University of Virginia Library

Þanne alisaundrine a-non after þat ilk,
wax gretly a-wondered & wel hire bi-þouȝt,
what were hire kuddest comfort hire care to lisse;
& seide þane til hire softily sone þer-after;
“a! madame, for marie loue mornes no lenger!
nis it no sekenes bote þat so sore ȝouȝ eiles,
I schal þurth craft þat ich kan keuer ȝou i hope,
Mow i geten a grece þat i gaynli knowe!
haue ȝe sleiliche it seie & a-saide ones,
& feled þe sauor & þe swetnesse þat sittes in þe rote,
hit schal veraly þurth vertue do vanisch ȝour soris!”
oþer-wise wold sche nouȝt wissen here ladi
bi what maner che ment last sche were a-greued.
þan þat melior ful mekeli þat mayden ȝanked,
& preide hire priueli wiþ pitous wordes,
to gete hire þat gode gras as sone as sche miȝt.
& alisaundrine a-non answeres and saide,
“Madame, I wol do mi miȝt wiþ-oute more speche.”
þanne þis maiden melior gan menden here chere,
þus was ferst here sad sorwe sesed þat time.
alisandrine algate þan after [þat] þrowe
bi-þouȝt hire ful busily howe best were to werche,
to do william to wite þe wille of hire lady,
properly vnparceyued for reproue after.
Ful conyng was sche & coynt & couþe fele þinges,
of charmes & of chau[n]temens to schewe harde castis;
So þurȝh þe craft þat sche couþe to carpp þe soþe,
as william þat worþi child on a niȝt slept,
boute burn in his bour but him-self one,
a ful selcouþe sweuene set sche him to mete;
þat melior, þat menskful may mekli al-one
com ful comliche clad & kneled him bi-fore,
al bi-weped for wo wisly him þouȝt;
& sikand ful sadli seide þus him tille—
“a! loueliche lemman! loke on me nowþe!
I am Meliors, neiȝh marred man, for þi sake.
I meke me in þI merci for þow me miȝt saue!
Leue lord, mi lemman lacche me in þi narmes,
& wirche wiþ me þI wille or witterli in hast
Mi liif lelly is lorn so loue now me hampris.”
þus william þouȝt witterly & wiȝtly wiþ þat ilk,
as a gome ful glad for þat grace fallen,
He wend to haue lauȝt þat ladi loueli in armes;
& clipte to him a pulwere & propirly it gretes,
and welcomes hir worþli for wisseli him þouȝt
þat it was þe menskful mayde melior his ladi!
þat puluere clept he curteisly & kust it ful ofte,
& made þer-wiþ þe most merþe þat ani man schold;
but þan in his saddest solas softili he a-waked.
ak so liked him layk wiþ þe ladi to pleie,
þat after he was a-waked a ful long þrowe,
he wende ful witerly sche were in is armes;
ac peter! it nas but is puluere to proue þe soþe.
but whan he witterly was a-waked he wayted a-boute,
to haue bi-hold þat burde his blis to encrese.
þanne perceyued he þe puluere pertely in his armes,
oþer wiȝt was non wiþ-inne þat chambur.
þan brayde he vp of his bed as burn neiȝh amased,
& loked after þat ladi for lelli he wende
þat sche here had hed in sum hurne in þat ilk time,
to greue him in hire game as þeiȝh he gyled were.
but whan he wist it was wast al þat he souȝt,
he gan to sike & sorwe & seide in þis wise:—
“a! ihesu crist, iustise now iugge þouȝ þe riȝt,
how falsly has fortune founde me nowþe.
nas mi menskful ladi meliors h[er]e-inne,
& lowed hire to be mi lemman & lai in myn armes,
oþer elles soþli, sche seide þat sche dei schuld?
ȝis, i-wisse, was it sche y wot wel þe soþe;
Metyng miȝt it be non in no maner wise;
so louely lay þat ladi & ich layking to-gaderes.
& soþly, soþ it is a selcouþe, me þinkes,
whider þat lady is went and wold no lenger dwelle.”
þanne lep he vp liȝteli & loked al a-boute,
but feȝtly al was fanteme & al was in wast.
þanne seide he to him-self sikinde ful soft:—
“For soþe, ich am a mad man now wel ich may knowe,
Forto wene in þis wise þis wrong metyng soþe.
Min hert is to hauteyn so hyeȝ to climbe,
so to leue þat ladi wold louwe hire so moche,
þat is an emperours eir and euene his pere,
to come to swiche a caytif nay, crist it for-bede
þat ich more of þat matere so misseliche þenke!
For þer nys lord in no lond þat þe liif weldes,
emperour ne kud king knowen so riche,
þat soþli nere simple i-nouȝ þat semly to haue.
ek witterli am i wod to wene swiche a þing,
þurth a mys metyng þat swiche a maide wold
Leye hire loue so lowe lemman me to weld.
nay, ich haue wrouȝt al in wast ac i nel na more
Leie mi loue so heiȝe mi ladi for to wilne,
þouȝh it nere for nouȝ[t] elles but for non in erþe
no wot i neuer wisseli of whom i am come.
Mi-self knowe ich nouȝt mi ken ne mi kontre noiþer,
For-þi me [bi-]houes þe buxumlier me bere,
Oþer-wise þan a wiȝh þat were wiþ his frendes.
For ȝif ich wrout oþer-wise & it were parceyued,
& knowe were in þis kourt mi kare were þe more.
for feiþli, frend haue ich non þat [for] me wold speke,
ȝif þemperour were wiþ me wroþ his wraþþe forto slake.
þer-for mi hauteyn hert bi-houes me to chast,
& bere me debonureli til better mow bi-tide.”