University of Virginia Library

William þe ȝong kniȝt was so neiȝh be side,
þat he herd þe pytous pleint þat þemperour made,
& siked for sorwe þer-of sore wiþ-alle.
but quicly clepud he þe ȝong kniȝtes alle,
& seide, “leue lordinges lestenes to mi sawe;
nouȝ go we kiþe oure kniȝthod for cristes loue of heuene,
Lo, oure folk ginneþ to falle for defaute of help.
lettes nouȝt for ȝoure liues ȝour lord forto socoure,
hasteli wiþ god hert nouȝ hiȝes ȝou to þe dede,
& ho-so faileþ for feyntyce wild fur him for-brenne!”
þan wiȝtly boute mo wordes william ginnes ride,
fresly toward here fos as frek out of witte;
þere þe pres was perelouste he priked in formest,
& blessed so wiþ his briȝt bront a-boute in eche side,
þat what rink so he rauȝt he ros neuer after.
& soþli forto seie wiþ-inne a schort while,
william wiþ his owne hond so wiȝtliche pleide,
þat he slow six of þe grettes[t] soþ forto telle,
& þat douȝtiest were of dede of þe dukes ost.
þat on was his neuew a nobul kniȝt of armes,
þat oþer was his stiward þat stiȝtled al his meyne.
þe oþer were lordes of þat lond lelly of þe best.
& whanne þe duk was war how william him demeyned,
& how balfully he brutned his burnes to deþe,
& nameliche for his newe þat nam he most to herte,
he wax neiȝ ouȝt of his witte for wraþ & for anger,
& clepud on his kniȝtes þat kene were & nobul,
& seide, “lordinges for my loue no lenger ne stintes,
but chases þat kene kniȝt þat þis kare vs werches.
Loo, how luþerly þat lud leyes on oure burnes,
non may is sterne strok wiþstande þat he hittes.”
þus despitusly þe duk drayed him þanne,
þat his kniȝtes swiþe swore what [so] it bi-tidde,
þei wold winne william wiȝtly oþer quik or dede.
þan ride to-gedere a gret route of rinkes ful nobul,
& went euen to sir william & wonderli him bi-sette;
ac he wiþ douȝti dentes defended him long,
but, soþliche for to telle so was he ouer-macched,
þat þei wiþ fyn force for-barred his strokes,
& woundede him wikkedly & wonne him of his stede,
& bounden him as bliue him bale to wirche,
& drowen him toward þe duk his dom forto here.
but william whiȝes þat wiȝtly of-seiȝyen,
& demened hem douȝtili dintes te dele,
þe ȝong kene kniȝtes so kudden here strengþe,
þat þei wonne hem wiȝtly weyes ful large,
til þei hadde perced þe pres pertily to here maister,
& rescuede him rediliche for rinkes þat him ladden.
þan þei him vnbond bliue & brouȝt him his stede,
& triliche was he a-tired in ful tristy armes;
his scheld on his schulder a scharp swerd in honde.
& whan þis william was ȝare he waited him a-boute,
leþerly as a lyoun he lepes in-to þe prese,
prestly þer as þe pres of peple was þikkest.
þanne lente he swiche leuere to ledes þat he ofrauȝt,
þat þe lif sone he les þat lauȝt ani dint,
& euer þan drow he to þe duk deland swiche paye.
& as sone as he him seiȝ he sesed a spere,
& dressed him to þe duk presteli to iuste.
& whan þe duk was war þat he wold come,
boute feyntice of feuer he festned his spere,
& grimly wiþ gret cours eiȝþer gerdeþ oþer.
& william wiþ god wille so wel þe duk hitt,
þat þurth scheld & scholder þe scharpe spere grint,
& hetterly boþe hors & man he hurled to þe grounde,
þanne liȝtly lep he a-doun & lauȝt out his brond,
& deliuerliche to þe duk deuoteliche he seide,
“sire, þou seidest me ȝer-while þou schuldest me do quelle,
& madest þi men me binde meschef to þole;
but gretly y þonk god þat gart me a-chape,
& dede þe wante þi wille for þou wrong þoutest.
but, sire, in þe same seute sett artow nouȝ,
& y am prest as þi prisoun to paye þe my ransum!
ȝeld þe to me ȝeply or ȝerne þou schalt deie,
For alle þe men vpon mold ne mow it now lette.”