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〃Ryd thanne forth thi wey；〃 quod sche；
〃And if thou go withoute red；
Thou schalt be sekerliche ded。〃
Florent behihte hire good ynowh
Of lond； of rente； of park； of plowh；
Bot al that compteth sche at noght。
Tho fell this knyht in mochel thoght；
Now goth he forth； now comth ayein；
He wot noght what is best to sein； 1570
And thoghte； as he rod to and fro；
That chese he mot on of the tuo；
Or forto take hire to his wif
Or elles forto lese his lif。
And thanne he caste his avantage；
That sche was of so gret an age；
That sche mai live bot a while；
And thoghte put hire in an Ile；
Wher that noman hire scholde knowe；
Til sche with deth were overthrowe。 1580
And thus this yonge lusti knyht
Unto this olde lothly wiht
Tho seide： 〃If that non other chance
Mai make my deliverance；
Bot only thilke same speche
Which； as thou seist； thou schalt me teche；
Have hier myn hond； I schal thee wedde。〃
And thus his trowthe he leith to wedde。
With that sche frounceth up the browe：
〃This covenant I wol allowe；〃 1590
Sche seith： 〃if eny other thing
Bot that thou hast of my techyng
Fro deth thi body mai respite；
I woll thee of thi trowthe acquite；
And elles be non other weie。
Now herkne me what I schal seie。
Whan thou art come into the place；
Wher now thei maken gret manace
And upon thi comynge abyde；
Thei wole anon the same tide 1600
Oppose thee of thin answere。
I wot thou wolt nothing forbere
Of that thou wenest be thi beste；
And if thou myht so finde reste；
Wel is； for thanne is ther nomore。
And elles this schal be my lore；
That thou schalt seie； upon this Molde
That alle wommen lievest wolde
Be soverein of mannes love：
For what womman is so above； 1610
Sche hath； as who seith； al hire wille；
And elles may sche noght fulfille
What thing hir were lievest have。
With this answere thou schalt save
Thiself； and other wise noght。
And whan thou hast thin ende wroght；
Com hier ayein； thou schalt me finde；
And let nothing out of thi minde。〃
He goth him forth with hevy chiere；
As he that not in what manere 1620
He mai this worldes joie atteigne：
For if he deie； he hath a peine；
And if he live； he mot him binde
To such on which of alle kinde
Of wommen is thunsemlieste：
Thus wot he noght what is the beste：
Bot be him lief or be him loth；
Unto the Castell forth he goth
His full answere forto yive；
Or forto deie or forto live。 1630
Forth with his conseil cam the lord；
The thinges stoden of record；
He sende up for the lady sone；
And forth sche cam； that olde Mone。
In presence of the remenant
The strengthe of al the covenant
Tho was reherced openly；
And to Florent sche bad forthi
That he schal tellen his avis；
As he that woot what is the pris。 1640
Florent seith al that evere he couthe；
Bot such word cam ther non to mowthe；
That he for yifte or for beheste
Mihte eny wise his deth areste。
And thus he tarieth longe and late；
Til that this lady bad algate
That he schal for the dom final
Yive his answere in special
Of that sche hadde him ferst opposed：
And thanne he hath trewly supposed 1650
That he him may of nothing yelpe；
Bot if so be tho wordes helpe；
Whiche as the womman hath him tawht；
Wherof he hath an hope cawht
That he schal ben excused so；
And tolde out plein his wille tho。
And whan that this Matrone herde
The manere how this knyht ansuerde；
Sche seide： 〃Ha treson； wo thee be；
That hast thus told the privite； 1660
Which alle wommen most desire！
I wolde that thou were afire。〃
Bot natheles in such a plit
Florent of his answere is quit：
And tho began his sorwe newe；
For he mot gon； or ben untrewe；
To hire which his trowthe hadde。
Bot he； which alle schame dradde；
Goth forth in stede of his penance；
And takth the fortune of his chance； 1670
As he that was with trowthe affaited。
This olde wyht him hath awaited
In place wher as he hire lefte：
Florent his wofull heved uplefte
And syh this vecke wher sche sat；
Which was the lothlieste what
That evere man caste on his yhe：
Hire Nase bass； hire browes hyhe；
Hire yhen smale and depe set；
