King Horn, Floriz and Blauncheflur, The Assumption of Our Lady

English poetry -- Middle English, 1100-1500; Mary, Blessed Virgin, Saint -- Legends; Romances, English

[Sidenote: The earl with the ring steps forward and speaks in behalf of
the children.]

  Þat ilk{e} king~ þ{a}t þe ryng~ fond~,
  To Amyral he spake and round~,
  And wolde hem saue to þe lyf~,                        1000
  And told~ how for þe ryng~ þey gon~ stryf~.
  Þe Amyral lete hem ageyn~ clepe,
  For he wolde here hem speke,
  [Sidenote: [110 _b_]]
  And asked Florys what he heete:                       1004
  And he tolde him ful skeete:

    Þe duc þ{a}t þe ring fu{n}de,
    Com to þe Admiral {and} runde,                       716
    And al to gad{er}e he gan him schewe;
    Of þ{a}t þe children were biknewe.
    Þe Admiral let he{m} aȝe{n} clepe,
    For he wolde wiþ floriz speke.                       720

[Headnote: _The ‘Admiral’ is touched with pity._]

[Sidenote: Floris asks clemency for the maiden, and the maiden prays for
him.]

  “Sir,” he seide, “yf~ it were þy wylle,
  Þ{o}u ne getest not þ{a}t maide to spylle;
  But, good sir, quel þ{o}u me,                         1008
  And lete þ{a}t maide on lyue be.”
  [_No gap in MS._]
  Blauncheflo{ur} seide byne,
  “Þe gilt of~ oure dedes is moyne.”

    “++Sire,” q{ua}þ floriz, “forsoþ ihc telle,
    Þu noȝtest noȝt þ{a}t maide quelle.
    Of al þis gilt ihc am to wite;
    Ihc oȝte deie {and} he go quite.”                    724
    Q{ua}þ blau{n}cheflur, “aquel þu me,
    And let floriz aliue be.
    Ȝef hit n{er}e for mi luue,
    He n{er}e noȝt fram his londe icome.”                728

  Þe Admyral seide þoo                                  1012
  “I-wys ȝe shul dye boo.”
  His swerd he breide out of his sheeth,
  Þe Children to haue don{e} to deeth.
  Blaunchefloure put forþ hur swire,                    1016
  And Florys dide her agayn~ to tyre,
  And seide, “I am man; I shal byfore,
  W{i}t{h} wrong hast þ{o}u þy lyf loore.”
  Florys forth his swerd putte,                         1020
  And Blauncheflo{ur} agayn~ him tytte.

    Q{ua}þ þe Admiral, “so ihc mote go,
    Ȝe schulle deie togadere bo.
    Miself ihc wulle me awreke;
    Ne schulle ȝe neure go ne speke.”                    732
    Floriz forþ his nekke bed,
    And blau{n}cheflur wiþd{ra}ȝe hi{m} ȝet.
    Blau{n}cheflur bid forþ hire suere,
    And floriz aȝen hire gan tire.                       736
    Neiþ{er} ne miȝte þ{er}e þole
    Þ{a}t oþ{er} deide bifore.

[Sidenote: The Admiral is at length touched with pity.]

  Þe king~ seide, “dredry mot ȝe be,
  Þis rouþ by þis Children to see.”
  Þe king~ þat þe ryng~ hadde,                          1024
  For routh of~ hem sone he radde,
  And at þe Amyral wyl he spede,
  Þe Children fro þe deþ to lede.

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

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General

King Horn, Floriz and Blauncheflur, The Assumption of Our Lady

English poetry -- Middle English, 1100-1500; Mary, Blessed Virgin, Saint -- Legends; Romances, English

[Sidenote: The earl with the ring steps forward and speaks in behalf of
the children.]

  Þat ilk{e} king~ þ{a}t þe ryng~ fond~,
  To Amyral he spake and round~,
  And wolde hem saue to þe lyf~,                        1000
  And told~ how for þe ryng~ þey gon~ stryf~.
  Þe Amyral lete hem ageyn~ clepe,
  For he wolde here hem speke,
  [Sidenote: [110 _b_]]
  And asked Florys what he heete:                       1004
  And he tolde him ful skeete:

    Þe duc þ{a}t þe ring fu{n}de,
    Com to þe Admiral {and} runde,                       716
    And al to gad{er}e he gan him schewe;
    Of þ{a}t þe children were biknewe.
    Þe Admiral let he{m} aȝe{n} clepe,
    For he wolde wiþ floriz speke.                       720

[Headnote: _The ‘Admiral’ is touched with pity._]

[Sidenote: Floris asks clemency for the maiden, and the maiden prays for
him.]

  “Sir,” he seide, “yf~ it were þy wylle,
  Þ{o}u ne getest not þ{a}t maide to spylle;
  But, good sir, quel þ{o}u me,                         1008
  And lete þ{a}t maide on lyue be.”
  [_No gap in MS._]
  Blauncheflo{ur} seide byne,
  “Þe gilt of~ oure dedes is moyne.”

    “++Sire,” q{ua}þ floriz, “forsoþ ihc telle,
    Þu noȝtest noȝt þ{a}t maide quelle.
    Of al þis gilt ihc am to wite;
    Ihc oȝte deie {and} he go quite.”                    724
    Q{ua}þ blau{n}cheflur, “aquel þu me,
    And let floriz aliue be.
    Ȝef hit n{er}e for mi luue,
    He n{er}e noȝt fram his londe icome.”                728

  Þe Admyral seide þoo                                  1012
  “I-wys ȝe shul dye boo.”
  His swerd he breide out of his sheeth,
  Þe Children to haue don{e} to deeth.
  Blaunchefloure put forþ hur swire,                    1016
  And Florys dide her agayn~ to tyre,
  And seide, “I am man; I shal byfore,
  W{i}t{h} wrong hast þ{o}u þy lyf loore.”
  Florys forth his swerd putte,                         1020
  And Blauncheflo{ur} agayn~ him tytte.

    Q{ua}þ þe Admiral, “so ihc mote go,
    Ȝe schulle deie togadere bo.
    Miself ihc wulle me awreke;
    Ne schulle ȝe neure go ne speke.”                    732
    Floriz forþ his nekke bed,
    And blau{n}cheflur wiþd{ra}ȝe hi{m} ȝet.
    Blau{n}cheflur bid forþ hire suere,
    And floriz aȝen hire gan tire.                       736
    Neiþ{er} ne miȝte þ{er}e þole
    Þ{a}t oþ{er} deide bifore.

[Sidenote: The Admiral is at length touched with pity.]

  Þe king~ seide, “dredry mot ȝe be,
  Þis rouþ by þis Children to see.”
  Þe king~ þat þe ryng~ hadde,                          1024
  For routh of~ hem sone he radde,
  And at þe Amyral wyl he spede,
  Þe Children fro þe deþ to lede.

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

King Horn, Floriz and Blauncheflur, The Assumption of Our Lady

King Horn, Floriz and Blauncheflur, The Assumption of Our Lady

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