RICHARD [F. has.] his his spie on Soudan Saladyn, [De pugna ad flumen Cisarie.]
Som said he suld lie at þe toun of Joppyn.
To Joppyn whan he cam, þe Soudan was not þere,
þe flom þe Soudan nam, R. forto affere.
Saladyn priuely was bussed beside þe flom,
& spied strete & stie what R. suld com,
þat he suld not pas, ne [F. no. Nam Codices Gallici, De Richard ny passe, ne nul de sa partye.] mo man of his oste.
þe water stopped was, þer passage suld be moste.
[Saladyn les hoers de flum ad saisye Gallice.] Saladyn did stoppe þe dikes [F. bank.] kank & bro,
þat non suld ouer hoppe, ne man ne hors suld go
þorgh þat enbussement, þat was so priuely,
R. suld be schent, if þat way he com by.
RICHARD fast him drouh toward Cisare,
To witte where or how þe best passage mot be.
Whan R. þider cam, he sauh þer was tre gette,
Passage non he nam, þe forthes wer withsette.
R. beheld aboute, of gile he drede him neid,
Of Sarazins a grete route, (þe lond was vmbeleid,)
& alle þat suerd mot bere, or oþer wapen weld,
Were sette R. to dere, enbussed þorgh þe feld.
He said, "Jhesu mercy, & þi moder dere,
"Wherfore we com & why, now we fynd þam here.
Whan he sauh he ne myght passe on non wise,
In þre parties to fight his oste he did deuise.
