METRICAL ROMANCEËS. LE BONE FLORENCE OF ROME. As ferre as men ryde or gone A more chyvalrous town then Troy was oon In londe was never feen; Nor better knyghtys then came of hyt For bothe hardy and kene. And enhabyted cuntreys clene; And was fownder of Jerufalem, That was wyght withowtyn wene. VOL. III. 10 Helemytes hyght the thryd Troyon, And was a stronge man of blode and bone, That fro Troy came to Awfryke; Eneas be fchyp gate to Rome, The chefe cytè of Crystendome, Then was ther none hyt lyke. Unto the tyme that the emperowr fir Garcy That many a oon fore can fyke; Of Costantyne the nobull was he, Another emperowre reygned at Rome, Syr Otes the grawnt hyght that gome, A feyre lady he had to wyfe, That on a day lofte hur lyfe, That worthy was to welde, And dyed of a maydyn chylde, That aftur waxe bothe meke and mylde, So fayre was feen but felde. Whan the emperys was dedd, The emperowre was wylde of redd, He gart cryften thys chylde bryght, 20 30 And callyd hur Florens thys maydyn feyre, In thys worlde was not foche a wyght. Of the wondurs that there befelle For thre dayes hyt reyned blode, Fowlys in the fyrmament And felle dedd to the grownde, Hyt fygnyfyed that aftur come Schulde many a man confownde; Was never in thys worlde rownde. He fet to fcole that damyfell, 40 50 Tyll fche cowde of the boke telle, 60 And all thynge dyscrye, 70 Be that sche was fyftene yere olde, Wel fche cowde, as men me tolde, Of harpe and fawtrye; All hur bewteys for to nevyn And in grete batels can dye. When fyr Garcy herde feye That the emperowre of Rome had foche a may To hys doghtur, dere, He waxe hafty as the fyre, And gart fembyll the lordes of hys empyr, That bolde and hardy were. He feyde, Ofte have ye blamed me For y wolde not weddyd bee, Y have herde of a clere, Florens that ys feyre and bryght, In all thys worlde ys not foche a wyght, As the romans trewly tolde, And fome boke feyth mare. He was arayed in ryche parell, Of fylke and golde wythowtyn fayle, All whyte was hys hare. He feyde, Syrs, wendyth ovyr the fee, And bydd the emperowre of Rome fende me Hys doghtur fwete and fware, And yf he any gruchyng make, Hys flefche trembylde for grete elde, He had more mystyr of a gode fyre, A fofte bath, a warme bedd, Then any maydyn for to wedd, And gode enchefon why, For he was brefyd and all to-brokyn, Ferre travelde in harnes, and of warre wrokyn: He tolde them redylye; When ye have the maydyn broght, That ys fo feyre and worthely wroght, Sche fchall lygg be my syde, 90 100 |