241 "Allas, when died þat swete wy3t?"
242 "Sir, withynne þis Fourteny3t
243 Þe erth was leide hur aboue,
244 And deed she was for thy loue."
245 Flores, þat was so feire and gent,
246 Sownyd þere verament.
247 Þe Cristen woman began to crye
248 To Ihesu Crist and Seynt Marye.
249 Þe king and þe queene herde þat crye;
250 Into þe chamber þey ronne on hye
251 And þe Queene sawe her byforn
252 On sowne þe childe þat she had born.
253 Þe kinges hert was al in care,
254 Þat sawe his sone for loue so fare.
255 When he awooke and speke mo3t,
256 Sore he wept and sore he sy3t,
257 And seide to his moder ywys,
258 "Lede me þere þat mayde is."
259 Þeder þey him brou3t on hy3e;
260 For care and sorow he wold dy3e.
261 As sone as he to þe graue com,
262 Sone þere behelde he þen
263 And þe letters began to rede,
264 Þat þus speke and þus seide:
265 "Here lyth swete Blauncheflour,
266 Þat Florys louyd paramoure."
267 Þre sithes Florys sownydde nouth;
268 Ne speke he my3t not with mouth.
269 As sone as he awoke and speke my3t,
270 Sore he wept and sore he sy3t.
271 "Blauncheflour!" he seide, "Blauncheflour!"
272 So swete a þing was neuer in boure.
273 Of Blauncheflour is þat y meene,
274 For she was come of good kyn.
275 Lytel and muche loueden þe
276 For þy goodnesse and þy beaute.
277 3if deþ were dalt ary3t,
278 We shuld be deed boþ on oo ny3t.
279 On oo day born we were;
280 We shul be ded boþ in feere."
281 "Deeþ", he seide, "ful of enuye,
282 And of alle trechorye,
283 Refte þow hast me my lemman."
284 "Forsoth," he seide, "þow art to blame.
285 She wolde haue leuyd, and þow noldest
286 And fayne wolde y dye, and þow woldest.
287 After deeþ clepe no more y nylle,
288 But slee my self now y wille."
289 His knyf he braide out of his sheth;
290 Himself he wolde haue doo to deth.
291 And to hert he had it smeten
292 Ne had his moder it vnder3etene.
293 Þen þe Queene fel him vppone,
294 And þe knyf fro him noom.
295 She reft him of his lytel knyf,
296 And sauyd þere þe childes lyf.
297 Forþ þe Queene ranne, al wepyng,
298 Tyl she com to the Kyng.
299 Þan seide þe good lady:
300 "For goddes loue, sir, mercy!
301 Of xii children haue we noon
302 On lyue now but this oon.
303 And better it were she were his make,
304 Þan he were deed for hur sake."
305 "Dame, þow seist soþ," seide he.
306 "Sen it may noon other be,
307 Leuer me were she were his wyf,
308 Þan y lost my sonnes lyf."
309 Of þis word þe Quene was fayn,
310 And to her soon she ran agayn.
311 "Floryes, soon, glad make the,
312 Þy lef þou schalt on lyue see.
313 Florys, sone, þrou3 engynne
314 Of þy faders reed and myne,
315 Þis graue let we make,
316 Leue sone, for thy sake.
317 3if þou þat maide forgete woldest,
318 After oure reed wyf þou sholdest."
319 Now euery word she haþ him tolde,
320 How þat þey þat mayden solde.
321 "Is þis soth, my moder dere?"
322 "Forsoth," she seide, "she is not here."
323 Þe row3 stoon adoun þey leyde,
324 And sawe þat pere was not þe mayde.
325 "Now, moder, y þink þat y leue may.
326 Ne shal y rest ny3t ne day,
327 Ny3t ne day ne no stounde,
328 Tyl y haue my lemmon founde.
329 Hur to seken y woll wende,
330 Þau3 it were to þe worldes ende."
