XVIII.

The knight, seeing the boar at bay,

Til þe kny3t com hym-self, kachande his blonk,

Sy3 hym byde at þe bay, his burne3 bysyde,

He ly3tes luflych¹ adoun, leue3 his corsour,

Brayde3 out a bry3t bront, & bigly forth stryde3,

Founde3 fast þur3 þe forth, þer þe felle byde3,

Þe wylde wat3 war of þe wy3e with weppen in honde,

Hef hy3ly þe here, so hetterly he fnast,

Þat fele ferde for þe freke3,² lest felle hym þe worre;

Þe swyn sette3 hym out on þe segge euen,

Þat þe burne & þe bor were boþe vpon hepe3,

In þe wy3t-est of þe water, þe worre hade þat oþer;

For þe mon merkke3 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 3arrande hym 3elde, & 3edoun³ þe water,

ful tyt;

A hundreth hounde3 hym hent,

Þat bremely con hym bite,

Burne3 him bro3t to bent,

& dogge3 to dethe endite.

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