1866 (re-edited 1901; reprinted 1962)\nFLORIS AND BLAUNCHEFLUR.\n§ 1. Introductory, p. xxx.\n§ 2. History, p. xxx.\n§ 3. English Version, p. xxxvii.\n§ 4. Dialect, p. xxxix.\n§ 5. Date of Composition, p. xli.\n§ 6. Versification, p. xlii.\n§ 7. Manuscripts, p. xlii.\nIf in King Horn we have a story Germanic in descent, and betraying everywhere traces of its Germanic origin, in Floris and Blauncheflur we have a romance of extraneous, probably ultimately of oriental origin, and the contrast is in many ways interesting and instructive. The love element, which in King Horn plays so large a part, in Fl. and Bl. is the all in all. This story of all-absorbing passion, which in spite of seemingly insurmountable obstacles and desperate perils, in the end reunites the devoted lovers, was one of the most popular during the Middle Ages, and one of the earliest to be imported from the East. The history of the tale vies in interest with the story itself. The story in a perplexing variety of versions spread over all the countries of Christendom, as we shall see later. It seems to be the basis of the charming chantefable, Aucassin and Nicolete, which Andrew Lang and Walter Pater have made so well known to the modern world. The English version, which unfortunately is incomplete at the beginning in each one of the four manuscripts in which it has been written down, was probably derived directly from one of the French versions, as we shall see.\nThe story of Floris and Blauncheflur is probably an oriental product, and shows many traces of Byzantine influence. It was one of the first of these oriental tales to be retailed in the Occident and had a wide circulation in all the countries of western Christendom, from Spain and Italy to the Scandinavian North. Its route from East to West it is not easy to trace with certainty, though the Crusades were quite probably the means of its importation. Further than this it is not easy to determine. The Provençals, whose active part in the Crusades is well known, may have been the agents, or, as is so often the case with the oriental tales, it may have been imported in a Latin dress.\nThe history of the story in the West is complicated on account of the puzzling multiplicity of versions among which it is sometimes exceedingly difficult to determine the interrelations. The clue to the difficulty was early hinted at by Sommer (E. Sommer, Einl. zu R. Fleckes Flore und Blaunscheflur, Quedlingburg und Leipzig, 1846), and more recently the matter has been very thoroughly explained by Herzog (H. Herzog, Die beiden Sagenkreise von Flore und Blanscheflur, Wien, 1884) in his investigation of the subject. Herzog points out that there are to be distinguished in the Occident, two distinct general versions of the story. In the first of these, A, seems to be preserved the story in its original and genuine form. The second of these versions, B, seems to be a remodelling of the original version in the attempt to adapt to common folk a story in its existing form intended for higher circles of society.I.13 For this purpose slight allusions in A, are expanded in B into striking incidents. To bring out into strong light the injustice of Floris’s father and the final triumph of true love, supernatural and horrible elements and episodes are introduced. Since these new elements are of a kind common in other Byzantine tales, it is concluded that the remodelling of the story had already taken place before the importation from the East.\nThe second of these imported versions, B, first circulated in Italy, in Spain and in Greece. It also seems, somewhat indirectly as we shall see, to have served as a basis for the second French version and for one group of the German Volksbücher. The versions of B, if we leave the second French version out of consideration, all represent the parents of Blauncheflur as Italian, and in part have the same names for the characters. This circumstance, with other corroborating facts, seems to indicate that version B first took root in Italy, and from there spread into Spain and into Greece, possibly its original home.\nVersion A, on the other hand, seems first to have been imported into France, the great jobbing nation of the Middle Ages in all sorts of romantic stuffs and materials. From France it was early retailed to Germany, to England, to Scandinavia, and, possibly, to Italy. From Germany in turn it was re-exported into Bohemia. Version A was without doubt the first to become known, since we find it not only in the Old French, but in the Germanic versions springing from a French source, in an unperverted state. All the different versions of B, on the other hand, have been very noticeably influenced by A, indicating that the arrival of B was after A had become established and well known.