University of Virginia Library

So long þat ferli folk folwed him after,
to haue be-nom him þe barn þat he nam þat time,
huntyng holliche þat day on hors & on fote,
till þe semli sunne was setled to reste.
& whan it was so neiȝ niȝt to neuen þe soþe,
þe werwolf wist wel it was no more nede
to bere þat [barn] no forþer for þe beres sake.
þei hadde folwed him so fer þat forsoþe he wist,
þat no seg þat hade sewed no schuld hom winne,
hiȝed þei neuer so hard of al þa long niȝt.
& þanne as bliue þat barn þe best a-doun sette,
wiþ-oute eny maner wem þe worse it to greue,
for non schold in þat barnes bodi o brusure finde
as of þat bold best but bold it was & faire.
& as sone as he hade sette it a-downe,
he went wiȝtly a-weie wiþ-oute eny more,
deliuerli as he nadde þat day gon half a myle.
when þe prouost & þe puple parceyued þat ilk,
þat þe best hade left þe barn bliþe were þei þanne.
þe prouost bi-fore þe puple priked þider formest,
& hent it vp in hast ful hendli in his armes,
and clipt it & kest oft & many siþes;
bi-huld a-boute on his bodi ȝif it blenched were;
whan he saw it al sound so glad was he þanne,
þat na gref vnder god gayned to his ioye.
al þe puple prestly þat him porsewed hadde,
gretliche þonked god of þat grace bi-falle,
& tiȝtli al here tene was turned in-to ioye,
& as bliue wiþ blisse þei busked hem homward,
wiþ al þe murþe vpon molde þat men miȝt diuise.
but eche man al niȝt inned him where he miȝt,
& whan hit dawed, deliuerli dede hem homward.
& wiȝtli whan þei hom come wittow for soþe,
þe prouost ful prestli al þat puple warned,
to buske bliue to þe quarrer þe beres to take.
þei went wiþ god wille but wan þei þider come,
þei founde al awei fare bi-fore þat þer wore.
þo ne wist þei in þe world whider hem to seche,
but hiȝed hem homward fast as þei miȝt,
& token redli here rest at here owne wille.
þe prouost dede pertli profer al a-boute,
what man vpon mold miȝt þe beres take,
he schuld gete of gold garissoun for euere.
Many man by his miȝt medled him þer-after,
a-boute bi eche side þo bestes for to seche.
but as god ȝaf þe grace no gom miȝt hem finde,
so happiliche þei hem hidde þei hadde swiche grace.
& forto telle what tidde of þat tide werwolf,
þat niȝt þat hadde þe prouost sone for-left,
he wan a-ȝen to william & to his worþ make,
wel i-charged wiþ wyn & wiþ gode metes,
þat he wan bi þe weie as he þider went.
& bliue þat he bar be-fore william hit leide,
& went him wiȝtly a-wei fro hem sone.
þerof was william a-wondred & meliors alse,
why þe best nold abide þat so wel hem helped,
& seide eiþer til oþer “now sertes, for soþe,
þis best has mannes kynde it may be non oþer.
se what sorwe he suffres to saue vs tweine!
& namli, when we han nede neuer he ne fayleþ,
þat he ne bringeþ wher we ben þat to vs bi-houes.
he þat suffred for our sake sore wondes fiue,
he our buxum best saue & hald vs his liue.”
“amen, sire,” seide meliors “marie þat graunt!
nade his help hende ben we hade be ded ȝore.”
þei made hem þan merye wiþ mete þat þei hadde,
& eten at here ese for þei were for-hungred,
& rested þere redeli al þat longe day,
& al þe niȝt next after to neuen þe soþe,
for meliors was so wery þat sche ne walk miȝt.
& erliche on þe morwe er þe sunne gan schine,
choliers þat cayreden col come þere bi-side,
& oþer wiȝes þat were wont wode forto fecche,
fast þer william was & his worþ burde.
þe kolieres bi-komsed to karpe kenely i-fere;
on of hem seide sadli þise selue wordes:
“wold god þe white beres were here nowþe,
alle þe men on mold ne schuld here liues saue,
for wiȝtly wold ich wende and warne þe prouost,
& titliche schuld þei be take & moche tene suffre;
for breme beres [be] þei none as þei be-semen,
It is þemperours douȝter þat so digised wendeþ,
wiþ a [comliche] kniȝt þat kauȝt haþ hire loue.
þer-fore þese cries ben so kenliche maked,
what man on molde mow hem first fynde,
he mai gete so moche gold þat pore worþ he neuer.
wonderli a werwolf ȝesterday hem saued,
þa pertly þe prouost barn bar a-way from alle;
while men hunted after hem þai han a-wai schaped.
bi him þat me bouȝt were þei boþe here,
þei schuld wicche wel ȝif þei a-wei went,
þouȝh þer were werwolfs wiþ hem foure schore!”
þen was meliors neiȝ mad al-most for fere,
lest þat foule felþe schold haue hem founde þere,
& darked stille in hire den for drede, boute noyse.
wiȝtly a-noþer werkman þat was þer be-side
gan flite wiþ þat felþe þat formest hadde spoke,
seide, “do þi deuer þat þow hast to done.
what were þe þe beter nouȝ þeiȝh þe beris were here,
to do hem any duresse? þei misdede þe neuer.
Mani hard hape han þei a-schapet,
& so i hope þei schal ȝit for al þi sori wille.
god for his grete miȝt fram greues hem saue,
& bring hem boþe wiþ blis þere þei be wold.
do we þat we haue to done & diȝt we vs henne,
sum seluer for our semes in þe cite to gete.”
þei hadde bliue here burþenes & bi-gunne to wende,
william ne is swete wiȝt seie hem na more;
but holliche had herd al here huge speche.
þan seide william wiȝtly þese selue wordes,
“Meliors, my swete hert now mow we no more
In þise breme bere-felles a-boute here walke,
ȝif we wist in what wise how to worche beter.”
“certes, sire, þat is soþ” seide meliors þan,
“ȝif we walken in þes wedes i wot wel for soþe,
& al þe cuntre knoweþ what cas we ben inne,
what man so vs metes may vs sone knowe.
I ne wot in wat wise to worche be best.”
“nor ich, i-wisse,” sede william “but worþe god wiþ alle.”