Torrent of Portyngale

Knights and knighthood -- Poetry; Romances, English

For s{ir} Torent the fend did faƚƚ,
  Gret lordys honoured hym~ aƚƚ
    And for a doughty knyght hym~ tase;
  The kyng said: ‘I vnderstond,
  Thou hast fought ffor my dought{er}
        & my lond,                           f. 98b.    1335
    And weƚƚ wonne her thou hase.’
  He gaue to s{aint} Nycholas de Barr~
  A grett Erldome and a {si}marr~                      [1340]
    That abbey of hym {tas}
  For I{es}us love, moch of myght,                      1340
  That hym helpith day & nyght,
    Whan~ he to the batteƚƚ {gas}.

    [Linenotes:
    1337. _saint_] _sir_ MS.
    1338. _simarr{e}_] _marr_ MS.
    1339. _tas_] _redith_ MS.
    1342. _gas_] _yode_ MS.]

(116)

  [Sidenote:
  and the Queen is glad. The King of Portugal bids Torrent wait 6
  months and a day for Desonell.]

  Lordys than~ at the laste,
  Echone on theyre way paste,
    And euery man~ to his.                              1345
  The quene of Portingale was ffayn~,
  That s{ir} Torent was com agayn~
    And thankyd god of this.                           [1350]
  Than said the kyng: ‘I vnderstond,
  Thou hast fought for my dought{er} & my lond,         1350
    And art my ward, i-wys,
  And I wyƚƚ not ageyn~ the say;
  But abyde halfe yere and a day,
    And broke her weƚƚ with blis!’

[Headnote: TORRENT BEGETS TWINS ON DESONELL.]

(117)

  [Sidenote:
  Torrent passes a night with Desonell.]

  Torent said: ‘So muste I the,                         1355
  Sith it wyƚƚ no better be,
    I cord with that assent!’
  After mete, as I you teƚƚ,                           [1360]
  To speke with mayden~ Desoneƚƚ,
    To her chamber he went.                             1360
  The damyseƚƚ so moche of pride
  Set hym on~ her bed-syde,
    And said: ‘Welcom~, verament!’
  Such gestenyng he a-right,
  That there he dwellid aƚƚ nyȝt~                       1365
    With that lady gent.                         f. 99a.

(118)

  [Sidenote:
  The King of Norway begs him to come and fight a Giant there.]

  Sir Torent dwellid thare
  Twelffe wekys and mare,                              [1370]
    Tiƚƚ letters com hym tiƚƚ
  Fro the kyng of Norway;                               1370
  For I{es}us love he did hym p{r}aye,
    Yf it were his wyƚƚ,
  He shold com as a doughty knyght,
  With a Geaunt for to ffyght,
    That wyƚƚ his londys spyƚƚ;                         1375
  He wold hym yeve his doughter dere
  And halfe Norway ffar and nere,
    Both be hold and be hyƚƚ.                          [1380]

[Headnote: TORRENT SAILS TO FIGHT A NORWEGIAN GIANT.]

(119)

  [Sidenote:
  Torrent gives all his land to the King for Desonell;]

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

Opening the text

General

Torrent of Portyngale

Knights and knighthood -- Poetry; Romances, English

For s{ir} Torent the fend did faƚƚ,
  Gret lordys honoured hym~ aƚƚ
    And for a doughty knyght hym~ tase;
  The kyng said: ‘I vnderstond,
  Thou hast fought ffor my dought{er}
        & my lond,                           f. 98b.    1335
    And weƚƚ wonne her thou hase.’
  He gaue to s{aint} Nycholas de Barr~
  A grett Erldome and a {si}marr~                      [1340]
    That abbey of hym {tas}
  For I{es}us love, moch of myght,                      1340
  That hym helpith day & nyght,
    Whan~ he to the batteƚƚ {gas}.

    [Linenotes:
    1337. _saint_] _sir_ MS.
    1338. _simarr{e}_] _marr_ MS.
    1339. _tas_] _redith_ MS.
    1342. _gas_] _yode_ MS.]

(116)

  [Sidenote:
  and the Queen is glad. The King of Portugal bids Torrent wait 6
  months and a day for Desonell.]

  Lordys than~ at the laste,
  Echone on theyre way paste,
    And euery man~ to his.                              1345
  The quene of Portingale was ffayn~,
  That s{ir} Torent was com agayn~
    And thankyd god of this.                           [1350]
  Than said the kyng: ‘I vnderstond,
  Thou hast fought for my dought{er} & my lond,         1350
    And art my ward, i-wys,
  And I wyƚƚ not ageyn~ the say;
  But abyde halfe yere and a day,
    And broke her weƚƚ with blis!’

[Headnote: TORRENT BEGETS TWINS ON DESONELL.]

(117)

  [Sidenote:
  Torrent passes a night with Desonell.]

  Torent said: ‘So muste I the,                         1355
  Sith it wyƚƚ no better be,
    I cord with that assent!’
  After mete, as I you teƚƚ,                           [1360]
  To speke with mayden~ Desoneƚƚ,
    To her chamber he went.                             1360
  The damyseƚƚ so moche of pride
  Set hym on~ her bed-syde,
    And said: ‘Welcom~, verament!’
  Such gestenyng he a-right,
  That there he dwellid aƚƚ nyȝt~                       1365
    With that lady gent.                         f. 99a.

(118)

  [Sidenote:
  The King of Norway begs him to come and fight a Giant there.]

  Sir Torent dwellid thare
  Twelffe wekys and mare,                              [1370]
    Tiƚƚ letters com hym tiƚƚ
  Fro the kyng of Norway;                               1370
  For I{es}us love he did hym p{r}aye,
    Yf it were his wyƚƚ,
  He shold com as a doughty knyght,
  With a Geaunt for to ffyght,
    That wyƚƚ his londys spyƚƚ;                         1375
  He wold hym yeve his doughter dere
  And halfe Norway ffar and nere,
    Both be hold and be hyƚƚ.                          [1380]

[Headnote: TORRENT SAILS TO FIGHT A NORWEGIAN GIANT.]

(119)

  [Sidenote:
  Torrent gives all his land to the King for Desonell;]

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

Torrent of Portyngale

Torrent of Portyngale

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