University of Virginia Library

Than Alexander, quhilk hard of þis gadering,
Was blaith, for he desirit no wþer thing
Bott batall ay, for sic was his nature—
Thare was his fortoun and gude aventure.
And he assemblit agane all his powar,
With freche men, þat newly was cummyn þare,
And send message and day of batall sett.
Dare tuke þe feild with all þat he micht gett—
He was wele ma nor ony tyme before,
For all the lordis þat had þare fryndis lore
Had sic ane fed at Alexander þat þai
Tha[re] come with all the power þat thai may.
And Alexander gart spy þame on ane hill,
Thare quantete, þat he micht cum þame till,
And gart his men bind brenchis of grene treis
On þare hors leggis, evin vp to the kneis,
And his futt-men abone þare fete alsua;
The branchis of grene treis wippit þai,
To rais the powder and the duste wele mare,
That thai sould wene that þai ma pepill war,
For quhan the powder strak vp in þe hevin,
Thai semyit ma na þai war be sic sevin;
The dry powder oure all the cuntrie spred,
Quhilk maid King Daris batall sa addred
Tha[t] in dispare þai enterit in þe sicht—
Bot oft in were happinnis baith hap and slicht.
Syne tuke the furreouris all the catall
Quhilk brocht was to the ost for þare victall,
And in the samyn maner did þame till,
And gart fute-gromes drive þame to ane hill,
As it had bene a bidand standand stale,
To helpe gif neid war to þe grete batall;
Quhilk semyit be þe dust sa grete menȝe
Thai mervellit quhare þir men sould gottin be.
Quhen Daris men had sene þat sicht,
Thay war all reddie for to tak the flicht,
Bot þare was mony wourthy princes þare,
Quhilk would nocht fle quhill þai ourthrawin war.
The fecht begouth, þe stoure was stiff and lang:
Thare was ten thousand cartis thame amange,
With mulis and with camelis cupplit fast,
And barrit about with stelit hukis traist,
Fer mare na fychtis, scharpe as ane rasoure,
With trumpettis and cloch-boggis drivin in myd þe stoure.
And wend þai sould haue passit to the batall,
Bot Alexanderis batall stude sa hale
That of þe formest [f]eyast þai gart fall,
And on the henmest cartis ay þai call,
With sound of trumpis, and baith with stab and strake,
Quhill bakwart on þare awne battall þai brak,
And rave baith hors and men ilkane of vthir,
That of thame all nocht ane mycht helpe ane vthir,
And ay the trumpis blew vncessandly.

The Grekis in battall stude sa sturdelie,
Thai faucht stoutly, þare hartis war þare awne—
Thai had levar de na fle or be ourethrawne.
Quhen þai had fochtyn lang, and mony slaine,
And Dare his men saw ourthrawin agane,
He was discomfort, and wald fane haue bene dede;
He for-wraith in-till his skyn, and schuke his hede,
And said, “Allace, þat euir I bare a croun,
Or ever was king or lord of toure or toun!”
And on his brest his nevis he couth ding,
And spurrit his stede and drave furth in a ling,
With spere strekit, in myddis of þe stoure,
For he was hardy man, of gret valoure.
Bot oft men seis, quhen werde and fortoun falȝeis,
Thare is na strenth na stoutnes þat avalȝeis:
Fra werdis will, all mon ga till ane end,
Quhilk be King Dare þat day wele was kend.
To here quhat siching, sobbing, and granyng
Off woundit men, it was ane hidduous thing,
And syne the cry, the clamoure, and the grow—
Thare was na hart bot it wald pers it throw.
Thus all the day it drew oure to þe nycht;
Than Daris men begouth to tak the flicht,
Sum to the cietie of Persipholim,
Sum to the woddis, and richt few bad with him.
And he him purposit in þe feild to de,
For of his lyffe na thing more rekkit he;
Bot sum of his menȝie him counsellit sua
That him war bettir to the ciete ga,
For it micht fall sum gude trety mycht be.
This counsale gart him ta the bak and fle;
And richt as he was passand to the place,
His men all fleand and discomfist was:
The hukis cartis, with the fichis, bedene
Fled with the laif, and all hame wald haue bene;
And quhan þai ran þe nycht, oure glak and glen,
Thai maid sic murthure on the fleand men
That þai lay dede be thousandis in the way.
Thus chaistyit fra þare awne landis war þai,
That sic was lyke ane vengence for to be,
Quhilk God thame send for þare iniquitie.
The schott was thik as owder hale or rane;
The men sa thik lay in the feild slane,
Sum stragglit, sum in hepis and lumpis lay,
That wounder few ȝede with þare livis away,
That, as the actoure of his story recordis,
In thai thre batallis þai deit ma men and lordis
Na ever did sen this wardlit first formit was
Vnto this day throw were in batalle place,
Na ȝitt sa mekill of mennis blude was sched
In sa schort tyme, was nevir in batall sted;
For as in wrett the story witnes beris,
Thare deit in Alexander and Daris weris,
That in thre ȝeir began and endit sua,
Wele fyftene hundreth thousand men, and ma.

