Þurch þe bodi he bar a trounsoun,
Wiþ boþe honden he held him to þe [e in þe added over the line.] arsoun.
Boþe bifore & eke bihinde,
Line 3095
Þe blod gan out fast winde,
His helme in þe on half honginde,
& his visage al bledeinde.
His scheld to held hadde he no miȝt,
He drad him to dye anon riȝt.
Line 3100
To þe soudans pauiloun he come,
Þe soudan him bi-knewe anon:
'Esclandar, when comestow?' seyd he;
'In strong fiȝt þou hast y-be.
Were þou alon at þe cite?
Line 3105
Say me who haþ þus wounded þe?'
'Sir,' quaþ he, 'ichil þe telle
Of hard tidinges wel snelle:
Y-lorn þou hast þe amiral Cosdram [s on an erasure.]
Þat leuest þe was of ani man,
Line 3110
& þe king of Turkie þou hast forgon,
Of hem no tit þe neuer help non.
& alle þe best men y-bore [folio 123a:b]
Bifor þe cite þou hast forlore.'
Þan answerd þe riche soudan,
Line 3115
Þat hadde no gamen of þan:
'Him is þan sum socour y-come,
Whar-þurch mi Turkes be me binome?'
'Sir,' quaþe Esclandar, 'y-wis,
An onwrast gome y-comen þer is;
Line 3120
Socour he haþ gret & beld, [C line 2300]
In þe warld nis swiche a scheld [MS. ascheld.] ;
Gij of Warwike his name it is,
Sterner þan ani lyoun, y-wis.
His strokes no may noman dreye,
Line 3125
Þat he ne most dye on hye.
Wiþ him he haþ an hundred kniȝtes
Of Almayne, þe best in fiȝtes;
