University of Virginia Library

William & his burnes þan in bataile were,
so felly wiþ here fon fouȝt þat ilke time,
bi a stounde was non so stef þat hem wiþ-stonde miȝt,
but were fayn for to fle eche bi-fore oþer,
wel was him in þe world þat swifliest miȝt hiȝe,
oþer on hors oþer on fote for fere of þe deþe.
& william & his whiȝes went after sone,
& maden manli þe chas mo þan fiue mile,
& grete prisons & gode goten þei þat time;
þat meked hem nouȝt to mercy manli þei slowe,
& whan þei time seie turned hem hom a-ȝene,
heriȝeden heili god þat þei wel had spedde.
but holli williams werkes þei wittened it alle,
nade his douȝthi dedes be þei hade be dede alle;
& louted to [him] as to lord þe lasse & þe more,
& eche a gom was gladdest hoo gaynest him miȝt ride.
al þe sorwe þei hadde suffred [so] lang to-fore,
þei sett it soþli at nouȝt so glad were þei þan,
for þe douȝthi kniȝtes dedus þat þat day hem helped.
wiþ al þe murthe vpon molde þo miȝthi men in-fere
passeden to þe paleys proude of here dedes.
þe comly quen & here douȝter com him a-ȝens,
& þe me[n]skful meliors wiþ maydenes fele,
& welcomed william as þei wel ouȝte,
wiþ clipping & kessing & alle kinde dedus.
þe quen him loueli ladde riȝt to h[er]e chaumber,
vn-armed him anon & afterward cloþed
clenliche for eny [kniȝt] þat vnder crist liuede.
þan sete þei þre to solas hem at þe windowe,
euen ouer þe ioly place þat to þat paleis longed,
þere as þe quen fond william & his faire make.
& as þei waited a-boute wil þei of murthe speke,
williams werwolf was comen þider þanne,
loked vpon þe ladies & his loueli maister,
& held vp his foure-fet in fourme to craue mercy,
& louted to hem loueli and lelly þer-after,
he went wiȝtly a-wei whider him god liked.
þe quen þer-of was a-wondred & to william seide,
“sire, saw ȝe þis selcouþe of þis semli best?
wonder signes he wrouȝt what mai hit tokene?”
“ȝis, certes, madame” seide william þanne,
“i sei þe signes mi-self & soþli ich hope,
It bi-tokneþ gret god þat greiþli schal vs falle.”
“ȝe, ȝif crist wol,” quod þe quen “[þat] on croyce deied;
but, sire, whan i se þat best þat þo signes made,
a sorwe sinkeþ to mi hert i schal ȝou telle whi.
sum time, sire, here-to-fore a semli sone i hadde,
þat was hote william i-wisse, as ȝe arn.
feiþli whan þat faire child was of foure ȝer eld,
as my lord and i and oþer ludes many,
pleiȝed vs her in þe park in place þer i ȝou fond,
for al þe world swiche a wolf as we here seiȝen,
It semeth riȝt þat selue bi semblant & bi hewe,
com gapind a gret pace & cauȝt vp mi sone,
riȝt bi-fore his fader and oþer frakes manye,
& went awey with him so wonderli fast.
My lord & many a-noþer manliche him sewed
ouer mires & muntaynes & oþer wicked weiȝes;
at þe last þei him left for miȝth þat þei couþe.
forþ with my sone in-to þe see þat scri best leped,
so þat i herde hider-to neuer of him more.
& certes, sire, for þat sone i hade gret sorwe,
whan i þenk on þat sorwe it þirles my hert.”