University of Virginia Library

Þan þat comli quene ful curtesly saide,
“lordinges, ȝe ar my lege men þe lasse & þe more,
& sworn eche bi his side to saue mi riȝt,
& manliche men ben beter mow non liue.
þer-fore, lordinges, for his loue þat let vs be fourmed,
& for ȝour owne worchipe witeþ me fro schaþe
ȝut from þise wicked men þat wold me spille.
& but god of his grace sum god help vs sende,
I wol worche al ȝour wille wiþ-out ani faile,
wheþer i merci schul craue or meyntene þis werre.
treuli, ȝif me bitide þis tene to a-schape,
wiþ richesse i wol ȝou reward forto riche for euer,
so þat treuli ȝour trauail nouȝt schul ȝe tine.”
& alle here gomes were glad of hire gode speche,
& seden at o sent “wat so tide wold after,
þei wold manli bi here miȝt meyntene hire wille,
so long as here lif lasted to ȝelden hem neuer.”
þan þat comly quen ful curtesli hem þonked,
& busked hem þat time bliþe to bedde,
& redly token here rest til riȝt on þe morwe.
þan þat comli quen ketli vp rises,
biddande bisili hire bedes buskes to hire chapel,
& made hire prest moyses sone a masse to sing,
& prestli þat while preiȝed to þe king of heuen,
& to his milde moder þat alle men helpeþ,
þat þei hire socour sende sone bi time.
whan þe masse was don sche went to hire chaumber,
weited at þe windowe wer sche þe bestes seie,
& seie hem in þe same place þer as [þei] were ere,
& hendli eiþer oþer þan colled in armes.
þe hote sunne hade so hard þe hides stiued,
þat here comli cloþing þat keuered hem þer-vnder
þe quen saw as sche sat out bi þe sides sene,
& wex a-wondred þer-of wittow for soþe.
to cunseil sche clepud hir prest þe comli quen sone,
& schewed him þe siȝt of þe semli bestes;
& sone so he hem sey he seide to þe quene,
“for mary loue, madame desmaye ȝou no lenger,
for þe mater of þe [metyng] miȝtow here finde,
as i descriued þis ender day whan þow þi drem toldest.
& ȝe han herd here-bi-fore how it bi-tidde in rome,
þemperours douȝter was ȝeue þemperours sone of grece,
but no man miȝt here make þat mariage to holde;
for sche hade arst leide hure loue on a better place,
on on þe kuddest kniȝt knowen in þis worlde,
best of his bodi, boldest & braggest in armes;
& boþe þei busked of rome in tvo beres skinnes,
siþþe þei hent hertes skinnes but hou, wot i neuer.
but saufly þis may [i] seye & þe soþe proue,
þe ȝond is þat semly and his selue make.
he schal wiȝtli þis werre winne to an hende,
& bring þe from alle bales to þi bote in hast,
& deliuer þi londes a-ȝen in lengþe & in brede.
þer-for no more of þis mater is to munge nouþe,
but bi-þenke how þe best þo bestes to winne,
þat þe kniȝt & þat komli were kome to ȝour chaumber.”