[Melusine a tale of the serpent fairy]

than he thought in hymselfe that he came to treate with hym for some patyse or for some peas / but he sware his lawe that lytell or nought he sholde entrete him . Than ro se vp the gyaunt and toke an horryble gre +e clubbe in his handes / whiche ony man hadde ynoughe to do to lyfte it vp fro the grounde / and so he came ayenst Geffray & cryed to hym with a hye voyce . What art thou that darest come soo boldly towarde me in armes / by my lawe well shall thou be payed therfore / for who that sendeth the hether wolde haue the deed . And Geffray cryed to hym I defyethe defende thou thy selfe yf thou canst . And with these wordes Geffray touched his spere and spored his hors with the spores and ranne & smote the gyaunt in the brest soo myghtely that he ouerthrewe hym the legges vpwarde / And anone geffray discended fro his hors ferynge that the gyaunte sholde slee hym And than the gyaunt came towarde geffray / but almost he coude not perceyue him he was so lytell of stature to the regarde of hym / & whan he was nyghe him he said to hym . Say me thou lytell body who art thou that so valiauntly hast ouerthrowen me / by mahounde I shall neuer haue ho 〈…〉 nen .

Ryght as the gyaunt vnderstode that he was moche abasshed , for well he wyst that he myghte not be slayne but by Geffrays handes / not that withstondynge he answered to him . I knowe the well ynoughe / thou slewe that other daye my cosyn Guedon in Guerrende / al the deuylles of helle hathe well brought the hether / And Geffray hym answered / noo doubte but I shall slee the yf I may . And whan the gyaunt vnderstode it he haunced hys clubbe & wolde haue dyscharged it vppon Geffrays heed / but he faylled . And thenne Geffray smote hym vpon the sholdre so that the blode ranne downe And whan he felte that stroke he began to crye and sayd / cursed be that arme that so can smyte / & hanged be the smyth that forged that 〈…〉 e and then with his clubbe he wende 〈◊〉〈…〉〈◊〉 ●●ue smyten Geffray / but Geffray fle 〈…〉 e stroke / for yf he had attayned hym 〈…〉 slayne hym / and the clubbe entred a 〈…〉 in to the erthe / but or euer the gyau 〈…〉 haunced his clubbe Geffray smote 〈…〉 his swerde so that he made it to fle 〈…〉 of his handes / and therwith he cut 〈…〉 te pece of it .

¶ How the gyaunt fledde and geffr●●●●lowed hym . Ca.

ANd than was the gyaunt ryghte dolant & abasshed whan he sawe his clubbe cut lyenge on the grounde / for he durste not bowe himself to take it vp Than he lept on Geffray & stroke hym with his 〈…〉 t on the helmet so that Geffray was a 〈…〉 ost astonyed / but Geffray smote the ●●●●nt vpon the thye so that he cut agre 〈…〉〈…〉 ce of it . And whan the gyaunt sawe 〈…〉 thus hurte he fledde and entred in to 〈…〉 le of the mountayne / wherof geffray 〈◊〉 moche abasshed . Than came geffray 〈…〉 e hoole and loked in / but it was so ob 〈…〉 e and so depe that he sawe nor wyste ●●ere the gyaunt was become . And he re〈…〉〈…〉ned and mounted vpon his hors and 〈…〉 cended in to the valeye & came to hys 〈…〉yne whiche had grete meruayll whan 〈◊〉 sawe him retourne hoole and sounde 〈…〉 especyall the two knyghtes wondred moche and were abasshed of it . And they asked hym yf he had sene the gyaunt / and he sayd to them I haue fought with hym red ye / and than they sayd it was for noughte to seke hym / for well he wyst that he sholde deye by the handes of Geffray doute you not sayd Geffray for well I knowe where he is entred in / and to morne with goddes helpe I shall fynde hym wel . And whan they herde geffray speke so they had greate Joye & sayd that Geffray was the moost valyaunt knyght of the worlde .

¶ How Geffray wente and entred in to the hoole for to fyght with the gyaunt . lxviii .

UPon the morowe by tymes geffray armed hym and mounted vpon his hors & rode tyll he came to the sayd hoole / & alyght & with his swerde in his hande fayre and softely lete hymselfe fall in to the hole . And whan he was in the botom of it he perceyued some lyght and sawe a lytell pathe / and than he made the sygne of the crosse in his foreheed & wente for the that waye .

¶ How Geffray founde the sepulture of the kynge of Albanye his graundfader Helynas within the mountayne . ca. lxix .

WHan Geffray was therin he had not gone ferre whan he founde a ryche chambre wher as were gr 〈…〉

¶ How Geffray was the dethe of the erle of Forestz his vncle . Ca. lxxi .

