University of Virginia Library

William was in a wer þat it were him-selue.
how þe couherd þe king told it cam him in minde.
þat he him fond in þe forest in faire riche cloþes.
but sche seide þat hire sone was in þe see dronked,
& þe wolf also þat him a-wei bare,
þe þroli þouȝt þat him meued þer-of þat ilk time
sone he let ouer-slide & seide to þe quene,
þat sche schuld make hire merie hire meyne to glade,
& he wold in hire sones stede stand euer at nede.
sche ful godli gan him þonke & gaf him hol miȝth,
to meyntene al hire god as maister in his owne.
þan talked þei of oþer tales til time were to soupe,
& were serued bi ese as hem-self wold,
& so driuen forth þe day til þe derke niȝt,
with al þe mirthe vpon mold þat man miȝth deuise.
þis lessoun let we of hem & lesten we a-noþer;
of þe spaynolus wol i speke how spacli þei fled;
þilke þat went with þe lif a-wei fro þat sthoure,
spakli to þe king of spayne þei sped hem þat time,
& seide to him & his sone þe cas þat was falle,
which a kniȝt com hem a-ȝenis conquered alle oþer,
so sterne he was & stoute & swiche st[r]okes lent;
was non so stif stelen wede þat with-stod his wepen;
& how he in þe stour þe stoute stiward slow,
and his nobul neuew a-non riȝt þer-after;
& bede wiȝtli hem awreke of þe wicked harme,
or alle men vpon mold miȝth hem schame speke;
so fele of here frendes in þe feld were slayne,
þat it was a sorful siȝt to se how it ferde.
whan þe king & his conseil herde of þis cas,
a selcouþ sorwe he made & his sone als,
þat was a ful kud þniȝt & kene man in armes.
he was wod of his wit for wraþþe of þat dede,
& praiȝed prestili þis poynt anon of his fader,
þat he most on þe morwe with a miȝthi ost
wende to a-wrek hem of þat wicked dede.
& ȝif he mette with þat kniȝt þat is so miȝthi hold,
he swor sadli is oþ as tit to his fader,
þat he fro þe bodi [wold] haue his hed sone,
oþer tit take him a-liue no ȝain-torn schuld lette.
þer-of þe king was geynli glad & graunted his wille,
bad him worche whan he wold & wend whan him liked.
þe kinges sone aswiþe let sembul miche puple,
& triȝed him to a tidi ost of þe tideȝist burnes,
þat he miȝth in þe mene time in any maner gadere.
Manli on þe morwe he dede his men greiþe
Gaili as gomes miȝt be in alle gode armes;
faire þan with his folk to þe feld he went
bi-fore boldli him-self his batailes to araie.
alle his burnes bliue in x batailes he sett,
as redili araiȝed as any rink þort wilne.
& iij. M̄. þro men in his eschel were,
& alle bold burnes in batailes strong & bigge.
þe kinges sone þan seide to his segges bold,
“Leue lordinges, for mi loue lelli me telles,
ȝif i encountre with þis kniȝt þat þis kare worcheþ,
how schal i him knowe what konichauns here he bere?”
“sertes, sere,” seide a kniȝt “so me wel time,
þat kud kniȝt is eth to knowe by his kene dedes,
& bereth in his blasoun of a brit hewe
a wel huge werwolf wonderli depeinted;
þat man driues a-doun to dethe, þat [he] hittes.”
“sone it schal be sene” seide þe kinges sone,
“wheþer of vs be wiȝttere to winne or to lese.”