he is so parfytly
beloued for to take the doughter of a kynge her enmye.'
'frende,' sayde blanchardyn, 'as for wrytyng or eny
worde that he sholde sende, I knowe of none.' 'that
rewyth me,' sayde the prouost, 'so am I wel sore
abashed how he can haue a wylle to chose another lady
than þe proude pucelle in amours, whiche is the most
fayr, and the most noble & the most complet a lady, &
most plesaunt of all the remenaunt of the world / how
thenne doeth not he remembre hymself of the courser,
& of the sleue of clothe of golde that she dyde send
vnto hym after the fyrst acqueyntaunce? Certaynly,
my herte can not Iudge to me that euer of suche a
knyght as is Blanchardyn, shold growe suche a wille
to be do.'to be do = de faire 'Ha, ha! madame,' sayde the prouost, 'see
here sore harde tydynges, that shalbe cause to brynge
at an ende full myserably your laste dayes' / Whan
blanchardyn herde the prouost speke thus / he bygan to
smyle. Thenne the prouost behylde hym ful ententyfly,
and knewe hym, wherof he had so grete & so
parfyt a Ioye that it can not be recounted / And after
many wordes of reconyssaunce / the prouoste tolde to
hym of all, how he was euer truly byloued, & how his
lady, the proude pucelle in amours, had borne, & as
yet bare suche a displeasure for & by thoccasyon of
hym; & that neuer syth that she receyued the letter
that he dyde sende to her by hym, she had no Ioye at
her herte, nor shal neuer haue vnto the tyme that she
see you ayen. Blanchardyn sayde to him: 'lat her
take no care of nothing, nor no doubte of my parte;
for as to me, I haue alwayes be, and euermore shall as
longe I shall lyue, her true and feythfull louer / And
shall neuer fayle her of noo thyng that is or shalbe in
my power to doo for her, as to her that I more desire
to complayse than al þe worlde / ye shal recomende me
to her gode grace, & from me ye shal presente vnto her
this rynge of golde / & as to þe faytte of our men of
werre that ben here, we haue brought hem alle hyther
only for to gyue vnto her helpe & socoure; we shal
kepe our self wythin our vesselles, bycause it is as
now to late; & to morwe erly, whan we see houre &
tyme goode, & alle redy, we shal do sowne oure trompettes,
horses, & busynes / and ye that shalbe wythin
the cyte / see that ye be redy & appareylled for to
yssue out at the same owre, for to come ayenst oure
enmyes; for from oure syde we shal assaylle them so
quykly that they shal cursse the owre of oure commyng /
and thus they shal be fought wythal of bothe sydes by
suche a manere, that wyth grete peyne they shal haue
leyser to graunte on to vs the victorye, yf god woll'/Wanting in the French.
¶ Here foloweth the xlij chapiter, that
conteyneth in hit self,Wanting in the French. & speketh of the
grete Ioye that the proude pucelle in loue
made whan she herde reherce, by the
prouost, the gracyouse tydynges of the
commynge of here frende blanchardyn /
The prouost, herynge blanchardyn speke so truly &
benyngly,Wanting in the French. he ansuered vnto hym, & sayde that
as to theirthier parte, suche a dyligence salbe made therupon,
that their enmyes shal knowe soone by grete
strokes the grete corage of them of þe towne.that their enmyes shal knowe soone by grete
strokes the grete corage of them of þe towne = que de nul tort nen seront reprins & thenne
right ioyouse he departed from Blanchardyn, & toke
leue of hym, sore desyryng of all his herte to fynde
hym self byfore his sayde lady, for to announce & telle
to her this glad tydyng: & wend neuer to haue come
tyme ynoughetyme ynoughe = a tans there. He exployted so, and made
suche a dilygence, that wyth grete Ioye and gladnesse
he entred wythin þe hauen of tourmaday, without eny
delaye nor lettyng by no maner; & cam to þe towne,
where he fonde þe noble mayden, right nobly acompanyed
of her knyghtes / ladyes, & gentyl women, that
were wyth her in grete nomber /
¶ She, seeng the
prouost com a land out of his bote, makyng a mery
contenance / was sore desired to / know of hym som
gode tydynges, for her hert iudged her that he brought
som / so taryed she not tyll that the prouost were com
toward her / but a grete pas marched ayenst hym / The
prouost made vnto her the reuerence, puttyng hymself
vpon his knee / and sayd to her: 'My ryght redoubted
lady, knowe ye for certayn that I haue be wyth the
ryght puyssaunt nauye, wyche is laden wyth men of
armes, that are come to helpe you / Of the whiche ben
conducters & chieff rulers, the kyng of fryse, þe nobyl
knyght blanchardyn his sone, & Sadoyne his felaw /
Madame, see here a rynge of gold, that blanchardyn
sendeth to you by me, wyth recommendacyons manyfold
/ knowe, madame, that a grete Ioye ought to be
encresed wythin you / whan suche a socours is come to
your grete comforte, for thes thre hyghe pryncys haue
brought wyth theym grete nomber of folkes. And
they haue a ryght perfyte desire to avenge your quarell
vpon Alymodes, the tyraunt / and ye maye byleue for
certeyn, that the goode kynge of fryse hath noon other
desire than to auenge hymself whan he shall com to
the feelde, for the grete hurt, Iniurye, & damage that
hath be doon vnto hym by daryus, the sone of kyng
Alymodes. To morowe, by the mornyng, shall the
bataylle bygynne; wherfor Blanchardyn prayeth you,
by me / that ye commaunde your captayns & men of
armes that they be redy, all to the ende that whan the
houre shall come that þe trompettes & bussynes of þe
oost of blanchardyn shall begyn to soune / that your
folke be redy forto take the feelde, and that quyckly
they assaylle your enmyes of all sydes / And as to that
parte of the prynces that come to your socours, they
shalbe redy atte the same owre / And by all, thus, your
enmyes shal fynde hem self oppressed both byfore &
behynd, wherof kyng Alymodes shalbe in grete affray /
& ye shalbe auenged vpon him, to the playsure of god,
for he shal haue a double displaysure; & in especyall
whan the tydynges shalbe recounted vnto him of
daryus his sone, that hath be slayne & brought to his
deth by the handes of blanchardyn. & wyth this he
shal fynde his cite of Cassydonye & all his grete
royalme conquested & goten / & his doughter wedded /
whiche by blanchardyn hathe be yeuen vnto his felaw,
sadoyne.' That tyme that the proude pucelle in amours
had herd & vnderstande the prouost / neuer in her
dayes had she so moche of displeasire, but that these
tydynges dyde redouble her ioye ouer mesure: &
thanked god of this goode aduenture. So is there non
that coude telle nor wryte the ioye that the same tyme
was in her, & emonge all the people of the towne.
She went ayen in to her paleys, replenysshed wyth
ioye & gladnesse, & made to be cryed thurgh all the
stretes & common places of the towne, that all the
stretes of the cyte sholde be hanged wyth clothes the
next day folowyng / & that at the comyng in of
blanchardyn, euery man sholde were his best clothyng /
& that myrth / & melody sholde be made thurgh al þe
cyte þe same night, where-as were al maner of musical
instrumentes: whiche thing was don, for suche noyse
& suche sowne was there made al that night, what of
tambours / trompettes, claryons / harp / lute, clauicordes,
& other diuerse instrumentes / wyth þe swete
voyces of the ladyes & gentyl women, that sange there,
that it semed that god had descended among them
from heuen / & so grete was þe ioye wythin þe cyte,
that the sowne therof was herde vnto kynge Alymodes
oost. Merueylles it was to here the thankes, the
louenges, and the praysynges.
¶ And the ryngyng
of belles, that were don in all the chirches of the
towne, yeldyng graces vnto oure lord.
¶ The kynge Alymodes, that was that same tyme
wythin his tentes wyth his barons, gaff hym self grete
merueylle of the Ioye & feste that he herde don wythin
the cyte. he wyst not what he sholde thynke, &
doubted lest they had herde eny tydynges of som
socours comyng vnto them / for by no meanes he
myght not loke ferre toward the see syde. & also
blanchardyn & his nauye, after that the prouost was
gon from hym, wyth-drewe hem in to the see, wherfor
Alymodes nor his folke coude not see hem nor here
them, for the grete reuyll & Ioye that was made by
them of the cyte, that made grete noyse / And at that
self houre blanchardyn, wyth all his shippes & galeyes,
cam and arryued wythin the hauen, & descended on
lande wythout their enmyes were aware of hem; for
the Ioye & noyse that wythin the towne was thus
grete /Wanting in the French.
¶ The xliij chapiter followethfollowed, whiche conteyneth
& speketh of the grete beaultebataille
that was by fore Tourmaday, ayenst the
kynge Alymodes, that was discomfyted /
And of the takynge of Sadoyne, wherof
Blanchardyn was right sory, as rayson
was /
Well ye haue herde here to fore the grete Ioye
& gladnesse that was made wythin the cyte,
for the goode tydynges that the proude pusell in loue
had vnderstand of Blanchardyn her louer, whiche that
nyght made grete diligence for to accomplysshe that
whiche blanchardyn had sent her worde of; for she
was her self that nyght in the towne house, where she
made to come al her captaynes to fore her, to whome
by þe prouost she made to be tolde and related al
alonge that was charged vnto her by blanchardyn. the
captaynes & hedes of her werre were all glad of thees
tydynges, right desyryng to putte it in to execucyon
at the commaundement of ther lady, they made hem all
redy, & putte hem self in araye for to sprynge out the
next mornyng vpon their enmyes, as by blanchardyn
was sent worde /
¶ Of that other part, kynge Alymodes,
that was in grete affraye to knowe the cause and occasion
wherfore they of the cyte were makynge suche a
gladnesse, assembled his barons for to haue aduyse &
counseyll vpon this matiere, & sette the scout watche
wyth grete nombre of men that he sholde not be ouertaken
vnbeware / And that same nyght he sent for his
shippes that were two mylle thens wythin an hauen
for to haue theym brought nerer his oost / that he
myght entre in them yf eny infortune happed to hym /wythin an hauen
for to haue theym brought nerer his oost / that he
myght entre in them yf eny infortune happed to hym = qui pour securete estoit en vng port pour ce que la endroit
ou Il estoit logie ny auoit quelque perilaige de la mer Si
la fist venir auprez de lui ancrer pour ce que le temps estoit
douls et la mer quoyt Il le fist affin que ne aucune malle
aduenture lui aduenoit
& to wythdrawe his folke therinne yf nede were /
Thus passed kynge Alymodes the nyght ouer tyl the
fayre daye came, that the sonne byganne to ascende,
castyng his bemes a brode vpon the erthe; & as he
was musyng vpon þe werke, lokyng to & fro vpon the
see, he perceyued a right myghty nauey, wherof they
that were come vpon lande, he sawe hem in grete
nombre, al redy renged in a fayr ordeynaunce of batayll
for to fyght nyghe by þe see shoris, a lytyl beyonde his
ooste, wherof he was not awar afore that; & he was
sore abashed, & gretely merueylled how they were so
soone landed wythout that he knewe therof / So fered
he soone of this that was true, that it was blanchardyn
& his folke that were come there.
¶ The worthy knyght
Blanchardyn had ordeyned his folke in three battaylles,
wherof he led the formest / the seconde he be-toke to
Sadoyne his felawe, & the thirde he gaf to be conducted
to his fader the kynge of ffryse.
¶ Whan Blanchardyn
had al this thynges redy, and all his ordeynaunces y-made,
he made his trompettes / hornes, olyfauntes, and
busynes to be rongen & blowen so highe that it was
wonder to here them. They of the cyte thenne that
herde the sowne therof, yssued anone out of their
towne by commaundement of their lady, the proude
mayden in amours, that sore admonested and prayed
them to do wel / to thende that som goode tydynges
might be reported by them. alimodes, seeng his enmyes
cam a lande, and in so fayre ordonaunce y-sette of that
one part / & of that other syde he sawe them of the
cyte that cam wyth a grete puyssaunce vpon hym
and his folke, It is well ynough to be byleued, that he
was not wel assured. But nought therfore, as a sharp
and hardy knyght as he was, the best wyse that he
myght or coude / he ordeyned his bataylles, whiche he
toke to be conducted and guyded to theym that semed
hym worthy therof. The oostes beganne to approche
eche other / the callyng and the crye arose so grete &
hyghe betwyx them, what by the sowne of trompettes /
hornes and bussynes / as of the stour dynnyng and
noyse that their horses made treddyng and wallopyng
hyghe and harde vpon the grounde, that it semed that
all the foure elementes had fought there to-gyder.
The duste byganne to ryse so hyghe aboute them and
so thykke, that it toke away the bryghtnes of the
sonne / so that they that were wythin the cyte sawe
nother frendes nor enmyes. They went to the chirche
in grete deuocyon, makyng their prayers to our lord,
that he wolde helpe their frendes; And, namely, that
noble lady, the proude pucelle in amours, alle barefote,
went from one chirche to another, prayng god that he
wold graunte þe victorie to her true loue blanchardyn,
& to them that were with him / & syth cam ayen to
her paleys / & mounted vp to a highe toure for to see &
beholde þe batayl þat was alredy bygonne. right grete
murdre & slaughter was ther made at settyng vpon of
bothe partyes / many a knyght ded, & brought to the
grounde, that neuer syn had power to releue hemself /
the horses of whom went rennyng vpon the playn, &
in to the medowes, the raynnes of their brydels hangyng
& drawyng up on the grounde. blanchardyn, at
his comynge on that he made, recountedrencontraa dukeWanting in the French., cosyn
germayn to kynge Alymodes, vpon whom he sette the
sharpe hed of his spere by so grete force, that he perced
his body thorugh and thorugh, so that the spere was
seen from the breste to the backe of hym more than
thre fote longe / and syn cam to the second / to the
thyrd, & to the fourth / & neuer he rested nor ceassed
hymself as long as the spere abode hole, whiche was
sore bygge & oute of mesure grete, to slee & ouerthrowe
his enmyes to the grounde / And or euer his spere was
crased or broken / he ouerthreu & slew seuen of theym,
that deyd myserable ther amonge the horses fete / Then
toke blanchardyn his good swerde into his fyste, wherof
he brak salletes & helmettes of fyn stele / and to
brayned ther many one / he al to-hewealto hewe his enmyes, &
made legges, armes & fete to flee from the body of
theym / that all the grounde aboute hym was dyed in
red wyth blode of his aduersaryeswhereof he brak salletes & helmettes of fyn stele / and to
brayned ther many one / he al to-hewealto hewe his enmyes, &
made legges, armes & fete to flee from the body of
theym / that all the grounde aboute hym was dyed in
red wyth blode of his aduersaryes = dont il detrenchoit piez braz et Iambes et les pourfendoit Iusques es ceruelles / he dyd so moche
of armes, that wyth in a while his swerde was wele
beknowen among his enmyes / In so moche that they
made hym waye, fleeng. they dyd so moche by their
ryght excellent proues, that they made to recule theyr
enmyes vnto their tentes / and sore yll yt had ben
wyth theym / yf kyng Alymodes had not socoured
them, that cam of freshe wyth ten thousaund of his
men / and to them he began to call & saye / 'forth,
forthe, nobel barons / haue thys daye rememberaunce
of your wyues & chyldren that ye haue lefte at home
in care & myserye! for dred that they haue to lese you /
take ayen wythin yourself a good and vygoryus corage
in shewynge of your force and vertue ayenste your
enmyes.' They began than to caste a crye amonge
hem sore grete & wonderfull, tournynge their faces
toward their enmyesWanting in the French. / blanchardyn smote hymselfe
wyth-ynne theym fyrst of all / whom they knew full
wele, by cause that by hym & thorughe his cause they
had receyued all the most losse that they had done
there. wherfore all their desire was for to close hym
all aboute, & slee hym yf they myghte haue doon soo.
And they, seenge that he had embated hymself amonge
theym, dyde putte hemself togyder, & enclosed hym
rounde aboute, launchynge and castyng to hym speres
& dartes, in somoche that they wounded hym ful sore
in many places of his body, and vnder hym they slew
his horse / but as a prew knyght ryght valiante &
hardy / lepte lyghtli on his fete, enbrasyng his shelde,
his swerde heued vp in his fyste, wherwyth he smote
& hewe bothe legges & armes from the bodyes of theym
by suche a myghte & fyersnes, and thorughe so grete
strokes of hym,they dyd so moche by their
ryght excellent proues, that they made to recule theyr
enmyes vnto their tentes / and sore yll yt had ben
wyth theym / yf kyng Alymodes had not socoured
them, that cam of freshe wyth ten thousaund of his
men / and to them he began to call & saye / 'forth,
forthe, nobel barons / haue thys daye rememberaunce
of your wyues & chyldren that ye haue lefte at home
in care & myserye! for dred that they haue to lese you /
take ayen wythin yourself a good and vygoryus corage
in shewynge of your force and vertue ayenste your
enmyes.' They began than to caste a crye amonge
hem sore grete & wonderfull, tournynge their faces
toward their enmyesWanting in the French. / blanchardyn smote hymselfe
wyth-ynne theym fyrst of all / whom they knew full
wele, by cause that by hym & thorughe his cause they
had receyued all the most losse that they had done
there. wherfore all their desire was for to close hym
all aboute, & slee hym yf they myghte haue doon soo.
