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Sche turned here þan tiȝtly to haue slept a wile,
& seide sadly, of hire hert sche wold seche amendis
For sche so wrongly had wrouȝt but wiȝtly þer-after,
sche seide sikinde to here-self in þis selue wise.
“now witterly ich am vn-wis & wonderliche nyce,
þus vn-hendly & hard mi herte to blame.
to whom miȝt i me mene amendis of him to haue,
seþþe i am his souerayn mi-self in alle þing?
nis he holly at my hest in hard & in nesche?
& now, bi crist, i knowe wel for al my care newe,
he wrouȝt neuer bot my worchepe ne wol nouȝt, i leue.
I se wel he haþ set him-self in so nobul a place,
þat perles of alle puple is preised ouer alle,
of fairnesse of facioun and frely þeuwes,
For kurteysie, vnder krist is king ne kud duk.
& þouȝh he as fundeling where founde in þe forest wilde,
& kept wiþ þe kowherde kin to karp þe soþe,
eche creature may know he was kome of gode.
For first whan þe fre was in þe forest founde in his denne,
In comely cloþes was he clad for any kinges sone.
whan he kom first to þis kourt bi kynde þan he schewde,
his maners were so menskful a-mende hem miȝt none.
& seþþe forsoþe til þis time non vn-tetche he ne wrouȝt,
but haþ him bore so buxumly þat ich burn him preyseþ,
& vch a burn of þis world worchipeþ him one,
Kinges & kud dukes kene kniȝtes and other,
þouȝh he were komen of no ken but of kende cherls,
as i wot witterly so was he neuere!
ȝut wiþ worchepe i wene i miȝt him wel loue.
& seþþe he so perles is preised ouer princes & oþer,
& eche lord of þis lond is lef him to plece
For most souereyn seg & semlyest of þewes,
þanne haue i wited alle wrong þe werk of myn herte,
For he has don his deuere dignely as he out.
he het me most worþi of wommen holde in erþe,
Kindely þurth kinrade of cristen lawe;
For-þi myn herte hendely has wrouȝt in his dedes
to sette him-self so sadly in þe soueraynest burne
þat leuis in ani lond of alle ludes preised,
I ne wot neuere in þis world what wise he miȝt betere
wirche for me in þis world my worschipe to saue.
For ȝif eny man on mold more worþi were,
Min hert is so hauteyn þat herre he wold.
& for i so wrongely haue wrouȝt to wite him, me greues;
I giue me holly in his grace as gilty for þat ilk,
& to mende my misse i make myn a-vowe.
I wol here-after witerly wiþ-oute more striue,
wirche holly mi hertes wille to harde & to nesche,
& leye my loue on þat lud lelly for euere.
to god here i gif a gift it gete schal neuer oþer,
wile him lasteþ þe liif my loue i him grante.”