have peace with king Charlemaine. And when they all had made their prayers and offered, Huon and Garyn went into a little chapell upon the mount of Calverye, whereas nowe lyeth the bodies of Godfrey of Bullen, and Bauldwin his brother. There Huon called unto him all those that came with him out of France, and said, "Sirs, you that for the love of mee have left your fathers and mothers, wives and children, lands and signiories, for this courtesie that you have shewed mee I thanke you. Now you may returne into Fraunce againe, and humbly recommend mee to the kinges good grace, and unto all the other barons: and when you come to Bourdeaux, do my dutie to the Duchesse my mother, and to Gerard my brother, and unto the lords of my countrey." Then Guicard and all the other knights answeared Huon and said, "Sir, as yet we will not leave you, neither for death nor life, untill we have brought you unto the Red Sea."-" Why then," quoth Huon, "for the great service and curtesie that you offer mee I thanke you." Then Garyn called two of his servants, and commaunded them to returne unto his wife, and to desire her to be of good cheere, and that shortly he would returne; the which thing they did, and returned and did their messuage.

When Huon understood that his uncle Garyn was disposed to abide with him, he sayd, "Faire uncle, you shall not neede to travaile so much; I would councell you to returne unto your wife and children."—"Sir," quoth Garyn, "and God will I shall not leave you no day untill you returne yourselfe." -"Uncle," quoth Huon, "I thanke you of your courtesie.”

Then they went to their lodging and dyned, and after dinner tooke their horses, and so road by hils and dales, so that if I should recount all the adventures that they found in their way, it should be too long a processe to shew it: but as the true historie witnesseth, they suffered much paine and travaile, for they passed such deserts, whereas they found but small sustenance, whereof Huon was right sorrowfull for the love of them that were with him, and began to weepe, and to remember his

owne countrey, saying, "Alas, noble king of Fraunce, great wrong and great sinne you have done me, thus to drive me out of my countrey, and to send mee into a strange land, to the entent to shorten my dayes: I pray God to pardon you therefore." Then Garyn and the other knights comforted him, and said, “Alas, sir, dismay you not for us; God is puissant ynough to ayd us; hee never fayleth them that loveth him."

a

Thus they road forth in the desert so long, untill at last they saw a little cottage, before the which sat an old ancient man with a long white beard, and his heare hanging over his shoulders. When Huon perceived him, he drew thether, and saluted the olde man in the name of God and of the blessed Virgin Marie. Then the ancient man lifted up his eyes and beheld Huon, and had great marvaile, for of long season before, he had seene no man that spake of God. Then he beheld Huon in the face, and began sore to weepe, and stepping unto Huon, tooke him by the leg, and kissed it more then twentie times. "Freend," quoth Huon, "I desire you shew me why you make this sorrow."-" Sir," quoth he, "about thirtie yeares passed I came hether, and since that time, I never sawe man beleeving on the Christian faith, and now the regarding of your visage causeth me to remember a noble prince that I have seene in France, who was called Duke Sevin of Bourdeaux ; therefore I require you shew me if ever you saw him; I pray you not hide it from me."-"Freend," quoth Huon, "I pray you shew me where you were borne, and of what lineage and countrey you be of."-" Nay, sir," quoth he, "that will I not doe; first you shal shew me what you be, and where you were borne, and why you come hether."-" Freend," quoth Huon," seeing it pleaseth you to know, I shall shew you." Then Huon and all his companye alighted, and tyed theyr horses to trees.

When Huon was alighted, he sat downe by the old man, and said, "Freend, since you will needes know my businesse, I shall shew you: know for truth I was borne in the citie of Bourdeaux, and am son to Duke Sevin." And Huon shewed

