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What helpeþ hit, to make fable?
Ȝhe ladde Beues to þe stable;
Iosian be-held him be-fore,
Ȝhe seȝ his browe to-tore;
After Bonefas ȝhe gan grede,
At stable dore to him ȝhe sede:
‘Be þe moder, þat me haþ bore,
Ner þis mannes browe to-tore,
Me wolde þenke be his fasoun,
Þat hit were Beues of Hamtoun!’
Whan þat hors herde neuene
His kende lordes steuene,
His rakenteis he al te-rof
And wente in to þe kourt wel kof
And neide & made miche pride
Wiþ gret ioie be ech a side.
‘Allas!’ þo queþ Iosiane,
‘Wel mani a man is bane
To dai he worþ i-lauȝt,
Er þan þis stede ben icauȝt!’
Þanne seide Beues & louȝ:
‘Ich can take hit wel inouȝ:
Wolde ȝe,’ a sede, ‘ȝeue me leue,
Hit ne scholde noman greue!’
‘Take hit þanne,’ ȝhe sede,
‘And in to stable þow it lede
And teie it þar it stod,
And þow schelt haue mede gode!’
Beues to þe hors teȝ;
Þo þe hors him knew and seȝ,
Hit ne wawede no fot,
Til Beues hadde þe stirop;
Beues in to þe sadel him þrew,
Þar bi þat maide him wel knew.
Anon seide Iosian wiþ þan:
‘O Beues, gode lemman,
Let me wiþ þe reke
In þat maner, we han ispeke,
And þenk, þow me to wiue tok,
Whan ich me false godes for-sok:
Now þow hast þin hors Arondel,
Þe swerd ich þe fette schel,
And let me wende wiþ þe siþþe
Hom in to þin owene kiþþe!’

Queþ Beues: ‘Be godes name,
Ichaue for þe sofred meche schame,
Lain in prisoun swiþe strong:
Ȝif ich þe louede, hit were wrong!
Þe patriark me het vpon me lif,
Þat i ne tok neuer wif,
Boute ȝhe were maide clene;
And þow hauest seue ȝer ben a quene,
And eueri niȝt a king be þe:
How miȝtow þanne maide be?’

‘Merci,’ ȝhe seide, ‘lemman fre,
Led me hom to þe contre,
And boute þe finde me maide wimman,
Be þat eni man saie can,
Send me aȝen to me fon
Al naked in me smok alon!’
Beues seide: ‘So i schel,
In þat for-ward i graunte wel!’