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[Thornton MS. leaf 149, back, col. 1.]
Lystyns, lordyn̄gs, botħe grete & smale,
And takis gude tente what j wiłł saye :
I sałł ȝow telle als trewe a tale,
Als euer was herd by nyghte or daye :
And þe maste meruełłe ffor owttynge naye
That euer was herde by-fore or syene,
And þer-fore pristly j ȝow praye,
That ȝe wiłł of ȝoure talkyng blyne.
It es an harde thyng for to saye,
Of doghety dedis þat hase bene done ;
Of fełłe feghtyngs & batełłs
And how þat þir knyghtis hase wonne þair schone.
Bot jhesu crist þat syttis in trone,
Safe ynglyscħe mene bothe ferre & nere ;
And j sałł telle ȝow tyte and sone,
Of Batełłs donne sythene many a ȝere ;
And of batełłs þat done sałł bee ;
In whate place, and howe, and whare ;
And wha sałł hafe þe heghere gree,
And whethir partye sałł hafe þe werre ;
Wha sałł takk þe flyghte
And wha sałł dye and by-leue
Bot jhesu crist, þat dyed on tre,
Saue jnglysche mene whare-so þay fare.
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[Thornton, continued.]
[FYTTE THE FIRSTE.]
Als j me wente þis Endres daye,
ffułł faste in mynd makand my mone,
In a mery mornynge of Maye,
By huntle bankkes my selfe allone,
I herde þe jaye, & þe throstyłł cokke,
The Mawys menyde hir of hir songe,
Þe wodewale beryde als a bełłe,
That ałłe þe wode a-bowte me ronge.
Allonne in longynge thus als j laye,
Vndyre-nethe a semely tree,
. . . . . . j whare a lady gaye
. . . . . . . ouer a longe lee.
If j solde sytt to domesdaye,
With my, tonge, to wrobble and wrye,
Certanely þat lady gaye,
Neuer bese scho askryede for mee.
Hir palfraye was a dappiłł graye,
Swylke one ne saghe j neuer none ;
Als dose þe sonne on someres daye,
Þat faire lady hir selfe scho scone.
Hir sełłe it was of roełłe bone,
ffułł semely was þat syghte to see !
Stefly sett with precyous stones,
And compaste ałł witħ crapotee,
Stones of Oryente, grete plente ;
Hir hare abowte hir hede it hange ;
Scho rade ouer þat lange lee ;
A whylle scho blewe, a-noþer scho sange.
Hir garthes of nobyłł sylke þay were,
The bukyłłs were of Berełłe stone,
Hir steraps were of crystałłe clere,
And ałł with perełłe ouer-by-gone.
Hir payetrełłe was of jrale fyne,
Hir cropoure was of Orpharë ;
And als clere golde hir brydiłł it schone,
One aythir side hange bellys three.
[ . . . . . no break in the MS.]
And seuene raches by hir þay rone ;
Scho bare and horne abowte hir halse,
And vndir hir belte fułł many a flone.
Thomas laye & sawe þat syghte,
Vndir-nethe ane semly tree ;
He sayd, ‘ȝone es marye moste of myghte,
Þat bare þat childe þat dyede for mee.
Bot if j speke with ȝone lady bryghte,
I hope myne herte wiłł bryste in three !
Now sałł j go with ałł my myghte,
Hir for to mete at Eldoune tree.’
Thomas rathely vpe he rase,
And he rane ouer þat Mountayne hye ;
Gyff it be als the storye sayes,
He hir mette at Eldone tree.
He knelyde downe appone his knee,
Vndir-nethe þat grenwode spraye ;
And sayd, ‘lufly ladye ! rewe one mee,
Quene of heuene als þou wele maye !’
Than spake þat lady Milde of thoghte,
‘Thomas ! late swylke wordes bee ;
Quene of heuene ne am j noghte,
ffor j tuke neuer so heghe degre.
