University of Virginia Library

Whan alphouns witerli wist of here wille,
þat þe riche emperour of rome was redeli god bitauȝt,
þat his buxum broþer schuld be lord þere-after,
he was gretli glad and oft god þonked,
& marie his moder þat him swiche grace sente;
& swiþe lett of-sende alle his segges nobul,
after alle þe lordes of þat lond þe lasse & þe more,
& oþer perles puple him prestili to serue.
whan þei gaili were greiþ as hem god þouȝt,
þei passeden toward palern as fast as þei miȝt,
alphouns & his worþi wif williams sister,
& braundinis his bold broþer & alisaundrine his wif,
wiþ hundredes of kene kniȝtes i knew nouȝt þe names.
& redili whan þei were come þer þei ariue schuld,
william wiþ his wiȝes went hem aȝens.
but no man vpon mold miȝt telle þe ioye
þat þe bold breþeren bi-tweyne [hem] made,
william & alphouns whan þei mette samen,
& wiþ his semli sister seþþen sone þer-after,
& wiþ his oþer broþer braundinis þe bolde,
& after wiþ alysaundrine & alle oþer seþþe;
þat prestili with al þat puple to palerne þei went,
& made hem þer as merie as man miȝt deuise,
wiþ alle derworþe deinteyes of drynkes & metes.
& þus þat perles puple in palerne hem rested
sadli al a seuen niȝt hem-seluen to ese.
& bi þat eche burn on his best wise
was purueyed prestli of al þat hem neded,
& william þat worþi king was þan wiȝtli ȝare,
wiþ al his real route remewed toward rome,
þan made he his moder be menskfully greiþed,
Mid him & meliors his quen in murþe to wende,
& wiþ his semli sister to solas here hertes.
þan wiþ al his real route he rides on gate,
Redili to-wardes rome þo riȝtes gates,
with al maner murþe þat men miȝt on þenk.
& as þei caired ouer cuntre & come neiȝ rome,
þer com him a-ȝens of kinges & oþer grete
þe fairest ferde of folk þat euer bi-fore was seie;
no man vpon molde miȝt ayme þe noumber.
& worchipfulli þei welcomed william here lorde,
& al his freli felawchip freli þei gret,
& receyued hem as realy as any rinkes miȝt;
Riden riȝt in-to rome with reaulte and murþe.
ac no tonge ne may þe atir of þe cite telle,
so richeli was al araied in rome for his come.
þe prelates on procession prestili out comen,
& alle þe belles in burw busili were runge,
for ioye þat here lege lord his lordchip schuld take.
þan passed al þat puple to þe paleys euene,
& eche man was esed euenli at wille,
wanted hem no þing þat þei haue wold,
for plente to al þe puple was purueide at þe fulle.
& on þe morw at masse to munge þe soþe,
william with al his worchip emperour was maked,
& meliors his comli quen was crouned emperice.
þer nis no clerk vnder crist þat couþe half descriue
þe reaulte þat was araied in rome for þat fest,
Ne þe tiþedel of hire atir to telle þe riȝt,
for al þe men vpon mold it amende ne miȝt,
nouȝt þat fel to swiche a fest forsoþe, half a mite.
for-þi wende i wol a while wite ȝe for soþe,
to reherce þe aray of þe real fest,
& telle forþer of þis tale what tidde after.