University of Virginia Library

Lo, in þis wise william wende to haue schaped,
but certes þat semly sat so in his hert,
for merþe of þat metyng of melior þat schene,
þat heng heui in his hert & so hard cleued
þat, to winne al þe world a-wai wold it neuer.
but gan to studie stoundemele so stifly þer-onne,
þat lelly be a litel while his langure gan wex,
so þat he morned neiȝh mad & his mete left,
& forwandreþ in wo & wakeþ i-wisse on niȝtes,
swiche listes of loue hadde lapped his hert,
þat he nist what bote his bale best miȝt help.
but in his mochel morning on a morwe he rises,
For kare þat kom to his hert & cloþed him sone,
& whan he geinliche was greiþed he gript his mantel,
as a weiȝh woful he wrapped him þer-inne,
For no man þat he met his mornyng schuld knowe.
þat vnglad gom þan goþ in-to a gardin euene,
þat was a perles place for ani prince of erþe,
& wynli wiþ heie wal was closed al a-boute.
þat preui pleyng place to proue þe soþe,
Ioyned wel iustly to meliors chamber,
þider went william euene wittow for soþe,
& vnder a tri appeltre tok him tid a sete,
þat was braunched ful brode & bar gret schadue,
& was euen vnder a windowe of þat worþeis chaumber,
For þat william for wo was bounde so harde.
þat tre so fayre was floured & so ful leued,
þat no wiȝth miȝt william se butȝif he were þe nere.
ac will[i]am to þe window witterli miȝt sene
ȝif meliors wiþ hire maydenes in meling þere sete.
whan william vnder þat trie tre hade taken his place,
he set his siȝt sadli to þat windowe euene,
boute flecchinge or feyntise from morwe til eue.
but oft cumsed his care and his colour chaunge[d],
so sore longed him to se þa semly burde.
swiche a sorwe he suffred a seue-niȝt fulle,
þat neuer mannes mete ne miȝt in his bodi sinke,
but held him finliche i-fed his fille to loke
on þe mayde meliors chaumber for wham he s[o] morned.
euer whan it neiȝed niȝt noyȝed was he sore,
þan wold he wend to his chamber & gret wo make;
but no seg þat him serued miȝt þe soþe wite
whi him was þanne so wo ne where he was on dayes;
non durst for drede him dernly a-spie,
but lett him worche his wille as wel as him liked.
ac deliuerly was he diȝt uch day at morwe,
& feiþli boute felachipe fond wold he walke,
& go in-to þe gardyn his greues for to slake,
weytende to þe windowe & his wo newene,
& sike ful mani siþe and sum time quake;
swiche drede & dol drouȝ to his hert,
lest he ne schold neuer in world winne þat he ȝerned.
þurth þe sorwes þat he sufred soþ forto telle,
al his cler colour comsed forto fade.
Febul wax he & faynt for-waked a-niȝtes,
ac no wiȝt of þis world miȝt wite of his care.
but þan tid on a time as þis tale minges,
þat william went til þis gardin his wo fort slake,
& vnder his tri appeltre turned to sitte,
as weiȝh al for-waked for wo vpon niȝtes.
and as he a-weited to þe windowe wiȝtly þer-after,
he slod sliȝli a-doun a-slepe ful harde,
as a wo wery weiȝh for-waked to-fore.
but menge we now of meliors þat morned þanne
as sadli in hire siȝt or sorer ȝif sche miȝt,
þe loue of loueli william lay hire so nere.
þanne asked sche þis of alisaundrine as þe hap tidde,
Riȝt as william woful so was wox a-slepe,
wher sche hade gete hire gras þat schold hire greues hele?
“nay, madame, nouȝt ȝut” seide þe maide þanne,
“þouȝh haue i fele times fonded to finde it ȝif i miȝt,
but euer wrouȝt i in wast þe wors haþ me liked.
ac were it ȝour wille nowe to worche bi mi rede,
Go we to þe gardyn to gode may it turne;
For feire floures schal we finde of foulen song here,
& þurth cumfort may cacche swiche happ mai falle,
to haue þe better hele at ȝoure hom-kome.”
þarto þis menskful meliors mekeliche hir graunted,
Forto worche al hire wille as sche wold deuise.
þanne a-ros sche raddely & romden riȝt in-fere,
& gan doun bi a grece in-to þe gardin euene,
boute burde or barn but hem-self tweyne.
for alisaundrine anon atteled þat time,
& knewe wel bi hire craft þat sche hade cast bi-fore,
þat þei witterli þanne schold wiþ william mete.
& whan þe gaye gerles were in-to þe gardin come,
Faire floures þei founde of fele maner hewes,
þat swete were of sauor & to þe siȝt gode;
& eche busch ful of briddes þat bliþeliche song,
boþe þe þrusch & þe þrustele bi xxxti of boþe,
Meleden ful merye in maner of here kinde.
& alle freliche foules þat on þat friþ songe,
for merþe of þat may time þei made moche noyce,
to glade wiþ uch gome þat here gle herde.
ac meliors for al þat merþe mornede so stronge,
so harde hacches of loue here hert hadde þirled,
þat þer nas gle vnder god þat hire glade miȝt,
but feiþli fo[r] febulnesse feynt wax sche sone,
þat vnder a semli sikamour sche sett hire to reste,
& þat burde hire by þat al hir bale wiste.
þan gan Meliors munge þe meschef þat hir eyled;
þat oþer comsede to carp of cumfort & ioie,
& eþer munged of þe mater þat þai most louede.
but alisaundrine þer-after a-non bi a wile,
þederward as william was wayted wel ȝerne,
For sche wiste wel y-now where þat he laye.
& þanne seide sche as swiþe to þat semly mayde,
“Madame, melior, so dere be Marie in heuene,
Me þinkeþ ich se a seg a-slepe here bi-side.
wheþer he be kniȝt or bachiler wot i neuer for soþe,
ac he semes bi semblant in sekenes ful harde.
þer-for, lady, go we loke wat seknes him eyles,
& what barn þat he be þa in bale lenges.”
þe menskful mayde meliors þan mekliche saide,
“a! madame, melior now mendes ȝoure chere,
For y-wisse, ȝond is william þat ȝe so wel loueþ,
sum hard hacche has he had & hider com to pleiȝe
Forto lissen his langour & lyes here a-slepe,
For þe swete sawour of þise semly floures!”