Ther he wes ydemed, so hit wes londes lawe;
For that he wes lordswyk, furst he wes to-drawe;
Upon a retheres hude forth he wes ytuht:
Sum while in ys time he wes a modi knyht,
In huerte.165
Wickednesse ant sunne,
Hit is lutel wunne
That maketh the body smerte.
For al is grete poer, yet he wes ylaht;
Falsnesse ant swykedom, al hit geth to naht;170
Tho he wes in Scotlond, lutel wes ys thoht
Of the harde jugement that him wes bysoht
In stounde.
He wes foursithe forswore
[To the kyng ther bifore,]175
Ant that him brohte to grounde.
With feteres ant with gyves i chot he wes to-drowe,
From the Tour of Londone, that monie myhte knowe,
In a curtel of burel, a selkethe wyse,
Ant a gerland on ys heved of the newe guyse,180
Thurh Cheepe;
Moni mon of Engelond
For to se Symond
Thideward con lepe.
Tho he com to galewes, furst he wes anhonge,185
Al quic byheveded, thah him thohte longe;
Seththe he wes y-opened, is boweles ybrend,
The heved to Londone-brugge wes send,
To shonde:
So ich ever mote the,190
Sumwhile wende he
Ther lutel to stonde.
He rideth thourh the sité, as y telle may,
With gomen ant wyth solas, that wes here play;
To Londone-brugge hee nome the way,195
Moni wes the wyves chil that theron laketh a day,
Ant seide, Alas,
That he wes ibore,
Ant so villiche forlore,
So feir mon ase he was!200
Nou stont the heved above the tu-brugge,
Faste bi Waleis, soth for te sugge;
After socour of Scotlond longe he mowe prye,
Ant after help of Fraunce, (wet halt hit to lye?)
Ich wene.205
Betere him were in Scotlond,
With is ax in ys hond,
To pleyen o the grene.
Ant the body hongeth at the galewes faste,
With yrnene claspes longe to laste;210
For te wyte wel the body, ant Scottysh to garste,
Foure ant twenti ther beoth to sothe ate laste,
By nyhte:
Yef eny were so hardi
The body to remuy,215
Al so to dyhte.