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Now he seyd: ‘sir kniȝt fre,
Mi name y þe telle, & whennes y be.
Of Gormoise icham cleped Tirri,
Þeld erls sone Aubri.
Wiþ þe douke of Loreyne ichaue y-be.

A feir douhter þan hadde he:

Ouer alle oþer we loueden ous,
& for loue treuþe pliȝten þus.
For non oþer sche nold me lete,
No y no loued non bot þat swete
In godes lawe, for soþe y-wis:
Swiche a treuþe bitvix ous is.
Armes for hir loue y nam,
& now y thouȝt to han went ham.
Mi priis ichaue wide y-souȝt
Fram stede to oþer, no wond y nouȝt.

Þan come fram hir to me a sond
Þat brouȝt me miche sorwe an hond,
Þat þe douke Otus of Paui
Wald mi leman spousey,
To wham ich was treuþe-pliȝt:
Oisel was hir name ful riȝt;
Þat bi letters sche sent to me,
& bi toknes þat wer so fre,
Þat, ȝif ich hir habbe wold,
Þat to hir comen y schold
To on day þat was y-sett,
Oþer sche worþ fro me fett.
To hir ward y gan spede
Wiþ þritti kniȝtes in mi ferred:
Eueriche of ous his stede bistrode,
& riden ous forþ wiþouten abode,
Wher þe douke Otus was & his ferred
Wiþ an hundred kniȝtes of gret pride,
& wele to hundred of seriaunce
Of Lombardy & of Fraunce,
For to spouse min owhen wiif,
Þat y loued more þan mi liif.
When y þat wist y sent hir to
So priueliche so ich miȝt it do,
Þat hij schuld come to me:
For gret loue so dede sche;
To me sche come þurch queyntise
Doun of þe castel in selcouþe wise
Bi on cable alle sleyeliche,
Þat folk it no founde, sikerliche.
Y sett hir on a mule amblinde,
In þe way we dede ous rideinde.
Ac þer ich dede gret child-hod,
Þat alto long y þer a-bod.
At our wending of þat cite
Þe liȝt day we miȝten se:
Þer we were y-knowen þo
At a brigge as we hadde go.
Þat ich for Oisel was y-come,
Hir fader it was teld atte frome.
Þurch þe cite þe crie was gradde
Þe maiden was oway ladde.
Þer miȝt men se kniȝtes on hors wende,
& me þai of-token at þe brugge ende.
Þer we stronglich mett wiþ hem:
Mani we slowen of her men.
Alle þai slouȝ mine feren,
Þat swiþe gode kniȝtes weren.
Me þai come to nim snelle,
Ac y nold no longer duelle:
Ich toke mi leman on mi stede,
& ouer þat water wiþ hir ich ȝede.
Alle þat day þai driuen me,
Alle fort þai no miȝt for niȝt y-se.
When y was passed þe riuer ariȝt
In hert y was glad & liȝt:
Þat water passi þai no durstin,
Þan owayward turn þai mostin.
In þis forest y come rideinde,
Bifor me mi leman ledeinde:
Y no dred robours no thef non,
Ac al siker ich wende forþ gon.
What of wakeing, & of fasting,
& eke þat oþer treueyling,
Osleped swiþe sore ich was,
& lay & slepe in þis plas.
Þan com fiftene outlawes strong
Wiþ her men, & here me afong.
Alle slepende þai wounded me.
Anon riȝt nomen he
Mi leman, & þai han hir ladde fro me.
Now, sir, take þerof pite:
Bi þe treuþe þou hast me pliȝt,
Socour mi leman ȝif þou miȝt,
&, when þat ich dede be,
Do me birij, ich bidde þe.
To þat hulle þou wende anon:
Þou hem findes þer ichon.
& ȝif þat þou so miȝti be,
Þatow may hem alle sle,
Winne þou miȝt a maiden fre:
In þe warld may non feirer be.
& ȝete y may þe more telle:
Mi stede þai han, þat is so snelle,
Þat wiþ strengþe in Peyneme ich wan
Of Solagimis, þe sone soudan.
Þer-fore men han y-boden me
.Xv. castels, & touns, & riche cite,
And .xv. somers of siluer & of gold,
Ac for an hundred ȝiuen ichit nold.
Now þou hast, sir, alle y-herd,
Hou ich am bitreyd & amerd.
Take mi scheld, & mi hauberk of stiel
& mi swerd, þat biteþ wel,
& mine armes ich am in diȝt
(For ich þe se man of miche miȝt),
To quite þi treuþe þou hast y-pliȝt.’
Þan stode þer sir Gij vp-riȝt:
Wel depe in hert he haþ y-siȝt.
Grete pite he haþ of þat kniȝt:
He knewe Tirri for his frende,
Þat lay þer in hard bende.
‘Sir,’ he seyd, ‘bi treuþe mine
Þat ich haue pliȝt in hond þine,
Euen forþ mi miȝt ich-il help þe:
More miȝt þou nouȝt oxi me.’
Wiþ þat haþ Gij his brond y-nome,
& his hauberk atte frome,
His scheld, & his oþer wede,
& to þe hulle in gret periil he ȝede.
A loge stonden þer he seye,
& þer wiþ-outen a gode stede & heye,
Þat was to a bouȝ y-teyd.
Gij þeron his talent leyd:
Sterneliche prikeing he come,
His swerd he drouȝ out anon.
He aliȝt, & seyd at his cominge:
‘Þeues, ȝe be ded, wiþouten lesinge.
Awarid worþ ȝe ichon,
Boþe ȝour flessche & ȝour bon.
Whi slouȝ ȝe þat ich kniȝt?
Alle ȝe schul die anon riȝt.
& ȝif ani so hardi be,
Þat hennes stir toward me,
Ich wille ȝou for soþe say
He bes þe first þat schal day.’
An Almaunde he arauȝt:
His heued of at þe first drauȝt.
Ar ani of hem hem were miȝt,
Alle he hem slouȝ, y ȝou pliȝt.
Þo he hadde hem slaun ichon,
He lepe opon his stede anon.
Comen he is to þat mayde,
Wel sweteliche to hir he seyde,
‘Na more sori þou no be,
Ac arise vp, & com wiþ me:
To þi leman y bringe þe sket
Vnder þe þorn þer þou him let.’
Opon a mule sche warþ anon,
To þe hawe-þorn þai ben y-gon,
Ac þai no haue nouȝt þe kniȝt y-founde:
Y-ladde he was owai þat stounde.
Þo he fond him nouȝt, he was sori;
For he wend wel sikerli
Þat lyouns him hadde to-drawe.
He loked adoun vnder þe wode schawe,
If he ouȝt y-herd loude or heye:
Of hors traces hy þer seye.

Þat maiden he lete þare,
& after swiþe he is y-fare.
So fast he rode, þat he com neye
Four kniȝtes he þer seye.
Gij of-toke sone þat ferrede,
& seye þan kn[i]ȝt wiþ hem lede.
Gij, þat heye rode on his stede,
Ȝernne he bad ȝif he miȝt spede.
To þe kniȝtes sir Gij him sade:
‘Lordinges, þilke lord þat ȝou made,
& þe niȝt & þe briȝt day,
Ȝou do worþschipe so wele he may.
Ȝif it be ȝour wille speke wiþ me:
To mi speche vnder-stond ȝe.
Lordinges, ich haue mi treuþe y-pliȝt
To him þat ȝe lede, þ[i]lke kniȝt,
Þat biri y schal his bodi:
Mi treuþe y him pliȝt, sikerly.
Al for loue ich ȝou biseche
His bodi þat ȝe me biteche.’
Þat o kniȝt went to him ward,
Þat was þe douke Otus steward,
Þat hadde y-passed þe riuere
In a bot þat he fond þere,
& seyd to Gij, ‘who artow?
Als a fole comen artow now.
Comestow now to aski riȝt
To haue þe bodi of our kniȝt,
For his fere we nim þe snelle,
To þe douke Otous lede we þe wille,
& ȝe schul boþe demed be,
& heye hong on galwe tre.’