Bot it was tho per chance falle, Into that pet was also falle[315] An Ape, which at thilke throwe, Whan that the corde cam doun lowe, Al sodeinli therto he skipte And it in bothe hise armes clipte. [Sidenote: =P. ii. 295=] And Bardus with his Asse anon Him hath updrawe, and he is gon. 5000 But whan he sih it was an Ape, He wende al hadde ben a jape Of faierie, and sore him dradde:[316] And Adrian eftsone gradde For help, and cride and preide faste, And he eftsone his corde caste; Bot whan it cam unto the grounde, A gret Serpent it hath bewounde, The which Bardus anon up drouh. And thanne him thoghte wel ynouh, 5010 It was fantosme, bot yit he herde[317] The vois, and he therto ansuerde, ‘What wiht art thou in goddes name?’ ‘I am,’ quod Adrian, ‘the same, Whos good thou schalt have evene half.’ Quod Bardus, ‘Thanne a goddes half The thridde time assaie I schal’: And caste his corde forth withal Into the pet, and whan it cam To him, this lord of Rome it nam, 5020 And therupon him hath adresced,[318] And with his hand fulofte blessed, And thanne he bad to Bardus hale. And he, which understod his tale, Betwen him and his Asse al softe[319] Hath drawe and set him up alofte Withouten harm al esely. He seith noght ones ‘grant merci,’ [Sidenote: =P. ii. 296=] Bot strauhte him forth to the cite, And let this povere Bardus be. 5030 And natheles this simple man His covenant, so as he can, Hath axed; and that other seide, If so be that he him umbreide[320] Of oght that hath be speke or do,[321] It schal ben venged on him so, That him were betre to be ded. And he can tho non other red, But on his asse ayein he caste His trusse, and hieth homward faste: 5040 And whan that he cam hom to bedde, He tolde his wif hou that he spedde. Bot finaly to speke oght more Unto this lord he dradde him sore, So that a word ne dorste he sein:[322] And thus upon the morwe ayein, In the manere as I recorde, Forth with his Asse and with his corde To gadre wode, as he dede er, He goth; and whan that he cam ner 5050 Unto the place where he wolde,[323] He hath his Ape anon beholde, Which hadde gadred al aboute Of stickes hiere and there a route,[324] And leide hem redy to his hond, Wherof he made his trosse and bond; Fro dai to dai and in this wise This Ape profreth his servise, [Sidenote: =P. ii. 297=] So that he hadde of wode ynouh. Upon a time and as he drouh 5060 Toward the wode, he sih besyde The grete gastli Serpent glyde, Til that sche cam in his presence,