\n(b) In France.\nWe encounter the story of Floris and Blauncheflur earliest in France, and the French seem to have been the first to make the story a subject for poetic treatment. The story appears in French, besides in two songs celebrating episodes in this tale of true love, in two distinct versions. The earliest of these versions, which we may designate as I., had its origin, it seems, about 1160.I.14 (Cf. F. Steinmeyer, H Z, xxi, 319.) Certain it is that a French version of A must have existed about 1170, to serve as a basis for one of the German (the low Rhenish) versions, Floyris und Blanscheflur. This French version, I, seems to represent fairly well the A general form of the story. As so often in the case of other romances, the jongleurs tried to bring this foreign importation into the cycle of French story by connecting in bonds of kinship, its characters with the names celebrated in French epic. Blauncheflur is represented as being the mother of Bertha of the big foot, the wife of Pepin, father of Charlemagne.I.15\nDu Méril (E. du Méril, Floire et Blancheflor, Paris, 1876) in discussing the interrelations of the two French versions, characterizes one as a version for a select public, “version aristocratique,” and the second as a version for the entertainment of the masses, “version populaire.” The French II. version, the “version populaire,” is, according to Herzog, p. 4, the result of a sort of fusion of the A and B general forms of the story,I.16 with which have been woven in various episodes which elsewhere are not known to either general form of the story, A or B. Herzog further on continues (p. 11), “Ich halte dafür dass dieselbe (the OF. II. version) ebenfalls aus Italien nach Frankreich hinübergewandert ist, wo ihr Bearbeiter den Inhalt des zweiten Kreises mit dem ihm geläufigen ersten Kreise so verschmolzen hat, dass dieser einige nur dem zweiten Sagenkreise angehörige Züge ganz verdrängte.”\nThe general style and manner of handling the story is quite different in the two French versions. The “version aristocratique” preserves the traits of an oriental romance, and Floire is represented as a love-sick xxxiii youth. “Sans li ne puis jou pas aprendre” he replies when his father proposes to educate him alone. There is hardly a more sentimental passage in literature than the one in I. (212-266) describing the school-days of the children:\nEnsamble vont, ensamble vienent\nEt la joie d’amor maintient\nNus d’aus deus chose ne savoit\nQue lués a l’autre ne disoit.\nOn ooient parler d’amors.\nEnsamble lisent et aprendent;\nA la joie d’amor entendent:\nUn vergier a li peres Floire\nD’amors i chantent li oisel.\nQuant il mangoient et bevoient\nLi oisel seure aus se séoient;\nEt quant a l’escole venoient\nLor tables d’yvoire prenoient,\nAdont lor veissiez escrire\nLetres et vers d’amors en cire.\nLetres et salus font d’amors\nDu chant des oisiaus et des flors.\nThe writer of I. is evidently a genuine poet, though perhaps somewhat of the ‘spring poet’ order. He exalts the sentiment of love, as we have seen, and feelingly describes the elaborately constructed tomb (vv. 530-652), the finely wrought cup (vv. 431-498), and the birds and flowers and fountains and trees of the gardens of the king and of the ‘Admiral.’ He dwells in sensuous fondness in his enumeration equally of the fine stuffs and precious stones; the mantiaus, vairs osterins and bliaus indes porprins (429-30), or the saffirs and calcidoines and boines jagonses and sardoines, etc. (1755-77), and of flowers and trees; the “poivre, canele et garingal,” or the “encens, girofle et citoval,” or the beuns, the plantoine, the alïer, the boins figiers, the peschiers, the periers and the noiers (1761-8).