Tant estoit franc & deboneire,
Que tuz voloit lur pleisir fere,
Pur la franchise q'il out.
959. _Of him ful wide the word sprong._ A phrase which from the Saxon
times occurs repeatedly in all our old writers. A few examples may
suffice.
Beowulf wæs breme,
Blæd wíde sprang.
_Beowulf_, ed. Thorpe, p. 2.
Welle wide sprong þas eorles word.
_La[gh]amon_, l. 26242.
Of a knight is that y mene,
His name is sprong wel wide.
_Sir Tristrem_, st. 2, p. 12.
The word of Horn wide sprong,
How he was bothe michel and long.
_Horn Childe_, ap. Rits. _Metr. Rom._ V. iii. p. 291.
See also the _Kyng of Tars_, ll. 19, 1007, _Emare_, l. 256, _Roland and
Ferragus_, as quoted by Ellis, _Ly beaus Desconus_, l. 172, and
_Chronicle of England_, l. 71.
984.
_In armes him noman (ne) nam,
þat he doune sone ne caste._