And they, seenge that he had embated hymself amonge
theym, dyde putte hemself togyder, & enclosed hym
rounde aboute, launchynge and castyng to hym speres
& dartes, in somoche that they wounded hym ful sore
in many places of his body, and vnder hym they slew
his horse / but as a prew knyght ryght valiante &
hardy / lepte lyghtli on his fete, enbrasyng his shelde,
his swerde heued vp in his fyste, wherwyth he smote
& hewe bothe legges & armes from the bodyes of theym
by suche a myghte & fyersnes, and thorughe so grete
strokes of hym = Lesquelz trois vaillans et haultains princes firent tant par
leurs tresexcellentes proesses que Ilz firent reculer leurs ennemis
Iusques en leurs tentes ¶ Ia leur fust la chose mal tournee se
le roy Alimodes ne leur fust sourvenu qui les vint secourir a tout
dix mille hommes des meilleurs de ses gens Ausquelz Il commenca
a crier et leur dire ¶ Auant barons au Iour dhuy
vueillies auoir souvenance de voz femmes et enfans que auez
laissie en douleur et misere pour la paour quilz ont de vous
perdre / Reprendes en vous vigoreux et bon couraige en monstrant
votre force et vertu alencontre de voz ennemis ¶ Blanchandin
qui dedens eulx sestoit feru le premier lequel Il congnoissoit
assez pour ce que par lui et sa cause Ilz auoient receu
toute la plusgrant perte quilz eurent faicte Pourquoy tout leur
desir estoit de lenclore et occire se faire leussent peu / et eulx
veant que dedens eulx estoit embatus se mirent ensamble et
lencloirent en lui lanchant lances et dards tant que en pluseurs
lieux le naurerent et lui occirent son cheual. so that noon was so hardy of all his
enmyes that durste abyde a full stroke of his handes /
Of that other partye was the kyng of fryse & Sadoyne,
that made the bataylles of hys enmyes to trembel full
fast, & made roume where grete preses were. Ryghte
preu & valiant was the kyng of fryse; for whom soeuer
he aryued vpon, he dyd shewe suche a puyssaunce
that he had no power to escape, but that he slew hym
or wounded hym full ylle. Sadoyne, that was of grete
corage & full of brennyng desire to acquyer to hymself
the name of famouse proesse, chose corboraunt, the
brother of kyng Alymodes, to whom he gaff suche a
grete stroke wyth his swerde vpon his helme, that he
ouerthrew hym from his horse doun to the grounde /
and had kylde hym & broughte to his ende lightly /
yf he had not ben ryghte sone socoured by king
Alymodes his brother, that cam vpon Sadoyne, acompanyed
wyth six thousaund of his folke, wherof the
battayl beganne of fresshe to be sore fyers and grete /
right grete was the effucyon or shedyng of blode there
of bothe partyes, but more of alymodes parte, that was
assaylled and befought on eythre syde, bothe behynde
and before. Blanchardyn made there ryght a wondryng
of worthines and goode conducte. The kyng, his fader,
folowed hym nyghe / and so dyde his felawe Sadoyne,
for to confounde and ouercome their enmyes /Lesquelz trois vaillans et haultains princes firent tant par
leurs tresexcellentes proesses que Ilz firent reculer leurs ennemis
Iusques en leurs tentes ¶ Ia leur fust la chose mal tournee se
le roy Alimodes ne leur fust sourvenu qui les vint secourir a tout
dix mille hommes des meilleurs de ses gens Ausquelz Il commenca
a crier et leur dire ¶ Auant barons au Iour dhuy
vueillies auoir souvenance de voz femmes et enfans que auez
laissie en douleur et misere pour la paour quilz ont de vous
perdre / Reprendes en vous vigoreux et bon couraige en monstrant
votre force et vertu alencontre de voz ennemis ¶ Blanchandin
qui dedens eulx sestoit feru le premier lequel Il congnoissoit
assez pour ce que par lui et sa cause Ilz auoient receu
toute la plusgrant perte quilz eurent faicte Pourquoy tout leur
desir estoit de lenclore et occire se faire leussent peu / et eulx
veant que dedens eulx estoit embatus se mirent ensamble et
lencloirent en lui lanchant lances et dards tant que en pluseurs
lieux le naurerent et lui occirent son cheual.
¶ The
whiche sawe hym fyghtyng and destroyeng, anddna sleynge
his enmyes in suche wyse that he raughte noon vpon
the salate, how stronge that he was / but that he claaf
hym doun vnto the tethe / But his grete corage and
grete prouesse had ben but lytell worthe to hym, yf he
had not be socoured anone of Sadoyne his true felawe /
that had herde the cry and the noyse that they made
aboute blanchardyn, that trowed to haue slayne hym /
sadoyne seeng his true felawe blanchardyn that faught
on fote ayenst his enmyes, broched his hors wyth the
spore, full of anger & of wrathe, his swerde in his hande,
dyed & all blody of the blode of his enmyes, smot hym
self in to the presse, where he dyde see it moost thyk,
accompanyed wyth suche knyghtes as he well trustyd
vpon, callyng hygh after his baner, wherby x. thousaund
men of his feliship folowed right soone the bak of
hym / and, namely, the noble kynge of fryse, that ful
quykly cam to the rescue of his son blanchardin / So
smot they hem self all at one weyght vpon kynge
Alymodes folke, and byganne to hewe and slee them,
so that wythin a short tyme they brake the presse,
and made grete occycyon vpon their enmyes. To the
rescue of blanchardyn cam also the gode prouost, &
wyth him were they of the towne, that ful wel dyde,
& bare hem self right wel; for so moche they deyde,
that in a lytyl while, wolde their enmyes or not / that
Sadoyne gat the place, & brought a right myghty courser
vnto his felow blanchardyn, vpon whiche he mounted
vp anone. The kyng of fryse seeng his son blanchardyn
/ rescued & on horsbake ayen / brought his horse
nere hym, & demanded of hym / how he dyde,how he dyde = comment Il se faisoit & yf
he felt hym self wounded or hurt in ony place where eny
doubte were of his lyf / 'Syre,' sayde blanchardyn,
'no sore at all I fele wythin my body, that can let me
to kylle & sle myn enmyes & yours.'les vostres They thenne,
wythout eny moo wordes, entred ayen bothe to gyder
into the bataylle toward them of the towne, where
Sadoyne was wyth them, fyghtyng ayenst Alymodes &
Corboraunt his brother / Blanchardyn, seeng them of
the towne by the baner that they bare, in which was portrayed
a fygure in lykenes of a mayde that represented
the proude pucell in amours, he dyde shewe it vnto his
fader & to his felaweWanting in the French. Sadoyne. he thenne toke corage
& fyersnes more than euer he had don afore, admonestyng
his fader & sadoyne to do wel their parte / Soo putte
them self in to the thyckest of the batayll, where they
ouer-threwe & casted doune alle that founde hem self
by fore them / Wherby kynge Alymodes folke reculed
abak more than is the lengthe of an acre of lande /
Alymodes seeng his folke lese grounde, & were smytten
ded doun right by the hyghe prouesse & grete worthynes
of blanchardyn / desyred sore wyth al his herte to
joyne hym self wyth hym; & so cam he at the one
syde of blanchardyn, his swerde in the hande, for to
slee hym yf he myght. but blanchardyn, that ware
was, & wel taught of all poyntes of werre, perceyued
soone his manere of commyng ayenst hym, & tourned
brydel, and went hym self vpon kynge Alymodes, &
suche a stourdy stroke he gaf him vpon the helmet,
that he brought him doune from his hors all astonyed /
the whiche blanchardyn had taken right sone the hed
from þe body of hym,the whiche blanchardyn had taken right sone the hed
from þe body of hym = le quel blanchandin eust occis if socours & help had not come
to hym of his folke, that brought his hors to him ayen,
& remounted him on horsbak. whan he see hym self
on his hors, he cam ayen vpon Blanchardyn, the swerde
in his hande, requyryng to blanchardyn that he wolde
drawe out of the prese, & that he had grete desyre to
proue hym self vpon hym / Whan blanchardyn vnderstode
kynge Alymodes, he was right glad, & right
lyberaly graunted to hym his requeste / They two
drewe them self out of the bataylle, & byganne to bete
& smyte one vpon other so ofte & so thyk that the fyre
came out of their armures, that were of fyn stele.out of their armures, that were of fyn stele. = hors de lachier qui en leurs heaulmes estoit.
but blanchardyn dyde serue hym wyth so peysaunt &
heuy strokes, & so horryble, that alymodes sholde neuer
haue departed from the place quyk, yf he had not be
socoured of corboraunt his brother. The batayll of
theym two, dyde see playnly þe proude pucell in
amours that was vpon her highe toure, where she
praied god for the prosperyte of blanchardyn / She
called a yong knyght a seruaunt of hers,a seruaunt of hers = son seruiteur to whom she
toke a sleue of whyt damaske, & commaunded hym to
presente hit hastely from her behalue vnto blanchardyn
/ prayng hym that for her sake & loue, to dye
the whyt coloure in to red wyth the blode of her
enmyes / The gentyl man, sore desyryng to accomplyshe
his maystres commaundement, toke of his lady the sleue
of whyt colour. he departed & made suche diligence,
that a present was therof made to blanchardyn, rehersyng
vnto hym that that his lady, the proude pucelle
in amours, had charged him to saye vnto blanchardyn /
whiche was right glad of the saide present, more than
he sholde haue be yf the messenger had brought to
hym a mylyon of fyn goldewhiche was right glad of the saide present, more than
he sholde haue be yf the messenger had brought to
hym a mylyon of fyn golde = blanchandin ful moult Ioyeulx / and thanked moche his
lady, the proude pucelle in amours, that behylde hym
from her tourfenestre as ferre as she myght chuse hym, and
enforced his power for to parfurnysshe her request. he
smote vpon his enmyes as it had be the thonder, confoundyng
and ouerthrowyng them ded to þe grounde;
for who that was that tyme yrought of hym, his dayes
were fynyshed. fynably, the batayll lasted so longe
that kynge Alymodes & his Cassydonyens were rebuked,
wold they or no, to their grete losse, hurt and
dammage / for of thre score thousaund, the remenaunt
that myght be saued wythdrewe themself wyth
kynge alymodes, that toke hastely the waye toward his
shippes for to entre, and saue hym self ther Inne / But
sadoyne folowed hym of so nyghe at bak of hem, that
with grete peyne gaf them leyser to saue hem self /
And so ferre he folowed and chassed them, that he ouer
toke kynge alymodes brother called Corboraunt, to
whome he gaff a reuerse wyth his swerde so grete that
he made fle bothe the helme and the hed from the
body of hym.et chey mort. Kynge alymodes seeng his brother
slayne of a knyght alone, was full sory and an-angred /
he ascryed to his folke that traytoure that had slayne
his brother Corberaunt sholde be taken by them, for
he hath doon to vs this day so moche of euyl, bothe
he and his felawes / that I shal neuer haue Ioye at my
herte tyl that I haue hym ded or taken / They thenne
from al sydes tourned vpon Sadoyne, and slewe his
horsse and enclosed hym rounde aboute, so that his
defendyng had nought proffyted to hym nor holpen
but that he shold haue be there slayn, yf kynge
alymodes had not ascryed & commaunded to his men
that they sholde not sle hym, but sholde take hym
quyk, whiche thynge was don of hem. Grete crye,
noyse, and houlyng made the sarasyns at the takyng
of Sadoyne, in somoche that blanchardyn herde them,
whiche cam rennyng there as the medle was wyth a
grete nombre of folkys. But the kyng Alymodes seeng
hym comyng wyth puyssaunce, for fere that he had of
hym, he departyd, & went hastely wyth suche as wold
be saued wyth hym / and entred hys shyppes, and
brought wyth hym Sadoyne / for blanchardyn coude
neuer come tyme ynough to the rescue of hym; but or
euer they were entred in to theyr vessels they made
grete losse of their men / but the sorow was ryght grete
of Blanchardyn and of hys folke, whan he wyste that
the paynemys had wyth hem his trew felawe Sadoyne /
wherof he was so dolaunt, & so replenyshed wyth sorow
and heuynes, that no body coude pease hym by eny
manere. He smote his hors wyth the spore, alonge by
the shores of the see, escryeng as loude as he myght vnto
kyng Alymodes, that he wolde take to hym ageyn his
felaw Sadoyne / and that for his raensom he shulde
geue hym thre score thousand pound of fyne gold,
wyth six thousand men of his folke that he had
prysoners / Alymodes ansuerd, that yf he wolde
delyuer the proude pucell in amours to hys wylle /
that he shulde take hym ayen Sadoyne / blanchardyn
ansuerd that he was content, and that whan he
sholde haue ayen Sadoyne / and had delyuerd the
proude pucell in amours in his hande / he shold rather
slee hymself than that she shold abyde wyth hym no
while.
¶ After these wordes / Alymodes, the kyng
of Cassydonye, that was ryghte sore an-angred, rose
vpon his fete and sayd to blanchardyn / that he
loste his wordes / And that he sholde neuer see
Sadoyne, but sholde haue hym wyth hym in to Cassydonye,
where he sholde make hym to be hanged byfore
Beatryx his doughter, sayeng that suche sholde be the
rewarde of his folyshe loue, and that noon other raenson
he sholde take for hym. And the sorowefull / Sadoyne,
that was that tyme vpon the wale of the ship, sore
harde ybounde wyth yrons, bygan to calle, and sayde
wyth a hyghe voyce / 'far wel, my true felawe blanchardyn
/ Ye shall neuer see me more, as I byleue.' And
thus they departed wythout eny more speche. The
wynde was goode for them, that sone brought them
ferre from the coste of Tormaday, and drewe towarde
Cassydonye /Wanting in the French.
¶ The xliiij. chapiter conteyneth in hit self
how blanchardin made hym self redy with
his folke and nauye for to socoure and
helpe his felawe Sadoyne / that kynge
Alymodes brought prysoner to Cassydonye
/to Cassydonye = auec luy
Whan blanchardyn dyde see that to hym was Impossyble
to haue ayen by raenson his true felaw
sadoyne, he was right sory therfor, and none was there
so grete frende wyth hym that coude recomforte hym.
sore pyteously he byganne to wyshe hym ayen, sayng
in this wyse, 'wo me, sadoyne, my veray true felawe!
for my sake ye haue lefte your fader, your royalme,
landes, lordshippes, and kynrede, and your frendes, and
haue exposed the body of you and of your men to the
socoure and help of me / & nowe for myne owne cause
ye be prysoner, ought not I wel to enforce my self that
ye were delyuered from the euyll where ye be in at
this tyme for the grete loue that ye haue vnto me /
¶ Certes I ought to do it / and yf god be playsed, I
shall acquyte my self therof' /
¶ The pouere folke of
prusse, that is to wyte, the barons and knyghtes that
Sadoyne had brought wyth hym / were sore dyscomfyted
and full of sorowe for thabsence of their maystre,
that they sawe was brought prysonner of the paynems /
But blanchardyn ryght humbly dyde recomforte hem
þe best wyse that he coude / after that the gayne was
parted emonge them that therof were worthy / Blanchardyn
gaff commaundement, that alle the shippes and
other vesselles that were al aboute Tourmaday, sholde
be made redy and garnysshed wyth vytaylles suche as
apparteyned / and that his wylle was vttyrly sette for
to goo to gyue socoure and helpe vnto his felawe Sadoyne
/
¶ The fayr yong lady, the proude pucell in
amours, was alredy come ayenst her true louer, Blanchardyn.
So may ye well ynough thynke and knowe for
certayn that teerys were there shed and wepte of her
parte in grete habondaunceWanting in the French. /
¶ Whan the two
mouthes met kyssynge eche other, the noble mayden was
well recomforted of all her euylles past. But ouer moche
dysplaysed her to see her feyth-full frende Blanchardyn
that wolde goo ayen out of the lande / They cam
wythin the cyte, where they were receyued wyth grete
feste and gladnesse. And syth, after the owre of mydnyght
was past / Blanchardin cam to the paleys, where
he fonde his loue, the proude pucelle in amours, that
sorowed right sore for the departyng of her frende
blanchardyn. But the best that to hym was possyble
he dyde recomforte / her, promyttyng to her, that alssone
as he godely myght, he sholde retourne ayen toward her /
¶ Ther wythin was a knyght wyth her in whom she
had a grete confydence, whiche had be noryshed in her
paleys from the first tyme of his yonge age wyth the
kynge of Tourmaday her fader, that recomended hym
at the owre of his deth vnto his doughter /
¶ A full
fayr knyght he was, but he was descended of a lowe
kynrede, for his fader & his moder had be seruauntes
wyth-in the place, the whiche knyght by his subtyl
engyne and gode seruyse that he made, came to be soo
pryue famylier wyth the kynge, the proude pucelle in
amours fader, that he added and gaffe more feyth and
truste,the whiche knyght by his subtyl
engyne and gode seruyse that he made, came to be soo
pryue famylier wyth the kynge, the proude pucelle in
amours fader, that he added and gaffe more feyth and
truste = Le quel fut par son subtil engin et seruice
quil faisoit que le Roy de tourmaday pere de la pucelle auoit
plus de foy and more credence vnto hym & his wordes, than
he dyde in eny other knyght or baron of his royalme,
wherfore atte his decesse he had him moche recomended
/ But men saye in a comyn langage that 'neuer
noo wodewollbruhier dyde brede a sperhawke' /
¶ I saye
this for the knyght of whom I doo make here mencyon,
whiche had to his name Subyon / for he was soo proude
and so hawten, that aduyse was to hym for the grete
auctoryte that he was ynne, that non sholde haue compared
wyth hym /
¶ And therfore I saye that 'of
churles, bothe man and wyff, can departe noo goode
fruyte.'
