Torrent of Portyngale Part 13

[Sidenote: Torrent finds these,]

Ase Torrent in~ the movnteyn~ dyd ly, Hym thowght, he hard a Reufull cry; Gret fere ther hyme thowght.

'Seynt Marre,' seyd the chyld so f{re}, 'Wher euyr~ my jentyll squyer~ myght be, 625 That I w{i}t{h} me to wod browght?

On he dyd hys harnes a-geyne And worthe on hys sted, s{er}teyne, And thetherward he sowght.

And wot yow wyll, I vndyrstond, 630 In fowre quartyr{es} he hym fownd, For other wyse wase yt nowght.

[Linenotes: 624. _fre_] _fer_ MS.

630. _wot_] _w_ add. (!) MS.]

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[Sidenote: and is attackt by this giant Rochense.]

The gyant lenyd to a tre And be-hyld Torrent so free, For sothe, ase {I} yow seye. 635 Thys fend wase ferly to fyght, Rochense, seythe the boke, he hyght, Ther wase a dredfull fraye.

To the chyld than~ gan he smyght: 'A theff, yeld the asttyt, 640 As fast as thow may!' f. 88a.

'What,' seyd Torrent, 'art thow wood?

G.o.d, that Dyed on the Rood, Geff the evyll happe thys day!'

[Linenote: 635. _I_] om. MS.]

[Headnote: TORRENT FIGHTS THE GIANT ROCHENSE.]

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[Sidenote: Torrent's steed is kild. He drives the Giant back]

He Rawght Torrent soche a Rowght, 645 Hys stedd{es} brayne he smot owte, So mykyll he be-gan~.

Torrent tho a good sped Ase fast a-bowte an eche {yede}; Ase swefte ase he myght, {he} R{a}n. 650 He gathyred svm of hys gere, Bothe hys schyld and hys spere; Nere hym yod he than~.

Bacward than be a brow?

Twenty fote he gard hyme goo, 655 Thus erthe on hym he wane.

[Linenotes: 649. _yede_] _went_ MS.

650. _he Ran_] _Ryne_ MS.]

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[Sidenote: into a deep glen, where he stands in water.]

Yt solasyd Torrant th{e}n~, When he sawe hyme bacward r{e}n Downe be a movnteyn~ of Perowne, Stomlyng thurrow frythe and fen~, 660 Tyll he com to a depe {glen}, Ther myght non hym s{t}ere.

Torrent wase glad and folowyd fast, And hys spere on hyme he brast, Good Adyloke yed hyme nere. 665 The fynd in~ the watyr stod, He fawte a-geyn, ase he were wod, All e day in~ fere.

[Linenotes: 657. _than_ MS.

658. _ren_] _Rond_ (!) MS.

661. _glen_] _thorne_ MS.

662. _stere_] _schere_ MS.

668. _e_] _the_ add. (!) MS.]

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[Sidenote: Torrent prays G.o.d for help. Jesus freshens up Torrent.]

Tho nere hond wase the day gone, f. 88b.

Torrent wase so werry than~ 670 That on hys kne he kneld: 'Helpe, G.o.d, that all may!

Desonell, haue good day!'

Fro hym he cest hys schyld.

I{es}u wold not, he were slayne, 675 To hym he sent a schowyr~ of Rayne, Torrent full wyll yt keld.

The fynd saw, he wase ny mate, Owt of the watyr he toke the gate, He thowght to wyne the fyld. 680

[Linenotes: 671. _knelyd he_ MS.

677. _kelyd_ MS.]

[Headnote: TORRENT SLAYS THE GIANT ROCHENSE.]

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[Sidenote: The Giant attacks again. Torrent runs him thro' the heart, cuts his head off,]

Thoo wase Torrent ffresse and good; Nere the fynd sore he stod, Cryst hym saue and see!

The fynd fawt w{i}t{h} an yron~ staff, The fyrst stroke, to hym he gaffe, 685 He brast hys schyld on thre.

Torrent vndyr hys staff Rane, To the hart he baryd hym than~, And lothely cry gane he.

To the g{r}ownd he fell ase tyght, 690 And Torrent gan hys hed of-smyght, And thus he wynnythe the gre.

[Linenote: 690. _gownd_ MS.]

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[Sidenote: finds him 24 ft. long, and goes to his Castle.]

Torrent knelyd on the grownd And thankyd G.o.d {a}t ylke stownd, That soche g{ra}ce hyme send. 695 Thus II journeys in thys woo W{i}t{h} hys hand{es} slow {he} gyantys too, That meny a man~ hathe schent. f. 89a.

Torrent forthe frome hyme an yod, And met hyme XXIIII fotte, 700 Ther he lay on the bent.

Hedles he left hym there, Howt of the fyld the hed he bare And to the castell he went.]

[Linenote: 697. _he_] _II_ MS.]

[Headnote: THE SWORD AND STEED OF GIANT ROCHENSE.]

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[Sidenote: Torrent goes to the Giant's Castle, and finds a splendid sword,]

To thys castell he gan far~; 705 Ther fond he armor~ and other~ g{a}re, A swerd, that wase bryght.

To the towre he toke the wey, Ther the gyant{es} bed lay, That Rychyly wase dyght. 710 At the bedd{es} hed he fond A swerd, worthe an Erllys lond, That meche wase of myght.

On the pomell yt wase wret, Fro a prynce yt wase get, 715 Mownpolyardn{us} he hyght.

[Linenote: 706. _gere_ MS.]

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