the one was named Jehanne, and the other (born after) Marguerite. Soon after the deeds above set forth, in the year of the incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ, one thousand one hundred and eighty-four, died the good Philip Earl of Flanders of that time, and afterwards Baudoin, his son, was Earl of the said earldom. And there were held of him fourteen earldoms, as is said before. And Baudoin went to Paris to King Philip, and did him homage for ten of these earldoms, and the others he held them of the King of Allemaigne. And when he had thus done homage to the King, the King reasoned with him very softly, and said to him, "Baudoin, it is full time that you were married, for it behoves you to have a wife of high degree.

How Baudoin, Earl of Flanders, through his pride, refused to take to wife a daughter of the King of France, and then married the Devil.

"Sire," said Baudoin, "of that I have no desire, for without fail never shall I take wife if she be not as rich in lands as I am, and in silver and in possessions."

Then replied to him the Duke of Bourgoigne, who was there, "Baudoin, my sweet friend, you must then look for a wife a good while, for you will not find any under the sky so rich as you; but to one as nobly born you may be married. The King has a daughter beautiful and young. If you desire it we will speak of it to the King."

And Baudoin replied to him hotly, "By my faith I ask nothing of the sort; and I would not have her, not though she had larger possessions than myself."

The King, when he heard his answer, was much enraged thereat, notwithstanding he gave no sign of it. In that time came the Emperor of Constantinople to Paris, where he was greatly fêted.

How the Emperor of Constantinople came to Paris to ask of the King his daughter in marriage.

The Emperor of Constantinople came to Paris; and after that he had

been honourably received by the King of France, he said to him, "Sire, noble King, will you counsel me what I shall do, for the sons of Caquedant have formed enterprises against me, and of them am I in great doubt. And, Sire, for that I wish to marry, am I come to you to ask your daughter Beatrix; and I will espouse her willingly if it is your pleasure; and will make her Empress and lady of all my land. And I pray you, Sire, that you will not refuse me my request."

And the King replied to it, "Sire, you do me a great pleasure, and I grant it to you.'

And immediately the Emperor of Constantinople, whose name was Henri, was married; and the feast lasted a month. There was the Earl Baudoin of Flanders, who was much enraged that he had not taken her. But it was too late, for the Emperor of Constantinople, who had her in marriage, departed, and carried his said wife to Constantinople, where they were together full twelve years ere that they had a child, whereat they were grieved and sorrowful..

Now leave I the subject of the fair Empress of Constantinople, and turn I to Baudoin, Earl of Flanders, who, after that feast, departed from Paris.

How Baudoin, Earl of Flanders, departed from Paris and went to Noyon, with his barons; and how he married the Devil.

Baudoin, Earl of Flanders, took leave of the thrice-powerful and noble King of France, and went, he and his barons, into his city of Noyon, which at that time was held by him, and tarried there three days. And the fourth day he had a desire to go and hunt in the forests of Noyon, and he took his huntsmen, and his master of the hunt, and took in his hand a very strong spear, and also his dogs; and they found when they were in the forest, a boar, which was very great, strong, and black as a Moor. And when he heard the dogs, he took to flight, and the huntsmen pressed him hardly; but he slew four of the best dogs that were in the pack, whereat the Earl was much angered, and vowed to God he would never thence depart, till that he

had slain the boar. And the boar took from the wood, and fled to the wood of Mormay, and the Earl and his men went beyond the water of the Seigne. For he had already passed through the Vermendois, and the boar couched himself in a place where he thought to be at rest, in the forest, but the Earl followed him with his spear. And his men were yet at a great distance, for he was better mounted, and he got down, and took the spear in both his hands, and said to him, "Boar, turn yourself this way, for it behoves you to joust with the Earl of Flanders." Immediately the boar arose, and gnashed with teeth and throat against the Earl, and foamed at the mouth, and sallied from the place where he was, and dashed furiously against the Earl. But the Earl hit him strongly with his spear, which went into his chine; and he struck him to the ground and killed him; and he sat down on him, and remained there all pensive, and amazed that none of his people came to him; and the Earl sat in that place a long while. And when he had reposed some time, he looked all round him, and he saw a virgin approaching him, who rode all alone on a black palfrey, which went ambling on; and she was all alone. And immediately the Earl arose, and went before her, and seized her by the bridle, and said to her, "Lady, par dieu, you are well come." And the lady saluted him very sweetly, and the Earl of Flanders asked her, "Why, lady, do you go thus all alone without company?" And she replied to him very graciously, and said, "Sir, so God the Father, all powerful, wills it. I am daughter of a king in the Orient, who wished to marry me without my consent. But I swear, and to God make oath, that I will have no one for my husband but the richest Earl in Christendom. And so I parted from my father through his displeasure, and had a great company; but at present I have none, for I withdrew myself from them, for I doubted that they would carry me back to my father; and I have promised to God never to go to him again till I have found the Earl of Flanders, whom they have praised to me so much." And when the Earl looked on the damsel, he thought long on what she had said, and the countenance of the lady pleased him much, and he was greatly taken with her and with her love; and he

