This project encodes various chapbook, picture book, and other versions of the medieval romance story, Valentine and Orson, using the extensible markup language for detailed presentation of the text. The goal of the project is to create a digital archive of available versions of this story with project specific encoding guidelines created in accordance with the Text Encoding Initiative P5 Guidelines. The editions and project guidelines are available on the TEI Archiving, Publishing, and Access Service and GitHub repositories.
Texts for this project were selected from the available collections at the Beinecke Rare Books Library, Rare Books and Special Collections at McGill University and the Baldwin Library of Historical Children's Literature George A. Smathers Libraries at University of Florida.
Text is presented with no corrections or normalizations to spellings or printing errors.
Punctuation spacing has been normalized in cases where excessive spacing exists.
Original quotation marks or lack thereof have been preserved. In all cases of spoken dialogue the “said” tag was used.
Hyphenation for line breaks and page breaks has not been retained. All other hyphenation and dash usage has been retained.
Texts are presented with limited interpretive mark up. Only the main body of the story has been encoded. Images for pages not encoded are provided. See descriptive outline below.
IT is recorded, that PEPEN, King of France, had a fair ſiſter named Belliſant, who was married to Alexander, the Emperor of
Greece, and by him carried to his Capital at Conſtantinople; from whence, after having lived with great virtue, ſhe was
baniſshed through the means of a falſe accuſer, whom the had ferverely checked for his imprudence; and though at the ſame time
ſhe was big with Child, yet ſhe was compelled to
leave her
huſband's empire, to the great regret of the people, attended only with a ſquire named Blandiman.
After great fatigue and travel, ſhe arrived in the foreſt of Orleans, where finding her pains come thick upon her, ſhe diſmiſſed her attendant for a midwife, but before his return was delivered of two lovely children, one of which was conveyed away by a ſhe bear, but ſhe willing to ſave it purſued on her hands and knees, leaving the other behind.
But before her return, King Pepin being a hunting in the foreſt, came to the tree where ſhe left the other babe, and cauſing it
to be taken up, ſent it to nurſe, and when it grew up called his name Valentine.—Blandiman at length came back, and inſtead of
finding his miſtreſs found her brother Pepin at the tree, to which he declared all that had happened, and how his ſiſter was
baniſhed through the falſe ſuggeſtions of the arch prieſt; which when King Pepin heard he was greatly enraged againſt the lady
Belliſant, ſaying the Emperor ought to have put her to death; ſo leaving Blandiman, he returned to his nobles at Paris.—The
lady Belliſant having followed the bear to no pur
poſe, returned
to the place where ſhe had left the other babe; but great was her ſorrow when Blandiman ſaid he had ſeen her brother Pepin,
but could tell nothing of the child; and having comforted her for the loſs of it, they went to the ſea-ſide took ſhipping, and
arrived at the caſtle of the Giant Feragus, in Portugal.
All this while the bear nouriſhed the infant amongſt her young ones, until at length it grew up a wild hairy man, doing great miſchief to all that paſſed thro' the foreſt; in which we will leave him, and return to the arch prieſt, who did great miſchief, till he was impeached by a merchant of having wrongfully accuſed the Empreſs; upon which they fought, and the merchant conquering, made the prieſt confeſs all his treaſons, the Emperor wrote about it to the King of France, and he was hanged.
NOW was Valentine grown a luſty young man, and by the King as greatly beloed as if he had been his own ſon: commanding him to be taught the uſe of arms, in which he ſoon became ſo expert, that few in the court dared to encounter him: which made Hufray and Heny the King's baſtard ſons exceedingly envy him. At this juncture great complaints were made againſt the Wild Man, from whom no Knight had eſcaped with his life, that had encountered him: which made the King promiſe a thouſand marks to any that would bring him dead or alive, which offer none dare except; but Hufray and Henry deſired King Pepin to ſend Valentine, with a view of getting rid of ſo powerful a rival in the King's favour, but his Majeſty ſeeing their malady, was very angry, telling them, he would rather loſe the beſt Baron in the land.
However Valentine deſired leave of his Majeſty to go to the foreſt, reſolving either to conquer the Wild Man, or die in the attempt. Accordingly having furniſhed himſelf with a good horſe and arms, he ſet forward on his journey, and after two days travelling, he arrived in the foreſt; in the evening he tied his horſe to a large ſpreading oak, and got up in a tree himſelf, for his ſecurity, where he reſted that night.
