Among the wild dere, such an archere, As men say that ye be, Ne may not fail of good vitayle, Where is so great plenty: And water clear of the ryvere Shall be full sweet to me; With which in hele I shall right wele Endure, as ye shall see; And, or we go, a bed or two I can provide anone; For, in my mind, of all mankind I love but you alone. HE Lo! yet, before, ye must do more, If ye will go with me: As cut your hair up by your ear, Your kirtle by the knee; With bow in hand, for to withstand Your enemies, if need be: And this same night before day-light, To wood-ward will I flee. If that ye will all this fulfil, Do it shortly as ye can Else will I to the green wood go, Alone, a banished man. SHE I shall as now do more for you Than 'longeth to womanhede; To shorte my hair, a bow to bear, To shoot in time of need. O my sweet mother, before all other For you I have most drede: But now, adieu! I must ensue, Where fortune doth me lead. All this make ye: Now let us flee; The day cometh fast upon; For, in my mind, of all mankind I love but you alone. HE Nay, nay, not so; ye shall not go, And I shall tell ye why,-- Your appetite is to be light Of love, I wele espy: For, like as ye have said to me, In like wise hardely Ye would answere whosoever it were In way of company. It is said of old, Soon hot, soon cold And so is a woman. Wherefore I to the wood will go, Alone, a banished man. SHE If ye take heed, it is no need Such words to say by me; For oft ye prayed, and long assayed, Or I you loved, parde: And though that I of ancestry A baron's daughter be, Yet have you proved how I you loved A squire of low degree; And ever shall, whatso befall; To die therefore anone; For, in my mind, of all mankind I love but you alone. HE A baron's child to be beguiled! It were a cursed dede; To be felawe with an outlawe! Almighty God forbede! Yet better were, the poor squyere Alone to forest yede, Than ye should say another day, That, by my cursed dede, Ye were betrayed: Wherefore, good maid, The best rede that I can, Is, that I to the green wood go, Alone, a banished man. SHE Whatever befall, I never shall Of this thing you upbraid: But if ye go, and leave me so, Then have ye me betrayed. Remember you wele, how that ye dele; For, if ye, as ye said, Be so unkind, to leave behind, Your love, the Nut-brown Maid, Trust me truly, that I shall die Soon after ye be gone; For, in my mind, of all mankind I love but you alone. HE