SO longe rode Geffray that he came to the castell and alyghted / and wente in to the halle where he founde the erle amonge his barons . And than he cried with a hye voyce . To dethe traytoure for thrughe the we haue loste our moder / and with his naked swerde wente towarde the erle . And the erle ▪ whiche knewe wel his fyersnes fledde in to a chambre / & geffray folowed hym / and so longe chased him from chambre to chambre to the hyest part of the toure where he sawe he myght noo ferder flee / he toke a wyndowe and supposed to haue passed vnto a toure nygh / but his fete faylled and he fell downe and broke his necke . Whan Geffray sawe that he came downe in to the halle / but ther was none so hardy to say one worde ayenst him And he theym commaunded that his vncle sholde be buryed / and soo he was and his obsequye done . And after that Geffray recounted to the barons why he wolde haue slayne his vncle / and bycause of the erles mysdede and fals reporte they were somwhat peased . And Geffray made theym do hommage to Raymond his brother . And here cesseth t hystorye of hym / and speketh of Raymondyn his fader .

NOw sayeth t hystorye that sone after this was shewed to Raymondyn wherof he was ryght dolant and sorowfull but he sone forgate it / byca●se that his broder had announced hym 〈◊〉 tydynges wherby he loste his wyfe 〈…〉 sayd to hymselfe this that is do may 〈…〉 ne otherwyse I must pease Geffra● 〈…〉 do ony more dommage . And therfore 〈…〉 te worde to him by his brother Theod 〈…〉 that he sholde come towarde hym at Lusygnen / and Geffray came to his fader at his maundement / & knelynge asked hym mercy and pardon saynge . My ryghte redoubted lorde and fader I beseche you o● forgyuenes / & I swere you that I shal do make agayne th abbaye of Maylleres fayrer than euer it was tofore / and founde ten monkes more than there was before . By god sayd Raymondyn all that may be do with the helpe of god / but to the deed folk ye may not restore theyr lyf . But Geffray it is trouthe that I muste go to a pylgrymage that I haue auowed / & therfore I shall leue you the gouernaunce of my lande / & yf by auenture god dyde his wyll of me all the lande is yours . But I wyl and charge you to fulfyll the laste wyll of your moder / and he graunted therto .

THis done Raimondin made his apparayll and with hym mounted on horsbacke many lordes and knightes and toke with hym greate fynaunce / and rode forth on his waye . And Geffray and theodoryk conuayed hym tyll he badde theym 〈…〉 fyne golde and of the rychesse of the place and of the fygure of quene pressyne that stode vp ryght and helde a table of gold / & of that whiche was there wryten / and howe theyr thre doughters were predestined / of the whiche sayd Geffray our moder was 〈◊〉 of them / & wete it well that Raymon 〈…〉 ●erkened hym gladly / and was well 〈…〉 ed. And than he gaue lycence to his 〈…〉 en to retourne / and so they dyd / and ●●●●ondyn helde on his waye towarde 〈…〉 e / and to Theodoryk he gaue the ryng whiche Melusyne gaue hym at her departynge fro hym .

¶ Howe Raymondyn came towarde the pope of Rome and confessed his sinnes to hym . Ca. lxxiii .

HEre sayth t hystorye that Raymondin rode so longe that he came to Rome and his company with hym where he founde the pope named benedicte and drewe hym towarde hym to whome humbly he made reuerence and syth kneled tofore him and confessed his misdedes and synnes in his best wyse / And as touchynge this that he was forsworne ayenst god and Melusyne his wyfe the pope enioyned hym lauful penaunce . And that same daye Raymondyn dyned with the pope / and on the morne he yede and vysyted the holy places there . And whan he hadde done there all that he muste do he toke le 〈…〉 is at Mounferrat in Aragon a 〈…〉 & holy place / & there wolde I fayne be . My fayre sone sayd the pope so it is sayd . And to hym said Raymondyn fader in god my entencion is to go thether and to yelde my selfe there hermyte for to praye god that it please hym to gyue allegeaunce to my lady my wyfe . Now fayre sone sayd the pope with the holy ghost may ye go / and al that ye shall do with good wyll I remysse it to your penaunce . And thanne Raymondyn kneled and kyssed the popes fete / & the pope gaue hym his benedyecyon . Then Raymondyn departed and rode soo longe tyll he came to Thoulouse / and there he gaue lycence to all his meyne to departe and retourne excepte onely a chapelayne and a clerke that he toke with him / and wel and truely he payed euery one so that they were contente / but sory they were all of their mayster that so departed fro them / and he sent lettres to Geffray and to the barons of his lande that they sholde do theyr hommage to his sone Geffray and receyue him for theyr lorde . And his meyne toke the lettres and soo they departed fro theyr lorde with grete sorowe and heuynes / for he neuer tolde them what waye he sholde take but wete it he hadde with hym goodes ynough / and dyde so moche that he came to Nerbonne where he rested hym a lytel space of ●yme

HEre sheweth the hystorye that whan Raymondin was come to Nerbon he dyde do make many hermyte habytes ▪