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Also þat comli quen as þat crist wold,
hade on þe sturnest stede in hire stabul teiȝed,
þat euer man vpon molde miȝt of heren,
& doutiest to alle dedes þat any horse do schuld.
þe king ebrouns it ouȝt þat was hire lord bi-fore,
& fro þe day þat he deiede durst no man him neiȝhe,
ne be so bold of his bodi on his bak to come,
but euer stod teied in þe stabul wiþ stef irn cheynes;
& queyntliche to his cracche was corue swiche a weie,
þat men miȝt legge him mete & wateren atte wille.
þe horse sone hade sauor of þat hende kniȝt,
& wist, as god wold it was is kinde lord.
as bliue, al his bondes he to-brak for ioye,
& so gan fare wiþ his fet & ferliche neiȝede,
þat men wend he hade be wod & warned þe quene,
how sternli in þe stabul þe stede þan ferde,
& had broke alle his bondes no burn durst him neiȝhe.
whan william herde þise wordes he saide to þe quene,
“Madame, what stede is þat þat so sterne is hold?
Is he ouȝt douȝti to dedes þat men don of armes?”
“ȝa, certes,” saide þe quen “soþ for to telle,
a worþier to þat werk wot i non in erþe,
ȝif any man vpon mold miȝt wiþ him dele.
he was mi lordes, wil he liuede þat i so moche louede,
& for his loue sertenli i do þis stede ȝeme.”
“Mademe,” sede william “ȝif it were ȝour wille,
I wold preie par charite & profit þat may falle,
þat i most haue þat horse whan i schal haue to done.
I wol to medis my-self manliche him diȝt,
sette vpon his sadel & semli him greiþe.”
“certes,” sede þe quen “i seie þe at onis,
holli of al þat i haue here i make þe maister,
to do þer-wiþ bi day & niȝt as þe god þinkes, ”
þer-of was william glad & wiȝtli here þonkes,
þan asked þei þe win & went to bedde after,
for it was forþ [to] niȝt faren bi þat time.