Tomas Off Ersseldoune

		Thornton	Cotton	Lansdown	Cambridge	Sloan
		[Thornton MS. leaf 149, back, col. 1.]
		Lystyns, lordygs, botħe grete & smale,
		And takis gude tente what j wiłł saye :
		I sałł ow telle als trewe a tale,
4		Als euer was herd by nyghte or daye :
		And þe maste meruełłe ffor owttynge naye
		That euer was herde by-fore or syene,
		And þer-fore pristly j ow praye,
8		That e wiłł of oure talkyng blyne.
		It es an harde thyng for to saye,
		Of doghety dedis þat hase bene done ;
		Of fełłe feghtyngs & batełłs sere ;
12		And how þat þir knyghtis hase wonne þair schone.
		Bot jhesu crist þat syttis in trone,
		Safe ynglyscħe mene bothe ferre & nere ;
		And j sałł telle ow tyte and sone,
16		Of Batełłs donne sythene many a ere ;
		And of batełłs þat done sałł bee ;
		In whate place, and howe, and whare ;
		And wha sałł hafe þe heghere gree,
20		And whethir partye sałł hafe þe werre ;
		Wha sałł takk þe flyghte and flee,
		And wha sałł dye and by-leue thare :
		Bot jhesu crist, þat dyed on tre,
24		Saue jnglysche mene whare-so þay fare.
		[Thornton, continued.]	[Cotton, Vitell. E .x. leaf 240, back.]	[Lansdowne 762, leaf 24.]	[Cambridge Univ. Lib. MS. Ff., leaf 119]	[Sloan 2578, leaf 6 (begins at Fytt 2).]
		[FYTTE THE FIRSTE.]	Incipit prophecia Thome Arseldon	[FOOT THE FIRST.]	[FYTTE THE FIRSTE.]
		Als j me wente þis Endres daye,	In a lande as I was lent,	As I me went this thender day,	As I me went þis Andyrs day,
		ffułł faste in mynd makand my mone,	In þe grykyng of þe day,	So styll making my Mone,	ffast on my way makyng my mone,
		In a mery mornynge of Maye,	Me a lone as I went,	In a Mery Mornyng of May,	In a mery mornyng of may,
28		By huntle bankkes my selfe allone,	In huntle bankys me for to play.	In huntly bankes My self alone,	Be huntley bankis my self alone,
		I herde þe jaye, & þe throstyłł cokke,	I sawe þe throstyl & þe Iay ;	I harde the Meryll and the Iay,	I herde þe iay, & þe throstell,
		The Mawys menyde hir of hir songe,	þe mawes movyde of hyr songe ;	the Maner Menede of hir song,	þe mavys menyd in hir song,
		Þe wodewale beryde als a bełłe,	þe wodewale sange notes gay,	the wylde wode-wale song notes gay,	þe wodewale farde as a bell.
32		That ałłe þe wode a-bowte me ronge.	þat all þe wod a boute range.	that alle the shawys abowte hem Rong.	þat þe wode aboute me rong.
		Allonne in longynge thus als j laye,	In þat longynge as I lay,	¶ But in a loning, as I lay,	Alle in a longyng, as I lay,
		Vndyre-nethe a semely tree,	vnder nethe a derne tre,	Vnder neth a semely tre,	Vndurneth a cumly tre,
		. . . . . . j whare a lady gaye	I was war of a lady gay,	I saw where a lady gay	Saw I wher a lady gay
36		. . . . . . . ouer a longe lee.	Come rydyng ouyr a fayre le.	Cam rydyng ouer a louely le.	Came ridand ouer a louely le.
		If j solde sytt to domesdaye,	ogh, I sulde sitt to domysday,	thowh that I leue styll tyll domys day,	if I shuld sitte till domusday,
		With my, tonge, to wrobble and wrye,	With my tonge to wrabble & wry,	with any my tonge to worble or were,	Alle with my tong to know & se,
		Certanely þat lady gaye,	Sertenly, all hyr aray,	The certay sothe of hir Array	Sertenly, alle hur aray,
40		Neuer bese scho askryede for mee.	It beth neuer discryuyd for me.	May neuer be descreued for me.	Shalle hit neuer scyed for me.
