649 "Leue soon, wyl 3e see
650 Þat þy trust is muche on me;
651 Þen is þe best reed þat y can---
652 Other reed ne can y noon---
653 Wende to-morn to þe toure,
654 As þow were a good gynoure.
655 Take on þy honde squyer and scantlon,
656 As þow were a free mason.
657 Behold þe tour vp and doun.
658 Þe porter is cruel and feloun;
659 Wel sone he wyl come to the,
660 And aske what maner man þow be,
661 And bere on þe felonye,
662 And sey þow art come to be a spye,
663 And þow shalt answere swetlyche,
664 And sey to him myldelyche,
665 Sey þow art a gynoure,
666 To beholde þat feire toure,
667 For to loke and for to fonde
668 To make suche another in þy londe.
669 Wel sone he wyl com þe nere,
670 And wyl byd þe pley at þe chekere.
671 When þou art at cheker brou3t,
672 Without seluer ne pley þow nou3t.
673 Þow shalt haue redy with the
674 xx. Marke beside þy knee.
675 3if þow wynne ou3t of his,
676 Þow tel þerof lytel prys,
677 And yf he wynne ou3t of þyn,
678 loke þow leue it with hym.
679 So þow shalt al with gynne
680 Þe porters loue forsoth wynne,
681 Þat he þe help on þis day,
682 But he þe help, no man may.
683 Wel 3erne he wyl þe bydde and pray
684 Come anoþer day to playe.
685 Þow shalt seye þou wylt soo;
686 Þow shalt take with þe suche twoo.
687 Þe þrydde day take an hundred pound
688 And þy coupe hool and sound.
689 3eue him markes & poundes of þy male;
690 Of þy tresour tel þow no tale.
691 Wel 3erne he wyl þe bydde and pray
692 To lay þy coupe and to play.
693 Þow shalt answere alþerfirst,
694 Lenger to play þe ne lyst.
695 Ful muche he wylle for þe coupe bede,
696 3if he my3t þe better spede;
697 Þow shalt it blethly 3eue him,
698 3if it be of gold fyne.
699 And he wol ful moche loue þe,
700 And to þe bowe also, parde,
701 Þat he wyl falle to þy foote,
702 And becom þyn, 3if he moote.
703 And homage þow shalt fonge,
704 And þe trouþ of his honde."
705 As he seide, he dide ywys,
706 And as he ordeyned, so it is:
707 Þe Porter ys Florys man bycome
708 For his gold and his warysone.
709 Florys seide: "now art þow my moon;
710 Al my trust is þe vppon.
711 Now my consel y wyl þe shewe;
712 Rede me ry3t, 3if þow be trew.
713 Now euery word he haþ him tolde,
714 How þe mayde was fro him solde,
715 And how he was of Spayn a Kynges soone,
716 For grete loue þeder ycoome,
717 To fonden with some gynne
718 Þat feire mayde for to wynne.
719 Þe þorter þat herde, and sore sy3t,
720 And seide: "Y am betrayde ary3t;
721 Þrou3 þy Catel, y am dismayde;
722 Þerfore y am wel euyl apayde.
723 Now y woot how it geeþ:
724 For þe shal y suffrer deth.
725 I shal þe faile neuer moo,
726 Þe while y may ryde and goo.
727 Þy forwardes shal y holde alle,
728 What-so-euer may befalle.
729 Wynde now hoom to þyn ynne,
730 While y beþenke me of sum gynne.
731 Bytwene þis and þe þrydde day
732 Fonde y shal what y do may.
733 Flores spake and wept among,
734 And þou3t þe terme al to long.
735 Þe þorter þou3t þe best reed,
736 And let geder floures in a meed;
737 He wist it was þe maydons wylle.
738 To lepes he lete of floures fylle;
739 Þat was þe best reed as him þou3t þoo,
740 Flourys in þat oon lep to doo.
741 Twoo maydens þe lepe bore;
742 So heuy charged neuer þey wore,
743 And bade God 3eue hem euyl fyne,
744 To mony floures he dide þerynne.
745 To Blaunchefloures chamber þey shuld tee;
746 Þey 3ede to anoþer, and let þat be.
747 Þey shuld haue gon to Blauncheflour,
748 And 3ede to swete Clarys boure,
749 And cursed him so fele brou3t to honde.
750 Þey 3ede hoom, and lete hem stonde.
751 Clarys to þe lepe come wolde,
752 Þe flores to hondel and to beholde.
