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The worschipe of this worldes aghte；
Unto the god ther I betaghte。〃
And thus togedre as thei tuo speeke；
The teres runne be his cheeke。 750
The king； which therof tok good kepe；
Hath gret Pite to sen him wepe；
And for his doghter sende ayein；
And preide hir faire and gan to sein
That sche no lengere wolde drecche；
Bot that sche wolde anon forth fecche
Hire harpe and don al that sche can
To glade with that sory man。
And sche to don hir fader heste
Hir harpe fette； and in the feste 760
Upon a Chaier which thei fette
Hirself next to this man sche sette：
With harpe bothe and ek with mouthe
To him sche dede al that sche couthe
To make him chiere； and evere he siketh；
And sche him axeth hou him liketh。
〃Ma dame； certes wel；〃 he seide；
〃Bot if ye the mesure pleide
Which； if you list； I schal you liere；
It were a glad thing forto hiere。〃 770
〃Ha； lieve sire；〃 tho quod sche；
〃Now tak the harpe and let me se
Of what mesure that ye mene。〃
Tho preith the king； tho preith the queene；
Forth with the lordes alle arewe；
That he som merthe wolde schewe；
He takth the Harpe and in his wise
He tempreth； and of such assise
Singende he harpeth forth withal；
That as a vois celestial 780
Hem thoghte it souneth in here Ere；
As thogh that he an Angel were。
Thei gladen of his melodie；
Bot most of alle the compainie
The kinges doghter； which it herde；
And thoghte ek hou that he ansuerde；
Whan that he was of hire opposed；
Withinne hir herte hath wel supposed
That he is of gret gentilesse。
Hise dedes ben therof witnesse 790
Forth with the wisdom of his lore；
It nedeth noght to seche more；
He myhte noght have such manere；
Of gentil blod bot if he were。
Whanne he hath harped al his fille；
The kinges heste to fulfille；
Awey goth dissh； awey goth cuppe；
Doun goth the bord； the cloth was uppe；
Thei risen and gon out of halle。
The king his chamberlein let calle； 800
And bad that he be alle weie
A chambre for this man pourveie；
Which nyh his oghne chambre be。
〃It schal be do； mi lord；〃 quod he。
Appolinus of whom I mene
Tho tok his leve of king and queene
And of the worthi Maide also；
Which preide unto hir fader tho；
That sche myhte of that yonge man
Of tho sciences whiche he can 810
His lore have； and in this wise
The king hir granteth his aprise；
So that himself therto assente。
Thus was acorded er thei wente；
That he with al that evere he may
This yonge faire freisshe May
Of that he couthe scholde enforme；
And full assented in this forme
Thei token leve as for that nyht。
And whanne it was amorwe lyht； 820
Unto this yonge man of Tyr
Of clothes and of good atir
With gold and Selver to despende
This worthi yonge lady sende：
And thus sche made him wel at ese；
And he with al that he can plese
Hire serveth wel and faire ayein。
He tawhte hir til sche was certein
Of Harpe； of Citole and of Rote；
With many a tun and many a note 830
Upon Musique； upon mesure；
And of hire Harpe the temprure
He tawhte hire ek； as he wel couthe。
Bot as men sein that frele is youthe；
With leisir and continuance
This Mayde fell upon a chance；
That love hath mad him a querele
Ayein hire youthe freissh and frele；
That malgre wher sche wole or noght；
Sche mot with al hire hertes thoght 840
To love and to his lawe obeie；
And that sche schal ful sore abeie。
For sche wot nevere what it is；
Bot evere among sche fieleth this：
Thenkende upon this man of Tyr；
Hire herte is hot as eny fyr；
And otherwhile it is acale；
Now is sche red； nou is sche pale
Riht after the condicion
Of hire ymaginacion； 850
Bot evere among hire thoghtes alle；
Sche thoghte； what so mai befalle；
Or that sche lawhe； or that sche wepe；
Sche wolde hire goode name kepe
For feere of wommanysshe schame。
Bot what in ernest and in game；
Sche stant for love in such a plit；
That sche hath lost al appetit
Of mete； of drinke； of nyhtes reste；
As sche that not what is the beste； 860
Bot forto thenken al hir fille
Sche hield hire ofte times stille
Withinne hir chambre； and goth noght oute：
The king was of hire lif in doute；