\nThe “version populaire,” on the other hand, seems to be adapted somewhat to the ideal of the native French epic, and Floire is represented as a model of courage and knightly virtue, in a class with the douze pers and the other heroes of the Charlemagne cycle of stories. The writer interpolates scenes in which Floire may display his fighting qualities. In the early part of the story, he returns from school just in time to rescue Blauncheflur, who is about to be committed to the flames. He accomplishes her rescue by acting as her champion and fighting the seneschal, who has accused her of attempting to poison the king. The combat is a stirring one quite in the manner of the Chansons de geste (vv. 920-1160). On the journey to Babylon, Floire has heroic adventures in a battle with Diogenes, son of Samones, king of the city of Fusis (1854-1984). Later, when the trial of Fl. and Bl. is interrupted by the arrival of an invader, Jonas de Handreas, Fl. offers to vanquish the invaders if his life be spared. At first he is unsuccessful in his attempt, but after being taken prisoner by the invaders, he is aroused by the reproachful words of Bl. and breaking loose, slays Jonas, thus delivering the city and winning Bl. (3120-3410). xxxiv The writer of II. emphasizes the battle scenes at the expense of the descriptive passages, devoting to the description of the tomb only 32 verses, and to that of the wonderful cup, only 14. He seems also to be of a practical turn of mind, and instead of fondly enumerating the gems received for Bl., describes rather the circumstances of the sale. Babyloine is a rich city with no poor, and has a rent of three thousand ounces of gold each day (vv. 2319, 2342). From all these instances one can see that the sweet and sentimental tale of the I. version is quite modified in II. If we agree with Herzog that this version was the result of the blending of the B version imported from Italy, with the A version, which was already well known in France, we must conclude also that this “version populaire” is influenced by the ideals of contemporary French poetry of native origin, by the manners and conventions of the chansons de geste, and the heroic romances springing from or influenced by them.\nAmong the troubadours of Provence the story of Fl. and Bl. was early known and popular, as one must judge from the very frequent allusions. There is, however, no proof of the existence of a Provençal romance.\n(d) In Germany.\nIn Germany are to be encountered many versions of the popular story. The earliest one seems to have been the Low Rhenish poem Floyris and Blaunchiflur, of about 3700 lines, translated by an unknown poet about 1170 (Steinmeyer, H. Z. xxi, 307-331). To the middle of the 13th century belongs the MHG. poem in 8006 lines by Konrad Fleck, composed, quite independently of the Low Rhenish version above mentioned, after an OF. original. (Ed. by E. Sommer, Quedlingburg u. Leipzig, 1846.) Somewhat younger is the Mid. Low Germ. poem, Floris ende Blancefloer of 3983 lines (Ed. by H. von Fallensleben, Leipzig, 1836, and by H. E. Moltzer, Groningen, 1879, in the Bibl. van Middelnederlands Letterkunde). The poet, Dideric van Assenede, says, himself, that he derived his material from the “Walsche.”I.17 As a matter of fact his original seems to have been French. To the third half of the 14th century belongs the Low Germ. poem Flosse un Blankflosse of 1534 lines (Ed. by Stephan Waetzoldt, Bremen, 1880), which also seems to go back to a French original.I.18\nIf we look more closely into the question of the French original of the German poems, we must assume a version, χ, earlier than the version preserved in the three existing MSS. of French I. version. These three MSS. may be classed into a group, z, whose chief characteristic is the attempted suicide of Floris in the Lion pit. This scene appears in two of the existing MSS., and the writer of the third MS. seems to have had the scene in his original but to have left it out. (Cf. H. Sundmacher, Die altfrz. u. mittelhd. Bearbeitung der Sage von Fl. und Bl., diss. Göttingen, 1872.) Among the German versions it appears only in the LG. Flosse un Blankflosse. The other German versions must rest on an OF. version, χ, which at the hands of FleckI.19 underwent an artistic reconstruction, but at the hands of Dideric was translated simply, without the addition of any new ideas by the adapter.\nIn addition to these early German versions must be mentioned two groups of Volksbücher: (1) from Boccaccio’s Filocolo, (2) from Fleck’s poem, also a Bohemian adaptation and a German Jewish adaptation, (Cf. Hausknecht, ed. of Fl. u. Bl., pp. 13-20, Berlin, 1885.)\n(e) In Scandinavia.