Ne fhetes clene to lye betwene, maden of threde and

twyne;

None other houfe, but leves and bowes, to cover your hed and myne:

O myne hart fwete, this evyll dyète fholde make you pale and wan;

Wherfore I'll to the grene wode go, alone, a banyshed

man.

B.

Amonge the wylde dere, fuch an archère as men fay that ye be,

May ye nat fayle of good vitayle, where is fo grete plente:

And water clere of the ryvère fhall be full fwete to me ; With which in hele I fhall ryght wele endure, as ye fhall fee:

And, or we go, a bedde or two I can provyde anone; For, in my mynde, of all mankynde I love but you

alone.

A.

Lo yet, before, ye muft do more, yf ye wyll go with

me:

As cut your here above your ere, your kyrtel above

the kne:

With bowe in hande, for to withstande your enemyes, yf nede be:

And, this fame nyght, before day-lyght, to wode-warde

wyll I fle.

Yf that ye wyll all this fulfill, do it fhortly as ye can; Els wyll I to the grene wode go, alone, a banyshed

man.

B.

I fhall as nowe do more for you than longeth to womanhede;

To shorte my here, a bow to bere, to fhote in tyme of

O my fwete mother, before all other for you I have moft drede:

But nowe, adue! I must enfue where fortune doth me

All this make ye: nowe let us fle; the day cometh fast

upon;

For, in my mynde, of all mankynde I love but you

alone.

A.

Nay, nay, nat fo; ye fhal nat go, and I fhall tell you why,

Your appetyght is to be lyght of love, I wele efpy: For, lyke as ye have fayed to me, in lyke wyfe hardely Ye wolde anfwère, whofoever it were, in way of com

pany.

It is fayd of olde,-fone hote, fone colde ; and fo is a

woman:

For I muft to the grene wode go, alone, a banyshed

man.

B. Yf

B.

Yf ye take hede, it is no nede fuch wordes to fay by

me;

For oft ye prayed, and longe affayed, or I you loved, pardè:

And though that I of auncestry a barons daughter be, Yet have you proved howe I you loved, a fquyer of lowe degre;

And ever shall, whatso befall; to dy therefore anone; For, in my mynde, of all mankynde I love but you alone.

A.

A barons chylde to be begylde ! it were a cursed dede : To be felàwe with an outlawe! Almighty God forbede!

Yea, beter were, the pore fquyère alone to forest yede,

Than ye fholde fay another day, that by that curfed

dede

Ye were betrayed: wherfore, good mayd, the best rede

that I can,

Is, that I to

the grene wode go, alone, a banyshed man.

B.

Whatever befall, I never fhall of this thyng you up. brayd:

But yf ye go, and leve me fo, than have ye me betrayed. Remember you wele howe that ye dele; for, yf ye be as ye fayd,

Ye were

unkynde, to leve behynde, your love, the notbrowne mayd.

D 3

Truft

Truft me truly', that I shall dy fone after ye be gone ; For, in my mynde, of all mankynde I love but you

alone.

A.

Yf that ye went, ye fholde repent: for in the forest

nowe

I have purvayed me of a mayd, whom I love more than

you;

Another fayrère than ever ye were, I dare it wele

avowe;

And of

you

bothe eche fholde be wrothe with other, as I trowe :

It were myne efe, to lyve in pese; so wyll I, yf I can ; Wherfore I to the wode wyll go, alone, a banyshed

man.

B.

Though in the wode I undyrftode ye had a paramour, All this may nought remove my thought, but that I will be your:

And the fhall fynde me foft, and kynde, and courteys every hour;

Glad to fulfyll all that the wyll commaunde me, to my

power:

For had ye, lo, an hundred mo, yet wolde I be that

one;

For, in my mynde, of all mankynde I love but you

alone.

A. Myne

A.

Myne own dere love, I fe the prove that ye be kynde, and true;

Of mayde, and wyfe, in all my lyfe, the best that ever I knewe.

Be mery and glad, be no more fad, the cafe is chaunged

newe;

For it were ruthe, that, for your truthe, ye folde have

caufe to rewe :

Be nat difmayed; whatfoever I fayd to you, whan I

began,

I wyll not to the grene wode go, I am no banyfhed

man.

B.

Thefe tydings be more gladder to me than to be made

a quene,

Yf I were fure they fholde endure : but it is often fene, Whan men wyll breke promyfe, they speke the wordes on the fplene:

Ye shape some wyle, me to begyle, and stele from me

I wene :

Than were the cafe worfe than it was, and I more wo-begone;

For, in my mynde, of all mankynde I love but you.

alone.

A.

Ye shall nat nede further to drede; I will not dyfparage You, (God defende!) fyth you defcend of fo grete

a lynage.

D 4

Nowe