The prince þat counsollit King Dare for to fle
Was rede that he in battall tane sould be,
And mak concorde and trety with the king;
And to bak him of all his governyng,
He was to Dare maist speciall counsollere,
Off laulie birth, and lete nane vþer his pere—
He had the governance of him al-hale,
And did nothing withoutin his counsale.
And fell with him in talking be þe way,
He and his feris, quhilk five or foure war þai,
As þai war fleand towart the ciete;
The king said he tocht for to revengit be
Off thame quhilk had mysgouernit his batall,
Quhilk had the conduct of his counsale hale.
With that þai start till him, and hynt in hand—
With sarpis of gold and chenȝeis þai him band;
Quhan thai had done, þai gaif him dedis wound,
And straik him doun, and left him on þe ground,
And furthwith þai past on hame to the ciete—
It was so lait, þare micht no man þame se.
With this, the king began to mak his mane
And his regratt, þus liand him allane;
With þat þare come ane knicht quhilk wele him knew,
Off his howshald, and nere þe king he drew;
And sperit the cais, and he tald him alhale
Quha counsalit him to fle fra the batall,
And syne him murderit in þis maner,
And chenȝeit him, and left him liand here;
And syne he hard thame say in þare talking,
To get revard at Alexander the king
Thai had it done, in hoip of his frendschip,
To get at him baith land and gude lordschip,
And of his speciall counsale for to be,
And as þai did, to governe the ciete.
Than sand the king þat knicht rycht hastaly
Till Alexander, and prayit him specialie
Till cum and speik with him at his ending,
As he þat was a wourth prince and king,
“For the honoure of his royall maiestie,
To here me speik, and tak exampill of me.”

