University of Virginia Library

Bot alysaundrine wiste wel what þat him eyled,
& seide to him soberly þise selue words:—
“swete william, seie me now what seknes þe greues?
þi faire hewe is al fade for þi moche sore;
& ȝif ich miȝt in ani maner þe amende, y wold.”
þan william wiȝtly in þis wise answered,
sikende ful sadly for sor at his hert,
“Mi dere gode damisele my deþ is al ȝare,
so a botteles bale me byndeþ so harde,
nas neuer feller feuer þat euer frek hadde.
for merthe & alle metes it makes me to leve,
slepe sertes may [i] nouȝt so sore it me greues.
& al þis mochel meschef a meting i wite,
þat me com on a niȝt a-cursed be þat time!
for so hard hacches haue hold me seþþe,
þa i not in þe world what is me to rede.”
“now swete,” seide alisaundrine “seie me in what wise
þat þat hache þe haldes & how it þe takes?”
“I-wisse,” seide william “i wol it nouȝt layne,
sum-time it hentis me wiþ hete as hot as ani fure,
but quicliche so kene a cold comes þer-after;
sum time i siȝh & singe samen to-geder,
& þan so þroli þouȝtes þurlen myn herte,
þat i ne wot in þe world where it bi-comse,
For feiþli in my-self y fele it nouȝt þanne.”
þanne alisaundrine a-non þer-after seide,
“william, i wold þe pray þatow me woldest telle
bi what cas al þi care comsed bi a sweuene?”
“nai sertes, sweting,” he seide “þat schal i neuer,
For no meschef on molde þat me may falle!
I haue leuer it layne & þis langour þole,
þeȝh i for dreȝing of ȝis duel deie at þe last;
þer schal [no] wiȝth of þe world wite whi it comsed!”
þanne seide alisandrine “auntrose is þin euel,
ful wonderliche it þe weues wel i wot þe soþe.”
“ȝa i-wisse,” seide william “wonderli me greues,
for my seknes wiþ my siȝtes sumtime slakes,
& mani times doþ me mourne mor þan to-fore.”
Melior þat milde mayde in þe mene tyme þouȝt,
& seide softily to hire-self þise selue wordes,
“a! gracious god grettest of us alle,
tak hede to þin hond-werk & help now vs tweyne!
For sertes, þis same sekenes mi-self it holdes
In alle wise as it doþ william & wors, as ich wene.
& þouh ich se þat is sekenes sore hit him haldes,
for pitously he is a-peyred þat perles was to siȝt
of fairnesse and of fasoun þat ani frek schold haue—
but weilawey! þat he ne wist what wo y drye,
& haue do lelly for is loue a wel long while!
& but he wiȝtly wite y-wisse, y am done;
For y dar nouȝt for schame schewe him mi wille,
but ȝif he wold in ani wise him-self schewe formest.”
while Meliors in here maner mened to hire-selue,
alysaundrine a-non attlede alle here þouȝtes,
sche knewe wel bi kuntenaunce of kastyng of lokes.
þan wiȝtly to william þise wordes sche sede,
“I see wel be þi semblant what seknesse þe eyles,
hele þou it neuer [so] hard al holliche y knowe,
þat it ben lestes of loue þat þe so hard helden;
þou waltres al in a weih & wel y vnderstande
whider þe belaunce bremliest bouwes al-gate.
and seþþe y se it is so soþli y þe warne,
I wol a litel and litel laskit in hast.”
þan william wel vnderstod sche wist what him eilede,
& knew al is koueyne for ouȝt he kouþe hide,
he was a-drad to þe deþ last sche him dere wold.
þan sette he him on knes & soft seyde hire tille,
“Mercy, menskful mayde for Marie loue of heuene!
I gif me al in þi grace my greues to help,
For þou miȝt lengþe mi liif ȝif þe likes sone.”
þan alysaundrine a-non answered & saide,
“how miȝt i þe help? what haue i to þi bote?”
“I-wisse,” þan seyde william “i wol no lenger hele,
My liif, my langor, & my deþ lenges in þi warde;
but i þe sunner haue socour of þat swete mayde,
þe comliche creature þat in þi keping dwelles,
alle the surgens of salerne ne schul saue mi liue.
þer-for loueliche ladi in þe lis al min hope,
þou miȝt me spakly [saue] oþer spille ȝif þi-self likes.”