¶ And it is Impossyble that yf eny grete lord,
prynce / or baron gyue auctoryte or lene his eeres for
to herken to a churles wordes / But that he shall be at
last deceyued by hym, wythout more happe beBut that he shall be at
last deceyued by hym, wythout more happe be = merueilles est si en la par fin nen est deceu /
¶ for
men sayen that 'of a kerle may nought come but poyson
and fylth, that maketh the place to stynke where he
haunteth ynne'that maketh the place to stynke where he
haunteth ynne' = que en bausme le lieu ou Il repaire / as the samethe same = Icellui Subyon dyde / Blanchardyn,
seeng this knyght to be in grete auctoryte in the
court of the proude pucelle in amours, and well honoured
and gretely set by of all thoffycers of the places /
He dyde chuse the sayde knyght subyon, wythout eny
counseyll of other, for to playse the better the pucelle
therby, and betoke vnto hym the kepynge of the proude
pucelle in amours noble personne, wyth the charge and
gouernaunce of an hundred knyghtes, that sholde wayte
vpon hym, and made hym seneshall of all the royalme
of Tourmaday, & rewler of all the lande, wherof the
noble mayden was right glad, that knewe not what vnto
her sholde befall therby afterward, as herafter ye shall
mowe vnderstande playnly /
¶ The xlv chapyter sheweth how Blanchardyn
toke the see for to go socoure his
felawe Sadoyne.
After that Blanchardyn had put prouysion and
kepyng for his lady and her lande, he toke his
leue of her, whiche was wel sorowfull of eyther
partyes. But the grete desyre that blanchardyn had for
to socoure & helpe his true felaw sodayne, to haue hym
out of the thraldom in to franchise, retarded wythin his
herte many sobbynges / The kyng of fryse came toward
the proude pucell in amours / And sayde to her in this
maner of wyse,Wanting in the French. 'madame, It nede not to you to make
eny sorowe / But be of goode chire and alle recomforted,
for, to the playsure of oure lorde, we shal not
haue so soone accomplysshed oure enterpryse, But that
I shal brynge to you ageyne my sone blanchardyn.'
The proude pucelle in amours thenne ansuerde full
mekely, and sayde to the kynge, fader vnto Blanchardyn,
'sire, of that ye promytte to me I thanke you
moche; I pray god that it may be soo, and gyue you
and hym grace to retourne wyth Ioye wythin short
tyme / for the waytyng and tarying therof shalbe so
renoyouse to me.' The kynge of fryse and the other
barons thenne toke their leue of the pucelle, and folowed
blanchardyn that had taken his shippyng alredy. Whan
the proude pucelle in amours sawe her frende blanchardyn
departed from her chambre, where she lened
vpon a wyndowe that loked vpon the see / makyng full
pyteouse rewthes for her loue that she sawe, nor neuer
thens she wolde departe aslonge as she myght see the
shyppes that were sayllyng /
¶ Whan blanchardyn
had taken the see wyth many shippes & galleyes, he
had grete Ioye at his herte for the grete excercyte of
folke that he conducted, And that wyth hym was the
kynge his fader, of whom he was well recomforted / as
of thre score thousand good men of warre that wyth
hym were wele appoynted, what of Sadoynes folke as
of hem of Tourmaday,what of Sadoynes folke as
of hem of Tourmaday, = tant des gens de sadoine comme de ceulx de tormaday. whiche had all a goode wyll &
grete desire to rescue their lord Sadoyne, and to haue
hym oute of the handes of king Alymodes: The weder
was fayr and clere, and the see peasyble & styll; the
ancres were drawen up, and the sayles alofte, wherin
the wynde smot & blew softe & good, that sone brought
them a goode waye fro the lande. Grete bruyt & reuyl
they made at their partyng; the see was couered wyth
their sayles, that sore brode were spred vpon their vesselles
/ many an horne, many an olyphaunt, & many
a claryon & trompettes were blowen there, that made a
Ioyefull noyse.& many
a claryon & trompettes were blowen there, that made a
Ioyefull noyse. = et maintes tempestes de trompettes en y oy bondir. Et sonnerent plus de deux grandes lieues de mer pour prendre
leur estour.
¶ We shall here leue to telle of blanchardyn
& of his ryght puyssaunt excercyte, that wyth
force of saylles & oores goon saylyng on the see, fulsore
thretnyng kyng Alymodes his enmye / And shall retourne
to speke of subyon, and of his lady the proude
pucelle in amours, for to telle of their aduenturys, of
the trayson of hym, and the grete comstaunce & feythfulnes
of that other noble pucelle, in manere as here
foloweth:
The xlvj chapter sheweth how Subyon, to
whom blanchardyn atte his departyng
had lefte the gouernaunce & kepynge of
his lady, the fayr proude pucell in
amours and of all the royalme: made conspyracyoun
ayenste her for to take her
and haue her to his wyff: And of that
that whiche happed afterwarde.
Ye haue well harde here afore, whan blanchardyn
dyd departe from Tormaday, how he dyd ordeyne
Subyon, & made hym seneshcall & his leeftenaunt
generall of the royalme of Tormaday / takynge to hym
the rewle and the kepynge of the pucell, vnto tyme that
he were comen ayen. Subyon, seeyng hym self in suche
an auctoryte, and so hansed in worshipWanting in the French. / toke in his
herte an vnconstaunt pryde of the moeuableWanting in the French. godes of
fortune, & wolde clymme vp yet in to a more hyghe
astate than he fortunably was comen vnto / whiche
myght wel haue suffysed a better man than he was; for
hym semed that the tyme was now come that he best
myght bryng it aboute.& wolde clymme vp yet in to a more hyghe
astate than he fortunably was comen vnto / whiche
myght wel haue suffysed a better man than he was; for
hym semed that the tyme was now come that he best
myght bryng it aboute = lui sembla que en plus hault estat quil nestoit lui conuenoit
monter et que heure estoit venue pour ce faire / He sawe that he was obeyed
thurgh all the royalme / & that nothyng was don wythout
his leue or commaundement, whiche euery man
kept & obeyed. So dyde he so moche, that wyth the
most grete of the lande he made conspiracion, in so
moche that, by grete gyftes and promesses that he made
to them, they promysed hym for to serue hym in accomplyssyng
of all his wyll, & to make him kynge of
the lande / To this dyde consent many a traytour of
the house of the pucell. Subyon sayde vnto them all /
'Lordes, ye knowe me al ynough, and the grete auctoryte
and power where I am now ynne / Wherby I
may make yow all riche yf ye wyl helpe truly to brynge
my desyre at a gode ende / and that ye helpe me so
moche that I may haue to myn espouse the proude
pucelle in amours and wedde her; of alle the godes and
riches wherof she is endowed and well garnysshed, that
nothing therof be parted /
¶ But ye shalbe perteners
to the hool as my self, & to me shal suffyse the name
to be a kynge, and to haue the pucelle to myn owne
wyf / & for þe seruyse that ye shal do to me in this
byhalue, ye shal haue þe reward suche as I haue promysed
vnto you; & wyth this, I shal kepe you ayenst
al other that wold trouble or greue you by eny maner
of wyse; for moche better it is to you to haue a lord
borne of this lande / than to haue a straunger; & ye
may byleue certeynly that Blanchardyn shal neuer come
ayen at thys syde; kyng alymodes is to myghty a lorde
in his lande, that shall sone ouercome blanchardyn.Wanting in the French.
And yf so be that he wolde be so ouer proude to come
hyder ageyn, I shall make hym to be hanged wythoute
eny respyte.' Then the false traytours & vntrew
men to whiche Subyon made thys promyse / ansuerd to
hym all wyth one voyce, that they shulde helpe to bryng
thys werke aboute, that he shulde be kyng / & Incontynent
dide geue vnto him their feyth, makyng a grete
& a solempne oath that they shulde be trew to hym of
their promesses. Alas, the good knyghte blanchardyn
was not aware that tyme of the grete treason that
machyned was ayenst hym. The ryght vntrew subyon
was therof ryght glad / & sore desirouse to accomplysshe
his dampnable enterpryse at an ende; he & his
complices in grete nombre went vp to the paleys hall,
where he fonde the proude pucelle in loue was, that
but a lytyl afore was com fro the wyndowe, where
she had conueyed wyth her eye her trewe louer blanchardyn
/ & commended hym & his fayer companye in to
the kepyng of our lord, prayeng humbly that a goode
retorne & a shorte he myght make. Thenne whan she
sawe that she myghte no more see hem, she went awaye
from the wyndowe as halfe in a swone, sore tenderli
wepynge / And euyn at that tyme entred subyon in
her halle, and toke her by the hande, and had her vp
fro the grounde, and syn sayd: 'Madame, dyscomforte
you not thus for a stranger that fleeth from one lande
to a nother, but gyue me wythoute mo wordes your loue
& goode wylle, and ye shall doo as a wyse woman &
well counseylled.' Whan the noble mayden vnderstode
Subyon, ryght fyersli she began to loke vpon hym,
drawyng herselfe to the vpperhande of hym, and sayde:
'O thou ryght enfamouse churle and olde myschaunte,
How hast thou ben so hardy to speke thus of the sone
of a kynge, the most preu and the most valyant that
euer gyrded eny swerde? how thenne, arte thou now
dronke, or folyshe, or from thy witte that thou haste
dare utter or profere suche wordes oute of thy mouthe' /how thenne, arte thou now
dronke, or folyshe, or from thy witte that thou haste
dare utter or profere suche wordes oute of thy mouthe' = Comment doncques es tu fol ou yure ou esragie dauoir
oze dire telz motz
Thenne subyon al a hyghe ansuered and sayde: 'lady,
speke nomore of hit / for ye shal neuer haue non other
man to youre husband & lorde but me, and tomorowe
wythout lenger abydyng, wyl ye, or not / I shal take &
wedde you to my wyf, and shal beslepe your bed wyth
you' / And the traytours & felon conspiratours sayde
vnto their lady al togyder atones: 'Madame, take and
wedde subyon! he is a man that shal kepe yow right
wel, and al your royalme, lordshipys, and landes' / The
good lady thenne hering the cursed and false traytours
speke / saw wel that she was trahyshed of all poyntes,
but yf god of his grace purueyed not for her, she was
lyke to be vttirly lost. To see that noble pucelle dyscomforted
as she was / ther was noo man but ought to
haue compassion & pyte of her / She wyst of noo comforte
to take vnto her, but to loke out at the wyndowe,
callyng after blanchardyn that alredy had saylled ferre /
& knewe nothynge of this adoo;affaire / for yf he had knowlege
ther-of the same tyme, he sholde neuer haue had
Ioye at his herte tyl that she had be delyuered out of
that grete heuynesse. The noble mayden made grete
sorowe & tourmented her self ful piteously. Thenne
cam her maystresse sore discomforted, that wyth grete
peyne brought her in to her chambre.
¶ The rewthe
& doleaunce that this right parfit & true lady made,
ought certeynly to styre and moeue all noble hertes to
pyte & compassyon of her infortune / Whan at the best
tyme and most entier of her age she had euer more
sorowe / care, & grete displeysure.she had euer more
sorowe / care, & grete displeysure = elle nauoit que desplaisir. The night was to
her sore long, whiche she & her maystres passed all
wayes wepyng wythout onye ceasse. And the next
day subyon, that to the nobles of the lande had assigned
an owre for to be at the paleys / cam wyth theym that
helde part wyth hym in the halle, hauying their
swerdes al naked vnder their mantelles / And whan
the nobles of the lande were come there at his sendyng,
subyon dyde expose vnto theym the cause wherfore he
had called hem, and tolde them that he wolde be made
kynge of tourmaday / & that he wold wedde the proude
pucelle in amours, for many causes & raysons that were
to long to be reherced.
¶ Here foloweth the xlvij chapter, that
sheweth how therle of castelforde, the
goode prouost, and the knyght of the
fery, wyth their folke, toke and bare
awaye the proude pucelle wyth them in
to Castelforde, magre Subyon, that besieged
them wythin the sayde place / as
ye shal here.Wanting in the French.
Whan the nobles of the lande that were there
assembled vnderstod Subyon, they had therof
grete merueylle, and loked vpon eche other al abashed /
Of that other part, they marked well that wyth subyon
were grete fuson of men, al in harneys vnder their
gownes, wherfore they see wel that / force it was to
them to consent his wyl at that owre, & ansuered vnto
hym / 'Syth that his playsure was so, they were
content.' but the olde erle of castelforde, the goode
prouost, and the knyght of the fery, sayde al thre togyder,
of one accorde / that they sholde neuer be
consentyng of that infydelyte and grete trayson; but
cryed vp alowde, that men sholde taken Subyon, for to
be brought to pryson vnto the tyme that blanchardyn
cam ayen. subyon thenne called vpon his folke, &
saide that they sholde avenge hym vpon thees treytours /
The gode erle, the prouost, & the knyght of þe fery
called ayen in lyke wise vpon their folke / so byganne
þe medle to be grete & fyers Betuyx the two partyes,
whiche were not equal / for ouer moche were the
traytours in grete multytude / So were constrayned the
thre knyghtes and theyr men to wythdrawe themself
togyder awaye. Whan the proude pucell in amours
sawe therle departed, she ded call after hym ryght
pyteousli, 'Ha, ryghte nobel knyght, haue pyte & compassyon
vpon thys pore chylde, whiche is now all alone
amonge wolues famyshed, be redy to deuoure me.'vpon thys pore chylde, whiche is now all alone
amonge wolues famyshed, be redy to deuoure me = de ceste poure doulante et exillee
The goode erle, then, the prouost, & the knyght of the
fery, their swerdes in thier handes naked, toke &
seysed her by force, & broughte her doun the stayers
of the paleys, where they founde their horses, that
bode there after hem; and lepte a horsbak, and, by the
helpe of their frendes & kynnesmen, they sette the
lady vpon a myghty palfray, magre Subyon & all his
complyces. The prouost guyded her horse by the
reyn, that was made faste to the brydell, and the good
erle & the knyght of the fery cam behynde hem wyth
their folke, that had their swerdes al naked. And
somoche they dyd, by their highe proesse, that magre
their enmyes they conducted & broughte wyth them
the pucell oute of her cyte of tourmaday / that was not
wyth oute grete rewth, & pyteouse clamors of the
peple / for they were all in a grete dyspleasure for their
noble & good lady, that so pyteousli they sawe departe
the town. The noble erle, the good prouost, & the
worthy knyght of the fery exploytedfe expryloyted so longe, that
wythoute eny let or combrauns they & þe proude
pucelle in amours arryued in sauete wythin the fortres
of Castelforde, where they were receyued of the countesse
wyth hertly loue & grete humylite. The proude pucell
in amours thanked and rendred graces onto oure lord,
that she was thus escaped oute of the handes of her
enmye / Wherof she thanked ryght moche the goode
erle of Castelforde. And Subyon, seeng that the pucell
was thus caryed awaye, he was ryght wrooth and sory
that she was scaped soo from hym. he made all hys
folke to lepe on horsbak, & folowed hem that had her
awaye, by the markes of their horses steppes. but at
thentree of a forest that was there, they loste their
trayne, and went oute of ther waye / wherby they
myght not folowe nor ouertake the pucell, nor they
that brought her wyth theim / And thus subyon & his
complyces inordynate purpos was tourned, chaunged,And thus subyon & his
complyces inordynate purpos was tourned, chaunged = Par quoy leur desordonne propos en fut mue
& fayled of their false & vntrew enterprise. the ryght
wycked & false Subyon had not refreyned nor fulfylled
his peruerse & vntrewe corage / but sent hastyly to
Tourmaday for folke & engynes, ladders, and other
habylymentes of warre, and made theim com afore
Castelforde, where he dyd laye his siege; and sware
that he shulde neuer departe from afore the place vnto
the tyme that the Castel were take, and theymceulx of
wythin at his wyll / But it ys sayd often, in a comyn
langage / that 'moche abydeth behynde that a fole
thynketh' / for the good erle, the prouost, & the knyght
of the fery, wyth theyr folke, ordeyned & prouyded
theym self soo, that they fered but lytyl subyon or
nouȝte; And had more lette & care to comforte the
noble lady Eglantyne, otherwyse callyd the proude
pucell in amours,Eglantyne, otherwyse callyd the proude
pucell in amours = qui auec eulx estoit than they had of Subyon. Castelforde
was a stronge place, and well appoynted to the
werre / for that yt was Inprenable, and fered not the
shotte of the engynes / nor of bombardes.