\nOur story had a wide circulation also in the North, as one must infer from the number of Scandinavian versions preserved: (1) the old Norweg. fragment of a saga (ed. by G. Storm, Nordisk Tidskrift for Filologi og Pædagogik, Copenhagen, 1874, pp. 24-28), (2) the complete Icelandic saga of Flóres ok Blankiflúr, (3) the fragments of a second Icelandic Saga (ed. by Brynjolf Snorrason, Annaler for nordisk old kyndighed og historie, 1850); (4) the Old Swed. poem (ed. by E. Klemming, Samlingar utgifna af svenska formskrift-sällskapet, I., Stockholm, 1844); and (5) the Danish translations from the Swedish (ed. by C. J. Brandt, Romantisk Digtning fra Middelalderen, I. and II. København, 1869-77). The distinguishing characteristic of the Northern versions is the conclusion. According to the Norse version, Floris, to refute the charge that he has gained admittance to Bl.’s tower by the use of magic tricks, offers to fight in single combat the bravest of the Admiral’s knights. In the ensuing combat he overcomes the Admiral’s champion, and receives as his guerdon, Blauncheflur. If we accept Herzog’s conclusions (pp. 15, 35, 45-6, 66) we must assume as an original for the Scandinavian versions, a French original, N, with the ending peculiar to the Northern versions. The development from this original is shown by the following plan (also borrowed from Herzog, p. 92).\nAlternate source: https://www.archive.org/details/diebeidensagenk00herzgoog (page n100).\n(f) In Italy.\nIn Italy also the story of Fl. and Bl. enjoyed great popularity. The two chief versions were: (1) the Cantare, written by a popular poet in ottave rime; and (2) Boccaccio’s youthful production, his first prose romance, Filocolo. That the I. version of the story, the one most popular in France, was also current in Italy, we see in these two versions, both of which show, in addition to the special traits of II., many traits peculiar to version I. To determine exactly the interrelations of these two versions is no easy matter. From allusions in the Filocolo we know that the Cantare was the older. Internal evidence, however, forbids the supposition that the Filocolo has sprung from the Cantare. Rather the two versions go back to a common source. This Italian, or Franco-Italian, version, which probably had no differences of real moment from the Cantare in its present form, must in many points have been more ample and complete, and in individual instances nearer the French tradition, than the Cantare is.\nIn connection with the Italian group must also be mentioned the Greek poem of Florios and Platziaflore, composed in the 14th century and founded upon the Cantare.\n(g) In Spain.\nIn Spain we find allusion to our story already in the 13th century, when the Gran conquista de Vltramar refers to Fl. and Bl. as the most devoted pair of lovers that one had ever heard of. But there is no proof of the existence of a Spanish version of the story as early as this. In the year 1512, appeared at Alcala the prose romance, Flores y Blancaflor, which is current to the present day. The close relationship of this to the Italian versions is very evident. Its source, however, seems hardly to be directly the Cantare. The beginning of the Spanish romance, which is xxxvii entirely peculiar to this version, points rather to a version in the North of Italy, which the Spanish adapter has quite probably translated into Spanish without important alteration.\n§ 3. ENGLISH VERSION.\nThe story of Fl. and Bl. found its way into England in the 13th century, that is to say, when it had been for a hundred years familiar to French hearers and after it had already spread into many lands outside of France. As has been said, the English version goes back to a French original. This original was certainly of the I. form. Of the features peculiar to the French II. version, the English version does not show one, while it agrees with the French I. version to the extent of exact translation of many phrases and verses and even of reproduction of French rime-words. At the same time the French original that lay before the English adapter can not have been the text exactly as it is preserved in any one of the three extant French MSS., but rather an older, or purer text which we have designated by χ, a distinguishing feature of which is the absence of the attempted suicide of Floris in the lion pit. The text that must be assumed as the original of the English poem must have been very similar to the original from which Fleck and Dideric derived their German versions, but not exactly identical as is evidenced by frequent slight divergences.