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William tiȝtly him turned & of hire tok hede,
& seide aswiþe “sweting, wel-come!
Mi derworþe derling an my dere hert,
Mi blis & mi bale þat botelesse wol ende!
but comliche creature for cristes loue of heuene,
for what maner misgelt hastow me forsake,
þat lelly haue þe loued & wile i liue þenke?
feiþli boute feintyse þou me failest nouþe,
þat hast turned þin entent forto take a-noþer.
Gret wrong hastou wrouȝt & wel gret sinne,
to do me swiche duresse to deye for þi sake.
but loueliche lemman oure lord mot þe ȝeld
þat þi worþi wille was to come to me nouþe;
for þow hast lengþed my lif & my langour schortet
þurth þe solas & þe siȝt of þe, my swete hert!”
& whan melior hadde herd holly al his wille,
sche siked sadly for sorwe & wel sore wepte,
& seide, “loueliche lemman leue þou for soþe,
alle men vpon molde no schuld my liif saue,
ȝif þou wendest of þis world þat i ne wende after!
ne, lemman, lore hastow me nouȝt leue þow forsoþe,
for þouȝh mi fader folliche haue forwardes maked,
wenestow þat i wold his wille now parfourme?
nay, bi god þat me gaf þe gost and þe soule,
al þat trauaile he has tynt what euer tyde after!
for þere nis man vpon molde þat euer schal me haue
but ȝe, loueliche lemman leue me for trewe,
In feiþ þei y schold þer-fore be fordon as swiþe,
doluen dep quic on erþe to-drawe or on-honged!”
“ȝe, wist y þat,” seide william “witterly to speke,
of alle harmes were ich hol hastely riȝt nouþe!”
“ȝis, be marie,” seide meliors “misdrede ȝow neuer;
I wil fulfille alle forwardes feiþli in dede!”
þan was william ful glad witow for soþe,
& eiþer kindeli clipped oþer and kest wel ofte,
& wrout elles here wille whil hem god liked.
& treuly whan time com þat þei twynne scholde,
Meliors wiþ hire meyne mekeliche hom wente;
william a stounde stinte stille at his owne inne,
of alle his harde haches heled atte best.
alle þe surgens of salerne so sone ne coþen
haue lesed his langour and his liif saued,
as þe maide meliors in a mile wei dede.
þe word wide went sone þat william was heled,
& vche gome was glad and oft god þonked,
& william on þe morwe wel him a-tyred
Gayli in cloþes of gold & oþer gode harneis,
& komes euen to kourt as kniȝt hol & fere,
heriend heiliche god þat his liif saued.
& soþli as sone as þemperour say him wiþ eiȝen,
he hiȝed him hastely & hent him in his armes,
& clupte him & keste kyndeliche ful ofte,
& þus þei left in likyng a god while after.