University of Virginia Library

Þan seyd Gij þe Englisse,
‘Vnderstond to mi speche:
Þilke lord þat woneþ an heye,
Þat al þing walt fer & neye,
& in þe rode lete him pini,
Al cristen men to saui,
& in þe se made þe sturioun,
So ȝif ȝou alle his malisoun,
& alle þilk þat ich here se,
Þat mis-bileued men be;
& þe at þe first, sir soudan,
Cristes wreche þe come opan!
Yuel fure breninde fast þe opon,
& cleue þi brest doun to þi ton!
For icham Gij ȝe mow wel se,
Yuel mot ȝe alle y-the!
Vnder-stond, treitour, mi resoun:
Haue þou Cristes malisoun,
& alle þilke forþ mitt te,
Þat ich her about þe se.
Þe heye god þat is ful of miȝt
Binim ȝou ȝour limes & ȝour siȝt!
Bi me þe sent word þemperour Garioun,
Þat miȝti men haþ in his bandoun,
Þurch wham þou art y-brouȝt to schond,
& hoteþ þe wende out of his lond,
For here has tow no riȝt.
Finde a Sarrazin oþer a kniȝt,
& he schal anoþer finde,
Þat schal deray[ne] his riȝt kinde.
Y schal wiþ þe glotoun fiȝt;
& ȝif þine haue þe more miȝt,
& ouer-comeþ our champioun,
Mi lord þe schal ȝiue ransoun,
& als his lord serue wille
Euer more, & þat is skille.
& ȝif it so bitide þat our kniȝt
Ouer-come ȝour in feld in fiȝt,
Hastiliche þan, y rede þe,
Out of þis lond þat þou fle.
Þer-of þou take a day:
On mi lordes word, y þe say,
To þi pauiloun ich am y-come,
To do þe bateyle atte frome.
Onswere me wiþ-outen lesing,
What word y schal mi lord bring.’