Yowre two yen wołł sle me sodenly

I may the beaute of them not sustene

So wondeth it thorow out my herte kene
And but your word wiH helen hastely
Mi hertis wound while that it is grene
Your yen &c. [= two first lines.]
Vp-on my trouth I sey yow feithfully
That ye ben of my liffe and deth the quene
For with my deth the trouth shalbe sene
Your yen &c. [= three first lines.]

[II. Rejection.]

8

So hath yowre Beaute fro your herte chaced
Pitee that me nauailleth not to pleyn

For danger halt youre mercy in his Cheyne

16

Giltless my deth thus hañ ye me purchaced

I sey yow soth me nedeth not to fayn

So hath your Beaute &c. [= lines 14, 15.]

Alas pat nature hath in yow compased

21

So grete beaute pat no mañ may atteyn

To mercy though he sterue for the peyn

So hath your beaute &c. [= lines 14, 15, 16.]

[III. Escape.]

Syn I fro loue escaped am so fat

I neuere thenk to beñ in his prison lene

28

1 No title in MS. The words 'Mercilesse Beaute' occur in the Index to the MS., with reference to this poem.-W. W. Skeat.

Syn I am fre I Counte hym not a bene

Syn I fro loue &c. [= lines 27, 28, 29.]

Explicit.

N.B. The copy printed by Percy (Reliques of Ancient Poetry, Series the Second, Book I), though taken from this MS., abounds in errors. Not counting expansions of contractions, &c., his errors are as follows:-1. Youre; eyn will. 3. wendeth. 4. words. 5. My. 6. Youre two eyn will sle me sodenly (where the MS. has only Your yen &c., and is here right in making yen follow Your immediately). 14. youre beauty; chased. 15. n'availeth. 16. daunger. 17. have; omits me; purchased. 21. compassed. 24. youre. 28. nere thinke. 31. speak. 36. P. suggests ther for this (probably he is right; but he omits to give the reading this).-W. W. Skeat.