University of Virginia Library

On of þe barons bold bi-gunne to schewe here nedes,
þat was a gret lord in grece roachas he hiȝt,
& seide soberly to þemperour in þis selue wise,
“Leue lord & ludes lesten to mi sawes!
þe gode emperour of grece þe grettest of us alle,
whas messageres we be mad to munge ȝou his wille,
sendes you to seie he has a sone dere,
on þe triest man to-ward of alle douȝti dedes,
þat any man vpon molde may of here,
þat schal be emperour after him of heritage bi kynde.
& he haþ oft herde sayd of ȝoure semly douȝter,
how fair, how fetis sche is how freli schapen;
& for þe loos on hire is leide & loue of ȝour-selue,
he prayeth, lord, vowche-sauf þat his sone hire wedde.
Grucche nouȝt þer-a-gayn but godli, i rede,
Graunte þis faire forward fulfillen in haste.
& ȝif ye so doþ, i dar seie & soþliche do proue,
sche schal weld at wille more gold þan ȝe siluer;
& haue mo solempne cites and semliche casteles,
þan ȝe treuly han smale tounes o[r] vntydi houses;
& herof, sire, wiȝtly ȝour wille wold we knowe.
þe grete lordes of ȝour land beþ lenged now here,
ȝe mow wiȝtly now wite ȝour wille & ȝour rede,
& wiȝtly do vs to wite what answere ȝou likes.”
þemperour calde his cunseil for to knowe here wille,
& godli boute grucching alle graunted sone,
& setten a serteyne day þat solempte to holde;
& sad seurte was sikered on boþe sides þanne,
þat menskful mariage to make at midesomer after.
sone were þe messagers made mildli at ese,
while hem liked lende & lelly, whan þei wente,
Grete ȝiftes were giue & of gold & of seluer,
& þei wiȝtly went hom wiþ ioye & wiþ merþe.
þe answere of here herend þemperour þei tolde;
Gret murþe was mad for þat message in rome,
& þe word went wide how þe mayde was ȝeue
rifliche þurth-out rome & eche a rynk was bliþe
þat þe milde meliors so mariede scholde bene
to þemperours eir of grece & euerich man wiþ ioye
teld it forþ til oþer tiȝtli al a-boute.
but þe worþi william þer-of wist he nouȝt,
For he was atte a bourdes þer bachilers pleide.
whanne þe tiding was þer told witow forsoþe,
out of þat faire felachip ferde he þan sone
as mekeli as he miȝt lest eni mysse trowede;
but whan he was passed þe pres he prikede as swiþe
as he miȝt hiȝe his hors for hurtyng of spors;
neiȝh wod of witte for woo of þat sawe,
for he schold lese his lemman his liif þan he hated.
wiþ care was he ouer-come bi þat he com to his inne,
þat he for bale as bliue to his bed went,
& siked þanne so sore þe soþe forto telle,
þat uch wiȝh þat it wist wend he ne schuld keuer.
& whan hit was wist in rome þat william was sek,
mochel was he mened of more & of lasse;
for a beter bi-loued barn was neuer born in erþe,
þan he was wiþ ich wiȝt wil he woned in rome.
þe tiding þan were tiȝtly to þemperour i-told,
& he þan swoned for sorwe & swelt neiȝhonde;
but kniȝtes him vp cauȝt & comfort him beter.
& whan he þurth comfort was comen of his care,
he went wiȝtli to william to wite how he ferde,
& kniȝtes folwed him forþ fiue oþer sixe.
anon as he com him to he asked how he ferd.
“sire!” þan seide he softly “certes, so ille.
þat i leue my lif last nouȝt til to morwe.
but god, sire, for his grete miȝt graunt ȝou ioye,
for þe worchipe þat ȝe han wruȝt to me ȝore.”
whan þemperour had herd holly his wordes,
& seie him so sekly þat he ded semed,
swiche sorwe sank to his hert þat miȝt he nouȝt suffre
þer to be, bot he miȝt his bale haue slaked;
of him wiȝtly he tok his leue & went hom a-ȝeine,
weping as he wold wide for wo & for sorwe,
& deliuerli to his douȝter his del þan he made,
how william hire worþi nory was neiȝe atte deþe.
& sche hire fader cumfort fast as sche miȝt,
but worse was neuer woman for wo at hire herte.
as fast as hire fader was faren of þe weie,
sche wept & weiled as sche wold haue storue,
& swoned ofte siþe her sche sese miȝt.
but alisandrine anon þat al hire cunseile wist,
comfort hire as sche couþe wiþ alle kinde speches,
& bad hire wiȝtly wende to wite how he ferde.
“& soþliche, madame so may hit bi-tide,
ȝour comfort mai him keuere & his sorwe slake.”
þan meliors mekly hire maydenes dede calle,
& many of hire meyne for drede of missespeche,
& went ful wiȝtly to will[i]ams inne,
as nouȝt were bot [to] wite how þat he ferde.
& whan sche drow to his chaumber sche dede ful sone
here maydenes & oþer meyne mekeli a-stente,
al but alisaundrine alone þei tweyne.
þei went in-to william wiþ-oute any more,
& busked hem euen to his bed & bi him gunne sitte,
& seide sone softly “my swete lemman dere,
allone but alisaundrine am i come to þe
forto wite of þi wo & what þat þe eiles.
Mi perles paramours my pleye & my ioye,
spek to me spakli or i spille sone.”