University of Virginia Library

Whan william hade herd holli his wordes,
he was gretli glad no gom þurt him wite,
þat al þe puple in þe place a-pertli knewen
þat he was kindeli king ebrouns sone.
þan lauȝt he alphouns anon loueli in armes,
& clipped him & kessed & kindeli sayde,
“a! faire frend alphouns ioye þe bi-tide,
& god for his grete miȝt þi godnesse þe ȝelde,
& þi tenful trauayles þow hast for me suffred,
& for my loueli lemman lord it þe quite!
for i ne wot in þis world what wise i miȝt
quite þe [þe] tenþedel in al mi lif time.
but þer nis god vnder god þat i may gete euer,
þat it [ne] schal redeli be þin at þin owne wille;
ne no dede þat i may do þat ne schal be do sone,
& loue lelli what þou louest al mi lif dawes,
& hate heiȝeli in hert þat þou hate þenkest,
so þat my hert holli schal hold him at þi wille.
& þerto heiȝeliche am i hold for holli i knowe
þat alle þe sawes be soþ þat þou saidest ere;
sadde sorwes for mi sake suffred astow manye.”
“sertes, sire, þat is soþ” seide alphouns þanne,
“Me þinkeþ ȝe miȝt be hold to quite me mi mede;
& so i desire þat þou [do] ȝif ȝou dere þinkes.
“ȝa! wold god,” seide william “þat i wist nouþe
In what maner þat i miȝt mest with þe plece,
or þat i walt worldes god þat þou woldest ȝerne.”
“ȝis, sire,” seide alphouns “so me crist help,
þer nis god vnder god þat i gretli willne,
as o þing þat þou woldest wilfulli me graunt.”
“ȝis, i-wisse,” seide william “wilne what þe likes,
þeiȝ þou in hast woldest haue holli al mi reaume;
I wold nowt wilne a mite worþ but meliors allone.”
alphouns a-non answered þanne & seide,
“I kepe nouȝt of þi kingdom be crist þat me bouȝt,
ne of þi loueli lemman lelly but in gode.
I ne wilne no-þing but þi suster to be samen wedded,
to weld here as my wif al my lif tyme.”
“ȝa, worþi god,” seide william “wel were me þanne,
ȝif i wist þat þow woldest here to wiue haue.
it were a wonderful werk ȝif þou woldest euere
Meke þe in eny maner to be maried so lowe.”
“ȝis beter, sire,” seide alphouns “i preie þe of nouȝt elles,
for al þe sorwe þat i haue suffred for þi sake euer.
but graunte me boute grucching to haue þat gaie maide.”
“bi god, sire,” seide william “þat gart me be fourmed,
þou schalt [haue] hire at þin hest & with hire al my reaume,
oþer half witterli with-out any lette.”
“nay, crist forbede,” seide alphouns “for his holi blode,
þat i were so wicked to wilne ouȝt of þi gode;
I ne bidde nouȝt a bene worþ but þat burde one.”
þan william as a glad man godli him þonked,
& seide, “sertes, nowe [we] schul be samen hole frendes,
lelli breþeren in lawe our lord be it þonked;
for al þe welþe of þe world at wille nouȝ vs falleþ.”
þan al þe puple in þe paleys prestli, fo[r] ioye,
Maden al þe murþe þat men miȝt deuise.
& þe comli quen ful oft crist þonked,
þat hade so wiȝtli of hire wo so wel hire comforted.
tid were þe tidinges told wide where a-boute
of þat ferli þat was fallen þere fast þan þer-after,
Gret puple drow to palern to proue þe soþe,
to loke on þe lordes in liking at wille.