Forthe he Rod, I vndyrstond, 600 Tyƚƚ he an hey wey fond, W{i}t{h}-owtyn~ any Del{ite}, Also fast ase he myght fare, Fore berrys and apys, þ{a}t ther w{a}re, Lest they wold hym byght. 605 The sone a-Rose and schone bryght, Of a castyƚƚ he had a syght, That wase bothe feyer~ and whyte . . . . [Linenotes: 602. _Delite_] _delay_ MS. 604. _were_ MS.] (54) [Sidenote: and is met by a Giant. The Giant cuts Torrent’s Squire into 4 quarters.] The gyant h{i}m se, & ny yed, And seyd: ‘Fellow, so god me sped, 610 Thow art welcom to me: f. 87b. What dost thow here in my forest?’ ‘Lord, to seke an hawkys nest, Yff yt yow{r} wyl be.’ ‘The be-hovythe to ley a wede.’ 615 To an oke he hym led: Gret Ruthe yt wase to se. In IIII q{uar}ter{es} he hym dr{o}we, And eu{er}y quarter vppon a bowe; Lord, soche weys toke hee! 620 [Linenotes: 609. _hem_ MS. 618. _drewe_ MS.] [Headnote: TORRENT IS ATTACKT BY THE GIANT ROCHENSE.] (55) [Sidenote: Torrent finds these,] Ase Torrent in~ the movnteyn~ dyd ly, Hym thowght, he hard a Reufuƚƚ cry; Gret fere ther hyme thowght. ‘Seynt Marre,’ seyd the chyld so f{re}, ‘Wher euyr~ my jentyƚƚ squyer~ myght be, 625 That I w{i}t{h} me to wod browght? On he dyd hys harnes a-geyne And worthe on hys sted, s{er}teyne, And thetherward he sowght. And wot yow wyƚƚ, I vndyrstond, 630 In fowre quartyr{es} he hym fownd, For other wyse wase yt nowght. [Linenotes: 624. _fre_] _fer_ MS. 630. _wot_] _w_ add. (!) MS.] (56) [Sidenote: and is attackt by this giant Rochense.] The gyant lenyd to a tre And be-hyld Torrent so free, For sothe, ase {I} yow seye. 635 Thys fend wase ferly to fyght, Rochense, seythe the boke, he hyght, Ther wase a dredfuƚƚ fraye. To the chyld than~ gan he smyght: ‘A theff, yeld the asttyt, 640 As fast as thow may!’ f. 88a. ‘What,’ seyd Torrent, ‘art thow wood? God, that Dyed on the Rood, Geff the evyƚƚ happe thys day!’ [Linenote: 635. _I_] om. MS.] [Headnote: TORRENT FIGHTS THE GIANT ROCHENSE.] (57) [Sidenote: Torrent’s steed is kild. He drives the Giant back] He Rawght Torrent soche a Rowght, 645 Hys stedd{es} brayne he smot owte, So mykyƚƚ he be-gan~. Torrent tho a good sped Ase fast a-bowte an eche {yede}; Ase swefte ase he myght, {he} R{a}n. 650 He gathyred svm of hys gere, Bothe hys schyld and hys spere; Nere hym yod he than~. Bacward than be a browȝ Twenty fote he gard hyme goo, 655 Thus erthe on hym he wane. [Linenotes: 649. _yede_] _went_ MS. 650. _he Ran_] _Ryne_ MS.]