him all his whole case and enterprize, and of the death of Charlot, and how he discomfited Earle Amerie, and howe that Charlemaine hadde chaced him out of Fraunce, and of the messuage that he was charged to say unto the admirall Gaudise, affirming alle to be for certaintie. When the oulde man hadde well heard Huon, he began soore to weepe. 66 Sir," quoth Huon, "Since it pleaseth you to know of my sorrowe, Duke Sevin my father is dead seaven yeares past, my mother I trust be alive, and a brother of mine whome I have left with her. And nowe, sir, seeing you have heard of mine affaires, I require you give me your counsaile and advice, and also, if it please you, to shew me what you be, and of what countrey, and how you came into these parts. "Sir," quoth the old man, "know for troth I was borne in Geronvill, and am brother to the good provost Guyer; and when I departed thence, I was a young knight and haunted the justes and tourneys, so that on a daie it fortuned at a tourney that was made at Poytiers, I slew a knight of a noble bloud, wherefore I was banished out of the realme of Fraunce. But my brother the provost made such a request to Duke Sevin your father, that by his meanes my peace was made with the king, and my land saved, upon condition that I should goe to the Holy Sepulchre to punish my bodie for the knight that I slew, and to forgive my faults. Thus I departed out of my countrey, and when I had done my voyage, I thought to have returned, but as I departed out of the citie of Jerusalem, to take the way to Acres, passing by a wood between Jerusalem and Naples, there came upon me ten Sarazins, who tooke me and brought me to the citie of Babilon, whereas I was in prison two yeares complet, whereas I suffered much povertie and miserie; but our Lord God, who never fayleth them that serveth him, and have in him full affiance, he sent me the grace, that by the meanes of a right noble ladie, I was brought out of prison in a night, and so I fled into this forrest, whereas I have beene this thirtie yeares, and in all this space I never saw nor heard

man beleeving in Jesus Christ: thus I have shewed you all mine affaires."

When Huon had heard the knights tale, he had great joy, and embraced him, and saide, "Howe often times he had seene Guyer his brother the Provost weepe for him, and when I departed from Bourdeaux," quoth he, "I delivered unto him all my lands to governe; wherefore I require you shew mee your name.' "Sir," quoth he, "I am called Gerames, and

66

66

now I show me your name.” pray you Sir," quoth he, "I am named Huon, and my younger brother is called Gerard. But, sir, I pray you shew me how you have so long lived heere, and what sustenance you have had." Sir," quoth Gerames, "I have eaten none other thing but rootes and fruites that I have found in the wood." Then Huon demaunded of him if he could speake the language Sarazin.” "Yes, sir," quoth he, "as well or better then any Sarazin in the countrey, nor there is no way but that I know it."

When Huon had heard Gerames, then he demaunded further of him if he could goe to Babilon. "Yes, sir," quoth Gerames, "I can goe thether by two wayes; the most surest way is hence about fortie days journey, and the other is but fifteene dayes journey: but I councell you to take the longe

way, for if you take the shorter way, you must passe thorow

a wood about sixteene leagues of length, but the way is so full of the fayryes and strang things, that such as passe that way are lost, for in that wood abideth a king of the fayryes named Oberon; he is of height but of three foote, and crooked shouldered, but yet he hath an angell-like visage, so that there is no mortal man that seeth him, but that taketh great pleasure to behold his face; and you shall no sooner be entred into that wood, if you go that way, but he wil find the meanes to speake with you, and if you speake unto him, you are lost shall ever and you find him before you, so that it shall be in manner impossible that you can scape from him

for

ever,

without speaking to him, for his words be so pleasant to heare, that there is no mortall man that can well scape without speaking unto him. And if he see that you will not speake a word unto him, then he will be sore displeased with you, and before you can get out of the wood, he will cause raine and wind, hayle and snowe, and will make marvelous tempests, with thunder and lightenings, so that it shall seeme unto you that all the world should perish, and he will make to seeme before you a great running river blacke and deepe, but you may passe it at your ease, and it shall not wet the feet of your horse, for all is but fantasie and enchauntments that the dwarfe shall make to the entent to have you with him, and if you can keepe yourselfe without speaking unto him, you may then well escape. But, sir, to eschew all perils, I councell you to take the longer way, for I thinke you cannot escape from him, and then you be lost for ever."

When Huon had well heard Gerames, he had great marvaile, and he had great desire in himselfe to see that dwarfe king of the fayryes, and the strang adventures that were in that wood. Then he said unto Gerames that for feare of any death hee would not leave to passe that way, seeinge hee might come to Babilon in fifteene dayes, for in taking the longer way, hee might perchaunce find more adventures, and since he was advertised that with keeping his tongue from speaking he might abridge his journey he sayd that surely he would take that way whatsoever chaunce befell. "Sir," quoth Gerames, "you shall doe your own pleasure, for which way soever you take, it shall not be without me, I shall bring you to Babilon to the admirall Gaudise: I knowe him right well, and when you bee come thether, you shall see there a damsell, as I have heard say, the most fairest creature in all Inde, and the onely and most sweetest and most courteous that ever was borne, and it is shee that you seeke, for shee is daughter to the admirall Gaudise."