University of Virginia Library

William & þe mayde þat were white beres,
gon forþ þurȝth þe gardin a wel god spede,
Fersly on here foure fet as fel for swiche bestes.
þan ȝede a grom of grece in þe gardyn to pleie,
to bi-hold þe estres & þe herberes so faire,
&, or he wiste, he was war of þe white beres,
þei went a-wai a wallop as þei wod semed.
& neiȝ wod of his witt he wax neiȝ for drede,
& fled as fast homward as fet miȝt drie,
for he wend witterly þei wold him haue sewed,
to haue mad of him mete & murþered him to deþe.
whanne he his felawes founde of his fare þei wondred,
whi he was in þat wise wexen so maat,
& he hem told tiȝtly whiche tvo white beres
hadde gon in þe gardyn & him agast maked,
for he wend witerli þei wold him haue slawe,
“but þei seie me nouȝt soþli i hope,
to me tended þei nouȝt but tok forþ here wey
wilfulli to sum wildernesse where as þei bredde.”
þanne were his felawes fain for he was adradde,
& lauȝeden of þat gode layk; of hem ich leve nouþe,
to telle forþ what tidde of þe beres after.
nouȝ fro þe gardin þei gon a god spede
toward a fair forest fast þer bi-side.
whilum þei went on alle four as doþ wilde bestes,
& whan þei wery were þei went vp-riȝttes.
so went þei in þat wildernesse al þat long niȝt,
til it dawed to day & sunne to yp-rise,
þei drow hem to a dern den for drede to be seiȝen,
& hedde hem vnder an holw hok was an huge denne,
as it fel a faire hap þei fond þer-on to rest.
Fer it was fro weiȝes & of wode so þikke,
þat no wiȝt of þe world wold hem þere seche,
& þei for-waked were weri wittow for soþe.
& hiȝliche þei heriede god of þat hap fallen,
þat had hem diȝt swiche a den dernly on to rest.
þen seide william soberli to meliors so hende,
“a! my loueliche lemman our lord now vs help,
he þat was in bedleem born & bouȝt vs on þe rode,
schilde us fram schenchip & schame in þis erþe,
& wisse vs in what wise to winne vs sum mete;
For, dere lef, i drede we schul deie for hunger.”
soburli seide meliors “sire, leues youre wordes,
we schul liue bi oure loue lelli atte best;
& þurȝth þe grace of god gete vs sumwat elles,
bolaces & blake-beries þat on breres growen,
so þat for hunger i hope harm schul we neuer;
hawes, hepus, & hakernes & þe hasel-notes,
& oþer frut to þe fulle þat in forest growen;
I seie ȝou, sire, bi mi liif þis liif so me likes.”
“nay, i-wisse,” seid william “mi worþliche herte,
better be-houis it to be or baleful were þi happes;
For here-to-fore of hardnesse hadestow neuer,
but were brouȝt forþ in blisse as swiche a burde ouȝt,
wiþ alle maner gode metes; & to misse hem nowþe,
It were a botles bale but beter haue i ment.
I wol wend to sum weie onwhar here nere,
& waite ȝif any weiȝh comes wending alone,
oþer cherl oþer child fro chepinge or feyre,
þat beris out him a-boute bred oþer drinke,
& redeli i wol it reue & come a-ȝein swiþe,
oþer coyntyse know i non to kepe wiþ our liues.”
“nay, sire,” sche seide “so schul ȝe nouȝt worche;
For þei þat misseden here mete wold make gret noyse,
& record it redeli in rome al a-boute,
so þat we miȝt þurȝth hap haue harm in þat wise.
þer-for is fairer we be stille & bi frut to liue,
þat we finde in wodes as we wende a-boute.”
& boþe þan as bliue a-sented bi a stounde,
& kindeli eche oþer clipt and kessed ful oft,
& darkeden þere in þat den al þat day longe,
slepten wel swetly samli to-gadere,
& wrouȝt elles here wille;— leef we now here,
& a while to þe werwolf i wol a-ȝen turne,
þat þe tale toucheþ as telleþ þis soþe.
þe self niȝt þat william went wiþ his leef dere,
þe werwolf, as god wold wist alle here happes,
& þe fortune þat wold falle for here dedes after.
whan þei went in þat wise wiȝtli he hem folwes,
Ful bliue hem bi-hinde but þei nouȝt wist.
& whan þe werwolf wist where þei wold rest,
he herd how hard for hunger þei hem pleyned,
& goþ him to a gret heiȝ-waye a wel god spede,
ȝif he miȝt mete any man mete of to winne.
þan fel þe chaunce þat a cherl fro cheping-ward com,
& bar bred in a bagge and fair bouf wel sode.
þe werwolf ful wiȝtli went to him euene,
wiþ a rude roring as he him rende wold,
& braid him doun be þe brest bolstrauȝt to þe erþe.
þe cherl wende ful wel haue went to deþe,
& harde wiþ herte to god þanne he prayde,
to a-schape schaþles fram þat schamful best.
he brak vp fro þat beste & bi-gan to flene
as hard has he miȝt his liif for to saue.
his bag wiþ his bilfodur wiþ þe best he lafte,
glad was, he was gon wiþ-oute gretter harmes.
þe werwolf was glad he hade wonne mete,
& went wiȝtli þer-wiþ þer as william rested,
be-fore him & his burde þe bagge þer he leide,
& busked him bliue a-ȝein boute more wordes,
For he wist ful wel of what þei nede hadde.