With humble herte and to him calle, And seide: ‘O goode fader diere, Why make ye thus hevy chiere, And I wot nothing how it is? And wel ye knowen, fader, this, 3150 What aventure that you felle Ye myhte it saufly to me telle, For I have ofte herd you seid, That ye such trust have on me leid, That to my soster ne my brother,[505] In al this world ne to non other, Ye dorste telle a privite So wel, my fader, as to me. Forthi, my fader, I you preie, Ne casteth noght that herte aweie, 3160 [Sidenote: =P. i. 149=] For I am sche that wolde kepe Youre honour.’ And with that to wepe Hire yhe mai noght be forbore, Sche wissheth forto ben unbore, Er that hire fader so mistriste To tellen hire of that he wiste: And evere among merci sche cride, That he ne scholde his conseil hide From hire that so wolde him good And was so nyh his fleissh and blod. 3170 So that with wepinge ate laste His chiere upon his child he caste, And sorwfulli to that sche preide He tolde his tale and thus he seide: ‘The sorwe, dowhter, which I make Is noght al only for my sake, Bot for thee bothe and for you alle: For such a chance is me befalle, That I schal er this thridde day Lese al that evere I lese may, 3180 Mi lif and al my good therto: Therfore it is I sorwe so.’ ‘What is the cause, helas!’ quod sche,[506] ‘Mi fader, that ye scholden be Ded and destruid in such a wise?’[507] And he began the pointz devise, Whiche as the king told him be mowthe,[508] And seid hir pleinly that he cowthe[509] Ansuere unto no point of this. And sche, that hiereth how it is, 3190 [Sidenote: =P. i. 150=] Hire conseil yaf and seide tho: ‘Mi fader, sithen it is so, That ye can se non other weie, Bot that ye moste nedes deie, I wolde preie of you a thing:[510] Let me go with you to the king, And ye schull make him understonde How ye, my wittes forto fonde, Have leid your ansuere upon me; And telleth him, in such degre 3200 Upon my word ye wole abide[511] To lif or deth, what so betide. For yit par chaunce I may pourchace With som good word the kinges grace, Your lif and ek your good to save; For ofte schal a womman have Thing which a man mai noght areche.’ The fader herde his dowhter speche, And thoghte ther was resoun inne,[512] And sih his oghne lif to winne 3210 He cowthe don himself no cure; So betre him thoghte in aventure To put his lif and al his good, Than in the maner as it stod His lif in certein forto lese. And thus thenkende he gan to chese To do the conseil of this Maide, And tok the pourpos which sche saide.