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Touchende his doghter and his wif

He schal beknowe upon his lif. 1800

The king of this Avisioun

Hath gret ymaginacioun,

What thing it signefie may;

And natheles, whan it was day,

He bad caste Ancher and abod;

And whil that he on Ancher rod,

The wynd, which was tofore strange,

Upon the point began to change,

And torneth thider as it scholde.

Tho knew he wel that god it wolde, 1810

And bad the Maister make him yare,

Tofor the wynd for he wol fare

To Ephesim, and so he dede.

And whanne he cam unto the stede

Where as he scholde londe, he londeth

With al the haste he may, and fondeth

To schapen him be such a wise,

That he may be the morwe arise

And don after the mandement

Of him which hath him thider sent. 1820

And in the wise that he thoghte,

Upon the morwe so he wroghte;

His doghter and his Sone he nom,

And forth unto the temple he com

With a gret route in compaignie,

Hise yiftes forto sacrifie.

The citezeins tho herden seie

Of such a king that cam to preie

Unto Diane the godesse,

And left al other besinesse, 1830

Thei comen thider forto se

The king and the solempnete.

With worthi knyhtes environed

The king himself hath abandoned

Into the temple in good entente.

The dore is up, and he in wente,

Wher as with gret devocioun

Of holi contemplacioun

Withinne his herte he made his schrifte;

And after that a riche yifte 1840

He offreth with gret reverence,

And there in open Audience

Of hem that stoden thanne aboute,

He tolde hem and declareth oute

His hap, such as him is befalle,

Ther was nothing foryete of alle.

His wif, as it was goddes grace,

Which was professed in the place,

As sche that was Abbesse there,

Unto his tale hath leid hire Ere: 1850

Sche knew the vois and the visage,

For pure joie as in a rage

Sche strawhte unto him al at ones,

And fell aswoune upon the stones,

Wherof the temple flor was paved.

Sche was anon with water laved,

Til sche cam to hirself ayein,

And thanne sche began to sein:

"Ha, blessed be the hihe sonde,

That I mai se myn housebonde, 1860

That whilom he and I were on!"

The king with that knew hire anon,

And tok hire in his Arm and kiste;

And al the toun thus sone it wiste.

Tho was ther joie manyfold,

For every man this tale hath told

As for miracle, and were glade,

Bot nevere man such joie made

As doth the king, which hath his wif.

And whan men herde hou that hir lif 1870

Was saved, and be whom it was,

Thei wondren alle of such a cas:

Thurgh al the Lond aros the speche

Of Maister Cerymon the leche

And of the cure which he dede.

The king himself tho hath him bede,

And ek this queene forth with him,

That he the toun of Ephesim

Wol leve and go wher as thei be,

For nevere man of his degre 1880

Hath do to hem so mochel good;

And he his profit understod,

And granteth with hem forto wende.

And thus thei maden there an ende,

And token leve and gon to Schipe

With al the hole felaschipe.

This king, which nou hath his desir,

Seith he wol holde his cours to Tyr.

Thei hadden wynd at wille tho,

With topseilcole and forth they go, 1890

And striken nevere, til thei come

To Tyr, where as thei havene nome,

And londen hem with mochel blisse.

Tho was ther many a mowth to kisse,

Echon welcometh other hom,

Bot whan the queen to londe com,

And Thaise hir doghter be hir side,

The joie which was thilke tyde

Ther mai no mannes tunge telle:

Thei seiden alle, "Hier comth the welle 1900

Of alle wommannysshe grace."

The king hath take his real place,

The queene is into chambre go:

Ther was gret feste arraied tho;

Whan time was, thei gon to mete,

Alle olde sorwes ben foryete,

And gladen hem with joies newe:

The descoloured pale hewe

Is now become a rody cheke,

Ther was no merthe forto seke, 1910

Bot every man hath that he wolde.

The king, as he wel couthe and scholde,

Makth to his poeple riht good chiere;

And after sone, as thou schalt hiere,

A parlement he hath sommoned,

Wher he his doghter hath coroned

Forth with the lord of Mitelene,

That on is king, that other queene:

And thus the fadres ordinance

This lond