Quhan Alexander had hard of þis tressoun,
Come to the King Dare quhair he was strikin doun,
And saw him ly, his woundis vnhelit bare,
And all his blude was bled about him þare;
He lichtit doun, and in his armyis him tuke—
For egirnes he trymlit and he qu[u]ke—
And said, “Allace! quha hes this tressoun done?”
And swore be him þat maid baith sone and mone
That, and he wist, sic vengeance tak sould he
That sould exempill till all tratouris be.
He gart tak claythis and bind his woundis fast,
And tuke his mantel of him, and on him cast,
And in his armys vp he helde his hede—
He had sa blede that he almoist was dede.
He gart him drink, and ette ane sop of wyne;
He blenkit vp, and spak wele efter syne,
And said, quhan he the king saw him beforne,
“Full wele is me þe tyme that I was borne—
Thy cummying here mekill hes recoimfort me:
Now am I blaith in þai armys to de.”
The goldin chenȝie of his armys tua
He loussit of, and of his feitt alsua,
And sperit at him quha hed þis tressoun wrocht:
“And I may witt, full dere it salbe bocht.”
He said, “Thai war my cosingis and my kyn,
Myne awne seruandis, quhome maist I traistit in;
I put thame out of pouertie in riches,
And gouernit all my dedis, mare and les—
I traistit þame moist of my creatouris,
And now ȝe se sic ar myne aventuris.
Bot Alexander, þow has ane fare myrroure,
To luke to me, and think of my dollour,
And pride the no thing in þai senȝeory,
In þai fare fortoun, na in þai victory;
Latt nother gold nor riches change þai tocht,
Na sett þa[i] hart on thing þat lestis nocht,
For all is bot vane glore and vanyte,
And evere the end is pane and pouertie.
Quha had mare glore in warldit nor I haue had,
Na mare victory, na ma conquestis has made,
Na mare riches, na warldis los and glore,
With cieteis, castellis, pallais, corne, and store?
Bot quhat may þis my malleis now amend?
I haue na claith to heild me at myne end,
Na hors na man, gold na vther gere,
To my last bed my bodie for to bere—
With wylde beistis my bodie had bene revin,
Had þow nocht here þai presens to me gevin,
Off quhilk I thank the, of þai grete gentrice;
Haue mynd and think on þis, and þow be wise.”

With that he sichit sare, and said, “Allace!
This warldit is bot ane vale of wikitnes,
Off quhilk the strynd is poisoun, verraly,
And quha that maist has, maist is vnhappy;
For wist vncely man his antris all,
And quhat mysfortoun in his [t]yme sould fall,
He sould neuer hafe blaith honoure in all his dayis,
Bot pray his God to send gud end alwayis,
For warldis glore, all lordschip and tresoure
Off all þis warldit sall tak end in ane [houre].”
And said, “Þow flesche, þow nature of mankynd,
Quhare gais þow now? in quhat land will þow leynd?
How art þow pur[v]ait? quhare thinkis þow to pas?
Quhame has þow send before to graith þai plais?
Thow had no mynd quhan þow was in þai glore
That þow suld nede to sen no man before;
Now lyis þow here, þe wrathe of wrathis all—
Thow has no man to ansure to þai call.
Quhare ar þai castellis and þai fare clething,
The beddis of gold quhare þai bodie lay in?
Quhare ar þai ladyis and þai dochteris dere,
Thay wiffe, þi moder, and þai sisteris clere?
Now may þ[ow] sicht and say, baith air and laitt,
‘Adew, fare weill, the palleice desolate,
Adew my ioy, adew my warldis blis—
The end of all my ioy now cummyn is;
Now sall I never haue mare gud, evin na morrow;
Now se I wele all ioy endis with sorrow.’
Thus is þis warldit, hes bene, or euer sall be—
All erdlie man exampill may tak be me.”

With that the teris tiglit oure his ene,
And he in swonying lay vpone þe grene;
Than Alexander agane him tais,
With teris wete recomforte to him mais,
Sayand, “Fair lord, be blaith, and mak gud chere;
Ȝe may wele leiff—ȝe salbe hale and fere;
Ȝe salbe king and lord as of before—
I hecht treulie I sall ȝow hale restore
Landis and lordschippis, with kynrik and kingdome,
With all honouris, wourschip, and fredome;
And I sall hald þe as fader to me,
And I bot as þai sone and air salbe:
Off all þai landis þow salbe lord and syre,
Richt as before þow held in hale empire—
Thare sould no king nor prince ioyus be
To sene ane wther prince throw tressoun dee.”

