 | The Romance of William of Palerne |  |
Of þe quenes profer þe puple hadde reuþe,
for sche fel to-fore þe best flat to þe grounde;
þer was weping & wo wonderli riue.
but so kenli þe king & þe kniȝtes alle
bi-souȝt william for þe quen soþli so ȝerne,
þat he godli al his gref for-gaf at þe last,
so þat sche hastili hiȝed to help þat best;
& bleþeli boute grutching þat graunted sche sone.
þan stint sche no lenger but bout stryf went
Into a choys chaumber þe clerli was peinted,
þat non went hire with but þe werwolf al-one.
þan rauȝt sche forþ a ring a riche & a nobul,
þe ston þat þeron was stiȝt was of so stif vertu,
þat neuer man vpon mold miȝt it him on haue,
ne schuld he with wicchecraft be wicched neuer-more,
ne per[i]sche with no poysoun ne purliche enuenemed;
ne wrongli schuld he wiue þat it in wold hadde.
þat riche ring ful redily with a red silk þrede
þe quen bond als bliue a-boute þe wolwes necke.
seþe feiþli of a forcer a fair bok sche rauȝt,
& radde þer-on redli riȝt a long while,
so þat sche made him to man in þat mene while,
as fair as fetys and als freli schapen,
as any man vpon mold miȝt on deuise.
was non fairre in world but william allone,
for he of fairnesse was flour of frekes þat liue.
whan þe werwolf wist þat he was man bi-come,
fair of alle fasoun as him fel to bene,
he was gretli glad no gum þurt him blame,
ful wel him liked þe lessun þat þe lady radde.
soþli þat he was so naked sore he was a-schamed,
whan þe quen þat of-sey sone sche seide him tille,
“a! alphouns, leue lord lat be alle þo þouȝtes,
i se wel þou art a schamed & so were it no nede;
ne buþ here in þis bour but our selue tweyne.
& on þe, sire, se i no siȝt but as it schuld bene,
ne þe faileþ no þing þat falleþ a man to haue.
fare now forþ to þi baþ þat faire is keuered,
for it is geinli greiþed in a god asise.”
& alphouns anon þanne after hire sawe,
buskes in to þe baþ boute more noyse,
& fond it treuli a-tired & tidili warme.
þe quen him comforted & curtesli him serued
as mekkeli as sche miȝt in alle maner wise;
for no burn nas hem bi but hem-self tweyne.
for sche fel to-fore þe best flat to þe grounde;
þer was weping & wo wonderli riue.
but so kenli þe king & þe kniȝtes alle
bi-souȝt william for þe quen soþli so ȝerne,
þat he godli al his gref for-gaf at þe last,
so þat sche hastili hiȝed to help þat best;
& bleþeli boute grutching þat graunted sche sone.
þan stint sche no lenger but bout stryf went
Into a choys chaumber þe clerli was peinted,
þat non went hire with but þe werwolf al-one.
þan rauȝt sche forþ a ring a riche & a nobul,
þe ston þat þeron was stiȝt was of so stif vertu,
þat neuer man vpon mold miȝt it him on haue,
ne schuld he with wicchecraft be wicched neuer-more,
ne per[i]sche with no poysoun ne purliche enuenemed;
ne wrongli schuld he wiue þat it in wold hadde.
þat riche ring ful redily with a red silk þrede
142
seþe feiþli of a forcer a fair bok sche rauȝt,
& radde þer-on redli riȝt a long while,
so þat sche made him to man in þat mene while,
as fair as fetys and als freli schapen,
as any man vpon mold miȝt on deuise.
was non fairre in world but william allone,
for he of fairnesse was flour of frekes þat liue.
whan þe werwolf wist þat he was man bi-come,
fair of alle fasoun as him fel to bene,
he was gretli glad no gum þurt him blame,
ful wel him liked þe lessun þat þe lady radde.
soþli þat he was so naked sore he was a-schamed,
whan þe quen þat of-sey sone sche seide him tille,
“a! alphouns, leue lord lat be alle þo þouȝtes,
i se wel þou art a schamed & so were it no nede;
ne buþ here in þis bour but our selue tweyne.
& on þe, sire, se i no siȝt but as it schuld bene,
ne þe faileþ no þing þat falleþ a man to haue.
fare now forþ to þi baþ þat faire is keuered,
for it is geinli greiþed in a god asise.”
& alphouns anon þanne after hire sawe,
buskes in to þe baþ boute more noyse,
& fond it treuli a-tired & tidili warme.
þe quen him comforted & curtesli him serued
as mekkeli as sche miȝt in alle maner wise;
for no burn nas hem bi but hem-self tweyne.
| The Romance of William of Palerne | |