[Headnote: TORRENT COMES ON 2 DRAGONS IN A VALLEY.]

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[Sidenote: The King of Norway wants Torrent to come.]

'Sir kyng, ye haue youre selfe 1470 Erlis {doughty be} ten~ or twelfe, Better know I none: Send youre messingeris ffar and wyde, For to ffell the geaunt{es} pride, That youre doughter hath tane.' 1475 'I had lever to haue that knyght; With hym~ is grace of G.o.d allmy?t~, To be here at his bane.' [1480]

Full litull wist that riche kyng Of s{ir} Torrent{es} ryding 1480 In the forest all alone.

[Linenotes: 1471. _doughty be_] om. MS.

1476. _that_] _ky_, struck out, add. MS.]

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[Sidenote: Torrent rides up to 2 Dragons.]

Thorou? helpe of G.o.d that w{i}t{h} hym was, Fro the wyld bestis gan~ he pa.s.se To an hye hyll.

A litull while be-fore the day 1485 He herd in a valey A dynnyng and a yell. [1490]

Theder than~ riduth he, To loke, what thing it my?t be, What adventure tha{re} be-fell. 1490 It were two dragons stiff and strong, Vppon~ theyre lay they sat and song, Be-side a depe well.

[Linenote: 1490. _thare_] _that_ MS.]

(129)

[Sidenote: Torrent prays to Christ, spears the first Dragon;]

Sir Torent said thanne To G.o.d, that made man~ f. 101a. 1495 And died uppon~ a tree: 'Lord, as thou mayst all weld, [1500]

Yeve me grace, to wyn~ the feld Of thes ffendys on{fre}!'

Whan he had his p{r}ayers made, 1500 Pertely to hem~ he Rade And one thorou? oute bare he.

Thus sped the knyght at his comyng Thorough the helpe of hevyn~ kyng: Lord, lovid muste thou be! 1505

[Linenotes: 1499. _onfre_] _ontrewe_ MS.

1502. _he bare_ MS.]

[Headnote: TORRENT KILLS THE 2 DRAGONS, AND SEES A CASTLE.]

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[Sidenote: and then kills the second.]

The other dragon wold not flee, . . . . .

But sho{w}ith all his myght; [1510]

He smote ffire, that lothely thing, As it were the lightnyng, Vppon~ that comly knyght. 1510 There fore s{ir} Torent wold not lett, But on~ the dragon) fast~ he bett And over-come that foule wight.

Tho anon the day sp.r.o.ng, Fowles Rose, mery they song, 1515 The sonne a-Rose on hy?{t}.

[Linenotes: 1507. _shot.i.th_ MS.

1516. _hy?e_ MS.]

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[Sidenote: He sees a Castle.]

Torent of the day was full blithe, [1520]

And of the valey he did hym~ swith, As fast as euer he may.

To a mowntayn~ he rode ryght, 1520 Of a castell he had a sight With towrys hy?e and gay . . . . . .

He come in to an hy?e strete, Few folke gan~ he mete, To wis hym~ the way. 1525

[Linenote: 1525. _wish_ MS.]

[Headnote: TORRENT BEFORE THE NORSE GIANT'S CASTLE.]

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[Sidenote: Torrent rides to the Norse Giant's castle gates.]

To the gatys tho he R{a}de; Full craftely they were made f. 101b.

Of Irun~ and eke of tree. [1531]

One tre stonding there he ffond: Nyne oxen~ of that lond 1530 Shold not drawe the tre.

The Giaunt wrought vp his w{a}ll And laid stonys gret and small: A lothely man~ was he.

'Now,' quod Torrent, 'I {n}ot, whare, 1535 My squiers be ffro me to fare, Euer waried th{ey} be! [1540]

[Linenotes: 1526. _rode_ MS.

1529. _ffound_ MS.

1532. _welle_ MS.

1535. _wot_ MS.

1537. _they_] _thou_ MS.]

(133)

[Sidenote: He considers what he shall do, and resolves to fight.]

'Lord G.o.d, what is beste, So I{es}u me helpe, Est or Weste, I Can not Rede to {say}. 1540 Yf I to the shipp fare, No shipmen~ ffynd {I} thare; It is long, sith they were away.

Other wayes yf I wend, Wyld bestis wyll me shend: 1545 Falshede, woo worth it aye!

I ffyght here, I{es}u, for thy sake; [1560]

Lord, to me kepe thou take, As thou best may!'

[Linenotes: 1540. _say_] _done_ MS.

1542. _And no_ MS.

_I_] om. MS.]

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[Sidenote: He baits his steed. The Norse Giant prepares to fight.]

Down~ light this gentill knyght, 1550 To Rest hym~ a litull wight, And vnbrydelid his stede And let hym~ bayte on~ the ground, And aventid hym~ in~ that stound, There of he had gret nede. 1555 The Gyaunt yode and gaderid stone And sye, where the knyght gan~ gone, [1570]

All armed in dede; f. 102a.

And wot ye well and not wene, Whan eyther of hem had other sene, 1560 Smertely {they} rerid her dede.

[Linenotes: 1553. _bayte_] _hym_ add. MS.