\nThe English poet has not expanded and amplified by the addition of further details or by the introduction of personal reflections, as the German Fleck has done. He has presented the essential features of the love story as it impressed him, in a condensed form to be sure, at the same time without bareness or baldness. Unlike the adapter of the Low Rhenish condensed version, he has preserved the original order of incidents, and has usually preserved faithfully the smallest details that have any essential bearing on the plot.\nSome idea of the English writer’s fidelity to the details and even to the phraseology of his French original, and of his method of translating, may be gained from the following parallel passages:\nThe English text, including line numbers, is from Hausknecht’s edition.\nEt bien escrivre en parchemin\nInouȝ þey couþ of latyne\nAnd wel wryte on parchemyn\nFaites la moi tost demander\nJa li ferai le chief couper.\nLet do bryng forþ þat mayde,\nFro þe body þe heved schal goo.\nEt il l’a tant bien acatée\nQu’a fin or l’a sept fois pesée.\nÞe amyral hur bouȝt anoon\nAnd gafe for hur, as she stood upryȝt,\nSeven sythes of gold her wyȝt.\nCi gist la bele Blanceflor\nA cui Floires ot grant amor.\nHere liþ swete Blauncheflur\nÞat Floris loved par amur.\nUn grafe a trait de son rapier\nEn son cuer bouter le voloit,\nQuant sa mere cou apercoit.\nHis knif he droȝ ut of his scheþe\nAnd to his herte hit hadde ismite,\nNadde his moder hit underȝite.\nThe grafe is elaborately described in vv. 788-98:\nLi roi li done un palefroi,\nQui d’une part estoit tous blans,\nDe l’autre rouges comme sans.\nÞe king let sadel a palfray\nÞe oon half white, so mylke\nAnd þat oþer reed, so sylk.\nFius, fait ele, gardez le bien;\nTant com l’aurez, mar cremez rien;\nCar vous ja rien ne requer(r)iez\nQue tost ou tard vous ne l’aiez\nMi sone, he rede, have þis ring;\nWhile he is þin, ne dute noþing.\nAnd be hit erli and be hit late\nTo þi wil þu schalt habbe whate.\nLa le troevent ou siet, sous l’arbre,\nSor un perron qui fu de marbre.\nÞe briggere he fond ate frome,\nSittinde on a marble ston.\nLe millor conseil que jou sai\nÞe beste red þat ihc þe can\nSi maudient qui s i foula\nHi beden God ȝive him wel fin\nÞat so manie flures dide þerin\nDes flors sali un paveillon\nDes eles feri mon menton;\nDel paveillon tel paor oi,\nQue m’escriai plus tost que poi\nÞer fliste ut a buterfliȝe,\nAre ihc wiste, on mine iȝe.\nSo sore ihc uas offerd of þan,\nÞat ihc loude crie bigan\nBele compaigne, Blanceflor,\nVolez vous veoir bele flor?\nAnd sede, “Swete Blauncheflur,\nWiltu se a wel fair flur?”\nDamoisele qui a amor\nEt joie en soi, doit avoir flor.\nHo þat loveþ par amur,\nAn haþ þerof joie, mai love flur.\nIn spite of this number of tolerably exact correspondences, in word and phrase, with the French original, the English poem is a condensed adaptation rather than a slavish translation. As in the French II. version, the tender and sentimental element is much condensed; but the English writer, unlike the writer of French II., does not introduce the heroic and warlike element in the form of duels and battles. He does not amplify by adding new details, as Fleck did, nor does he confuse the order of incidents as does the adapter of the Low Rhenish version. He makes rather a faithful condensation quite after the manner of English adapters from the French, which is no doubt to be explained as due not so much to difference between the writers, English and French, as to a difference xxxix between the hearing publics, French and English, for whom the production was intended.I.20\nNo doubt with his English public in mind, the English poet, in adapting the story from the French, has modified to some extent the tenderness and sentimentality, even at times the poetic descriptions, of his French original (compare vv. 1117-1194 of the French with the corresponding English vv. 457-72), and has omitted the enumeration of gems and of precious stuffs suggestive of an elegance perhaps unintelligible to an English speaking and hearing public at this time. The wonderful cup, to the description of which 67 verses (431-498) are devoted in the French romance, in the English poem is dismissed with 17 verses (163-184). The garden so elaborately described in the French, vv. 1724-1835, in the English poem occupies only vv. 685-732. The description of the knife (grafe), which serves no other purpose than that of external adornment in the French version (vv. 788-799), is entirely neglected in the English translation. The translator’s method is well illustrated in the case of the description of Floris’s equipage preliminary to setting out on his journey. The description of the saddle and harness occupies 37 verses (964-1000) of the French poem, and is dismissed by the English translator with 5 (vv. 382-389), I ne can telle ȝou noȝt Hu richeliche þe sadel was wroȝt, and three verses following.