¶ It was
purueyd ryghte well of vytaylles, and of good men of
werre.
¶ Here we shall tarye styll oure penne, to
wryte of themHere we shall tarye styll oure penne, to
wryte of them = Atant vous lairons a parler deceulx that be byseged, and of Subyon, that
kepte his seege byfore the fortresse of Castelforde; And
shalle wryteshalle wryte = parlerons of Alymodes, the vntrew kynge, that
ladde wyth hym the goode knyghte Sadoyne, felawe to blanchardyn, toward the cyte of Cassydonye /la ou Ilz arriuerent sans peril auoir
¶ Here foloweth the xlviij chapter, that
conteyneth how kyng Alymodes arryued
before the cyte of Cassydonye / And how
he spake to his doughter, the fayr Beatryx;
and how for to doo to her a more
grete despyte, made a gybet to be dressed
vp, for to haue hanged there, afore her
eyen, hyr goode husbondehusboode Sadoyne.
Ye haue wele vnderstonde here afore, how kyng
Alymodes toke his shippyng hastely after the
batayll that was afore Tormaday, and brought Sadoyne
prysoner wyth hym; and saylled toward Cassydonye,
where they arryued wythoute lettyng or perell. whan
they were comen in to the hauen, Alymodes made his
ancres to be cast, and toke lande there wyth his folke;
and syth made their horses to be had oute of the
vesseles, wheropon they mounted, and spred theymself
vpon the playn in a fayr ordenaunce of batayll. There
beganne the trompettes, the hornes, the olyphauntes, &
the busynes to blowe, that suche a noyse made, that
the see & the erthe retentyssed wyth alle / The same
tyme was the fayr Beatryx, the doughter of kynge
Alymodes, lenyng wyth bothe her armesWanting in the French. vpon a
wyndowe wythin her paleys, that loked toward the see
syde.
¶ She sawe there in the playne a grete nombre
of men of armes, wherof she was right glad, wenyng
to her that it had be Sadoyne, her true louer and
welbeloued husbande, that had retourned ageyne wyth
Blanchardyn. hastely she made her stywarde to lepe
a horsbak, and sent hym for to knowe what folke
werre arryued, and landed in so grete nombre; whiche
taryed not longe after that he was goon out of the
towne, that he sawe Alymodes and his folke, that cam
toward the towne a softe paasa softe paas = le petit pas / he asked hem what
they were, and yf they wyst not som goode tydynges
of Sadoyne / Thenne cam kyng Alymodes forthe, and
demaunded to the styward whiche his lady had leuer
to see, other her fader or her louer Sadoyne. The
styward ansuerd and sayde: 'Syre, I knowe not your
persone, what ye be, nor to whom I speke; but wel I
dare telle you, that she careth not of her fader, and that
yf he cam ayen, he sholde not entre nor come ayen he[r]
nor come wythin the towne' /he sholde not entre nor come ayen he[r]
nor come wythin the towne' = Il nentreroit pas en la ville
¶ And he tolde hym
that they of the towne, and of alle the lande of Cassydonye,
were becomen cristen; and had crowned Sadoyne
to their kynge,to their kynge = a roy & had made their homage vnto hym,
and helde hym for their lorde souerayne / Whan
Alymodes vnderstode the styward, he was sore dolaunt,
& tryste of that he sawe hym self thus vnfortunable as
to haue lost his knyghtes, and trowed to haue come to
reffut in his lande, that he fonde tourned to another
lawe than his owne; The gates of the cyte and castell
shet / And theym of wythin rebell ayenst hym; his
right dere sone daryus slayn and ded. Of that other
part, he sawe his only doughter, that denyed and
defended hym his comynge in to his cyte of Cassydonye.
He sayd full angerly to the styward, that 'to
an euyll owre hath your lady ben so madde as to mary
her self to a ladde, a straunger, wythout my lycence
and knowlege. She hath styred suche a thynge, wherof
she shal haue yet at her herte grete sorowe and heuynes.
¶ for thou shalt mowe telle vnto her / that wyth
me I doo brynge her yong ladde Sadoyne, whiche I
shall to morowe make to be hanged in despyte of her,
byfore my cyte of Cassydonye /'
¶ Whan the goode
styward vnderstode hym that to hym spake, and knewe certaynly that it was kynge Alymodes / wythout eny
moo wordes departed from hym, and cam hastely,
brochyng his horsse wyth the spore, vnto the cyte / he
went in to the paleys, where he fonde his lady, and
recounted to her how it was kyng Alymodes and his
folke, and what he had sayde; wherof she entred in to
a bytter displaysure, and hertely sorowe.
¶ Not wythstandyng
this, as a vertuose lady, made alle her folke
to be redy in their harneys, whiche at that syde off the
towne made to goo vp vpon the walles and towres, for
to deffende the towne. And charged them that they
sholde not late her fader come wythin, and that non
of them sholde speke wyth hym. Kynge alymodes
came rydyng toward the cyte wyth his bataylle / And
aryued afore the castell, where he sawe and knewe his
doughter, that loked out of a wyndowe / wyth hym he
brought Sadoyne, to thende that she myght see hym,
for to make to her a gretter dispite. Thenne called
kyng Alymodes alowde, and sayde vnto his doughter,
that anone hastely she sholde make to hym and his
folke openyng of the gates of the castel and towne;
sayng to her / that ouer grete haste she had made to
mary her self wythout his wyll, and that in an euyll
oure she euer wedded Sadoyne; that for this cause, for
to doo to her a grete dyspite, he shal to morowe make
hym to be hanged /
¶ The fayre Beatryx, heryng her
fader speke that she sone knewe, ansuered vnto hym
swetly, and sayd by grete humylyte, full of sorowe,
and of compassyon and pyte, for to refrene and brynge
to swetnes the harde corage and cruel wylle of kynge
Alymodes her fader / And namely for her goode husbande
sake / trowyng to eschewe his deth therby:
¶ 'Ha, ha, my lorde, my dere fader, pardone your
Wrathe and euyll wylle to my lorde my good husbonde,
and to me your only doughter; & be you sure my
lord, my dere fader, that whiche I haue donn in this
behalue, I haue donn it for the best. and yf ye woll
byleue me / ye shall leue your folishe credence that ye
geue vnto your false goddes,Wanting in the French. and shall byleue the fader,
the sone, & the holy goost / one onli god,Wanting in the French. that shalle
make you to come to the blyssegloire perdurable, that neuer
shall fayll; and ye shall accorde wyth blanchardyn &
wyth sadoyn, of whomof whom = desquelz ye shall be serued and dred of
all your neyghbours / and shall lyue in grete worship
& goode prosperyte alle your dayes; and I shall well
doo wyth theym, that all that whiche I saye shall be
made sure' /shall be
made sure' = Ilz feront
¶ Whan thenne kynge Alymodes herde
thus speke his doughter, as a cruell man from his
wyttes, sayd vnto her: 'Ha, false and renyed strompet,
I were me leuer ded,false and renyed strompet,
I were me leuer ded = mauuaise pute et renoyee Iameroye mieulx que Il fusse mort than that I sholde byleue nor doo
thi cursed counseyll; and that euer I sholde byleue in
that same god of the crystens, that thou now preysest /
I sholde me leuer soffer to be drawen wyth horses /
and in despyte of hym & of the, I shall doo to be
executed in thy presence that that I haue sayd / and
after I shall make hym to be brent, and to deye an
euyl deth.'
¶ And whan she sawe that by no manere
of meanesno manere
of meanes = nullement she myght not tourne ne chaunge the corage
of her cruel fader, And that she herde hym saye blame
of her god, her creatoure in whom she had sette her
byleue and her herte / she by grete wrath sayd to hir
fader: 'O, full ryght false and olde tyraunte, that
worshypste false and desceyuable goddes andWanting in the French. ydoles,
that canne not helpe the nor theym selfe,
¶ What
sekest thou here, nor what moeueth the to come in to
this marche? Thou haste noughte to doo here, for
thou shalt not sette thy foote wythin my towne / goo ayen to Tormaday to see the noble lande of that lady,
she of whom thou arte amorouse soo moche, that thou
arte a fole become therfore / Olde vnfamouse myschaunt
/ how arte thou soo folyshe and so ouerwenynge /
as for to wene to haue her / thou haste that berde of
thyne ouer whyte therto / thy face is to mykel wonne /
and that olde skynne of thyn ys ouer mykel shronken
to gyder;thou haste that berde of
thyne ouer whyte therto / thy face is to mykel wonne /
and that olde skynne of thyn ys ouer mykel shronken
to gyder = vous auez la barbe trop grise, la face trop vsee et le
cuir trop retrait put thy selfe in to some fayr hermytage,
And medel thou nomore wyth loue / leue this thoughte,
and make no more thyne accomptes for to entre wythin
my cyte; for yf ye haue taken and bunde my husbond,
that I see ther by the, I shall haue hym ayene, to the
pleasure of our lorde my creatour, some daye, that shal
be to your euyll aduenture' / Whan Alymodes vnderstode
the reproches and the rygorouse wordes of his
doughter / he wende to haue lost his wyttes, and to
haue deyd for anger and sorowe / Incontynent, wythoute
delaye, he made his trompettes to be blowen, And
commaunded that the towne sholde be wele assaylled
of all partyes / His men made hem redy after his
commaundement / and came and sawted the towne full
proudely / they that were wythin defended theym
vygoryously, as men of highe facionfacon / They kylled
and slue and hurte sore many one, Deffendynge hem
selfe soo strongely ayenste their enmyes, to theyr grete
losse and damage, & to wythdrawe them self ayen /They kylled
and slue and hurte sore many one, Deffendynge hem
selfe soo strongely ayenste their enmyes, to theyr grete
losse and damage, & to wythdrawe them self ayen = maint en naurerent et occirent en eulx deffendant /
tellement que leurs ennemis a leur grant perte et dommage sen
retornerent arriere sans gaires prouffiter par moult en yolt de
mors et de naures
wherfore kynge Alymodes, sore angry and full of wrathe
for the deth of many of his knyghtes that had be ther
slayneWanting in the French. / made his ryche pauylyons to be dressed &
hanged byfore the townemade his ryche pauylyons to be dressed &
hanged byfore the towne = fist sonner la retraite et fist tendre son pauillion et ses
tentes. / and commaunded thorugh
al his oost that they sholde reioyse hem self, and that
they sholde make grete reuell, in sygne of Ioye / to
thende that þe noyse therof shold come to the eeres
of his doughter / for to gyue a more grete cause of
dysplaysure and sorowe: Also he commaunded that
Sadoyne sholde be beten / And syth to morowe, in the
mornyng, as soone as the daye byganne to appiere,
kynge alymodes commaunded expressely to the mareshall
of his ooste, that he shold doo make and to be
sette vp a galhouse, euyn byfore the castell / to thende
that his doughter myght better see hange at her ease
her frende and louer Sadoyne. He ordeyned and
comaunded that he shold be hanged / After this
comaundement made by kynge Alymodes, his mareshall
dyde the kynges wyll to be accomplyssed; and accompanyed
wyth fyue hundred men of armes, brought
sadoyne euyn at the place where the gybet was made
redy / Whan he cam there, and sawe a payre of galhousea payre of galhouse = "les fourches" as above.
dressed vp, where he trowed certaynly to haue
fynysshed hys dayes, þe teerys habondantly fell doune
from his eyen so byttyrlyWanting in the French. that they wette al his face /
He byganne to make grete rewthe and pyteouse complayntes,
sayng in this wyseWanting in the French. / 'O, my right true felawe
and right dere frende blanchardyn, this day shall the
seperacyon be made of the amyte that is bytwene vs
bothe.' and syth loked vp toward the castel, where he
sawe his lady & wyf, the fayr beatryce / And whan he
dyde perceyue her face, he fyl doune in a swone alonge
the erthe / The sarrasyns, that saw this / lyfte hym vp,
and gaf to hym grete and heuy strokes wyth stauesgrete and heuy strokes wyth staues = de moult grans cops et ourbes /
He byganne yet ayen to make rewthe and complayntes,
wyshyng after blanchardyn;He byganne yet ayen to make rewthe and complayntes,
wyshyng after blanchardyn = De rechief commenca a regretter blanchandin and sayde how that he
was come out of his contrey, whiche was ferre thens,
for to helpe hym to socoure his lady, the proude pucelle
in loue; & syth that he shold neuer see hym, that
he at the laste wyste yf he wolde auenge hym of
this shamefull dethe or not, that he most nowe suffre.Wanting in the French.
and syth he saide, ful sore sobbyng / 'Alas! yf nedes I shal dey, I were of it all well content / soo that it
were in the absence of her, that maketh all my sorowes
to encreace for her tendre loue. Alas! myghte not
fortune aswell hurte or greue me by a nother manere of
wyse, than for to mak me deye shamefully by-fore my
owne true loue, my goode wyffis presence / Alas! wo
to me, vnhappy man, and more than myschaunte that
I am / ys ther non other remedye? muste I nedes deye
thus shamefully, wythoute eny deffence makynge?'
After thees wordes of complaynte that Sadoyne made,
the cursed and felon paynems peyned hemselfe sore for
to make redye suche thynges as serued to make hym
deye vpon the galhouse, that was sette vp byfore the
castell.that was sette vp byfore the
castell = qui la estoyent
¶ The xlix chapter conteyneth / How the
fayer Beatryx sente her folke for to
socoure her husbande sadoyne / and was
rescued from deth, and brought wythin
Cassydonye, malgre his enmyes /
Whan the fayr beatryx, that at her wyndow was
lenyng her hande ouer her brestes, & ful sore
wepyng for loue of her husband, þat she sawe in pereyl
of hys lyf / she lefte asyde her femenyn wyll, & toke
wythin her the corage of a man vertuose in manere &
faccion of a hardy byfyghtressebatailleresse / so ascryed she highe,
& sayd / 'O my ryght good & trewe knyghtes / this
daye I doo praye you & commaunde / that ouer all the
best knyghtes that are now reynynge in the wyde
worlde / ye woll socoure the comforte of my Ioye,
And that most is of all my lyffe, that goeth to perdycyon,
wyth oute it be by youre benyngne grace:
And vpon all the gode socoures and seruyces that euer
ye woll doo to me / That at this tyme and owre / atte
my requeste and prayer, Ye woll enforce yourselfe to
rescue oute of daunger of deth, my lorde & youreWanting in the French. / my
gode husband sadoyne, that I see yonder in grete parel
of his lyf, but yf he be socoured right soone /
¶ And,
therfore, yet ayen to you, myn men, my true vasselles
I do full instantly pray, that your naturell lorde ye
wyll help, to haue hym out of his harde enmyes handes,
yf it be vnto you possyble' / The barons and knyghtes
thenne of a right gode wyll, wythout answer nor replye
makyng, in grete hast and wythout delaye, enflamed
wyth yre & of cordyal wrath, for loue of their lord,
that the sarrasyns wolde doo deye thus pyteously so
shamefull a dethWanting in the French. /
¶ And also for the loue of their
lady that they had full dere / went & armed hem self,
and hastely in grete nombre of folke, all a fote, lepte at
a posterne out of the towne, and cam al vnder couert
from wythin the dyches of the castel that were drye at
that syde, wythout that they were a-spyed of no man /
except of sadone, that soone perceyued theym comyng,
bycause he was alredy brought vpon the ladder / Whan
he had seen them, he that was as half ded a lityl afore,
toke ayen his strenthes and corage wythin hym self; he
wrang his fystes and brake the cordes al a sonder that
he was bounden wyth / And syth lept from the ladder,
whiche his legges enclosed to gyder, lokyng vpon a
sarrasyne that in his handes helde a grete guysarme,
whiche is full goode and deffensable.Wanting in the French. he toke hit from
his fystes, and gaf to hym suche a merueyllouse stroke
wythall, that he cloued hym vnto the breste / and
quykly gaf asmoche to another, & syth to the thirde &
to the fourthe, And scatered them abrode, soo that
none so hardy a paynym was there that durste come
nyghe for to hurte hym /
¶ Whan the mareshall of
kynge Alymodes oost sawe Sadoyne, that all alone
bare suche damage ayenst them alle, he wexed full of
wrathe in his herte, he ascryed on his men, and sayde
that gretly and well they ought to hate hem self, and
to prayse hem selff full lytyll.