Bote j ame of ane oþer countree,
If j be payrelde moste of prysse ;
I ryde aftyre this wylde fee,
My raches rynnys at my devyse.’
[Cotton, Vitell. E .x. leaf 240, back.]
Incipit prophecia Thome Arseldon
IN a lande as I was lent,
In þe grykyng of þe day,
Me a lone as I went,
In huntle bankys me for to play.
I sawe þe throstyl & þe Iay ;
þe mawes movyde of hyr songe ;
þe wodewale sange notes gay,
þat all þe wod a boute range.
In þat longynge as I lay,
vnder nethe a derne tre,
I was war of a lady gay,
Come rydyng ouyr a fayre le.
ȝogh, I sulde sitt to domysday,
With my tonge to wrabble & wry,
Sertenly, all hyr aray,
It beth neuer discryuyd for me.
hyr palfra was dappyl gray,
Syche on say I neuer none ;
. . . als son in somers day,
All abowte þat lady schone.
hyr sadyl was of a jewel bone,
A semely syȝt it was to se ;
. [w]roght with mony a precyouse stone,
And compasyd all with crapote.
Stones of [?]osrt gret plente ;
. . . . . a boute hyr hede it hang ;
. . . . . . . . . . . þe fair le
. . . . . shee blewe anoþer she sange.
. . . . . . . . . . er of cristall cler,
. . . . . . . . . . war þay sett ;
Sadyl & brydil wer a . . . . .
with sylk & sendell fy . . . .
hyr paytrel was of y . . . . . .
And hir croper of yra . . . .
hyr brydil was of g . . . . . .
on euery syde for soth . . . .
hyr brydil reynes w . . . . . .
A semely syȝt it w . . . . . .
Croper & paytrel . . . . . . . .
In euery joynt . . . . . . . .
She led thre gre . . . . . . . .
& racches cowpled . . . . . .
She bare an horne a . . . . . .
& vnder hyr gyrdyll . . . . .
Thomas laye & sawe . . . . . .
In þe bankes of h . . . . . .
he sayd ‘ȝonder is ma . . . . .
þat bar þe child þat . . . . . .
certes bot I may s . . . . . . . .
ellys my hert w . . . . . . . .
I shal me hye with . . . . . . .
hyr to mete at ȝo . . . . . . .
Thomas rathly up a . . . . . .
& ran ouyr mountay . . . . .
if it be sothe þe story . . . . .
he met hyr euyn a . . . . . .
Thomas knelyd down on h . . .
vnder nethe þe gr . . . . . . .
And sayd ‘louely lad . . . . . .
Quene of heu . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . most of p
. . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . at my devys.’
[Lansdowne 762, leaf 24.]
[FOOT THE FIRST.]
As I me went this thender day,
So styll making my Mone,
In a Mery Mornyng of May,
In huntly bankes My self alone,
I harde the Meryll and the Iay,
the Maner Menede of hir song,
the wylde wode-wale song notes gay,
that alle the shawys abowte hem Rong.
¶ But in a loning, as I lay,
Vnder neth a semely tre,
I saw where a lady gay
Cam rydyng ouer a louely le.
thowh that I leue styll tyll domys day,
with any my tonge to worble or were,
The certayn) sothe of hir Array
May neuer be descreued for me.
¶ Hir palfray was of daply gray,
The farest Molde that any myght be ;
here sadell bryght as any day.
Set with pereles to þe kne.
And furthermore of hir Aray,
Diuers clothing she had vpon ;
And as the sonne in somerys day,
Forsouthe the ladye here sylffe shone.
¶ here sege was of ryall bone,
Syche one sau I neuer with ye !
Set with many A precious stone,
And cumpasyde all with crapote
With stonys of oryoles, grete plenty ;
Dyamondes thick aboute hir honge ;
She bare a horne of gold semely,
And vnder hir gyrdell a flone.
