And hereþ him / comyng in þe greues
And brekeþ boþe þe bowes and þe leues
And þenkeþ here comeþ my mortel enemy
wiþoute faile he mot be deed or I
Line 1644
For eyþer I mot slen him at þe gappe
Or he moot slee me if it me myshappe
So ferden þey in chaungyng of here hew
AS fer as eyþer of hem oþer knew
Line 1648
Ther nas no good day ne no saluyng
But streyt wiþouten wordes rehersyng
Euery of hem helpeþ to armen oþer
As frendly as he were his owen broþer
Line 1652
And þanne wiþ / here scharpe speres stronge
They foyneden ech at oþer longe
Tho it semed þat þis Palomon
In his fightyng were a wood lyoun
Line 1656
And as a cruel tygre was arcite
And as wilde boores gonne þey smyte
That froþen white as fome froþe wood
vp to þe ancle þey faught in here blood
Line 1660
And in þis wise I lete hem fiȝtyng welle
And forþere I wol of Theseus telle
The destyne mynistre general
That excused in þe world ouer al
Line 1664
The purueans þat god haþ seye byforn
So strong it is þat þey þe world had sworn
The contrary of a þing by ȝe or nay
Ȝet som tyme it schal falle vpon a day
Line 1668
That falleþ nought eft in a þousend ȝeere
For certeynly oure appetites heere
Be it of pees oþer hate or loue [folio 23a]
Al is it reuled by þe sight aboue
Line 1672
This mene I now by mighty Theseus
That for to honte is so desirous
And namely þe grete hert in May
That in his bed þer daweth him no day
Line 1676
