LEGEND OF GOOD WOMEN. MS. Gg. 4. 27, CAMB.

273

This gayler comyth & with hym Thesyus

And whan these thyngis ben a-cordit thus

Adoun sit Thesyus vp-on his kne

2028

The rygh lady of myn lyf quod he

I sorweful man dampnede to the deth
ffro
30W whil that me lestyth lyf or breth
I wil nat twynne aftyr this auenture
But in 30ure servise thus I wele endure

That as a wreche vnknowe I wele 30w serve
ffor euere mo til that myn herte sterue
fforsake I wele at hom myn hery tage
And as I seyde ben of 30ure court a page
зе vouche saf that in this place

If

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2036

3e graunte me to han so gret a grace
That I may han nat but myn mete & drynk
And for myn sustenaunce zit wele I swynk
Rygh as 30w leste that Mynos ne no wight

2040

Syn that he saw me neuere with eye syght

Ne non ellis shal me cunne espye

2044

So slyly & so wel I shal me gye

And me so wel disfigure & so lowe

That in this world ther shal no man me knowe

And hym to gwerdone that he shal wel be

On of the gretteste man of myn cuntre
And If I durste seyn myn lady bryght

I am a kyngis sone & ek a knyght
So wolde god If that it myghte be
3e weryn In myn cuntre alle thre
And I with 30w to bere 30w compaignye
Thanne shulde ze se If that I therof lye
And If I profre 30w In low manere
To ben zoure page & seruyn 30w ryght here

274 LEGEND OF GOOD WOMEN. MS. Gg. 4. 27, CAMB.

But I 30w serve as louly In that place

I preye to Mars so 3eue 30w swich a grace

Ne wolde a wept for routhe of his penaunce
ffor which this Adryane In this manere
Answerde hym to his profre & to his chere
A kyngis sone & ek a knyght quod she
To ben myn seruaunt in so low degre
God shilde it for the shame of wemen alle
And lene me neuere swich a cas be-falle

2080

But synde 30w grace of slyghte & herte also 3ow to defende & knyghtly slen 30ure for And leue here aftyr that I may 30w fynde

2084

To me & to myn syster here so kynde

That I repente nat to zeue the lyf

2088

3it were it betere that I were 30ure wyf

Syn that ze ben as gentil born as I

And hauyn a reume nat but faste by
Than that I sufferede giltles 30w sterve
Or that I let 30w as a page serue
It nys no profre as on to 3oure kynrede

2092

But what is that men nyl don for drede
An to myn systyr syn that it Is so
That she mot gon with me If that I go

2096

LEGEND OF GOOD WOMEN.

Or ellis suffere deth as wel as I

MS. Gg. 4. 27, CAMB. 275

That зе vnto 3oure sone as trewely
Don hire ben weddit at 30ure hom comyng
This is the fenal ende of al this thyng
3e swere it here vp-on al that may
3a lady myn quod he or ellis torn

[leaf 472, back]

2100

be sworen

Mote I be with the mynatour to morwe

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And hauyth here of myn herte blod to borwe *If that ze wele If I hadde knyf or spere

I wele it latyn out & theron swere

ffor thanne at erst I wot ze wele me leue

2108

By Mars that is the chif of myn beleue

So that I myghte leuyn & nat fayle
To morwe for tacheue myn batayle

I wolde neuere from this place fle

2112

Til that зе shulde the verray preue se

ffor now If that the sothe I shal 30w say

I haue I-louyd 30w ful manye a day

Thow 3e ne wiste it nat in myn cuntre
And aldermost desirede 30w to se

2116

Of any erthely leuynge creature

Vp-on myn trouthe I swere & 30w ensure

And to hyre sistyr seyde in this mane[re]

Al softely systyr myn quod she

Now be we duchessis bothe I & ze

And sekerede to the regalys of Athenys
And bothe hereafter likly to ben quenys
And sauyd from his deth a kyngis sone
As euere of gentil wemen is the wone
To saue a gentyl man emforth hire myght
In honest cause & namely In his ryght

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2132

276 LEGEND OF GOOD WOMEN. MS. Gg. 4. 27, CAMB.

Me thynkyth no wight oughte herof vs blame

Ne beryn vs therfore an euyl name

His wepne his clewe his thyng that I haue sayd
Was by the gayler in the hous I-leyd
Ther as the Mynatour hath his dwellyng
Rygh faste by the dore at his entryng
And Thesyus is lad onto his deth

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And forth vnto this mynatour he geth
And by the techynge of this Adryane
He ouercom this beste & was his ban
And out he comyth by the clewe a-gayn

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fful priuyly whan he this beste hath slayn

And by the gayler getyn hath a barge

And of his wyuys tresor gan it charge
And tok his wif & ek hire sistyr fre

2152

And ek the gayler & with hym alle thre
Is stole a-wey out of the lond be nyghte

And to the cuntre of Ennepye hym dyghte
There as he hadde a frend of his knowynge

2156

There feste they there daunce they & synge

And in hise armys hat this adryane

That of the beste hat kept hym from his bane

And seyde that on the lond he muste hym reste
His maryneris han don rygh as hym leste

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LEGEND OF GOOD WOMEN. MS. Gg. 4. 27, CAMB. 277

And forth to tellyn shortly in this cas
Whan adryane his wif a slepe was

ffor that hire systyr fayrere was than she

He takyth hire In his hond & forth goth he

To shepe & as a traytour stal his wey
Whil that this adryane a slepe lay
And to his cuntreward he saylith swythe

A twenty deuelewey the wynd hym dryue
And fond his fadyr drenchid in the se
Me leste no more to speke of hym parde
These false louerys poysoun be here bane
But I wele turne a-geyn to Adryane
That Is with slep with werynesse a-take
fful sorwefully hire herte may a-wake

2172

[leaf 473, back]

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2180

mete

And to the stronde barefot faste she went
And cryede Thesius myn herte swete
Where be зе that I may nat with 30W
And myghte thus with bestys ben I-slayn
The holwe rokkis answerden hire a-gayn
No man she saw & 3it shynede the mone
And hye vp-on a rokke she wente sone
And saw his barge saylynge in the se
Cold wex hire herte & rygh thus seyde she
Mekere than 3e fynde I the bestis wilde

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2196

Hadde he nat synne that hire thus be-gylid

And turne a-geyn & on the stronde hire fynde

Gg. 4. 27