University of Virginia Library

Tiding com to king Edgar,
Þat Beues hadde his men for-fare;
For is borgeis in is cite
He made del and gret pite
& seide: ‘Ichaue leued me lif
Longe wiþ outen werre & strif,
& now icham so falle in elde,
Þat i ne may min armes welde:
Twei sones Beues haþ wiþ him brouȝt,
Þar fore hit is in me þouȝt,
Miles, his sone, me douȝter take,
In þis maner is pes to make.’
Þai grauntede al wiþ gode entent,
& king Edgar Beues of-sent,
And sire Saber & sire Gii,
And sire Miles & sire Terry,
& king Edgar Miles gan calle
Be fore his barouns in þe halle
And ȝaf him is douȝter be þe honde,
And after is day al Ingelonde,
And pes and loue was maked þare
Be twene Beues & king Edgare.
Þe maide & Miles wer spused same
In þe toun of Notinghame.
Ȝe witeþ wel, þouȝ i ne telle ȝow,
Þe feste was riale inow,
Ase scholde be at swiche a spusing
And at þe kinges couroning;
Þe feste leste fourtene niȝt
To al þat euer come, apliȝt!
And at þe fourtene niȝt is ende,
Beues tok leue, hom to wende,
At king Edgar & at Sabere,
And Miles, is sone, a lefte here
And kiste and ȝaf him is blessing,
& wente to Mombraunt, þer he was king;
And his erldom in Hamte-schire
A ȝaf to his em Sabere
And schipede at Hamtoun hastely,
And wiþ him wente his sone Gii,
And Terry wiþ is barnage.
Þe wind blew hardde wiþ gret rage
And drof hem in to Ermonie,
Þar be-lefte his sone Gii
Wiþ his barouns gode & hende;
& Terry to Aumberþe gan wende,
And Beues wente wiþ oute dwelling
In to Mombraunt, þar he was king;
Wiþ him wente Iosian, is quene,
& leuede wiþ oute treie & tene
Twenti ȝer, so saiþ þe bok.
Þanne swiche siknesse þe leuedi tok,
Out of þis world ȝhe moste wende;
Gii, hire sone, ȝhe gan of-sende,
And Terry, þe riche king,
For to ben at here parting.
And whan þai were alle þare,
To his stable Beues gan fare;
Arondel a fond þar ded,
Þat euer hadde be gode at nede;
Þar fore him was swiþe wo,
In to chaumber he gan go
& seȝ losian drawe to dede:
Him was wo a moste nede,
And er her body be-gan to colde,
In is armes he gan hire folde,
And þar hii deide boþe ifere.
Here sone ne wolde in non manere,
Þat hii in erþe beried were:
Of sein Lauarauns he let arere
A faire chapel of marbel fin,
Þat was ikast wiþ queint engin;
Of gold he made an hiȝ cornere
And leide þem þar in boþe ifere.
An hous he made of riligioun,
For to singe for sire Beuoun
And ek for Iosian þe fre:
God on here saules haue pite!
& also for Arondel,
Ȝif men for eni hors bidde schel.
Þus endeþ Beues of Hamtoun:
God ȝeue vs alle is benesoun!