Þo al þo þat þerin sete 575 Þat it was King Orfeo vnderȝete, And þe steward him wele knewe; Ouer and ouer þe bord he þrewe, And fel adoun to his fet; So dede euerich lord þat þer sete, 580 And al þai seyd at o criing: 'Ȝe beþ our lord, sir, and our king!' Glad þai were of his liue. To chaumber þai ladde him als biliue, And baþed him, and schaued his berd, 585 And tired him as a king apert. And seþþen wiþ gret processioun Þai brouȝt þe quen into þe toun, Wiþ al maner menstraci. Lord! þer was grete melody! 590 For ioie þai wepe wiþ her eiȝe Þat hem so sounde ycomen seiȝe. Now King Orfeo newe coround is, And his quen Dame Heurodis, And liued long afterward; 595 And seþþen was king þe steward. Harpours in Bretaine after þan Herd hou þis meruaile bigan, And made herof a lay of gode likeing, And nempned it after þe king; 600 Þat lay 'Orfeo' is yhote, Gode is þe lay, swete is þe note. Þus com Sir Orfeo out of his care. God graunt ous alle wele to fare. [Foot-note: ll. 1-24 _from Harl. 3810: om. MS._] [Foot-note: ll. 7-8 _follow_ ll. 9-10 _in Harl._] [Foot-note: 12 o loue] to lowe _Harl._] [Foot-note: 26 In Inglond] And in his tyme _Harl._] [Foot-note: 33-46 _from Harl. 3810: om. MS._] [Foot-note: 49-50 _om. Harl., Ashm._] [Foot-note: 51 Þe king] He _Harl._: And _Ashm._] [Foot-note: 82 reueysed] rauysed _Ashm._: reueyd _MS._: wode out _Harl._] [Foot-note: 230 no] ne _Ashm.: om. MS._] [Foot-note: 333 wreche] wroche _MS._] [Foot-note: 406 lef] liif _MS._] [Foot-note: 478 Winchester] Traciens _Ashm._: Crassens _Harl._] III MICHAEL OF NORTHGATE'S AYENBYTE OF INWYT A.D. 1340. Michael of Northgate was a monk of St. Augustine's, Canterbury. From a library catalogue of the monastery it appears that he was a lover of books, for he is named as the donor of twenty-five MSS., a considerable collection for those days. Their titles show a taste not merely for religious works, but for science—mathematics, chemistry, medicine, as they were known at the time. Four of these MSS. have been traced, and one of them, British Museum MS. Arundel 57, is Michael's autograph copy of the _Ayenbyte_. On folio 2 of the MS. are the words: _Þis boc is Dan Michelis of Northgate, ywrite an Englis of his oȝene hand, þet hatte 'Ayenbyte of Inwyt'; and is of the boc-house of Saynt Austines of Canterberi, mid þe lettres. CC._ 'CC.' is the press-mark given in the catalogue. A note at the end of the text shows that it was finished on October 27, 1340: _Ymende þet þis boc is uolueld ine þe eue of þe holy apostles Symon an Iudas_ [i.e. Oct. 27] _of ane broþer of the cloystre of Sauynt Austin of Canterberi, in the yeare of oure Lhordes beringe 1340._