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But trewþe now for to telle whan time come of daye,
þat þe blisful brides schold buske to cherche,
of here a-tir for to telle to badde is my witte,
for alle þe men vpon mold ne miȝt it descriue
a-redili to þe riȝtes so riche it were alle.
boþe kinges & quenes & oþer kud lordes,
perteli in alle a-paraile pursewend þurth-oute,
of hors & harneys & þat hem haue neded,
so þat non miȝt be amended a mite worþ, for soþe;
as eche gom in his degre godliche ouȝt.
for-þi no more of þat mater nel ich minge noþe,
but touche forþ of þe tale as telleþ þe gest.
whan þe burnes were boun to buske to chirche,
þemperour of rome williams suster ladde,
þilke þat alphouns schold to wiue weld.
& þe kud king of spayne curtesli & faire,
ladde meliors menskfulli a-mong alle þe puple.
þe quenes broþer of palerne partenedon þe bold
alisaundrine at þat time auenauntli ladde.
al with blisse on here blonkes þei busked to chirche,
with alle þe murþe vpon mold þat man miȝt of þenk.
þe clergie com hem a-ȝens riȝt gailiche a-tyred,
ful pertliche on procession prestli as þei ouȝt,
& komen to here king & dede him þe croyce kesse.
þan with worchip & wele went to þe cherche,
þe patriarkes & oþer prelates prestli were reuested,
to make þe mariage menskfulli as it ouȝt.
& after þe lawe of þe lond lelliche to telle,
þei were þer wedded worchipfulli and fayre.
& lelli, for alisaundrines lord ne hade non londes,
þer were tit ȝif hem to treuli fele townes,
comli castelles and couþ and cuntres wide,
to liue wiþ worchip & wele in world al here liue.
no clerk vnder crist ne kowþe nouȝt descriue
þe murthe for þat mariage þat was maked þanne,
þe richesse ne þe riaulte to rekene þe soþe,
ne þe solempne seruise þat seyn was þat time.
but whan þe seruise was seid as it schold bene,
þat fel to a mariage be-maked at cherche,
þat puple prestli aȝen to þe paleys wente
wiþ al þe murþe of menstracye þat man miȝt on þenk.
& treuli whan time was þei turned to mete,
& serued were as selcouþli as hem-self wolde
desiren of eny deyntes of metes & drinkes.
It were toor forto telle treuli al þe soþe,
& to reherce þe aray ariȝt of þat riche feste,
for-þi i leue þis liȝtli ac leueþ þis for treuþe,
þer miȝ no mon it amende a mite worþ, i leue.
whan bordes were born a-doun & burnes hade waschen,
Men miȝt haue seie to menstrales moche god ȝif,
sterne stedes & stef & ful stoute robes,
Gret garisun of gold & greiþli gode iuweles.
þe fest of þat mariage a moneþ fulle lasted,
& eche day was gret god giue al a-boute,
to more & to lasse þat at þe mariage were.
þan lauȝt þe lordes here leue at þe monþes ende;
partenedon parted first of palerne þe quenes broþer;
for he hade ferrest to fare formest he went.
& william wiþ his wiȝes went him wiþ on gate,
& semli wiþ alle solas to þe see him brouȝt,
& his menskful moder meliors, & his suster.
prestili þe quen of palerne þan preied hire broþer,
to grete hire feiþful fader fele times & ofte,
“& þonk him kindli of þe help þat he to me sent,
& telle him treuli as it bi-tidde here.”
þan lauȝt þei eche leue at oþer lelli to telle;
partenedon passed to schepe & his puple after,
& went wiȝtli to saile þe wind was at þe best,
& saileden wiþ game & gle to grece til þei come.
þan told he tyt to his fader treuli þe soþe,
of fortune þat was falle fram comsing to þende.
how his semli suster was holpen þurth hire sone,
& how þat maide meliors was wedded þat time,
to his owne neweu þouȝh it him nouȝt liked.
& whan þemperour hade herde [holly] þo wordes,
he was a-wondred gretli as he wel miȝt,
but glad he was þat his neweu so nobul was wox,
& preised so perles al oþer þat he passeþ,
of alle kniȝtes vnder [heuene] þat knowe were þanne.
& þat his douȝter of here duresse was so deliuered,
Gretli he þonked god of his grete miȝt;
& liued þan in lisse al his lif after.
but go we now from þe gregoyse & ginne of anoþer,
& of þe puple in palerne how þei passed, telle.