Men vndede the gates of the palèis,
In com goende mani burgèis.
Sone was fild paleys and tour,
In com goind th' emperour.
"Goht, he seigh, to the prisòne,
And fechcheth forht mine sone,
And quik that he war an-honge,
On heghe galewes and on stronge."
The boies gede anon doun,

And fesched the child out of prisoùn,
And ladde him forht thour the halle,
Among the erles and barouns alle.
For that schild, that naked was,
Mani bade th' emperice evel gras!
Than com ridend Bancillas,
(The childes firste maister he was)
And segghe his deciple harde bistad ;
Tharfore he was in herte vnglad.

He rod to th' emperour's halle,

;

And lighte, and passede the knightes alle,

And fint sone th' emperour,

650

660

And, "Sire," saide, " Deu vous doint bonjour!"

Th' emperour saide, "God the defende

Ne were thou wone be god and mild.”

"Hit n'is no wonder, saide th' emperour;

Thou schalt ben an-honged, thou losenjour!
For, to the and thine fere,

I bitok mi sone to lere,

For to haue i-taught him god,
And ye have i-mad him wod.

Mi wif he wolde have forleyn :

Hit n'is no wonder though I have trayn! 680

He schal therfore ben i-slawe,

And afterward al to-drawe."

Than seide maister Bancillas,
"Sire, that were now a sori cas.
Thei he had i-wraththed your wif,
Yit had he nowt agelt his lif.

Sauue youre grace, wene ich hit nowt,
Hit euere com in his thout."

Th' emperour saide," I fond hire to-rent :
Hire her, and hire face i-schent;

And who is founde hond-habbing,
Hit n'is non nede of witnessing !"
Saide Bancillas, "Hit n'is non hale
To leue stepmoderes tale.

Yif thou him slest, bi hire purchas,
On the falle swich a cas,

As fel upon a gentil knight,

And of his graihond that was to wight."
"O maister, for Godes mounde,
Hou bifel the knight of his grehonde ?"

690

700

"

Therwhile, sire, that I tolde this tale,
Thi sone mighte tholie dethes bale;

Thanne were mi tale forlore! -
Ac, of-sende thi sone therfore,

And yif him respit of his bale,

And thou schalt here a foul fair tale."

Th' emperour saide, "Respit I graunt ;
Fech him hider a serjaunt."

Quik ran the messager.

With god semblant and glade cher,

He louted his maister that com him bi,

As he was lad to prisonn sti;

"Maister, seide th' emperour, tel this cas." "Blethliche," saide sire Bancillas.

710

THE II. TALE.

THE KNIGHT AND HIS GREHONDE.

"SIRE, whilom was in this cité,

In a dai of the trenetè,

A swithe noble strong burdis,

Of men that were of noble pris.

In a mede was this tourney,

Of men that were of gret noblài.

The knyght in the mede hadde o maner,
Al biclosed with o riuer,

Of chaumbers, and of hegghe halle,
Of old werk, for-crased alle.

The knight hadde a fair leuedi;

A wel fair child sche hadde him bi.
Hit hadde of thre norices keping;
The ferste gaf hit soukying ;

That other norice him scholde bathe,
Whan hit was time, late an rathe;

The thridde norice him scholde wassche.
The child was keped tendre, an nessche.
The knight hadde a graihond,

Y-n'as no better in lond i-found.
Alle the bestes that [he] ran to
He tok, bothe hert and ro.

He was so hende, and wel i-taught;
He n'olde yiue him for non aught.

The knight was lopen on his stede,

And armed wel in iron wede,

720

730

740

The scheld aboute his nekk, the spere on his hond

And burdised with the knightes of the lond,
The leuedi stod, in pount tournis,

For to bihelde the burdis.

The norice went out of the halle,

And set the cradel under the walle.

Mani stede ther ran and lep;

To hem men toke gode kep.

An addre was norissched in the wal,

And herde the riding, and the noise al,

750

And pelt out here heued to se that wonder,

And segh that schild ligge therunder.

He crep to grounde quik anon,

In the cradel the child to slon.
The graihond seghth the adder red,
Grislich, rough, strong and qued;
Anon he gan hire to asail,

And hente here in his mouth, saun fail.
The adder so the grehound stang,
And he feled the bite so strang,
Anon he let the adder gon:
Upon the cradel sche fleigh anon,
And was aboute the child to sting.
And the greihond com yerne flingging,
And hente the adder in strong ger,
And flapped here al aboute his er;
Bitwene the adder and the grehound,

The cradel turnd up so doun on ground,
Up so doun, in hire feghting,

That the child lai dweling.

The stapeles hit upheld al quert,

760

770

That the child n'as nowt i-hert.

The addre so the greihoun bot,

Bi the side, God hit wot,