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Hit bi-tidde þat time þei trauailed al a niȝt,
out of forest & friþes & alle faire wodes;
no couert miȝt þei kacche þe cuntre was so playne.
& as it dawed liȝt day to mene þe soþe,
þai hadde a semli siȝt of a cite nobul,
enclosed comeliche a-boute wiþ fyn castel-werk;
bonuent þat riche borwe burnes ȝut clepun.
whan william þer-of war was he wax a-drad sore,
lest eny segges of þat cite hem of-se schuld,
& mekly seide to meliors “myn owne swete herte,
our lord, ȝif his liking be oure liues now saue!
for i no wot in þis world where we mowe vs hide.
þe perles prince of heuen for his pite & his grace,
saue vs for his pite þat we ne slayn bene!”
“amen, sire,” seide meliors “Marie þat vs graunt,
for þat blessed barnes loue þat in hire bodi rest!”
þanne wiȝtly wiþ-inne a while as þei waited a-boute,
þei saie a litel hem bi-side a semliche quarrere,
vnder an heiȝ hel al holwe newe diked;
deliuerli þei hieȝed hem þider for drede out of doute,
& crepten in-to a caue whanne þei þeder come,
al wery for-walked & wold take here reste.
In armes louely eche lauȝt oþer & leide hem to slepe,
al bonden in þe bere skynnes bi-fore as þei ȝede.
& þat witty werwolf went ay bi-side,
& kouchid him vnder a kragge to kepe þis tvo beris.
ac þei ne hadde redly rested but a litel while,
þat werkmen forto worche ne wonne þidere sone,
stifly wiþ strong tol ston stifly to digge,
& as þei come to þe caue to comse to wirche,
on of hem sone of-sei þo semliche white beres,
loueli ligand to-gadir lapped in armes.
but feiþli as fast to his felawes he seide,
“herkenes nowe, hende sires ȝe han herd ofte,
wich a cri has be cried þurth cuntres fele,
þurth hest of þemperour þat haþ rome to kepe,
þat what man vpon molde miȝt onwar finde,
tvo breme wite beres þe bane is so maked,
he schold winne his wareson to weld for euere,
þurth þe grete god of gold þat him bi ȝiue schold.”
“ȝa, forsoþe,” seide his felawes “ful wel þat we knowe;
but wharbi seistow so so þe god help?”
“þe soþe, felawes, ful sone ȝe schol it wite,
ȝif ȝe tentifly take kepe & trewe be to-gadere;
I wol winne our warisun for i wot where þei are.”
“ȝis, certes,” seide þei “so trewe wol we bene,
þat no fote schal we fle for nouȝt bi-tides.”
“ek, sires,” seide þat oþer “so ȝouȝ crist rede,
standes alle a stounde stille in þis ilk place,
I wil busk to boneuent of þe beris telle,
to þe prouost & oþer puple & hem preie in hast
to come hider & hem cacche for in caue þei lyen,
& slepen samen y-fere y saw hem riȝt nowe.”
þenne were his felawes ful fayn & fast bad him renne,
& þei wold a-bide boldly þe beres þere to kepe.
þat oþer [went] wiȝtly þenne to warne þe prouost
lelliche hou he hade seye in þe harde quarrer,
þe tvo white beris & bad him-self ȝerne
to come wiþ gret pouwer & cacche hem in haste.
“wostou wel,” seyede þe prouost “þat þei are þere ȝete?”
“ȝe, certes,” seide he “y saw hem riȝt now boþe;
& fiue of my felawes ful faste þere hem wayten,
þat þei no wende a-way wil y hider sterte.”