Thou fhalte ftond up by the poft, As thou were hondè fast, And I fhall them leve unlok, that Away thou may them caft:

And whan that they have y etin, And washin have their hondes, Tho thou shalt befpekin them all To bring the out of bondes:

And if that they will borrow the That werin a gode game, Than werin thou out of prifon And I als out of blame;

But if that evèrich of them

Sayè unto us Nay,

I hulle don anothir thing,

I fwerè by this day.

Thou fhulle have a godè ftaffe,
And I woll have another,

And Crift'is curfe have that oon
That failè fhall that othir.

Ye, for God, feidè Gamèlyn,

I fay it right for me
If that I failin on my fide
Than evil mote I the.

If that we fhullin algatis
Affoile them of thire fynne;
Warnith me, my brothir Adam,
Whan that we shall begynn.

Now Gamèlyn, seiden Adam,
Ey Seintè Charitè

I wolle warne the beform
Whan that the time fhall be.

Whan that I twinkin upon the
Lokè for to be gon,
And caft away the fetteris,
And come to me anon.

Adam, feidè yong Gam lyn,
Y bliffid be thy bones!
That is a rightè gode counfaile
Y gevin for the nones.

If that they fhullin wernè me
To bring the out of bendes
I wolle fettin gode ftrokis
Full right upon their lendes.

Tho the Sondy was ycomin,
And thefe folk to the fefte;
Faire they werein ywelcomid
Bothe the lefte and mefte.

And évir as they at the Hall
Dorè were comin in
They evèrich castin an eie
On yonge Gamelyn.

The falfe knight his own brothir,

So full of trecherie,

Allè the geftes that there were
At that ilk mangerie

Of Gamèlyn his own brothir
He toldin them with mouth
Alle the harmis and the shame
That e'ere he telle couth.

Tho they werein yfervid ftreit
Of meflis too or thre;
Than feide yongè Gamèlyn,
How do ye ferve me?

It ne is not wele yservid,
Be God that alle made,
That I fhold fittin here fasting
And othir men make glade.

The falfe knight his brothir,
Thereas that he yftode,
Toldin to alle his geftis
That Gamelyn was wode.

And Gamelyn there ftodè ftill,
And anfwerid right noght,
But of Adam'is wordis he
Heldè ftill in his thought.

Tho Gamelyn began to fpeke,
Right doulefully withall,
Unto the grette lordis that
Y fatyn in the Hall:

My Lordings, tho feiden he,
For Crift'is paflion
Helpin to bringè Gamelyn
Out of thilke prifon.

Than feide to him an abbot,
(Sorow upon his cheke!)
He fhallin have Crift'is curfe
And Seinté Maries eke,

That fhall the out of this prifon Beggin owthir borow,

But evir worthe hyn full wele
That doth the mykil forow.

And anon aftir that abbot
Than fpakin anothir,

I wolde that thyn hede were of
Though thou were my brothir.

Alle that the fhall borrowin
Mote them foulè fall;
And thus yfeiden alle they
That werin in the Hall.

Than feide to him a priour,
Evil mowin he thrive!
It is grette forow and care,
Boy, that thou art on live.

On, on, feidè yonge Gamelyn,
So broukin I my bone,
Now that I havin efpyid
That frendis have I none.

A curfid mot he worthe be,
Bothe fleshe and blode,
That evir doth to priouris
Or abbotes any gode.

Anon Adam the Dispencer
Takin up hath the cloth,
And lokid unto Gamèlyn,
And faugh that he was wroth.
Adam of the pantrie at thilk
Time litil he thought.
And too godè ftavis unto
The Halle dore he brought.
Adam lokid on Gamelyn
And he was war anon,
And caft awaie the fetteris,
And began for to gon.

Tho he camin unto Adam,
He toke to the one staff,
And beganning to werke welc,
And gode ftrokis he gaff.

Gamèlyn came into the Hall,
And Adam Spencer both,
And lokid them all aboutin
As they hadde ben wroth.

Gamelyn fprenith holi watir
All with an okin fpire,

That fome of them that stode upright Fillin into the fire.

There was no mannir lewdè man
That in th Hallè ftode.
That wolde doin Gamelyn
Any thinge but gode.

But thei ftode befidin, and
Lete them bothè werch,
For thei ne hadde no routhè

Of men of holi cherch.

Of abbot or of prior, or
Of monk or of canon,

That Gamèlyn hath overtoke,
Anon they yedin doun.

There ne was none of them allè
That with his stuff ymette
That he made them overthrowe,
And quytte them his dette.

Tho Gam lyn, feidè Adam,

For Seint Charite
Payith, I pray, gode liveray,
And for the love of me;

And I wolle kepin the dore;
So evir here I maffe

Er that they ben affoilyid
Ther fhalle noon ypaffe.

