The Romaunce of the Sowdone of Babylone and of Ferumbras His Sone Who Conquerede Rome
General
The Romaunce of the Sowdone of Babylone and of Ferumbras His Sone Who Conquerede Rome
Charlemagne, Emperor, 742-814 -- Romances; English poetry -- Middle English, 1100-1500; Romances, English
“Sire, ce dist Rollans, chertes, tort en aves,
Car, par icel seigneur Ki Dix est appelés,
Je vauroie moult miex que fuissiés desmenbrés
Ke jou en baillasse armes ne ne fuisse adobés.
Hier quant paien nous vindrent à l’issue des gués
L. mile furent, à vers helmes jesmés,
Grans caus en soustenimes sur les escus bandés;
Oliviers mes compaigns i fu le jour navrés.
Tout fuissons desconfit, c’est fines verités,
Quant vous nous secourustes e vos riches barnés,
Et paien s’en tournerent les frains abandonnés.
Quant fumes repairié as loges et as trés,
Puis te vantas le soir, quant tu fus enivrés,
Que li viel chevalier c’avoies amené
L’avoient moult miex fait que li joule d’assés,
Assés en fui le soir laidement ramponés.”
(ll. 144–161.)
Compare also «Syr Ferumbras», ll. 144–163
p. 32, l. 1088. «of» = “on account of.”
p. 32, l. 1092. According to most of the old romances Roland was
invulnerable. He never lost any blood by a wound but on the occasion
when he was beaten by Charlemagne
“For trois goutes sans plus, quant Charles par irour
Le feri de son gant que le virent plousour.”
See «Histoire Poétique», p. 264.
The French text (ll. 166–170) runs as follows:
“Karles trait son gant destre, qui fu à or parés
Fiert le comte Rollant en travers sur le nés;
Après le caup en est li sans vermaus volés.
Rollans jete le main au branc qui est letrés;
Ja en ferist son oncle se il n’en fust ostés.”
p. 32, l. 1094. «abye», “to pay for, suffer for.” In Mod. Eng. «abye»
is corrupted into «abide». See Morris, Gloss. to «Chaucer» (Clarend.
Press), «s. v.» aboughte.
p. 32, l. 1096. Double negatives like «never none» are pretty common
in mediæval writers. Cf. in the «Sowdan», ll. 1876, 2181, 2199, 2279,
2305. [p115]
p. 32, l. 1103. «at one», “of one mind, agreement.” Cf. «King Horn»,
ed. Lumby, l. 925:
“At on he was wiþ þe king.”
Hence Mod. Eng. «atone», “to set at one, to reconcile.” See Zupitza’s
note to «Guy», l. 5308.
p. 32, l. 1106. «to make voydaunce», the same as to «voide», l. 1768 =
“to quit, to depart from, to get rid of.”
p. 32, l. 1110. «withoute more» = “without delay, immediately.” «more»
is O.E. «mâra», comparative to «micel»; it is not the Latin «more». See
Zupitza’s note to «Guy», l. 719.
p. 33, l. 1126. «renewed», “tied.” Fr. «renouer», from «nœud» = Lat.
«nodius». It is to be distinguished from «renewed» = “renovated,” which
occurs in l. 2200.
p. 32, l. 1128. «hidur» is spelt «hider» in ll. 810, 833, etc.
p. 32, l. 1135. «Generyse.» In the other versions Olyver calls himself
«Garin». See «Introduction» on p. xxxiii.
p. 32, l. 1141. «lerne», “to teach.” See Zupitza’s note to «Guy», l.
6352. «scole», O.E. «scôl», Mod. Eng. «school», means here “style, or
manner of fighting.” It must not be confounded with «schole», O.E.
«scolu», “troop, band,” Mod. Eng. «shoal». Cf. also «The Song of
Roland», 129/786.
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