had deyed of chylde, for all the ladyes and gentylwomen that there (were) with her wened, she wold have perysshed and deyed in trauaylynge. Wherfore they were gretly abasshed and aferde with the merueylouse noise and tokens that they herde and se in the byrth of the said Robert the Deuyll, in that whan this chylde was borne, the sky waxed as darke as though it had been nyghte, as it is shewed in olde cronycles, that it thondreth and lyghtened so sore, that men thought the firmament had been open, and all the worlde sholde haue perysshed. And there blewe soo moche wynde out of the iiii quarters of the worlde, and was such storme and tempest, that al the hous trembled so sore, that it shoke a grete pece of it to the erth, in so moche that all they that were in the hous wened that the worlde had been at an ende, and that they, with the house and all, sholde haue sonken. But in shorte tyme it pleased God that all this trouble ceased, and the weder clered up, and the chylde was brought to chyrch to be crystened, whiche was named Robert. This childe was large of stature at his byrthe and he had been a yere old, whereof the people had grete wonder; and as this chylde was a berynge to the chirche to be crystued and home ayenst, it neuer ceased cryenge and houlynge. And in shorte space he had longe teeth wherwith he bote the norshes pappes in such wyse, that there was no woman durst gyue hym souke, for he bote off the hedes of theyr brestes; wherefore they were fayne to gyue hym souke and to brynge hym up with an

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horne. And whan he was twelve moneth olde, he coude speke and go alone better than other chyldrne that were thre yere old. And the elder that this chylde Robert waxed, more cursted; and there was no man that coude rule hym: and whan he founde or coude come by ony chyldrne he smote and bote and cast stones at them, and brake theyr armes and legges and neckes, and scratte out theyr eyen owt of theyr hedes, and therein was all his delyte and pleasure.

How all the chyldren with one assente named this chylde Roberte the Deuyll.

THIS chylde within fewe yeares grewe maruaylously, and more and more encresed of all, and boldness, and shrewdness, and set by no correccyon, but was euer smyttynge and tastynge, and cursed dedes doynge. And some tyme there gadred togyder all the boyes of the strete to fyghte with him, but whan they se hym they durst not abyde hym, but cryed one to another, "Here cometh the wode Robert!" an other many cryed, "Here cometh the cursed madde Robert!" and some cryed, "Here cometh Robert the Deuyll!" and thus cryenge they voyded all the stretes, for they durst not abyde and loke hym in the face, and forthwith the chyldrne that knewe hym with one assent called hym Roberte the Deuyll, whiche name he kepte durynge his lyfe, and shal do as longe as the world standeth. Whan this chyld was seuen yere old or there aboute, the duke his fader seynge and consyderynge his wycked condycyons,

called hym and sayd unto hym thus, My sone me thyncke it necessary and tyme, for me to gete you a wyse scole mayster, to lerne vertues and doctrine, for ye be of age ynoughe," and whan the duke had thus sayd, he betoke his sone to a good dyscret and wyse scole mayster to rule and teche hym all good condycyons and maners.

How Robert kylled his scole mayster.

Ir fell upon a daye that his scole mayster sholde chastyse Robert and would have made hym to have lefte his cursed codycyons, but Robert gate a murderer or bodkin, and thrast his mayster in the bely that his guttes fell at his fete, and so fell downe deed to the erth, and Robert threw his boke ayenst the walles in despyte of his mayster saynge thus now haue I taughte the that never preste, nor clerke shal correct me, nor be my mayster. And from thens forth there coude no mayster be founde that was so bolde to take in hande to teche and correcte this Roberte, but were glad to let hym alone and have his owne wayes, and he put hymselfe to uyce and myschefe, and to no maner of vertue nor grace, nor wolde he lerne for no man lyuynge, but mocked both God and holy chyrche. And when he came to the churche and founde the prestes, and clarkes syngynge Goddes seruyce, he came preuely behynd them, and caste ashes or duste in theyr mouthes in dyspyte of God. And when he sawe any body in the chyrche besy in theyr prayers he wolde come behynde

them, and gyue them a sowse in the necke that theyr hedes kyssed the ground in so moche that euery body cursed hym for his wycked dedes doynge. And the duke his fader seynge his myscheuous dyspocysyon and cursed lyfe of his sone, he was so angry with hymselfe, that he wyshed hymself many tymes dede and out of the worlde. And the duchese in lykewyse was gretly moued and muche sorowefull by cawse of the myscheuous lyfe of her sone, saynge in this wyse, My lord our sone is nowe of sufficient age and able to bere armes, wherefore me thynke it were best that ye made hym knyght if than he wolde remembre thordre of knyghthode whereby he myght leve his wyckednes." The duke was here withall content. And Robert had at that

tyme but eyghtene yere of age.

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How Robert the Deuyll was made knyght by the duke his fader.

THIS duke assembled upon a hye feast of Whitsontyde, all his barons and nobles of his lande, and the next of his kyn and frendes, in the presence of whome he called his sone to hym saynge thus, "Herke my sone Robert, and take hede what I shall tell you, it is so that by thaduyce of my counsell and good frendes, I am now aduysed to make you a knyght, to thentent that ye with other knyghtes to haunte chevalrye and knyghtes condycions, to thentente that ye shall leve and forsake your uyces and moost hatfull lyf." Robert herynge this, answered his fader, "I shall do your comandment

but as for the ordre of knyghthode I set nothynge thereby, for there is no degre shall cause me leve my condycyons nor chaunge my lyfe, for I am not in that mynde to do no better than I have done hetherto, nor to amende for no man lyuynge." It was the costome of that lande, that on Whitsonyght the chyrche shold be watched, and tended with moche people, and theder cam Robert like a madman, and overthrowynge al them that came in his waye ferynge nother God nor the Deuyll, and he was never styll of all the nyght, and in the mornynge whan it was day Robert was made knyght. Then this duke comaunded a tournament to be made in the which the said Robert wrought maystyes, and dyde meruaylous dedes of armes, in kyllynge and berynge downe hors and man, no man refusynge nor feryinge. Of some he brake armes and some legges, and bare them thorowe and kylled them out of hande; from hym went none unmarked in whiche iustynge Robert kylled x horses: the duke herynge how his sone myscheued and murdred all that came in his handes he went hymself into the tournament and comaunded upon a grete payne to sease and ren no more; then Robert rored for anger as he had ben wode and wolde not obeye his faders comaundement but abode styl in the fylde smytynge some that he kylled of the moste valiauntes that thether were comen to tournaye, than euery man cryed upon Robert to sease, but it auayled not, for he wolde not cease for no man, nor was there no man so bolde to encountre hym, for bycause that he