Torrent of Portyngale Part 34

In the Castell of Portyngale 2620 A-Rose trumpes {of} hede vale, [2721]

To mete they went on~ hye.

He sent letters ffar and nere; The lordys, that of valew were, They come to that gestonye. 2625 The Emp{er}oure of Rome, To that gestonye he come, A n.o.ble knyght on~ hy?e.

Whan~ all thes lordys com w{e}re, Torrent weddid that lady clere, 2630 A justyng did he crye. [2731]

[Linenotes: 2621. _of_] om. MS.

2629. _ware_ MS.]

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So it ffell vppon a day, f. 119a.

The kyng of Ierusalem~ gan say: 'Sir, thy sonne I ffound Lying in a libert{es} mouth, 2635 And no good he ne couth, Dede he was nere hond: Wold thou, that he dwellid w{i}t{h} me, Till that I dede be, And sith reioyse my lond?' . . . . . . 2640

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[Sidenote: He gives his son Leobertus as heir to the King of Jerusalem; and his son Antony as heir to the King of Greece. Torrent is elected Emperor.]

Be fore lordys of gret renown~, [2741]

Torent gaue hym~ his son~ . . . . . . . .

The kyng of Grece said: 'S{ir} knyght, I yeff thy son all my right To the Grekys flood: 2645 Wouch thou saue, he dwell w{i}t{h} me?'

'Yea, Lord, so mut I thee, G.o.d yeld you all this good!'

For s{ir} Torent was stiff in stoure, They chose hym ffor Emp{er}oure, 2650 Beste of bone and blood. [2751]

[Linenote: 2645. _flood_] _I plight_ add. MS.]

[[_stanza printed with indentation as shown_]]

[Headnote: TORRENT IS MADE EMPEROR. HE DIES.]

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[Sidenote: Torrent gives his 2 Sons a Sword each. He lies in a fair Abbey.]

Gret lordys, that there were, Fourty days dwellith there, And sith they yode her way; He yaue his sonnys, as ye may here, 2655 Two swerdys, that were hym~ dere, Ech of hem~ one had they.

Sith he did make vp-tyed Chirchus and abbeys wyde, For hym~ and his to praye. 2660 In Rome this Romans berith the crown~ [2761]

Of all kerpyng of Renown~: He leyth in a feire abbey.

[Linenotes: 2654. _And sith her way they yode_ MS.

2663. _leyth_] _in Rome_ add. MS.]

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[Sidenote: May Christ grant us Heaven!]

Now I{es}u Cryst, that all hath wrought, As he on the Rode vs bought, f. 119b. 2665 He geve hvs his blessing, And as he died for you and me, He graunt vs in blis to be, {Lesse and mare, both old and ying!} Amen.

[Linenote: 2669. _Oute of this world whan~ we shalle wend_ MS.]

Explicit Torent of Portyngale.

THE FRAGMENTS.

I.[F1]

[Footnote F1: In Halliwell's edition III.]

[_The King of Portugal plots Torrent's death._]

[Sidenote: Desonell gives Torrent a Horse which the King of Nazareth had sent her.]

[T] . . . est hym vp . . . . 462 . . . . . chent be for to fle . . . . . ly ivyll he gone 464 The kynge of Nazareth sent hym me, Torent, I wot-saue hym on the, For better loue I none!' 467

[Sidenote: The King treacherously asks Torrent to get Desonell a Falcon]

Afterwarde vpon a tyde, As they walkyd by the ryvers syde, The kynge and yonge Torent, 470 This lorde wolde fayne, that he dede were And he wyst nat, on what manere, Howe he myght hym shent. 473 A fals letter made the kynge And made a messangere it brynge, On the ryuer syde as they went, 476 To Torent, that was true as stele, If he loued Dyssonell wele, Gete hir a faucon gent. 479

Torent the letter began to rede, The kynge came nere and lystened, As thoughe he it neuer had sene. 482 The kynge sayde, 'what may this be?'

'Lorde, it is sent to me For a faucon shene; 485

[Sidenote: from the Forest of Magdalen.]

I ne wote, so G.o.d me spede, In what londe that they brede.'

The kynge sayde, 'as I herde sayne, 488 . . . . . . . . . . . .

In the forest of Maudelayne 491

[Headnote: FRAG. 2. TORRENT GOES TO THE FOREST OF MAUDELAYNE.]

II.[F2]

[Footnote F2: In Halliwell's edition II.]

[Sidenote: Torrent agrees to do it.]

Than sayde [the] kyn[g] vntrue, 492 'And ye fynde haw[k]es of great value, Brynge me one with the!' 494 Torent sayd: 'so G.o.d me saue, Yf it betyde, that I any haue, At your wyll shall they be.' 497

[Sidenote: He rides]

To his squyer bade he thare, After his armoure to fare, In the felde abode he; 500 They armed hym in his wede, He bestrode a n.o.ble stede . . . . . . . . . . 503

[Sidenote: to the Forest of Magdalen, gets separated from his Squire,]

Torent toke the way agayne Unto the forest of Maudelayne, In a wylsome way; 506 Berys and apes there founde he And wylde bestys great plente And lyons, where they lay. 509 In a wode, that is tyght, It drewe towarde the nyght.

By dymmynge of the day 512 Lysten, lordes, of them came wo, He and his squyer departed in two, Carefull men then were they. 515