ffor I stood in fful gret dred, [Stowe folio 241a]
Lyk a bryd that kan no Red,
Wych, in hyr gret mortal ffer,
Loketh her, and loketh ther,
Line 13680
And for dred begynneth quake,
Whan she ys in the panter take,
Or engluyd with bryd-lym,
Al hyr ffethrys fful off slym,
Line 13684
Or vnwarly, in heth or holt,
Ys y-slayn with arwe or bolt,
Whil she ys besy to escape,
The ffoulere kan hyr so be-Iape.
Line 13688
Ryght so fferd I, al out off Ioynt,
Brouht vn-to the samë poynt;
But 'who that wyl nat whan he may,
He ys a fool, (yt ys no nay,)
Line 13692
And he ne shal nat whan he wolde.'
ffor whyl I stood and gan be-holde
Now her now ther, and for ffer shake,
Vnwarly, by the ffeet ytake,
Line 13696
I was bounden, and forth lad,
That for fer I was nyh mad,
And knew nat what was best to do;
But, amyd off al my wo,
Line 13700
I sawh a wekke, [[Vekke St.]] Old and hydous,
Off look and cher ryht monstrous, [folio 208b]
Pyled and seynt as any kaat, [[C. & St.]]
And moosy [[mosy St.]] heryd as a raat. [[6 lines blank in MS. for an Illumination.]]
Line 13704
And thys wekke [[Vekke St.]] (as I was war) [Stowe folio 241b]
Vnder hyr Arm, an Ax she bar,
Lych a bocher that wyl slen
Grete bestys, and affter ffleen,
Line 13708
And sythen put hem to larder.
Lyk swych a womman was hyr cher;
ffor bestys at ther ffeet be-hynde,
With a corde she dydë bynde,
Line 13712
And cordys ek (as I was war)
Gret plente, on hyr Arm she bar,
And affter, with hyr ownë hond,
