University of Virginia Library

Whan þat sawe was seid soþ for to telle,
þe prouost bad bold burnes þe beres go take,
& þei hastily at his hest hiȝed inward atte roche.
but godli, as god wold swiche grace bi-tidde,
þe werwolf was war & wist of here tene,
& be-þout how best wore þe beres to saue;
& wiȝtly as a wod best went hem a-ȝens,
Gapand ful grimli & goþ þanne ful euene
to þe semli prouost sone & swiþe him vp-cauȝt
be þe middel in his mouþe þat muche was & large,
& ran forþ for al þat route wiþ so rude a noyse,
as he wold þat barn bliue haue for-frete.
whan þe prouost þat perceyued to þe puple he cried,
“helpes hastily, hende men i hote, vp ȝour liues!
ho wol winne his wareson now wiȝtly him spede
forto saue my sone or for sorwe i deye!”
ful sone after þat sawe se þere men miȝt
Many a bold burn after þat best prike,
& oþer frekes on fote as fast as þei miȝt,
so holliche to þat hunting i hote þe forsoþe,
þat noiþer burde ne barn bi-laft at þe quarrer,
but went after þe werwolf & wayned from þe beres,
hotend out wiþ hornes & wiþ huge cries,
& sewed him sadly wiþ so selkouþ noyse,
þat alle men vpon molde miȝt be a-wondred.
euer when þe werwolf was out to-fore
þe mountaunce of half a myle or more ȝif it were,
lest þe segges wold haue sesed here seute to folwe,
he wold abide wiþ þe barn þe bliþer hem to make,
In hope þei schuld of him hent þe litel knaue.
but whan þei were ouȝt him neiȝ nouȝt he nold abide,
but dede him deliuerli awey as he dede bi-fore,
& þus lelly he hem ladde alle þe longe daie,
þat neuer man vpon molde miȝt him of-take;
& schete durst þei nouȝt, for drede þe child to hurte,
but folwed him so forþ as fast as þei miȝt.
whanne þe wite beres wist þat were in þe quarrer,
þat al þe puple was passed to pursue þe best,
of þat witti werwolf to winne þe child,
& sei wel for here sake he suffred þo peines
to socour hem & saue fram alle sory deþes,
& boþe bliue for þat best bi-gunne to preie
þat god for his grete miȝt schuld gete him fro harm;
witterli þei wist wel þat þei nere bot dede,
nere goddes grete miȝt & þe gode bestes help.
& whan þei boþe had so bede þei be-þout after,
It were best as bliue to buske hem of þat caue.
& william þese wordes wiȝtly to meliors seide,
“Mi swete wiȝt, soþ to seie me semeth it þe best,
to buske vs of þe bere felles to be þe lasse knowe.
for eche wiȝh wol more a-weite after þe white beres,
þan þei wol after any wiȝt þat walkeþ i-cloþed,
þerfor wiȝtly in oure owne wedes wende we hennes.”
Mekli seide meliors, “sire be marie in heuen,
to do holli as ȝe han seide i hope be þe best.”
as bliue þe bere schinnes from here bodi þei hent,
& wiȝtly wrapped hem to-gadere wittow for soþe,
& bliþe were þei boþe þanne to bi-hold on oþer;
for feiþli a fourteniȝt non hadde seie oþeres face.
þanne clipt þei & kest for al here cares colde,
& william ful wiȝtly waited out of þe caue,
& bi-huld ful busili a-boute on eche a side,
ȝif eny wiȝt were walkende but he non seie.
he lauȝt loueli Meliors & ladde hire bi þe honde;
cloþed in here cloþes out of þe caue þei went,
wiþ hem boþe bere-felles þei bere in here armes,
so loþ hem was þo to lese or leue hem bi-hinde;
& deden hem deliuerly ouer dales and helles,
ferrest fro alle weies þer any folk walkes.
dolfulli þei were adrad dar no mon hem wite,
last þei schuld mete any man þat miȝt hem be-wrie;
but þan as god wold or eny man hem seye,
þei hade walked in þat wise wel a þre myle,
& founden þan a fayr forest floriched ful þik,
& þider wiȝtly þei went wel vnparceyued.
what of here hard heiȝing & of þe hote weder,
Meliors was al mat sche ne miȝt no furþer,
& prestly in a þicke place of þat pris wode,
wel out from alle weyes for-wery þei hem rested,
& þonked god gretliche þat so godliche hem saued;
& seþþen softli to slepe samen þei hem leide,
as þei þat were wery for-waked to-fore.
Nouȝ leue we of hem a while & speke we a-noþer;
For of þe witti werwolf a while wol i telle.