University of Virginia Library

Þe prouost þan prestely þe pepul dede warne,
as þei nold lese here lif here londes & here godes,
þat alle hieȝden hastily on hors & on fote,
& bi-set sone saddeli þe quarrer al a-boute,
tiȝtli for to take þe tvo white beres,
þat þemperour comanded crie in cuntre al a-boute.
sone eche man þat miȝt ful manliche him armed,
& heȝeden hastely to hors þo þat hade any,
and frekes on fote hiȝede hem fast after,
so þat þe cuntre þurth þat cri was al bi-cast sone,
& quikliche a-boute þe quarrer were kene men of armes,
twenty hundered & tvo trewli in numbre,
to take as bliue þe beres but god now hem help,
slayn worþ þei slepend ac selcouþ now heres.
as þo bold beres so neiȝh here bale slepten,
Meliors þurth a metyng was marred neiȝ for fere,
& þurth þat sorwful sweuene swiþe sche a-waked,
& wiȝtly to william þese wordes sche sede,
“a! louely lemman lestene now my sawe,
I am ney marred & mad þis morwe for a sweuene.
for me þout þat þer com to þis caue nouþe
wilde beris & apes bores, boles, and baucynes,
a brem numbre of bestes þat a lyoun ladde,
þat his kene komandment kidden wel to wirche,
to haue taken vs tvo to-gader in þis denne.
þan was þer a litel lyoun of þe lederes bi-ȝete,
come wiþ þat companye þis case to bi-holde.
& riȝt as þe breme bestes vs boþe schuld haue take,
our wurþi werwolf þat euer wel vs helpeþ,
com wiþ a gret kours & for alle þe kene bestes,
& lauȝt vp þe ȝong lyoun liȝtly in his mouþe,
& went wiþ him a-wei whedir as him liked.
& alle þe breme bestes þat a-boute vs were,
for-lete vs & folwed him forþ for þe ȝong lyouns sake;
& certes, sire, of þat sweuen riȝt so y a-waked,
& am a-drad to þe deþ for destine þat wol falle.”