And there he hoveth and abod, To wite what sche wolde mene. And sche began him to bemene, 1540 And seide: ‘Florent be thi name, Thou hast on honde such a game, That bot thou be the betre avised, Thi deth is schapen and devised, That al the world ne mai the save, Bot if that thou my conseil have.’ Florent, whan he this tale herde, Unto this olde wyht answerde And of hir conseil he hir preide. And sche ayein to him thus seide: 1550 ‘Florent, if I for the so schape, That thou thurgh me thi deth ascape And take worschipe of thi dede, What schal I have to my mede?’ ‘What thing,’ quod he, ‘that thou wolt axe.’[382] ‘I bidde nevere a betre taxe,’ Quod sche, ‘bot ferst, er thou be sped, Thou schalt me leve such a wedd, That I wol have thi trowthe in honde That thou schalt be myn housebonde.’ 1560 ‘Nay,’ seith Florent, ‘that may noght be.’ ‘Ryd thanne forth thi wey,’ quod sche, ‘And if thou go withoute red, Thou schalt be sekerliche ded.’ Florent behihte hire good ynowh Of lond, of rente, of park, of plowh, [Sidenote: =P. i. 95=] Bot al that compteth sche at noght. Tho fell this knyht in mochel thoght, Now goth he forth, now comth ayein, He wot noght what is best to sein, 1570 And thoghte, as he rod to and fro, That chese he mot on of the tuo, Or forto take hire to his wif[383] Or elles forto lese his lif. And thanne he caste his avantage, That sche was of so gret an age, That sche mai live bot a while, And thoghte put hire in an Ile,[384] Wher that noman hire scholde knowe, Til sche with deth were overthrowe. 1580 And thus this yonge lusti knyht Unto this olde lothly wiht Tho seide: ‘If that non other chance Mai make my deliverance, Bot only thilke same speche Which, as thou seist, thou schalt me teche, Have hier myn hond, I schal thee wedde.’ And thus his trowthe he leith to wedde. With that sche frounceth up the browe: ‘This covenant I wol allowe,’ 1590 Sche seith: ‘if eny other thing Bot that thou hast of my techyng Fro deth thi body mai respite, I woll thee of thi trowthe acquite, And elles be non other weie. Now herkne me what I schal seie. [Sidenote: =P. i. 96=] Whan thou art come into the place, Wher now thei maken gret manace And upon thi comynge abyde, Thei wole anon the same tide 1600 Oppose thee of thin answere. I wot thou wolt nothing forbere Of that thou wenest be thi beste, And if thou myht so finde reste, Wel is, for thanne is ther nomore. And elles this schal be my lore, That thou schalt seie, upon this Molde That alle wommen lievest wolde Be soverein of mannes love: