By God, quod he, this and thus it is; And of his mynde he shewed me all and some. Farewell, quod he, we wyll talke more of this: Soo he departed there he wolde be come. I dare not speke, I promysed to be dome: But, as I stode musynge in my mynde, 230 Haruy Hafter[283] came lepynge, lyghte as lynde. Vpon his breste he bare a versynge boxe; His throte was clere, and lustely coude fayne; Me[284] thoughte, his gowne was all furred wyth foxe; And euer he sange, Sythe I am no thynge playne. To kepe him frome pykynge it was a grete payne: He gased on me with his gotyshe berde; Whan I loked on hym, my[285] purse was half aferde. HARUY HAFTER.[286] Syr, God you saue! why loke ye so sadde? What thynge is that I maye do for you? 240 A wonder thynge that ye waxe not madde! For, and I studye sholde as ye doo nowe, My wytte wolde waste, I make God auowe. Tell me your mynde: me thynke, ye make a verse; I coude it skan,[287] and ye wolde it[288] reherse. But to the poynte shortely to procede, Where hathe your dwellynge ben, er ye cam here? For, as I trowe, I haue sene you indede Er this, whan that ye made me royall chere. Holde vp the helme, loke vp, and lete God stere: 250 I wolde be mery, what wynde that euer blowe, Heue and how rombelow, row the bote, Norman, rowe! Prynces of yougthe[289] can ye synge by rote? Or shall I sayle wyth you a felashyp assaye; For on the booke I[290] can not synge a note. Wolde to God, it wolde please you some daye A balade boke before me for to laye, And lerne me to synge, Re, my, fa, sol! And, whan I fayle, bobbe me on the noll. Loo, what is to you a pleasure grete, 260 To haue that connynge and wayes that ye haue! By Goddis soule, I wonder how ye gete Soo greate pleasyre,[291] or who to you it gaue: Syr, pardone me, I am an homely knaue, To be with you thus perte and thus bolde; But ye be welcome to our housholde. And, I dare saye, there is no man here inne But wolde be glad of your company: I wyste neuer man that so soone coude wynne The fauoure that ye haue with my lady; 270 I praye to God that it maye neuer dy: It is your fortune for to haue that grace; As I be saued, it is a wonder case. For, as for me, I serued here many a daye, And yet vnneth I can haue my lyuynge: But I requyre you no worde that I saye; For, and I knowe ony erthly thynge That is agayne you, ye shall haue wetynge: And ye be welcome, syr, so God me saue: I hope here after a frende of you to haue. 280 DREDE.