Torrent of Portyngale Part 16

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[Sidenote: feeds him. Torrent's sword is his only Squire.]

The kyng a-Rose and to the gat yod, Lord{es} and other~ knyg{htes} good, That were glad of hys com{m}yng.

In to the hale he hyme browght, Ryche met spare they nowght, 895 Be-fore Torrent fore to bryng.

'Syr,' sayd the kyng, 'I p{ra}y the, f. 91b.

Where be thy men off armys free, That w{i}t{h} the schuld {leng}?'

'Syr, to a lord I mvst Ryde, 900 My squyer hongythe be my syde, No man schall w{i}t{h} me wend.'

[Linenotes: 892. _knyges_ MS.

899. _leng_] _wynd_ MS.]

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[Sidenote: Torrent says he has to fight in Calabria.]

'S{yr},' seyd the kyng, 'I p{ra}y the, Where schall thy ded of armys bee, Yf yt be thy wyll?' 905 'S{yr},' he seyd, 'vttyrly, At Calabur, sekyrly, I ame all Redy ther tyll W{i}t{h} a squyer, {a}t will can Ryde; Fast be the see Sydde 910 Schuld we pley ow{ur} fyle; And wot ye wyll and vndyrstond, Ther schall no knyght come nere hond Fore dred of dentt{es} yll.'

[Headnote: TORRENT IS OFFERD A PRINCESS OF PROVYNS.]

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[Sidenote: The King of Provyns warns him against the terrible Giant there,]

The kynge seyd: 'Be G.o.dd{es} ore, 915 I Rede, {a}t {ou} come not th{o}re, Fore why, I wyll the seye: Meche folke of that contre Come hether~ for~ sokor~ of me, Bothe be nyght and day; 920 There ys a gyant of gret Renowne, He dystrowythe bothe sete and towyn~ And all {a}t euyr~ he may; And ase the boke of Rome dothe tell, He wase get of the dewell of h.e.l.l, 925 As hys moder on slepe lay.'

[Linenotes: 915. _kynges_ (!) MS.

916. _there_ MS.

922. _sete_] second _e_ corr. out of _a_ MS.]

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[Sidenote: and offers him his Daughter and 2 Duchies instead. Torrent says he must keep his troth.]

The kyng Seyd: 'Be seynt Adryan~, f. 92a.

I Rede, a nother Jentyll mane Be there and haue the gre: I haue a dowghttyr, {a}t ys me dere, 930 Thow schalt here wed to thy fere, And, yf yt thy wyll be, Two duchyes in {l}onde I wille geve here in~ hande.'

'G{ra}marcy, syr,' sayd he, 935 'W{i}t{h} my tonge so haue I wrowght, To breke my day than will I nowght, Nedys me behovythe ther to bee.'

[Linenotes: 929. _the_] so F. IV; om. MS.

_degre_ MS.

932. So F. IV; om. (!) MS.

933. _londe_] _honde_ F. IV; om. MS.

935. _syr s. h._] so F. IV; _seyd he thane_ MS.]

[Headnote: TORRENT ARRIVES IN CALABRIA.]

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[Sidenote: He starts,]

'In G.o.dd{es} name,' the kyng gane sayne, 'I{es}u send the will a-geyne, 940 Lord so mekyll of myghte!'

Menstrell{es} was them a-monge, Trompett{es}, harpys, and myrre songe, Delycyous nottis on hyght.

When tyme was, to bed they wente; 945 On the morrow Rose Torrente And toke leve of kyng and knyght And toke a Redy weyye, Be a see syd as yt laye, G.o.d send hym gatt{es} Ryght! 950

[Linenotes: 947. _of_] so F. IV; _on_ MS.

948. _toke_] so F. IV; _to_ MS.]

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[Sidenote: reaches Calabria, and hears of the Giant.]

A hye stret hathe he nome, In to Calabur he ys come W{i}t{h} in~ to days ore III; Soo come ther~ folk{es} hym a-geyne, Fast folloyng w{i}t{h} cart and wayne, 955 Fro-ward the sytte.

'Dere G.o.d!' seyd Torrent nowe, 'Leve folk{es}, what Eyllythe yow, Soo fast fore to flee?'

'There ys a gyante here be-syde, 960 In ale thys covntre fare and wyde No mane on lyve levythe hee.' f. 92b.

[Linenotes: 951. _nome_] so F. V; _none_ MS.

952. _come_] so F. V; _gone_ MS.

958. _yow_] _nowe_ add. (!) MS.]

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[Sidenote: The Giant Slongus is in Hungary;]

'Dere G.o.d,' sayd Torrant thane, 'Where schall I fynd that lo{th}ly man~?'

Ther they answerd hym anone: 965 'In a castyll be-syd the see, Slongus, soo hyght hee, Many a man had he slone.

We wot will wher he doth ly: Be-fore the cyte of Hungry; 970 He will not th{en}s gone, Tyll he haue the Ryche kyng~ To hys p{re}sone for to bryngg, To be lord of hyme self a-lone.'

[Linenotes: 964. _lothly_] so Hall.; _lovely_ MS.

965. _anone_] so F. V; _a geyne_ MS.

968. _slone_] so F. V; _slaylne_ (!) MS.

969. _doth ly_] so F. V; _ys_ MS.

970. _cyte_] so F. V; _knyghthod_ MS.

_Hungry_] so F. V; _Hongrys_ MS.

971. _thens_] _thus_ MS.]

[Headnote: TORRENT FINDS THE GIANT SLONGUS IN HUNGARY.]

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[Sidenote: he has broken the City gates, and slain 50 men.]

Tho wold he no lenger~ a-byd, 975 But to the sytte gan he Ryde, As fast as he myght fare; Here barys fell and broke downe, And the gatt{es} of gret Renowne Stondyng~ all baree. 980 Men of armys stond hyme a-geyne, Mo than fyfty had he slayne W{i}t{h} gryme woundd{es} and sare.

When Torrent of hym had a syght, Thowe Desonell be neuyr~ so bryght, 985 He will Reue hym hys chaff{a}r~.

[Linenote: 986. _hym_] _m_ corr. out of _s_. MS.

_chaffer_ MS.]

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