University of Virginia Library

‘Sir Emperour,’ seide Segwyn,
‘This daie is come ending myn,
Bot thou haue mercy on me.
At thy wille it shal bee.
No lenger y ne woll thy wrath dryue,
While y am man a-lyue,
Bot oute of this londe y shall goo,
And neuere ayene to come moo.
Here my swerde, thou take it,
And myn hede of thou smyte,
Or what thy wille is, doo by me
(Myn owne Lorde, y woll it so bee)
For the folie that y dude,
Whan y slowe thy neuiew in that stede.’
Than bespake the Emperoures sone
To his fader and seide: ‘sir, of your benesone,
Segwyn is a noble baroun.
Holden he hath vs in prisoun:
To vs he hath bee full kynde,
And to you herafter may bee well helping.
Bot thou foryiue him thy wrath swithe,
Of me thou shalt neuere bee blithe.’
Than seide the Duke Reyner full sone:
‘Sir Segwyn is a noble baron.
Sithe he obeyeth him to thy wille,
Foryiue him thy wrathe, and that is skille,
Of thy neuyew, that he slow by cas;
For in his defence, by god, it was.
And if any woll contrary that y-sey,
Before you to preoue it my gloue y woll ley.
And bot if thou haue of him mercy,
Euer here-after y shalbee thyn enmy.’
Than come forthe sir Gaudemer,
And thus to the Emperour he spake there:
‘Sir, y loue the Duke ouere all thing;
For he vs hath doo grete worshipping,
And sworne brethern we bee two:
And thou hense forewarde him mysdoo,
All my people y shall forsende,
And in-to Coloigne y shall wende:
Thy Castellis and Citees, that been so stronge,
Destroye y shall for thy wronge.
Bot thou mercy of him haue nowe,
All this y shall ayenst thy prowe.’
With that come the Styward forthe:
‘Sir, the Duke is moche worthe,
And grete worship he hath vs doo
(Neuere more yet come vs vnto),
Whan he in bataille vs hath nome,
And you hath thus doo hider come.
Bot thou of him haue the rather mercy,
Euere of me herafter thou shalt failly.’
With that cometh forth Guy
Of Warrewik, the Knyght hardy:
‘Sir, for goddis Loue y bidde the,
On this Duke thou haue mercy and pitee,
And with that y shall your man become
To serue the, Lorde, all and some.’
Tirry is than forthe come,
Of Gormeyse Aubries sone:
‘Sir, on this Duke ye must haue mercy
For loue of thise good men, that stonde you by.
Yf thou haue loste thurgh him
Sadok the hende, that was thy kyn,
In his stede y shall bee,
And with all my might serue the.
Therfor' at an ende y beseche the,
Foryiue him your wrathe with herte free.
And bot ye woll that doo,
Beleue it well withoute wordes moo.’
So longe they haue the Emperour bede,
That he is agreable to their rede.
To theim he seith with herte free:
‘Lordes, barons, herken to me.
Now ye all haue bidden so,
For your loue y shall thus doo,
And for sir Guy, that is englissh,
That so good knyght and curteys is:
All my wrathe y foryiue him
For loue of the soules of my kynn,
And for y him so mylde see.
Vnderstonde nowe and herken to me:
For he me crieth mercy withoute pride,
Mercy he shall haue to his mede.’

‘Sir emperour, wat hastow do?
Is þe acord made bitven ȝou to?
Astow þe douke Segyn y-kist,
Þe strong traitour & vnwrest?
& haþ for-ȝif al in loue
Sadok deþ, þi suster sone?
Þat þe wil dred, say me on;
Þe misdo þai willen ichon;
When her wretþe and her gilt
So liȝtliche for-ȝif þou wilt,
Hennes forward wil þe dred non,
Schame anouȝ þai wil þe don;
& ȝif þou haddest þe douk anhong,
In þi lond men wold þe dred strong,
& þan after-ward þe treytour Gij,
Þat neuer dede ous bot vilayni.
Ac now þai worþ wiþ þe priue,
& better þan alle we.
& topen al þis, ȝif Gij wer ded,
We miȝten haue þe lesse dred.’