So mekyll golde for hur he hyght,
That hyt pafsyd almooft hur weyght,
On eyther parte was gyle.

"Take here the golde in a bagg,
I fchall hyt hynge on a knagg,

At the fchypp borde ende:

When ye have broght that clere,

Put up yowre hande and take hyt here:"

Aftur hur can they wende.

They feyde a fchypp ys hyred to the,

That wyll to Jerufalem ovyr the fee,

Sche thankyd them as fche was hende, Sche gaf the burges wyfe hur palfray, Wyth fadyll and brydyll, the fothe to fay, And kyfte hur as hur frende.

Alther furfte to the kyrke sche went,

To here a maffe verament,

And preyed god of hys grace,

That he wolde bryng hur to that ryke,

That evyr more ys yoye in lyke,

Before hys worthy face;

And or fche dyed Emere to fee,
That hur own lorde fchulde bee,

In Rome that ryall place.

1800

1810

To the fchypp they went in fere,

And betoke hur to the marynere,

That lovely undur lace.

They toke the bagg, they went hyt had be golde, And had hyt home into ther holde,

They lokyd and then hyt was ledd;

The burges feyde to Clarebalde,
Thou hafte made a fory frawde,
God gyf the fchames dedd:
For certenly, wythowten wene,
Thou haft begyled a lady fchene,
And made hur evyll of redd.

To the fee hyed they fafte,

The fayle was up unto the mafte,

And remevyd was fro that stedd.

All men that to the fchypp can longe,"

They went Florence to leman have fonge,

Ylke oon aftur odur had done;

But they faylyd of ther praye,
Thorow grace of god that myghtes may,

That schope bothe sonne and moone.
Sche calde on Clarebalde hur knave,
The marynar feyde, Y hope ye rave,

And tolde how he hade doone:

1820

1830

Sche prayde god fchulde hym forgeve,

A dreryer woman myght noon leeve,
Undur hevyn trone.

The maryner fet hur on hys bedd,
Sche hadd foone aftur a byttur fpredd,
The fchypp fayled belyve;

He feyde, Damyfell, y have the boght,
For thou art fo worthely wroght,

To wedde the to my wyve.

Sche feyde, Nay that fchall not bee,
Thorow helpe of hym in trynytè

That fuffurde woundys fyve;

In hys armes he can hur folde,

Hur rybbes crakyd as they breke wolde,

In struglynge can they ftryve.

Sche feyde, Lady Mary free,

Now thou have mercy on me,

Thou faylyft me nevyr at nede ;

Here my errande, as thou well may,
That y take no fchame to-day,

Nor lofe my maydynhede."

1840

1850

Then beganne the ftorme to ryfe,

1860

And that upon a dolefull wyfe,

The marynere rose and yede.

He hyed to the toppe of the maste,

They stroke the fayle, the gabuls brafte,

They hyed them a bettur fpede.

He feyde but yf thys ftorme blynne,

All mun be drowned that be hereynne,

Then was that lady fayne;

Sche had levyr to have be dedd

Then there to have lofte hur maydynhedd,

Or he had hur by layne.

Then the fchypp clave in fondur,

All that was yn hyt foone went undur,

And drowned bothe man and swayne.

The yonge lady in that tyde,

Fletyd forthe on the fchyp fyde,

Unto a roche ungayne;

The marynere fate upon an are,
But nodur wyfte of odur fare,

The todur were drowned perdè.

The lady steppyd to a fton,

Sche fonde a tredd and forthe ys gon,

Loudyng the trynytè,

To a noonre men calle Beverfayre,

That ftondyth on the watur of Botayre,

That rennyth into the Grekys fee.

1870

1880

A ftepull then the lady fye,

Sche thoght the wey thedur full drye,

And thereat wolde fche bee.

Syr Lucyus Ibarnyus was fownder there,
An hundurd nonnes theryn were,

1890

Of ladyes wele lykeande.

When that fche came nere the place,
The bellys range thorow godys grace,
Wythowten helpe of hande.

Of feynt Hyllary the churche ys,
The twenty day of yowle y wys,

As ye may undurstande.

They lokyd and fawe no levyng wyght,

But the lady feyre and bryght

Can in the cloyftur ftande.

The abbas be the honde hur toke,

Annd ladd hur forthe, fo feyth the boke,

Sche was redd for ronne.

Sche knelyd downe before the croffe,
And looveyd god wyth mylde voyce,

That fche was thedur wonne.

They afkyd hur yf sche had ony fere.
Sche feyde, Nay, now noon here
Leveyng undur the fonne.

1900

1910