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
Again, in the story of Myloun, in which «A», l. 2008 «et seq.», differs
from «F», we find «H» disagreeing from «F», 2734 «et seq.», and from
«A»:—
“Volez vo«us» queor de feme essaier «et» esprover
Del riche duc Milon vo«us» deverez remenbrer,
Qe tant nori Galans qe ly fist adouber,
Puys ly tolly sa feile Gabaen au vis cler,
L’enfes Marsilion en fist desherriter.—
Qu«an»t l’entent Floripas, du sens quida deueer.”—(«H», leaf 56.)
But in most cases in which «F» differs from «A», «H» agrees with «F».
Thus we find Ferumbras challenging only «six» French knights in «H»,
lf. 26, as in «F», 84, 105, instead of «twelve» in «A», l. 102.
In «A», l. 5204, Floripas, swooning away, is upheld by Oliver, whereas
in «F», 5373, and in «H», lf. 90, it is Guy who keeps her from falling.
For «Howel of saint Miloun», «A» 5574, we read «Huon de saint Lis» in
«F» 5792, and «Hugon de saint Lis» in «H», lf. 95, bk.
As in «F» 2912 it is to Berard that Roland speaks in «H», lf 57, bk.,
and not to Olyver, as in «A» 2234.
That Maubyn scales the walls by means of a ladder of leather («A» 2406)
is not mentioned in «F» 3061, nor in «H», lf. 59, bk.
In «A» 1386 Floripas gives Oliver, who is wounded, a warm draught,
which heals every wound; in «F» 2209, as well as in «H», lf. 51, it is
by a bit of the mandrake plant that he is healed.
The maid-attendant mentioned in «A» 1238 («chamberere») is a
man-attendant in «F» 2083 («chamberlenc») and in «H», lf. 49, bk.
(«chamberlayn»).
There is no trace of the additional lines of «A», ll. 4867–4875, to be
found in «H», lf. 86 bk., nor in «F», 5094.
Among the relics spoken of in «A», there is nowhere a mention made
of the «signe». In «H» we find the «signe» always mentioned [p-liv]
together with the crown and the nails, just as in «F». In the passage
quoted above from «H», lf. 100, and in the line which corresponds to
«F» 6094, we find «ensigne» instead of «signe»; but «ensigne» certainly
must be looked upon as a clerical blunder. In the other passages in
which we find “the winding sheet, or shroud, of the Lord” mentioned in
«H» it is also called «signe»:—
“Et rendrai la corone et le «signe» honore.”
«H», lf. 42 = «F», 1498; and «H», lf. 45, bk. = «F», 1805.
“Et les saintismes clowes et le «signe» honores.”—«H»,
lf. 57 = «F», 2829.
That the «signe» cannot be the “inscription of the cross” (cf.
«Introduction», p. xxx) is proved by an additional line of the Hanover
MS., in which the Archbishop is said to have covered the heads of the
French with the «signe»:—
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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