 ¶ The right plesaunt and goodly historie of the foure sonnes of Aymon the which for the excellent endytyng of it , and for the notable prowes and great vertues that were in them : is no less pleasaunt to rede , then worthy to be knowen of all estates bothe hyghe and lowe 
  The Prologue 
 As the philosopher , in the fyrst booke of hys metaphysyque , sayth , *that* every man / naturally desireth to know / and to con newe thynges : And therfore have the Clerkes / ＆ people / of great vnderstandynge desyred and concite to lerned sciences , and to know vertues of thinges 
 Some by Phylosophy , other by Poetrye , and other by Historyes / and cronyikes / of thynges passed 
 And vpo*n* these three they have greatly laboured / in suche *that* thanked be God , by theyr good dylygence / and laboures , they have had greate knowledge by innumerable volumes of bookes , whiche have be made / and compyled by great studye and payne / vnto thys day 
 And bycause that above all thinges , the princes ＆ lordes of hie estate and entendement / desyre to see thystoryes / of the ryght noble and hye vertues of the prodecessours / whiche ben digne , and worthy of remembraunce of perpetuall recommendation 
 Therfore , late at y^e^ request and commaundement of the ryght noble and vertus Erle Iohn , Erle of Oxeforde , my good synguler / and especial lorde , I reduced and translated out of Frenche , into our maternall and Englyshe tongue , the lyfe of one of his predecessoures , named Robert , Erle of Oxeforde , tofore sayd , w*ith*  diverse ＆ many great myracles / whiche God shewed for him as wel in his lyfe / as after his death , as it is shewed all a longe in hys sayde booke 
 And also that my sayd Lorde / desyreth to have other Hystories of olde tyme / pa*sse*d of vertues chyvalry , reduced in lykewyse into our Englishe to*n*gue : he late sent to me a booke in Frenche , conteynyng thactes / and faytes of warre / doone and made agaynst y^e^ great Emperour and king of Fraunce , Charlemagne , by y^e^ -iiii- sonnes of Aymon , otherwyse named in Frenche , ' Les quatre fylz Aymon 
 ' Whyche booke , accordynge to hys request , I have endevorde me to accomplyshe / and to reduce it into our englyshe , to my great coste / and charges , as in the translatinge / as in enprynting of the same , hopying ＆ not doubtyng / but that hys good grace / shall rewarde me in suche wise that I shall have cause to pray for his good and prosperus welfare 
 And besechynge his said noble good grace / to pardon me of y^e^ rude , and this simple worke 
 For , accordyng to the coppy / whyche he se*n*t to me , I have folowed as nigh as I can , and where as , as any defaute shall be founde , I submyt me to the correction of them / that vnderstande the cronycle ＆ history , besethyng the*m* to correcte it ＆ amende there / as they shall fynde faute 
 And I shall praye almighty God for them that so doo , to rewarde them in suche wyse , that after this shorte / and transytory lyfe , we all may come to everlastyng lyfe in heven 
 Amen 
 ¶ Thus endeth the prologue : Heere foloweth the Table of this presente booke 
 Who that wyll know the history of the foure noble and worthye knyghtes / named the foure sonnes of Aymon , wherof the fyrste was called Reynawde , the seconde Alarde , the thyrde Guycharde , and fourthe Rycharde , let hym fi*r*st reade this presente table folowynge / In whiche men shall fynde that thys  presente booke conteyneth -xxviii- chapytres , whiche speaken of many faire / and dyverse matters , whiche they that shall reade thys sayde chapytres , shall nowe see the history all alonge 
 And ye shall see in this fyrst chapytre howe , that after kynge Charlemagne / was come agayne / from the partyes of Lombardy , where he had had great and merveyllouse battaylles / agenste the sarasyns , he helde vpon whitsondaye , open courte / at Parys , where was a fayre felawshyp of Prynces / and Barons , as ye shall heare after alonge 
 And in the same chapitre / ye shall also see howe , the same daye / the duke Aymon of Ardeyne / broughte to the courte hys foure sonnes , that is to wit , Reynawde , Alarde , Guichard , and Richarde , and howe kynge Charlemagne / made theym knyghtes wyth his owne handes ; also howe the duke Benes of Aigremounce / slewe Lohier , the eldest sonne of kyng Charlemain ( the duke benes was vncle to the foure so*n*nes of Aymon ) ; and after , how the duke Benes of aygremount / was slaine coming to Paris , by the commaundemente of kinge Charlemagne , after that he had appointed , for the death of his sonne 
