Therfore y fchal let the goo,

And geve hym all ye toke hym fro.

950

Emere knelyd on hys knee:
Syr, when y come into the towne,
I and my men mufte be bowne
To greve bothe thyn and thee."
Ye, godys forbode that thou spare,
But of thy warfte wylle ever mare:
Garcy, thus fayde he.

"What wenyft thou wyth thy bragg and boost

For to dyftroye me and myn hooft?"

He toke hys leve and yede;

Syr Synagot gave hym all togedur,

Be the lefte thonge that he bare thedur,

Emere lepe on hys stede.

He ledd hym thorow the pavylons all,

Tyll he came nere to Romes walle,
And paste the mooft drede.

Than they wythynne were full fayne,
That they had getyn the gome a gayne,

Ther blyffe be ganne to brede;

And agayne fyr Emere they went,

And broght hym before that lady gente,

And afkyd yf he wolde

960

970

Wedde the beste of hur elde,

And all hur londys for to welde,

Agayne Garcy to holde;

And helpe to venge hur fadurs dedd.

He dud ryght as the lady bedd,

That hardy was and bolde.

He feyde, Prevely mufte me do,
Tyll the baronage be fworne us to,

Bothe the yonge and the olde.

Syr Sampfon, and fyr Egravayne,
Syr Clamadore, and fyr Alayne,
Wyfte of that bargen newe.
They went aftur fyr Geffrey of Pyfe,
And fyr Barnard of Mownt-devyfe,

Tho fyxe were gode and trewe;

They made them to fwere they fchulde be lele,
And fyr Emers counsell heyle,

And Florence feyre of hewe:

Thus he tylleth them be fowre and fyve,

All they had fworne to hym be lyve,

Then Mylys hymfelfe can rewe.

The pope came, as ye may here,
For to crowne fyr Emere,

And [wedd] them wyth a rynge.

980

990

Sche feyde, Now are ye emperowre of Rome,
The grettyft lorde in Crystendome,

And hedd of every kynge;

Yyt fchall ye never in bedde me by,

Tyl ye have broght me fyr Garcy,

For no maner of thynge;

Or lefte hym in the felde for dedd,
Be hym y fawe in forme of bredd,
When the preeft can fynge.

Emere the emperowre can fay,
I fchall do all that y may,

But charge me wyth no mare,

Then they wyfche, and to mete be gone: "Of mynftralcy we kepe none,

We have no space to spare;

Nodur harpe, fedyll, nor geeft,

But ordeygn yow wyth mooft and leeft,

That wyth me wyll fare;

And brynge my ftede Bondynere,

1000

1010

And feche me forthe bothe fchylde and spere:"

Full tyte then were they thare.

Than was there no lenger bode,

But up they lepe and forthe they rode,

To preke aftur ther praye.

1020

When worde came to fyr Garcy,

A fory man was he forthy,

That weddyd was that may,

That was whyte as lylly-flowre,
And fyr Emere crowned emperowre,
Allas! then can he fay,

That ever y let that traytur goo,
When he was in my bandoune foo,

Me dawyd a drery day!

Ther was lefte no man in that town

To kepe the lady of renowne,

That was of temporaltè,

That myght wyth ony wepon wyrke,
Owt-takyn men of holy kyrke,

At home they let them bee.

They beganne at the nerre fyde,

And flewe down all that wolde abyde,

Trewly trowe ye me;

On felde they faght as they were wode,

Ovyr the bentys ranne the blode,

All tho dyed that wolde not flee.

Then on the felde they frefchely faght,

Many oon ther dethe there caght,

That came on Garcyes fyde.

1030

1040

Syr Garcy toke hym to the fyght,

Wyth an hundurd in harnés bryght,
He durfte no lenger byde;

Of all the men he thedur broght,
Many on lyve levyd he noght,

To fchypp went they that tyde;

They set up fayle and forthe are gone,

To Coftantyne the nobull towne,

Al fo fafte as they myght glyde.

Al fo foone as fyr Emere wyste
Wel nere for forowe hys heite brefte,
That he in fchyppe can lende,
He bad fyr Mylys turne agayne,
Syr Sampfon and fyr Egravayne,
"For y wyll aftur wende:
Take an hundurd men of armes bryght,

And kepe my lady day and nyght,

That ys curtes and hende;

Say to hur y am on the fee,
Chafyng aftur myn olde enmye,

That flewe hur derreft frende."

Syr Mylys feyde to thes hundurd all,
Thys herytage to me wyll falle,

My brodur comyth never a gayne.

1050

1060