encountered Brandifer and his men, before the walls of Constantinople, sometimes getting, and sometimes losing ground: but at length Valentine came to the standard of Brandifer, where an Indian King ran against him with great force, but Valentine avoiding him, struck him with such fury as cleft him down the middle.
On the other hand, Orson and the Green Knight were not idle, but with their brandished swords cut themselves a passage quite through the Pagan army, destroying all that opposed them.
Soon after, news came that a mighty fleet of Saracens were entering the harbour; whereupon Valentine judged it was necessary to go thither, and oppose their landing, but it proved fatal; for in this fleet was the Emperor his father, who being clad in the Saracen's armour, Valentine by mistake ran him quite through the body with his spear; which when he knew, he was going to kill himself, had not his brother & the Green knight prevented him; but getting a horse with an intent to lose his life, he rushed into the midst of the enemy, till he came to the Giant Brandifer, who, when he saw Valentine, encountered him so fiercely, that both fell to the ground; but Valentine recovering, gave him a stab, which sent him to hell, to see his false prophet Mahomet.
The Pagans seeing their king dead, threw down their arms and ran, and the Christians pursued them with a mighty laughter. At last the pursuit being over, they returned to Constantinople, and Orson acquainted the Empress of the death of his father, but concealed by whom it was done.
Upon such it was concluded that Valentine and Orson should govern the empire by turns, with their wives, the Ladies Fazon and Clerimond, whose
