¶ Exe Ronewenna, pulcra puella, quam Rex fforty|gerus desponsauit secundum legem Paganorum.
ffro chaumbre cam Ronewenne so gent,
Byfore þe kyng in halle scheo went;
A coupe wyþ wyn sche hadde in hande, [Lambeth folio 33a:2]
And hure atyr [hir hatir.] was wel farande;
Line 7564
Byfore þe kyng o knes sche hir sette,
In hure langage ful faire him grette:
" Wassayl, my lord! wassail!" [Lauerid king/ wassaill.] seyd sche. [Wassail.]
Þen asked þe kyng what þat myght [þe king askid what suld.] be:
Line 7568
On þat langage þe kyng ne couþe,
Bot a knygh[t] þat speche had lered [langage lerid.] in ȝouþe—
Breyþ [Breȝ.] [Petyt folio 45b:1] highte þat knyght, y-born Bretoun,
Þat wel spak langage of Saxoun. [þat lerid þe langage of sessoun.]
Line 7572
Þys Breþ was þe kynges latynier; [Breȝ was þe latinier.] —
& what scheo seyde, teldyt ffortyger: [told Vortager.]
" Sire," Breþ seyde, " Ronewenne ȝow gretes,
" And kyng calles, & lord ȝow letes;
Line 7576
" Þys ys þer custume & þer gest,
" Whan they arn at þer [ale or] [are at þe ale or.] fest,
" Ilk man þat loues, þer hym best þynk [louis qware him þink.]
" Schal sey 'wassail,' & to hym drynk;
Line 7580
" He þat haldes schal sey [bidis sall say.] 'wassayl,'
" Þat oþer schal seye ageyn 'drynk hayl';
" Þat seys [wassayl] drynkes [sais wosseill drinkis.] of þe coppe;
" Kissing his felawe, he gyueþ [Kissand his felaw he giues.] hit vppe;
Line 7584
" 'Drynk hail,' he seyþ, & drynkeþ [drinks.] þer-of,
" Kyssyng [kissand.] hym in bourde & scof."
