"Thou come again with thy avise."1

This knight, which worthy was, and wise, This lady prayeth that he may wyt,

And have it under seales writ,

What question it shoulde be,

For which he shall, in that degree,
Stand of his life in jeopardy.

With that, she feigneth company, And saith," Florent, on love it hongeth, "All that to mine asking 'longeth:

"What all women most desire

"This would I ask and in th' empire,
"Where thou hast most knowledging
"Take counsel of this asking."

Florent this thing hath undertake
The time was set, and the day take:
Under his seal he wrote his oath
In such a wise, and forth he goeth
Home to his eme's3 court again :
To whom his aventure plain
He told, of that is him befall:

And upon that they were all,

To some woman it is pleasance,
That to another is grievance:
But such a thing, in speciál,
Which to them all in generál
Is most pleasant, and most desired
Above all other, and most conspired,
Such one can they not find,

By constellation, ne by kind; 3

And thus Florent, without cure,
Must stand upon his aventúre→

When time (was) come he took his leave,
That longer would he not beleve 4

And prayeth his eme he be not wroth,

For that is a point of his oath

He saith, that no man shall him wreak 5
Though afterward men hear speak

• Neither by the stars, nor by the laws of kind, or nature.

• Remain.

• Revenge.

That he peradventure die.
And thus he went forth his way
Alone, as a knight adventurous,
And in his thought was curious
To wyt what was best to do.

And as he rode along so,
And came near there he would be,
In a forest there under a tree,
He saw where sat a creatúre,
A loathly womanish figúre,

That for to speak of flesh and bone
So foul yet never saw he none.

This knight beheld her readily, And, as he would have passed by, She cleped him, and bade him abide ;

And he his horse's head aside

Tho turned, and to her he rode,

And there he hoved and abode,

To wyt what she would mean.

And she began him to bemene3 And said, "Florent, by thy name! "Thou hast in hand such a game, • Hover'd.

Then.

3 Bemoan.

"That, if thou be not better avised,
"Thy death shapen is, and devised,
"That all the world ne may thee save
"But if that thou my counsel have.”

Florent, when he this tale heard,
Unto this old wight answer'd,
And of her counsel he her pray'd,
And she again to him thus said.
"Florent, if I for thee so shape,

"That thou through me thy death escape, "And take worship of thy deed,

"What shall I have of my meed ?"

"What thing (quoth he) that thou shalt axe."

"I bid never a better tax,

(Quoth she)" but first, ere thou be sped,

"Thou shalt me leave such a wed1

"That I will have thy truth in hand
"That thou shalt be mine husband.”
"Nay (said Florent) that may not be !"
"Ride then forth thy way!" (quoth she)
"And if thou go forth without rede 2
"Thou shalt be sickerly 4 dead."
Florent behight her good enow,

Of land, of rent, of park, of plough,

But all that counteth she at nought,

Tho fell this knight in much thought.
Now goeth he forth, now cometh again,
He wote not what is best to sayn,
And thought, as he rode to and fro,
That chuse he must one of the two;

Or for to take her to his wife,
Or else for to lose his life;

And then he cast his avantage,
That she was of so great an age,
That she may live but a while:
And thought to put her in an isle
Where that no man her should know,
Till she with death were overthrow.

And thus this young lusty knight Unto this old loathly wight

Tho said: "If that none other chance

"May make my deliverance,

"But only thilke same speech

"Which as thou say'st thou shalt me teach, "Have here mine hand, I shall thee wed!"

And thus his truth he layeth to wed

With that, she frounceth up the brow"This covenant will I allow,"

1 Wrinkleth.