They bathyd hur in erbys ofte, The lorde comawndyd hys men everychon Nor ones afke of whens fche were. Unto the stabull they ledd hur stede, And all hur odur gere they dud lede, Unto a chaumbur dere. The lorde had a doghtur feyre That hyght Betres, fchulde be hys heyre, Of vyfage feyre and clere; To Florence they can hur kenne, To lerne hur to behave hur among men, In bedd togedur, wythowte lefynge. Yf any man hur befoght Of love, fche gaf them foche answare 1560 1570 Sche preyed to god that boght hur dere, To fende hur fownde to fyr Emere, That hur full dere had boght. 1580 Off Garcy y wyll telle yow mare, That was cawfer of hur evyll fare, And cawfyd hur fadur to be slayne, Emere vengyd well hys dedd, And broght hym fro hys ftrenkyth full stedd, To grete Rome agayne. There lykyd hym noght to bee, And foone there-aftur dyed he, The fothe ys not to layne; Sche fawe hym never wyth hur eye, 1590 That cawfyd hur all that forowe to drye, Of hur have we to sayne. Wyth fyr Turry dwellyd a knyght That hardy was, and Machary he hyght, He was bolde as any bare: To hys lemman he wolde have had that bryght, And spyed hur bothe day and nyght, Therof came mekyll care. Tyll hyt befelle upon a day, In hur chaumbur ftode that maye, He leyde hur downe on hur bedd, Sche had no focowre thare. Before hur bedd lay a stone, The lady toke hyt up anon, On the mowthe fche hym hyt, 1600 That hys for tethe owte he spytt, Above and also benethe. 1610 Hys mowthe, hys nose, braste owt on blood, Forthe at the chaumbur dore he yode, For drede of more wrethe; And to hys chaumber he hyed hym ryght, And then he came agayne, And tolde hys lorde that he was fchent, Evyll betyn in a turnement, The fothe ys not to layne: The tethe be fmetyn owt of my mowthe, Therfore my forowe ys full cowthe, Me had levyr to be flayne. 1620 He wolde have be vengyd of that dede, A fcharpe knyfe he had hym boght, And evyn to hur chaumbur he yode, In fonder he fchare hyt tyte. Forthe at the chaumber dore he yode, And Betres lay burlyng in hur blode, And Florence flepyd faste. Hur fadur thoght in a vyfyon, Hys doghtur fchulde be ftrekyn downe, Wyth a thonder blafte; And as a thyck leyghtenyng abowte hur ware: Up he starte wyth mekyll care, And a kyrtell on he caste; 1630 1640 A candyll at a lawmpe he lyght, And to hur chaumber reykyd he ryght, Thorowly on he thrafte; And fonde Betres hys doghtur dedd, 1650 And a knyfe in Florence hande. Gentyll wemen fore dud wepe, Abowte the bedd they prefyd thyck, And Florence thedur lede. Ye myght fee, be hur feyre clothyng, And be hur grete feyre-hede. 1660 1670 |