On these Frenche dogges, that bene here, to increase their Ye moste avenge me nowe. ardour, Thai have done me vilanye, Mikille of my people have thay slayn̄. 1016 And yet more-over thay manace me And drive me to my contrey agayn; Wherefore I wole at the bygynnynge ordered a solemn To Mahounde and to my goddis alle 1020 sacrifice to his gods, Make a solempne offerynge; The better shall it vs byfalle. The laste tyme thai were wrothe, We hade not done oure dute. 1024 Therefore to saye the southe” . . . . There were many hornys blowe, The preestes senden̄ thikke I-nowe Goolde, and silver thikke thai throwe, 1028 With noyse and crye thai beestes slowe, And thought to spede wel I-nowe; And every man his vowe he made To venge the Sowdan̄ of his tene. 1032 Here goddis of golde thai wex alle fade, The smoke so grete was hem bitwene. Whan alle was done, the Sowdan than Charged Ferumbras redy to be 1036 and charged Ferumbras On the morowe, ere day began, To ride oute of þat Cite With xxx^{ti} thousande of Assiens, to march with 30,000 Frigys, Paens and Ascoloynes, 1040 of his people Turkis, Indeis and Venysyens, Barbarens, Ethiopes and Macidoynes, “Bringe him to me, that proude kinge; against the Christian I shal him teche curtesye, 1044 King, whom he wished Loke that thou leve for nothinge to teach courtesy, To sle alle his other mayne, [leaf 26] and to slay Safe Rouland and Olyuere, all his men except That bene of grete renowne, 1048 Roland and Oliver, [p031 FERUMBRAS CHALLENGES 6 CHRISTIAN KNIGHTS TO SINGLE COMBAT.]