Torrent of Portyngale Part 18

Full curtesly the kyng gan say {To} Torrent on the o{ur}e day: 'Wyll ye wend with me A litull here be-side to pa.s.se, There as the Geaunt{es} dwelling was 1075 His man{er} now for to see?'

To the castell gan~ they gone, Richer saw they never none, Better myght none be.

'Sir,' he said, 'be G.o.d all-my?t~, 1080 For thou hym~ slew, at it dight, I vouche it saue on the,

[Linenotes: 1072. _To T._] _Torrent said_ MS.

1081. _it_] _is_ MS.]

[Headnote: TORRENT HEARS THAT DESONELL IS TO WED A KING.]

(94)

[Sidenote: and an Earldom. The Castle's name is Cardon.]

'I yeve {yt} the, s{ir}, of my {h}ond, f. 94b.

And there-to, an erledome of {my} lond, For soth, ye shall it haue; 1085 Omage thou shalte none {nor} ffyne, But euer more to the and thyne, Frely, so G.o.d me saue!'

Lordys, and ye liston wold, What was clepud the riche hold: 1090 The castell of Cardon~, {by sawe}.

Two days or thre dwellith he th{a}re And sith he takythe {leve} to ffare, Both at knyght and knave.

[Linenotes: 1083. _yt_] om. MS.

_of_] _alle_ add. MS.

_hond_] _lond_ MS.

1084. _my_] om. MS.

1086. _nor_] om. MS.

1091. _by s._] om. MS.

1092. _there_ MS.]

(95)

[Sidenote: Torrent hears that Desonell is to marry a strange King.]

By the kyng of P{er}vens he gan gane, 1095 That he had oute {of preson} i-tane His son vppon a day.

Gentilmen were blith and ffayn~, That he in helth was comyn~ agayn~, That they myght with hym~ play. 1100 There of herd he, s{er}tayn{le}, That Desonell wedid shold be With an vncouth Ray.

And listonyth, lordis, of a chaunce, Howe he lefte his countenaunce 1105 And takyth hym~ armes gay!

[Linenotes: 1098. _leve_] _the way_ MS.

1096. _of preson_] om. MS.

1101. _sertayn_ MS.

1103. _vnc._] _a_ add. MS.]

[Headnote: TORRENT IS KNIGHTED. DESONELL IS MARRIED.]

(96)

[Sidenote: The King of Provyns knights Torrent.]

By-fore the kyng he fell on kne: 'Good lord,' he said, 'for charite, Yeve me order of knyght!

I wott well, leryd are ye, 1110 My lordys doughter shall wed be To a man~ off myght.'

'Sir,' he said, 'I trow, she mone f. 95a.

To the prynce off Aragon~, By this day sevynnyght. 1115 Swith,' he seith, 'that this be done, That thou be there and wyn~ thy shone, Gete the armes bryght.'

[Linenotes: 1110. _ye are leryd_ MS.

1111. _be wed_ MS.

1115 and 1118 have changed their place in the MS.]

(97)

[Sidenote: Torrent has an azure shield with a gold squire on it; and a grinning dragon of gold on the crest of his helmet.]

Sir Torrent ordenyth hym a sheld, It was ryche in euery ffeld, 1120 Listonyth, what he bare: O{n} a?ure a squier off gold, Richely bett on mold; Listonyth, what he ware: A dragon~ lying hym be-syde, 1125 His mouth grennyng full wyde, All ffyghtyng as they were; The creste, that on his hede shold stond, Hit was all gold shynand, Thus previd he hym~ there. 1130

[Linenote: 1122. _On_] _of_ MS.]

(98)

[Sidenote: He hears that Desonell's marriage is certain.]

Lordys a.s.sembelid in sale, Well mo than I haue in tale, Or ellis gret wonder were.

There herd {he} tell ffor certan~, That Desonell wed shold be than~, 1135 That was hym selfe ffull dere.

And whan~ he herd of that ffare, Wors tydingis than were thare, Might he none gladly here . . . . . . .

[Linenote: 1134. _he_] _l_ MS.]

[Headnote: TORRENT CHALLENGES THE PRINCE OF ARAGON.]

(99)

[Sidenote: Torrent rides into the Hall where Desonell is, and challenges any one to fight him for her.]

He wold not in pa.s.se, 1140 Till {at} the myd mete was The kyng and meny a knyght; As they satt at theyre {mete} glade, In at the hall dur {he} rade In armes ffeyre and bryght, f. 95b. 1145 With a squier, that is ffre; Vp to the lady ryduth he, That rychely was i-dight.

'Lordys,' he said, 'among you all I chalenge thre coursus in the hall, 1150 {Or} Delyuer {her} me with right!'

[Linenotes: 1141. _at_] om. MS.

1143. _mete_] om. MS.

1144. _he_] _they_ MS.

1151. _Delyuer it me_ MS.]

(100)

[Sidenote: The Prince of Aragon accepts,]

The kyng of Aragon~ sett her bye, And he defendid her n.o.bely: 'I wyll none delyu{er} the.'

His son said: 'So muste I thryve, 1155 There shall no man just for my wiffe; But yf youre wyll it be, For her love did I never no dede, I shall to day, so G.o.d me spede: Be-hold and ye shall se.' 1160 'Alas!' said Desonell the dere, 'Full longe may I sitt here, Or Torrent chalenge me.'

(101)

[Sidenote: and the lists are made ready. Torrent unhorses the Prince of Aragon,]

Trumpett{es} blew in the prese, Lordys stond on {the grese}, 1165 Ladyes lay ou{er} and be-held.

The prynce and Torrent th{e}n Eyther to other gan ren~, Smertely in that ffeld; Torrent sett on hym~ so sore, 1170 That hors and man down~ he bore, And all to-sheverd his sheld.

So they tombelid all in ffere, That afterward of VII yere The prynce none armes myght weld. 1175