Hire chekes ben with teres wet； 1680
And rivelen as an emty skyn
Hangende doun unto the chin；
Hire Lippes schrunken ben for age；
Ther was no grace in the visage；
Hir front was nargh； hir lockes hore；
Sche loketh forth as doth a More；
Hire Necke is schort； hir schuldres courbe；
That myhte a mannes lust destourbe；
Hire body gret and nothing smal；
And schortly to descrive hire al； 1690
Sche hath no lith withoute a lak；
Bot lich unto the wollesak
Sche proferth hire unto this knyht；
And bad him； as he hath behyht；
So as sche hath ben his warant；
That he hire holde covenant；
And be the bridel sche him seseth。
Bot godd wot how that sche him pleseth
Of suche wordes as sche spekth：
Him thenkth welnyh his herte brekth 1700
For sorwe that he may noght fle；
Bot if he wolde untrewe be。
Loke； how a sek man for his hele
Takth baldemoine with Canele；
And with the Mirre takth the Sucre；
Ryht upon such a maner lucre
Stant Florent； as in this diete：
He drinkth the bitre with the swete；
He medleth sorwe with likynge；
And liveth； as who seith； deyinge； 1710
His youthe schal be cast aweie
Upon such on which as the weie
Is old and lothly overal。
Bot nede he mot that nede schal：
He wolde algate his trowthe holde；
As every knyht therto is holde；
What happ so evere him is befalle：
Thogh sche be the fouleste of alle；
Yet to thonour of wommanhiede
Him thoghte he scholde taken hiede； 1720
So that for pure gentilesse；
As he hire couthe best adresce；
In ragges； as sche was totore；
He set hire on his hors tofore
And forth he takth his weie softe；
No wonder thogh he siketh ofte。
Bot as an oule fleth be nyhte
Out of alle othre briddes syhte；
Riht so this knyht on daies brode
In clos him hield； and schop his rode 1730
On nyhtes time； til the tyde
That he cam there he wolde abide；
And prively withoute noise
He bringth this foule grete Coise
To his Castell in such a wise
That noman myhte hire schappe avise；
Til sche into the chambre cam：
Wher he his prive conseil nam
Of suche men as he most troste；
And tolde hem that he nedes moste 1740
This beste wedde to his wif；
For elles hadde he lost his lif。
The prive wommen were asent；
That scholden ben of his assent：
Hire ragges thei anon of drawe；
And； as it was that time lawe；
She hadde bath； sche hadde reste；
And was arraied to the beste。
Bot with no craft of combes brode
Thei myhte hire hore lockes schode； 1750
And sche ne wolde noght be schore
For no conseil； and thei therfore；
With such atyr as tho was used；
Ordeinen that it was excused；
And hid so crafteliche aboute；
That noman myhte sen hem oute。
Bot when sche was fulliche arraied
And hire atyr was al assaied；
Tho was sche foulere on to se：
Bot yit it may non other be； 1760
Thei were wedded in the nyht；
So wo begon was nevere knyht
As he was thanne of mariage。
And sche began to pleie and rage；
As who seith； I am wel ynowh；
Bot he therof nothing ne lowh；
For sche tok thanne chiere on honde
And clepeth him hire housebonde；
And seith； 〃My lord； go we to bedde；
For I to that entente wedde； 1770
That thou schalt be my worldes blisse：〃
And profreth him with that to kisse；
As sche a lusti Lady were。
His body myhte wel be there；
Bot as of thoght and of memoire
His herte was in purgatoire。
Bot yit for strengthe of matrimoine
He myhte make non essoine；
That he ne mot algates plie
To gon to bedde of compaignie： 1780
And whan thei were abedde naked；
Withoute slep he was awaked；
He torneth on that other side；
For that he wolde hise yhen hyde
Fro lokynge on that foule wyht。
The chambre was al full of lyht；
The courtins were of cendal thinne；
This newe bryd which lay withinne；
Thogh it be noght with his acord；
In armes sche beclipte hire lord； 1790
And preide； as he was torned fro；
He wolde him torne ayeinward tho；
〃For now；〃 sche seith； 〃we ben bothe on。〃
And he lay stille as eny ston；
Bot evere in on sche spak and preide；
And bad him thenke on that he seide；
Whan that he tok hire be the hond。
He herde and understod the bond；
How he was set to his penance；
And as it were a man in trance 1800
He torne