University of Virginia Library

Þan þa komeli quen kast in hire hert,
sche wold wirche in þis wise wel to be sewed
In an huge hindes hide as þe oþer were,
& busk out to þe bestes & vnder a busk ligge,
til sche wist what þei were ȝif þei wold speke.
prestli þe prest þan proueyed hire swiche an hide,
& driuen forþ þat day to niȝt þan drouȝ þei to reste.
but þe quen er þe day was diȝt wel to riȝtes
hendli in þat hinde-skyn as swiche bestes were,
& bi a priue posterne passad ouȝt er daie,
& a-bod vnder a busk þere þe bestes leye,
so priueli, but þe prest non parceyue miȝt,
but on of hire burwȝ-maydenes þat sche loued most.
þei stoden stille hire to a-bide wiþ-inne a posterne ȝate,
& whan þe sunne gan here schewe & to schine briȝt,
þe hende hert & hinde bi-gunne to a-wake,
& maden in-fere þe mest murþe þat man miȝt diuise,
wiþ clipping & kessing and contenaunce fele,
& talkeden bi-twene mani tidy wordes.
& william þan witerli þise wordes seide,
“a! loueli lemman a long time me þinkiþ,
seþþen þat i saw þi semli face bare;
sore me longes it to se ȝif it miȝt so worþe.”
“bi marie,” seid meliors “so dos me as sore,
ȝour briȝt ble to by-hold but beter is ȝut a-bide.
we wol nouȝt krepe of þese skinnes lest vs schaþe tidde,
til our buxum best ȝif vs boþe leue.
for he be tokene whan time is wol titli vs wisse,
what wise þat we schal our owne wedes take.”
“treuli, sweting, þat is soþ” seid william þanne,
“a gret þrowe me þinkes er þat time come;
but wold god þe quen wist what we were,
& wold hastli me help of horse & gode armes,
I wold socour hire sone fram al þis sory werre,
& pult hire out of þis peril in pure litel while;
but of vs wot sche nouȝt wo is me þer-fore.
nere it, swetyng, for þi sake of my-self i ne rouȝt;
for moche meschef hastow had onli for mi sake.”
“Meschef, sire,” saide meliors “nay, munge þat no more;
for leuer me is þis lif to haue to liue wiþ þe here,
þan to winne al þe world & want þe of siȝt.”
þan clipt þei & keste & of þat karping lest,
& bi a busch lay þe quen bi here-self one,
& herde holli þe wordes þat þei hade seide.
& meliors in þe mene time to william mekli saide,
“swetyng, sore i was a-drad of a sweuen ȝer-while;
Me þouȝt þanne an ern er euer i was ware,
hade vs vp take in-to þat heiȝe toure;
wheþer it geyne to gode or grame, wot i neuer.”
“nay, i-wisse,” sede william “i wot wel þe soþe,
þat it gayneþ but god for god may vs help.”
& as þei laykeden in here laike þei lokede a-boute,
& bleynte bi-hinde þe busch & seiȝen as bliue,
how an huge hinde held hire þere at rest.
“bi marie,” seide meliors “me þinkiþ þat best slepeþ,
& semeþ nouȝt a-drad of vs to deme þe soþe.”
“no, i-wisse,” seide william “i ne wot whi it schuld;
It weneþ þat we ben riȝt swiche as it-silue;
for we be so sotiliche be-sewed in þise hides.
but wist it wisli whiche bestes we were,
It wold fle our felaschip for fere ful sone.”
“nay, bi crist,” sede þe quen “þat al mankinde schaped,
I nel fle ful fer for fere of ȝouȝ tweyne.
I wot wel what ȝe ar & whennes ȝe come,
al þe kas wel i knowe þat ȝe arn komen inne.”
william wex a-wondred whan he þise wordes herd,
& meliors þe meke wex neiȝh mad for fere.
but william ful hastly þus to þe hinde sede,
“I coniure þe, þurth crist þat on croice was peyned,
þatou titli me telle & tarie nouȝ no lenger,
wheþer þow be a god gost in goddis name þat spekist,
oiþer any foule fend fourmed in þise wise,
& ȝif we schul of þe hent harme oþer gode.”