\nTo sum up, the English version is a free, somewhat condensed, translation from the French I. version. The translator has introduced almost no new traits, and the extent of the condensation may be judged by considering the 1296 verses of the English as compared with the 2974 verses in the French I. version. The manner of the condensation has been indicated. But with all the condensation, especially in the descriptive passages, it is important to note that in the essential features of the story, the translator follows his original faithfully, so that the main outline of the story is preserved as accurately in English as in French.\n§ 4. DIALECT.\nIn Fl. and Bl. as in King Horn it is difficult to distinguish certain criteria of dialect on account of the variety of orthography in the different manuscripts. Here again the only safe guide is the rimes, and the evidence of these is not entirely uniform for the different texts. There is a great difference in age between MS. C, the oldest, and MS. T, probably the youngest of the four MSS. Further there is a difference in the xl dialects represented by the different scribes. The scribes of MSS. C and Cott. were evidently southerners, and seem, here and there, to have twisted the verses around to make them fit the Southern dialect. On the other hand the later scribe of MS. T seems to have changed verses to make them fit his later dialect. Either the phrases are less stereotyped than in Horn or the poem was not so well known; in any event the scribes of the individual texts seem to have allowed themselves greater independence. The result is that the rime test here is not a sure one. The evidence of rimes in MS. C is not necessarily valid for MS. T, and vice versā; and which rimes indicate the pronunciation of the original composer, it is often difficult to say. If we bear these points in mind we may perhaps draw some satisfactory conclusions from the following criteria:\n1. OE. ȳ̆ seems to have been pronounced ī̆. e.g.; cusseþ : blisse, custe : wiste 549-52 C, ywys : kysse 1067 T, winne : kinne 806 C, blisse : kisse 786 C, fylle : wylle 738 T, lyke : lyte 782 T. Only apparent exceptions are meene : kyne 274 T (these words do not rime together in the original), and bygge : segge 989 T. Ostesse : kysse belongs only to MSS. T and Auch.\n2. If we apply Prof. Hempl’s -wǭ-, -wọ̄- test we find some evidence of a Midland dialect, e.g.; too : soo 94 T, vndoo : soo 74 T, also : doo 224 T, 764 C, soo : doo 64 T, 336 T, 624 T, so : fordo 307-8 C. This test applied to Fl. and Bl. is not certain in itself, but supports the other evidence. That the test is uncertain we see from the occurrence of apparently inaccurate rimes such as hoom : doom 1079 T, 802 C, and from a few rimes which oppose the evidence of those above cited, e.g., þoo : twoo 30 T, two : mo 218 T (and Cott.), so : go 438 C, 824 C, bo : atuo 548 C, 614 C, þo : so 666 C, also : bo 780 C, whoom : froom 70 T. It would seem then that the change had affected the ā in OE. swā but not in twā and hwā. It must be noted that all the quoted so rimes with ọ̄ occur in MS. C, which, as we shall see later, has a strong Southern colouring.\n3. The product of OE. a before l + cons. seems to be a, or with lengthening before -ed, ō. e.g.; wal : cristal 273-4 C (also 609-10 T), wolde : golde 208 T, tolde : holde, sholde : holde 435-6 T (also 77-80 C), wolde : beholde 751 T (also 449-50 C), 769-70 T (also 471-2 C). Exceptions occur in the Southern MSS. e.g.; elde : helde 102 Cott., halle : welle 230 C, welle : alle 224 C, 280 C, but are not paralleled in MS. T.I.21\n4. The inflectional endings of the pres. indic. seem to be -e, -est, -eþ for the singular. There are rimes to prove the 3rd sing. in -eþ; seith : withe 106 T, he sit : nabit 40 C, geþ : deþ 200 C (also T and Cott.), 422 C (also T). The plural ending is less evident. The Cambr. MS. has rcularly -eþ. e.g.; habbeþ 20, serueþ 1256, beoþ 294, 295, weneþ 314, leteȝ 448, chaungeþ 510, goþ, seoþ, spekeþ 708 C, crieþ 526; the T. MS. -en, e.g.; seruen 590 T, cryen 815 T, ben 909 T, etc. That the -eþ ending did not belong to the original we may probably infer from the fact that while the -eþ of the 3rd sing. counts metrically, the -eþ of the plural usually does not. Cf. 20 C, 256 C, 448 C, 526 C, 708 C, etc. But cf. springeþ 296 C, bisecheþ 765 C, falleþ 786 C. These endings, then, point to an East Midland dialect. Cf. also the rimes; wepinge : bringe Cott. p. 105, cusseþ : blisse 549-50 C.