Than Dare, þat hard him spek [sa] graciusly,
Recomfort was, and previt him swetelie
To lift his armes, þe king for till embrace,
Bot, for his handis baith of cuttit was,
With baith the stompis he colard him so fast,
And kissit his mouth, and said him at þe last,
“God thank þe, lord, of þi wourthy gentrice—
Now se I wele þow art wourthy and wise;
And here I mak þe lord of all my land,
Baith king and empreoure, and all-weledand;
Here I gif þe my dochter to þi wayffe—
Thow watt I haue nane vther are on liffe;
Here I mak pace with Grece and Macedone,
And all the c[har]ge I lay the here apoun,
To kepe iustice, and kepe baith lufe and pace
Betuix þi landis and landis þat myn was;
And chargis all my men the till obey,
Fra Ynde Maior vnto the Occiane Sey,
And leiffis the here my septir and my croun,
My air, my dochtir, and my benesoun.”
With þat the teris oure his chekis past,
And in the kingis armes gaue the gast.

Than Alexander dissimilit teris swete,
And all the pepill—þare micht nane hald for grete.
Than Alexander behelde him quhair he lay,
Gart tak him and bare his corpis away,
And had him to the tempill þat we of spak,
Quhilk was riche and marvellus of mak [OMITTED]
And to the tempill gaif grete tressoure,
And gart gane with him all the lordis haill,
And all the pepill þat come fra the batalle;
And quhan he was liand in sepulture,
And all the tempill full was to the dure,
Than Alexander said, “Lordingis, tak gud hede—
All princis sould tak exempill be þis dede;
Havis eye to this, and thinkis quhat ar we:
Lordschip is nocht bot vane and vanetie,
And all foly los, honoure, and prowes,
And ay grete charge followis gret riches—
War nocht þir goddis þis charge hes gevin to me,
I sould neuer cum in batalle quhill I dee,
Na neuer bare crone, na nevir haue governying,
Bot liff ane sobir liffe to my ending;
Bot sen I haue the charge, I man do,
That it be honoure all my elderis to.
For, suppois I wauld forsaik my ordinance,
Per-cace ane wer mycht cum in governance;
For traistis wele, þis thingis þat I haue done
Cummis nocht of me, bot fra the Hevin abone.
Behald to him þat ȝeisterday þis houre
Off all this wardlit sumtyme was conquerioure,
And now ȝe quho lauly that he lyis.
Quhai may be sikker to be nocht in þis wise?
Quharefore me think we suld attoure all thing
Bere ws meikly, and think on oure ending,
And all suppois we haue grete governance,
Wey witt and honoure baith in ane ballance.”

Than Alexander ane moneth restand was,
Amange his men departand the riches,
For, as men sayis, þai fand sa gret tressoure
That nane þare was micht nowmer the messoure.
Syne come the king and satt in iugment,
As Dare had ordand be his testament,
In-to the paleice of Persipolym,
Quhare all the princis semblit þare to him,
And maid obediance and souer[ayn]te,
Att his command and governance to be.
The quhilk pallas was maid of sic a wise,
It passit mannis witt for to devise
The forme, the maner, riches, and fassoun,
Quhilk passit all wther, but comparesoun:
The wallis all war merbil and allabast,
And all within with plate of gold ourepast,
With riche ymagis of gold sidlingis þe wall,
Off emprioure the sege emperiall,
With riche crovnis of pretious perrery;
And all the pillaris full of ymagery,
Off batallis and of storeis of ancestry,
Off Excerses, and Syrus þe wourthy;
And all the ruffe oure-silit was with gold
And pretius stanis, maist michty of þe mold,
Off charbunkill, þat schynis nycht and day—
In sternis of gold wele annamald war þai;
And all the flure with iasper and cassidone
Was tablit all, with tapis gold-begone.
Than Alexander, in goldin trone settand,
With crone on hede and septure in his hand,
Was crovnit new with thame agane of Pers,
And statute þat all realmes suld convers
All-ways togidder, but divisioun,
Quhare he hes se or dominatioun,
And all merchandis frelie cum and ga,
Baith men of were and laboraris alsua;
And men of were ilkane to defend wther,
And tak ane part, as þai war kin and broder.
And till his pepill, and till his legis dere,
He send ane epistill, quhilk was in þis maner:

