University of Virginia Library

Whan þese pepul was inned wel at here hese,
william wel wiȝtli wiþ-oute any fere,
Mornyng out mesure to melior he wendes,
& siked ful sadli and seide to hire sone,
“a! worþiliche wiȝt wel wo is me nouþe!
þurȝth destine my deþ is diȝt dere, for þi sake!
I may banne þat i was born to a-bide þis time,
forto lese þe lef þat al mi liif weldes.
foule þow me fodest wiþ þi faire wordes,
elles had i deide for duel many dai seþþe,
& so god for his grace goue y hadde!”
Meliors seide mekli “whi so, mi dere hert?
forwardes þat i haue fest ful wel schal i hold,
I hope to þe heiȝh king þat al heuen weldes.
þer-for stint of þi striif & stodie we a-noþer,
what wise we mow best buske of þis lond.”
whan he [wist] þese wordes william wel liked,
seide, “mi hony, mi hert al hol þou me makest,
wiþ þi kinde cumfort of alle mi kares kold.”
þan studied þei a gret stounde stifli to-gadere,
bi what wise þei miȝt best buske of þat þede,
priueli vnperceyued for peynes þat hem tidde;
al in wast þei wrouȝt here witte wold nouȝt serue.
alisaundrine to cunseile þei clepud sone þanne,
& telden hire trewli what tent þei were inne,
ȝif þei wist in what wise to wende of þat londe,
& preyed hire par charite and for profites loue,
to kenne hem sum coyntice ȝif sche any couþe,
to wisse hem forto wend a-wey vnperceyued.
alisaundrine a-non answered þan and seide,
wepand wonderli fast for þei wende wold,
“bi þat blisful barn þat bouȝt us on þe rode,
I kan bi no coyntyse knowe nouȝ þe best,
how ȝe mowe un-hent or harmles a-schape.
for be hit witerly wist þat [ȝe] a-went bene,
eche a kuntre worþ kept wiþ kud men i-nouȝe,
eche brug, eche payþe eche brode weye,
þat noþer clerk nor kniȝt nor of cuntre cherle
schal passe vnperceyued & pertiliche of-souȝt.
& ȝef ȝe were disgised & diȝt on any wise,
I wot wel witerli ȝe wold be aspied.
seþþe no noþer nel be but nedes to wende,
craftier skil kan i non þan i wol kuþe.
In þe kechene wel i knowe arn crafti men manye,
þat fast fonden alday to flen wilde bestes,
hyndes & hertes wiþ hydes wel fayre,
bukkes and beris and oþer bestes wilde,
of alle fair venorye þat falles to metes.
ac þe bremest best þe beres me semen,
þe gon most grisli to eche gomes siȝt;
Miȝt we by coyntise com bi tvo skynnes,
of þe breme beres & bi-sowe ȝou þer-inne,
þer is no liuand lud i-liue ȝou knowe schold,
but hold ȝou ouȝt of heie gates for happes, i rede.
rediliche no better red be resun i ne knowe,
þan to swiche a bold beste best to be disgised,
for þei be alle maners arn man likkest.”
þan william ful wiþtli & his worþi burde
ful þroly hire þonked many þousand siþe
of hire crafty cunsayl & kindliche hire bi-souȝt,
wiȝtly wiþ sum wyl winne hem tvo skinnes
of þo breme bestes þat beres ben called,
pryuely vnperceyued for peril þat may falle.
& alisaundrine a-non as an hende mayde,
seide sche wold deliuerly do þer-to hire miȝt,
Forto saue hem fro sorwe hir-self forto deye.