Doute the noght, feide Gamèlyn,
While that we ben in fere;
But kepe thou welè the dore
And I woll werkin here;

Befturrith the, gode Adam, and
Ne lettith none yfle,
And we shall telle largily
How many here there be.

To Gamèlyn feiden Adam,
Doith them all but gode,

For thei ben men of holi cherch;
Drawith of them no blode;

Savith right wele the corone,
And doith them no harmes,
But brekith bothè their leggis,
And fithin here thir armes.

Thus Gamelyn and Adam hath
Y wroughtin rightè fast,

And pleidin with the monkies tho,
And made them agaft.

Forth hidir they come riding
Full jolily with fwaines,
But home agen they werin ledde
In cartis and in waines.

Tho as the; haddin all ydone
Than feidin a gray frere,
Alas! alas! my Lord Abbot,
What didde we now here?

Tho that we hither did y come

It was a coldè rede;

Us had far better ben at home
With watir and with brede.

While Gamelyn made orderis
Of monkis and of frere

Evir ftode his brothir ftille,
And made foulè chere.

Tho Gamelyn up with his staff,
That he ful wele knew,

And grettin him upon the nek,
That he him overthrewe,

A litil above the girdil
The riggin bone to braft,
And fett him in the fetteris
There as he fattin arft.

Sittith thou there, my brothir John, Tho feide Gamelyn,

For to colin thy hotte bodie,

As I did colè myn.

And swithe as they yhadde wele
Wroken them on their fone,

They afkid for the watir, and
They within them anon.

What fome of them for their love,

And fome for their awe,
Allè the fervauntis fervid
Them of the beste law.

The fhereff was thennis away

But about a five myle,

And all was toldin unto him
Within a little whyle,

How Gamelyn and Adam had
Ydon a forry res,

Boundin and woundin many men
Agen the king'is pece.

Ettfonis tho begannin fone
Striffe for to awake,

And the fhiregereve about did
Caft Gamelyn to take.

Now lithinith aud leftinith,
So God geve you gode fine,
And ye hull herin a gode game
Of yonge Gamėlyn.

Now four-and-twenty yongè men,
That holdin them full bolde,
Comin unto the fhiregereve,
And feide that they wold

Both Gamelyn and eke Adam
Y fett be the way;

The fhiregereve gafè them leve
Tho foth as I you say,

Thes yongè meine hiden them
Faft, wold they not lynne
Tyll that they comin to the gate
There Gamelyn was inne.

Thy knokidin upon the gate,
The porter tho was nye,
And lokid forth out at an hole,
As man that was full flye

The porter had beholdin them
But for a litil while,
He lovid welè Gamèlyn,
And was adrad of gile,

And forthi lete the wiket

Y fondin fullè ftill,

And afkid them that ftant without
What ywas their will?

O jj

For alle the gret cumpany Than fpake bot one alone, Undo the gatis, porter, and

Latè us in ygone.

Then feide to them the porter,

So broukin I my chynne

Ye full fayin your errand

Or that ye comin inne.

Say to Gamelyn and Adam,
If that ther wille it be,

We wolle fpekin here with them
Two wordis othir thre.

Fellaw, feide the porter tho,
Stondith thou ther yftill,
And I woll wend to Gamelyn
To wetin of his wille.

And in wentè the porter the

To Gamelyn anon,

And feide, Sire, I warne you
That here be come your fone;
For lo! the fhiregerev'is men
Now ben all at the gate
For to ytekin you bothè;
Shalle ye not efcape.

Porter, tho feide Gamèlyn,
So mote I wele the,

I woll allowè the thy wordes
Whan I my timè fe.

Go ageyn, porter, to the gate,
And dwell with them a while,
Awaitin, and thou shaltè fe
Right fone, porter, a gile.

Adam, tho feidè Gamèlyn,
Loke the to be gon,
We have foomen at the gate,
And frendis nevir one.

It ber the fhiregerev'is men
That hithir ben comin,
They ben yfwore togideris,
That we fhull be nomin.

To Gamelyn feidè Adam,

Hiè the rightc belyve,
And if I faile the this day
Than evil mote I thryve.

And we fhullin fo welcome
The fhiregerev'is men,

That fome of them I trow shall make Their beddis in the fen.

Then thorough the posterne gate
Yong Gamelyn out went,
And a gode sturdie cartè staffe
la his hond he hent.

And Adam Spencer hentè fone
Anothir grettè staff
For to help young Gamelyn,
And gode ftrokis he gaffe

Adam yfellid hath his tweyne,
And Gam lyn felled thre,
The tothir fette on erth,
And faft began to fle.

What? feidin Adam Spencer tho, So evir hire I maffe

I have right gode reddè wyne,
Pray drinkith er ye paffe.

