University of Virginia Library

Whan þis faire fest was finischid at þe .xv daies end,
eche a lord ful loueli his leue gan take
of emperour & emperice & oft hem þonked
of þe worchip & wele þat þei hem wrouȝt hadde.
þemperour to þe grete god ful godli hem bi-tauȝt;
but omage arst of hem alle hendeli he tok,
Mekli as þe maner is his men to bi-come,
to com keneli to his kry as to here kinde lord.
& he ful godly hem þonked & to god bi-tauȝt,
& þan went þei here way whider þaim god liked,
eche lord to his owne lond & lenged þer in blisse.
& king alphouns a-non after alle were went,
& his worchipful wif be-fore william comen,
& braundyns his broþer and alisaundrine his burde;
at emperour & emperice euereche on at ones
loueli lauȝten here leue to here lond to wend.
sone þan, soþli to seie þer was sorwe riue,
whan þat william was war þat þei wend wold,
Moche mournyng þei made & meliors alse;
but seþþe it miȝt be no beter suffer hem be-houed.
william bi þe hond hent alphouns his broþer,
& neiȝ wepande for wo wiȝtli þus saide,
“broþer, ȝif it be bi god þat vs wrouȝt,
I wold it were þi wille wiþ vs forto lenge,
hit forþinkes me sore þat we schul de-parte;
but seþe it nel be non oþer nouȝt for to striue,
I bi-kenne ȝou to krist þat on croyce was peyned,
&, broþer, i þe bidde bi al þat euer þow louedest,
ȝif destine falle of ani dede þat þou to done haue,
þat eny wiȝt wiþ werre wirche aȝens þi paie,
swiþe send me to say & sone i come to þe,
þat no liuend lud schal me lette neuere,
wil me lasteþ þe lif for loue ne for awe;
til þow be wel wroke wol i neuer stinte.”
“ȝa, blessed be þow, bold broþer” seide alphouns þan,
þe same sey i be þe so me wel time!”
feiþfullere frenchipe saw neuer frek in erþe,
þat more plenerli hem profered to plese eche oþer,
& to help oþer in hast ho-so hade nede.
þemperours moder william and meliors alse,
seide to hire douȝter þe semli quen of spayne,
“loueli douȝter, leue lif loue þi lord euere,
& be euer busili aboute him buxumli to serue,
& lede him euer wiþ þi lore his lond to kepe;
so schaltow lelli be loued wiþ lasse & wiþ more.”
& sche kneling on here knes curtesli saide,
sche hoped to heuen king whil here lif lasted,
to wirche as þei here wissed with-oute any lette.
& to alisaundrine a-non riȝt þei sayde
sadli, in same wise sche schold hire lord loue;
& sche sore sikande seide þat sche wold.
& whan þei samen had seide what hem-self liked,
& time was atte laste atwinne forto de-parte,
þer was siking & sorwe on boþe sides sadde,
weping & wringinge for wo at here hertes,
& clippinge and kessing þei cauȝt eche oþer,
bi-kenned hem to crist þat on croyce was peyned,
& soute seþe on-sunder þouȝh it hem sore greued.
þe king of spayne spacli spedde him þan to horse,
& went forþ in is way wiþ-oute any more;
& al his faire felawchip folwed him after,
& sped hem þanne spacli to spayne þat þei come.
þer were þei reali resceyued as god riȝt it wold,
with alle maner murþe þat man miȝt on þenke;
& þere þei lenged in lisse al hire liue after,
& ledden wel þat lond to gode lawes euere,
so þat eche burn hem blessed þat euer þei bore were.
of hem of spayne to speke my speche now i lete,
but lete hem liue in lisse at oure lordes wille,
of þe riche emperour of rome redeliche to telle.