* * * * *
Litheth, and lesteneth · and herkeneth aright,
And ye schulle heere a talking · of a doughty knight;
Sire Iohan of Boundys · was his righte name,
He cowde of norture y-nough · and mochil of game.
Thre sones the knight hadde · that with his body he wan; 5
The eldest was a moche schrewe · and sone he bigan.
His bretheren loved wel here fader · and of him were agast,
The eldest deserved his fadres curs · and had it at the last.
The goode knight his fader · livede so yore,
That deth was comen him to · and handled him ful sore. 10
The goode knight cared sore · syk ther he lay,
How his children scholde · liven after his day.
He hadde ben wyde-wher · but non housbond he was,
Al the lond that he hadde · it was verrey purchas.
Fayn he wolde it were · dressed among hem alle, 15
That ech of hem hadde his part · as it mighte falle.
Tho sente he in-to cuntre · after wyse knightes,
To helpe delen his londes · and dressen hem to-rightes.
He sente hem word by lettres · they schulden hye blyve,
If they wolde speke with him · whyl he was on lyve. 20
N.B.—Hl.=Harleian MS. no. 7334 (_taken as the foundation of the
text_); Harl.=Harleian MS. no. 1758; Cp.=MS. Corp. Chr. Coll. Oxford;
Ln.=Lansdowne MS. no. 851; Pt.=Petworth MS.; Rl.=MS. Royal 18 c.ii;
Sl.= MS. Sloane, no. 1685. _Note that_ Cp. _and_ Ln. _are next in value
to_ Hl., _and often agree with it as against the rest._
1. Cp. lesteneth; Sl. Ln. listeneth; Hl. lestneth. Cp. herkeneth; Rl.
Sl. herkenyth; Hl. herkneth. 2. Cp. schulle; Ln. schullen; Hl.
schul. Hl. a talkyng; _rest om._ 3. Hl. right; _rest om._; _read_
righte. 4. Hl. ynough; _rest om._ 5. Cp. hadde; Rl. Sl. Pt. Ln.
had; Hl. _om._ 14. Cp. Rl. hadde; Hl. had (_and in l._ 16). 15. Cp.
Ln. wolde; Hl. wold. Hl. amonges; _rest_ among; _see l._ 36. 16.
Hl. might. 17. Cp. Sl. Rl. Pt. Ln. sente; Hl. sent. _So in l._ 19,
_where the MSS. wrongly have_ sent.
Tho the knightes herden · syk that he lay,
Hadde they no reste · nother night ne day,
Til they comen to him · ther he lay stille
On his deth-bedde · to abyde goddes wille.
Than seyde the goode knight · syk ther he lay, 25
‘Lordes, I you warne · for soth, withoute nay,
I may no lenger liven · heer in this stounde;
[646]
For thurgh goddes wille · deth draweth me to grounde.’
Ther nas non of hem alle · that herde him aright,
That they ne hadden reuthe · of that ilke knight, 30
And seyde, ‘sir, for goddes love · ne dismay you nought;
God may do bote of bale · that is now y-wrought.’
21. Hl. ther; _rest_ that. 27. Hl. Cp. lengere; Ln, longer; _rest_
lenger. 29. Sl. Cp. Ln. herde; Hl. herd. 30. Harl. Pt. ne; _rest
om._
Than spak the goode knight · syk ther he lay,
‘Boote of bale god may sende · I wot it is no nay;
But I byseke you, knightes · for the love of me, 35
Goth and dresseth my lond · among my sones three.
And sires, for the love of god · deleth hem nat amis,
And forgetith nat Gamelyn · my yonge sone that is.
Taketh heed to that on · as wel as to that other;
Selde ye see ony eyr · helpen his brother.’ 40