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Forþ a wente be þe strem,
Til a com to Iurisalem;
To þe patriark a wente cof,
& al his lif he him schrof
And tolde him, how hit was be-go,
Of is wele and of is wo.
Þe patriark hadde reuþe
Of him and ek of is treuþe
And for-bed him vpon his lif,
Þat he neuer toke wif,
Boute ȝhe were clene maide.
‘Nai, for soþe!’ sire Beues saide.
On a dai aȝenes þe eue
Of þe patriarke he tok is leue;
Erliche amorwe, whan it was dai,
Forþ a wente in is wai;
And also a rod him self alone:
‘Lord,’ a þouȝte, ‘whar mai i gone?
Whar ich in to Ingelonde fare?
Nai,’ a þouȝte, ‘what scholde i þare,
Boute ȝif ichadde ost to gader,
For to sle me stifader?’
He þouȝte, þat he wolde an hie
In to þe londe of Ermonie,
To Ermonie, þat was is bane,
To his lemman Iosiane.
And also a wente þeder riȝt,
A mette wiþ a gentil kniȝt,
Þat in þe londe of Ermonie
Hadde bore him gode companie;
Þai kiste hem anon wiþ þat
And aþer askede of oþeres stat.
Þanne seide Beues and louȝ:
‘Ich aue fare hard inouȝ,
Sofred boþe honger & chele
And oþer peines mani & fele
Þourȝ king Ermines gile:
Ȝet ich þenke to ȝelde is while,
For he me sente to Brademond,
To haue slawe me þat stonde:
God be þanked, a dede nouȝt so,
Ac in is prisoun wiþ meche wo
Ichaue leie þis seuen ȝare,
Ac now icham from him ifare
Þourȝ godes grace & min engyn,
Ac al ich wite it king Ermyn,
And, ne wer is douȝter Iosiane,
Sertes, ich wolde ben is bane!’

‘Iosiane,’ queþ þe kniȝt, ‘is a wif
Aȝen hire wille wiþ meche strif.
Seue ȝer hit is gon and more,
Þat þe riche king Yuore
To Mombraunt haþ hire wedde
Boþe to bord and to bedde,
And haþ þe swerd Morgelai
And Arondel, þe gode palfrai:
Ac siþe þe time, þat i was bore,
Swiche game hadde ich neuer be-fore,
Ase ich hadde þat ilche tide,
Whan i seȝ king Yuor ride
To-ward Mombraunt on Arondel;
Þe hors was nouȝt ipaied wel:
He arnede awai wiþ þe king
Þourȝ felde & wode, wiþ outen lesing,
And in a mure don him cast,
Almest he hadde deied in hast.
Ac er hii wonne þe stede,
Ropes in þe contre þai leide;
Ac neuer siþe, wiþ oute fable,
Ne com þe stede out of þe stable,
So sore he was aneied þat tide;
Siþþe dorste noman on him ride!’
For þis tiding Beues was bliþe,
His ioie kouþe he noman kiþe.
‘Wer Iosiane,’ a þouȝte, ‘ase lele,
Alse is me stede Arondel,
Ȝet scholde ich come out of wo!’
And at þe kniȝt he askede þo:
‘Whider-wardes is Mombraunt?’
‘Sere,’ a sede, ‘be Teruagaunt,
Þow miȝt nouȝt þus wende forþ,
Þow most terne al aȝen norþ!’

Beues ternede his stede
And rod norþ gode spede;
Euer a was pasaunt,
Til a com to Mombraunt.
Mombraunt is a riche cite,
In al þe londe of Sarsine
Nis þer non þer to iliche
Ne be fele parti so riche.
And whan þat hende kniȝt Beuoun
Come wiþ outen þe toun,
Þar wiþ a palmer he mette,
And swiþe faire he him grette:
‘Palmer,’ a sede, ‘whar is þe king?’
‘Sire!’ a seide, ‘an honting
Wiþ kinges fiftene.’
‘And whar,’ a seide, ‘is þe quene?’
‘Sire,’ a seide, ‘in hire bour.’
‘Palmer,’ a seide, ‘paramour,
Ȝem me þine wede
For min and for me stede!’
‘God ȝeue it,’ queþ þe palmare,
‘We hadde driue þat chefare!’

Beues of is palfrei aliȝte
And schrede þe palmer as a kniȝte
And ȝaf him is hors, þat he rod in,
For is bordon and is sklauin.
Þe palmer rod forþ ase a king,
& Beues wente alse a breþeling.
Whan he com to þe castel gate,
Anon he fond þar ate
Mani palmer þar stonde
Of fele kene londe,
And he askede hem in þat stede,
What hii alle þar dede.
Þanne seide on, þat þar stod:
‘We beþ icome to haue gode,
And so þow ert also!’
‘Who,’ queþ Beues, ‘schel it vs do?’
‘Þe quene, god hire schilde fro care!
Meche ȝhe loueþ palmare;
Al þat ȝhe mai finden here,
Eueriche dai in þe ȝere,
Faire ȝhe wile hem fede
And ȝeue hem riche wede
For a kniȝtes loue, Beuoun,
Þat was i-boren at Souþhamtoun;
To a riche man ȝhe wolde him bringe,
Þat kouþe telle of him tiding!’
‘Whanne,’ queþ Beues, ‘schel þis be don?’
A seide: ‘Be-twene middai & noun.’
Beues, hit ful wel he sai,
Hit nas boute ȝong dai;
A þouȝte, þat he wolde er þan
Wende aboute þe barbican,
For to loke & for to se,
How it miȝte best be,
Ȝif he þe castel wolde breke,
Whar a miȝte best in reke;
And also a com be a touret,
Þat was in þe castel iset,
A herde wepe and crie;
Þederward he gan him hie.
‘O allas,’ ȝhe seide, ‘Beuoun,
Hende kniȝt of Souþ-hamtoun,
Now ichaue bide þat day,
Þat to þe treste i ne may:
Þat ilche god, þat þow of speke,
He is fals & þow ert eke!’
In al þe seuene ȝer eche dai
Iosiane, þat faire mai,
Was woned swich del to make,
Al for sire Beues sake.

Þe leuedi gan to þe gate te,
Þe palmeres þar to se;
And Beues, after anon
To þe gate he gan gon.
Þe palmers gonne al in þreste,
Beues abod & was þe laste;
And whan þe maide seȝ him þar,
Of Beues ȝhe nas noþing war;
‘Þe semest,’ queþ ȝhe, ‘man of anour,
Þow schelt þis dai be priour
And be-ginne oure deis:
Þe semest hende and corteis.’
Mete and drinke þai hadde afyn,
Boþe piment and plente a wyn,
Swiþe wel þai hadde ifare;
Þanne seide þe quene to eche palmare:
‘Herde euer eni of ȝow telle
In eni lede or eni spelle,
Or in feld oþer in toun,
Of a kniȝt, Beues of Hamtoun?’
‘Nai!’ queþ al, þat þar ware.
‘What þow?’ ȝhe seide, ‘niwe palmare?’
Þanne seide Beues and louȝ:
‘Þat kniȝt ich knowe wel inouȝ!
Atom,’ a seide, ‘in is contre
Icham an erl and also is he;
At Rome he made me a spel
Of an hors, men clepede Arondel:
Wide whar ichaue iwent
And me warisoun ispent,
I souȝt hit boþe fer & ner,
Men telleþ me, þat it is her;
Ȝif euer louedestow wel þat kniȝt,
Let me of þat hors haue a siȝt!’