¶ Whan for one man
alone they fled / and that it was a grete shame vnto
them that he had endured so long ayenst them all /
He approched hym self toward Sadoyne, his swerde in
his hand for to smyte hym. But Sadoyne that was
sore quyk and pertappert sawe him wel come, and gaf hym
wyth his guysarme suche an vnmesurable stroke that
he cloue his hed vnto the tethe and slewe him. Euyn
at this owre the cassydonyens that come were out of
the cyte, smotte hemself emonge the fyue hondred
sarrasyns by fore that they were aware of them / they
beganne to slee doune right in euery side / and stroke
and smote vpon the paynemys, so that they delyuered
lightly þe place of hem, and none of them abode there,
but that he was ded or taken / excepte som that fled
awaye, that this tydynges brought to Alymodes, that
was full sory whan he vnderstode this tydynge /
Quykly he mounted a horsbake, and ranne as a mad
man toward the gybette, where he fonde Sadoyne and
his men that fought togydre. And whan Sadoyne saw
hym come, he cam wyth a grete corage ayenst him,
and leued vp his guysarme vpon him, where wythall
he smote hym suche a stroke vpon his shulders, that
he cloueclove his helmet. and ouerthrewe hym to the grownde, and
sholde haue take the lyf from him right soone yf he
had not be socoured of his men. But they came so
fast by and by / And by so grete tourbes and hepes,
that force it was to sadoyne to wythdrawe hym self &
his men wythin the towne of Cassydonye, where he was
receyued as ye may thynke right well wyth grete Ioye
& gladnesse of my ladymy lady = sa dame his wyf, the fayr beatryce /
And of that other part, the kynge alymodes was so sore
brought as to dispeyre him self bycause that he had
thus lost his prysoner Sadoyne, and that he sawe his
maresshall of his ost slayne, and sawe hym self bannyshed
and chassed out of his towne and royalme, and
also his doughter that was wedded to his mortayll
enmye /
¶ Of that other part, he harde the reuell and
the Ioye that was made wythin the cyte, that gaff a
cause to renewe his sorowes and heuy fortune ouer
many folde / The same tyme that Alymodes the kyng
was in suche h[e]uynes, Blanchardyn came sailynge
vpon the see, sore desiryng forto com in tyme that he
mygte fynde his enmye the tyraunt Alymodes, whiche
he fonde as ye shall vnderstond by the historye,
whiche is folowyng.as ye shall vnderstond by the historye,
whiche is folowyng = comme cy apres pourrez oyr.
¶ Here foloweth the l. chapter, whiche
sheweth how blanchardyn arryued in
the hauen of cassydonye, before whiche
towne he fonde Alymodes the kynge.et se mist en ordonnaunce pour le combatre.
Wel ye haue herde here afore, how blanchardyn
& the kynge of fryse his fader departed from
Tormaday, wyth a gret excersite of men of armes, for
to come towrade Cassydonye for to rescue his felawe
Sadoyne / they exployted soo long and made suche a
dylygence, thorugh helpe of god and of goode wynde,
that they arryued all hole & sounde wythin the sayd
hauen of Cassydonye /
Whan they were arryued, they caste theyr ancres,
and had horses oute of the shippes / they descended
on lande & mounted on horsbacke / Blanchardyn loked
towarde the cyte, byfore the whiche he perceyued clerly
the tentes & the pauyllyons of kynge Alymodes ryght
well sette there in gret nombre, wherof he toke in hym
selfe a ryght parf[i]t Ioye / he dyd shewe hem vnto his
fader, and sayd: 'Syre, ye maye espye & see byfore
you oure enmyes, as I wene.' In thes wordes talkyng
togyder, dyd arryue there foure of their men, that were
gon to clere the waye afore theym as ferre as kynge
Alymodes ooste / whiche as they came ayen, recountredrecontrerent
a peynem, whiche they toke and broughte hym before
Blanchardyn, that ryght dylygently examyned hym; of
whom he knewe for veraye trouth that it was kynge
Alymodes that lodged was byfore the cyte of Cassydonye
wythin his tentes and pauyllyons, wherof he was
ryght glade. he made hys folke hastely to putte theym
selfe in ordenaunce of bataylle, and syth beganne to
marche fourth ayenst his sayd enmyes / that alle redy
were aduertysed of his comynge, Insomoche that bothe
partyes cam ayenste other, wherby kyng Alymodes
knew full sone that it was blanchardyn / wherof he
had no grete Ioye / but became pencefull / Neuerthelesse,
as a knyght preu and hardy as he was, toke
corage in him selfe, admonestynge his folke to do well /
And of that other parte, Blanchardyn, la lance au poing venoit cheuauchant deuant ses bataillespriant et exhortant ses gens de bien faire et eulx efforchier
a abatre et pourfendre et confondre leurs ennemis qui
deuant eulx venoyent ¶ Moult Ioyeulx estoit.whan he wyste
that his felawe Sadoyne was escaped oute of kynge
Alymodes handes al hole, and sounde of all membres
thorugh the goode remedye & ryght grete prouesse
that had moeued the herte of the fayr B[e]atryce his
wyffe & treue loue / wherof she canne not be praysed
al ynough [had right grete Ioye].
¶ The lj.o chapter speketh of the grete
batayll that was bytwyx blanchardyn
and kyng Alymodes byfore Cassydonye.
And how Alymodes was ouercome / take
& broughte prysoner in to the cyte.
And of the coronacyon of sadoyn and
of his wyff Beatryx.
Whan sadoyne, that was the same tyme lokyng
out at a wyndowelokyng
out at a wyndowe = appuye aux fenestres wyth-in his castell of Cassydonye,
& his wyf the fayr Beatryx by hym / sawe the
two oostes þat they wold Ioyne to-gyder to batayl, he
gaf hymselfe gret meruayl, for he had seen them take
lande / but he knew hem not / so hadde he gret desire
to know what they wer. he saw them com to eche
other, makynge grete cryes & callynges, so þat emonge
other he harde call Tourmaday; he dyde set al his
entent for to know the baners and tokons of the lady
of Tourmaday, so that incontynent after this he perceyued
and knewe that it were they, that by blanchardyn
his felawe were conducted and guyded. hastely
he made and comaunded to be publisshed thorugh all
the cyte, that all men shold be in harneyse / whos
commaundement they full dyligently acomplyshed /
Sadoyne, armed of all his armes, mounted vpon his
courser and lept out of the towne wyth xv. thousaund
gode knyghtes, valyaunt & hardy, that al at one poyseferis
smot hem self wythin Alymodes folke, wherof at their
comyng on they slewe many one / Of that other part
was blanchardyn, that made thynges wonderful vnto
men, of sleeyng / hewyng, and gyuyng horryble strokes
vpon his enmyes.and gyuyng horryble strokes
vpon his enmyes = confondre et abatre ses ennemis And who had seen hym at that
tyme / he wold not haue trowed that he had be a man
mortal; he crauented & ouerthrew al before him, cleuyng
them to the eerys & to the brestes of hemto the eerys & to the brestes of hem = Iusques es cervelles / he had
be there longe,he had
be there longe = Gaires ny ot este whan his swerde was ryght well knowen
in euery of the oostein euery of the ooste = de tous costez / he brake & departed the grete
preesses / so that his enmyes made waye byfore his
swerde, for grete drede that they had of hym: and they
all fled, that none durst abyde the peyse of his heuy
strokys.that none durst abyde the peyse of his heuy
strokys = que nul ne losoit attendre sadoyne, his trewe felawe, cam that tyme &
Ioyned his horse beside his.Ioyned his horse beside his = se vint joindre empres luy. Of their reconyssaunces
and thankesWanting in the French. that they made tyll eche other,Wanting in the French. I make
no mencyon at al / by cause at þe tyme ther was nother of
them bothe / but that he had grete besynes in hande /
notwythstandyng what a doowhat a doo = quelques affaires that they had, they
embraced & colledWanting in the French. eche other, & made grete knowleg,
gyuynge thankes to othre.knowleg,
gyuynge thankes to othre = recoignoissaunces. And syn, both togyder
smote theym self amonge theyr enmyes al atones / to
whom they solde ful dere ther acqueyntance / And
wyth theym was the kynge of fryse, that of new had
cast doune to the grounde that bare the chief standarde
of kyng alymodes, wherof their enmeis made grete cries
& grete noyse for their baner, that laye vpon the
grounde. They forced hem self as moche as they
coude to haue it vp ayen; but the right grete prouesse
of the forsaid thre princes kept them ther fro.
¶ for
they dyde so moche, that wythin a whyle they bracke
the presse, and putte to flyght theyr enmyes. The
kynge Alymodes, seeng his folke that fled / his cheff
standarde ouer thrawen and layng vpon the grounde,
His barons all to-bet adouneto-bet adoune = abatre et detrenchier / and alsodautrepart sawe that
Impossyble it was to hym to escape hym self quyk
from the bataylleWanting in the French. / wherfore assone as he myght, or
euer that a more grete myscheff sholde happe vnto hym,
cam & yelded hym self in to the handes of blanchardyn
and of Sadoyne / prayng them right humbly for mercy
and grace, & that they wolde saue his lyff.
¶ They
toke hym as their prysoner; and after that the werke
was ended, and that all their enmyes were taken or
slayn, they brought hym, and entred wythin the cyte
wyth grete tryumphe and glorye /
¶ Yf the Ioye, &
the fayr welcome and honourable recepcion that of the
fair Beatryx was made vnto theym, I wold reherce and
telle, I sholde ouer longe tary my self / But the Ioye
and the feste was there so grete, that suche another was
not seen byfore that tyme, duryng this grete Ioye and
festeduryng this grete Ioye and
feste = Apres que la solempnite des nopces fut passee / The barons and lordes of the lande, that were
there alle to gyder, of one accorde and one wylle
crowned Sadoyne, and receyued him to their kynge and
to their lord. And the fayre Beatryx his wyff they
also dyde crowne as heyre of the lande. the feste
beganne ayen to be right grete, for Ioye of this coronacyonfor Ioye of this coronacyon = et y furent fais pluseurs esbatemens durant laquelle
/ The barons of the lande made their homage
vnto sadoyne, and toke and releued their lordshippes of
hym / and obeyed hym as their lordelordes naturell as longe
as they lyued, and that Sadoyne and their ladye were
to gyder wythout eny rebellyon /
¶ Sadoyne helde and
kept the lande all his tyme in goode vnyon: they that
were about hym rebell / he dompted and subdewedWanting in the French.
them, and brought them to his obeyssaunce. Well
and truly he loued and maynteyned Iustyce / The euyll
customes he brought doune, and areysed and ordeyned
other that were goode and most proffytable, that he &
his counseyll coude aduyse: And by especyall all that
was told hym, ordeyned and aduysed by blanchardyn /
He dyde and acomplysshed.
¶ After that Sadoyne
was crowned to be kynge, and that he had achyeued
and made alle his ordonnaunces for to gouerne and
holde his royalme in gode peas and vnyon,Wanting in the French. Blanchardyn,
his felawe, dysposed him self for to retourne
ayen toward Tormaday, to the proude pucelle in amours,
his lady, that he desyred sore for to see. So made he
to be apparelled his nauye, for to make his retourne
ayen, leuyng Sadoyne his felawe wyth the fayre Beatryx
his wyff. he wyst not of nothyng that he sholde haue
eny more to do / for he knewe not of the venymouse
malyce of the false traytoure Subyon, that wold haue
attempted a grete trayson ayenst hym and his lady,venymouse
malyce of the false traytoure Subyon, that wold haue
attempted a grete trayson ayenst hym and his lady = nouvelle que par subien auoit este procedee alencontre
de sa dame. the
proude pucelle in amours /comme y apres porrez oyr.
¶ The lij chapiter conteyneth how the
proude mayden in loue sent the prouost
toward blanchardin, whiche after thees
tydynges exployted sc sore, that he arryued
wyth alle his excercyte nyghe to
the oost of Subyon /
Well ye haue herde here afore, that atte departyng
that Blanchardyn made fro Tormaday, for to
goo rescue hys felawe sadoyne,Wanting in the French. he lefte his lady, the
proude pucelle in amours, in the gouernaunce & kepyng
of subyon / the whiche, as ye haue vnderstonde afore,
made conspyracoun ayenst her / for to haue her to his
wyff, and to make hymself kynge of Tourmaday, to
thende that blanchardyn were kepte ther froto
thende that blanchardyn were kepte ther fro = afin de en debouter blanchandin / But
thorugh the prudence & worthynes of the noble erle of
Castelforde, of the goode prouost, & of the knyghte of
the fery / a remedy was had ayenst his wycked malyce,a remedy was had ayenst his wycked malyce = y fut pourveu
by suche a wyse that, wold subyon or not, & all his
helpes, the noble lady, proude of loue, was taken oute
of his power, and was brought by the forsayd two
knyghtes & erle to the castel of Castelford / wherof
subyon was ryght sory. he cam & layde his seege,
trowyng for to haue taken her; but the place was soo
strong that it had no doubte of no seege / for it was
garnyshed of good knyghtes for to defende it / and wele
furnyshed wyth all manere of vytayllesall manere of vytaylles = tous viures necessayre to
suche a fortres. The lady, that was shette wythin, was
full sore & wroth for her frende blanchardyn, that he
was soo ferre from her / and ryght moche desired his
comyng ayen. she dyd calle to her therle & the
prouost, to whom full swetli she prayed þat they wold
sende toward Blanchardyn, for to reherse & shewe vnto
hym the tydynges of the seege that byfore them was.
'madame,' sayd therle, 'I am redy to do your pleasure /
& me semeth it ought to be doon as ye saye / ye most
aduyse & see by whom your message shalbe made.' the
good prouost then rose on his feet, & sayd: 'madame,
yf your wyll be, I shall gladli tak this vyage in hande /
and I shall neuer rest noo where tyl that I haue founde
blanchardyn.' 'prouost,' sayd the pucell / 'of this
seruyce that ye profer me, I thanke you moche / for no
better messenger I can not send / nor that can better
recounte & telleWanting in the French. the danger where we ben now in' /
The prouost made a galley to be redy, that was atte an
hauen there nyghe / he made her to be garnyshed
wyth men and vytayllys; and syth, whan al thynge
was redy, he toke his leue of the noble mayden his
lady, and of the eerle / and sone after the houre of
mydnyghte he departed pryuely oute of the castell,
and went and toke his shyppyng wythin his galley
so stylle, that of ony bodye of the siege hehas was not
aspyed. So moche exployted the prouoste, sailynge
nyght and daye ouer the see, that by good wynde that
he hadde / he arryued in a mornynge in to the hauon
of Cassydonye / where he fonde many shyppes, that
made theym selfe redy by the ordonaunce of blanchardyn.
The prouoste asked them after blanchardyn /
they tolde hym all that they knew of hym. The
prouoste descended a lande, and cam in to the towne /
and / syth mounted to the paleys, where he fonde the
barons, that talkyd to gyder. He salued blanchardyn
& Sadoyne, that welcomde hym and made hym grete
chere.
¶ Then spake blanchardin to the prouoste, and
asked hym of his tydynges. 'Syre,' sayd the prouost,
'ye shal knowe that tydynges I brynge / but they be not
pleysaunte.' He thenne rehersed and shewedWanting in the French. vnto
him al alonge the grete vntrouthe and false treyason,al alonge the grete vntrouthe and false treyason = la desloyaulte et trayson
that by Subyon hadde be made and machyned ayenste
him and his lady, þe proude pucelle in amours.
¶ Blanchardin,
heryng thees tydynges, was sore dolaunt. He
called to his felawe Sadoyne,He
called to his felawe Sadoyne = Il appela sadoine son compagnon And recounted to him
alle that the prouoste hadde reported and sayd; Wherupon
they fulsone, wythoute eny other inspecte / concluded
togyder / that they sholde departe the nexte
daye towarde Tormaday, and that they sholde neuer
ceasse vnto the tyme theyWherupon
they fulsone, wythoute eny other inspecte / concluded
togyder / that they sholde departe the nexte
daye towarde Tormaday, and that they sholde neuer
ceasse vnto the tyme they = Si conclurent ensamble de partir lendemain et de non Iamais arrester tant quilz had socoured the proude
pucell in amours.
¶ Their shyppes were rede, and
were garnyshed of folke and vytaylles.Their shyppes were rede, and
were garnyshed of folke and vytaylles. = Ils firent hastiuement apprester et garnir leur nauire de tout ce que mestier auoyent. They toke their
leue of the quene Beatryx, that was ryghte sory whan
she sawe the departynge of her husbande sadoyne / and entrynge in to their vesseylles / saylled wyth so grete
dilygence, by the goode wynde that they had / so that
they came wyth out eny lette or aduenture, that ought
to be tolde, and arryued wythin the hauen of Tourmaday.
¶ Whan they were come there, blanchardyn
sent the prouost, for to wyte of theym of the cyte yf
they wolde gyfe vp the cyte peasybly vnto hym, and
he sholde receyue them to mercyto mercy = a mercy /
¶ The prouost
descended a lande, and cam in to the cyte; And exposed
vnto the burgeys and comynalte the charge that he had
of blanchardyn.