“Kyng Alexander, the king of kingis all with croun,
And son verray to the grete Aymoun,
And till Olympias, his moder dere,
Till all of oure obediance, fer and nere,
Off Pers þat land, of Grece and Massidone,
Quhilk God has gevin ws gouernance apoun,
Greting in God, with pace and vnyte:
We will þat all the wayis opin be
Till cum and ga, till all maner of men,
That everie frynd may tell his frynd him ken,
In conversatioun and in merchandice;
And in all landis to kepe law and iustice,
To kirk, to comownis, and to labouroure,
Vnder the panis of dede and forfatoure;
All fede and actiouns of þe tyme bygane
Be all forgevin, and all landis be ane.
We wauld ȝow charge to mak ioy and blythnes,
War nocht the diseis and the havynes
We ar in-till, for the gret multitude
Off mannis dede, and the distructioun of blude,
Off quhilk we micht nocht mak effusioun
Bot Goddis will and his promissioun—
For traistis wele, ȝoure faltis and ȝoure mysdede,
And of ȝour lordis, þat sould ȝoure lawis lede,
Has grevit God in His hie maiestie,
And þus to punys ȝow has ordand me;
For ȝe wate wele I am ane mortall man,
And all this los and victory that I wan,
I had nevir win, suppois I war sic sevin,
War nocht the powar send fra the hie Hevin,
For everie mannis dede and gouernance
Is rewlit be His hevinly influence.”

Than Alexander commandit all silence,
And stude vp hie, and askit audience,
Sade, “Lordingis, a thing I wauld ȝow say:
Ȝe wate quho King Dare þis hendir day
Was slane with men into the battalle place,
And I couth nevir gett witting quha þat was;
I wauld with gude will witt quha þat sould be,
For the grete proffeitt þat þai haue done to me—
To cum to me I wauld nocht þat þai spard,
For þai haue servit to me ane grete reward,
For, will þai cum to me in ȝoure presence,
I sall thame do sic stede and reverence,
And thame reward sa hie and michtelie,
And do sic wourschip as þai war wourthy,
That hes me helpit thus in my mister,
To sla my fa, and mak end of þe were.”

Than all the pepill grette for displesance,
That he had hecht reward and forgiffnance;
With that come furth ane prince was callit Bissus,
And before all the counsale spekis þus,
Sayand, “Fare lord, hie king and emprioure,
For þai wourschip and for þai hie honoure,
I and my feris tuke þis dede to be done,
To ger þe sitt into the hieast trone.”
Syne come þare furth Heliaȝar and Ionas,
Quhilk feris to him into the mu[r]dere was:
Than said the king, “Lay handis on þame sone,
For, be gret God þat is in Hevin abone,
I sall neuer in my hart reiosit be
Quhill hangit, drawyn, and hedit be ȝe thre.”
Than ansurit Bissus, sade, “Lorde, kepe þat þow hecht
That þow ws made, as þow ar king and knycht,
For kingis hecht suld be ferme, and als stabill,
And all his wourdis sould be weritabill.”
Than said the king, “It þat I hecht, treuly,
It salbe kepit to ȝow aluterlie,
For I hecht to reward ȝow michtely,
And do sic wourschip as ȝe war wourthy,
And all men wate ȝe ar wourthy be law
As tratouris, murtheraris, baith to hing and draw,
For ȝoure maister, ȝoure souerane king and lorde—
Sic is ȝoure fee, sic is ȝour richt reward.
How sould ane strenger in ȝow trow or traist,
Quhan ȝe dissauit þat lippynnit in ȝow maist?”
And thare but mare gart bind thame hand and fute—
To speik of grece to thame, it was na bute.

