University of Virginia Library

Beues seide: ‘Be sein Ion,
Treitour was y neuer non:
Þat i schel keþe hastely,
Er þan ich wende, sikerly!’
A spere Beues let to him glide
And smot him vnder þe riȝt side;
Þourȝ is bodi wente þe dent,
Ded a fel on þe pauiment.
A sede anon after þat dint:
‘Treitour! now is þe lif itint:
Þus men schel teche file glotouns,
Þat wile misaie gode barouns!’
Þe folk com wiþ grete route,
Besette Beues al aboute;
Beues and is sex kniȝtes
De-fendede hem wiþ al her miȝtes,
So þat in a lite stounde
Fiue hondred þai brouȝte te gronde.
Beues prikede forþ to Chepe,
Þe folk him folwede al to hepe;
Þourȝ Godes lane he wolde han flowe,
Ac sone wiþ in a lite þrowe
He was be-set in boþe side,
Þat fle ne miȝte he nouȝt þat tide.
Þo com þer fot-men mani & fale
Wiþ grete clobbes & wiþ smale!
Aboute Beues þai gonne þringe
And hard on him þai gonne dinge.
Al Beues kniȝtes, in þat stounde
Þar hii were feld to grounde
And al to-hewe flesch & bon:
Þo was Beues wo be-gon,
For he was on & hii were ded;
For sorwe kouþe he no red;
Þat lane was so narw y-wrouȝt,
Þat he miȝte defende him nouȝt,
He ne Arondel, is stede,
Ne miȝte him terne for non nede.
To Iesu he made his praiere
And to Marie, is moder dere,
Þat he moste pase wiþ is lif,
To sen is children & is wif.
Out of þe lane a wolde ten,
Þe chynes held him faste aȝen.
Wiþ is swerd he smot þe chayne,
Þat hit fel a peces twayne,
And forþ a wente in to Chepe;
Þe folk him folwede al to hepe,
And al þai setten vp a cry:
‘Aȝilt þe, Beues, hastely,
Aȝilt þe, Beues, sone anon,
And elles þow schelt þe lif for-gon!’
Beues seide: ‘Ich ȝelde me
To god, þat sit in trinite!
To non oþer man i nel me ȝelde,
While þat ich mai me wepne welde!’
Now be-ginneþ þe grete bataile
Of sire Beues, wiþ outen faile,
Þat he dede aȝenes þat cite:
ȝe þat wile here, herkneþ to me!