\n5. OE. æ̆ (e) and shortened OE. ǣ, umlaut of WG. ai, or WG. ā.\nThe OE. short æ appears regularly as a. trespas : was 1043 T, orgas : was 102 T, Cesar : bar 182 T, are probably to be explained as due to one of the Southern scribes of MSS. C and Cott. e.g. vnderȝet : set 166 C (but cf. vnderȝat : sat 98 C). The shortening of OE. ǣ (umlaut of WG. ai) also appears regularly as a. e.g.; glade : ladde 480 T, ilast : cast 338 C, glad : ilad 114 C. But cf. lasse : wytnesse 952 T. In the rime, rest : mest 120 C, 384 C, it is impossible to determine whether the ǣ is shortened to ĕ, as in parts of the South, or the ĕ is lengthened to ē. The shortening of OE. ǣ (WG. ā) does not occur in rime often enough to permit any safe conclusion. The rimes radde : madde 826 T and radde : hadde 1025 T, seem to show that the product of shortening was a. That the representative of WG. ā was the Saxon ǣ rather than the Anglian, and Kentish ē, seems probable from the rimes rede : seide 21-2 T, 51-2 T, 215-16 T, 263-4 T (66 Cott.); reede : deede 45-6 T, 53-4 T.\nFrom these criteria, which seem to be the best available, we may infer that Fl. and Bl. belongs further north than King Horn. Further, the inflections seem to point to the Eastern rather than to the Western Midland, so that we may feel fairly safe in attributing Fl. and Bl. to the East Midland.\n§ 5. DATE OF COMPOSITION.\nWe shall probably be safe in setting the date of composition in the second half of the 13th century. Lengthening in open syllables seems to have taken place, e.g.; coome : soone 100 T, grome : coome 112 T, xlii come : hoome 500 T, wite : vnderȝete 556 C (also Cott.), wite : wite 756 C, þerone : stone, 112 T, vppone : stone 172 T, 212 T, þare : ware 1036 T, etc. From this we must conclude that the date of composition is not earlier than 1250. On the other hand the earliest MS. (C) dates back to the second half of the 13th century. Indeed in this MS. there are still traces of the old distinction of grammatical gender, and OE. ū is still always represented by u; while the second oldest MS. (Cott.) has the newer writing ou. (Cf. Hausknecht, ed. of Fl. and Bl. p. 130, Berlin, 1885.)\n§ 6. VERSIFICATION.\nThe poem is composed in short rimed couplets. The normal verse has four stresses. In no one of the MSS., however, are all the verses perfectly regular, due largely, no doubt, in part to the variety of forms available to each composer and to the variety of spellings to choose from, also to the attempts of each scribe to make the verses of the original fit into his own dialect. The rimes may be masculine or feminine. At times they are mere assonances, e.g.; first : lyst 693-4, furste : luste 377-8 C, lyke : lyte 781-2 T, longe : sonde 795-6 C, coome : soone 100 T, etc. At times they are inaccurate, e.g.; grunde : honde 303-4 C, meene : kyne 273-4 T. Peculiar are the rimes; þerate : gate 153-4 C, etc., fyne : þeryne 369-70 T, 441-2 C, etc., þerone : stone 112 T, 212 T.\n§ 7. MANUSCRIPTS.\nFloris and Blauncheflur appears in four MSS., in each of the four with a greater or smaller part of the beginning lost.\n1. T., the Trentham MS., is in the library of the Duke of Sutherland at Trentham Hall in Staffordshire. The MS. is a relatively late one (about 1440), and is written in a very legible, informal running hand, with loops to the b’s, l’s, etc. It contains a series of metrical romances; besides Floris and Blauncheflur, also Kyng Rychard, Bevous of Hampton, The Batell of Troye, Amys and Amylion, and Sir Eglamoure. Our poem stands on folios 98-111. The headings to the pages are; on the even, left-hand pages, Florence, on the odd, right-hand pages, & Blanchefloure. The MS. contains 1083 lines of our poem. The beginning of the poem is lost in this MS., as in the three others, and the first preserved folio is an odd, right-hand page, with the heading, & Blanchefloure. The first verse in this MS. corresponds to verse 193 of the French.