University of Virginia Library

Whanne time was, to þe mete þei turned sone,
& serued [were] selcouþli riȝt as hem wolde,
of alle dere deintes of metes and of drynkes;
and as þei muriest at þe mete þat time seten,
þer come menskful messageres þat men were nobul,
fro þemperour of grece gret wel þe quene,
þat ladi was of þat lond & he hire dere fader,
& from hire broþer partendo þat was hire pert broþer.
& whan þise messageres hade here greting made,
þan þe soueraynest seg saide of hem alle,
“Madame, makes ȝou merie for marie loue in heuen,
for ȝour feiȝful fader naþ ȝou nouȝt for-ȝete.
ac he haþ sent ȝou to socoure so grissiliche an host,
þat þer nis man vpon mold þat may ȝou with-stond,
þat þei nelle bring in bale at ȝour bidding sone.
þei kome sailing in þe see here souerayn is ȝour broþer;
partenedon þe perles al þat puple ledes,
& se him schal ȝour-self hastli, boute faile,
er þis þridde day be don doute ȝou non oþer.
& whan þat comli quen þo tidinges herde,
a gladdere womman in world was þer non a-liue,
to þe menskful messagere made gret ioye,
& worþili hem welcomed ȝe mow wite þe soþe.
þe comli quen & þe king cunseiled þan to-gedere,
þat þe bridhale schuld a-bide til hire broþer come,
to mensk more þat mariage ȝif þei miȝt þanne.
þan on þe þridde day ariued hire broþer þere,
with a clene cumpanye to carp þe soþe,
þe grettest lordes of þat lond þat liued þat time;
but his ost þat tide he left in þe see stille.
whan þe quen wist of his come curtesli & sone,
Gladli with grete lordes sche goþ him aȝens,
þe kud emperour of rome & þe king of spayne,
& his comli quen & alle þe kniȝtes gode.
þe worþi william was þe first þat welcomed him faire,
& alphouns after him & after þe kinges.
þe quen of palern presteli þan presed to hire broþer,
& receyued him as reali as any rink þurt bene;
þe king of spayne & þe quen curtesli him gret,
& þemperour of rome with riȝt gret ioye.
þer was a solempne siȝt whan þei samen mette,
with clipping & kissing to keþþe hem to-gadere.
þe lady ful loueli þan lad forþ hire broþer
presteli to palerne to þe paleys riche.
More murþe vpon mold miȝt no man deuise,
þan was mad to þo men to munge þe soþe;
Ne wanted hem no-þing þat þei wold haue,
plenteuosli in eche place þe puple was serued.
& as þei sete in solas sone þe quen told
buxumli to hire broþer what bi-tidde þere;
how william was hire son & with his douȝti dedes
hade conquered þe king of spayne & ended þat werre;
& in what wise þe werwolf was brouȝt to his state;
& holli alle þe happes as ȝe han herd be-fore;
how þei went away boþe in white beres skinnes.
þan told sche how alphouns schuld his nece wedde,
& william worþi meliors with welþe on þe morwe.
þan þemperoures sone of grece was a-greued sore,
whanne he wist on þe morwe þe mariage schuld bene,
for he wend hire haue wedded whilom in rome.
& þeiȝh he wist william his nobul newe þanne,
hade he had his ost he wold [haue] a-saide þere
to haue with stoteye & strengþe stoutli hire wonne.
but sei he soþli so miȝt it nouȝt bene,
ac suffer he most þouh it him sore rewed,
& semblant made he sobur so as it him paide,
but i hote þe in hert it liked him wel ille.
þann william and his moder & meliors als,
& alphouns anon riȝt of alisaundrine toched,
to marie here menskfulli a-mong hem riȝt þanne.
& so þei touched hem be-twene to tele þe soþe,
þat braundnis alphouns broþer schuld be hire make,
þe kinges sone of spayne þat comsed alle þe werre.
& he at his sader hest hit þanne graunted,
& at þe bidding of his broþer & williams hest.
þan driue þei forþ þe day in dedut & in murþe,
& haden holli at wille what hem haue nedede,
& seþþe to bedde uche burn busked him þat time.
but on þe morwe manli to mene þe soþe,
Men miȝt haue seie of segges many on greiȝed,
In þe worþiest wise þat seien were euere,
seþþe he þat vs bouȝt in bemleem was bore.
alle þe clerkes vnder god couþe nouȝt descriue
a-redili to þe riȝtes þe realte of þat day,
þat was in þat cite for þat solempne fest,
& of alle men þat manerli miȝt ouȝt gete
of any god gaili to greiþe hem midde.
to munge of menstracie it miȝt nouȝt be aymed,
so many maner minstracie at þat mariage were,
þat whan þei made here menstracie eche man wende,
þat heuen hastili & erþe schuld hurtel to-gader,
so desgeli it denede þat al þerþe quakede.
þe stretis were alle strewed & stoutli be-honged,
with gode cloþes of gold of alle gay hewes;
& burgeys with here burdes in here best wise,
weyteden out at windowes eche weie a-boute,
to prie on þe puple þat priked in þe stretes,
& to loke on here lord þat lelli þan schold
be krowned king on þat day to kepe al þat reaume.