Part 13 (1/2)

A little maiden child ich found In hollow ash thin out And a pel her about; A ring of gold also was there; How it came thither I wot ne'er.”

The abbesse was a-wondered of this thing.

”Go,” she said, ”on _hying_[55]

And fetch it hither, I pray thee; It is welcome to G.o.d and me.

Ich will it helpen as I can, And segge it to my kinswoman.”

The porter anon it gan forth bring, With the pel, and with the ring.

The abbesse let clepe a priest anon, And let it christen in function.

And for it was in an ash y-found, She cleped it _Frain_ in that stound.

The name[56] of the ash is a frain, After the language of Bretayn; _Forthy_[57] Le Frain men clepeth this lay, More than ash, in each country.

This Frain thriv'd from year to year; The abbess niece men ween'd it were.

The abbess her gan teach, and _beld._[58]

By that she was twelve winter eld, In all England there was none A fairer maiden than she was one.

And when she couthe ought of _manhede,_[59]

She bade the abbesse her _wisse_[60] and rede, Which were her kin, one or other, Father or mother, sister or brother.

The abbesse her in council took, To tellen her she nought forsook, How she was founden in all thing; And took her the cloth and the ring, And bade her keep it in that stede; And, therwhiles she lived, so she did.

Then was there, in that c.u.n.tre, A rich knight of land and fee, Proud, and young, and jollif, And had not yet y-wedded wife.

He was stout, of great renown, And was y-cleped Sir Guroun.

He heard praise that maiden free, And said, he would her see.

He dight him in the way anon, And jolliflich thither is gone, And bode his man segge, verament, He should toward a tournament.

The abbesse, and the nonnes all, Fair him grette in the guest-hall; And damsel Frain, so fair of mouth, Grette him fair, as she well couth.

And swithe well he gan devise, Her semblant, and her gentrise, Her lovesome eyen, her _rode_[61] so bright.

And commenced to love her anon-right; And thought how he might take on, To have her for his lemon [Errata: leman].

He thought, ”Gificcome her to More than ich have y-do, The abbesse will _souchy_[62] guile, And _wide_[63] her away in a little while.”

He compa.s.sed another _suchesoun;_[64]

To be brother of that religion.

”Madam,” he said to the abbesse, _”I-lovi_[65] well, in all goodness, Ich will give one and other Londes and rentes, to become your brother,[66]

That ye shall ever fare the _bet_[67]

When I come to have recet.”[68]

At few wordes they ben _at one._ He graithes him[69], and forth is gone.

Oft he com, by day and night, To speak with that maiden bright; So that, with his fair _behest_,[70]

And with his glosing, at lest She granted him to don his will, When he will, loud and still.

”Leman,” he said, ”thou must let be The abbesse _thy neice_,[71] and go with me; For ich am riche, of swich powere, Ye finde bet than thou hast here.”

The maiden grant, and to him trist, And stole away, that no man wist; With her took she no thing But her pel and her ring.

When the abbess gan aspy That she was with the knight _owy_,[72]

She made mourning in her thought, And her _bement_,[73] and gained nought.

So long she was in his castel, That all his meynie loved her well.

To rich and poor she gan her 'dress, That all her loved more and less; And thus she led with him her life, Right as she had been his wedded wife.