Which wiste nothing what it mente。
Bot fell a time； as he out wente
To walke； of Princes Sones thre
Ther come and felle to his kne；
And ech of hem in sondri wise
Besoghte and profreth his servise； 870
So that he myhte his doghter have。
The king； which wolde his honour save；
Seith sche is siek； and of that speche
Tho was no time to beseche；
Bot ech of hem do make a bille
He bad； and wryte his oghne wille；
His name； his fader and his good；
And whan sche wiste hou that it stod；
And hadde here billes oversein；
Thei scholden have ansuere ayein。 880
Of this conseil thei weren glad；
And writen as the king hem bad；
And every man his oghne bok
Into the kinges hond betok；
And he it to his dowhter sende；
And preide hir forto make an ende
And wryte ayein hire oghne hond；
Riht as sche in hire herte fond。
The billes weren wel received；
Bot sche hath alle here loves weyved； 890
And thoghte tho was time and space
To put hire in hir fader grace；
And wrot ayein and thus sche saide：
〃The schame which is in a Maide
With speche dar noght ben unloke；
Bot in writinge it mai be spoke；
So wryte I to you； fader； thus：
Bot if I have Appolinus；
Of al this world； what so betyde；
I wol non other man abide。 900
And certes if I of him faile；
I wot riht wel withoute faile
Ye schull for me be dowhterles。〃
This lettre cam； and ther was press
Tofore the king； ther as he stod；
And whan that he it understod；
He yaf hem ansuer by and by；
Bot that was do so prively；
That non of othres conseil wiste。
Thei toke her leve； and wher hem liste 910
Thei wente forth upon here weie。
The king ne wolde noght bewreie
The conseil for no maner hihe；
Bot soffreth til he time sihe：
And whan that he to chambre is come；
He hath unto his conseil nome
This man of Tyr； and let him se
The lettre and al the privete；
The which his dowhter to him sente：
And he his kne to grounde bente 920
And thonketh him and hire also；
And er thei wenten thanne atuo；
With good herte and with good corage
Of full Love and full mariage
The king and he ben hol acorded。
And after； whanne it was recorded
Unto the dowhter hou it stod；
The yifte of al this worldes good
Ne scholde have mad hir half so blythe：
And forth withal the king als swithe； 930
For he wol have hire good assent；
Hath for the queene hir moder sent。
The queene is come； and whan sche herde
Of this matiere hou that it ferde；
Sche syh debat； sche syh desese；
Bot if sche wolde hir dowhter plese；
And is therto assented full。
Which is a dede wonderfull；
For noman knew the sothe cas
Bot he himself； what man he was； 940
And natheles； so as hem thoghte；
Hise dedes to the sothe wroghte
That he was come of gentil blod：
Him lacketh noght bot worldes good；
And as therof is no despeir；
For sche schal ben hire fader heir；
And he was able to governe。
Thus wol thei noght the love werne
Of him and hire in none wise；
Bot ther acorded thei divise 950
The day and time of Mariage。
Wher love is lord of the corage；
Him thenketh longe er that he spede；
Bot ate laste unto the dede
The time is come； and in her wise
With gret offrende and sacrifise
Thei wedde and make a riche feste；
And every thing which was honeste
Withinnen house and ek withoute
It was so don； that al aboute 960
Of gret worschipe； of gret noblesse
Ther cride many a man largesse
Unto the lordes hihe and loude；
The knyhtes that ben yonge and proude；
Thei jouste ferst and after daunce。
The day is go； the nyhtes chaunce
Hath derked al the bryhte Sonne；
This lord； which hath his love wonne；
Is go to bedde with his wif；
Wher as thei ladde a lusti lif； 970
And that was after somdel sene；
For as thei pleiden hem betwene；
Thei gete a child betwen hem tuo；
To whom fell after mochel wo。
Now have I told of the spousailes。
Bot forto speke of the mervailes
Whiche afterward to hem befelle；
It is a wonder forto telle。
It fell adai thei riden oute；
The king and queene and al the route； 980
To pleien hem upon the stronde；
Wher as thei sen toward the londe
A Schip sailende of gret array。
To knowe what it mene may；
Til it be come thei abide；
T