¶ The cytezeyns & comon people of
the towne, that vnderstode the prouost, were full glad
of Blanchardyns comyng / And ansuered in this wyse,
al wyth one voyce, that his comyng was to theym right
pleysaunt and agreable / and that whiche had be doon
ayenst hym and their lady, wythin the cyte, was doon
of force /
¶ Whan the souldyours, that Subyon had
lefte there in garryson, herde and vnderstode the wylle
of the people of the towne, They ansuered all, that they
sholde not suffre this, and that the cyte sholde be kepte
for Subyon. Wherfore all the comynaltye of the towne
went and armed them hastely, and came vpon the
market place, where they byganne to fyght ayenst the
souldyours of the towne, that wolde haue kepte it for
Subyon /
¶ Ryght grete slawghter was doon there /
But the maystrye & strengthe abode wyth the peple,
soo that they kyld or hurted sore all them that were of
subyons folke. And syth toke the bodyes ded, and
caste hym ouer the walles of the towne in to the
dyches /
¶ And after this they opened the gates of
the towne, and in grete reuerence, and in token of
humylyte cam the burgeys and the people, all barefote,
in maner of a processyon ayenst blanchardyn, and
receyued to their lorde / And after that he & al his
folke were entred wythin the cyte / he sent a spye vnto
the castel of Castelforde, toward his lady, þe proude
pucell in amours; whiche spye dyde soo well, that he
entred in to the sayd fortresse, that he was not seen of
theym that were atte the syegeWanting in the French; et quant leans fut entre. / He recounted and
toldeWanting in the French. vnto the lady & to the erle, how blanchardyn &
his felawe Sadoyne came for to socoure them, and that
they were entred wythin Tormaday. Thise tidynges
were to them moche pleysaunt, for they were in a grete
daunger of Subyon, that domaged theym ryght sore, and
their place, wyth their bombardes and other engynes
of warre, that he had do brynge there. And whan
they of Castelforde vnderstode by the sayd spye that
blanchardyn was comen wythin Tormaday, and that he
came to gyue them socours and helpe ayenste Subyon,
they beganne to make grete festes and grete Ioyes for
his comynge, and called and songe so highe that the
noyse therof came vnto subyons eeres / that gaff hemself
grete meruaylle why they ded soo.that gaff hemself
grete meruaylle why they ded soo = qui moult sen donna grant merueille et ne sauvoit la
cause ni pour quoy Ilz se esioyssoient ainsi fort On the morowe
erly, blanchardyn and Sadoyne departed from Tormaday,
and lefte there the good kyng of fryse, and foure thowsand
goode men wyth hym, for to kepe the towne /
Whan blanchardyn and his ooste were yssued oute of
the cyte, he made two bataylles, euery one of ten
thowsand men / The fyrst bataylle he betoke to be
ledde by sadoyne his felawe, And that otherthat other = la seconde. bataylle
he conducte himself, and prayd & admonested his folke
to doo welle: And syth toke their waye toward Castelforde,
takyng a waye whiche was not moche haunted.
¶ And alle at one peyse cam and spored their horses
nyghe vnto the ooste of Subyon, or euer he was aware
of hem / Nor he had not knowen nothynge of theyr commyng, but of a yoman of his owne, that came from
foragynge and sechyng of heey and ootes for his horsesWanting in the French. /
that aduertysed hym; whiche came rennynge all his
myght towarde Subyon, and toolde hym on highe that
blanchardyn came wyth a grete felyshyp, for to fyghte
wyth hym / And that yf he putte not his folke lyghtly
in ordonaunce for to receyue hym / he was in pereyll
to lose hym selfe and all his ooste.
¶ Whan subyon
vnderstode that yoman, he chaunged coloure in face,
and was sore abashed. Wyth ryghte grete haste he
made his folke to putte hemselfe in araye / & prayd
them that they wold helpe hym at his nede, promyttynge
theym for to make hem all ryche. They
ansuerd that he sholde make therof no doute, and that
they were stronge ynough for to resyste ayenste
blanchardyn,
¶ And promysed hym to yelde vnto hym
blanchardin, other quyckeprins or ded / or euer that the
euen sholde be come: and his felawe Sadoyne also.
They were a xxx thowsand men ther, that helde wyth
subyon, that thus thretened blanchardyn that they
sholde smyte his hed of / but it ys sayd in comyn /
that 'who soeuer rekeneth wythoute his hoste, he
rekeneth twys for ones.'Wanting in the French.
¶ Thus hit happed wyth
Subyones men / as it foloweth.Thus hit happed wyth
Subyones men / as it foloweth = ainsi comme cy apres pourrez oyr.
The liij chapyter speketh how Blanchardyn
and Sadoyne dyscomfyted Subyon / And
of the grete bataylle / and manere how he
was taken
¶ And what folowed after.Wanting in the French.
Whan Blanchardin and Sadoyne sawe hem nyghe
Subyons ooste / theythay caste a ryghte highe
crye / and smote hemselfe in to their enmyes by suche a
force & vertue that their comynge ontheir comynge on = alaborder quilz feirent they owerthrewe
manynany of theym to grounde / that neuer syth releued
hemself / but / deyd myserable there bytwyx the horses
feete.
¶ So grete and horyble byganne the batayll.
The ayer was derke wyth shotte of arowes, quareylles
& dartesshotte of arowes, quareylles
& dartes = por le trait that flowe bytwene bothe partyes. The dustdurste
and the brethe of men and of the horses was so thycke,
that wyth peyne they knew one from a nother / Then
came they to fyghte wyth sperys, axes, guysarmes, and
swerdes, wherof they kylled and slew eche other.
Blanchardyn & Sadoyne sette all their entent to slee
their enmyes / whan theyr speres were broken they
sette hande to their swerdes, wher wyth they parted the
grete presses / and wythin a while they had dyed themself
in rede wyth the bloode of their enmyes, that made
vnto them waye to passe by them.Wanting in the French.
¶ And Blanchardyn
that ceassed not to renne here and there as a mad
man, loked and sawe byfore hym a knyghte / whiche
was nyghe of sybbe vnto SubyonSadoyne., that bare the cheff
standarde. he tourned brydell to hym ward, and wyth
his goode swerde smote hym suche an horryble stroke
that he cloue him doune to the chynne / and ſeell ded
wyth the standarde to the erthe that was not after
reysed vp ayen / How be it that Subyon and his folke
putte hem in peyne for to haue hit brought vp ayen /
But blanchardyn and Sadoyne kepte hem ther fro / Of
that other parte, the good erle of Castelforde, the prouost
and the knyght of the fery yssued out of the castell
wyth a thousaund knyghtes, that brake vpon their
enmyes, castyng a right hyghe crye, wherof Subyon
and his men were sore affrayedaffyerad, for he sawe his cheff
banner ouer thrawen, & hym self enclosed of al sydes,
his men that fled, & awayte non other but after the
stroke of deth. Wherunto he sawe hym self to be
brought, yf he fonde not som waye or meanes for to
saue hym selfet mettre a garant. / He putte hym self to flyght, for hym
thought / the best manere for to flee / was for to
departe by tyme.
¶ Blanchardyn and Sadoyne, that
alwayes made watche ouer hym for to take and slee
hym, Sawe hym go out of the bataylle / and set vpon
a myghty courser / they ranne anone after hym and
chassed hym sore /
¶ He was well mounted vpon a
goode horse, Wherfore they coude not ouertake hym
bycause the nyght byganne to comen, and myght no
lenger see him: he toke and entred wythin a forest
that was nyghe by / the remenaunt of his folke were al
take by blanchardynes men; grete gayne they made
there, & a grete foyson of prysoners: they had / grete
Ioye and gladnesse they made of their victorye / But
the erle of Castelforde and the barons merueylled them
muche, bycause they wyste not where their lordes blanchardyn
and Sadoyne were drawen.were drawen = estoient vectis they soughte and /
serched them all aboute / but they fonde them not.
¶ And for the recounte of their aduenture, they chased
Subyon that was horsed at a vauntage better than they
were: he walopped soo longe that he came in to a
valey where theues were, whiche were ten or twelue in
nombre, that were all grete murdrers, wherof the pryncypall
and the mayster of them all was named syluayne
/ that knew well ynough subyon, whiche came
vnto theym, & sayd that he had grete nede of theym;
And that two knyghtes chased hym for to slee him.
And that yf it so happed that they myght catche and
gete hem there wythin their cauesWanting in the French. / they sholde haue
of them so grete a butyneue, and so grete goodes, that
they all shall euer more be ryche /
¶ Whan the theues
vnderstode subyon / they were sore desirouse to lodge
theym wythin their streyngthe preuely wythin a secrete
chambre: whiche thyng they ded, but they had not so
soon doon so, that blanchardyn & sadoyne came there,
and asked the theues yf they wyste not to spekeyf they wyste not to speke = se Ilz scauoient nouuelles of
a man that was mounted on horsbacke, and armed as
they were. They ansuerd that they wyste no tidynges
of hym, nor of none suche; but wel they said to blanchardyn
& to sadoyne, that yf they wolde be lodged there
wythin for the nighte that was comen / they sholde
make theim gode chere of suche goodes as god had lent
hem: By cause they semed to be knyghtes, and that it
was sore late to ryde eny ferther, & that noo housyng
nor no retrayt was nyghe by syx mylesWanting in the French. where they
myght be lodged. The two barons, heryng the theues
speke, consented for to lodge hem selfe for that nyght
wyth them / They entred in to their strengthe / And
whan they were comen in, and that they had seen the
dysposicoun of the place / they Iudged in hem selfe,
that al thys meyne were murderers and theues.that al thys meyne were murderers and theues = que cestoit voie larronniere et que eulx toux estoyent larrons et murdriers a la facon quilz veoyent deulx. Wherefor
they concluded with in them selfe, that they sholde
lye al nyghte in their harneys, and that they sholde
not be dysgarnyshed of their swerdes. Whan Sylueyn,
the chief mayster of the theeues, see that they had not
putte off their harnes / he came toward them, & said
that they were in pease & in a sure place / & that they
myght wele putte of ther habilymentes of werre.
blanchardyn then ansuerd vnto him & sayd / that it
was the costome of theire land, not to putte of their
armures for the fyrst nyght that they cam to a new
lodgyng / the theues that sawe blanchardyn & Sadoyne
so fayr, so grete, and so wele armed, durste not assaylle
them; but Subyon, that was hidde wythin a chambre,
and that wele had herd theym / lept oute of it & gaaff
them corage, And sayd that they were all wery of the
batayl, And that a grete shame were to them xiij in
nombre / yf they durste not sette vpon two men.
¶ Thenne came syluayn, his felawes wyth hym,syluayn, his felawes wyth hym = siluain auant auec ses compaignons And
ascryedescrierent the two barons to dethe: Thenne saide blanchardyn
to sadoyne / 'we must defende oure self now / yf
we thinke to scape quyk out of this place, & euer see
oure ladyes paramours.' They left their wordes, drewe
their swerdes, & set their sheildes afore theym, so bigan
they to smyte amonge their felon enmyes / they all to-hewe
& cleue them in so moche that eyght of theim
fell doun ded to therthe; the other foure trowed to
haue fled in to sauete, but they were pursued so nyghe
of blanchardyn & of sadoyne that they ouertoke & slew
thre of theim; the fourth that was maister of hem all
fled wythin the place for to haue saued hymself, in to
the chambre where subyon wasne Ia neust este trouue se par aduenture neust este siluain leur maistre qui leans se cuidoit bouter / but of so nyghe he
was folowed that Blanchardyn ouer toke hym, and
smote hym suche a stroke wyth his swerde, that he
made his hede to flee fro the sholdres of hym / and fel
ded euyn atte the dore of the chambre / that he had
opened all redy for to haue saued him there wythinne,Wanting in the French.
wher subyon was in grete fere & drede, & not wythout
a cause, for he well ynough byleued and knew that his
dayes were come atte an ende / syth that he was fallen
into Blanchardynes handes
¶ I shall here leue to
speke of Blanchardyn, of Sadoyne, and of Subyon /
that in grete fere was of his dethe, And shal retourne
to speke of the proude pucelle in amours, and of the
barons that were wythin the castell of Castelforde.Wanting in the French.
The liiij and last chapter
¶ The liiij and last chapter conteyneth how
blanchardyn wedded his loue, the proude
pucell in amours, And of the grete Ioye
that was made there / and of þe kynge of
fryse deth.and of þe kynge of
fryse deth. = et de la mort de subien.
After that the batayll was fynysshed, and that the
folke of Subyon were all ded and taken, the
proude pucelle in amours cam doun from the toure /
where she & the countes of Castelforde were mounted
for to see the batayll / and cam to the castel gate for
to welcome blanchardyn and sadoyn. whan they were
com there / they fonde the erle of Castelforde,Lord Spencer's copy of Caxton ends here. The text following is supplied from the 1595 edition of the romance. [which
(euen then) was come to the Castell with many prisoners
and rich booties of the rebels, she demaunded where
Blanchardine and Sadony were. 'Madam,' answered
the old Earle, 'it is not long since they were both heere
in our companie, and we supposed that they had bene
alreadie entered the Castell before our comming.' When
the faire Queene perceiued that no tidings could be
heard of them, fearing some mischaunce, she fell into a
sounde, wherin she continued the space of an houre
and more; but being recouered, she began most pitteously
to weepe and exclaime against fortune: the old
Earle and the Countesse recomforted her as well as they
could, but nothing could sort to her content. then they
laid her on a sumptious bed, hoping by sleepe to make
her forget sorowe; but neither sleepe nor quiet could
harber in her head, fearing least Blanchardine were
slaine. now Blanchardine and Sadony, hauing slaine
the murtherers and fettred Subbion, they mounted vpon
their horses, and tied Sub-bion with cordes fast to the
back of an other horse which they found there; and
by the light of the Moone, tooke their way to Castelford,
which was distance thence foure miles; Sadony
leading the way, Subbion in the middest, and Blanchardine
the hindmost. They posted so fast, that within
short time they came before the gate of the Castell,
where they allighted from their horses; then knocking
at the gates, they were presently knowne, and with
all speed let in, leading Subbion betweene them. the
newes being brought to ye Queene, her melancholy was
turned to mirth, her sorrow to sollace, and her weeping
to laughter. Blanchardine commaunded that Subbion
should be imprisoned in the most obscure dungion
within the Castell, and that himselfe would become his
Iaylor. After which he assended vp into the Queenes
chamber, whom he found new risen, raised by this
happy news, at whose entrance her spirits began to be
recomforted. and after many kisses and sweet imbracements
they sate downe, and spent the night in discoursing
of their aduentures past.
But when the day began to peepe, they tooke their
horses and rode to Tormaday, against whome (in all
kind manner) came the aged king of Frize, who for a
while had rested himself there, accompanied with all
the noble Knights and Burgises of Tormaday: the
walles were hanged with tapestry, the streets were
strewed with rushes and sweet smelling roses, to gratulate
their comming; the matrons compiling garlands of
sundry flowers, the Ladyes dauncing, the damsels singing,
the musicke sounding a sweet concordance to their
entrie. Thus in tryumph they assended the princely
pallace, most sumpteously adorned with rich cloth of
golde, embost with pearle and stone, where, by the
whole aduice and generall consent of all, they were
affiaunced.
The neighboring Princes, which long had bent their
deuotions to thethee sweet Saint which kept her shrine
in Tormaday (I meane the faire and chast Lady Eglantine,
surnamed the proude Lady in loue), hauing receiued
notice by their espialls, which kept continuall residence
within the Citty of Tormaday, to certifie the newes
which happened there, to their Princes and Counsels,
hearing (I say) that this Queene, whose obstinacie
a-Kellner inserted a note marker here without a note; presumably, he intended to insert the missing milestone which we have provided.gainst Cupid was incomparable, and peeuish conceit
in loue most absurd, had nowe entred the chapter
house of his mother Venus, being limed in the bush of
Blanchardines beauty, whose large commendations and
magnanimious corage was caryed by the swift winges
of flying fame throughout many Realmes and prouinces,
the like before was sildome or neuer heard. These kings
(I say) whose fancies before that time had receiued the
perfect impression of loue in the Angellike beautie of
that Princely Queene, whose amber lockes trust vp in
golden trammels, was a sufficient addamant to draw
all Iron hearts vnto her, now seeing all hope of her
recouerie past, and their desires frustrate, with franke
and friendly consent, not only come to visit and veiw
Blanchardine, but also brought such honorable presentes
and Kingly Iuels to welcome him to Tormaday, and
to congratulate the happie mariage betweene him and
the faire Princesse Eglantine, as their Countries and
kingdomes did afford. Some presented him with
stately coursers and Iennets of seruice, some with ships
of huge and mightie burthen, some with Pearles and
Iuels of inestimable valure. And to be short, euery
one, though at first his foe and vtter enemie, yet in
time veiwing his maiesticall and princely corage, became
his true and faithful freends, esteeming him worthy of
greater honor than either their personages, presents, or
the obtaining of the beautifull Queene of Tormaday
could afford.
And on the next morning, the beautifull Queene
was royally led to and from the Church (where she
was espoused to Blanchardine) by two Kings, Sadony
and the king of Frize: and the same day crowned
King and Queene of Tormaday, to the exceeding comfort
of all their subiectes and friendes. After their
returne from the Church to the Court, they were
feasted with all possible cheere that could bee deuised:
and after dinner the Trumpets sounded to the Iustes
and tiltings vntill supper. And after supper, maskes,
playes, and Princely deuises, spent the time till they
went to bed.
