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“Bi crist,” sede þe king “þat on croyce was peyned,
þat þe quen be of-sent sauf wol i fouche.
ȝif sche miȝt in any maner make a-ȝen mi sone
to be a man as he was arst wel were me þanne.
but serteynli i not wham i sende miȝt,
to make þe massager myn erande wel to spede,
but ȝe wold suffer summe of þise lordes,
þat ben lederes of my lond & lele men holde.
ȝif ȝou likes, ȝiue hem leue & hete hem þider wende,
I hope þei schul hastlier þan any oþer spede.”
“þat i wol,” seide william “ches wich þe likes,
& hote hem hiȝe hastili harde as þei mowe,
& bring þe quen for cas þat mai falle.”
ful spacli þe king of spayne to spede þo nedes,
as fast ches him fifty of ful grete lordes,
þat tidi men were told & trewest of his reaume,
& tid bi-tok hem þe letteres þat told al here erand,
& het hem munge bi mouþe more, & þei couþe,
whan þei come to þe quen of þe cas bi-falle—
“& seiþ hire þus sadli sires, i ȝou praye,
for what cas sche mot com or bi crist of heuene,
sche get neuer gladnesse of me, ne of mi sone.
& seie hire soþli þis selue encheson,
for hire mi sone is founde þat sche for ȝore saide
was sonk in þe see so dede sche me to leue;
but as a wilde werwolf he walkeþ here a-boute;
& how he souȝt after socour ȝe saw wel alle.
þer-fore treuli as it tid telle here to þe hende,
& bidde hire bliue with hire bring þat mai be is bote,
to make him man aȝen miȝti as he was ere,
oþer al þat lond worþ lore & our liues alse,
þer goþ non aȝen-turn ȝe mow hire treuli seie.”
þe menskful messangeres mekeli þan seide,
“we wol worche ȝour wille as wel as we kunne.”