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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