¶ She blewe A note, and treblyd Als,
the Ryches into the shaw gan) gone ;
There was no man) that herd þe noyes,
Saue thomas there he lay a lone.
here cropyng was of rycħe gold,
here parrell alle of Alaran̄;
here brydyll was of Reler bolde ;
On euery side hangyd bellys then.
¶ She led iij greue hwndes in a leshe,
Seue richys about hir syde ran) ;
Thomas ley and beheld this sygħt,
vnder neth a sembly tre ;
‘yendyr ys that ladye most of mygħt,
That bare the chylde that blede for me.
But yf I speke with that lady brygħt,
I trowe my harte wolde breke in thre ;
¶ I wyll go wytħ all my mygħt,
And mete with hir at Elden tre.’
Thomas Rathly vp A Rose,
And Ran ouer that Mountayne hye ;
yf it be as the story sais,
He met with hir at elden tre.
He knelyd vpon he kne,
Vnderneathe a grene wode spraye ;
¶ ‘Louely Lady ! rewe on me ;
Quene of heuyn), as ye wele may !’
Then said that lady Mylde of þougħt,
‘Thomas, lat suche wordes be !
For quene of heuyn) am I not,
I toke neuer so hye degre.
¶ I am of a nothere contre,
Thowgħ I be perlyd moste in pryce ;
And ryde here after the wylde fe,
My raches rennyng att my deuyce.’
[Cambridge Univ. Lib. MS. Ff., leaf 119]
[FYTTE THE FIRSTE.]
As I me went þis Andyrs day,
ffast on my way makyng my mone,
In a mery mornyng of may,
Be huntley bankis my self alone,
I herde þe iay, & þe throstell,
þe mavys menyd in hir song,
þe wodewale farde as a bell.
þat þe wode aboute me rong.
Alle in a longyng, as I lay,
Vndurneth a cumly tre,
Saw I wher a lady gay
Came ridand ouer a louely le.
ȝif I shuld sitte till domusday,
Alle with my tong to know & se,
Sertenly, alle hur aray,
Shalle hit neuer scyed for me.
Hir palfray was of dappull gray,
Sike on se I neuer non ;
As dose þe sune on somers day,
þe cumly lady hir selfe schone.
hir sadill was of reuyll bone,
Semely was þat sight to se !
Stifly sette with precious ston,
Compaste aboute with crapote,
Stonys of oryons, grete plente ;
hir here aboute hir hed hit hong
She rode out ouer þat louely le
A while she blew, a while she song ;
Hir garthis of nobull silke þei were,
hir boculs þei were of barys ston ;
hir stiroppis thei were of cristall clere,
And alle with perry aboute be gon.
Hir paytrell was of a riall fyne,
Hir cropur was of Arafe ;
Hir bridull was of golde fyne ;
On every side hong bellis thre.
She led iij greyhoundis in a leesshe,
viij rachis be hir fete ran ;
To speke with hir wold I not seesse ;
Hir lire was white as any swan.
fforsothe, lordyngis, as I you tełł.
Thus was þis lady fayre begon ;
She bare a horne aboute hir halce,
And vndur hir gyrdill mony flonne.
Thomas lay and saw þat sight,
Vndurneth a semely tre ;
he seid, yonde is mary of myght,
þat bare þe childe þat died for me.
But I speke with þat lady bright,
I hope my hert wille breke in thre ;
But I will go with alle my myght,
Hir to mete at eldtyn tre.
Thomas radly vp he rose,
And ran ouer þat mounteyn hye,
And certainly, as þe story sayes,
he hir mette at eldryne tre.
he knelid downe vpon his kne,
Vndurneth þe grenewode spray ;
louely lady ! þou rew on me ;
qwene of heuen, as þou well may !
Then seid þat lady bright,
Thomas, let such wordis be !
ffor quen of heuon am I noght,
I toke neuer so hye degre.
But I am a lady of anoþer cuntre
If I be parellid moost of price ;
I ride aftur þe wilde fee,
My raches rannen at my deuyse.