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When þe pilgrim hadde al y-teld,
Gij him herkened & biheld;

108

He stont & biþouȝt him ȝerne,
Wheþer he forþ go oþer oȝain terne.
He seyd to Herhaud, ‘what rede [ȝe]?
Sum gode conseyl ȝif þou me,
Ȝif we forþ in our wai go,
Oþer to þe douke him socour to do.
Þat tow me redest, don y wille;
Þi conseyl forsake y nille.’
Þan seyd Herhaud i-wis,
‘Y ȝif conseyl, & gode it is;
Hem to help men schul spede
Þat to help han gret nede.
For los and priis þou miȝt þer winne,
& manschip to þe & al þi kinne.’
‘Sir Herhaud,’ quod Gij þe gode,
‘Þilke lord þat died on rode
Þe blisse, & saue þe,
For gode conseyl ȝif[es]tow me.’
Gij him graiþed & made him ȝare
Into Loweyne for to fare;
& wiþ him oþer fifti kniȝt,
In feld þe best þat miȝt fiȝt.
Y-comen þai ben to Arascoun,
To þe douke þai ben wel-com.
In þe cite þai han her in y-take;
Mani wer bliþe for her sake.
Gij bi þe morwe aros þo,
Riȝt to chirche he is y-go:
Matins & masse he herd þere,
& seþþe went hom wiþ his fere.
Bi þe strete he seye miche folk erne,
Hemself to were þai most lerne.
Sir Gij to his ost sede,
‘What is al þis? so god þe rede,
Bele ost, y bidde, say þou me,
What may al þis erning be?’

110

‘Sir, ichil þe telle,’ þan seyd he,
‘No word nil ich lyȝe þe;
It is þemperours steward,
A gode kniȝt and no coward
(Anon to Speyne his better nis),
& with him gret compeynie y-wis,
An hundred kniȝtes gode of ker,
Her better no may wepen ber.
Þe cite þai han bisett:
Ȝif ani kniȝt be out y-mett,
He no mai nouȝt passe vn-y-nome,
Oþer y-slayn atte frome.’