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.]

(195)

[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.]

(196)

[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 s.h.i.+ld, But he toke his fader in the feld, Though he there of evill thought.

[Headnote: TORRENT IS IMPRISOND IN JERUSALEM.]

(197)

[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

(198)

[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.]

(199)

[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.!]

(200)

[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.]

(201)

[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.]

(202)

[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.]

(203)