University of Virginia Library

Whan þe king of palerne & his perles moder,
& þe meke meliors his menskful quene,
were come a-ȝe to here court to carpe þe soþe,
þei passed in-to palerne to þe paleis riche,
with al þe murþe vpon mold þat man miȝt of þink.
but on þe morwe manli to mene þe soþe,
þe king of spayne spacli spac to take leue,
for him & alle his felawchipe to fare þat time,
boþe him-self & braundine þat was his bold quene,
& his semli sones boþe alphouns & his broþer,
& here worþi wiues þat were alle at onis.
king william þe king of spayne þonkes
of al þe faire fordede þat he hade for hem wrouȝt,
þurh þe grete grace þat god hade him sent;
for caire wold þei to here cuntre & crist him bi-teche.
whan þe king was war þei wold nedes wen[d],
Gret sorwe for alphouns sake sank to his herte,
for he schuld his felawchipe for-go at þat time.
but whan þat he nedes most he nam him bi hond,
& seide, siking sore “now alphouns, swete broþer,
seþþe þou cairest in-to þi cuntre to kepe þi reaume,
I bidde þe as buxumli as broþer schal a-noþer,
ȝif it bi-tide eni time þat þow tene haue,
with werre or oþer wrong with eny wiȝt in erþe,
or with þe sori sarazins schuldest haue to done,
sende to me þi sond swiþe vpon hast,
& i schal hastili me hiȝe bi him þat me bouȝt,
to venge þe verali for ouȝt þat bi-tideþ.”
“þe selue, sire, seie i be þe” seide alphouns þanne,
“sone to come to þi sond schal þer non me lette.”
eiþer þonked oþer many þousand siþes,
& lauȝt seþe here leue þouȝh hem loþ were.