X

His sondes in-to sodamas watȝ sende in þat tyme,
In þat ilk euentyde, by aungels tweyne,
Meuand meuande mekely togeder as myry men ȝonge,
As loot in a loge dor lened hym alone,
In a porche of þat place pyȝt to þe ȝates,
Þat watȝ ryal & ryche, so watȝ þe renkes seluen.
As he stared in-to þe strete þer stout men played
He syȝe þer swey in asent swete men tweyne;
Bolde burneȝ wer þay boþe with berdles chynneȝ,
Royl rollande fax to raw sylk lyke,
Of ble as þe brere flour where-so þe bare scheweed,
Ful clene watȝ þe countenaunce of her cler yȝen;
Wlonk whit watȝ her wede & wel hit hem semed.
Of alle fetureȝ ful fyn & fautleȝ boþe;
Watȝ non autly in ouþer, for aungels hit wern,
& þat þe ȝep vnder-ȝede þat in þe ȝate sytteȝ.
He ros vp ful radly & ran hem to mete
& loȝe he louteȝ hem to, loth, to þe grounde,
& syþen soberly [satȝ] “syreȝ I yow by-seche,
Þat ȝe wolde lyȝt at my loge & lenge þer-inne,
Comeȝ to your knaues kote I craue at þis oneȝ;
I schal fette yow a fatte your fette forto wasche;
I norne yow bot for on nyȝt neȝe me to lenge,
& in þe myry mornyng ȝe may your waye take.”
& þay nay þat þay nolde neȝ no howseȝ,
Bot stylly þer in þe strete as þay stadde wern,
Þay wolde lenge þe long naȝt & logge þer-oute;
Hit watȝ hous innoȝe to hem þe heuen vpon lofte.
Loth laþed so longe wyth luflych wordeȝ,
Þat þay hym graunted to go & gruȝt no lenger.
Þe bolde to his byggyng bryngeȝ hem bylyue,
Þat ryally [watȝ] arayed, for he watȝ ryche euer.
Þe wyȝeȝ wern welcom as þe wyf couþe,
His two dere doȝtereȝ deuoutly hem haylsed,
Þat wer maydeneȝ ful meke, maryed not ȝet,
& þay wer semly & swete, & swyþe wel arayed.
Loth þenne ful lyȝtly lokeȝ hym aboute,
& his men amonestes mete forto dyȝt,
Bot þenkkeȝ on hit be þrefte what þynk so ȝe make,
For wyth no sour ne no salt serueȝ hym neuer.
Bot ȝet I wene þat þe wyf hit wroth to dyspyt,
& sayde softely to hir self “þis vn-sauere hyne
Loueȝ no salt in her sauce ȝet hit no skyl were
Þat oþer burne be boute þaȝ boþe be nyse.”
Þenne ho sauereȝ with salt her seueȝ vchone
Agayne þe bone of þe burne þat hit forboden hade,
& als ho scelt hem in scorne þat wel her skyl knewen.
Why watȝ ho wrech so wod, ho wrathed oure lorde!
Þenne seten þay at þe soper, wern serued by-lyue,
Þe gestes gay & ful glad, of glam debonere,
Welawynnely wlonk tyl þay waschen hade,
Þe trestes tylt to þe woȝe & þe table boþe.
Fro þe seggeȝ haden souped & seten bot a whyle,
Er euer þay bosked to bedde þe borȝ watȝ al vp;
Alle þat weppen myȝt welde, þe wakker & þe stronger,
To vmbe-lyȝe lotheȝ hous þe ledeȝ to take,
In grete flokkeȝ of folk, þay fallen to his ȝateȝ,
As a scowte-wach scarred, so þe asscry rysed;
With kene clobbeȝ of þat clos þay clatȝ on þe woweȝ,
& wyth a schrylle scharp schout þay schewe þyse worde:
“If þou louyeȝ þy lyf loth in þyse woneȝ
Ȝete vus out þose ȝong men þat ȝore-whyle here entred,
Þat we may lere hym of lof, as oure lyst biddeȝ,
As is þe asyse of Sodomas to seggeȝ þat passen.”
Whatt! þay sputen & speken of so spitous fylþe,
What! þay ȝeȝed & ȝolped of ȝestande sorȝe,
Þat ȝet þe wynd, & þe weder, & þe worlde stynkes
Of þe brych þat vp-braydeȝ þose broþelych wordeȝ.
Þe god man glyfte with þat glam & gloped for noyse,
So scharpe schame to hym schot, he schrank at þe hert,
For he knew þe costoum þat kyþed þose wrecheȝ,
He doted neuer for no doel so depe in his mynde.
Allas! sayd hym þenne loth, & lyȝtly he ryseȝ
& boweȝ forth fro þe bench in-to þe brode ȝates.
What! he wonded no woþe of wekked knaueȝ,
Þat he ne passed þe port þe peril to abide.
He went forthe at þe wyket & waft hit hym after,
Þat a clyket hit cleȝt clos hym byhynde.
Þenne he meled to þo men mesurable wordeȝ,
For harloteȝ with his hendelayk he hoped to chast;
“Oo! my frendeȝ so fre, your fare is to strange,
Dotȝ away your derf dyn & dereȝ neuer my gestes,
Avoy! hit is your vylaynye, ȝe vylen your seluen;
& ȝe ar iolyf gentylmen your iapes ar ille.
Bot I schal kenne yow by kynde a crafte þat is better;
I haf a tresor in my telde of tow my fayre deȝter,
Þat ar maydeneȝ vnmard for alle men ȝette;
In sodamas, þaȝ I hit say, non semloker burdes,
Hit arn ronk, hit arn rype & redy to manne;
To samen wyth þo semly þe solace is better,
I schal biteche yow þo two þat tayt arn & quoynt,
& laykeȝ wyth hem as yow lyst & leteȝ my gestes one.”
Þenne þe rebaudeȝ so ronk rerd such a noyse,
Þat aȝly hurled in his ereȝ her harloteȝ speche;
“Wost þou not wel þat þou woneȝ here a wyȝe strange,
An out-comlyng, a carle, we kylle of þyn heued.
Who Ioyned þe be iostyse oure iapeȝ to blame,
Þat com a boy to þis borȝ, þaȝ þou be burne ryche?”
Þus þay þrobled & þrong & þrwe vmbe his ereȝ,
& distresed hym wonder strayt, with strenkþe in þe prece,
Bot þat þe ȝonge men, so ȝepe, ȝornen þer-oute,
Wapped vpon þe wyket & wonnen hem tylle,
& by þe hondeȝ hym hent & horyed hym with-inne,
& steken þe ȝates ston-harde wyth stalworth barreȝ.
Þay blwe a boffet in blande þat banned peple,
Þat þay blustered as blynde as bayard watȝ euer;
Þay lest of loteȝ logging any lysoun to fynde,
Bot nyteled þer alle þe nyȝt for noȝt at þe last;
Þenne vch tolke tyȝt hem þat hade of tayt fayled,
& vchon roþeled to þe rest þat he reche moȝt;
Bot þay wern wakned al wrank þat þer in won lenged,
Of on þe vglokest vnhap þat euer on erd suffred.