said to her, "Beautiful! I am the Earl of Flanders, whom you seek, and of that have no doubt; and I am the richest of all beneath the firmament; and I have fourteen earldoms at my command. And because that you have sought me, if it shall so please you, I will take you to wife." And the damsel, who of that had great joy, agreed to it, provided he was what he said. And the Earl said to her, "Lady, be in no doubt that I am the Earl of Flanders." And the Earl of Flanders was greatly angered that his people came not; and he asked of the damsel what was her name, and the name of her father, and whereof he was sovereign. And the lady replied to him, haughtily, that the name she had received in baptism was Helius. "But," said she," you shall not know the name of my father, for so am I commanded by God; and you shall cease to enquire it, for no otherwise must it be." And then the Earl of Flanders, who was tempted of the enemy, put the horn to his mouth, and blew it very loudly for his people. And first came to him the Lord of Valenciennes, Gualteir of St Omer, and much other people. And Henri of Valenciennes asked of him if he had taken nothing?

"Yes," said the Earl of Flanders, the most beautiful wild-boar in the world; and also God has presented to me this fair damsel whom ye see here, whom I desire to take to wife, if she will consent."

Then the Earl of Valenciennes looked at the damsel, who was dressed very grandly, and was mounted on a beautiful palfrey, so that finer there could not be. But for all that the Earl of Valenciennes blamed greatly the Earl of Flanders, who wished to take that damsel to wife, and said to him, "My Lord, how know you what she is? Peradventure she is some young girl who will yield herself for money. Sire, if it please you, you may keep her at your command as long as she shall please you, and then turn her away; for so high a lord as you ought to do things wisely. Cursed be your pride, for it is only lately that you refused the daughter of the noble King of France."

Then the Earl of Flanders said to Henri, Earl of Valenciennes, "Speak more wisely, for my heart is set on having her to wife, and speak on this subject no more, for I forbid you."

Then were his men much grieved. From that place departed the Earl of Flanders, and he took and carried the head of the boar, and went to Cambray, he and his people, and brought thither the damsel, and espoused her, and made his nuptials very honourably.

And

.. And soon after was she big of an infant, whom she bore nine months, and had a daughter who had the name of Jehanne in baptism; and then after that she had another daughter, who had the name of Marguerite, who was very richly endowed. that damsel raised up many great troubles in the fourteen years she reigned with Baudoyn, and caused many evils to the country, whereof the Earl had the blame. And it is true that that damsel went willingly to church, and heard the service up to the Sacrament; but never would she wait till the Sacrament was lifted, but went out from the church, whereat the people of the country spoke outrageously, and were much amazed.

How the Soldan Acquillan came before Constantinople to besiege it.

At that time the Emperor of Constantinople was in great fear because that Acquillan, the Soldan of Sure, came to besiege Constantinople, and with Lim full an hundred thousand Sarrazins, and wasted the country all round Constantinople. And for that cause the Emperor summoned all his friends wheresoever he could find them; and he assembled full forty thousand Christians; and it happened, one day among others, that the Emperor of Constantinople issued from the city, and fought with the Sarrazins, in the which battle the Emperor was slain. And his people returned to Constantinople, and carried thither the Emperor, and had him buried with great honour, and then thought how they might defend their city against the Sarrazins. And Acquillan the Soldan swore that he would not depart from thence till that he had taken Constantinople. And there he held siege very long, but the Christians defended themselves as well as they were able.

Baudouin was at that time in the country of Flanders with Helius, his wife, and of her he had two daughters,

VOL. XLI. NO. CCLV.

It

to wit, Jehanne and Marguerite. befell that in the year of grace one hundred and eighty-eight, on Easter day, the Earl of Flanders and his wife, Helius, were in noble state at Vymandable, in Flanders, in their palace; and there he had summoned for the solemnity many earls and many barons of his people, who had come to his court for the feast. And on that day the Earl kept his court very richly. And when the hour of dinner came, the Earl sat down to table with all his following. And so, when the Earl was sat at dinner with his barons, as has been said, there came before him an old hermit, who leaned upon a staff, and was full an hundred years old, and begged of the Earl, in the name of God, that on that day he would give him his repast. And the Earl granted it him very graciously, and prayed an esquire to take good care of the hermit; and the esquire made him sit down at a table in the hall before the Earl, by himself. But the lady was not yet sat down ; but she was to seek for in her chamber, and then she sat down near the Earl, as the custom was. And when the hermit saw the lady he had very great fear, and began immediately to tremble, and signed himself very often; and neither could he eat nor drink. And when the lady perceived the hermit he pleased her not, for she doubted that he would give her great trouble; and she prayed the Earl that he would send away the hermit; and she said to him-" Sire, he is more malicious than other folks, and here he is entered by false pretence, and I cannot look upon him, and therefore I pray you that you would send him away.