Nai, nai! by God, feide they tho, Thy drink is nothing gode,

It wolde makin mann'is brayne
To lyin in his hode.

Yong Gamèlyn the ftodè ftill,
And lokid him about.

And faide, The fhiregereve comith
With a full grette rout.

Adam Spencer, seid Gamèlyn,
My rede it is now this,
Abidin we not lengir here
Left we farin amys.

I rede that we to wode ygonn
Er that we be yfound;
Betir is there lofe for to gonn
Than in the toune ybound.

Adam them toke by the hond
This yongè Gamèlyn.

And echè of them to the othir
Drankin a draft of wyne.

And aftirwardistoke their courfe, And wentè ftreight their way; Tho fond the fhiregereve the neft, But in it was none ay.

'The thiregereve lightid adoune
And went into the Hall,
And fond the lord yfetterid
Full faftè therewithall.

The fhireve tho unfetterid
Him right fone anon,
And fentin aftir a gode leche
To hele his riggè bon.

Letè we now this falfe knight
Lie in his mochill care,
And tellè we of Gamelyn,
And loke how he fare.

Gamelyn into the wild wode
Yftalkid is full ftille,
And Adam le Difpencer it
Ylikid but right ille.

Tho Adam fwore to Gamelyn,

And that be Seint Richere,

Now I fay that it is mery

To ben a difpencer;

That muchè levire me werin

The kayis for to bere,

Than walkin in this wildè wode
My clothis all to tere.

Adam, feidè yong Gamelyn,
Difmaye the right noght,
For many a gode mann'is child
In care is ybrought.

As they thus in the wode ftodin, Ytalking both in fere,

Adam herdè talking of men,
And nigh them thought they were.
Tho Gamelyn undir the wild
Wode lokid aright,

Full fevin fcore of yongè men
He faugh right wel ydight;

Alle were fatte at their mete
In a compas about;
Adam, tho feidè Gamèlyn,
Now havin ye no doute,

For aftir balè comith bote, Thorough Godd'is grete might; Methinkith of mete and of drink That I havin a fight.

Adam le Difpencer lokid
Tho undir wode bowe,

And whan that he the metè faugh
Tho he was glad inowe;

For now he hopid unto God

For to havin his dele,
And he was ful fore alongid
Aftir a godè mele.

Anon as he feide that word
Streight the maistir outlawe
Saugh Gamelyn and Adam both
Undir the wodè fhaw.

Lo! young men, seide the maistir
Outlaw, by the gode rode
I am aware of fome geftis,
Pray God fendin us gode!

Loke! yondir be two yongè men
That ben right wel adight,
A peradventure they ben mo,
Whofo lokid aright.

Arifeth up quick yongè men,
And fette them to me,
For it is gode that we wetin
What meine that they be.

Up thei ftertin quik at that word,
Sevin fro the dinnere,
And they mettin with Gamelyn
And Adam Difpencere.

Whan that they werin ney to them
Than feidè thus that one,
Yeldith up to us, yonge men
Your bowis and your flone.

Than feide to them Gamėlyn,
That yonge was of elde,

Ful mochil forow mote they have
That unto you shall yelde:

I curfe woll none othir wight
But right mine owne felve
Tho ye may fettin unto you
Fyve, andthan be
twelve.

ye

They herdin by his wordis that Gret might was in his arme,

And forthi there was non of them

That wolde don him harme,

But fedin unto Gamelyn

Right mildily and still,
Comith aforin our maiftir,

And fay to him thy will.

Yongè man,

feidè Gamêlyn, Upon your leaute

Tellith what man your maister is Which that ye with ybe.

Tho alle they answerid him

At ones without lefing,
Our maifter is ycorounid
Of Outlawis is the King.

Adam, feide yongè Gamelyn, Go we in Crift'is name,

He may nothir metè nor drink
Y wernè us for shame;

And if that he hende, and

Comin of gentil blode,

He woll geve us both mete and drink, And doin us fome goode.

By Seinte Jame, seide Adam tho,
What harme fo that I grete

I will adventure me to the
Dore that I had mete.

The Gamelyn and Adam both
Y wentè forth in fere,
And they both grete the maisti r
Which that they fonde there.

Than feide to them the maiftir,
That King was of Outlawes,
What do ye feke, ye yongè men,
Undir the wodè fhawes?

Yong Gamelyn answerid tho
The King with his coroune,
He mufte nedis walk in wodes
That may not walk in toune.

Sire, we walkè not here in wo des
Non harme for to do,
But if paradventure we mete
A dere to fherte thereto,

As meine that ben right hungry,
And mow no metè fynd,
And very hardè ben beftad
Undir the wode lynd.

Of Gamelyn'is wordis tho
The maifter hadde routhe,
And feide to them, Ye fhall have
Inow, heve God my trouthe.

