Aftyrward uppon a tyd,

Ase the went be the watyres syd,

The kyng and yong Torrent,

The kyng wold fayne that he wer ded,
And hym wyst in what maner,

How he schuld be schent.

A false lettyr mad the kyng,
And dyd messengyres forthe yt bryng,

On the rever ase they went,

To Torrent trew ase stylle,
Yf he love Desonelle wylle,

Get her a facon jent.

Torrent the letter began to red,
The kyng lestyned and nere yed,

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Ase he yt nevyr ad syne.

Syr," he seyd, "what may thys be? Loo, lord, come ner and see,

Abowght a facon schene.

"I ne wot, so God me sped, In what lond they ne bred."

The kyng answerd, I wene, "In the forrest of Maudlen, Ther be hawkes, ase I herd seyne,

That byn of lenage gene."

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And than seyd the kyng ontrew,
"Yf thow get hawkys of gret valew,
Bryng on of them to me.”
Torrent seyd, "So God me save!

Yf yt betyd that I may have,
At yowr wylle they schal be."

Hys squyeres bode he ther,
Aftyr hys armor for to far,

In the fyld byddythe he.
They armyd hym in hys wed,
Tho he bestrod another sted,
And forthe than rod hee.

Torrent toke the wey ageyn
Into the forest of Mawdleyn,
In the wyldsome way;
Berrys he sawe stondyng,
And wyld bestes ther goyng,

Gret lyonys ther he fond.

In a wod that wase thyke,

Yt drew nerehand nyght,

And in the dawnyng of the day; Harkyn, lordes, what I schalle sey, He and hys squyer partyd they,

Carfulle they were that day.

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At the schedyng of a rome,
Eche partyd other frome,

Forsothe, ase I undyrstond;

Torrent toke a dulful wey,

Downe in a depe valey,
Besyd a welle strong.

A lytylle before mydnyght,
Of a dragon he had syght,

That grysly wase to syght;
He had hym nowght to were,
But hys schyld and his spere,

That wase in hys squyeres hond.

Torrent knelyd on hys kne,

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To Jeshu Cryst prayd he,

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Lord, mykylle of myght!

Syne I wase in meche care,

Let me nevvyr owt of hys world fare,
Tylle I have or take other of knyght.

"Ase I ame falsely hether sent, Wyldsom weyes have I went,

With fyndes for to fyght. Now, Jeshu, for thy holy name, Ase I ame but man alone,

Than be my helpe to nyght!"

540

Ase Torrent Jeshu gan pray,
He herd the dragon ther he lay,
Undyrnethe a colwd,

Of an on he wase stronge,

Hys tayle wase vij. yerdes long,
That aftyr hyme he drewe.

Hys wyngges was long and wyght;
To the chyld he toke a flyght,

With an howge swayne;

Had he nether schyld me spere,

But prayd to God he schold hyme were,
For he wase in dred i-nowthe.

On the tayle an hed ther wase,
That byrnyd bryght as anny glase,
In fyer whan he was dyght;
Abowght the schyld he lappyd yt ther,
Torrent the bowght asondyr schere,
Thurrow the grace of God almyght

As the boke of Rome tellythe,
Of hys taylle he cut iiij. elles,

With hys swerd so bryght.

Than cryed the lothely thyng,
That alle the dalle began to ryng,

That the gyant hard wyght.

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The gyant seyd, "I undyrstond
There ys sum Crystyn man nere hond,

My dragon here I cry.

By him that schope bothe watyr and lond!
Alle that I can se before me stond,

Dere schalle they abye.

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"Me thynkythe I here my dragon schowt, I deme ther be some dowghtty man hym abowght,

Be the gyant wase redy dyght,
Torrent had slayne the dragon ryght;

Thus gan God hyme scheld.

To the mownteyne he toke the wey,
To rest hyme alle that day,

He had mystyr to be kyllyd.

Tylle the day began to spryng,
Fowllys gan myrré to syng,

Bothe in frethe and in feld.

Leve we now of Torrent there,

And speke we of thys squyer more,

Jeshu hys sole fro helle schyld!

с

580