		Hir palfraye was a dappiłł graye,	hyr palfra was dappyl dray,	¶ Hir palfray was of daply gray,	Hir palfray was of dappull gray,
				The farest Molde that any myght be ;
				here sadell bryght as any day.
44				Set with pereles to þe kne.
				And furthermore of hir Aray,
		Swylke one ne saghe j neuer none ;	Syche on say I neuer none ;	Diuers clothing she had vpon ;	Sike on se I neuer non ;
		Als dose þe sonne on someres daye,	. . . als son in somers day,	And as the sonne in somerys day,	As dose þe sune on somers day,
48		Þat faire lady hir selfe scho scone.	All abowte þat lady schone.	Forsouthe the ladye here sylffe shone.	þe cumly lady hir selfe schone.
		Hir sełłe it was of roełłe bone,	hyr sadyl was of a jewel bone,	¶ here sege was of ryall bone,	hir sadill was of reuyll bone,
		ffułł semely was þat syghte to see !	A semely syt it was to se ;	Syche one sau I neuer with ye !	Semely was þat sight to se !
		Stefly sett with precyous stones,	. [w]roght with mony a precyouse stone,	Set with many A precious stone,	Stifly sette with precious ston,
52		And compaste ałł witħ crapotee,	And compasyd all with crapote.	And cumpasyde all with crapote	Compaste aboute with crapote,
		Stones of Oryente, grete plente ;	Stones of [?]osrt gret plente ;	With stonys of oryoles, grete plenty ;	Stonys of oryons, grete plente ;
		Hir hare abowte hir hede it hange ;	. . . . . a boute hyr hede it hang ;	Dyamondes thick aboute hir honge ;	hir here aboute hir hed hit hong
		Scho rade ouer þat lange lee ;	. . . . . . . . . . . þe fair le	She bare a horne of gold semely,	She rode out ouer þat louely le
56		A whylle scho blewe, a-noþer scho sange.	. . . . . shee blewe anoþer she sange.	And vnder hir gyrdell a flone.	A while she blew, a while she song ;
		Hir garthes of nobyłł sylke þay were,	. . . . . . . . . . er of cristall cler,	¶ She blewe A note, and treblyd Als,	Hir garthis of nobull silke þei were,
		The bukyłłs were of Berełłe stone,	. . . . . . . . . . war þay sett ;	the Ryches into the shaw ga gone ;	hir boculs þei were of barys ston ;
		Hir steraps were of crystałłe clere,	Sadyl & brydil wer a . . . . .	There was no ma that herd þe noyes,	hir stiroppis thei were of cristall clere,
60		And ałł with perełłe ouer-by-gone.	with sylk & sendell fy . . . .	Saue thomas there he lay a lone.	And alle with perry aboute be gon.
		Hir payetrełłe was of jrale fyne,	hyr paytrel was of y . . . . . .	here cropyng was of rycħe gold,	Hir paytrell was of a riall fyne,
		Hir cropoure was of Orpharë ;	And hir croper of yra . . . .	here parrell alle of Alara;	Hir cropur was of Arafe ;
		And als clere golde hir brydiłł it schone,	hyr brydil was of g . . . . . .	here brydyll was of Reler bolde ;	Hir bridull was of golde fyne ;
64		One aythir side hange bellys three.	on euery syde for soth . . . .	On euery side hangyd bellys then.	On every side hong bellis thre.
			hyr brydil reynes w . . . . . .		She led iij greyhoundis in a leesshe,
			A semely syt it w . . . . . .		viij rachis be hir fete ran ;
			Croper & paytrel . . . . . . . .		To speke with hir wold I not seesse ;
68			In euery joynt . . . . . . . .		Hir lire was white as any swan.
		[ . . . . . no break in the MS.]	She led thre gre . . . . . . . .	¶ She led iij greue hwndes in a leshe,	fforsothe, lordyngis, as I you tełł.