On the morrow the feast began a-fresh, and continued
for the space of twentie daies. After all which
arroyalties were finysh-ed by the commandement of
Blanchardine, was Subyon and all his accomplices
brought to execution. now the neues being caried
with the swift wings of fame into Frizeland, the
Lords of Frize repaired to Tormaday, to accompany
home their aged King, and to congratulate this happy
marriage of Blanchardine and his new Queene.
After the aged King of Frize, Father to Blanchardine,
had seene the espousalls of this beautifull
Queene and his noble Sonne; being decrepit & stiffe
with age, hauing liued to fourscore and vpward, vnto
whome, although his late enlargement from captiuitie,
and this new-come ioy of his deere sonne Blanchardine,
being now married to the beautifull Queene of Tormaday,
bred delight; Yet through debillitie of nature,
which was sore infeebled by his hard imprisonment, he
was surprised with an vncoth malladie and extreame
contagion of dangerous sicknes; in the which he had
not long remained, but in the view of all, life began to
vade, and death opproche. And more to hasten on
deathes speedy pace to this sencles olde man, the
nobles of Frizeland, hauing receiued sure and certaine
inteligence from Tormaday of the life and freedome of
their King at that time there, and the princely mariage
which now was fully concluded betweene his successiue
heire, their naturall leige Blanchardine, with the renouned
Lady and Queene of Tormaday, they came
thither; at whose approche, this fainting olde man,
hoping to receiue glad tidings from his aged wife the
Queene of Frize, began with cheerefull countenance to
lift himselfe vp in his bed, as though no kinde of
deadly malladie or aged griefe had attainted his
withered limbes. But when he had a while listened
to the sweet harmonie of their sugred speach, which
presaged no kind of disaster, but all pleasure and
sollace that might be, at the length he demaunded of
the welfare of the aged Queene his wife; vnto whome,
reply being made, that long time since, vpon the vnfortunate
report and tragicall tidings of his captiuitie by
Darius, sonne to the Pagan king Alimodes, shee fell
sicke and died; hee, listening to this impittious tale,
fell as one distraught into a sound. But comming to
himselfe, powred forth these speeches, the true testimonies
of his faithfull loue: 'and is she gon, the
comfort of my youth, the staffe of my age, the day of
my night, the sonshine of my blisse, the sollace of my
soule, and the life of my death? Ah! to to well I suspected
(though alas I knew not the certentie) that my
captiuitie would bring her callamity, and my imprisonment
her death. But since all humane flesh is mortall,
and nothing vnder the Sunne permanent, what auailes
my sorowful grones and passions? to weake, alas, to
recall her againe, or any way to remedie my misfortune!'
with these or the like exclaimes, this silly aged
King, panting betweene life and death, lay still a while,
till finding his heart ouer charged with an other passion,
he prosecuted his first complaint: 'O sacred Ioue,
searcher of all secret thoughts, whose eternall dietie
raigneth within the highest heauens, who from my
cradle hast destined me to perpetuall miserie, now shew
thy self a righteous iudge, and reuenge my wronges
vppon the accursed broode of infidels, who so irreligiously
prophane thy blessed name, & suffer them not to
escape thy reuenging powre, but at thy pleasure consume
and confound the workers of this my woe! and
now dissolue my daies and weary life, & leade me
through th' unknowne passages to my deere and
sweetest wife, that though our daies on earth did finde
small comfort, yet our soules in heauen may finde consolation.'
And with this orizon he yeilded himself to
God, and died. When the brute of this heauie tidinges
came to the eares of Blanchardine and his faire Queene,
although they swume before in the hauen of happines,
and floted on the floodes of al felicitie (as they thought),
yet in that very instant and moment of time, a cloudie
mist began to obscure their brightest sonshine, and a
frost of cares to ouer runne their summers blisse.
Now began Blanchardine to accuse and condemne
himselfe of vnnaturall ingratitude and disobedience to
his parentes, to whome both nature and dutie bound
him to bee submissiue and kind; now he began to
maligne the time, the place, and the cause of his departure
and priuie escape from his fathers Court. But
all in vaine, for as teares, praiers, nor vowes can recall
the dead: so had I wist, and time abused and mispent,
is in vaine to be desired. 'And yet (quoth he) how
vnnaturall was I to forsake them whome nature charged
me to loue and obey! now I may iustlie accuse my self
of the murther of these my louing parents: alas! I cannot
excuse my selfe, neither can I plead ignoraunce that
I knew not that my departure would be the finishing
of my parentes ioyes, and cause of their death, which
now (to my open shame) I finde most true. And
should I, nay, could I, suffer my selfe to be led and
carried away with such vaine fantasies, as leaue them
comfortles to whome I was the greatest comfort. Die,
Blanchardine, die! and the rather die, that art the cause
of thy parents death: alas! to kill a man is hainous
murder; but to murder my parentes, a sinne against
Sanctitie: all creatures haue care to foster those that
gaue them life; and I, careles in killing my father.
The Storke, when he seeth his sire olde & redy to die
with famine, taketh him vpon his shoulders, and feedeth
him by his trauaile: But I, insteede of feeding, haue
famisht, and in place of trauelling, haue traiterously
ouerthrowne my parents.'
The Lordes of Tormaday, seeing this soddaine and
vnexpected chaunce of the death of the aged King, &
the heauie plight of Blanchardine and his beautifull
Quéene, humbly on their knees began to expostulate
him in this manner: 'Noble prince! as the salue commeth
to late, where the sore is irrecuperable; as phisicke
is naught worth where the pacient is passing; and as
fire giuen to the ordinance, tis to late to recall the
shot; So, mightie King, booteles are these teares which
are shed for the dead. the honor of your father hath
eterniz'd his name for euer, though his body be here
interred; and if fame be the marke whereat all noble
mindes do shoote, then may you boast that he cannot
die whose fame is so ferre spred throughout the world.
Leaue therefore (braue King) to bewaile him whome
you haue cause to ioy for, and comfort our pensiue
Queene and your faire spouse, whose torments cannot
cease, seeing you so sad.' As one newly risen from a
traunce, or out of a heauy slumber, so Blanchardine,
hauing listened to this short and sweete discourse of his
nobles, began to recall his sences home, which before
were wandring after the Ghost of his father, through
the Elizian feeldes, and perceiuing sorrow to be both
needlesse and bootlesse, so well as the time and this
hard occasion would permit, he began to be more
cheereful; and so pacing toward the Queene with a
simpering smile, neither presaging mirth nor mourning,
he began to recomfort her: 'How now, faire loue?
what, are your melancholies such as nothing can make
you merrie? sweete hart, be pacified, and shake of these
vntimelye passions, and learne by me to disgest the
hard and harsh pilles of vnhappie fortune. The cause
is mine; and if sorrow be expected in any, it is I that
must be sorrowful; but I haue found it both hurtfull to
my body and [not] auailable? unavailable to the dead, and therefore
haue shaken it of as a thing of no regarde. Let vs not
therefore (sweete wife) be the cause of a mournfull
courte, but the authors of merry company, since it hath
pleased God to sorte our haps to our harts contentments
in our happy wedding.' The Queene, whose sadnes
grew by reason of her husbands heauinesse, seeing him
to haue so quickly dismissed his heauy passions, became
presentlye iocond & merry; & so betweene them
commaunded great preparation to be forthwith made, to
performe the obsequies of the deceased King of Freeze,
his Father; which shortly, with all solemnitie fitting
his estate, was accomplished, to the great admiration of
all beholders, for the sumptuous magnificencie and surpassing
pompe wherwith he was interred; all costly
odors and sweet senting spices were bountifully bestowed
vpon him; great almes and charity were dealt
and distributed; and innumerable sollemne processions
& praiers were made for him, in honor of his person
dead, and loue of his Sonne liuing.
Now Sadonie, who was not only a beholder, but a
principall actor in all this heauy tragedie, after these
obsequies were solemnized, and that the estate of his
sworne freend Blanchardine and his faire Queene rested
in perfect quiet, voyde and free both of forraine and
domesticall enimies, bethinking himselfe of his beautifull
Beautrix, his trusty Regent of Cassidony (hee, I
say) whome loue had stonge to the quicke by his late
marriage, comming to Blanchardine, began thus: 'Since,
Noble freend, and true copartner of all mishaps, that
fortune hath spit her deadly spight, and that now
there remaineth no more seruice for me to doe in defence
of your royall person, your Realme and Queene;
and that my princely Queene languisheth at home, by
reason of my long absence, whose princely person is
the true Idea of my thought; let me craue fauor to
depart, vntill occasion or your freendly letters call me
hether againe, where and when I will not faile, so long
as life shall rest within me, to do you all possible fauor
and kindnes.' Blanchardine (imagining by himselfe)
that the Sting of loue was a sufficient pricke to call
Sadony home, and that he should greatly iniury him &
his faire Beautrix, in withholding them a sunder; not
onely gaue his consent for his departure, but with all
honor accompanied him to his ships, with his Princely
Eglantine, where, not without millions of teares and
many kind imbracements, they parted companie.
Thus with pleasant gale and quiet tide, Neptune
guiding the healme, sayled Sadony and his warlike companie
towardes the Realme of Cassidony, where his
princely Queene, the beautifull Beautrix, held her
Royall court, but heauy and mournfull for the absence
of her Lorde and husband Sadony; for wrathfull
Nemisis, enuying of her good hap, and willing to heape
greater woes vpon the Queene, then before shee suspected,
altered her hoped blisse into a deadly bane.
For when the calme silence of the night procured quiet
to all liuing creatures, and that Hesperus, the harbenger
of Cinthia, had giuen charge to call the inferior stars
with twinkling light to illumine the earth; Eolus on
the sodaine began to roare, and with outragious stormes
and cruell blastes to bannish againe the starrs from the
firmament, & in their places to spred his dusky clouds,
so that instead of light there was obscuritie, with huge
and horible crakes of thuunder: By force whereof, the
wandering Prince Sadony and his amazed company
were, from a sodaine hope of happy arriuall, driuen
into a dismall feare of drowning: then began the pittifull
clamor of the people, seeing euery waue ready to
swallow up the ship wherein they were caried, the foggy
mist to thicken with cloudy vapors, that vnneth could
the saylors see to doe their labours. Sadony (whose
corage no fortune was able to daunt) ha-uing his assured
hope in the God whome Blanchardine made him to
know, seeing his company to faint and in dispaire,
began to exhort and comfort them in this sort:
'Trustie companion[s] and copartners of mishap,
since it hath pleased the maiestie of the eternall God
to terrifie with his thunderclaps our feeble hearts, and
that all hope of safetie is vtterly denied; let vs with
one consent humble our selues before his mercy seat;
and no doubt, as in many other our calamities, so in
this our desperate distress, he will with the eyes of
pitty looke downe vpon our penitencie, and by his
omnipotency appease the rage of these troubled seas,
which threateneth imminent death and destruction.
Frollike, deere friends! and the God of Blanchardine
defend us!' The company seeing Sadonie so coragious
and full of haughtie valor, inciting them to call vpon
the God of Blanchardine, euery one casting away his
dastard feare, eleuating their hearts and hands to
heauen, made their orizons thus: 'Imortall Iehoua,
guider of this glorious roume! although our dim-sighted
eies haue been long couered with the obscure vaile of
ignorance, & haue abandoned our hearts from thy
sacred law, yet since it hath pleased thee to make thy
name and glorie knowne among vs, suffer vs not to
miscarie, vntill wee haue yeelded thee all conding and
heauenly honor, so that from our lips thy praise may
flow, and in our hearts thy diety take roote!' No
sooner was this short & zealous praier finished, but
horned Luna began to shew her head, the cloudes to
vanish, the windes to cease, and the sea to calme,
which yeelded such fuell to their faith, that for euer
they acknowledged the omnipotence of Blanchardines
God, and left the same to their posterities. Then the
skilfull Pilots, whose wandring course was past their
compasse, looking to the skyes, were directed a true
passage by a christall starre, so that within short time
they reacht the shore of Cassidony, where the beautifull
Beautrix, with her Lordly Peeres and Princely
Ladies, awaited their landing. When Sadony was
now escaped the danger of the sea, and safely come
a shore, after humble thankes to God, he seazing vpon
the rosiall lips of his royall Queene, in whose countenance
snow and blood made such a mixture, that in
the opinion of all, if nature should deuise to frame
her paragon she might fayle in perfection. But after
many kinde curtesies and amiable imbracements betweene
Sadony and his Beautrix, and the Lordes and
Ladies, where euery one stroue with kindnes to welcome
home her loue, they repaired to the court, where,
for that night, the King and his Queene spent the time
in content, and al the rest congratulated their happy
meetings. On the morrow, when glorious Phœbus
began to cut the cloudes, and drewe the darknes from
the earth, every one prepared himselfe to be ready to
attend the princes pleasure.
After Sadony had royally presented himselfe to the
veiw of all, giuing a princely boniure to the Lordes
and nobles, he commaunded that the soldiers, whose
trauels had beene great, should repaire to his presence,
to receiue a recompence for their paines; which bountie
did so combine the trustie minds of all vnto him, that
base was he accompted, that would refuse to hazard his
life where and when it pleased Sadony to commaund.
Then were the lawes, which in his absence the Quéene
and Counsell had deuised, presented to him to ratifie,
which he with all princely magnificencie did forthwith
establish, to the great admiration and singuler content
of all his subiectes and people. Now tatling swiftwinged
fame, the speedy messenger of happie newes,
ceased not vntil these tidinges were brought to the
eares of the King of Spruse at the cittie Marienbourgh
(then in his profound and deep meditations for his
sonne Sadony), and his departed companion. But
when he heard of the hard aduentures which his sonne
had escaped by sea, his deliuerie from death on land,
and his most happy marriage with the beautifull
Beautrix, banishing feare (whose cankering rust had
almost consumed his pleasure) hee, with all his nobles
and people, offered burnt sacrifices to their Mahon for
this happie tidings. Yet not content nor satisfied in
minde, he rigged certaine ships, wherein he and diuers
of his Lordes embarqued themselues, longing to visite
his son at Cassidonie; and led by this sweete desire,
after they had sayled the space of one weeke, they
came ashore within those territories. But when newes
was brought to Sadony that certaine Pagans were
arriued, and craued to bee admitted his princely presence:
Ignorant altogether what or whence they
shoulde be: seating himselfe in his Royall throne,
accompanied with his faire Queene and chiefe peeres,
hee commaunded them to bee brought to his presence,
vpon whose approche, Sadony knowing his father by the
maiestie of his countenaunce, desended from his seate,
humbling himselfe on his knées at his fathers feete. The
faire Beautrix vnwitting who he might be, to whome
Sadony should shewe such reuerence, stood in a maze.
But after she knew him to be father to Sadony, with a
most gracious and amiable cheere came to entertaine
him; to whome the King of Spruse rendred millions
of thankes, both for the life and marriage of his
sonne, without whose rescue hee had bin traiterously
murdred, and hanged by Alimodes. But the faire
Quéene answered, that both her life, liuing, and people
rested in the safetie of Sadony, 'without whome (quoth
shee) neythir may I, nor my kingdome, continue.' Now
when the King of Spruse had listened to her zealous
and sugred tale, fixing a stedfast countenaunce on her
face, he seemed as one rauished in contemplation, admiring
the beauty and bounty of the Queene. But Sadony,
thinking his father (after his ariual from sea) to be
desirous to repose himself, led him with all maiestie
into a most princely lodging; where after his repast, he
went to bed. the other Lords of his troope, and all
their followers, were so honorably entertained there,
that the commendation of Sadonies bountie was bruted
euery where. Now on the next morning, when (according
to custome) Sadony and his faire Queene repaired
to the Church to heare deuine seruice, the King of
Spruse not suspecting that his Sonne Sadony had
altered his religion from his Mahomet; after the
Priestes had begun to sing a sollemne procession in
the honor of Christ, he, as a man distraught in sence,
and ouercome with madding frenzy, ran vp and downe
cursing and exclaiming against his sonne, so that neither
perswasions, teares, vowes, nor praiers, might once appease
his franticke rage; till retiring himself all sollitary
into his chamber, tormented with passions & agonies,
at length he fell a sleep; to whome, a little after, entred
diuers of the Lordes which accompanied Sadonie from
Marienbrough with Blanchardine, and perswaded the
King that the idolatrous Mahomet was a false deceauer,
and of no diety, which by sundry and wonderfull
miracles, they had founde Christ to be the true Messias
and sonne of God; and, therefore, with all humilitie,
ioyntly on their knees, they entreated his maiestie to
leaue his superstitious worshipping of blockish Mahomet,
and with all deuotion to acknowledgeacknowledged Christ to
be the true God. And euen at that very instant the
stony heart of this Pagan King was mollified, who forsaking
his idolatrie, became a christian. This happie
newes so delighted his sonne, that vnder heauen nothing
could make him more content. Then laboured Sadony
and his faire Queene, with all royaltie, to welcome their
father and his followers, where their entertainment was
exceeding measure, both for magnificencie and cost. So
past the time a moneth or more of their abode in iollity,
vntill the King, desirous to returne to Marienbourgh,
requested leaue of Sadony for his departure: who seeing
the tickle state of his fathers kingdome, in his absence,
wanting a gouernour there, was the more willing; and
so, all possible prouision being made, with princely
bounty bestowed by Sadony and his Beautrix vpon the
Lords of Spruse, they accompanied the King to his
ships. And after humble dutie done by Sadony to his
father, and kinde curtesie to the rest, he recommended
them to the mercy of Blanchardines God.
