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And so bifel it, that this king Arthour Hadde in his hous a lusty bacheler, That on a day cam rydinge fro river; And happed that, allone as she was born, He saugh a mayde walkinge him biforn, Of whiche mayde anon, maugree hir heed, By verray force he rafte hir maydenheed; For which oppressioun was swich clamour And swich pursute unto the king Arthour, That dampned was this knight for to be deed By cours of lawe, and sholde han lost his heed Paraventure, swich was the statut tho; But that the quene and othere ladies mo So longe preyeden the king of grace, Til he his lyf him graunted in the place, And yaf him to the quene al at hir wille, To chese, whether she wolde him save or spille. And so bifel it, that this king Arthour Hadde in his hous a lusty bacheler, That on a day cam rydinge fro river; And happed that, allone as she was born, He saugh a mayde walkinge him biforn, Of whiche mayde anon, maugree hir heed, By verray force he rafte hir maydenheed; For which oppressioun was swich clamour And swich pursute unto the king Arthour, That dampned was this knight for to be deed By cours of lawe, and sholde han lost his heed Paraventure, swich was the statut tho; But that the quene and othere ladies mo So longe preyeden the king of grace, Til he his lyf him graunted in the place, And yaf him to the quene al at hir wille, To chese, whether she wolde him save or spille.
The quene thanketh the king with al hir might, And after this thus spak she to the knight, Whan that she saugh hir tyme, upon a day: ‘Thou standest yet,’ quod she, ‘in swich array, That of thy lyf yet hastow no suretee. I grante thee lyf, if thou canst tellen me What thing is it that wommen most desyren? Be war, and keep thy nekke-boon from yren. And if thou canst nat tellen it anon, Yet wol I yeve thee leve for to gon A twelf-month and a day, to seche and lere An answere suffisant in this matere. And suretee wol I han, er that thou pace, Thy body for to yelden in this place.’ The quene thanketh the king with al hir might, And after this thus spak she to the knight, Whan that she saugh hir tyme, upon a day: ‘Thou standest yet,’ quod she, ‘in swich array, That of thy lyf yet hastow no suretee. I grante thee lyf, if thou canst tellen me What thing is it that wommen most desyren? Be war, and keep thy nekke-boon from yren. And if thou canst nat tellen it anon, Yet wol I yeve thee leve for to gon A twelf-month and a day, to seche and lere An answere suffisant in this matere. And suretee wol I han, er that thou pace, Thy body for to yelden in this place.’

Original Text

Modern Text

And so bifel it, that this king Arthour Hadde in his hous a lusty bacheler, That on a day cam rydinge fro river; And happed that, allone as she was born, He saugh a mayde walkinge him biforn, Of whiche mayde anon, maugree hir heed, By verray force he rafte hir maydenheed; For which oppressioun was swich clamour And swich pursute unto the king Arthour, That dampned was this knight for to be deed By cours of lawe, and sholde han lost his heed Paraventure, swich was the statut tho; But that the quene and othere ladies mo So longe preyeden the king of grace, Til he his lyf him graunted in the place, And yaf him to the quene al at hir wille, To chese, whether she wolde him save or spille. And so bifel it, that this king Arthour Hadde in his hous a lusty bacheler, That on a day cam rydinge fro river; And happed that, allone as she was born, He saugh a mayde walkinge him biforn, Of whiche mayde anon, maugree hir heed, By verray force he rafte hir maydenheed; For which oppressioun was swich clamour And swich pursute unto the king Arthour, That dampned was this knight for to be deed By cours of lawe, and sholde han lost his heed Paraventure, swich was the statut tho; But that the quene and othere ladies mo So longe preyeden the king of grace, Til he his lyf him graunted in the place, And yaf him to the quene al at hir wille, To chese, whether she wolde him save or spille.
The quene thanketh the king with al hir might, And after this thus spak she to the knight, Whan that she saugh hir tyme, upon a day: ‘Thou standest yet,’ quod she, ‘in swich array, That of thy lyf yet hastow no suretee. I grante thee lyf, if thou canst tellen me What thing is it that wommen most desyren? Be war, and keep thy nekke-boon from yren. And if thou canst nat tellen it anon, Yet wol I yeve thee leve for to gon A twelf-month and a day, to seche and lere An answere suffisant in this matere. And suretee wol I han, er that thou pace, Thy body for to yelden in this place.’ The quene thanketh the king with al hir might, And after this thus spak she to the knight, Whan that she saugh hir tyme, upon a day: ‘Thou standest yet,’ quod she, ‘in swich array, That of thy lyf yet hastow no suretee. I grante thee lyf, if thou canst tellen me What thing is it that wommen most desyren? Be war, and keep thy nekke-boon from yren. And if thou canst nat tellen it anon, Yet wol I yeve thee leve for to gon A twelf-month and a day, to seche and lere An answere suffisant in this matere. And suretee wol I han, er that thou pace, Thy body for to yelden in this place.’