University of Virginia Library

Þan Gij hadde y-don so
Þemperour cleped Gij him to:
‘Welcome be þou to me, sir Gij!
Hennes for dayes þritti
Michel monschip ichil þe do,
Mi feir douhter ȝiue þe to.’
To þemperour onswerd sir Gij,
‘An hundred siþe, sir, gramerci!’

Þemperour aros amorwe þo,
To sen þe cuntre þai ben y-go;
Alle þat day þai riden hem so
Alle what euen, þai rested hem þo.
Þai seye toward a pleyn plas
Þat bisiden a doun was.
A lyoun þai seye cominde þo,
Bot a smal pas no miȝt he go,
Wiþ ȝenende mouþe, & weri he was.
Gij þat seye & seyd, ‘allas!
Whi, no haddestow help non?’
Ac þat lyon þai dradden ichon,

For wiþ a dragoun he hade y-fouȝt,
& ouercomen he was nere him þouȝt.

Gij anon asked his stede þo,
His spere, & his swerd also:
In his hond a gode swerd he bar;
Þat y-seye alle þat þer war.
When þe dragoun seye com Gij
Þe lyoun he forlett, & gan him sayly.
Wiþ open mouþe oȝaines him he come;
Gij bar his spere oȝaines him anon:
In-to his þrote he it þrest wiþ strengþe;
In his bodi was alle his schaft lengþe,
Þat ded to grounde he feld him þo.
What schuld y make tales mo?
He smot of þe heued, & went oway,
& come to þemperour so sone so he may,
Gyoun, wiþ riȝt gode wille:
Þe lyoun after him folweþ snelle.
Biforn him he goþ swiþe sket,
& folwed him at his stede fet.
His fet he licked, so ȝede he neye,
& lepe vp on his stede an heye,
& seþþe he lepe adoun anon,
& made him gret joie opon.
To þemperour is comen Gij,
Þat of him was glad, sikerli.
Alle þai bihelden þe lyoun,
& hadde gret joie bot þe feloun,
Morgadour þe steward,
Þat euer was Gij oȝeinward.
A liþer tresoun þan þouȝt he,
Þat he wold þe lyoun sle.
Wiþ þat into þe cite þai ben y-gon;
Þemperour went vnto his tour of ston,
& Gij is to his in y-go:
Þe lyoun him folwed euer mo.
Biforn his bed he goþ to ligge,
Fram him he nold, for soþe to sigge.
So long þai riden her jurneys,
And þurch riden þe cuntreys,
Þat to Costentin þai ben y-come.
Þemperour haþ Gij on speche y-nome,
& seyd, ‘Gij, make þe redi:
Tomorwe þou schalt mi douhter weddi.’
Wel sweteliche him answerd sir Gij,
‘Sir emperour, mow gramerci!’