University of Virginia Library

Spacli as þe spaynols sped hem to sayle,
william with his folk went wiȝtli aȝayne
to paleys of palerne; his puple him sewed,
with alle murþe of menstracie þat men miȝt on þenk.
þan william wiȝtli as a wis king schold,
pes among þe puple he put to þe reaume,
a-leide alle luþer lawes þat long hadde ben vsed,
& gart holde þe gode and gaf mo newe,
þat profitabul to þe puple were proued & hold;
so þat neuer cristen king kauȝt more loue
þan william dede in a wile wite ȝe for soþe.
& ȝif he geynli was god to alle gode werkes,
& wel bi-loued in his lond with lasse & wiþ more,
ȝit was meliors as moche his menskful quene,
or more ȝif sche miȝt in any maner wise;
so prestli sche wold plese þe pore & þe riche.
þan bi-tid it in þat time to telle þe soþe,
þe riche emperour of rome ended his daies,
deide, & was be-dolue as dere god wold.
& alle þe lordes of þat lond lelli at o sent,
sent william to seie so as was bi-falle;
& to meliors his quene bi messageres nobul,
as to here lege lord lelli bi riȝt,
þurth meling of þe mariage of meliors þe schene.
hendli al in hast þei preiȝed him þider hiȝe.
to vnder-fonge in fee al þat faire reaume,
& erden in þat empire as emperour & maister.
whan þe worþi william wist al þat fare,
& treuli hade vnderston þe tidinges to þende,
to þe menskful messageres he made glad chere,
& welcomed worþili witow for soþe.
naþeles meliors & he made moche sorwe
for þemperour was forþ-fare faire to crist.
sone þei cauȝt comfort for þis þei knewe boþe,
þat deþ wold come to alle þat crist hade fourmed,
to emperours & erles to eche þat lif hadde.
& god þan of his grace godliche þei þonked,
& seide þei wold his sondes suffer, & his wille.
but william ful wiȝtli with-oute any more,
sent as swiþe hise sondes soþli in-to spayne,
bi messageres milde þa moche god couþe,
& bid alphouns his broþer schuld bliue come,
& bring wiþ him his [wif þat] was his worþi suster.
alisaundrine & hire lord alphouns he bad hem preie,
þat he dede hem com wiþ him for cas þat miȝt falle,
& his feiþful fader ȝif he a-liue were.
(ac he was ded & doluen as dere god wold,
& alphouns held in his hond holli al þat reaume,
as kinde king krowned þurth cunseil of his peres).
& whan þe menskful messangers here message wisten,
& hade letteres of here lord to lelen here sawes,
þei went wiȝtli in here way with-oute any more,
& sped hem in-to spayne spacli in a while,
& to þe kud king alphouns kiþed here arnd.