University of Virginia Library

Whanne þemperour wist wel þ[e] wille of his cunsayle,
he diȝt him deliuerly & dede him on gate
holly wiþ al his herde þat he hade a-sembled.
& wel þei were warnestured of vitayles i-now,
plentiuosly for al peple to passe where þei wold.
& so harde þei hiȝed þan i hote þe for soþe,
þat al þe clene cumpanye com to þe place
neiȝ þere as þe douȝti duk duresse so wrouȝt.
to þe duk was it told tit trewli þe soþe,
how þemperour wiþ ost þider was come,
to a-wreke him of þe wrong þat þan was wrouȝt þere,
& swiþe for bobaunce & bost burnes he sent
enuiously to þemperour & egged him swiþe
bi a certayne day bataile to a-bide,
or elles, he sent him to say schortely he wold
bruttene alle hise burnes & brenne his londes.
þise tyding were told to þemperour sone,
& wiȝtly whan he þanne wist william he calle[d],
þat ȝong bold bachiler & bliue him told
how despitously þe duk of þat dede him warned,
to be boun be a certayne day batayle to holde.
sir william ful wisly þise wordes þanne seide,
“sir, god for his grace graunt ȝou wel to spede,
to a-bate þe bost of þat breme duke.
& so hope i wel, sire we schal atte best.”
ful menskfully to þe messangeres þemperour þan seide,
he wold be boun bleþeli þe bold batayle to hold,
& þei bliue dude hem forþ & þe duk tolde.
þan boþe partiȝes prestly a-paraylde hem þat time
of alle tristy a-tir þat to batayle longed,
& made hem alle merie in þe mene while,
til þe selue day þat was set soþly was come,
& boþe partyes here place pertiliche hade chosen
In a ful fayre feld feiþly to telle.
þanne busked þei here batayles on þe best wise,
& whanne þe renkes were arayed redly as þei wold,
bugles & bemes men gun blowe fast,
& alle maner menstracie þere was mad þanne,
forto hardien þe hertes of here heiȝh burnes.
þanne bi-gan þe batayle breme for þe nones;
Mani strok in litel stounde sternely was þer ȝeuen,
& mani a bold burne sone brouȝt of liue.
but schortly for to telle þe schap of þis tale,
þe duk hade þe douȝtiere men to deme þe soþe,
& mani mo þan þemperour & þei so manly fouȝten,
þat balfully þe ferst batayle þei brutned to deþe,
& þai ful fast for fere gunne fle þan þat miȝt;
but þe almauns seweden sadly & slowe doun riȝtes.
whan þemperour say þat siȝt his men so i-quelled,
him was wonderli wo witow for soþe.
ful pitousli þan preiede he to þe prince of heuene
forto giif him grace his gomes to saue,
& seide, “heiȝh king of heuene for þi holy name,
ne fauore nouȝt so my [fo] þat falsly me so marres.
for god what, i na gult him neuer to gif him enchesoun
forto wirch me no wrong ne werre on my londe.
& lord! he is my lege man lelly þou knowes,
for holly þe londes þat he has he holdes of mi-selue,
þer-for þe wronger he wirches al þe world may know.
for-þi a mynde on me, lord for þi moder loue,
help me haue þe herre hand her-affter in my riȝt!”