The Book of Huon De Bordeaux

John Bourchier, Lord Berners The Book of Huon de Bordeaux. Adapted from French Sources, 1525–1533 Printed by Wynkyn de Worde 1534 Second edition in 1570, now lost Third edition by Thomas Purfoot, 1601 Critical edition by S. L. Lee for the Early English Text Society, 1882–1887 Huon, the young Duke of Bordeaux, has been summoned to do his feudal service to his liege lord, Charlemagne. On his way to Paris, he has killed Charlot, Charlemagne’s oldest son, who had ambushed him, seduced by Amaury, a treacherous lord. Charlemagne orders Huon to be killed, but on the strident urging of all his lords he remits the capital punishment and replaces it with an impossible quest: Huon must go to Babylon (Old Cairo) and defy the Admiral (Amir) of Babylon by kissing his daughter four times in the presence of her father, removing the Admiral’s beard and four great teeth, and taking them back to Charlemagne as a peace offering. As the story below begins, Huon, Garyn his uncle, and their entourage have embarked for the Holy Land from Brindisi, a port in southeastern Italy. LO R D B E R N E R S H U O N D E B O R D EA U 1 Chapter 21. How Huon of Bordeaux departed from Brindisi and Garyn have brought you to the Red Sea.” his uncle with him, and how he came to Jerusalem and from those in “Sirs,” quod Huon, “of the great service and courtesy that ye offer to the deserts, whereas he found Gerames, and of their devises. me I thank you.” Then Garyn called two of his servants and commanded them to return to his wife and to desire her to be of W H E N H U O N A N D G A R Y N were entered into their ship, they lift up good cheer and that shortly he would return, the which thing they their sails and sailed night and day, so that they arrived safely at the did and returned and did their message. When Huon understood that port of Jaffa. Then they took land and drew out their horses, and his uncle Garyn was disposed to abide with him, he said, “Fair uncle, rode forth. So the same day they came to Ramla and the next day to ye shall not need to trail so much2. I would counsel you to return to the city of Jerusalem. That night they rested, and the next day they your wife and children.” did their pilgrimage to the Holy Sepulchre, and there devoutly heard “Sir,” quod Garyn, “an3 God will, I shall not leave you no day till mass and offered according to their devotion. When Huon came ye return yourself.” before the Holy Sepulchre he kneeled down on his bare knees and, “Uncle,” quod Huon, “I thank you of your courtesy.” all weeping, made his prayers to our Lord God, requiring him to aid Thus they went to their lodging and dined and after dinner took and comfort him in his voyage, so that he might return again into their horses and so rode by hills and dales, so that if I should recount France and to have peace with King Charlemagne. And when they all all the adventures that they found in their way, it should be too long had made their prayers and offered, Huon and Garyn went into a a process to show it. But as the true story witnesseth, they suffered little chapel upon the mount of Calvary whereas now lieth Godfrey much pain and travail, for they passed such deserts whereas they of Boulogne, and Baudouin his brother1. found but small sustenance, whereof Huon was right sorrowful for Then Huon called to him all those that came with him out of the love of them that were with him and began to weep and to France and said, “Sirs, ye that for the love of me have left fathers and remember his own country, saying, “Alas, noble king of France, great mothers, wives and children and lands and seigneuries, of this wrong and great sin ye have done, thus to drive me out of my courtesy that ye have showed me I thank you. Now ye may return country and to send me into strange countries, to the intent to short into France and recommend me to the King’s good grace and to all my days. I pray to God pardon you thereof.” the other barons, and when ye come to Bordeaux, recommend me to Then Garyn and other knights comforted him and said, “Ah, sir, the duchess my mother and to Gerard my brother and to the lords of dismay you not for us. God is puissant enough to aid us. He never my country.” faileth them that loveth him.” Then Guichard and all the other knights answered Huon and said, Thus they rode forth in the desert so long till at last they saw a “Sir, as yet we will not leave you, neither for death nor life, till we little cottage, before the which sat an old ancient man with a long white beard and his hair hanging over his shoulders. When Huon perceived him he drew thither and saluted the old man in the name 1Godfrey of Boulogne (or, as some insist, of Bouillon) was the leader of the First Crusade and, from 1099, the ruler of the Kingdom of Jerusalem. His brother Baudouin (often Baldwin) succeeded him in 1100 and took the title 2to trail so much: accompany me any farther of King. 3an: if 2 LO R D B E R N E R S H U O N D E B O R D EA U X of God and of the Blessed Virgin Saint Mary. Then the ancient man Sevin my father is dead seven year past. My mother I trust be alive lift up his eyes and beheld Huon and had great marvel, for of a great and a brother of mine whom I had left with her. And now, sir, sen ye season before he had seen no man that spake of God. Then he beheld have heard of mine affairs, I require you give me your counsel and Huon in the visage and began sore to weep. Then he stepped to advice and also, if it please you, to show me what ye be and of what Huon and took him by the leg and kissed it more than twenty times. country and how ye came into these parts.” “Friend,” quod Huon, “I require you show me why ye make this “Sir,” quod the old man, “know for truth I was born in Girondelle sorrow.” and brother to the good Provost Guyer. When I departed thence I “Sir,” quod he, “a thirty year past I came hither, and sen1 that time was a young knight and haunted the jousts and tourneys, so that on I never saw man believing on the Christian faith, and by the a day it fortuned at a tourney that was made at Poitiers I slew a regarding of your visage causeth me to remember a noble prince that knight of a noble blood, wherefore I was banished out of the realm I have seen in France who was called Duke Sevin of Bordeaux. of France. But my brother the Provost made such a request to Duke Therefore I require you show me if ever ye saw him. I pray you hide Sevin your father that by his means my peace was made with the it not from me.” king, and my land saved, on the condition that I should go a “Friend,” quod Huon, “I pray you show me where ye were born, pilgrimage to the Holy Sepulchre to pray for the soul of the knight and of what lineage and country ye be of.” that I slew and to forgive my sins. Thus I departed out of my country, “Nay, sir,” quod he, “that will I not do first. Ye shall show me what and when I had done my voyage I thought to have returned, but as ye be, and where ye were born, and why ye come hither.” I departed out of the city of Jerusalem to take the way to Acre, “Friend,” quod Huon, “sen it please you to know, I shall show passing by a wood between Jerusalem and Nablus, there came upon you.” Then Huon and all his company alighted and tied their horses me a ten Saracens, who took me and brought me to the city of to trees. Babylon, whereas I was in prison two year complete, whereas I When Huon was alighted, he sat down by the old man and said, suffered much poverty and misery. But our Lord God, who never “Friend, sen ye will know my business, I shall show you. Know for faileth them that serveth him and have in him full affiance, he sent truth, I was born in the city of Bordeaux and am the son to Duke me the grace that by the means of a right noble lady I was brought Sevin.” Then Huon showed him all his whole case and enterprise and out of prison in a night, and so I fled into this forest, whereas I have of the death of Charlot and how he discomfited Earl Amaury and been this thirty year, and in all this space I never saw nor heard man how that Charlemagne had chased him out of France and of the believing on Jesu Christ.

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