 | The Romance of William of Palerne |  |
Whanne william þat worþi child wist of þat fare,
was no glader gom þat euer god made,
he went euen to þemperour & enys him sayde,
knelyng on his kne curteysli & faire,
“Gode sir, for goddis loue grant me a bone;
ȝif me þe ordur of kniȝt to go to þis dedus,
& i hope to heuene king mi help schal nouȝt fayle,
þat i nel manly wiþ mi miȝt meynte[ne] ȝour riȝt.”
þemperour was gretly glad & graunted his wille,
& made him kniȝt on the morwe & mo for his sake.
of proude princes sones douȝti men toward,
Fulle foure schore for williames loue,
& ȝaf hem hors & armes as an hend lord schold,
& made william here wardeyn as he wel miȝt,
to gye & to gouerne þe gay yong kniȝtes.
& whanne þempe[r]ours ost was holli a-sembled,
he told to-fore þe grete his tene & his harmes,
how þe duk of saxoyne dede him gret wrong,
brent his nobul burwes & his burnes quelled,
& komande hem kendely here cunseile to ȝeue,
In what wise were best to wreke him þanne.
& alle seide at o sawe “sire, we ȝou rede,
strecches forþ wiþ ȝour ost stinteþ no lenger,
& fondes to do þe duk what duresse ȝe may.
hampres him so harde to sum cost þat be drawe,
sewes him to sum cite & a-sege him þere,
til ȝe wiþ fin fors þe freke haue wonne.”
was no glader gom þat euer god made,
he went euen to þemperour & enys him sayde,
knelyng on his kne curteysli & faire,
“Gode sir, for goddis loue grant me a bone;
ȝif me þe ordur of kniȝt to go to þis dedus,
& i hope to heuene king mi help schal nouȝt fayle,
þat i nel manly wiþ mi miȝt meynte[ne] ȝour riȝt.”
þemperour was gretly glad & graunted his wille,
& made him kniȝt on the morwe & mo for his sake.
of proude princes sones douȝti men toward,
Fulle foure schore for williames loue,
& ȝaf hem hors & armes as an hend lord schold,
& made william here wardeyn as he wel miȝt,
to gye & to gouerne þe gay yong kniȝtes.
& whanne þempe[r]ours ost was holli a-sembled,
he told to-fore þe grete his tene & his harmes,
how þe duk of saxoyne dede him gret wrong,
brent his nobul burwes & his burnes quelled,
& komande hem kendely here cunseile to ȝeue,
In what wise were best to wreke him þanne.
& alle seide at o sawe “sire, we ȝou rede,
strecches forþ wiþ ȝour ost stinteþ no lenger,
& fondes to do þe duk what duresse ȝe may.
hampres him so harde to sum cost þat be drawe,
sewes him to sum cite & a-sege him þere,
til ȝe wiþ fin fors þe freke haue wonne.”
| The Romance of William of Palerne | |