University of Virginia Library

Manli on þe morwe þe messageres were ȝare,
greiþed of alle gere gaily atte þe best,
of horse & harneys & what þei hade nede,
& went forþ on here way wiȝtli & fast;
Euer þe geynest gatis to goo to þe soþe,
Euer spacli þei hem spedde til spayne þat þei come,
& come to a cite þere soiourned þe quene.
tid was hire told tiding of here come,
& sche gamsum & glad goþ hem a-ȝens,
with loueliche ladies þat longed to hire chaumbur,
& oþer menskful maidenes mo þan foure schore.
& mekli whan þei were met þe messageres þei greten
with cliping & kessing kindeli to-gadere.
but sone þat comli quen wel curtesli asked,
“how fares mi lord þe king for cristes loue in heuen,
& mi semli sone seþþe þei out went?
han þei wonne at here wille þat þei went fore?
what dos mi lord wiþ þat lady & here loueli douȝter?
wol sche ȝit my sone hire wedde & to wif haue?”
“Madame,” saide þe messanger most worþi of alle,
“oþer-wise þan ȝe wene is al þe werk turned,
It helpes nouȝt for to hele nouȝ herkenes mi sawe.
siþþe þe king of heuen on croys for vs deide,
worse fel it neuer to wiȝes þan it haþ a while.
for alle þe real rinkes of þis reaume be slayne,
& doluen depe vnder mold mani day seþþe.
þe stoute stiward of þis lond & his strong neuew,
& þe cunstabul sone þat kud kniȝt was proued,
& out of number nobul men to nempne þe soþe.
Mi lord þe king was þer cauȝt in a kene stoure,
& ȝour sone also and are prisons boþe,
& we alle, madame & many mo of oþer
of þe lordes of þis lond þat ȝut a-liue bene,
& neuer-more for no man mowe be deliuered,
ne pult out [of] prison but purli þourh ȝour help.
& þeiȝh we hade þe quen þurth queintyse & strengþe
brouȝt ferst at swiche bale with so breme a-sawtes,
wasted hire londes & wonne hire townes,
& pult al pertly to our wille but palerne alone;
sertes, þei were a-seged so þat atte laste
Many times in þis maner mercy sche craued,
þat sche most wende a-wai with hire douȝter one,
boute daunger or duresse or any despit elles,
& late mi lord haue þat lond at liking for euer;
ac my lord in no wise wold þer-to graunte,
& þat haþ vs hard harmed for hastili þer-after
þer kom a kniȝt hire to help þe kuddest of þe worlde,
& most miȝthi in armes þat euer man of herde.
he slow of oure segges soþli alle þe best,
& conquered with clene miȝt þe king & his sone,
& lelly many oþer lordes þat ȝit a-liue are.
& whan þei were in prison pult at hire wille,
þer wan in a werwolf a wonderli huge;
with a komli kuntenaunce to þe king he went,
& fel doun to his fete & faire he hem kessede,
& wrouȝt him gret worchip & wiȝes þat it seiȝen
saiden, it semed wel as it socour souȝt;
but þanne as bliue þat best busked on his weie.
& þan þat kud kniȝt þat vs conquered alle
coniured mi lord þe king bi al þat crist wrouȝt,
þat he tyt schold him telle treuli al þe soþe,
ȝif he wist in any wise wat þat best were;
& he soþli þus sayde schortly to telle,
þat it was alphiouns his sone anon riȝt he wist,
þat þou with þi wicchecraft a werwolf him hadest maked.
wherfore, menskful madame bi marie in heuen,
we be made massegeres to munge ȝou þis nedes,
þat neiþer þi lord nor þi sone nor non of vs alle
worþ neuer deliuerred of daunger þat we dwellen inne,
til þou com to þat kiþ & with ȝour queynt werkes
haue heled þe werwolf wel at alle riȝtes,
& maked to man aȝe in maner as he ouȝt.
& ȝif þou grutche a-ny grot þus greiþli to worche,
alle þe men vpon molde ne mowe it nouȝt lette,
þat þat ilke kud kniȝt þat kepuþ vs alle,
nel com to þis kuntre with a clene strengþe,
& balfulli do þe brenne in bitter fire,
& ouer-ride þis reaume & redili it destrye;
&, wheþer þou wolt or non winne þe with strengþe,
& seþen duelfulli to dethe do vs alle after;
& þerfor do vs wite wiȝtli houȝ þou wirche þenkest.”
as bliue as þis bold quen þat braunden was hote,
hade herd al holli how þat hit ferde,
sche swelt for sorwe & swoned rit þere,
& afterward wept wonder was it none.
& to þe menskful messageres mekli þenne sede,
“now, sires, seþþe it is so what so bi-tyde,
I wol wende ȝou with & wel ȝou deliuere,
þurth help of þe heuene king hastili & sone.”
þanne gart sche to greiþe gaili alle þinges,
þat hem bi-houed on hond to haue bi þe weye,
& a real rouȝte to ride bi hire side,
of lordes & ladies of al hire lond þe best.
& soþli for soþe no seg vnder heuene
ne seiȝe neuer no route araiȝed more beter,
ne gaylier greiþed to go to þe soþe,
of hors & of harneys & alle oþer gere.
þe quen hade hire with al þat bi-houed,
to warysche with þe werwolf wel atte best.