¶ Of hem hii token marchauns þre
Þat noble were, curteis, & fre,
Wiþoute more duelling:
Þai toke þat child, veraiment,
And made þerwiþ a present
Line 5
To Arguus þe king.
Þe king hadde a douȝter fair:
Of al Aufrik ȝhe was air,
A swiþe fair ȝonling.
Meche ȝhe kouþe of menstralcie,
Line 10
Of harpe, of fiþele, of sautri,
Of romaunce reding.
¶ So was Reynbroun, for soþ to say,
Meche liche þat faire may
Of semlaunt and of chere.
Besouȝt ȝhe haþ be hir moder rede,
& to hire fader king ȝhe sede,
Line 5
'Leue, fader dere,
Y mote him in me chaumber norsy:
Ȝet a may me seruy;
Norture y schel him lere.'
Þe king him graunted þourȝ alle þing,
Line 10
For he hire louede wiþ-oute lesing,
To ben hire plaie-fere.
Whan sire Heraud parseued was [folio 168a:b]
Þe child was stole, for þat cas
Gret sorwe he gan make. [C line 8497]
He let seche him in þat cite:
Mani man made gret pite
Line 5
For þat childes sake.
Wiþ mesagers a sente is sonde
To seche him in mani londe
Ȝif hii him miȝte of-take;
&, whan hii him finde ne miȝte,
Line 10
Sorwe hii made day & niȝte:
For drede þai gonne quake.