Thus, Gentlemen, to satisfie your expectations, &
performe my promise, I find you the second part of
Blanchardines aduentures, whose succes (if I finde as
fortunate as his first) looke shortly, so soone as time
and leasure will serue, for the finishing of all his
Tragidies.FINIS.Comment Blanchandin espousa s'amie lorguilleuse damours, et
de la grande Ioye qui y fut faite, et de la mort de subion.MS. Bibl. Nat. 24,371
Apres ce que la bataille fut finie, et que les gens subion furent tous
mors et prins, lorguilleuse damours descendy de la tour ou elle
et la comtesse de chasteaufort estoyent montees, et vindrent a la porte
du chasteau, pour estre audeuant de blanchandin et sadoine.
¶ Quant la furent venues, elles trouverent le conte de chasteaufort
et les autres barons, qui grand foyson de prisonniers amenoyent avec
eulx, por Iceulx bouter en la place.
Alors lorguilleuse damours, veant que son ami blanchandin nestoit
point venu, elle appella le conte, et luy demanda ou estoyent blanchandin
et sadoine
¶ 'Madame,' ce dit le conte, 'nagaires que sy
estoyent avec nous, si ne scay quelle part Ilz soyent tournez. Car
bien cuidoit que ceans fussent entrez vers vous.'
¶ Quant la noble damoiselle oy le conte et le preuost qui la estoit,
qui nouuelles ne sauoyent des Barons De si hault quelle estoit chez
parterre en jettant vng moult hault et piteulx cry. Donc eulx qui
la furent prins eurent moult grant douleur. Car tous cuiderent que
mort fust ce ce que que en elle ne sentoyent ne poulx nalaine
¶ Pitoiable
chose estoit de voir la gente contesse et les autres gens que la
estoyent / Mais tost apres lorguilleuse damours reuint a elle en Iettant
vng parfont sauspir; puis trespiteusement se prinst a complaindre en
regretter son leal amy blanchandin Ia nauoit si dur cuor dhomme ne
de femme que delle neust pitie
¶ Le bon conte et la bonne contesse
la reconforterent au mieulx quilz pourent, Mais ce riens ne valoit, car
de plus en plus commencoit a renforchier son dueil / Ilz lamenerent
en vne chambre; quant la fust venue, on la mist sur vne couche por
lui reposer
¶ La comtesse et les dames furent autours delles doulantes
et explourees de ce que nullement ne la peurent rapaisier, Car point
ne cessoit de faire les plus piteulx et angoisseuses plaintes De jamais
pour son leal ami que cuidoit avoir perdu
¶ Mais gaires narresta
que ses plaints lui seront retournes en Ioye, comme sy apres pourrez
oyr
¶ Blanchandin et sadoine, qui en la maison des larons estoyent,
ou Ilz trouverent subion dedens vne chambre ou Il estoit muchie
mais ce Riens ne lui prouffita Car quant les deux vassaulx le veyrent
la Ioye quilz en eurent fut moult grande / Ilz le prindrent et le saisirent
et lui lierent piez et mains / puis le monterent sur vng fort
cheual que leans trouverent
¶ Apres saillirent hors de la place / sy
en tirerent leurs destriers, sur lesquelz Ilz monterent, et se mirent a
chemin vers chasteaufort, qui a deux lieues de la estoit
¶ Sadoine
aloit deuant, et subion apres, Et blanchandin le approuchoit derriere
ensuiant. La luna luisoit belle et clerre / tant cheuau cherent que
en peu despace furent deuant la port de chasteaufort, qui Ia estoit
fermee. Ils commencherent a huchier, en eulx faisant recongnoistre
¶ Quant leur venue fut sceue, de toutes pars y venoyent courrant
pour luy faire ouuerture; & si tost que dedens furent entrez, Ils descendirent
au peront deuant la salle. Subion fut mis en vne chartre
moult obscure, sans ce que oncques depuis leure que Il auoit este
prins, Car bien sauoit que a mort estoit Iugie / Apres ce que les deux
Barons furent leans entrez, leur venue fut noncee a lorguilleuse
damours, qui moult en eut grant Ioye, comme assez pouez scauoir.
Tantost lui furent muez tous ses pleurs et regretz en parfecte Ioye et
leesse. Elle se leua en grant haste; mais ja si tost ne sceut estre
leuee que blanchandin et sadoine ne fussent venus vers elle, dont la
Ioye fut Redoublee / Car deuant tous, elle baisa et embracha son
amy / Moult se deuiserent ensamble de plusieurs choses, La Ioye, la
recueillote, et la grant amour que fist blanchandin au bon conte de
chasteaufort, au preuost, et au chevalier du gue, auec les Remerciemens
deulx, seroient trop longues, si reciter les vouloie. Mais pour
cause de briefte, men passe. Ils passerent la nuit
¶ Puis, quant ce
vint le matin, Ils sappresterent et monterent a cheual, en tenant leur
chemin vers tourmaday, ou desia leur venue fut sceue. Le bon Roy
de frize, pere de blanchandin, et tous ceulx de la ville, vindrent au
deuant, ensemble tous les colleges de la cite, a crois et confanons pour
receuoir leur dame et blanchandin qui leur seigneur deuoit estre.
¶ Moult grand Ioye et grant feste se firent quant ce vint a lassambler
¶ La ville fut toute tenndue et encourtinee et Ionchie derbe verde,
par les rues, dames et damoiselles bourgois et pucelles estoient aux
fenestres, chantans et demenans Ioye
¶ La estoyent plusieurs et
diuers Instrumens qui Iettoyent melodieux sons. Ils cheuaucherent
Iusques au palais, ou tous descendirent
¶ Moult grant Ioye y fut
demenee
¶ Apres que tous furent rasserisiez par le conseil des princes
et pareillemens de tous ceulx du Royaulme, blanchandin fianca la
belle lorguilleuse damours / Puis quant ce vint a lendemain matin,
lorguilleuse damours fut menee au moustier a destree de deux Roys
¶ Cest assauoir, du Roy de frize et du Roy sadoine / Et par leuesque
de la cite furent espousez les deux amans, et furent couronnez comme
Roy et Royne du Royaulme de tourmaday. Moult grande et noble
fut loffrande
¶ Apres ce que messe fut faicte, Ilz retournerent au
palays ou les tables furent dreschees
¶ Leaue fut coruee si sasseirent
au mengier: de leur metz ne entremetz ne vous fay long
compte, car moult richement furent seruis de tou ce que corps dhomme
onpouoit aaisier
¶ Des habillemens et atours dont lespoux et espousee
furent parez ou vestuz, ne vous vueil tenir compte
¶ Mais bien
vous ose dire que oncques puis ceneans parauant ne auoit ou veu ne
sceu plus riches atours ne habillemens que sur les deux amans estoyent;
car tous deux estoyent tant beaulx que dieu et nature ny eust
sceu que amendir
¶ Puis apres ce quilz orent disne, Ioustes tournois
commencerent, danses et esbatemens / Puis apres, quant temps et
heure fut de soupper, Ilz sassirent au mengier / Se au disner avoyent
este bien servis, aussi le furent au soupper
¶ Quant le soupper fut
fait et acheue, et que tous temps fut de eulx retraire, Les deux amans
furent menez en vne chambre, ou Ils se coucherent ensamble, et engendrerent
celle nuyt vng filz qui en son temps ot nom Rambault le
frison
¶ Le quel fist et acheua pluseurs et haultes prouesses, et
morut en la trespitouse bataille de Ramcheuaulx, auec Roland et
oliuire, qui plus de luy vouldra sauoir, regarde en son histore, qui de
luy fait mention, et retournerous a notre matiere
¶ Quant ce vint
a lendemain, tous se leuerent par le palais, et recommenca la feste qui
dura vng Iours entiers
¶ Apres que la solempnite et feste des nopces
furent passees par le commandement du Roy blanchandin, Subion, et
tous ses complices furent mis a mort
¶ Assez tost apres les barons
du Royaulme de frize, arriuerent a tourmaday pour veoir le Roy leur
seigneur, et le Roy blanchandin son filz, dont la Ioye fut renforcee.
Mais quant le bon Roy sceut et fut bien aduerti que de ce monde
transitoire esto(it) la Royne sa femme Hors, moult grant dueil en fut
a demener. Et aussi fist le Roy blanchandin, qui moult en fut doulant
et criste. Mais si grant dueil nest que en la fin ne conuiengne passer.
Ia soit et que le bon Roy de frize pour quelque reconfort que on lui
sceust faire, Il ne delaissa son dueil; et tant que du grant courroux
quil en eut, Il coucha malade, dont Il morut
¶ Le Roy blanchandin
son filz fut en tresamert desplaisance, et aussi fut la Royne sa femme,
qui moult lamoit. Il fut porte en terre, et son seruice et obseques
faictes, comme a vng tel Roy appartint. Apres tous les meschiefz et
Infortunes de blanchandin et de sa dame comme Roy et Royne,
rempliz et aournes de toutes bonnes vertus, vesquirent le demourant
leur vie en paix et transquilite en seruice de dieu, amez et cremus de
leurs voisins; Et eurent telle grace de nostre seigneur que ains que du
monde se partissent veirent leur filz grant a porter armes, et le feirent
couronner roy de frize
¶ Et vesquirent tres longtemps, en eulx
gouuernant en ce monde, tellement que apres leur mort furent moult
regretez de leurs subgetes et voisins, et dautres qui ne les congnoissoient,
pour le grant renom de leur vie
¶ Tellement se gouuernerent
en ce monde transitoire, que Ilz trouuerent paix au Royaulme de
cieulx. Et sadoine son tresleal compaignon retourna en cassidoine,
ou lui et la Royne beatrix vesquirent en transquilite de ame et de
corps
¶ Ceste histoire ne touche plus auant ou gouuernement du
Roy blanchandin, na de la Royne sa femme
¶ Si finirons nostre
hystoire en priant au pere et au filz et au saint esprit, que en la fin de
noz Iours, nous vueille sa grace ottroyer. Amen.
[underlined in red ink] Explicit expliciat
Quy plus vult scribere scribat.
APPENDIX. TITLE-PAGES AND DEDICATIONS OF THE TWO PARTS OF THE Blanchardine and Eglantine OF 1595.
THE MOSTE Pleaſaunt Hiſtorye of Blanchardine, Sonne to the King of Friz; & the faire Lady Eglantine Queene of Tormaday, (ſurnamed) The proud Ladye in LOVE.[woodblock] appears both before and after this title.
LONDON Printed for VVilliam Blackewall, and are to be ſolde at his Shop, ouer againſt Guild-Hall Gate. 1595.
To the woorſhipful and moſt towardly Gentleman M. William Peeter, ſonne and heire to the Woorſhipfull Sir John Peeter Knight.
Although with barren pen (right Worſſhipful) I
haue vndertaken the tranſlation of this Hiſtorie of
Blanchardine, & the dedication therof to you, whome
many fauours haue bound me to honour: knowing
the matter to determine nothing but honor & loyaltie, which both
may challenge a great propertie in your self: I haue preſumed to
offer theſe fruites of my labours to your fauourable acceptaunce, as
part & parcell of my bounden duty to your Worſhips Father, your
vertuous Mother and your ſelfe, whoſe deſerts haue tyed me during
life the vaſfaile of your and their commaunds in all obſeruancie.
And if all men are by nature and dutie bound to gratifie his weldeſeruing
Freinds, then muſt not I ouerſlip time to make requitall of
your many olde bounties by ſome ſlender gift, ſuch as the zeale of my
duty & the abilitie of my minde is able to perfourme; and yet ſſhall
I neuer be able to ridde the ſcore of your gratious demerits towardes
me the meaneſt of many fauourits, nor cancel the bandes of my
dutie to your woorſſhipful houſe. But hauing imagined many waies
to preſent you with the teſtimonie of my humble looue, & finding
none either more agreeing to mine eſtat, or fitting for your worſſhip
then this new tranſlation of this pleaſant hiſtory out of Latin, which
I haue at idle times vndertaken: whoſe ſtile, although it may ſeeme
rude and barberous and vnfitting your Worſſhip, yet I doe not miſtruſt,
but the matter, beeing both pithie and pleſaunt, will incite you
to read it at your leaſures, & cenſure it (not according to the worth),
but according to the dutiful deſire of the giuer.
And though I, the vnſſkilfulleſt of many, doe ſeeme as it were to
pluck Hercules clubbe out of his hands in vndertaking this tranſlation,
which might beſeem a far deeper ſcholler then my ſelf: yet
hauing not in my pore oppinion impaired the credit nor wronged my
Author in my tranſlation, forcing him to ſpeak rude Engliſh (which
floweth with eloquence in latine), yet becauſe my leaſure ſerued, and
my dutie bad mee be thankfull, I rather choſe this more then any
other, which with all dutiful affection I commend to your learned
veiw.
Thus crauing your acceptance of this pore widowes mite, vnder
taking the patronage of the ſame, I wiſh you all helth and happines.
Your Worſhips at command, P. T. G.
[Part I of ed. 1595 ends on H 4, with:]
Thus, Gentlemen, haue I abruptly finiſhed this ſirſt part of
Blanchardines Aduentures, with the true conſtant loue of fayre
Eglantine, the proude Ladie in loue: which, if it ſhall paſſe with
your good fauors, I will verie ſhortly make the ſecond part readie for
the preſſe. In the meane while I wiſh ye well.
FINIS.
The ſecond part, OF THE MOST Excellent and Famous Historye of Blanchardine, Sonne to the King of Frize, and faire Eglantine Queene of Tormaday, surnamed The Proud Lady in Loue. [Woodblock] appears just above this title.
BY P. T. G. Gent.
Imprinted at London for VVilliam Blackwall, and are to be ſolde at his Shop, ouer-againſt Guilde-hall
Gate 1595.
To the moſte forward Patrone of learning and braue accompliſht Gentleman, M. William Peetre, ſonne and heir to the right worſhipfull ſir John Peetre knight.
Hipercyan the vnſkilfull Piper, when he had ſounded
vpon his Oaten reed his ruſtic Roundelaies in preſence
of God Mercurie, before whome, Orpheus (douting of
his cunning) was aſhamed to tune his Harpe: being
at the firſt vncontroled, in the end began to blowe lowder. So I,
right worſhipfull, not vnlike this rude Piper, hauing preſumed to
tune my ruſtic ſtringes to larum foorth my ſimple muſicke in the
tranſlation of the firſt parte of Blanchardines aduentures, in preſence
of you, whoſe learned cenſure as farre paſſeth my capacitie, as
Mercuries cunning did poore Hipercyans ſkill: yet hauing found
your fauourable acceptance of the former, I am encouraged to perſeuer
in the dedication of the ſecond parte alſo, to you, his firſt and
moſt worthy Patrone; to whoſe vaſſelage, not only many vndeſerued
fauours, but bountifull rewardes haue bound me during life, in all
obſeruancie. And hauing no fitter meane to make manifeſt the
integritie of my zeale, wherewith I honor your wor-ſhippfull house:
I thought it my beſt to take hold of occaſion, whileſt (in my conceit)
ſhe proffered her ſelfe to be taken, which I greatly feared, if now I
ſhould negligently ouerſlip, I ſhould ſcantly hereafter ouertake.
This conſideration (right worſhipfull) was the ſpur that prickt
me forth to offer the ſimple kernell which this fruitleſſe ſhell incloſeth,
to your fauourable view, which I truſt you will vouchſafe to accept,
though not according to the value, which is nothing, yet for the
dutifull deſire of the giuer, which is my moſt. For in this I proteſt,
you may well decerne, that my willing minde dooth bewraie my good
meaning. And as the brighteſt Sun wanteth not fuell to yeild
increaſe to his glorious light; so there is not wanting in me a ſufficient
will, to do you all poſſible dutie and ſeruice (by which two, the
Scutchion of my zeale is and ſhall for euer be ſupported). Thus
more then halfe aſſured, that this my poore Booke ſhall finde ſhelture
to flie vnder the ſhadow of your wing, in whoſe good grace (if once
it be armed) I force not what back-biting Momus or his curriſh mates
can imagine againſt it. And as theſe (my Premities, patronized by
you) ſhall ſeeme pleaſing; ſo wil I alwaies be moſt readie (if any
matter of more worth chance into my handes) to offer it vp in all
dutie at your ſhrine: vntill when I take my leaue, praying
God in this life to grace you with all
happines, and in the other life
with all bleſſednes.