University of Virginia Library

Þei went fast on here way þe werwolf hem ladde
ouer mures & muntaynes & many faire pleynes;
but alwei as þei went wasted þei it founde.
for burwes & bold tounes al for-brent were,
but ȝit were þei wiþ walles warchet a-boute.
& al was william landes wittow wel for soþe,
he þat þere was an hert; heres þenchesoun,
whi þe wer & þat wo þo was in þat londe.
ȝe han herd here bi-fore as ich vnderstonde,
of ebrouns þe kud king þat þat kingdom out
of poyle & of cisile of pallerne & calabre,
& was williams fader þat went þere as an hert,
& ded was & doluen mani a day bi-fore.
& his comeliche quene as god wold, ȝit liuede,
þat was williams moder & was a menskful lady.
sche had a derworþe douȝter to deme þe soþe,
on þe fairest on face and frelokest i-schapen,
þat euere man vpon molde miȝt [on] diuise;
sche was ȝonger þan william bi fulle þre ȝeres.
& þe kud king of spayne hade a comliche sone,
þat was a kud kniȝt and kene man of armes;
for him, was þe werwolf so wickedli for-schaped
þurth malice of his stepmoder as ȝe mow here after;
ac breþer were þei boþe as bi on fader.
þe kud king of spayne coueyted for his sone
þat worþi mayden þat was williams suster;
ac þe quen for no cas no wold þat wedding graunt;
for-þi þe king & his sone swiche werre a-rered.
for þei hadde luþerli here lond brend and destrued,
brent bold borwes, & burnes bruttened to deþe,
& of-sette hire so harde þe-soþe for to telle,
þat prestli to hire puple to palerne sche ferde;
& þe king bi-seget þe cite selcouþli harde,
& mani a sad sauȝt his sone þer-to made,
ac douȝti men deliuerli defended it wiþ-inne;
but sertenli on boþe sides was slayn muche puple,
& þat lasted so longe leue me for soþe,
þei of þat cite of þo segges al sad were,
& come ofte to þe quen & cunseiled hire ȝerne
to acorde wiþ þe king & graunte his wille,
for þei no lenger in no maner miȝt meyntene þat sege,
for moche folk of here fon fel algate newe,
& here men flebled fast & faileden of here mete,
þat þei miȝt in no maner meyntene þe sege.
þanne þat comliche quen curteyseliche seide,
“lordinges, ȝe ben my lege men þat gode ben & trewe,
bold burnes of bodies batailes big to gye;
but þat ȝe grettli aren a-greued gaynli i knowe,
for þise tenful trauayles but titli, i hope,
al it worþ wel amended for þis ȝe witen alle,
þat i haue sent after socour to my semly fader,
þat grece haþ godli to gye as emperour & sire.
& i wot witterli wiþ-oute eni faile,
þat socur he wol me sende or elles com him-selue.
It is so fer to þat cuntre ȝe knowe wel þe soþe,
þat he may nouȝt saile swiftli as he wold.
for-þi alle my bolde burnes i beseche & preie,
fo[r] loue þat ȝe owe to þe lord þat let ȝou be fourmed,
Meyntenes ȝit ȝoure manchip manli a while,
til god of his grete miȝt god tyding vs sende.”
& bad þo tvo bold barouns bliue forþ wende
to þe king of spayne & curtesly him seie,
þat sche preied par charite in pes to late hire lengþe
fulle a fourteniȝt for-oute alle greues
of sauȝtes to þe cite or any sorwe elles.
& but hire fader com bi þe fourteniȝtes hende,
or sende hire sum socour bi þe same time,
sche wold wiþ god wille wiþ-oute more lette
Meke hire in his merci on þise maner wise,
to giue him boute grucching al þat gode,
so þat sche miȝt saufli wiþ hire semli douȝter
wende wiȝtli a-wei whider hire god liked.
þe messegeres manli in here weye went,
spacli to þe king of spayne þis speche þei tolde.
but he swor his oþ þat he a-sent nold,
for no man vpon molde but he most haue hire douȝter;
& þei titly turned aȝen & told so þe quene.
& whan sche wist witerli þe wille of þe king,
as a woful womman sche went to hir chaumber,
& preyed ful pitousli to þe prince of heuene,
for marie his moder loue to mayntene hire & help,
þat hire foos for no cas wiþ fors hire conquerede,
to winne aȝens hire wille hire worliche douȝter.
“no madame,” seide hire douȝter “marie þat graunt,
for þe blissful barnes loue þat hire brestes souked!”
þus þei dwelled in duel niȝtes and daies,
boþe þat corteys quen & hire comliche douȝter.
had þei wist witterli whiche help god hem sente,
al hire gref in-to game gaynli schold haue turned.
now sece we of þe segges þat þe sege holden,
& of þe selcouþ a-sautes þat þei samen ȝolde,
& of þe douȝthi defens of wieȝs þer wiþ-inne.
& listenes now a litel of þe tvo leue bestes,
þat as an hert & an hinde holden here weye,
as þe witty werwolf wold hem euer lede.