Torrent of Portyngale Part 19

[Linenote: 1165. _the grese_] _reugis_ or _rengis_ MS.]

[Headnote: TORRENT BEATS THE PRINCE OF ARAGON.]

(102)

[Sidenote: and he is carried indoors.]

Torrent said: 'So G.o.d me saue, Other two coursus wyll I haue, f. 96a.

Yf ye do me law of lond.'

Gret lordys stond styll, They said nether good ne yll 1180 For tynding of his hond.

The prynce of Aragon~ in they barr~ With litull worshipp and sydes sare, He had no fote on ffor to stond.

Thus thes lordys justid aye; 1185 Better {they} had to haue be away, Suche comffort there he ffond.

[Linenotes: 1167. _than_ MS.

1186. _they_] _he_ MS.

1187. _ffound_ MS.]

(103)

[Sidenote: At dinner, Torrent lays Slongus's head on the table.]

He wold not in pa.s.se, Till they at myd mete was, On the other day at none. 1190 His squiers habite he had, Whan~ he to the deyse yad, With oute couped shone, And the hede on~ the bord he laid: 'Lo, s{ir} kyng, hold this,' he said, 1195 'Or ellis wroth we anon~!'

They sett still at the bord, None of hem spake one word, But ryght that he had done.

[Linenote: 1198. _They spake nether ylle ne good_ add. (!) MS.]

[Headnote: TORRENT CLAIMS DESONELL, AND HALF PORTUGAL.]

(104)

[Sidenote: Torrent proclaims the promise of the King of Portugal to give him Desonell, and half Portugal, if he slew Slongus.]

Torrent at the syde bord stode: 1200 'Lystonyth, lordyng{es}, gentill of blood, For the love of G.o.d all-myght: The kyng heyght me his doughter dere, To ffyght with a ffendys ffere, That wekyd was and wight, 1205 To wed her to my wyffe, And halffe his kyngdome be his liffe, And after his days all his ryght. [1209]

Lokyth, lordys, you among, f. 96b.

Whether he do me ryght or wrong!' 1210 Tho waried hym~ both kyng & knyght.

[Linenote: 1211. _&_] _ky_, struck out, add. MS.]

(105)

[Sidenote: The King of Aragon says his son has wedded Desonell. He will be revenged on the King of Portugal.]

Tho said the kyng of Aragon, i-wys: 'Torrent, I wiste no thing of thys, A gret maister arte thou!'

The kyng sware be seynt Gryffen~: 1215 'With a sword thou shalte her wynne, Or thou haue her nowe: For why, my son to her was wed, Gret lordys to churche her led, [1220]

I take wittnes of all you.' 1220 'Kyng Calamond, haue good day, Thou shalt i-bye it, and I may, To G.o.d I make avowe.'

[Linenote: 1220. _you alle_ MS.]

(106)

[Sidenote: To settle the quarrel, the Emperor suggests a fight between 2 Champions.]

The Emp{er}oure of Rome ther was, Be-twene thes kyng{es} gan~ he pa.s.se 1225 And said: 'Lordys, as sone, This squier, that hath brought this hede, The kyng had wend he had be dede, And a-venturly gan~ he gone: [1230]

I rede you take a day of {ryghtes}, 1230 And do it vppon~ two knyght{es}, And let no man~ be sl{o}n~!'

Gret lordys, that were thare, This talis lovid at that fare And ordenyd tha{t} anon~. 1235

[Linenotes: 1230. _ryghtes_] _Restys_ MS.

1232. _slayn_ MS.

1235. _that_] _than_ MS.]

[Headnote: TORRENT IS TO FIGHT THE GIANT CATE.]

(107)

[Sidenote: The King of Aragon sends to the giant Cate to fight Torrent]

To the kyng {the thoght} com~ was, To send vnto Sathanas For a geaunt, that hight Cate, For to make hym~ knyght to his hond [1240]

And sease hym~ in all his lond; 1240 The messingere toke the gate. f. 97a.

Gret othes he sware hym than~, That he shold ffyght but w{i}t{h} one man~, And purvey hym he bad Iryn stavis two or thre, 1245 For to ffyght with Torent ffre, Though he there of ne w{a}tt.

[Linenotes: 1236. _the thoght_ om. MS.

1247. _wott_ MS.]

(108)

[Sidenote: on an island for half Portugal.]

Than take counsell kyng and knyght, On lond that he shold not ffyght, [1250]

But ffar oute in the see, 1250 In an yle long and br{a}d; A gret payn~ there was made, That holdyn~ shold it be.

Yf Cate slow Torent, that ffre ys, Halfe Portyngale shold be his, 1255 To spend with dedys ffre; And yf s{ir} Torrent myght hym ou{er}-com~, He shold haue halfe Aragon~, Was better than suche thre. [1260]

[Linenotes: 1248. _couns._] _of_ add. MS.

1251. _brod_ MS.]

[Headnote: THE GIANT CATE, AND TORRENT, GO TO THE ISLAND.]

(109)

[Sidenote: The Giant Cate comes to an Island.]

The Gyaunt shipped in a while 1260 And sett hym~ oute in an yle, That was grow both grene and gay.

Sir Torrent com~ prekand on a stede, Richely armed in his wede; 'Lordyngys,' gan he say, 1265 'It is semely ffor a knyght, Vppon a stede ffor to ffyght.'

They said sone: 'Nay, He is so hevy, he can not ryde. [1270]

Torrent said: 'Evill mut he be-tyde, 1270 Falshode, woo worth it aye!'

(110)

[Sidenote: Torrent prays for Christ's help,]