University of Virginia Library

Þo he seie no better bote nede he most him ȝeld,
or al swiþe be slayn þan sone he a-liȝt,
& wiȝtli to william his wepun vp to-ȝelde,
& forto wirche his wille & wilned his mercy.
& william, as kinde kniȝt as kortesie it wold,
Godli graunted him griþ & grucched no more,
but seide he schuld him meke in merci to þe quene,
& profer him to prison prestli at hire wille.
& gaf him to alle hire grace & with-sede no worde.
as tit as þe king was take to telle þe soþe,
eche a seg of his side sone gan with-drawe,
& faynest was eche a freke þat fastest miȝt hiȝe;
& þus was þat ferli fiȝt finched þat time.
william went to þe cite with his wiȝes bolde,
& þe king of spayne in companye he ladde,
with alle þe murþe vpon mold þat men miȝt of here;
& passeden to þe paleise prestili alle same[n].
þe quen with hire companie com him a-ȝens,
& resseyued as reali as swiche rinkes ouȝt,
& þe king ȝepli dede ȝelde him to hire prison,
to wirche with him as sche wold at hire oune wille;
& treuli astit after him tvo hundered & seuen,
þe realest rinkes of þe reaume dede riȝt þat ilke.
þe quene to william wiȝtli wold haue kneled,
bliþe sche was þat bataile was brouȝt to a nende,
& þonked william þer-for mani a þousan siþe,
but william hent [hire] vp & harde hire blamed,
& sede, “madame, ȝe misdon bi marie in heuen,
þat arn an emperours [douȝter] & a quen ȝour-selue,
to swiche a simpul sowdiour as icham, forto knele;
ȝe don a gret deshonour wiþ þat to ȝou-selue.”
“nai, sire,” sede þe quen “so me crist help!
I sette ȝou for no soudiour but for souerayn lord,
to lede al þis lorldschip as ȝou likes euer;
& blessed be þat burde þat bar þe in þis erþe.
for nade þe grace of god be & þi gode dedes,
of blisse i hade be al bare bi þis ilk time.
þer i balfulli here-bi-fore was brout al bi-neþe,
þou hast me brouȝt of bale & bet al myn harmes;
þer-for in al wise ȝour worschipe is wel þe more.”