They loovyd god bothe more and leffe, That they had getyn the emperes, That longe had bene awaye. Soche a brydale as there was oon In that lande was nevyr noon, To wytt wythowten wene; There was grete myrthe of mynftrals stevyn, And nobull gyftys also gevyn, Bothe golde and robys fchene; Soone aftur, on the fowretenyth day, They toke ther leve and went ther way, And thankyd kynge and quene. And kept hur chaste and clene. They gate a chylde the furfte nyght, As the boke makyth mynde; A nobull knyght, and a ftronge in ftowre, That aftur hym was emperowre, As hyt was full gode kynde. Then the emperowre and hys wyfe, 2160 2170 Pope Symonde thys story wrate, In the cronykyls of Rome ys the date, For thy fchulde men and women als Them bethynke or they be false, Hyt makyth fo fowle an ende. Be hyt nevyr fo flylye cafte, Yyt hyt fchamyth the mayftyr at the laste, I meene be thes four fekyll, That harmed feyre Florence fo mykyll, The treweft that men kende: And thus endyth thys romance gode. Unto hys blyffe us fende. 2180 [93] THE ERLE OF TOLOUS. JHESU Cryfte, yn trynytè, And gyf us grace fo to do, On rode as thou can blede! Farre yn unkowthe lede; How a lady had grete myschefe, And how fche covyrd of hur grefe ; 10 Syr Dyaclyfyon he hyght; He was a bolde man and a stowte, All Crysténdome of hym had dowte, So ftronge he was yn fyght. He dysheryted many a man, And falfely ther londys wan, Wyth mayftry and wyth myght; A warre wakenyd, as y yow fay, The erle of Tollous, fyr Barnard, The emperrour wyth hym was harde, And gretly was hys foo; He had rafte owt of hys honde Thre hundurd poundys worth be yere of londe, Therfore hys herte was woo. He was an hardy man and a stronge, And fawe the emperour dyd hym wronge, And other men alfo ; He ordeyned hym for batayle, Into the emperours londe faunfayle, And there he began to brenne and floo. 20 30 Thys emperour had a wyfe, The fayreft oon that evyr bare lyfe, Save Mary mekyll of myght; To the emperour sche can say, Dame, he feyde, let that bee, That day schalt thou nevyr fee, Yf y may ryde on ryght; That he fchall have hys londe agayne, Os y am trewe knyght. He fent abowte every whare 40 50 That all men fchulde make them yare, Agayne the erle to fyght. 60 |