His wif, ise ȝonge children two. [& his chylder.]
Þat water wes sturne and eille. [The w. was sterne & ylle.]
Line 120
Þe shippesman bihoeld þat kniȝt [The schypmene byhold þat ilke k.]
And seþþen þe leuedi, þat wes briȝt: [And þat lady þat was so bryght.]
Hoe þouhte him feir and shene. [þi thought hyre fare.]
To him he seyde after þan:
"Wer hevedest þou þis fayre wimman? [Where hadyst. feyre womane.]
Line 125
Hoe shal ben min, ich wene". [Sche. be. I. Darauf hat A. folg. 2 Stropfen: Out of þe schype he drew hym tho, And his ȝonge childer two — Full woo was hym þerfore! The lady cryed & mad gret dynne, And fro hyre lorde was loth to twyne, And weppyd & syȝede sore. — The knyght sette hym done apone a stone (= 127), And se hys wyfe was fro hym go, Takyne fro hym with wronge. He seyd alas þat he was borne! Hys wytte fro hym nyȝe-hond was lorne, Hym thouȝt hys lyfe to longe. Die 2 ersten V. der folg. Strophe: After þe schype his eye he caste: Out of his syght than was sche paste.] [. . . . .(Hier fehlen eine oder zwei Strophen.)]
A-doun he sette him on an ston
And reste his werie bon,
Bioeld hise children two: [He behelde hys.]
"Me þinkeþ, min herte wile bleden. [thinke my. wylle all to-bled.]
Line 130
Hou shal ich ou moderlese feden? [I ȝou moderles fede.]
Ne wes me nevere þus wo". [Now was me neuer so wo.]
So longe forþ his wey he nom, [way. toke.]
To one watere þat he com. [Tyll þat þi come vnto a broke.]
Þer ouer he moste fare. [þi muste.]
Line 135
Waden he moste — þe water wes cheld, [Wade þi muste, þe water was scheld.]
In eyþer side wilde feld: [By eþer. þe wylde.]
Þe more wes his care. [Welle mekyll was hys care.]
He nom his on child on his arm — [toke. o. in. arme.]
Ich wot, he ne dede him non harm — [The oþer he wende schuld haue no herme.]
Line 140
And bar hit ouer to londe. [He bare hym. to þe.]
Sone he seyd in his mod: [Doune he sette in hys mode (!).]
"Godes help his euere god: [Godys grace, he seyd, is euermore gode.]
Þat ich wel ounder-stonde. [I. wel fehlt.]
"Sitte nou stille, sone min, [styll. myne.]
Line 145
Þe wyles ich fecche broþer þin, [Tyll þat I fette.]
And tou shalt hauen þi mede. [þou schall haue.]
Ich wille to þe comen anon, [I schalle come to þe anone,]
So sone so ich hit may don; [Als-so sone as I may gone.]
Ne þarf þe nout adrede". [Ne make þou no drede.]
Line 150
In-to þat water he wente aȝeyn, [þe w. agayne.]
Fort he com in þat depe strem, [Tyll þat he come to þe myddys streme.]
And lokede in heyþer side: [lokyd hym bysyde.]
A wilde lioun þer com gon [he saw þer gone.]
And kipt his ȝonge sone anon, [He toke.]
Line 155
On him he ȝenede wide. [gapyd.]
Þe lioun ber þe kniȝt child wiþ him, [That. bare þat child.]
A-wey he wende wroþ and grim. [That was both grete, stoute & gryme.]
Þe kniȝt wes ney .I.-swowe, [Ne was he neuer so wo. Dann folgt: Than was sir Eustas sorye, Fore both his childer wer borne awaye; He felle in swounyng tho. Die folg. Stropfe fehlt.]
Wore he wes in þat water depe;
Line 160
Hit nes no wonder þey he wepe,
Of care he heuede .I.-nowe!
Þo he hof swoning aros,
He lokede oup and him agros;
To londe he moste te.
Line 165
A wonder þing he sey him þar:
A wolf his oþer child at-bar.
.I.-swowen he fel on kne.
