The emperoure was full gladd, Fette me the monke, anon he badd, Why wente he fo awaye? A byfchoperyke y wyll hym geve, The abbot knelyd on hys knee, To hys owne londe; He dwellyth wyth the pope of Rome, He wyll be gladd of hys come, Y do yow to undurftonde. Syr, quod the emperoure, To me hyt were a dyshonoure, Soche wordes y rede thou wonde; Anone yn hafte that y hym fee, Or thou fchalt nevyr have gode of me, Lorde, he feyde, fythe hyt ys foo, Ye mufte make me fewrtè, 11501 1160 Aftur hym y wyll wynde, So that ye wyll be hys frende, Yf youre wylle bee. Yys, feyde the emperoure full fayne, All my kynne thogh he had slayne, Then spake the abbot wordys free, Lorde, y tryfte now on thee, Ye wyll do os ye fey; Hyt ys fyr Barnard of Tollous, A nobyll knyght and a chyvalrous, 1170 Aftur hym that thou wende, 1180 We schall kyffe and be gode frende, Be god that owyth thys day. The abbot feyde, Y asfente; And feyde, Syr, go wyth mee; Goode frendys for to bee. Thereof the erle was full fayne, The emperoure came hym agayne, 1190 And fayde, My frende fo free, Togedur lovely can they kysse, The romaunfe tellyth foo; He made hym steward of hys londe, That he had rafte hym froo. 1200 The emperoure levyd but yerys thre, Be alexcion of the lordys free The erle toke they thoo, To fyght agayne hys foo. He weddyd that lady to hys wyfe, Wyth yoye and myrthe they ladd ther lyfe, Twenty yere and three; Betwene them had they chyldyr fyftene Doghty knyghtys all bedene, And femely on to fee. 1210 Yn Rome thys gefte ys cronyculyd, y wys, A lay of Bretayne callyd hyt ys, And evyr more schall bee. Jhefu Cryfte to hevyn us brynge, There to have owre wonnyng: Amen, amen, for charytee! THE SQUYR OF LOWE DEGRE. IT was a fquyer of lowe degrè That loved the kings doughter of Hungrè. The fquir was curteous and hend, Ech man him loved and was his frend; For he was marshall of his hall, And fet the lords both great and smal. An hardy man he was, and wight, But ever he was ftyll mornyng, And no man wyfte for what thyng; And all was for that lady, The kynges doughter of Hungry. 10 |