753 Florys wende it hadde be his swete wy3t.
754 Of þe lepe he stert vpry3t,
755 And þe mayde, al for drede,
756 Bygan to shrelle and to grede.
757 When he saw3 it was not shee,
758 Into þe lepe a3en stert he,
759 And held him betrayde clene;
760 Of his lyf tolde he not a beene.
761 Þer come maydons, and to Clarys lepe
762 by ten, by twelf, on an heepe,
763 And þey asked what hur were,
764 And why she made suche a bere.
765 Clarys byþou3t hur anoonery3t
766 Þat hit was Blauncheflour þe white,
767 And gaue þe Maydons answere anoon,
768 Þat to her Chamber were goon,
769 Þat to þe lepe come she wolde,
770 Þe flowres to hondel and to beholde;
771 "And, or y it ere wyst,
772 An otter fley3 ageynst my brest.
773 I was so soore adrad þan,
774 Þat y loude crye can."
775 Þe maydons þerof hadden glee,
776 And turned hem, and lete hur be.
777 As sone as þe maydons were gone,
778 To Blauncheflour she 3ede anoon,
779 And seide boldly to Blauncheflour:
780 "Felow, come and see a feire flour!
781 Such a flour þe shal wel lyke,
782 Haue þow it sene a lyte."
783 "Awey, Clarys!" quod Blauncheflour;
784 "To scorne me, it is none honoure.
785 I here, Clarys, without gabbe,
786 Þat þe Amyral wyl me to wyf habbe;
787 But þat day shal neuer be,
788 Þat he shal euer haue me,
789 Þat y shal be of loue so vntrewe,
790 Ne chaunge my loue for no newe;
791 For no loue, ne for noon aye,
792 Forsake Floriss in his contraye.
793 Now y shal swete Florys mysse,
794 Ne shal noon other of me haue blysse."
795 Clarys stood and beheld þat rewth,
796 And þe trewnesse of hur trewth,
797 And seide, "Lady Blaunchefloure,
798 Goo we see þat ilk floure."
799 To þe lepe þey went both.
800 Ioyful man was Florys þoo,
801 For he had herde al þis.
802 Of þat lepe he stert ywys.
803 Wel sone Blauncheflour chaunged hewe;
804 Ayther of hem other knewe.
805 Withoute speche togeder þey lepe,
806 And klippt and kyst wonder swete.
807 Clarys beheld al this,
808 Her countenaunce and her blysse,
809 And seide þen to Blaunchefloure:
810 "Felow, knowist þow au3t þis flour?
811 She shul konne ful muche of art,
812 Þat þou woldest þerof geue part."
813 Now Blauncheflour and Florys,
814 Boþ þese swete þinges ywys,
815 Cryen her mercy, al wepyng,
816 Þat she ne wrey hem to þe King.
817 "Ne dou3t no more of me in alle,
818 Þan it were myself byfalle.
819 Wete 3e wel weturly,
820 Heele y wyl 3oure drury."
821 To a bedde þey ben brou3t,
822 Þat is of palle and of sylke wrou3t,
823 And þere þey sette hem doun,
824 And drou3 hem self al a-room.
825 Þer was no man þat my3t radde
826 Þe ioye þat þey twoo madde.
827 Florys þen to speke bygan,
828 And seide: "Lord þat madest man,
829 I it þonke Goddes sone,
830 Þat al my care I haue ouercome.
831 Now my leue I haue yfounde,
832 Of al my care y am vnbounde."
833 Clarys hem seruyd al at wylle,
834 Boþ dernlyche and stylle.
835 Clarys with þe white syde
836 Rose vp on morne tyde,
837 And cleped after Blaunchefloure,
838 To wende with hur in to þe toure.
839 She seide: "Y am commaunde";
840 But here answere was slepaunde.
841 Þe Amyral had such a woon,
842 Þat euery day shulde come
843 Twoo maydons of hur bour
844 Vp to him in to þe toure,
845 With water and clooth, and basyn,
846 For to wesshe his hondes ynne.
847 Þat day þey seruyd him feire,
848 Anoþer day come another peire;
849 But most were wonyd into þe toure
850 Clarys and Blauncheflour.
851 Clarys come þenne aloon,
852 Þe Amyral asked anoon:
853 "Where is Blauncheflour so free?
854 Why comeþ she not heder with þe?"
855 "Sir", she seide anoonry3t,
856 "She haþ wakyd al þis ny3t,
857 And ycryde and yloke
858 And yredde on hire booke,
859 And ybede to God her orysoun,
860 Þat He geue þe his benysoun,
861 And þat He holde long þy lyf.
862 And now þe mayde slepeþ swyth;
863 She slepeþ so fast, þat mayde swete,
864 Þat she may not com 3ete."