"Whatsoever befalle, I never shal
Of this thing you upbraid;
But yf ye goo, and leve me soo,
Than have ye me betraied.280
Remembre you wele, how that ye dele,
For yf ye, as ye sayde,
Be so unkynde to leve behynd
Your love, the Notbrowne Maide,
Trust me truly, that I shal dey,285
Sone after ye be gone;
For in my mynde, of all mankynde
I love but you alone."
"Yef that ye went, ye shulde repent,
For in the forest now290
I have purveid me of a maide,
Whom I love more than you:
Another fayrer than ever ye were,
I dare it wel avowe;
And of you bothe eche shulde be wrothe295
With other, as I trowe.
It were myn ease to lyve in pease;
So wyl I, yf I can;
Wherfore I to the wode wyl goo
Alone, a banysshid man."300
"Though in the wood I undirstode
Ye had a paramour,
All this may nought remeve my thought,
But that I wil be your;
And she shal fynde me softe and kynde,305
And curteis every our,
Glad to fulfylle all that she wylle
Commaunde me, to my power;
For had ye, loo, an hundred moo,
[Yet wolde I be that one.]310
For in my mynde, of all mankynde
I love but you alone."
"Myn oune dere love, I see the prove
That ye be kynde and trewe;
Of mayde and wyf, in all my lyf,315
The best that ever I knewe.
Be mery and glad, be no more sad,
The case is chaunged newe;
For it were ruthe that for your trouth
You shuld have cause to rewe.320
Be not dismayed: whatsoever I sayd
To you whan I began,
I wyl not too the grene wod goo;
I am noo banysshyd man."
"Theis tidingis be more glad to me325
Than to be made a quene,
Yf I were sure they shuld endure;
But it is often seen,
When men wyl breke promyse, they speke
The wordis on the splene.330
Ye shape some wyle me to begyle,
And stele fro me, I wene;
Then were the case wurs than it was,
And I more woo-begone;
For in my mynde, of all mankynde335
I love but you alone."
"Ye shal not nede further to drede:
I wyl not disparage
You, God defende! sith you descende
Of so grete a lynage.340
Nou understonde, to Westmerlande,
Which is my herytage,
I wyl you bringe, and wyth a rynge,
Be wey of maryage,
I wyl you take, and lady make,345
As shortly as I can:
Thus have ye wone an erles son,
And not a banysshyd man."
Here may ye see, that wymen be
In love meke, kinde, and stable:350
Late never man repreve them than,
Or calle them variable;
But rather prey God that we may
To them be comfortable,
Whiche somtyme provyth suche as loveth,355
Yf they be charitable.
For sith men wolde that wymen sholde
Be meke to them echeon,
Moche more ought they to God obey,
And serve but hym alone.360