Anon he badde them fittin
Doune for to take reft,
And badde them etin and drink,
And that too of the best.

Asthey were eting and drinking
Of the beft wele and fine,
Than feide the ton to the tothir
This is yonge Gamèlyn.

Tho was the maister of outlawes
Into confaile nomin,

And told how it was Gamelyn

That thither was comin.

Anon as he had herdin all
How that it was befall,

He made Gamelyn maistir
Undir him o're them all.

Within the third weke aftir this
To him comith tiding,

To the maiftir of outlawis,
Which that now was their king,

That he fhulde ycomin home,
For that his pees was made;
And of that joyfull tiding he
Was wonderously glade.

Tho feide he to his yonge men,
The fothe for to tell.
To me be comin tidingis

I may no lengir dwell.

Tho was yong Gamèlyn anon,
Withoutin tarying,

Made maiftir of outlawis, and
Y coroundid their king:

Tho was yong Gamèlyn crounid
The King of the Outlawes,
And among them walkid a while
Undir the wodè fhawes.

The falfe knight his brothir now
Was fhire gereve and Sire,
And lete his brothir be endite
For hate and for ire.

Tho werin all his bondmeinè
Sory and nothing glad

Whan that Gamelyn their lordè
Wolves Hede was cryed and made,

And fentin qutè his meinè
Where they mightin him fynd,
For to fekin yonge Gamelyn
Undir the wodè lynd,

To tellè to him tidingis
The winde was ywent,
And alle his gode revied was,
And all his men yfhent.

Whan that they hadde hym foundin

On kneys they them fette,
And adoun with their hodè, and
Gamèlyn their lord grette.

They feiden, Sire, now wrathè not
You for the godè rode,

For we have brought you tidingis,
But they be nothing gode.

Now is thy brothir fhiregereve,
And he hath the baillie,
And thereto hath enditid the,
And Wolves Hede doth the crie
Allas! tho feidè Gamèlyn,
That e're I was fo flak,
That I ne hadd brokin his nek
Whan I his riggè brak.

Goith, and gretith you welè
My houfbondis an wif,

I wollè ben at the next fhire,
So havè God my lif.

Gamèlyn came well redy

Unto the nextè fhire,

And there the falfe knight his brothir,

Was bothè Lord and Sire.

Gamèlyn camè boldilich

Into the Motè Hall,

And put adoun his hode, among
The lordilingis all.

God fave you, Lordilingis!
Which that now here be;

But as for the, brokebak fhereve,
Evil motè thou the !

Why haftè thou doin to me

That shame and villonie

For to latin enditè me,

And Wolf'is Hede me cric?

Tho thought the falfè knight on him

For to have ben awreke,
And letè takin Gamèlyn;

Muft he no more yspeke.

Mightè there be no mannir grace,

But Gamelyn at last
Was into prifoun yçaftin,

And fetterid full fast,

This Gamèlyn hath a brothir
That cleped was Sir Ote;
As gode and hend a knight he was
As mightin gon on fote.
Right anon yede a meffager
Unto that gode knight,
And toldin him altogethir
How Gamelyn was dight.

Anon as Sir Ote herdin had
How Gamèlyn was dight,
He was right paffing fory tho,
Ne he was nothing light :

And letè faddle him a stede,
And ftreit the weie he name,
And unto his tweie bretherin
Right fone there he came.

Sir, feidè this Sir Ote unto
The fhiregerevè tho,

We ben but only thre brethren,
Shall we be nevir mo,

And thus haft thou yprifounid
The befte of us all;

Soche anothir brothir as thou
Evil mote him befall!

Sir Ote, feide the falfè knight,
Now letè be thy cars;

By God for these thi wordis he
Shallè farin the wors.

Now to the king'is prifoun he
Is lefully ynome,

And ther he fhall abidin
Untill the juftice come.

But parde, feide Sir Ote tho,
Bettir it fhall ybe

I biddin him unto maynprife
And that thou grauntè me,

Untill the nextè fitting fhall
Come of deliveraunce,
And than lete Gamelyn fairely
Yitondin to his chaunce.

Brothir, in foche a forewardè

I takin him to the,

And by thy fadir'is foulè,
That the begat and nie,

If that he be not right redy.
Whan that the justice fitte,
Thou fhalte berin the judgement,
For all thy grettè wit.

I grauntin it wele, feide Sir Ote,
That it fhall fo ybe;

Letith delivir him anon,

And takin him to me.

Tho Gamèlyn was delivered

To Sir Ote his brothir,

And that night ydwellid in fere
The ton with the tothir.

On the morow feide Gamelyn
Unto Sir Ote the hend,
My brothir, he feide, forfothe

I mote from the wend,

To lokin how my yongè men

In wode ledin their lif,

And whethir that they liven now
In joie or elles in ftrif.