"Sire, sche saide, tak thi swerd,
And in the heued smit mi louèrd;
Thanne schal hit ben non vnderstonding,
But hit was he that er thar hing.”
"Nai, dame, for moche ne lite
The dede knight wolde I nowt smite."
No, sire? sche saide, thi swerd me reche,
And ich him schal, with min hond, teche
Hou Godes grame com to toune,
Right amidelward his croun."
The leuedi tok and smot with mayn,
Al amidelward the brayn.
Thanne the knight wel understod,
That fals and fikel was hire blod,
And saide," Yit vnliche he beth;
Broken were his fore-teth.”
Sire, sche saide, smit hem out."
"Nai, dame," he saide withouten dout.
"Than wil ich," she saide, and tok a ston, And smot hem out euerichon.
Whan this dede was i-do,
The leuedi saide the knight to,
"Sire, now ich haue i-wonne thi loue!"
“Nai, dame, he saide, bi God aboue,
For gold no silver, lond ne house,
Thi false bodi ne wolde I spouse!
For al so woldestou serue me,
Hase thou hast don thi louerd so fre.
Thou hast i-tawt me a newe ran,
That I schal neuer leue wimmàn;
For there thai make semblant fairest,
Thai wil bigile ye altherformest !"
"Sire, and on thè falle swich a strif,
Als dede the sschereue of his wif,
Yif thou, for thin emperice wild,
Wolle sle thin owen child.
Ac, sire, abid til another morewe,
On hire schal falle alle the sorewe.
And whanne thou herest thi sone speke,
Rightfulliche thou him awreke."
Th' emperour saide," So ich schal;"
And thanne departed the curt al,
Some to castel, and some to tour.
Th' emperour wente to his bour;
Th' emperice made semblant ille,
For sche ne hadde nowt hire wille.
His owen men nathelas,
Made wel god solas.
Th' emperour was browt abedde,
With riche baudekines i-spredde,
Th' emperice him com to,
Als sche was ar i-wont to do,
"Sire, hastou owt herde the geste,
Whi men made folen feste?"
"Nai, dame, he saide, gent and fre,
I the praie thanne telle hit me."
"SIRE, sche saide, withouten dout,
Whilom was Rome bilayn about
With seuen Soudans biset,
Wal and gate and castelèt.
The honour of Rome for to abate,
And for to strwe Seinte Petres sate;
That is to seie, Cristendom to felle,
And Cristenmen to aquelle.
The folk hem ful wel held,
Wise of speche, of dede beld;
“To vii wise men toke we this toun,
To kep hit fram destructioun."
Bi his rede hit was i-take,
To vii wise men to biwake.
A moneth thai kept hit,
Als we findeth in the writ.
Whan hit com to the moneth ende,
Thai ne might hit no lenger defende,
But ase thai dede a fair queintise.
Herkneth now in what wise!
"A man ther was, so seigh the rime,
That hit Gemes, in that time;
He was on of the seuen wise:
Ther he dede a fair queintise.
He let him make a garnement,
Ase blak as ani arnement,
And heng theron squirel taile,
With eghen that war ful bright and clere,
And brade, ilkone, als a sawsère ;
With brade tonges, and bright-glowand,
Als it war a fire-brand.
"When he had on this wise done,
The folk of Rome he sembled sone;
And bad tham fast, withouten fayl,
Ordain tham vnto batayl.
Al thai answerd him vntill,
Thai sold be redy at his will,
On the morn with sheld and
The maister than dyd on his gere,
And went vp in a towr on hight,
Whare the Sarzins se him myght.
His veser on his heued he kest;
A bright merure aboue he fest
Twa swerdes out gan he brayd,
And grete strakes obowt him laid.
He made als mekil dyn and bost,
Als he had foghten ogayns an ost.
"When the Sarsins saw this meruàil,
Thai wald no lenger bede batayl.
Sum wend, for the merure lyght,
That it war ane angel bright,
That God had sent theder perchance,
On tham for to tak vengance.
So mekil light the merure kast,
That the Sarzins fled ful fast.
The maister made slike nois omell,
Sum hoped he war the fend of hell.
Thai war so temped in that tyde,
Thare thai durst no lenger bide.
Thai opind than the yates of Rome,
And Cristend men fast efter come.
The emperowre and his men ilkane
Of the Sarezins slogh gode wane;
Als mani als thai might ouertake
Fast thai gain thaire crownes crake.
Thare wan the Cristenmen hondwre,
And mekil gold and gude armòwre:
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