Þo þe Admiral, þeȝ he wroþ were, Þ{er} he chau{n}gede his chere. 740 For he seȝ þ{a}t eyþ{er} wolde for oþ{er} deie, And for he seȝ mani wepinde eie, And for he luuede so muche þ{a}t mai, Al wepinge he t{ur}nde away. 744 His swerd fel of his hond to gru{n}de; Ne miȝte he hit holde þulke stu{n}de. [Sidenote: The earl with the ring speaks for the children.] “Sir,” he seide, “it is lytel prys, 1028 Þese Children for to slee y-wys; And it is wel more worship, Florys counsel þ{a}t ȝe weete, Who him tauȝt þ{a}t ilke gynne, 1032 Þy toure for to com{e} ynne, And who him brouȝt þare, And other, þ{a}t ȝe may be ware.” Þe duc þ{a}t here ring hadde, For he{m} to speke wille he hadde. 748 “++Sire Admiral,” he sede, “iwis Hit is þe wel litel pris Þis feire childre{n} for to quelle. Ac bet{er}e hit is þ{a}t hi þe telle 752 Hu he com in to þi tur, To ligge þ{er} bi blau{n}cheflur. His engin whan þu hit wite, Þe bet{er}e wiþ oþ{er}e þu miȝt þe wite.” 756 Þan seide þe Amyral, “as god me saue, 1036 Florys shal his lyf~ haue, Ȝif~ he me telle who him tauȝt þ{er}to, Of Florys, þat shal y neuer doo.” Alle þ{a}t herde wordes his, Bisecheþ þ{a}t he g{ra}nti þis. He het hi{m} telle his engin, Hu he to blau{n}cheflur co{m} in, 760 And to hi{m} radde {and} help þarto. [Headnote: _Floris tells his story._] [Sidenote: Floris refuses to tell how he gained entry to the tower until pardon has been promised the porter.] Now þey bydden al y-wys 1040 Þ{a}t þe Admyral g{ra}unted þis, To forȝeue þ{a}t trespas Ȝif~ Florys told how it was. “Þ{a}t,” q{ua}þ he, “nelle ihc neure do, For þing þ{a}t me mai me do, Bute hit he{m} beo forȝiue also.” 764 Alle þoþ{er}e bisecheþ þis, And of þe Admiral ig{ra}nted is. [Sidenote: He then tells his story.] [Sidenote: [111 _a_]] Now eu{er}y word~ he haþ him tolde, 1044 How þ{a}t maide was for him solde, And how he was of~ spayn~ a kynges sone, For grete loue þeder y-com{e}, For to fonde, w{i}t{h} sum gynne, 1048 Þat feire maide for to wynne, And how þe porter was his man by-com{e}, For his gold and for his warysoun~, And how he was in þe Florys born{e}. 1052 Alle þe lordinges lowȝ þ{er}forn{e}: