Wiþ-outen þeos foure wiþ worschipe
Mai no kyng lede gret lordschipe.
Þis kyng, as þou herdest ar þis,
Hedde a þral þat dude amis,
Line 308
Þat for his gult strong and gret
Wiþ his lord was so I-vet, [= i-fed, odiosus? Fr.: Ke ver son seignur ot fet]
Þat þorw be-siht of riht dom
To strong prison was I-don
Line 312
And bi-taken to alle his fon,
Þat sore him pyneden euerichon;
Þat of no þing heo nedden onde [Fr. envie (forced meaning)]
Bote him to habben vnder honde;
Line 316
Heo him duden in prisun of deþ,
And pyneden him sore wiþ-outen meþ.
De misericordia.
MErci þat a-non I-seiȝ;
Hit eode hire herte swiþe neih,
Line 320
Ne mai hire no þing lengore holde,
By-foren þe kyng comen heo wolde
To schewen forþ hire Resoun
And to dilyuere þe prisoun.
Line 324
"Vnderstond," quaþ heo, "ffader myn!
Þow wost þat I am douȝter þyn,
And am ful of Boxumnes,
Of Milce and of Swetnes,
Line 328
And al Ich habbe, ffader, of þe.
I beo-seche þat þou here me,
Þat þe [sorful] [so H.; Fr. dolent] wrecche prisoun
Mote come to sum Raunsum
Line 332
Þat a-Midden alle his fon
In strong prison [þou] hast I-don.
Heo him made agulte, þulke vnwreste,
And bi-swikede him þorw heor feire beheste,
Line 336
And seiden him ȝif he wolde þe Appel ete,
Þat whon he hedde al I-ete, [H. And Goddis lawes forleten]
He scholde habbe al þe miht of gode
Line 339
Of þe treo þat him was forbode; [vv. 337-340 added to the Fr.]
And be-gylen [Sim. begilede; H. lyed] him þerof, and heo [om. in H.] luytel rouȝten—
ffor falshede euerȝite heo souhten.