"Lady," said the Earl," it is good to do alms to them that ask them, but he is mad that takes them if he have no necessity; but it is my pleasure, in God's name, that he be served, and that here this day he take his refection."

Then did the Earl look at the hermit, who sat all pensive at his table, and neither drank nor ate. The Earl then asked of him, "Good man, wherefore eat you not? Hide not from me if you wish any thing else; ask of me and you shall have it." Then stood up the hermit and said (proclaiming to the Earl and all the barons that they should leave their

Н

drinking and eating, and that they were in great peril), "And be ye not astonished before that the time shall come, for of that which ye shall presently see each one shall have great fear. But have ye good faith in God; -and if God pleases this thing shall not hurt you.' Then were they all amazed, and each one kept himself quiet, and the Earl and all of them left off their eating and drinking. And then the hermit conjured the lady in the name of God all-powerful, and said to her, "Thou devil which art in the body of this woman, I adjure thee, by God who died for us on the cross, who also debarred thee from his holy paradise, and all the wicked angels who suffered loss for the sin of pride which Lucifer entertained; and by the holy sacraments which he hath ordained; and by his great power which always shall endure, that thou depart from this company; and before thou goest, that thou declare, before all these people, for what cause this Earl of Flanders has been thus taken by thee, to the end that all may understand, and may hear of thee whence thou comest, without hurting ought that may be in this land; and thereto I adjure thee by the God of Paradise."

When the lady heard herself thus adjured, and knew she could do no more, nor torment the Earl any more, nor stay in Flanders any more, but that she now must go; then began she to speak, and to confess aloud that she could conceal herself no more, and that she dared not disobey the commandment of God, nor the adjuration. "For," said she, "thus must we also fear God as men do, for we have yet hope to find mercy before him when he shall come to judge all the world. I am," said she, "an angel whom God expelled from his paradise, and we have all such dolour as none can think. And would that all others were of our mind, that to all together God might pardon our sins; and if we seek for aid, no one ought to blame us. The Earl who is here knew not how to guard himself when he let himself be conquered by the sin of pride. He did not deign to marry the daughter of the King of France, and God suf fered me to enter into the body of the daughter of a king in the Orient who was dead-the loveliest damsel that one could find. I entered into her corpse at night, and made her rise

again. She was in life, and knew well how to behave, according to the dictates of that which was in her body; for she had no other spirit than me, for her soul had gone thither where she ought to have gone. And she was a Sarrazin, and I brought her to the Earl to deflower her body, and he knew not how to refuse to marry her. And I have made him misuse his existence, for the space of full thirteen years, and I have done much evil to the country of Flanders, which he shall dearly pay for yet; but of that which shall come of this I will not determine, for I always thought to overreach the Earl. But never let him forget to bethink him of his Creator, and to sign himself night and morning, and better he cannot arm himself. And I have lost his two daughters by reason that he had them baptized. Other things will I not say, and I go back to the Orient to carry this body to repose beneath the tomb."

Then departed she without hurting any one, except that she carried off a little pillar of the windows of the hall. And of this thing were the Earl and the others greatly 'mazed, and they rose from table, and the Earl bent before the hermit, and prayed that he would counsel him what to do. the good hermit counselled him that he should go to the Pope, and that he should get absolved of his sin. And then he took leave of him.

And

The Earl of Flanders stayed for three days in his palace very pensive; and then on the fourth day he went to Burges. But when he was there he was much talked at and mocked, and they pointed the finger at him in the streets. And the children cried, "Let us run, for here is the Earl that married the Devil." And the Earl was much grieved because of the words they said of him; but he took no notice of it, and on the next day he went to Gant; but if at Burges he had been well mocked, at Gant was he still more. And when he saw himself thus scoffed at every where, he vowed to God that he would collect his power, and would go over sea to conquer Jerusalem. Then summoned he his people of his fourteen earldoms. And he told them that to do penance, and for the absolution of his sins, he would go over sea: And he called the Canon of Cambray (and he was brother to the Earl of Blois),