University of Virginia Library

William þo wondred moche of þat wilde best,
what he brouȝt in þe bag & wold nouȝt a-bide.
he braide to him þe bagge & bliue it opened,
& fond þe bred & þe bouf bliþe was he þanne,
& mekli to meliors “mi swete hert,” he saide,
“loo! whiche a gret grace god haþ vs schewed!
he wot wel of our werk & wel is apaiȝed,
þat he sendeþ þus his sond to socour vs atte nede,
so wonder a wilde best þat weldes no mynde.
swiche a wonder i-wisse was i-seie neuer,
to herien god heiȝli alden ar we boþe.”
“bi marie,” seid meliors “ȝe mingeþ þe soþe;
for al þe world i nold our werk were vndone.”
william wel mekli þe mete out takes,
seid, “lemman, lef liif of þat our lord vs sendes,
Make we vs merie for mete haue we at wille.”
þei ete at here ese as þei miȝt þanne,
boute salt oþer sauce or any semli drynk,
hunger hadde hem hold þei held hem a-paied.
but white wel, þe werwolf wist what hem failed;
he went to an heiȝ weie to whayte sum happes.
þan bi-tid þat time to telle þe soþe,
þat a clerk of þe cuntre com toward rome
wiþ tvo flaketes ful of ful fine wynes,
bouȝt were for a burgeis of a borwe bi-side.
þe werwolf him awayted & went to him euene,
bellyng as a bole þat burnes wold spille.
whan þe clerk saw him come for care & for drede,
þe flagetes he let falle & gan to fle ȝerne,
þe liȝtliere to lepe his liif for to saue.
þe werwolf of þe clerkes werk was wonder bliþe,
& flei to þe flagetes & swiþe hem vp hentes,
& wendes euen to william a wel god spede,
& to meliors his make and mildeliche þanne
þe flagetes hem bi-for faire doun he settes,
& went wiȝtli a-wei wiþ-out eni more.
william & his worþi wenche þan were bliþe
of þe help þat þei hade of þis wild best,
& preid þei ful priueli to þe prince of heuene,
saue þe best fro sorwe þat so wel hem helped.
þei made hem þan mirie on alle maner wise,
eten at al here ese & afterward dronken,
& solaced hem samen til hem slepe lust.
þan eiþer lapped oþer ful loueli in armes,
& here drede & here doel deliuerli for-ȝeten,
& slepten so swetli in here semly denne,
til it wax so neiȝh niȝt þat nerre it no miȝt.
þan a-waked þei wiȝtli & went on here gate,
faire on þer tvo fet þei ferde vp-on niȝtes,
but whan it drow to þe dai þei ferde as bestes,
ferd on here foure fet in fourme of tvo beres;
and euer þe werwolf ful wiȝtly hem folwed,
þat william ne wist hendeli hem bi-hinde;
but whan þei were loged where hem best liked,
Mete & al maner þing þat hem mister neded,
þe werwolf hem wan & wiȝtli hem brouȝt.
þan þei lade þis liif a ful long while,
cairende ouer cuntreis as here cas ferde.
Leue we now þis lesson & here we a-noþer;
to hem aȝeyn can i turne whan it time falles.
I wol minge of a mater i mennede of bi-fore,
of þe reaute a-raied in rome for here sake,
& of þe worþi wedding was bi-fore graunted
bi-twene þe meyde meliors & þe prince of grece;
now listenes, lef lordes þis lessoun þus i ginne.