University of Virginia Library

“Forsoþe, sire,” sede þe quen “ȝe seyn al þe treuþe;
ȝe make me mater i-now mirye to bene.
I wot for i so wept i wrouȝt nouȝt þe best,
but i miȝt nouȝt þer-with i-wisse, sire, & treuþe,
so þroli a sori þouȝt þirled min hert,”—
& soþli whi it was þe encheson him seide,
how hire þouȝt he was liche hire lord þe king þanne,
& hou þe sorwe of hire sone dede hire so to wepe.
þan sede william wiȝtli þese wordes to hire-selue,
“Madame, of þat mater no more now þinkes;
what be ȝe now þe beter so bitterli to wepe,
seþþe boþe þi sire & þi sone arn boþe dede?
þeiȝh ȝe driȝen swiche duel al ȝour lif dawes,
ȝe gete hem neuer a-gayn late god haue þe saules,
& make ȝour-self mirie ȝour mene forto glade.”
þan wax þe quen ful wo wittow for soþe,
þat william sede þat hire sone schuld be dede,
for hire hert bar hire euer þat he hire sone schuld bene,
bi knowing of alle kontenaunce þat þe king welt.
but of þat mater no more minged þei þat time,
ac turned in-to oþer tales þat touched to mirth.
& waitende out at þe window as þei in tales were,
þan þei seie þe werwolf was com hem bi-fore,
Kortesliche kneling as he in wise couþe,
& louted to þe ladies & to þe lord alse,
buxumli as any best bi any resoun schuld,
& seþþen went his wei whider him god liked.
þe quen wiȝtli to william þese wordes sede,
“sire, a selcouþ siȝt it is of þis semli best;
Loo, how loueli it a-louted lowe to vs twiȝes,
It bi-tokenes sum-what treuli god turne it to gode!”
“ȝa, i-wisse,” seide william “wene ȝe non oþer,
for þat blessed best neuer boded but gode.
he þat heried helle fram harm him saue!”
“amen,” seiden alle þat þere with him seten.
þus driue þei forþ þe day with diuerse mirthe,
& treuli whan it was time turned to mete,
& serued were of serues as hem-self liked;
but speke we of þe spaynols what hem tidde after.