"And chepede me that chyld to sale,

For syxty florencys all be tale :

For emperales that were not smale

I bought hym thare,

And trussede hym yn my male,

And hom hym bare.

" For my sone I

kepte hym thore

Thys four and twenty yer and more;

I ne tolde hyt neuer man before

But my wyf."

An old knyght, with a berde ful hore,

Herde this stryf;

And seyde: "Lordynges, herkened thys!

Now fyf and twenty yer hyt ys

Be oo forest I rood amys,

"And of my palfray doun Y lyght,

With the ape for to fyght,

And ther Y here to dede dyght

In a lytell stounde.

On me sche made,-yet bereth syght!

Many a wounde.

1910

1920

1930

"That chyld Y tok vp as yerne,
And lepte to hors and gan to erne.
I com vpon owtlawes sterne
Four and twenty,

That the chyld ne thorst Y ham werne
Ne my rouncy.

"That tyme byfyll me thys destresse
That fayre Florence the emperesse,
Was y-dryue with greet falsnesse
Out of Rome."-

The emperour hys sones gan kesse
Oft and lome.

Thanne hem keste kynges and knyght,
Erlys, barons and ladyys bryght,

And ofte thankede Godes myght

In trinitè.

Thus God kan turne wrong to ryght

Thorugh hys postè.

The old emperesse was of-sent,

And hadde the same jugement

That sche to Florance hadde y-ment
Longe beforn

:

For her tresoun sche was y-brent

In fyyr of thorn.

1940

1950

SIR AMADAS.

VOL III.