Than said Bissus, “Þare sould na cowart subtelle
In kingis hecht with falsett coverit be:
We wnderstude þat oure reward sould be
Landis and lordischipis, castellis, gold, and fee,
For as þi worde schew, all men vnderstude—
Thow sould on na wayis change ws ille for gude.”
Than said the king, “Na hecht sould kepit be
Agane gud faith, law, richt, and weretie,
Gude thewis, honeste, na richt iustice,
For all this to the croun is preiudice.
The king first [takis] ane aith to God and law—
The first aith to be kepit first aw;
Als myne entent is nocht, quhat-eveir I say,
To sic ane creule tresoun vnpunyst passit away;
And quhan ane prince makis ony promissioun,
It sould be tane be his intentioun,
For nane can mak interpretatioun
Off mannis wow and his coniurisoun
Sa wele as can him-selff quhilk maid the vow,
As in this cace it standis with me now.”
And thare furthwith, withouttin mare delay,
Baith hingit, drawin, and hedit sone war þai,
And all thare hedis sett on stantiouns hie,
Abuffin the graiff quhare Dare sould erdit be,
And all thare quarteris hingit vp and doun
Att the portis and enteris of þe toun.
The pepill saw the prudence of the king,
And fra thyne furth þai luffit him oure all thing,
And louit him as wourthy emprioure,
Off all this wardlit wourth to be governoure.

The pepill all of þis dede war fane;
Apoun the morne þai semblit all agane,
And thare the king, into the plane parliament,
Quhare all the leid of all his land was lent,
In habite riall sittand in goldin trone,
With stentis of gold on all sydis and abone,
Gert rede before him Daris testament,
Quhare he was sittand into iugment,
And how that he had gevin him his dochter fare,
And left him all his land, as lorde and are;
And gart bring furth his dochter, fare of face,
Quhilk ane of þe farest creatouris was
That in þai tymes was livand vpone live,
The quhilk was ordand for to be his wiffe,
In claithis riche quhilk cumly wele was clad;
Emenedus and Tholome hir led—
Apoun hir hede scho bare ane precius croun.
Beside the king in chare sett scho doun,
And þare furth[with] þai maid the mariage
Before the ladis kyn and hir parage,
To hald and haue vntill his levis end;
And ilkane prayit þat God His grece wald send
Wele for to governe þe sege of þe maiestie,
And in his liff [---] and wele to de.
All officeris syne he ordanid in þat stede,
In his absence þe lawis for to lede,
And Duricus, quhilk Daris vncle was,
He made all duke and governoure of Pers—
He was wele louit, and wourthy man of law,
And helde the pepill baith in luffe and aw:
He was wele louit for his gudelynes,
And dred, for he favorit na wikkitnes.

The pepill saw þat he him governit þus,
And wend he had bene God the glorius,
And fell on kneis, and him anornit hale,
And with ane voce þai cryit in generale,
“Welcum be Alexander, in Godis name!”
And he rais vp in wreith, and thocht grete schame,
And blamyt thame, gart thame rise and lat be,
Sayand, “I am a mortall man as ȝe—
It semys nocht ane sinful creatoure,
That subiect is to dedis of nature,
To tak in hart sa grete presumptioun
To think him lyke in his comparisoun
Fra the goddis to tak thare dewiteis,
For þai ar all immortale, as men seis;
Bot we may wele þe barnis of goddis be,
Takand of thame oure gudnes and bounte.”

This feist contenit [fiftene] dayis hale,
With iusting, dansing, halkyn, and revell;
Syne till his moder letteris sendis he,
And all his fryndis in þe west cuntre,
And tald thame of his wourschip and honoure
That he had wonn, and off þe gret tressoure.
And als to Arestotill, his maister dere,
He wrete ane pistolle, in forme as followis here,
Telland quho he was nocht lorde alanerlie
Off Pers throw batalle and victory,
Bot lord and empriour of gift in parliament,
And are left to King Dare in testament,
And Roxanen his dochter left him till,
And all his landis and lordschipis, with gud will;
And prayand Arestotill, with rycht gud will,
That in all haist he would him speid him till,
And bring him tythingis fra his moder dere,
And conforte hir, and gar hir mak gude chere.

