VIII.

He drowhe reveres with ffysh,
And slogh hys forsteres y-wys.
The knyght wyste not of thys,
ffor soth y yow say;

ffor he was in the holy lond,
Dede of armes for to ffond,

The hethenemene with hys hond
He ffeld hem offten in ffey.
Hys steward hadd a lettre y-sent,
A mesyngere hath hyt hent,
And forth hys wey ys y-went,

As ffast as ever he mey:

When he tylle hys lord come,
The lettre in hys hand he nome,

He sey, "Alle 300de to schome!"
And went one hys wey.

IX.

f. 81.] Wyth the knytht was none abad,

He buskyd hyme fforth and rade

ffram the ffrount of the garnad,

As ffaste as he myght;

Sone he pased the see,

He and hys meney,

And come in-to hys contré

By the twelthe nyght.

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XI.

The squiere nolde nat downe lyght,
Bot haylis this eorl opone hyght,
And sethes bowrone and knyght,
With wordes fulle wise;

He held the lettre by the nooke,
And to the eorle he hit toke;

And he there-one gane loke,
And seyde his avys,

And spake to the squiere,

"Ne were thow a messengere, Thow shuld abey ryght here,

Undere this wode rys!

I wulle ffore thy lordes tene,
Honte hys fforesstus and grene,

And breke his perkes bydene,

Proudeste of prys!"

XII.

Thanne the squiere seyde sone,
"Syre, that is nat well done,
Ye have lefft hyme bot whone
In herde is nat to hyde:
He that seyth that hit is ryght,
Be he squiere othere knyght,
Here my glove one to ffyght,

What chaunce so be-tyde!

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