Next morning he beheld the Wild Man traverſing the foreſt in ſearch of his prey, at length he came to the tree where Valentine's horſe ſtood, from whom he pulled many hairs, upon which the horſe kicked him. The Wild Man feeling the pain, was going to tear him to pieces, which Valentine ſeeing, made ſigns as if he would fight him, and accordingly he leaped down, and gave him a blow, but the Wild Man caught him and threw him to the ground. Then taking up Valentine's ſhield, he beheld it with amaze, with reſpect to the divers colours thereon emblazoned.
Valentine being much bruiſed, got up and went towards his brother in great anger: but Orſon ran to a tree, and the
they
engaged; but both being terrible wounded gave out by conſent; after which Valentine ſigned to Orſon, that if he would yield to
him, he would order matters ſo as he ſhould become a rational creature.
Orſon thinking that he meant him no harm, ſtretched forth his hand to him; upon which he bound him, and then led him to Paris, where he preſented him to King Pepin, who had the Wild Man baptized by the name of Orſon, from his being taken in a wood. Orſon's actions during their ſtay there very much amuſed the court, that at length the Duke of Acquitain ſent letters importin, that whoſoever would overthrow the Green Knight, a pagan champion, ſhould have his daughter Fazon in marriage. Upon which propſition Valentine ſet out for that province, attended by his brother Orſon, by which means he came to the knowledge of his parents, as we ſhall find hereafter.
AFTER a long journey, Valentine and Orſon arrived at Duke Savary's palace in Acquitain; and making known the reaſon that they came there, were preſented to Fazon; to whom Valentine thus addreſſed himſelf:
During this ſpeeched ſhe viewed Orſon narrowly, and he her; but ſupper coming in, interrupted them, and they ſat down to eat.
Whilſt they were in the midſt of all their feaſtings, the Green Knight entered ſaying,
him. The
Green Knight then ſaid to them,
Next day many Knights went to fight the Green Knight, but he overcame and ſlew them all; till at laſt, Orſon being armed in Valentine's armour, came to the Green Knight's pavilion, and defying him, they began the moſt deſperate combat as ever was heard of, and the Green Knight made ſo great a ſtroke at him, as to cut of the top of his helmit, half his ſhield, and wounded him much. But this ſerved only to enrage the valiant Orſon, who coming up to him on foot, took hold of him, and pulled him from his horſe, got aſtride him, and was juſt going to kill him, but was prevented by the ſudden arrival of Valentine, who interceded with Orſon to ſpare his life, on condition of his turning Chriſtian, and acquainting King Pepin how he was conquered.
The Green Knight having promiſed to perform all that was deſired, they led him priſoner to the city of Acquitain, and the Duke recieved them with great joy, and offered the lady Fazon to Orſon; but he would not marry her till his brother had won the Green Knight's ſiſter, lady Clerimond; not till they had talked with the enchanted head of braſs to know his parents, and get the proper uſe of his tongue; which when the lady knew ſhe was very ſorry, because ſhe loved Orſon, and was reſolved to marry none but him, who had so nobly conquered the Green Knight.
VALENTINE and Orſon having taken leave of the Duke of Acquitain and his dauther Fazon, proceeded on their
journey in ſearch of the lady Clerimond, and at laſt came to a tower of burniſhed braſs; which upon enquiry, they diſco
vered to
be kept by Clerimond, ſiſter to Feragus and the defeated Green Knight, and having demanded entrance was refuſed it by the
centinal who guarded the gate, which provoked Valentine to that degree, that he run againſt him with ſuch fury that the
centinal fell down dead immediately.
The lady Clerimond beheld all this dispute, and ſeeing them brave Knights, recieved them courteouſly.—Valentine having perſented tokens from the Green Knight told her, he came there for the love of her, and to diſcourſe with the Allknowing Head, concerning their parents. After dinner, the lady took them by the hand, and led them to the chamber of rarieties, where the Head was placed between four pillars of pure jaſper, when, as they entered it made the following ſpeech to Valentine:
taken
away by a ravenous bear, and thou waſt taken up by thy uncle Pepin, who brought thee up to man's eſtate. Moreover I
likewiſe tell thee, that thy brother ſhall never ſpeak till thou cutteſt the thread that grows under his
tongue.
