'For hornnes loue y pray þe,
Line 988
Go nouȝt, ar þis drunken be,
ȝif euer he was þe dere.'
Þe maiden bi him stille stode,
To here of horn hir þouȝt it gode,
Line 992
He lay hir hert ful nere;
Of þe coppe he drank þe wine,
Þe ring of gold he kest þer inne:
'Bi tokening, lo, it here!'
Line 996
'A, sely man, þe þrestes sare,
Þou schalt haue a drink mare,
Gode wine schal it be.'
Anoþer drank sche him bare,
Line 1000
Sche asked ȝif horn þer in ware;
'Ȝa, certes,' þan seyd he.
Nas sche bot alitel fram him gon,
Þat sche ne fel adoun anon,
Line 1004
Now swoneþ þat fre. [folio 323a:2]
Kniȝtes her to chaumber ledde;
When sche lay opon hir bedde,
Sche seyd, 'clepe haþeros to me.' [Sche] Scle MS.]
Line 1008
'Kniȝtes, goþ in to halle swiþe,
& bid þe kinges make hem bliþe,
Þat y wold wel fain;
Haþerof, go in to þe erber swiþe
Line 1012
& geder paruink & iue,
Greses þat ben of main.
Certeynli, as y ȝou say,
Horn is in þis halle to day;
Line 1016
Y wende he hadde ben slain:
Moioun king schal neuer spede,
For to haue mi maiden hede,
Now Horn is comen oȝain.'
Line 1020
'Haþerof, go in to halle & se:
In seli pouer wede is he,
Y pray þe knowe him riȝt:
Say him, treuþe pliȝt er we,'
Line 1024
'Bid him,' sche seyd, 'as he is fre,
Hold þat he bi hiȝt;
Bidd him go & me abide
Riȝt vnder ȝon wode side,
Line 1028
As he is trewe kniȝt;
When al þis folk is gon to play,
He & y schal stele oway,
Bitvene þe day & þe niȝt.'
Line 1032
Haþerof in to halle ȝode,
For to bihald þat frely fode,
Ful wele he knewe his viis;
Opon his fot hard he stode,
Line 1036
Horn þouȝt þe tokening gode;
Vp he gan to arise.
Forþ þai ȝede, þo kniȝtes bold;
Haþerof þe maidens erand told,
Line 1040
Of trewe loue Horn was wiis:
'Y schal com in to þe feld wiþ pride,
An hundred kniȝtes bi mi side,
Milke white is mi queintise.'
Line 1044
'Bot, haþerof, þou most me schawe,
Whar bi y schal Wikard knawe,
His buffeyt schal be bouȝt.'
'He haþ queintise white so snawe,
Line 1048
Wiþ foules blac as ani crawe, [folio 323b:1]
Wiþ silke werk it is wrouȝt.
Moioun queintise is ȝalu & wan, [is] was MS., correction by Ritson.]
Sett wiþ pekok & wiþ swan,
Line 1052
Þat he wiþ him haþ brouȝt;
Wikeles queintise is ȝalu & grene,
Floure de liis sett bi tvene,
Him for ȝete þou nouȝt.'
Line 1056
¶ Now if haþerof comen oȝain,
& seyd he haþ Horn sain,
& what folk he haþ brouȝt;
& after wisarmes he gan frain; [wisarmes] was armes MS., correction by Ritson.]
Line 1060
Was neuer Rimnild ere so fain
In hert no in þouȝt:
'Haþerof, go in to halle swiþe
& bid mi fader make him bliþe
Line 1064
& say icham sike nouȝt.
Wikard, þat is leue to smite,
Horn schal him his dettes quite,
To niȝt it schal be bouȝt.'
Line 1068
When þai hadde eten, þan were þai boun;
Wiþ spere oloft & gonfainoun,
Al armed were þo bold;