331 To þe King he goþ to take his leue,
332 And his fader bade him byleue.
333 "Sir, y wyl let for no wynne;
334 Me to bydden it were grete synne."
335 Þan seid þe King, "Seth it is soo,
336 Seþ þou wylt noon other doo,
337 Al þat þe nedeþ we shul þe fynde;
338 Ihesu þe of care vnbynde."
339 "Leue Fader," he seide, "y telle þe
340 Al þat þow shalt fynde me.
341 Þow mast me fynde, at my deuyse,
342 Seuen horses al of prys,
343 And twoo ycharged vppon þe molde
344 Boþ with seluer and wyþ golde,
345 And two ycharged with moonay
346 For to spenden by þe way,
347 And þree with clothes ryche,
348 Þe best of al þe kyngryche,
349 Seuen horses and seuyn men,
350 And þre knaues without hem,
351 And þyne owne chamburlayne,
352 Þat is a wel nobel swayne.
353 He can vs wyssh and reede.
354 As marchaundes we shull vs lede."
355 His fader was an hynde King,
356 Þe coupe of golde he dide him bryng,
357 Þat ilke self coupe of golde
358 Þat was Blauncheflour for 3olde.
359 "Haue þis, soon," seide þe King,
360 "Herewith þow may þat swete þing
361 Wynne, so may betyde,
362 Blauncheflour with þe white syde,
363 Blauncheflour, þat faire may."
364 Þe King let sadel a palfray,
365 Þe oon half so white so mylke,
366 And þat other reed so sylke.
367 I ne can telle nou3t
368 How rychely þat sadel was wrou3t.
369 Þe arson was of golde fyn,
370 Stones of vertu stode þeryne,
371 Bygone aboute wit orfreys.
372 Þe Queene was kynde and curtays,
373 Cast hur toward þe Kyng,
374 And of hur fynger she brayde a ryng.
375 "Haue now þis ylke ryng.
376 While it is þyn, dou3t noþyng
377 Of fire brennyng ne water in þe see;
378 Ne yren ne steele shal dere thee."
379 He took his leue for to goo;
380 Þer was ful muche woo.
381 Þey made him noon other chere,
382 Þan her soon were leide in bere.
383 Furþ he went with al his mayn;
384 With him went þe chamberlayn.
385 So haue þey her ynne ynome,
386 Þat þey ben to þe hauyn come
387 Þere Blaunchefloure was al ny3t,
388 Wel rychely þey ben dy3t.
389 Þe lord of þe ynne was welle hende;
390 Þe child he sette next þe ende,
391 In al þe feirest seete.
392 Alle þey dronken and al þey 3ete.
393 Ete ne drynke my3t he nou3t;
394 On Blauncheflour was al his þou3t.
395 Þe lady of þat ynne vnder3at
396 Þat þe childe mornyng sat,
397 And seide to her lord with styl dreme:
398 "Sir, nym now goode 3eme
399 How þe Child mournyng syttes.
400 Mete and drynke he for3etes,
401 Lytel he eteþ, and lasse he drynkeþ;
402 He is no marchaund, as me þynkeþ."
403 To Flores þen seide she:
404 "Al ful of mournyng y the see.
405 Þer sate þer þis sender day
406 Blauncheflour, þat swete may.
407 Heder was þat mayde brou3t
408 With marchaundes þat hur had bou3t
409 Heder þey brou3t þat mayde swete;
410 Þey wold haue solde hur for by3ete.
411 To Babyloyn þey wylle hur bryng
412 Boþ of semblant & of mornynge".
413 When Florys herd speke of his lemman,
414 Was he neuer so glad a man,
415 And in his hert bygan to ly3t.
416 Þe coupe he let fulle anoonry3t:
417 "Dame," he seide, "þe fessel is þyn,
418 Boþ þe coupe and þe wyn,
419 Þe wyn and þe gold eke,
420 For þow of my leman speke.
421 On hur y þou3t, for hur y sy3t;
422 I ne wyst where I hur fynde my3t.
423 Wynde ne weder shal me assoyne,
424 Þat y ne shal seche hur in Babyloyne."
425 Now Florys resteþ him al a ny3t.
426 At morn, when it was dayly3t,
427 He dide him into þe wylde flood.
428 Wynde and weder with him stood;
429 Sone so Florys come to londe,
430 Þere he þanked goddes sonde,
431 To þe londe þer his lyf ynne is:
432 Him þou3t he was in paradyse.