Vor þe Admiral hadde such a wune, Ehc moretid þer moste cume Tuo maidenes wiþ muchel hon{ur} Into þe heȝeste Tur, 560 Þ{a}t were feire {and} suþe hende, Þ{a}t on his heued for to kembe, Þ{a}t [oþer] bringe towaille {and} bacin, For to wasse his honden in. 564 [Sidenote: but especially often, Claris and Blauncheflur.] Þat day þey s{er}uyd him feire; Anoþer day com{e} another peire; 848 But most were wonyd into þe Toure, Clarys and Blauncheflo{ur}. Swiche him s{er}ueþ a day so faire; Amoreȝe moste anoþ{er} peire. Ac mest were iwuned in to þe tur Maide Clariz {and} blau{n}cheflur. 568 . . . . wel hire mote bi tide . . . . . amorewe tide . . . . . ed blanche flur . . . . hire in to þan to{u}r . . . . ich am cominge . . . . . was slepinge [Headnote: _Claris invents an excuse for Blauncheflur’s absence._] [Sidenote: The next morning Claris calls Blauncheflur, but she falls asleep again.] Clarys com{e} þenne aloon~: Þe Amyral asked a-noon~, 852 [_No gap in MS._] “Where is Blauncheflo{ur} so free? Why comeþ she not heder w{i}t{h} þe?” Clarice, ioie mote hire bitide, Aros vp in þe moreȝentide, And haþ icluped blau{n}cheflur To go wiþ hire in to þe tur. 572 Q{ua}þ blau{n}cheflur, “ihc am cominge.” Ac heo hit sede al slepinge. Clariz co{m} i{n} to þe Tur; Þe Admiral axede blau{n}cheflur. 576 . . . . . . ane wine . . . . . . . . come . . . . of herd . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [Sidenote: [_leaf 8, col. 2_]] . . . . . . . . . . . Þe amiral askede blanche[flur] [Sidenote: Claris invents an ingenious excuse for her.] “Sir,” she seide anoon~ ryȝt, “She haþ wakyd al þis nyȝt, 856 And y-cryde and y-loke And y-redde on hur booke, And y-bede to god her orysou{n} Þat he geue þe his benysou{n}, 860 And þat he holde long~ þy lyf~; And now þe mayde slepeþ swyth; She slepeþ so fast, þ{a}t mayde swete, Þat she may not com ȝete.” 864 “Sire, Alniȝt heo set at hire boke, And haþ þ{er}on irad {and} loke, And þ{er}on ibede hire oresun, Þ{a}t god, þ{a}t þolede passiun, 580 Þe holde, sire, longe aliue; And nu heo is asleped suiþe, [_No gap in MS._] Þ{a}t heo ne mai come to þe.”