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thane leid þai hyme in-[to] þe ton
with gret Ioy and processione,
& prince of knich[t]ed hyme mad,
& doublit al at euire he had
in riches, rentis & in fee,
in his estat and dignite;
sa þat mare doublit wes his mycht
þane god befor til hyme had hicht.
þai prayt hyme to tak on hand,
as he was wont, to fend þat land;
& þare request he grantit son
for þe honoure þai had hym don.
& with awisment lukit he
quhat strinth of knychttis he mycht se:
& fand nocht sa fele in land
þat mycht þar fais with-stand.
þar-for send he fare & nere
to cyteis & tonys sere,
to ches men þat to manis sicht
lyk war to be manly & wicht.
& ymang vthyre þis mandment
com quhare his twa sonis lent,
þat of þat ton þai suld ches twa.
þan can þai son to consel ga;
& for þai twa ware lykest
for sic not to be þe best,
& fremmyt folk to þaim with-al,
gyf Il forton to þaim suld fal,
þare-for arayt þai þaim wele
in armis stith, mad of stele,
with al þe lawe þat þare-to lay,
& send þaim furth on þe way.
þane com þai in litil space
quhare þe prince of knychted wes,
þat beheld þame & thocht in hy
þat þai war abil & worthy
of theuys & of honeste;
for-þi knychttis he gert þaim be,
& menskit þaim with worthieste,
& perit þaim ay to þe beste.
syne went he to þe were in hy
with fele men, wicht & hardy.
& be assay men ma wele kene
þat gud chiften makis [gud] men;
for his men sic confor[t] had
þat þai durst do quhat þat he bad.
& quhen he com sa nere þat he
mycht his fais grathly se,
he sped hyme fast & with þaim facht,
& mony sleu & mony lacht,
& þe lawe chasit vtrely,
& reparyt with victory,
til he com til a ton, quhare he
with his oste restit dais thre.
þan hapnyt in þe sammyne toure,
quhare his wif mad surioure.
þane tyd of case þire ȝu[n]gmen twa
þar inys in þat house to ta,
quhare þare modir had gestnyng—
bot of hyr þa ne had knawing—
& sat percase & carpit sammyne,
quhilis of hernyst & quhilis of gammyn,
as ȝung men wil do for solance,
& als to mak þar acquintance.
& first þe eldast tald þe case
þat in ȝouthed hym hapnyt wes,
& sad: “I think wele hou-gat
my fadir, þat wes of gret stat,
& to name had sir placydas,
tuk my modir, þat fare was,
& my bruthir & me alsa,
& priuely of ton cane ga,
& wandryt furth with ws thre,
til he come rycht to þe se,
& a schipe redy fand,
& sailit to þe farrere land,
& my modir belewit þare,
bot of hyr hapny[n]g I wat no mare;
bot my fadir held on his way
with my bruthir & me ay,
til he com til a watir brad,
& oure it he my bruthir had,
& lewit me on þe bank, til he
suld com agan & bere oure me;
bot as he towart me cuth wad,
a gredy wolf hynt me but bad,
& to þe wod with me ran;
bot telemen, þat saw þat þane,
folouyt fast & gert hym fle,
& hynt me vpe & hame had me,
& fosterit me wele alway.”
þane can þe todir ȝung man say:
“to me is [tyd] þe sammyne case:
for my fadyr [wes] sir eustace,
þat my bruthyr, my deme, & me,
þat na man wust, brocht to þe se
& saylyt oure; & þar hyme tynt
his wyf; bot his barnis he hynt
& walkit furth with drery mude,
til he com til a mykil flude,
þat he durst nocht wad with vs bath,
bot my bruthir set don rath,
& bar me oure þe flud, til he
mycht pas agayne & bring hym me,
my bruthyre þat he lewit þare.
& a lyone in þat sythware
oure-set in his mouth hynt me,
& to þe wod fast can fle.
bot hyrdis, þat nere ware by,
hyme folouyt in to gret hy,
& wane me fra þe fel lyone,
& had me with þam in þe ton,
quhar þu seis þai telmen duellis.
of my bruthyr I wat nocht ellis;
bot be þe tale þu tellis me,
lyk war my bruthyr þou suld be.
bot ferly haf I hou It befel
þat we in a ton suld duel
þis lang tym & nan ken vthyre,
as witty man suld do his bruthir.”
þane ran it þaim bath in mynd
thru inclinacion of kynd,
þat þai ware brethyre; & for-þi
þai gret bath richt teyndirly,
& in armis vthyre cane brase,
& kissit oft, & sad: “allace!”
for tynsale of þare fadir wicht
& of þare modir, þe lady brycht.
þar modir þan, þat wes nere by,
& herd al þane opynly,
hou þai recordyt þe case
þat to þare fadir hapnit wes,
scho held stil a quhile, & thocht
quheþir þai hyr barnis war or nocht.
& one þe morn scho went in sped
to þe gret maister of þe knychtede,
& sad: “dere lord, I pray þe
for godis sak þu ger me
be had to rome: for þine com hy
& is brocht here I ne wat quhy.”
& as scho spak þis hyme til,
scho hyme beheld with incre wil,
& be syndry taknis cane se
þat hyre awn housband wes he.
for-þi scho don [fel] til his fet,
& out scho brast son of gret,
& sad: “dere lord, I pray þe
for goddis sak þu tel me
quhat man þu was in þi ȝouthed,
& quhat stat þu can led;
for me think þu art placydas,
þat of knychted maistir was,
& syne at fontstane eftir þat
to þi name eustace gat,
& tholyt syne be godis wil
fayndingis, þat war hard & il,
& lewit hale þi possession,
þi honour & þi renown,
& with þi wyf went priuely
out of þe land. & þat am I,
& syne quhen we com to þe se,
agane þi wil wes tan fra þe;
bot god of his habundand grace
but filth of syne me kepit has.
& þu my husband with me gat
twa sonnis, & ane hat
theospitus, & þe tothyre
agapitus, þat wes his bruthyre.”