University of Virginia Library

Manly, on þe morwe þat mariage schuld bene,
þe real emperours a-risen & richeli hem greiþed,
wiþ alle worþi wedes þat wiȝhes were schold.
no man vpon molde schuld mow deuise
men richlier a-raid to rekene alle þinges,
þan eche rink was in rome to richesse þat þei hadde;
þe grete after here degre in þe gaiest wise,
& menere men as þei miȝt to minge þe soþe.
þe sesoun was semly þe sunne schined faire;
þemperour of grece & alle his gomes riche
hiȝed hem to here hors hastili and sone;
but for [to] telle þe a-tiryng of þat child þat time,
þat al þat real route were araied fore,
he þat wende haue be wedded to meliors þat time,
It wold lengeþ þis lessoun a ful long while.
but soþli for to seie so wel was he greiþed,
þat amendid in no maner ne miȝt it haue bene.
& whan þe gomes of grece were alle to horse,
araied wel redi, of romayns to rekkene þe numbre,
treuli twenti þousand a-tired atte best,
alle on stalworþ stedes stoutliche i-horsed.
alle maner of menstracye maked was sone,
& alle merþe þat any man euer miȝt deuise;
and alle real reueles rinkes rif bi-gunne,
Ridende þurth rome to rekene þe soþe,
Riȝt to þe chef cherch þat chosen is ȝutte,
& clepud þurth cristendom þe cherche of seynt petyr.
þe p[ope] wiþ many prelates was purueyd to riȝtes,
wiþ cardenales & bischopus & abbotes fele,
alle richeli reuested þat reaute to holde,
wiþ worchep of þat wedding þat þei wende haue.
þe gryffouns þan gayli gonne stint atte cherche,
þe briȝt burde meliors to abide þere.
þemperour of rome þanne was rede ȝare,
& alle þe best barounes & boldest of his reaume.
þemperour wax a-wondred wite ȝe for soþe,
whi his douȝter þat day dwelled so longe,
seþþe þe gomes of grece were gon to cherche.
þan bad he a baroun buske to hire chaumber,
to hiȝen hire hastily to him for to come,
& wiȝtli he wendes wite ȝe for soþe.
he fond þere burde no barn in þat bour þanne,
for no coyntise þat he couþe to carp him aȝens;
& he liȝtli aȝen lepes & þe lord so telles.
þemperour whan he it wist wod wax he nere,
& went him-self in wraþe to þat worþies chaumber,
& driues in at þat dore as a deuel of helle.
he gan to clepe & crie & gan to kurse fast;—
“where dwelle ȝe, a deuel wai ȝe damiseles, so long?”
alisaundrine as sone as sche him þere herde,
was delfulli a-drad þe deþ for to suffre,
ac bi a coynt compacement caste sche sone,
how bold ȝhe miȝt hire bere hire best to excuse,
þat þemperour ne schuld souche þa ȝhe at sent were,
þat his douȝter wiþ william was went away þanne.
boldli wiþ milde mod ȝhe buskes of hire chaumber,
& kom ketly to þemperour & kurteisly him gret,
& what þat his wille were wiȝtly þan asked,
& he seide ful sone “sertes, ich haue wonder
where my douȝter to-day dwelles þus longe?
for al þe pepul is parayled & passed to cherche.
I haue sent hire to seche seþþe a gret while,
ac no frek mai hire finde þer-fore i am tened.”
alisaundrine a-non answered þanne & seide,
“to blame, sire, ar þo burnes þat so bleþeli gabbe;
For my lady lis ȝit a-slape lelly, as i trowe.”
“Go wiȝtly,” seide þemperour “and a-wake hire ȝerne,
bid hire busk of hire bed & bliue be a-tyrid.”
“I dar nouȝt, for soþe” seide alisaundrine þanne;
“wiþ me sche is wroþ god wot, for litel gilt.”
“whi so?” saide þemperour “saie me nouȝ bliue!”
“Ful gladli, sire,” sche seide “bi god þat me made,
ȝif ȝe no wold be wroþ whan ȝe þe soþe wist.”
“nay, certes,” seide þemperour “þer-fore seie on sone.”
alissaundrine þan anon after þat ilke,
seide ful soberli sore a-drad in herte,
“sire, for soþe, i am hold to saie ȝou þe treuþe;
Mi ladi made me to-niȝt long wiþ hire to wake
boute burde or barn bot our selue tweie.
þanne told sche me a tiding teld was hire to-fore,
of on þat knew þe kostome of þe cuntre of grece,
þat euerich gome of grece as of grete lordes,
whan þei wedded a wiif were ȝhe neuer so nobul,
of emperours or kinges come & come into grece,
sche chold sone be bi-schet here-selue al-one,
In a ful tristy tour timbred for þe nones,
& liue þer in langour al hire lif-time,
neuer to weld of worldes merþe þe worþ of a mite.
þer-fore for soþe gret sorwe sche made,
& swor for þat sake to suffur alle peynes,
to be honget on heiȝ or wiþ horse to-drawe,
sche wold neuer be wedded to no wiȝh of grece.
hire were leuer be weded to a wel simplere,
þere sche miȝt lede hire lif in liking & murþe.
& also, sire, sertaynly to seie þe treuþe,
sche told me a-noþer tale þat me tened sarre,
wher-fore i wan hire wraþ er we departed.”
“warfore?” seide þemperour “seye me now ȝerne.”
“For soþe, sire,” quaþ alisaundrine “to saue ȝour mensk,
I wol ȝow telle tiȝtly what turn sche as wrouȝt.
sche clepud me to cunseil whan sche þis case wist
þat sche schold be wedded & seide me þanne,
sche hadde leid hire loue þer hire beter liked,
on on þe boldest barn þat euer bi-strod stede,
& þe fairest on face and i freyned is name.
& sche me seide chortly þe soþe to knowe,
It was þat worþi william þat wiȝes so louen,
& þat brouȝt ȝou out of bale wiþ his cler strengþe.
& whan i wist of þis werk wite ȝe for soþe,
It mislikede me mochel miȝt no man me blame,
& manly in my maner missaide hire as i dorst,
& warned hire wiȝtly wiþ-oute disseyte,
I wold alle hire werk do ȝou wite sone.
& whan sche þat wist for wraþ al so ȝern,
sche dede me deliuerly deuoyde þer hire chaumber,
& het me neuer so hardi be in hire siȝt to come.
& i busked of hire bour sche barred hit sone,
& seþþe saw i hire nouȝt sire, bi my treuþe.
I ne dar for drede no more to hire drawe,
þer-for, sire, ȝour-self softili hire a-wakes,
& fodes hire wiþ faire wordes for ȝour owne menske,
til þis mariage be mad & wiþ murþe ended.”