		And seuene raches by hir þay rone ;	& racches cowpled . . . . . .	Seue richys about hir syde ra ;	Thus was þis lady fayre begon ;
		Scho bare and horne abowte hir halse,	She bare an horne a . . . . . .		She bare a horne aboute hir halce,
72		And vndir hir belte fułł many a flone.	& vnder hyr gyrdyll . . . . .		And vndur hir gyrdill mony flonne.
		Thomas laye & sawe þat syghte,	Thomas laye & sawe . . . . . .	Thomas ley and beheld this sygħt,	Thomas lay and saw þat sight,
		Vndir-nethe ane semly tree ;	In þe bankes of h . . . . . .	vnder neth a sembly tre ;	Vndurneth a semely tre ;
		He sayd, ‘one es marye moste of myghte,	he sayd ‘onder is ma . . . . .	‘yendyr ys that ladye most of mygħt,	he seid, yonde is mary of myght,
76		Þat bare þat childe þat dyede for mee.	þat bar þe child þat . . . . . .	That bare the chylde that blede for me.	þat bare þe childe þat died for me.
		Bot if j speke with one lady bryghte,	certes bot I may s . . . . . . . .	But yf I speke with that lady brygħt,	But I speke with þat lady bright,
		I hope myne herte wiłł bryste in three !	ellys my hert w . . . . . . . .	I trowe my harte wolde breke in thre ;	I hope my hert wille breke in thre ;
		Now sałł j go with ałł my myghte,	I shal me hye with . . . . . . .	¶ I wyll go wytħ all my mygħt,	But I will go with alle my myght,
80		Hir for to mete at Eldoune tree.’	hyr to mete at o . . . . . . .	And mete with hir at Elden tre.’	Hir to mete at eldtyn tre.
		Thomas rathely vpe he rase,	Thomas rathly up a . . . . . .	Thomas Rathly vp A Rose,	Thomas radly vp he rose,
		And he rane ouer þat Mountayne hye ;	& ran ouyr mountay . . . . .	And Ran ouer that Mountayne hye ;	And ran ouer þat mounteyn hye,
		Gyff it be als the storye sayes,	if it be sothe þe story . . . . .	yf it be as the story sais,	And certainly, as þe story sayes,
84		He hir mette at Eldone tree.	he met hyr euyn a . . . . . .	He met with hir at elden tre.	he hir mette at eldryne tre.
		He knelyde downe appone his knee,	Thomas knelyd down on h . . .	He knelyd vpon he kne,	he knelid downe vpon his kne,
		Vndir-nethe þat grenwode spraye ;	vnder nethe þe gr . . . . . . .	Vnderneathe a grene wode spraye ;	Vndurneth þe grenewode spray ;
		And sayd, ‘lufly ladye ! rewe one mee,	And sayd ‘louely lad . . . . . .	¶ ‘Louely Lady ! rewe on me ;	louely lady ! þou rew on me ;
88		Quene of heuene als þou wele maye !’	Quene of heu . . . . . . . . .	Quene of heuy, as ye wele may !’	qwene of heuen, as þou well may !
		Than spake þat lady Milde of thoghte,	. . . . . . . . . . .	Then said that lady Mylde of þougħt,	Then seid þat lady bright,
		‘Thomas ! late swylke wordes bee ;	. . . . . . . . . . .	‘Thomas, lat suche wordes be !	Thomas, let such wordis be !
		Quene of heuene ne am j noghte,	. . . . . . . . . . .	For quene of heuy am I not,	ffor quen of heuon am I noght,
92		ffor j tuke neuer so heghe degre.	. . . . . . . . . . .	I toke neuer so hye degre.	I toke neuer so hye degre.
		Bote j ame of ane oþer countree,	. . . . . . . . . . .	¶ I am of a nothere contre,	But I am a lady of anoþer cuntre
		If j be payrelde moste of prysse ;	. . . . . . . . . . most of prise	Thowgħ I be perlyd moste in pryce ;	If I be parellid moost of price ;
		I ryde aftyre this wylde fee,	. . . . . . . . . . .	And ryde here after the wylde fe,	I ride aftur þe wilde fee,
96		My raches rynnys at my devyse.’	. . . . . . . . . . . at my devys.’	My raches rennyng att my deuyce.’	My raches rannen at my deuyse.