Torrent of Portyngale Part 35

At a shedynge of a rome Eyther departed other frome, As I vnderstande. 518 Torent taketh a dolefull way Downe into a depe valay, . . . . . . . . . . 521

[Headnote: FRAG. 3. TORRENT IS TO FIGHT THE CALABRIAN GIANT, SLOGUS.]

III.[F3]

[Footnote F3: In Halliwell's edition VI.]

[_The King of Portugal sends Torrent to be kild by the Giant Slogus._]

[Sidenote: Torrent sits at the head of a side table. The King asks Torrent if he'll]

. . . . . . . . . . . . 819 And the good squyres after h[ym], That knyghtes sholde be. 821 As they were a-myddes theyr . . .

The kynge wolde not forgete, To Torente than sayd he, 824

[Sidenote: do a deed of arms for Desonell.]

He sayd: 'so G.o.d me saue, Fayne thou woldest my dough[ter haue], Thou hast loued her many a d[aye].' 827 'Ye, by my trouthe,' sayd Torente, 'And I were a ryche man, Ryght gladly by my faye.' 830 'If thou durst for her sake A poynte of armes vndertake, Thou broke her vp for ay.' 833

[Sidenote: 'Yes,' says Torrent.]

'Ye,' sayde he, 'or I go, Sykernes thou make me so Of thy doughter hende. 836 Ye and after all my ryghtes By VII score of hardy knyghtes'

Al they were Torentes frende. 839 'Now, good lordes, I you praye, Bere wytnes of this day Agayne yf G.o.d me sende!' 842

[Sidenote: 'Then go to Calabria, and fight the Giant Slogus.']

Torente sayd, 'so may I the, Wyst I, where my jorney shold [be], Thyder I wolde me dyghte.' 845 The kyng gaue hym an answ[e]re, 'In the londe of Caleb[e]re There wonneth a gyaunte wygh[hte] 848 . . . . . . . . . . . .

Slogus he hyght as I the tolde, G.o.d sende the that waye ryghte!' 851

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[Headnote: FRAG. 4. TORRENT WILL NOT GIVE UP HIS GIANT-FIGHT.]

IV.[F4]

[Footnote F4: In Halliwell's edition V.]

[_Torrent is offerd a Princess of Provyns._]

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

For why I wyll the saye, 917 Moche folke of that countre Cometh heder for socoure to me, Bothe by nyghte and by daye. 920 There is a gyaunte of grete renowne, He destroyeth bothe cyte and towne And all that he may. 923 As bokes of rome tell, He was goten with the deuyll of h.e.l.l, As his moder slepynge lay.' 926

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

The kynge sayde, 'by Saynt Adryan, I rede, a nother gentylman Be there and haue the degre. 929 I haue a doughter, that me is dere, Thou shalte wedde her to thy fere, And yf it thy wyll be, 932 Two duchyes in honde I wyll gyue her in londe.'

'Gramercy, syr,' sayd he, 935 'With my tonge I haue so wrought, To breke my day wyll I nought, Nedes me behoueth there to be.' 938

[Sidenote: Torrent starts,]

'On G.o.ddes name,' the kynge gan sayne, 'Ie{s}u brynge the saffe agayne, Lorde, moche of myght!' 941 Mynstralsy was them amonge, With harpe, fedyll and songe, Delycyous notes on hygh[t]e. 944 Whan it was tyme, to bed they wente, And on the morowe rose Torente And toke leue of kynge and knyght 947 And toke a redy way.

[Headnote: FRAG. 5. TORRENT HEARS OF THE CALABRIAN GIANT, SLOGUS.]

Fragment V.[F5]

[Footnote F5: In Halliwell's edition IV.]

By the se syde as it lay, G.o.d sende hym gatys ryght! 950

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

An hye waye hath he nome, Into Calabre is he come Within two dayes or thre. 953 So he met folke hym agayne, Fast comynge with carte and wayne Frowarde the se. 956 'Dere G.o.d,' sayd Torente now, 'Good folke, what eyleth you, That ye thus fast fle?' 959 'There lyeth a gyaunte here besyde, For all this londe brode and wyde No man on lyue leueth he.' 962

'Dere G.o.d,' sayd Torente then, 'Wher euer be that fendes den?'

They answered hym anone: 965 'In a castell in the see, Slogus' they sayd 'hyght he, Many a man he hath slone. 968

[Sidenote: The Giant Slogus is in Hungary.]

We wote full well, where he doth ly Byfore the cyte of Hungry,'

. . . . . . . . . . 971

[Headnote: FRAG. 6. TORRENT FIGHTS A GIANT. DESONELL HAS TWINS.]

VI.[F6]

[Footnote F6: Printed in _Englische Studien_, VII. p. 347 f.]

[_Torrent fights the Giant._]

[Sidenote: The giant says he'll wring Torrent's nose. His Crook is 13 ft. long.

Torrent charges, pierces the Giant's eye, and makes him roar.]

. . . . . . all the wrynge, 1014 . . . . . . . . lynge . . . . . . . . . thou the 1016 . . . . . . . . he toke, . . . . . . . . bare a croke . . . . . . . . te longe and thre 1019 . . . . . . ever so longe were . . . . . . . . had no fere . . . . yd darste thou come nere 1022 . . . . . nte nolengre a-byde . . . . . nte wolde he ryde . . . . ghte. 1025 . . . . one eye but one, . . . . . . neuer none, . . . nor by nyght. 1028 . . . . lpe of G.o.d of heuen, . . . . . herin euen, . . . . . . . . . . . . 1031 . . . . gan to rore, . . . . the cyte wore, . . . ay. 1034 . . . . es eyen were oute . . . . . . . . boute . . . . . . . . . . . 1037

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[Headnote: FRAG. 7. DESONELL AND HER TWINS ARE SENT TO SEA.]

VII.[F7]

[Footnote F7: In Halliwell's edition I.]