Torrent of Portyngale Part 8

Thorrow hyme, that mad man~, Torrent sone a-bovyn~ wane 200 And fast he gan {him quelle} W{i}t{h} a knyffe feyer~ and bryght; Torrent, w{i}t{h} all hys myght Ther-w{i}t{h} he gard hyme dwell.

[Linenotes: 199. after _Thorrow_, _of_ has been sc.r.a.ped out.

201. _him quelle_] _warke_ MS.

203. _hys_] _h_ corrected out of _m_ MS.]

(20)

[Sidenote: and then thanks Christ.]

Torent knelyd on hys kne, 205 To I{es}u Cryst p{ra}yd he, That hathe thys world to wyld: 'Lord, lovyd, evyr lovyd thowe be, The feyer~ fyld thow hast lent Me,'

--Vpp bothe hys hand{es he} held-- f. 79b. 210 'All onely w{i}t{h}-owt any knaue Of the fynd the maystry to haue, Of hym to wyn the fyld.'

Now ys ther none other to say, Of hyme he wane the fyld {a}t day; 215 I p{ra}y G.o.d hyme schyld.

[Linenotes: 210. _he_] om. MS.

213. _wyn_] _wynd_, _d_ erased MS.

214. _to_ written above the line, MS.

215.

_Now ys ther non other say Of hyme to wyne the fyld at day_ add. (!) MS.]

(21)

[Sidenote: He sees the sea, and goes to it. Torrent finds the Giant's castle,]

Torrent went vppe a-geyne To the movnt, ase I gan sayne, The lond{es} to se far and nere; In the see a myle, hyme tho?t, 220 An hold wase Rychyly wrowt, In that lond wase not here perre.

The see wase Ebbyd, I yow sey, Torrent thether toke the way, Werry all thow he were; 225 And ther he fownd Ryche w{on}ys, Towrr{es} Endentyd w{i}t{h} presyos stonys, Schynyng ase crystall clere.

[Linenote: 219. _to se_ written above the line.]

[Headnote: TORRENT GOES TO THE GIANT'S CASTLE.]

(22)

[Sidenote: guarded by a lion and lioness.]

T{wo} gattys off yron~ ther he fond, Ther in~ Torrent gan wonde, 230 A nyght{es} Rest there in~ {to} ta; And at the hale dore ther wase A lyon~ & a lyona.s.se, Ther men be-twene them twa Fast Etyng~, ase ye may here; 235 Crystyn {man} thow {he} were, Hys browys {wexe} bl{a}, f. 80a.

And wit yow will, lord G.o.d yt wote, He durst goo no fote, Lest they wold hyme sl{a}. 240

(23)

[Sidenote: He hears a lady sighing within.]

+T+orrant stod and be-held, And p{ra}yd to G.o.d, that ale may wyld, To send hyme harborrow good.

Sone hard he w{i}t{h}in a whalle The syghyng of a lady smalle, 245 Sche weppte, as sche were wod; Sche mornyd sore and sayd: 'Alas, That Euyr~ kyng{es} dowghttyr wase Ou{er}-come of so jentyll blod, For now ame I holdyn~ here 250 In lond w{i}t{h} a fynd{es} fere!'

Torrent hard, wher he stod.

[Linenotes: 226. _wonys_] _wayes_ MS.

229. _Two_] _The_ MS.

231. _to ta_] _he take_ MS.

234. _twa_] _twayne_ MS.

236. _man_] _thow_ (!) MS.

_he_] _they_ MS.

237. _wexe bla_] _be gan to blowe_ MS.

240. _sle_ MS.

244. _whalle_] with paler ink corrected from _whyle_.

245. _syghyng_] with paler ink corrected from _syngyng_.]

[Headnote: TORRENT WANTS TO ENTER THE GIANT'S CASTLE.]

(24)

[Sidenote: Torrent asks for a night's lodging in the Castle.]

'Dere G.o.d,' seyd Torrant than~, 'Yff ther be anny crystyn~ man~ In thys hold of ston~, 255 That woll, for the love of G.o.d of myght, Harbourrow a jentylman~ thys nyght, For I ame but on~!'

'Seynt Marry,' seyd that lady clere, 'What crystyn~ man~ axithe harburrow here?' 260 Nere hym sche gothe a-non.

'I wold harburrow the full fayne, But a gyant wyll the slayne.'

To hym sche mad here mone.

[Linenotes: 259. _clere_] _e_ corrected out of _r_ MS.

261. _sche gothe anon_] _a non sche gothe_ MS.]

[['Dere G.o.d,' _open quote invisible_]]

(25)

[Sidenote: The Lady says the Giant will kill him.]

'Say me now, fayer~ lady, {belyve}, f. 80b. 265 Who owte {of} thys plase schall {me dryve}, Thes tourr{es}, that are so bryght?'

Ther sche Seyd: 'Be hevyn~ kyng~, Here ys a gyant Dwellyng, That meche ys of myght. 270 Be my trowthe, and he the see, Were ther~ XX lyvys in~ the, Thy dethe than wyll he dyght.

I{es}u cryst yef me g{ra}ce To hyd the in~ some preve plase 275 Owt of the fynd{es} syght! . . . . .

[Linenotes: 265. _bel._] om. MS.

266. _of_] om. MS.

_me dryve_] _hyght_ MS.

267. _so_] _feyer and_ add. MS.

271. _the_] _thow_, _w_ erased and _e_ changed into _o_, MS.

273. _They_ (!) MS.

275. _hyd_] corrected from _hyde_.]

[[Linenote 271: _all "e" and "o" printed as shown_]]

(26)

[Sidenote: The Lady takes Torrent past the Lions, into the Castle.]

'Euyr~ me thynkythe be thy tale, The song of the burd{es} smale On slepe hathe hyme browght.'

'Ye,' seyd Torrent, 'ore he be wakyn~, 280 I schall the tell soche a tokyn~, Of hym thow haue no thowght!

But woldd{es} thow for thy gentry Do the lyonnys downe lye, That they nyee me nowght?' 285 By the hande sche gan{n}e hym ta And led hyme in~ be{tw}e them twa; Ryght ase sche wold, they wrowght.

[Linenotes: 277. _thy_] _my_ erased and _thy_ written above the line.