Torrent of Portyngale Part 30

The kyng of Ierusalem~ herd tell Of this lord good and fell, How doughtyly he hym bare.

Vppon~ his knyght{es} can he call, 'Ordeyn~ swith among you all, 2240 For no thing that ye spare!' [2341]

They buskyd hem oute of the land, The nombre off ffyfty thousa{n}d, Ageyn Torent ffor to ffare . . . .

[Linenote: 2243. _thousaid_ MS.]

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[Sidenote: and his adopted son Leobertus (Torrent's second boy)]

The kyng of Ierusalem said thus: 2245 'My dere son, Liobertus, That thou be bold and wight!

Thou shalt be here and defend the lond From that fals trayto{r}s hond And take the ordre of a knyght.' 2250 He yaue hym armes, or he did pa.s.se: [2351]

Right as he ffound was, O{n} gold he bare bryght A liberd of asure bla A child be-twene his armes twa: 2255 Woo was her, that {se} it {my}ght!

[Linenotes: 2246. _Liobertious_ MS.

2253. _On_] _Of_ MS.

2254. _blay_ (!) MS.

2255. _tway_ MS.

2256. _ffulle woo_ MS.

_se it m._] _it ought_ MS.]

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[Sidenote: against Torrent. Torrent's son Leobertus captures him.]

Sir Torent wold no lenger abyde, But thederward gan~ he ride; And to the feld were brought Two knyght{es}, that were there in stede; f. 113a. 2260 Many a man did they to blede, [2361]

Such woundis they wrought.

There durst no man com~ Torent nere, But his son, as ye may here, Though he knew hym nought. 2265 All to nought he bet his shild, But he toke his fader in the feld, Though he there of evill thought.

[Headnote: TORRENT IS IMPRISOND IN JERUSALEM.]

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[Sidenote: Torrent is taken to Jerusalem]

Whan~ s{ir} Torent was takyn~ than~, His men fled than~, euery man~, 2270 They durst no lenger abyde. [2371]

Gret ruth it was to be hold, How his sword he did vp-hold To his son~ that tyde.

To Ierusalem~ he did hym~ lede, 2275 His actone and his other wede, All be the kyngis side; 'Sir,' he said, 'haue no care, Thou shalte lyve and welfare, But lower ys thy pryde!' 2280

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[Sidenote: and thrust into prison, where his son Leobertus hears him lament a whole year.]

Fro that s{ir} Torent was h{o}m brought, [2381]

Doughty men~ vppon~ hym~ sought, And in preson~ they hym~ thro{ng}e.

His son above his hede lay, To kepe hym~ both ny?t and day, 2285 He wist well, that he was strong.

Thus in p{re}son as he was, Sore he si?ed and said alas, He couth none other songe.

Thus in bondys they held hym thare f. 113b. 2290 A twelfmonyth and som dele mare, [2391]

The knyght thought ffull long.

[Linenotes: 2281. _hom_] _hem_ MS.

2283. _And and_ (!) MS.

_throu?e_ MS.]

[Headnote: TORRENT'S SON ASKS FOR HIS FATHER'S FREEDOM.]

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[Sidenote: Torrent appeals to G.o.d who once enabled him to kill Dragons and Giants.]

In a mornyng as he lay, To hym selfe gan~ he say: 'Why lye I thus alone? 2295 G.o.d, hast thou forsakyn~ me?

All my truste was in the, In lond where I haue gone!

Thou gave me my?t ffor to slee Dragons two other thre 2300 And giauntes meny one, [2401]

And now a man~ in wekid lond Hath myn~ armo{ur} and stede in~ hond: I wold, my liffe were done!'

[Linenote: 2299. _flee_ MS.!]

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[Sidenote: His son Leobertus hears him, and promises to get him freed.]

His son herd hym~ say soo 2305 And in his hert was full woo, In chamber there he lay; 'Sir,' he said, 'I haue thy wede, There shall no man reioyse thy stede, Yf so be, that I may. 2310 By oure lady seynt Mary, [2411]

Here shalt thou no lenger lye, Nether be ny?t~ ne be day; As I am~ Curtesse and hend, To the kyng I shall wend, 2315 And ffor thy love {hym} pray!'

[Linenotes: 2313. _Nether be day ne be ny?t_ MS.

2316. _ffor thy love and pray this ny?t_ MS.]

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[Sidenote: Leobertus asks the King of Jerusalem for Torrent. The King of Jerusalem grants Torrent to his elder son,]

On~ the morow whan~ he Rose, The prynce to the kyng gose And knelid vppon~ his knee; 'Sir,' he said, 'ffor G.o.dd{us} sonne, f. 114a. 2320 The knyght, that lieth in the dungeon~, [2421]

Ye wold graunt hym~ me!

I hard hym say be hym~ alone, Many Geaunt{es} had he slone And dragons II or thre.' 2325 The kyng said: 'Be my ffay, Be warr~, he scape not away; I vouch hym saue on the!'

[Headnote: TORRENT IS FREED, AND HONOURD IN JERUSALEM.]

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[Sidenote: who frees him from prison, tho' still fettering him.]

The prynce in to the p{re}son went, Torent by the hond he hent 2330 Oute of his bondys cold; [2431]

To the castell he brought hym sone And light ffettouris did hym~ vppon~, For brekyng oute off hold.

The kyng said: 'Be my ffaye, 2335 And he euer scape away, Full dere he shall be sold!'

'Sir,' he said, 'p{ar}maffay, We wyll hym~ kepe, and we may: There of be ye bold!' 2340

[Linenote: 2331. _And toke hym oute_ MS.]

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