University of Virginia Library

Þe real emperour of rome þanne redli him thonked
of þat konyng cunseyl & his kynde wille.
& bliue þan bi eche side þat bode let he sende;
as hastyli as men miȝt hiȝe his hest was wrouȝt,
& sone was sembled swiche an host to take hem tweie,
þat neuer burn to no bataile brouȝt swiche a puple.
þei souȝt alle so serliche þurh cites & smale townes,
In wodes & alle weies þat was þer a-boute,
þat no seg for no sleiȝþe no schuld haue schapit.
but ȝit as god ȝaf þe grace no gom miȝt hem finde,
þere þei leye louely a-slepe lapped in armes.
but whan þis bode was brouȝt to þemperour[s] boþe,
þat no wiȝt in no wise ne miȝt william finde,
ne þe maide Meliors in no maner wise,
þer stod a gome of grece þat god gif him sorwe!
he þat of þe white beres so bremli was a-fraied,
he seide sone to þemperours “sires, wol ȝe here?
I sai a selkouþe siȝt mi-self ȝister-neue,
wel wiþ-inne niȝt as i went in the gardyn;
tvo þe bremest white beres þat euer burn on loked,
& semede þe most to siȝt þat euer ȝut i sawe.
I wende deliuerli for drede þe deþ to haue suffred,
but treuly þe beres to me tok no hede,
but passeden out priueli at þe posterne gate,
ac whiderward þei went wot i no more.”
“be god,” quaþ þemperour of grece “þat gart me be fourmed,
I der leye mi lif hit was þe liþer treytour
went a-wey in þat wise for he ne wold be knowen.
Lete wite swiþe at þe kichen weþer þei misse any skinnes.
whan men kome to þe koke he was be-knowe sone,
þat sum burn a-wei had bore tvo white beres skynnes.
þan was it kenly komanded a kri to make newe,
þat eche burn schuld bisily tvo white beres seke,
his trauayle schold nouȝt tyne þat tittest hem founde.
þan hastely hiȝed eche wiȝt on hors & on fote,
huntyng wiȝt houndes alle heie wodes,
til þei neyȝþed so neiȝh to nymphe þe soþe,
þere william & his worþi lef were liand i-fere,
þat busily were thei a bowe schote out of þe burnes siȝt.
but whan þe witthi werwolf wist hem so nere,
& seiȝe blod-houndes bold so busili seche,
he þouȝt, wil his lif last leten he nolde,
forto saue and serue þo tvo semli beres;
& prestly þan putte him out in peril of deþe,
bi-fore þo herty houndes hauteyn of cryes,
to winne hem alle a-weiwardes fro þe white beres.
whan þe houndes hadde feute of þe hende best,
þei sesed al here sechyng & sewed him fast,
ouer mountaynes & mires many myle þennes.
alle men þat mut herde of þe muri houndes,
seweden after ful swiþe to se þat mury chase,
& left þe loueli white beres ligge in here rest,
þat wisten no-þing of þis werk þat was hem a-boute.
þe puple þanne porsewed forþ & of here prey þei missed,
as god gaf þe werwolf grace to go a-wei so ȝerne,
þat horse ne hounde for non hast ne miȝt him of-take.
whan þemperour was warned in wast þat þei ȝede,
alle gergeis for grame gonne take here leue,
& cayred to þaire cuntre carful and tened.
but ward was þer set wide wher a-boute,
of bold burnes of armes þe beres forto seche,
þat þe witti werwolf so wel þanne hem helped,
þat no wiȝt for wile miȝt wite where þei lenged;
& hastili whan þei hade nede halp hem of mete,
& wissed hem wel þe weiȝes to wende a-wei bi niȝt;
& whan it drouȝ to þe dai ful dernli he hem tauȝt,
bi contenaunce wel thei kneu where þei rest schold take.
& busily him-self wold buske in eche side,
to help hem fro harm ȝif any hap bi-tidde.
þus þat witty werwolf þe weyes hem kenned;
lorkinde þurth londes bi niȝt so lumbardie þei passed,
& comen into þe marches of þe kingdam of poyle.