University of Virginia Library

Sone as þe kinges sone was to þe cite take,
þat his miȝti men miȝt no more him help,
þer was a selcouþ sorwe a-mang þe segges maked,
& karfulli to þe king þei kayred a-ȝayne,
& told him holli here tene how his sone was take,
& how here segges were slayn a selcouþ noumber.
whan þe king wist as man wod he ferde,
& wroþli to his wiȝes þat þere were he seide,
“whi suffred ȝe my sone so sone to be take?
ȝe schul hastli be honged & with hors to-drawe!”
& deraiȝed him for þat dede as alle deie schulde.
but kniȝtes of his cunseil com til him sone,
& saide him soburli so miȝt he nouȝt worche,
for a kniȝt him conquerede al with clene strengþe,
& hade him out of þe ost mawgrey hem alle.
“o kniȝt,” quaþ þe king “what kemp is þat ilke,
þat wan so on my sone is he so douȝti?”
“ȝe forsoþe,” seid on “sire, with ȝour leue,
þer mai no man vpon mold aȝens þat man stond.
he driueþ to dethe who-so his dent caccheþ,
his douȝti dedes vs doþ more duresse þan alle oþer;
he it is þat þe werwolf weldes in his scheld.”
“I mak a vow,” quod þe king “to crist þat al weldes,
er i ete more mete his miȝt wol i a-saie;
& ȝif any egge tol wol entre in-to his bodi,
I wol do him to þe deth and more despit ouere;
he schal heiȝe be honged riȝt bi-fore hire ȝate,
þat alle þe segges of þe cite schulle him bi-hold,
& seþþen wol i þat cite setten al on fure,
& do bruten alle þe burnes þat be now þer-inne;
schal no gom vnder god oþer gate it make.”
þan komaunded þe king to do krie as swiþe,
þat alle his rinkes schuld be redi riȝt erli on morwe,
armed at alle poyntes as þei no wold be spilt,
& hasteli was his hest þan hendli fulfilled.