University of Virginia Library

Karpe we [now] how þe king was kast in gret þouȝt;
he dared as doted man for þe bestes dedes,
& was so styf in a studie þat non him stint miȝt.
whan william was war he went to him sone,
seide, “king, i þe coniure in cristes holi name,
& bi alle þe kud customes to kinghod þat longes,
þattow telle me tit treuli þat soþe,
ȝif þou knowest bi what cas in any-skines wise,
whi þis buxum best bowed to þe more
þan to alle þe wiȝes þat were in þe halle?
It mai be in no maner me þinkes, bi þouȝtes,
þattow wost in sum wise what it bi-tokeneþ.
þerfor tel me tit treuli whatow þoutes,
oþer i make a vow to þe miȝti king of heuen,
þou passest nouȝt of prison puniched at þe hardest.”
þan siked þe king sore & seide þese wordes,
“sire, for drede of duresse nor of deth in erþe,
nel i wonde in no wise what i þouȝt to seie.
sire, sum time here-bi-for in my ȝong age,
I wedded with al wele a worschipful lady,
þat burde was of beuaute briȝtest in erþe,
& greter of alle godnesse þan any gome mai telle.
þe kinges douȝter of nauerne was þat gode burde,
& in þat seson gete we samen to-gedere,
on þe fairest freke þat euer seg on loked.
but mi wif, as god wold & as we schul alle,
deied at þe deliueraunce of mi dere sone.
& i fostered þat child faire to þre winter,
with alle clene keping as it ouȝt to bene.
bi þat time was þat barn ful breme of his age,
& semliest on to se þat men schuld finde;
alphouns his gode godfaderes dede him þan calle
at kyrke for his kinde name to kiþe þe soþe.
þan bitid þat time i toke a-noþer wif,
a ful loueli lady lettered at þe best,
corteys & couenabul & lettered at þe best,
& comen was of gret kin & koynt hire-selue.
þurth grace gat i on hire as god almiȝti wold,
a sone as ȝe mow se be-for ȝou selue here,
wich ȝe han put in prison & puniched at ȝour wille.
þis child was ceput clenli as it wel ouȝt,
& it wax fetis & fair & ful mochel loued.
but þan my wif wickedli on þise wise þouȝt,
þat myn elder son min eritage schul haue,
& kepe þe kingdom after me as kinde skil it wold;
& striued stifli with hire-self as stepmoderes wol alle,
bi what wise sche miȝt best þat bold barn spille,
to do so þat here sone after mi dessece,
Miȝte reioische þat reaume as riȝt eir bi kinde.
& as me haþ be told of trewe men of my reaume,
with charmes & enchantmens sche chaunded my sone
In-to a wilde werwolf; & wel now ich it leue,
þat þis buxum best be þat ilk selue
þat my wif with hire wiles euer dede me leue,
(whan i hire touched swiche tales as me told were),
þat it was fanteme & fals & for hate saide;
& swor grimli gret oþes bi al þat god wrouȝt,
þat mi semli sone was in þe see sonken,
as he passed out to pleie priueli him one.
I leued hire þan lelly & lett it ouer-pase,
but now witerli i wot þis werwolf is my sone,
þa secheþ after socour it semeþ bi hise dedus.
sire, soþli to seie þis was my grete þout,
for þe werwolf werkes so me wel time,
& ȝif i wrong seie any word wo worþ me euer.”