 |
|
 | The Romance of William of Palerne |  |
103
“I am swiche a best as ȝe ben bi him þat vs wrouȝt.
harm for me, i hope schul ȝe haue neuer;
for as gost on goddis name ich gaynli to ȝou speke,
of swiche kinde ar we kome bi crist, as ȝe arn.
but oþer breme bestes by maistrye & strengþe,
han me dulfulli driuen fro my kinde lese.
þer-for i souȝt hider socour of þe to haue,
& praie þe par charite & properliche for reuþe,
deliuer me of duresse & do me haue my lese,
& lelli þow schalt be lord þer-of al þi lif time.
& þat menskful maide þat þere myd þe lies,
schal be mi lef lady þis lordchip to weld.
for þe real emperour of rome is redeli hir fader,
forþi wel i wot sche is worþi to weld wel more,
I knowe al þe couyne of cuntre how ȝe went,
& ȝe ben welcom to me bi crist þat me made.
& of sorwe i haue suffred sone wol i telle.
þe proude king of spayne wiþ pride me bi-segeþ,
& haþ luþerli al mi lond wiþ his ludes wasted,
& al þis duresse he me doþ for my douȝter sake;
asent wold sche nouȝt his sone to wif hire weld,
þer-for he worcheþ me wo & wasteþ al my londes,
saue onliche in þis cite where soiourne wot i neuer.
but help hope i in hast to haue of þe one;
to amende my meschef i meke me in þi grace,
& pleyn power i þe graunt prestli alse swiþe,
to lede al my lordchip as þe lef likes;
boute eny maner mene mayster i þe make;
wiþ-þatow winne al my worchip as i ere walt.”
þan was william gretli glad & oft god þonked,
whan he wist it was þe quen & wiȝtli he sayde,
“Madame, by þat menskful lord þat vs alle made,
ȝif i þis time miȝt trust treuli to ȝour sawe,
so þat ȝe wold lelli my lemman saue & loke,
104
al my help holliche ȝe schul haue at nede;
feiþli boute feyntise ȝou faile schal ich neuer,
as long as any lif me lastes, for soþe.”
Gretli was þe quen glad & godli him þonked,
& loueli him & his lemman lauȝt bi þe handes,
& ferden forþ on here fet feiþli to-gadere
priueli to þe posterne & in passed sone.
& ȝit stod þe maide stille þe quen to a-bide,
& whan sche saw þo þre bestes so þroli come,
so hidous in þo hides as þei hertes were,
sche wex wod of hire wit wittou, for fere;
& rapli gan a-way renne to reken þe soþe.
but þat comli quen called hire a-ȝene,
& carful [sche] com whan sche hire clepe herde.
“whi carestow,” sede þe quene “knew þow nouȝt þe soþe,
þat i was tiffed in a-tir when i wend fro þe?”
“ȝis, madame,” sede þe maide “but, bi marie of heuen,
but i a-wede neieȝ of wit for þo werder bestes,
þat folwe ȝour felachip so ferli þei are.”
“þei wol do no duresse bi dere god of heuen;
for hem i went in þis wise to win in-to þis place.
but loke now, bi þi lif þat no lud here-of wite,
how þei hider come her-after neuer more.”
“nay, bi marie, madame” þe maide þan seide,
“þis dede schal i neuer deschuuer þe deth forto suffer.”
| The Romance of William of Palerne | |