Syrs, he feyde, wythowt fayle, Yf ye wyl do be my counfayle, Grete worfchyp schulde ye wynne. Knowe ye the erle of Tollous ? Hys bofte y rede we blynne; So god me fave fro fynne. That oon knyght Kamiters, that odur Kaym 430 Falfer men myght no man rayme, Certys then were thoo; Syr Trylabas was the thrydde, Hyt was no mystur them to bydd Aftur the erle to goo. At a brygge they hym mett, Wyth harde strokes they hym befett, As men that were hys foo; The erle was a man of mayn, Fafte he faght them agayne, And foone he flew twoo. The thrydd fledd, and blewe owt faste, Hys hedd he clofe in three; 440 The cuntrey gedyrd abowte hym faste, An hundurd there men myght fee. At the lafte fro them he paste, Fayne he was to flee; From them he went into a waste, To refte hym there he toke hys cafte, A wery man was hee. All the nyght in that forefte The gentyll erle toke hys refte, He had no nodur woon; When hyt dawed he rose up foone, And thankyd god that fyttyth in trone, That he had fcapyd hys foon. Be the way os he can gone, Was made of lyme and stone. Of hys comyng, hys men were gladd, For nothyng ye spare; 450 460 The emperour, wythowte lees, Y trowe wyll let us be in pees, And warre on us no mare. Ryght os hym levyst ware. The emperour lovyd hys wyfe, Al fo moche os hys own lyfe, And more yf he myght; He chose two knyghtys that were hym dere, Whedur that he were ferre or nere, To kepe hur day and nyght. That oon hys love on hur caste, So dud the todur at the laste, Sche was feyre and bryght; Nothyr of othyr wyfte ryght noght, So derne love on them wroght, To dethe they were nere dyght. 470 480 490 Methynkyth thou fadyfte all away, Os man that ys clongyn in clay, Then feyde that other, Y make a vowe, Why fo evyr hyt bee; Telle me thy caufe, why hyt ys, And y fchall telle the myn, y wys, Y graunte, he feyde, wythowt fayle, Therto hys trowthe he plyght. He feyde, My lady the emperes, Then feyde that othyr, Certenly, For that lady bryght; Syn owre love ys on hur fett, How myght owre bale befte be bett? Canfte thou rede on ryght? Then feyde that othyr, be feynt John, Methynkyth then ys thys; 500 510 Y rede that oon of us twoo Prevely to hur goo, And pray hur of hur blys ; Y myfelfe wyll go hur tylle, Yn cafe y may gete hur wylle, Of myrthe fchalt thou not mys; Thus they were at oon asfent, 520 530 Lady, he feyde, that durfte y noght. For all the gode that evyr was wroght, Be grete god invyfybylle; 540 |