(_only_) wolde. 705. oure; neuere. F. take (!); _rest_ ake. II. THE LEGEND OF THISBE OF BABYLON. INCIPIT LEGENDA TESBE BABILONIE, MARTIRIS. At Babiloine whylom fil it thus, The whiche toun the queen Semiramus Leet dichen al about, and walles make Ful hye, of harde tyles wel y-bake. Ther weren dwellinge in this noble toun 710 Two lordes, which that were of greet renoun, And woneden so nigh, upon a grene, That ther nas but a stoon-wal hem bitwene, As ofte in grete tounes is the wone. And sooth to seyn, that o man hadde a sone, 715 Of al that londe oon of the lustieste. (11) That other hadde a doghter, the faireste, That estward in the world was tho dwellinge. The name of everich gan to other springe By wommen, that were neighebores aboute. 720 For in that contree yit, withouten doute, Maidens been y-kept, for Ielosye, Ful streite, lest they diden som folye. This yonge man was cleped Piramus, And Tisbe hight the maid, Naso seith thus; 725 And thus by report was hir name y-shove (21) That, as they wexe in age, wex hir love; And certein, as by reson of hir age, Ther mighte have been bitwix hem mariage, But that hir fadres nolde hit nat assente; 730 And bothe in love y-lyke sore they brente, That noon of alle hir frendes mighte hit lette But prively somtyme yit they mette By sleighte, and speken som of hir desyr; As, wry the gleed, and hotter is the fyr; 735 Forbede a love, and it is ten so wood. (31) This wal, which that bitwix hem bothe stood, Was cloven a-two, right fro the toppe adoun, Of olde tyme of his fundacioun; But yit this clifte was so narwe and lyte, 740 It as nat sene, dere y-nogh a myte. But what is that, that love can nat espye? Ye lovers two, if that I shal nat lye, Ye founden first this litel narwe clifte; And, with a soun as softe as any shrifte, 745 They lete hir wordes through the clifte pace, (41) And tolden, whyl that they stode in the place, Al hir compleynt of love, and al hir wo, At every tyme whan they dorste so. Upon that o syde of the wal stood he, 750 And on that other syde stood Tisbe, The swote soun of other to receyve, And thus hir wardeins wolde they deceyve. And every day this wal they wolde threte, And wisshe to god, that it were doun y-bete. 755 Thus wolde they seyn--'allas! thou wikked wal, (51) Through thyn envye thou us lettest al! Why nilt thou cleve, or fallen al a-two? Or, at the leste, but thou woldest so, Yit woldestow but ones lete us mete, 760