Erly at rifing of the fun,
Aftir the night away was run,
Yplaying us on the rivage,
My lady fpake of her voyage,
And said she madin fmall journies,
And held her in ftraunge countèries,
And forthwith to the quenè went,
And fhewed her wholly her entent,
And toke her leve with chere weping,
That pitty was to fe that parting;
For to the quene it was a paine,
As to a martyr new yflaine,
That for her woe, and fhe fo tender,
Yet I wepe oft when I remember:
She offerid there to refigne
To my lady eight times or nine
Th' aftate, the yle, fhortly to tell,
If it might plese her there to dwell,
And faid, for evir her linage
Should to my lady doe homage,
And hers be whole withoutin more,
Ye, and all thers for evirmore.
Nay, God forbid! my lady eft,
With many conning word and foft,
Said, that evir fuch a thing should bene
That I confent fhould that a quene
Of your eftate, and fo well named,
In any wife should be attamed,.:
But would be faine with all my hert,
What fo befell or how me fmert,
To doin thing that you might plese
wife or be your efe,
In
And kiffid there and bad gode night,
For which leve wept many a wight.
There might men here my lady praised,
And fuch a name of her araised,
What of cunning and frendlineffe,
What of beauty with gentilneffe,
And what of glad and frendly cheres
That she ufid in all her yeres,
That wondir was here every wight
To fay well how they did ther might,
And with a pres upon the morow
To fhip her brought, and what a forow
They made when the should undir faile,
That and ye wift ye would mervaile.
Forth goeth the ship, out goeth the fond,
And I as a wode man unbond,
Backward and forward travailed fo
That mind and breth nigh was ygone,
For gode ne harme ne knew I none,...
Til at the laft with hokis tweine
Men of the fhip with mikil peine
To fave my life did fuch travaile
That and ye wift ye would mervaile,
And in the fhip me drewe on hie,
And faidin all that I would die,
And laid me long downe by the mast,
And of ther clothis on me caft;
And there I made my teftament,
And wift my felfe not what I ment,
But when I faid had what I would,
And to the maft my wo all told,
And tane my leve of every wight,
And clofed mine eyen and loft my fight,
And foftly faid, I pray you rife;
Come on with me; let be this fare;
All fhall be wel; have ye no care;
I will obey ye and fulfill
Wholly in al that lordis will
That you and me not long ago
Aftir his lift commaundid fo,
That there againe no refiftence
May be withoutin gret offence,
And therefore now loke what I fay,
I am and will be frendly aye;
Rife up, behold this avauntage,
I grauntin you in heritage
All peceably withoutin strive
During the dayis of your live;
And of her applis in my fleve
One fhe yput, and toke her leve
In wordis few, and faid, Gode hele
He that all made you fend, and wele!
Wherewith my painis all at ones
Tokin fuch leve, that all my bones,
For the new durenfè plefaunce,
So as they couth defired to daunce,
And I as whole as any wight
Up rofe with joyous hert and light,
Whole and unficke, right wele at efe,
And all forget had my difefe,
And to my lady where she plaid
I went anone, and to her faid;
He that all joies perfons to plefe
First ordainid with parfite efe,
And every plefure can depart,
Send you, Madame, as large a part,
And of his godis fuch plenty,
As he has done you of beauty,
With hele, and all that may be thought,
He fend you all as he all wrought.
Madame, (quod I) your servaunt trew
Have I ben long, and yet will new,
Withoutin chaunge or repentaunce
In any wife or variaunce,
And fo will do, as thrive I ever,
For thing is none that me is lever
Than you to plefe how er 1 fare,
Mine hert's lady and my welfare,
My life, mine hele, my lech alfo
Of every thing that doth me wo,
My helpe at nede, and my furete
Of every joy that longs to me,
My fuccours whole in allè wife
That may be thought or man devise,
Your grace, Madame, fuch have I found,
Now in my nede, that I am bound
To you for er, fo Chriit me fave,
For hele and live of you I have,
Wherefore is refoun I you ferve
With due obeifaunce till I fterve,
And ded and quicke be evir yours,
Late, erly, and at allè hours.
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