第9章 THE NUT-BROWN MAID(2)

And ye would gladly than That I had to the green wood go,Alone,a banished man."

SHE.

"Sith I have here been partynere With you of joy and bliss,I must al-so part of your woe Endure,as reason is:

Yet am I sure of one pleas-ure;

And,shortly,it is this:

That,where ye be,me seemeth,perde,I could not fare amiss.

Without more speech,I you beseech That we were soon agone:

For,in my mind,of all mankind I love but you alone."

HE.

"If ye go thyder,ye must consider,When ye have lust to dine,There shall no meat be for to gete,Nor drink,beer,ale,ne wine.

Ne sheet-es clean,to lie between,Ymade of thread and twine;

None other house,but leaves and boughs,To cover your head and mine;

Lo mine heart sweet,this ill di-ete Should make you pale and wan:

Wherefore I to the wood will go,Alone,a banished man."

SHE.

"Among the wild deer,such an archere,As men say that ye be,Ne may not fail of good vitayle,Where is so great plent-y:

And water clear of the rivere Shall be full sweet to me;

With which in hele I shall right wele Endure,as ye shall see;

And,ere we go,a bed or two I can provide anone;

For,in my mind,of all mankind I love but you alone."

HE.

"Lo yet,before,ye must do more,If ye will go with me:

As cut your hair up by your ear,Your kirtle by the knee,With bow in hand,for to withstand Your enemies,if need be:

And this same night,before daylight,To woodward will I flee.

An ye will all this fulfil,Do it shortly as ye can:

Else will I to the green wood go,Alone,a banished man."

SHE.

"I shall as now do more for you Than 'longeth to womanhede;

To short my hair,a bow to bear,To shoot in time of need.

O my sweet mother!before all other For you have I most drede!

But now,adieu!I must ensue,Where fortune doth me lead.

All this make ye.Now let us flee;

The day comes fast upon:

For,in my mind,of all mankind I love but you alone."

HE.

"Nay,nay,not so;ye shall not go,And I shall tell you why,--

Your appetite is to be light Of love,I well espy:

For,right as ye have said to me,In like wise hardily Ye would answere whosoever it were,In way of company,It is said of old,Soon hot,soon cold;

And so is a wom-an:

Wherefore I to the wood will go,Alone,a banished man."

SHE.

"If ye take heed,it is no need Such words to say by me;

For oft ye prayed,and long assayed,Or I you loved,pard-e;

And though that I of ancestry A baron's daughter be,Yet have you proved how I you loved.

A squire of low degree;

And ever shall,whatso befall;

To die therefore anone;

For,in my mind,of all mankind I love but you alone."

HE.

"A baron's child to be beguiled!

It were a curs-ed dede;

To be fel-aw with an out-law Almighty God forbede!

Yet better were,the poor squyere Alone to forest yede,Than ye shall say another day,That by my wicked dede Ye were betrayed:Wherefore,good maid,The best rede that I can,Is,that I to the green wood go,Alone,a banished man."

SHE.

"Whatsoever befall,I never shall Of this thing you upbraid:

But if ye go,and leave me so,Then have ye me betrayed.

Remember you wele,how that ye dele,For if ye,as ye said,Be so unkind to leave behind Your love,the Nut-brown Maid,Trust me tru-ly,that I shall die Soon after ye be gone:

For,in my mind,of all mankind I love but you alone."

HE.

"If that ye went,ye should repent;

For in the forest now I have purveyed me of a maid,Whom I love more than you;

Another fairer than ever ye were,I dare it well avow;

And of you both,each should be wroth With other,as I trow:

It were mine ease to live in peace;

So will I,if I can:

Wherefore I to the wood will go,Alone,a banished man."

SHE.

"Though in the wood I understood Ye had a paramour,All this may nought remove my thought,But that I will be your:

And she shall find me soft and kind,And courteis every hour;

Glad to fulfil all that she will Command me,to my power:

For had ye,lo!an hundred mo,Yet would I be that one:

For,in my mind,of all mankind I love but you alone."

HE.

"Mine own dear love,I see the proof That ye be kind and true;

Of maid,and wife,in all my life,The best that ever I knew.

Be merry and glad;be no more sad;

The case is chang-ed new;

For it were ruth that for your truth You should have cause to rue.

Be not dismayed,whatsoever I said To you,when I began:

I will not to the green wood go;

I am no banished man."

SHE.

"These tidings be more glad to me,Than to be made a queen,If I were sure they should endure:

But it is often seen,When men will break promise they speak The wordis on the spleen.

Ye shape some wile me to beguile,And steal from me,I ween:

Then were the case worse than it was And I more wo-begone:

For,in my mind,of all mankind I love but you alone."

HE.

"Ye shall not nede further to drede:

I will not dispar-age You (God defend!),sith you descend Of so great a lin-age.

Now understand:to Westmoreland,Which is my heritage,I will you bring;and with a ring By way of marri-age I will you take,and lady make,As shortly as I can:

Thus have ye won an earl-es son And not a banished man."

Here may ye see,that women be In love,meek,kind,and stable;

Let never man reprove them than,Or call them vari-able;

But,rather,pray God that we may To them be comfort-able,Which sometime proveth such as he loveth,If they be charit-able.

For sith men would that women should Be meek to them each one;

Much more ought they to God obey,And serve but Him alone.