 And also in this first chapitre / men shal nowe see many other faire matters , whiche were to longe for to be reherced / in this preambule of this present booke 
 The seconde Chapyter sheweth howe Gryllon of haultefelle , and Guenes , after that they had slayne the duke Benes of Aygremount , retourned to Parys , and recounted to kynge Charlemagne / the mortall treason that they had put to execucyon ; wherof the kynge was ryghte glad ; and syn after he was ryghte sorye for it 
 For after that , the two bretherne of the duke Benes / made great warre agenst him , and so did Gerarde of Roussillon , and Dron , and Mawgys , the sonne of the duke Benes ; and after , they made peace and accorded togyther 
 But the kinge Charlemain accorded not with the foure sonnes of Aymon , nor to  their cosin Mawgys 
  Item howe Reynawde slew the nevew of king Charlemagne with a chesse boorde , as they plaied togyther at the chesse , wherof the warre began , the whiche was so mortall / and lasted so longe , that it bare a great dommage to the realme of Fraunce 
 The thirde chapitre speaketh , how after that kynge Charlemagne hadde made all his barons to forsake the foure sonnes of aymon / He went and besyeged them at mou*n*tenforde , where he was dyscomfyted two tymes ; but the castelle of Mou*n*tenforde was taken , after that , by tr*e*ason 
 And after , howe Reynawde and his bretherne avenged theim of the traytoures that betrayed theym , And after saved theym selfe wythin the forest of Ardeyne , Where theyr father found the*m* / as he went from the syege / to warde his londe of Dordon 
 And howe , for to keep his othe that he had made to kynge Charlemagne / He dyd assayle hys sonnes ; so that , of fyve hundred menne that they were , there abod on live with his sonnes but xvii
 persones 
 But Reynawd and his brethern / had none evil , but slew many of their fathers men 
 The fourth chapytre sheweth how , after that the olde Aimon / had discomfyted his chyldren , they went and dwelled in the depest of the forest of Ardeyne , and abode there / tyll that they were al counterfayte blacke / and roughe / as wilde beastes , for the greate hungre that they had suffred ; and after , they went to Dordon / for to see their father , that made them good chere , and feasted them greately 
 And gave them of hauoyre so muche / that they myghte well make war with agenst the king ; and howe Mawgis their cosyn arryved , whan that they should have departed , whiche went with theym in to the realme of Gascoygne / with fyve hundred knightes 
 And whan theyr mother sawe them departe , she was for it full sorye 
  The fyfthe chaptre sheweth how , after that Reynawde / and hys brethern , with theyr cosyn mawgys , were departed from theyr mother / for to seeke their adventure / they went so longe tyll they came to the realme of Gascoygne 
 And howe / goynge thitherwarde , they made manye evylles in Fraunce 
 And howe the kynge of Gascoygn , wha*n* they were come there / dyd receive them in his servise ryghte sweetly , in bourdeux vpon Gyrond , by cause / that than this king of Gascoigne , that was called Yon , had warre agenst a kyng sarasin / that was entred into Gascoyne , that had to name Portus , that helde Tholouse and all the londe aboute 
 The VI chapter speaketh how Reinawde / and his bretherne / dystressed bourgous , a sarasyn that had distroyed the realme of Gascoign , and had chased the kinge yon / to bordeux vpon Gyronde , that durste not departe from thence , for feare of the sarasyns 
 And howe kyng Yon gave his sister Clare / vnto Reinawde / to be hys wyfe , for the greate servyse / that he hadde doon to hym 
 And dyd doo make for hym the castell of Mountawban 
 The seventh chapitre speaketh how Charlemagne , for a voyage that he made to saint Iames in Galyce , he knewe in his comynge agayne / howe Reynawde and his bretherne , that were his mortalle enmies , were in Gascoygne / with in a stronge castel , called Mountawban 
 And how he sente worde to kinge Yon , that he shoulde delyver to hym Reynawde and hys bretherne 
 And yf he refused to doo thys , he shoulde come and besyege hym in hys londe / afore X or XII moneths were passed ; Wherof ki*n*g Yon answered / that he shoulde not doo it 
 And howe , after that kynge Charlemagne / was retourned to Parys , Rowlande , his neuewes , arryved  at Parys , whiche the kyng made knyght 