 | The Romance of William of Palerne |  |
Whanne þis werwolf was come to his wolnk denne,
& hade brouȝt bilfoder for þe barnes mete,
þat he hade wonne with wo wide wher a-boute,
þan fond he nest & no neiȝ for nouȝt nas þer leued.
& whan þe best þe barn missed so balfully he g[r]inneþ,
þat alle men vpon molde no miȝt telle his sorwe.
For reuliche gan he rore & rente al his hide,
& fret oft of þe erþe & fel doun on swowe,
& made þe most dool þat man miȝt diuise.
& as þe best in his bale þer a-boute wente,
he fond þe feute al fresh where forþ þe herde
hadde bore þan barn beter it to ȝeme.
wiȝtly þe werwolf þan went bi nose
euene to þe herdes house & hastely was þare.
þere walked he a-boute þe walles to winne in siȝt;
& at þe last lelly a litel hole he findes.
þere pried he in priuely and pertiliche bi-holdes
hov hertily þe herdes wif hules þat child,
& hov fayre it fedde & fetisliche it baþede,
& wrouȝt wiþ it as wel as ȝif it were hire owne.
þanne was þe best bliþe i-nov for þe barnes sake,
For he wist it schold be warded wel þanne at þe best.
& hertily for þat hap to-heuene-ward he loked,
& þroliche þonked god mani þousand siþes,
& seþþen went on is way whider as him liked;
but whiderward wot i neuer witow for soþe.
ak nowþe ȝe þat arn hende haldes ow stille,
& how þat best þerwe bale was brouȝt out of kinde,
I wol ȝou telle as swiþe trewly þe soþe.
& hade brouȝt bilfoder for þe barnes mete,
þat he hade wonne with wo wide wher a-boute,
þan fond he nest & no neiȝ for nouȝt nas þer leued.
& whan þe best þe barn missed so balfully he g[r]inneþ,
þat alle men vpon molde no miȝt telle his sorwe.
For reuliche gan he rore & rente al his hide,
& fret oft of þe erþe & fel doun on swowe,
& made þe most dool þat man miȝt diuise.
& as þe best in his bale þer a-boute wente,
he fond þe feute al fresh where forþ þe herde
hadde bore þan barn beter it to ȝeme.
wiȝtly þe werwolf þan went bi nose
euene to þe herdes house & hastely was þare.
þere walked he a-boute þe walles to winne in siȝt;
& at þe last lelly a litel hole he findes.
þere pried he in priuely and pertiliche bi-holdes
hov hertily þe herdes wif hules þat child,
& hov fayre it fedde & fetisliche it baþede,
& wrouȝt wiþ it as wel as ȝif it were hire owne.
þanne was þe best bliþe i-nov for þe barnes sake,
For he wist it schold be warded wel þanne at þe best.
& hertily for þat hap to-heuene-ward he loked,
& þroliche þonked god mani þousand siþes,
& seþþen went on is way whider as him liked;
but whiderward wot i neuer witow for soþe.
ak nowþe ȝe þat arn hende haldes ow stille,
& how þat best þerwe bale was brouȝt out of kinde,
I wol ȝou telle as swiþe trewly þe soþe.
| The Romance of William of Palerne | |