University of Virginia Library

Wiȝtly boute mo wordes sche went fo[r]þ stille,
& bliue in a bourde borwed boiȝes cloþes,
& talliche hire a-tyred tiȝtli þer-inne,
& bogeysliche as a boye busked to þe kychene,
þer as burnes were busy bestes to hulde;
& manly sche melled hire þo men forto help,
til sche say tidi time hire prey for to take.
sche a-wayted wel þe white bere skinnes,
þat loueli were & large to lappen inne hire frendes,
& went wiȝtly a-wei wel vnparceyued,
& lepeþ þer-wiþ to hire lady & hire lemman dere,
seide softily, “now seþ how sone i haue spedde!”
& þei ful glad of þe gere gretly here þonked,
& preiede here ful presteli to put hem þer-inne,
so semli þat no seg miȝt se here cloþes.
& sche melled hire meliors ferst to greiþe,
& festened hire in þat fel wiþ ful gode þonges
aboue hire trie a-tir to talke þe soþe,
þat no man vpon mold miȝt oþer perceyue
but sche a bere were to baite at a stake;
so iustislich eche liþ ioyned bi ihesu of heuen.
whan sche in þat tyr was tiffed as sche schold,
Meliors in here merþe to hire maiden seide,
“Leue alisaundrine, for mi loue how likes þe nowþe?
am i nouȝt a bold best a bere wel to seme?”
“ȝis, madame,” seide þe mayde “be marie of heuene,
ȝe arn so grisli a gost a gom on to loke,
þat i nold for al þe god þat euer god made,
abide ȝou in a brod weie bi a large mile;
so breme a wilde bere ȝe bi-seme nowþe.”
alisaundrine þanne anon after þat ilk,
In þat oþer bere-skyn be-wrapped william þanne,
& laced wel eche leme wiþ lastend þonges,
craftili a-boue his cloþes þat comly were & riche.
& whan he was sowed as he schold bene,
william ful merili to meliors þan he seide,
“sei me, loueli lemman how likes þe me nowþe?”
“bi marie, sire,” seide meliors “þe milde quen of heuene,
so breme a bere ȝe be-seme a burn on to loke,
þat icham a-grise bi god þat me made,
to se so hidous a siȝt of youre semli face!”
þan seide william wiȝtli “my derworþe herte,
to heiȝ vs hastily henne ich hope be þe best,
euenly þis euen while or men to mochel walk.”
& ȝhe to worche as he wold wiȝtli þan graunted.
alisaundrine sone as sche saw hem founding,
wept as sche wold a-wede for wo & for sorwe,
but naþeles as bliue sche brouȝt hem on weie
priuely be þe posterne of þat perles erber,
þat was to meliors chaumber choisli a-ioyned.
& alisaundrine as sone as þei schuld de-parte,
swoned fele siþe & seþþen whan sche miȝt,
preide ful pituosli to þe prince of heuene
to loke fro alle langour þo louely makes,
þat put hem for paramours in perriles so grete;
& soþli forto say a-sunder þann þei went.
alisaundrine anon attelede to hire boure,
& morned neiȝh for mad for meliors hire ladi.
More to telle of hire þis time trewly i leue,
telle i wil of þe beres what hem tidde after.