Torrent of Portyngale Part 17

[Sidenote: Torrent prays to Christ for help.]

Torrent in~ the storrope stod And p{ra}yd to G.o.d, {a}t dyed on Rode: 'Lord, ase thow schalt ale wyld at wyle, Gyff me g{ra}ce to wyn the fyld, 990 That thys {lothly} fynd hym yeld A-non to me tyll!

A man schall But onnys Dyee, f. 93a.

I will fyght, whill I may Dryee.'

He mad cher~ n.o.byll. 995 When he had I{es}u p{ra}yd of g{ra}ce, He wyscheyd hyme a battell plase, Ther as hym lyst we{ll}e.

[Linenotes: 990. _wynd_ (!) MS. _vndyr nethe spere and schyld_ add. (!) MS.

991. _lothly_] om. MS.

995. _n.o.bill chere_ MS.

998. _welle_] _were_ MS.]

[Headnote: TORRENT CHALLENGES THE GIANT SLONGUS.]

(87)

[Sidenote: Torrent blows his horn. The Giant Slongus, of Flonthus,]

Torrent hys spere a-say be-gane, Bothe schyld and spere than~, 1000 That they were sekyr and good.

Aftyr {a}t, w{i}t{h} in a throwe, Hys good horne gane he blowe.

The gyant sawe, wher~ he stodde: Slong{es} of Flonthus staryd than~; 1005 Quod Torrent: 'Yf thow be a gentyll man~ Or come of gentyll blod, Let thy beytyng and thy Ermyght be, And come prove thy strenghe on me, Therfor I sowght the, be the Rodde.' 1010

[Linenote: 1008. _Let be thy b. a. t. erm._ MS.]

(88)

[Sidenote: says he'll wring Torrent's nose. His Crook is 13 ft. long.]

The gyant sayd: 'Be the Roode, Dewell of h.e.l.l send the fode, Hether to seche me: By the nose I schall the wryng, Thow berdles gadlyng~, 1015 That all h.e.l.l schall thow see!'

The wey than to hym he toke And on hys bake he bare a croke, Wase X fot long and thre; And thow he neu{er} so gret w{a}r~, 1020 Torrent thowght not fare to fare, Tyll wone of them ded bee. f. 93b.

[Linenotes: 1011. _sayd_] written above the line.

1017. _he_] so F. VI; om. MS.

1018. _he_] _her_ MS.

_croke_] so F. VI; _creke_ (!) MS.

1020. _were_ MS.]

[Headnote: TORRENT SLAYS THE GIANT SLONGUS OF FLONTHUS.]

(89)

[Sidenote: Torrent charges, pierces the Giant's eye,]

Thoo wold Torrent no lenger~ byd, Tyll the theff gan he Ryde, Ase fast ase euyr~ he may. 1025 The theff had non ey but on~, Soche sawe I neu{er} none, {Ne}yther~ be nyght {nor} be day.

Thurrow G.o.dd{es} helpe and sent Awsden~ The spere {throw ye and herne gan ren}. 1030 G.o.d send hym the Ryght wey; Than the theff be-gane to Rore.

All that in~ the sytte wore, Ouyr~ the wallys they laye.

[Linenotes: 1024. _the_] _f_ add. (!) MS.

1028. _Blyther_ (!) MS.

_nor_] so F. VI; _and_ MS.

1030. _throw--ren_] _anon he toke to hym_ MS.

1033. _wore_] so F. VI; _were_ MS.]

(90)

[Sidenote: then spears him thro' the body,]

Thow the fynd{es} ey were owte, 1035 Fast he leyd hym a-bowte All {a}t somyrr{es} nyght; He set ys backe to an hyll, That Torrent schuld not come hym tyll, So meche {a}t theff covd of fyght. 1040 He bled so sore, I vndyrstond, Hys croke fell owt of hys hond, Hys dethe to hyme ys dyght.

Torrent to hyme Rane w{i}t{h} a spere, Thurrow the body he gan hym bere, 1045 Thus helpe hym G.o.d of myght.

[Linenote: 1040. _at_] e add. MS.]

[[_Printed with superscript e_]]

(91)

[Sidenote: and kills him. Torrent preserves the Giant's head.]

All that in~ the sytte were, Mad full n.o.bill chere, That thys fynd wase Dedde.

Forthe they Ran w{i}t{h} stavys of tre, f. 94a. 1050 Torrent seyd: 'So mvt I the, Kepe hole hys hed!

Yf yt be broke, so G.o.d me sped, Yt ys wyll the worse to lede.'

They dyd ase {he} h{e}m b{e}d{e}, 1055 Mo than thre hunderd on a throng Yt ys solas Euyr~ a-mong Whan that he was dede.

[Linenotes: 1047. _That alle_ MS.

1054. _lede_] _Rede_, struck out and _lede_ added in paler ink.

1055. _That seson they_ MS.

_he hem_] _hyme_ (!) MS.

_bede_] _bad_ MS.

1057 _put before_ 1056 MS.]

[Headnote: TORRENT GOES TO THE CASTLE OF GIANT SLONGUS.]

[[Linenote 1056-57: _"MS" printed in italics_]]

(92)

[Sidenote: The King of Calabria feasts him,]

Than~ the kyng of Calaber ayen~ hym went, Torrent be the hond he hent, 1060 To the hall he gan~ hym lede And comaundid squiers t{w}o, Of h{ys} harnes for to do And cloth hym~ in another wede.

Waytes on the wall gan blowe, 1065 Knyghtis a.s.semled on a Rowe, And sith to the deyse they yede; 'Sir,' quod the kyng, 'of whens are ye?'

'Of Portingale, sir,' said he, 'I com heder, to sech my de{de}.' 1070

[Linenotes: 1062. _two_] _tho_ MS.

1063. _hys_] _her_ MS.

1070. _deth_ MS.]

(93)

[Sidenote: and takes him to the Giant's Castle. The King of Calabria gives Torrent the Giant's castle,]