"Thoth I be litel and lith,
50 Am y noth wytouten wane;
Ferli frained thou wat hi hith,
[That] thou salt noth wit my name;
My wonige stede ful wel es [dyght],
Nou sone thou salt se at hame."
55 Til him I sayde, "For Godes mith,
Let me forth myn erand gane."
"The thar noth of thin erand lette,
Thouth thou come ay stonde wit me,
Forther salt thou noth bi sette,
60 Bi miles twa noyther bi three."
Na linger durst I for him lette,
But forth y funded wyt that free;
Stintid vs brok no beck;
Ferlich me thouth hu so mouth bee.
65
He vent forth, als y you say,
In at ay yate, y vnderstande;
In til ay yate wvndouten nay;
It to se thouth me [nouth] lang.
The bankers on the binkes lay,
70 And fair lordes sett y fonde;
In ilka ay hirn y herd ay lay,
And leuedys soth meloude sange.
[Here there seems to be a break, and a new start made, with a tale told not on a Monday, but on a Wednesday.]
Lithe, bothe zonge and alde:
Of ay worde y will you saye,
Ay litel tale that me was tald
Erli on ay Wedenesdaye.
A mody barn, that was ful bald,
My friend that y frained aye,
Al my gesing he me tald,
And galid me als we went bi waye.
"Miri man, that es so wyth,
Of ay thing gif me answere:
For him that mensked man wyt mith,
Wat sal worth of this were?" &c.
Finlay, [36], crustlike.
[39], Clidelik.
[43], Glalli wild.