Arestotill than, quhilk was richt stratly sted
With ane lady quhilk lang tyme luffit he had,
Was laith to travell our of þat country,
His hart sa haly on hir sett had he.
Scho best belouit was sum tyme with the king,
For he had hir lang tyme in mantenying;
In Macedone with his moder scho was,
And best belouit with Quene Olympias,
Quhilk, in þe first growin of þare amorois,
Scho gart the king stand in the hiest toure,
Quhen Aristotill hir first desirit had,
And in ane garding tryist scho till him made,
To mete hir arely in ane May mornyng,
In that gardin to here þe foulis sing,
Sayand he sould haue þare his hartis list
In that garding; þat nane bot þai tua wist;
And als to Arestotill scho gart trow
That in that tyme scho maid ane rekles vow
That nevir man sould haue of hir his list
To ride on hir, bot gif scho rade him first,
With sadill and brydill girdit wele and fast;
Quhilk Arestotill consentit at the last,
And he him-selff the riding gere sould gett,
And on his bak þe sadill scho sould sett,
And als the bridill buklit in his [hevid]—
Sa was his witt with beaute fra him revid.
The tryist was haldin and kepid in þe kynd,
Bot Arestotill of na tressoun had mynde—
He was sa blyndit with hir hie bewtie,
He roucht bot his will of hir hade hie.
And in ane gardeing þai mette, in ane mornying;
Bot scho had warnit the ladyis and the king—
And nane of þame had of ane wther witt,
Sa sutelly with slicht scho governit it—
And ordand thame to sitt in-till ane toure,
Quhare þai micht se, and lete þame witt the houre.
And tymly in a Maii mornying him mette,
In-to the garding quhare that the triste was sett;
He kepit tryist, and come be tyme of day,
And in ane herbere þare in the garding lay,
Quhill that scho come hir cunnandis for to kepe.
And Arestotill vpoun hir tuke gude kepe—
Scho was sa lusty in hir portratoure,
Mare angelike na erdely creatoure:
Scho was baith round and polist, in gude plyte;
Ane sark scho had, of silkyn sandele quhite;
Hir cirtill syne was of ane claith of gold,
With precious stanis, most rich[e]lie to behald;
Ane mantill syne of grene dowall velwatt—
The bordouris all with pretious stanis war sett;
Hir hare was fare broun, lokerand, but a kell,
And tharein sett ane pretious crounell;
All bare fute, in hir hand a matyne buke—
It was a lusty sicht on hir to luke.

Quhat was þare more, bot he was saidlit sone,
And scho lap on, withouttin langare hone,
And syne scho rad the garding round about;
With that the ladyis sone þai gaif ane schout,
And als the king a litill dryly smylit.
Than Arestotill leit him richt evill begilit,
And vp he rais, and of the gere couth rais,
And tocht for till haue slane hir in þe place;
Bot or he micht þe sadill fra him lay,
Scho lap the garding oure þe narrest way.
He was sa wa þat witles nere he wedis,
And him repentit of his rekles dedis;
And syne in wraith he passit fra the king,
And to him wrett how lufe ourcummys all thing;
And thareof made a buke into þat place,
How mony kyndis of paramouris þare was,
And of gude women and þare gude thewis,
And how vise men ar dissauit with schrewis.
And sic ane vengeance ordand he to take,
Sen hiddirwart þat neuer was sene þe make,
For money a thousand sic wemen sen þat day
Was with his clerkis oure-riddin, I dar wele say,
And daly dois, and euermare sall do,
Bot sum assith be made þe party to.
And quhan the king þe tressoun saw contr[o]vit,
His hart fra hir was halely removit,
Na neuir eftir plesance of hir he tuke,
Na with gud will wald nevir vpoun hir luke;
Bad Arestotill take hir and do his [l]est,
And punnys hir how euer him likit best;
Than, efter all thing wele amendit was,
Scho luffit him best, and maist was in his grace.