XX

Delyt me drof in yȝe & ere,
My maneȝ mynde to maddyng malte;
Quen I seȝ my frely I wolde be þere,
Byȝonde þe water, þaȝ ho were walte,
I þoȝt þat no þyng myȝt me dere
To fech me bur & take me halte;
& to start in þe strem schulde non me stere,
To swymme þe remnaunt, þaȝ I þer swalte,
Bot of þat munt I watȝ bi-talt;
When I schulde start in þe strem astraye,
Out of þat caste I watȝ by-calt;
Hit watȝ not at my prynceȝ paye,

Hit payed hym not þat I so flonc,
Ouer meruelous mereȝ so mad arayde,
Of raas þaȝ I were rasch & ronk,
Ȝet rapely þer-inne I watȝ restayed;
For ryȝt as I sparred vn-to þe bonc,
Þat brathe out of my drem me brayde;
Þen wakned I in þat erber wlonk,
My hede vpon þat hylle watȝ layde,
Þer as my perle to grounde strayd;
I raxled & fel in gret affray,
& sykyng to my self I sayd:
“Now al be to þat prynceȝ paye.”

Me payed ful ille to be out-fleme,
So sodenly of þat fayre regioun,
Fro alle þo syȝteȝ so quykeȝ & queme.
A longeyng heuy me strok in swone,
& rewfully þenne I con to reme;
“O perle,” quod I, “of rych renoun,
So watȝ hit me dere þat þou con deme,
In þys veray avysyoun;
If hit be ueray & soth sermoun,
Þat þou so stykeȝ in garlande gay,
So wel is me in þys doel doungoun,
Þat þou art to þat prynseȝ paye.”

To þat prynceȝ paye hade I ay bente,
& ȝerned no more þen watȝ me geuen,
& halden me þer in trwe entent,
As þe perle me prayed þat watȝ so þryuen,
As helde drawen to goddeȝ present,
To mo of his mysterys I hade ben dryuen.
Bot ay wolde man of happe more hente
Þen moȝten by ryȝt vpon hem clyuen;
Þer-fore my ioye watȝ sone to-riuen,
& I kaste of kytheȝ þat lasteȝ aye.
Lorde! mad hit arn þat agayn þe stryuen,
Oþer proferen þe oȝt agayn þy paye;

To pay þe prince oþer sete saȝte,
Hit is ful eþe to þe god krystyin;
For I haf founden hym boþe day & naȝte,
A god, a lorde, a frende ful fyin.
Ouer þis hyl þis lote I laȝte,
For pyty of my perle enclyin,
& syþen to god I hit by-taȝte,
In krysteȝ dere blessyng & myn,
Þat in þe forme of bred & wyn,
Þe preste vus scheweȝ vch a daye;
He gef vus to be his homly hyne,
Ande precious perleȝ vnto his pay. Amen. Amen.