The kinges dowhter, which þis syh, ffor pure abaissht drowh hire adryh And hield hire clos vnder þe bowh, And let hem passen stille ynowh; ffor as hire þoghte in hire avis, To hem þat were of such a pris Sche was noght worþi axen þere, ffro when þei come or what þei were. Bot leuere þan þis worldes good Sche wolde haue wist hou þat it stod, And putte hire hed alitel oute; And as sche lokede hire aboute, Sche syh comende vnder þe linde A womman vp an hors behinde. The hors on which sche rod was blak, Al lene and galled on þe back, And haltede, as he were encluyed, Wherof þe womman was annvied; Thus was þe hors in sori plit, Bot for al þat a sterre whit Amiddes in þe front he hadde. Hir Sadel ek was wonder badde, In which þe wofull womman sat, And natheles þer was wiþ þat A riche bridel for þe nones Of gold and preciouse Stones. Hire cote was somdiel totore; Aboute hir middel twenty score Of horse haltres and wel mo Ther hyngen ate þo. Thus whan sche cam þe ladi nyh, Than tok sche betre hiede and syh This womman fair was of visage, ffreyssh, lusti, ȝong and of tendre age; And so þis ladi, þer sche stod, Beþoghte hire wel and vnderstod That þis, which com ridende þo, Tidinges couþe telle of þo, Which as sche sih tofore ryde, And putte hir forþ and preide abide, And seide, Ha, Suster, let me hiere, What ben þei, þat now riden hiere, And ben so richeliche arraied? This womman, which com so esmaied, Ansuerde wiþ ful softe speche, And seiþ, Ma Dame, I schal ȝou teche. These ar of þo þat whilom were Seruantz to loue, and trowþe beere, Ther as þei hadde here herte set. ffare wel, for I mai noght be let: Ma Dame, I go to mi seruise, So moste I haste in alle wise; fforþi, ma Dame, ȝif me leue, I mai noght longe wiþ ȝou leue. Ha, goode Soster, ȝit I preie, Tell me whi ȝe ben so beseie, And wiþ þese haltres þus begon. Ma Dame, whilom I was on That to mi fader hadde a king; Bot I was slow, and for no þing Me liste noght to loue obeie, And þat I now ful sore abeie. ffor I whilom no loue hadde, Min hors is now so fieble and badde, And al totore is myn arai; And euery ȝeer þis freisshe Maii These lusti ladis ryde aboute, And I mot nedes suie here route In þis manere as ȝe now se, And trusse here haltres forþ wiþ me, And am bot as here horse knaue. Non oþer office I ne haue, Hem þenkþ I am worþi nomore, ffor I was slow in loues lore, Whan I was able forto lere, And wolde noght þe tales hiere Of hem þat covþen loue teche. Now tell me þanne, I ȝov beseche, Wherof þat riche bridel serueþ. Wiþ þat hire chere awei sche swerueþ, And gan to wepe, and þus sche tolde: This bridel, which ȝe nov beholde So riche vpon myn horse hed,—