XVIII.

The knight, seeing the boar at bay,

Til þe knyȝt com hym-self, kachande his blonk,

Syȝ hym byde at þe bay, his burneȝ bysyde,

He lyȝtes luflych¹ adoun, leueȝ his corsour,

Braydeȝ out a bryȝt bront, & bigly forth strydeȝ,

Foundeȝ fast þurȝ þe forth, þer þe felle bydeȝ,

Þe wylde watȝ war of þe wyȝe with weppen in honde,

Hef hyȝly þe here, so hetterly he fnast,

Þat fele ferde for þe frekeȝ,² lest felle hym þe worre;

Þe swyn setteȝ hym out on þe segge euen,

Þat þe burne & þe bor were boþe vpon hepeȝ,

In þe wyȝt-est of þe water, þe worre hade þat oþer;

For þe mon merkkeȝ hym wel, as þay mette fyrst,

Set sadly þe scharp in þe slot euen,

Hit hym vp to þe hult, þat þe hert schyndered,

& he ȝarrande hym ȝelde, & ȝedoun³ þe water,

ful tyt;

A hundreth houndeȝ hym hent,

Þat bremely con hym bite,

Burneȝ him broȝt to bent,

& doggeȝ to dethe endite.

¹ MS. luslych. ² freke (?). ³ ȝede doun (?).