OF THE MANNER AND CONDITIONS OF HOUNDS 43

Clodoveus’ son of France was before him with
a great fellowship of men of arms for to ravish

and his wif, pe Kyng Claudoneus sone of Fraunce
was byfore hem wip a greet felouship of mene of
armes for to ravissh his wif frohym. The Kyng
Apollo of Lyonnys pat was a wonderfull good
knyght of his houndis, natwithstondyng pat he
was vnarmed, defended hym and his wif in pe
best wise pat he myght into pe tyme pat he was
wounded to pe deep, pan he wipdrewe hymsilf and
his wif into a toure, and pe Kyng Claudoneus
sone pe whiche wold not leue pe lady, went inne
and toke pe lady and wold have defoilled hure.
And pan she saide to hem, 3e han slayn my lord
and 3e wil dishonre me, certes I had leuere be dede
pan she drewe hureself vnto a wyndowe and lepe
in to pe revere of Leire pan ranne vndir pe toure
and anoon she was dreynt. And after pat wipin
a litel while, the Kyng Apollo of Lyonnys died
of his woundes pat he had resceyued, and pe same
day he was cast into pe Ryuere. The greihounde
pat I haue spoke of pe whiche alwaye was wip pe
Kyng his mayster, whan pat cast was in pe Ryuere
his lord lepe he aftur in to be Reuere, in so mooche
pat wip his teethe he drowe his lord out of pe
ryuere, and made a greet pitte wip his clees in pe
beest wise pat he my3t and wip his mosell. And
so pe greyhonde alway kept his lord about half
a yer in the pitt and kept his lord from alle maner
beestis and fowles, and 3if eny man aske wherof
he lyued, I say pat he lyued wip caraynes and of
oper fedyng soche as he my3t come to. So it
befelle pat pe King Claudoneus of Fraunce rode
to se pe estate of his Reaume and by felle pat
pe King passed perby as the greihounde was, and
kept his lord and his mayster, and pe greihounde
roos a3enyst hym and byganne to 3elle vpon hym.
The Kyng Claudoneus of Fraunce pe whiche was
a good man and a perceyuing anon whan he seegh
pe greyhounde, knewe pat it was the greihounde
pat be Kyng Apollo of Lyonys had ybrou3t to
his court, whereof he had gret wonder. And he
went hymself pere as the greihounde was and
segh pe pitte, And pan he made of his men
ali3te from her horses for to loke what was perinne,
And per pei founde the Kyng Apollo body alle
hool, and anoon as pe Kyng Claudoneus of Fraunce
seye hym anon he knew pat it was pe Kyng Apollo
of Lyonys, and pereof was ryght sory and sore
agreuyd and ordeyned a crye porgh alle his reame
pat ho so wolde telle hym pe sothe of pat dede he
wold 3eue hym what he wolde ask, pan came ther
a damesel pat was in pe towre whan pe Kyng
Apollo of L ded :
pollo of Lyonys was ded, And bus she said
to Kyng Claudoneus of Fraunce, Sir, quod she, if
ye wil graunte me a bone pat I shal aske and
sewre me to haue it afore alle yowre men, I shal

shewe you hym pat hath do pe dede, And he

his wife from him. The King Appollo of Léonois
was a wonderful good knight of his hands, notwith-
standing that he was unarmed, defended himself
and his wife in the best wise that he could unto
the time that he was wounded to the death, then
he withdrew himself and his wife into a tower.
And the King Clodoveus’ son, the which would
not leave the lady, went in and took the lady,
and would have defiled her, and then she said
to him ‘“‘ Ye have slain my lord, and now ye would
dishonour me, certes I would sooner be dead,”
then she drew herself to a window and leapt into
the river of Loire that ran under the tower and
anon she was drowned. And after that within
a little while, the King Appollo of Léonois died
of his wounds that he had received, and on the
same day he was cast into the river. The greyhound
that I have spoke of, the which was always with
the king his master, when his lord was cast in the
river leapt after him into the river, insomuch that
with his teeth he drew his lord out of the river,
and made a great pit with his claws in the best
And so
the greyhound always kept his lord about half a

wise that he could, and with his muzzle.

year in the pit, and kept his lord from all manner
of beasts and fowls. And if any man ask whereof
he lived I say that he lived on carrion and other
So it befell that

the King Clodoveus of France rode to see the

food such as he might come to.

estate of his realm, and (it) befell that the king
passed there where the greyhound was that kept
his lord and master, and the greyhound arose
against him, and began to yelp at him. The King
Clodoveus of France the which was a good man
and of good perception, anon when he saw the
greyhound, knew that it was the greyhound that
King Appollo of Léonois had brought to his court,
whereof he had great wonder, and he went himself
there where the greyhound was and saw the pit,
and then he made some of his men alight from
their horses for to look what was therein, and
therein they found the King Appollo’s body all
whole. And anon as the King Clodoveus of France
saw him, he then knew him and that he was the
King Appollo of Léonois, whereof he was right
sorry and sore aggrieved, and ordained a cry through-
out all his realm, that whoso would tell him the
truth of the deed he would give him whatsoever
that he would ask. Then came a damsel that
was in the tower when the King Appollo of Léonois
had died, and thus she said to the King Clodoyveus
of France, “Sir,” quoth she, “if you will grant
me a boon that I shall ask and assure me to have
it, before all your men, I shall show you him that