The Brazen Head having ended his ſpeech, Valentine embraced Orſon and cut the thread which grew under his tongue; and he directly related many ſurpriſing things. After which Valnetine married Lady Clerimond, but not before ſhe turned Chriſtian.
In this caſtle lived a dwarf, named Pacolet, who was an enchanter, and by his art had contrived a horſe of wood, and in the forehead a fixed pin, by turning of which he could convey himſelf to the fartheſt part of the world.
This enchanter flies to Portugal, and informs Feragus of his ſiſter's nuptials, and of her turning Chriſtian; which ſo enraged
him that he ſwore by Mahomet he would make her rue it, and thereupon he got ready his fleet, and ſailed towards the castle of
Clerimond, where when he arrived he concealed his malice from his fiſter, and alſo the two Knights, telling them that he came
to fetch them into Portugal the bet
ter to
ſolemnize the marriage, and he would turn Chriſtian at their arrival at the caſtle, all which they believed, and ſoon after
embarked with him. When he had got them on board, he ordered them to be put in irons, which ſo grieved his ſiſter Clerimond,
that ſhe would have thrown herſelf into the ſea had ſhe not been ſtopped.
WHEN they were come to Portugal, he put Valentine and Orſon in a dungeon, fed them with bread and water, but allowed his ſiſter Clerimond the liberty of the caſtle, where ſhe meets the Empreſs Belliſant, who had been confined twenty years in the caſtle of Feragus: She ſeeing her ſo full of grief, comforts her, enquiring the reaſon which ſhe told her. The Empreſs was mighty greieved, but Pacolet comforted them by telling them he ſhould releaſe them all that evening, which he accordingly did in the following manner:
In the dead of the night he goes to the dungeon, where lay Valentine and Orſon bound in chains, and touching the doors with his magical wand they flew open; and coming to the Knights, he releaſed them and conducted them to the apartment where Belliſant and Clerimond were, who were exceedingly tranſported; but Pacolet hindered them from diſcourſing long by telling them they muſt depart before the guards of Feragus awaked, which would put a ſtop to his proceedings.
So Pacolet led them to the gates of the caſtle, and having prepared a ſhip he conveyed them to Lady Fazon, at the City of Acquitain; next morning when Feragus heard of their eſcape, he was enraged to the laſt degree. The Knights and Ladies being out of danger, ſoon arrived at Acquitain, to the great joy of Lady Fazon, who was ſoon after married to Orſon with great ſolemnity; upon which tilts and tournaments were performed for many days; but Valentine carried the prize by overthrowing at leaſt above an hundred brave Knights.
NOW Valentine being greatly diſtreſſed in his mind for the death of his father, (who lately died) reſolved to make a pilgrimage to the Holy Sepulchre; and thereupon taking leave of his wife Clerimond; and giving the government of the Empire unto his brother, he departed, to the great ſorrow of all, particular his mother Belliſant, and the fair Clerimond.
Valentine, after ſeven years absence returned, dreſſed like a poor palmer, begging victuals at the gate of his own palace; and at length being ſick and about to die, he called for Clerimond and made himſelf known to her, at which ſhe was ready to give up the ghoſt.
At laſt having recommended the care of her to his brother, and the Empreſs, his dear mother, and bleſſing of them, he turned on
one ſide, and breathed out his noble ſoul from his illuſtrious body, to the great grief of all the valiant Knights of
Chriſtendom, to whom he had been a no
ble
example, and a generous reliever of.—But Clerimond never could eſpouſe any one, but betook her to a ſingle life, always
lamenting the loss of her beloved huſband.
After his death, Orſon governed the Empire with great wiſdom and juſtice for ſeven years, till at length, ſeeing the frail ſtate of human affairs, he gave the charge of his Empire, Wife, and Children, to the Green Knight, and then turning Hermit, he became reſident of the foreſts and woods, where, after living to a great age, this magnanimous and invincible hero ſurrendered up his body unto never ſparing death, and his ſoul to the immortal deities of whoſe attributes it had a true reſemblance.