University of Virginia Library

Þe quen & here consail þer-of were a-paiȝed,
þat he so him profered to parfourme hire wille,
& gonne to mele of þat mater how it best miȝt bene.
& as þei were talking to trete of þat dede,
so hiȝed in-to þe halle riȝt to þe heiȝe dese,
þat ilk witti werwolf þat william hade holpe,
& boldli, for alle þe burns as him nouȝt nere,
spacli to þe king of spaine he spedde him on gate,
& fel doun to his fet & faire hem he keste,
& worchiped him in his wise wonderli with-alle.
& seþþe sone after he saluede þe quene,
& after here, william and his worþi make,
þe quenes douȝter afterward & dede him on gate
out hastili at þe halle dore as fast as he miȝt,
& went forþ on his wei whider him god liked.
but sone sauage men þat seten in þe halle
henten hastili in honde what þei haue miȝt,
summe axes, summe swerdes some speres long,
to wende him after wiȝtli to quelle.
but wan william þat wist wodli he ferde,
& swor swiftli his [oþe] bi al þat god wrouȝt,
ȝif any burn were so bold þat best forto greue,
were he kniȝt oþer clerk knaue oþer kempe,
he wold deliuerli him-self do him to þe dethe,
þat no man vpon mold schuld oþer amendes ȝelde.
þer nas hastili in þat halle non so hardi burn,
þat durst folwe þat best o fote for drede,
so þei were of william wonderli a-dredde.
but whi þe werwolf so wrouȝt wondred þei alle,
& whi more with þe king þan with any oþer.
& þe king more wondred þan any whiȝt elles,
& strek in-to a studie stisliche þer-fore,
what it bi-tokeneþ þat þe best bowed so him tille,
& wrouȝt to him more worchipe þan to any wiȝt elles.
In þat mene while þan in his minde it com,
& þouȝt on a semli sone þat sum time he hadde,
& how him treuli hadde be told to-fore a long time,
þat his wif with wichecraft to a wolf him schaped.
but sche of þat sclaunder excused hire al-gate,
& seide þe child was in þe see sunkun ful ȝore.
þe king in þat carful þouȝt was cumbred ful long.
but william wiȝtli as þe wolf was schaped,
he dede kniȝtes to comaunde to do crie in þe cite,
þat no burn nere so bold as he nold be honged,
to waite þe werwolf no maner schaþe,
but late him late & erli where him liked wende;
þat hest was wel hold non so hardi was elles.