Thanne saide Clarionas to hir ayeyn,
Line 5914
'Moche thank to yow for your labour a[nd] payn.'
And thus I leve them bothe in hartys ease,
And ferthermore I will speke of Generides.
Line 5917
Now toward perse ridith Generides,
Line 5918
Takyng his viage in the evyn tide,
And of his [MS. hus.] Iurnay wold he neuer sese,
Till he came ther wher he shuld abide;
Line 5921
With hym ther went Sygrem to be his gide,
Costyng the contre many dyuers way,
And so came he in to perse the redy waye.
Line 5924
The contre was distroyed in that tide,
Line 5925
And as he rode vppon the way,
A lady he sawe rideng be a forest side,
Grete hast she had on hir Iurnay,
Line 5928
To hir he rode withoute more delay,
Whanne she hym saw come toward hir so fast,
Away fro hem she fledde in all the hast.
Line 5931
With hir ther were xviij. in company,
Line 5932
Generides rode after hir so fast,
And on his way so fast he ganne hym hye,
he ouer toke the lady atte last;
Line 5935
'Madame,' he seid, 'be ye noo thyng agast,
Why ride ye thus and in so hasty wise?
Ther shall no man do yow harme o warantise.'
Line 5938
'In trowth I am a wedow, ser,' quod she,
Line 5939
'The Sowdon is myn vncle in certayn;
kyng Gwynan wold that I weddid shuld be
To his Cosyn, and me he wold constreyne
Line 5942
So for to do; this is the mater playn:
And thus fro hym in all the hast I went,
Because I wold not folow his entent.
Line 5945
