This likede Lif, And his lemman Fortune; And geten in hir glorie A gadelyng at the laste, Oon that muche wo wroghte, 14240 Sleuthe was his name. Sleuthe wax wonder yerne, And soone was of age, And wedded oon Wanhope, A wenche of the stuwes. Hir sire was a sysour That nevere swoor truthe, Oon Tomme Two-tonge, Atteynt at ech enqueste. This Sleuthe was war of werre, 14250 And a slynge made, And threw drede of dispair A dozeyne myle aboute. {435} For care Conscience tho Cryde upon Elde, And bad hym fonde to fighte, And a-fere Wanhope. And Elde hente good hope, And hastiliche he shifte hym, And wayved awey Wanhope, 14260 And with Lif he fighteth. And Lif fleigh for feere To phisik after helpe, And bi-soughte hym of socour, And of his salve he hadde. He gaf hym gold good woon, That gladede his herte; And thei gyven hym ageyn A glazene howve. Lyf leeved that lechecraft 14270 Lette sholde elde, And dryven awey deeth With dyas and drogges. And Elde auntred hym on lyf, And at the laste he hitte A phisicien with a furred hood, That he fel in a palsie, And there dyed that doctour Er thre dayes after. "Now I se," seide Lif, 14280 "That surgerie ne phisik May noght a myte availle To mede ayein Elde." And in hope of his heele Good herte he hente, And rood forth to a revel, A ryche place and a murye; {436} The compaignye of confort Men cleped it som tyme. And Elde anoon after me 14290 And over myn heed yede; And made me balled bifore, And bare on the crowne. So harde he yede over myn heed, It wole be sene evere. "Sire yvele y-taught, Elde!" quod I, "Unhende go with the! Sith whanne was the wey Over mennes heddes? Haddestow be hende," quod I, 14300 "Thow woldest have asked leeve." "Ye, leve lurdeyn!" quod he; And leyde on me with age, And hitte me under the ere, Unnethe myghte ich here. He buffetted me so aboute the mouth, That out my teeth he bette; And gyved me in goutes, I may noght goon at large. And of the wo that I was inne 14310 My wif hadde ruthe, And wisshed ful witterly That I were in hevene; For the lyme that she loved me fore, And leef was to feele,-- On nyghtes, namely, Whan we naked weere,-- I ne myghte in no manere Maken it at hir wille; So Elde and she, soothly, 14320 Hadden it for-beten. {437} And as I seet in this sorwe, I saugh how Kynde passede; And Deeth drogh neigh me. For drede gan I quake, And cryde to Kynde, "Out of care me brynge! Lo! Elde the hoore Hath me bi-seye. Awreke me! if youre wille be, 14330 For I wolde ben hennes."