University of Virginia Library

Werwolf was he non wox of kinde,
ac komen was he of kun þat kud was ful nobul;
For þe kud king of spayne was kindely his fader.
he gat him, as god ȝaf grace on his ferst wyue,
& at þe burþ of þat barn þe bold lady deyde.
siþþen þat kud king so bi his conseyl wrout,
another wif þat he wedded a worchipful ladi,
þe princes douȝter of portingale to proue þe soþe.
but lelliche þat ladi in ȝouþe hadde lerned miche schame,
For al þe werk of wicchecraft wel y-nouȝ che couȝþe,
nede nadde ȝhe namore of nigramauncy to lere.
of coninge of wicche-craft wel y-nouȝ ȝhe couȝde,
& braunde was þat bold quene of burnes y-clepud.
þe kinges furst child was fostered fayre as it ouȝt,
& had lordes & ladies it louely to kepe,
& fast gan þat frely barn fayre forto wexe.
þe quene his moder on a time as a mix þouȝt,
how faire & how fetis it was & freliche schapen.
& þis þanne þouȝt sche þroly þat it no schuld neuer
kuuere to be king þer as þe kinde eyre,
whille þe kinges ferst sone were þer a-liue.
þan studied sche stifly as stepmoderes wol alle,
to do dernly a despit to here stepchilderen;
Feþli a-mong foure schore vnneþe findestow on gode.
but truly tiȝt hadde þat quene take hire to rede
to bring þat barn in bale botles for euer,
þat he ne schuld wiȝtli in þis world neuer weld reaume.
a noynement anon sche made of so grete strengþe,
bi enchaunmens of charmes þat euel chaunche hire tide,
þat whan þat womman þer-wiȝt hadde þat worli child
ones wel an-oynted þe child wel al a-bowte,
he wex to a werwolf wiȝtly þer-after,
al þe making of man so mysse hadde ȝhe schaped.
ac his witt welt he after as wel as to-fore,
but lelly oþer likenes þat longeþ to man-kynne,
but a wilde werwols ne walt he neuer after.
& whanne þis witty werwolf wiste him so schaped,
he knew it was bi þe craft of his kursed stepmoder,
& þouȝt or he went a-way he wold ȝif he miȝt
wayte hire sum wicked torn what bi-tidde after.
& as bliue, boute bod he braydes to þe quene,
& hent hire so hetterly to haue hire a-strangeled,
þat hire deth was neiȝ diȝt to deme þe soþe.
but carfuli gan sche crie so kenely and lowde,
þat maydenes & miȝthi men manliche to hire come,
& wolden brusten þe best nad he be þe liȝttere,
& fled a-way þe faster in-to ferre londes,
so þat pertely in-to poyle he passed þat time,
as þis fortune bi-fel þat i told of bi-fore;
þus was þis witty best werwolf ferst maked.
but now wol i stint a stounde of þis sterne best,
& tale of þe tidy child þat y of told ere.

þus passed is þe first pas of þis pris tale,
& ȝe þat louen & lyken to listen a-ni more,
alle wiȝth on hol hert to þe heiȝ king of heuene
preieth a pater noster priuely þis time
for þe hend erl of herford sir humfray de bowne,
þe king edwardes newe at glouseter þat ligges.
For he of frensche þis fayre tale ferst dede translate,
In ese of englysch men in englysch speche;
& god graunt hem his blis þat godly so prayen!