"Thou art come hither for some traine,[77] I conjure thee to go againe Where thou wast wont to dwell." He sayned[78] him with crosse and creede, Took forth a book, began to reade In St. John his gospell. The sew she would not Latin heare, But rudely rushed at the frear, That blinked all his blee;[79] And when she would have taken her hold, The fryer leaped as Jesus[80] wold, And bealed him[81] with a tree. She was as brim as any beare, For all their meete to labour there,[82] To them it was no boote: Upon trees and bushes that by her stood, She ranged as she was wood,[83] And rave them up by roote. He sayd, "Alas, that I was frear! And I shall be rugged[84] in sunder here, Hard is my destinie! Wist my brethren in this houre, That I was sett in such a stoure,[85] They would pray for me." This wicked beast that wrought this woe, Tooke that rape from the other two, And then they fled all three; They fled away by Watling-street, They had no succour but their feet, It was the more pity. The feild it was both lost and wonne,[86] The sew went hame, and that full soone, To Morton[87] on the greene; When Ralph of Rokeby saw the rape,[88] He wist that there had been debate, Whereat the sew had beene. He bade them stand out of her way, For she had had a sudden fray,-- "I saw never sew so keene; Some new things shall we heare, Of her and Middleton the frear, Some battell hath there beene." But all that served him for nought. Had they not better succour sought, They were served therefore loe. Then Mistress Rokeby[89] came anon, And for her brought shee meate full soone, The sew came her unto. She gyve her meate upon the flower, * * * *[90] [_Hiatus valde deflendus._] When fryer Middleton came home, His brethren was full fain ilkone,[91] And thanked God for his life; He told them all unto the end, How he had foughten with a fiend, And lived through mickle strife. "We gave her battell half a day, And sithin[92] was fain to fly away, For saving of our life;[93] And Peter Dale would never blinn,[94] But as fast as he could ryn,[95] Till he came to his wife." The warden said, "I am full of woe, That ever ye should be torment so, But wee with you had beene! Had wee been there your brethren all, Wee should have garred the warle[96] fall, That wrought you all this teyne."[97] Fryer Middleton said soon, "Nay, In faith you would have fled away, When most mister[98] had beene; You will all speake words at hame, A man would ding you every ilk ane,[99] And if it be as I weine." He look't so griesly all that night, The warden said, "Yon man will fight If you say aught but good; Yon guest[100] hath grieved him so sare, Hold your tongues, and speake noe mare, He looks as he were woode."