 | The Romance of William of Palerne |  |
Leue lordes, now listenes of þis litel barn,
þat þe kinde kowherde-wif keped so fayre.
ȝhe wist it as wel or bet as ȝif it were hire owne,
til hit big was & bold to buschen on felde,
& couþe ful craftily kepe alle here bestes,
& bring hem in þe best lese whan hem bi-stode nede,
& wited hem so wisly þat wanted him neuer one.
a bowe al-so þat bold barn bi-gat him þat time,
& so to schote vnder þe schawes scharplyche he lerned,
þat briddes & smale bestes wiþ his bow he quelles
so plenteousliche in his play þat, pertly to telle,
whanne he went hom eche niȝt wiþ is droue of bestis,
he com him-self y-charged wiþ conyng & hares,
wiþ fesauns & feldfares and oþer foules grete;
þat þe herde & his hende wif & al his hole meyne
þat bold barn wiþ his bowe by þat time fedde.
& ȝit hadde fele felawes in þe forest eche day,
ȝong bold barnes þat bestes al-so keped.
& bliþe was eche a barn ho best miȝt him plese,
& folwe him for his fredom & for his faire þewes.
for what þing willam wan a-day wiþ his bowe,
were it feþered foul or foure-foted best,
ne wold þis william neuer on wiþ-hold to him-selue,
til alle his felawes were ferst feffed to here paie.
so kynde & so corteys comsed he þere,
þat alle ledes him louede þat loked on him ones;
& blesseden þat him bare & brouȝt in-to þis worlde,
so moche manhed & murþe schewed þat child euere.
þat þe kinde kowherde-wif keped so fayre.
ȝhe wist it as wel or bet as ȝif it were hire owne,
til hit big was & bold to buschen on felde,
& couþe ful craftily kepe alle here bestes,
& bring hem in þe best lese whan hem bi-stode nede,
& wited hem so wisly þat wanted him neuer one.
a bowe al-so þat bold barn bi-gat him þat time,
& so to schote vnder þe schawes scharplyche he lerned,
þat briddes & smale bestes wiþ his bow he quelles
12
whanne he went hom eche niȝt wiþ is droue of bestis,
he com him-self y-charged wiþ conyng & hares,
wiþ fesauns & feldfares and oþer foules grete;
þat þe herde & his hende wif & al his hole meyne
þat bold barn wiþ his bowe by þat time fedde.
& ȝit hadde fele felawes in þe forest eche day,
ȝong bold barnes þat bestes al-so keped.
& bliþe was eche a barn ho best miȝt him plese,
& folwe him for his fredom & for his faire þewes.
for what þing willam wan a-day wiþ his bowe,
were it feþered foul or foure-foted best,
ne wold þis william neuer on wiþ-hold to him-selue,
til alle his felawes were ferst feffed to here paie.
so kynde & so corteys comsed he þere,
þat alle ledes him louede þat loked on him ones;
& blesseden þat him bare & brouȝt in-to þis worlde,
so moche manhed & murþe schewed þat child euere.
| The Romance of William of Palerne | |