\nThe reading of the MS. is made difficult and uncertain by the end flourishes to certain letters, e.g.; gold), stoon), vppon), which it is hard to interpret. It has been collated with the three others by Hausknecht, in his admirable critical edition of the poem.\n2. Cott., the Brit. Mus. MS. Cott. Vitell. D. III., which probably belongs to the second half of the 13th century, suffered badly from fire in 1731. Of the original 219 folios of this parchment MS., 26 remain, and these are in many parts exceedingly difficult to read, so that the readings here offered, which are based mainly on Lumby’s text, are offered with apologies, and may no doubt be bettered here and there by comparison with the other MSS. Our poem, which occupies folios 6a-8b of the existing MS., is preceded by Versus de historibus sacris veteris et novi Testamenti, veteri lingua Gallicana (O. French), and in the same handwriting with Fl. and Bl. The following folios (9-26) contain in Latin prose, Expositiones quaedam sive comentarii in Macrobii Saturnalia.\nOf our poem only 451 lines are preserved in this MS., and of these only 180 are completely legible. The first verse corresponds to about v. 508, and the last to about v. 2514 of the French. The writing is in a fine, apparently French, book hand.\nThis MS. has been printed by Lumby in the original to the present edition for the E.E.T.S., and has been used by Hausknecht in collation.\n3. A., the celebrated Auchinleck MS. of the Advocates’ Library in Edinburgh, is a veritable mine of romance. Perhaps the best description is still that given in Sir Walter Scott’s introduction to Sir Tristrem, where is to be found an enumeration of the 44 different articles, mostly romances, still contained (besides 13 lost). It is a large quarto on vellum, and according to Ellis, belongs to the very first of the 14th century. Of our poem, which occupies five double-columned folios (100-104), 861 verses are contained, of which the first corresponds to v. 1001 of the French.\nFl. and Bl. has twice been reprinted from the Auchinleck MS.: (1) C. H. Hartshorne, Ancient Metrical Tales, London, 1829, (2) David Laing, A Penni Worth of Witte, etc., Abbotsford Club, Edinburgh, 1857.\n4. C., the Cambr. Univ. MS. Gg. 4. 27. 2, has already been described. (See page xxviii.) Of the fragment of a MS. that now exists, the final 824 verses of Fl. and Bl. occupy folios 1a-5b. The first verse preserved corresponds to verse 1001 of the French poem.\nThe interrelations of these four MSS. have been carefully studied by Hausknecht (as above, pp. 98-108), whose results may be summarized as follows: MSS. A., Cott., T form a group x. Now C., now group x has gaps, and neither is free from individual changes.\nWithin the group x, A and Cott. form a special sub-group, y going back to a common origin, but at the same time independent of each other.\nWe may borrow from Hausknecht the following diagram representing the interrelations.\nT misprinted as I both here and in Hausknecht (page n131).\nAs regards the relative value of the different MSS., it must be said that T is the least to be depended on for accuracy, but is valuable because it preserves more of the early part of the story than is preserved in any of the other MSS. As regards the relative value of C and x it is hard to decide. Still the instances in which C, in opposition to A, agrees with the French are more numerous than are the instances of the contrary case.\nI.13 G. Paris distinguishes three general versions, two French versions and a third, “Roman” version, in which the parents of Blauncheflur are not French but Roman.\nI.14 The evidence cited by G. Paris, consists of allusions to—(1) History of Troy, (2) Siege of Troy, (3) Aeneid, etc. The place of origin, according to G. Paris, was probably in the region about Beauvais, lying between Normandy, Picardy and the Île de France.\nI.15 Perhaps this is a mere coincidence, since in a poem about Berthe, her father happens to be named ‘Florie,’ a Florie with a different history, roi de Hongrie. Later this relationship was commonly assumed. In the Gran Conquista de Vltramar, the story of Berthe is intercalated. She is daughter of Blancaflor and Flores.\nI.16 G. Paris makes this II. version the sole representative of a third distinct form of the story, the 2o of his general classification, 1o, 2o, 3o.\nI.17 That is to say, French or Italian.\nI.18 This version was evidently not translated from a French MS. but written from memory. The details are not always exactly identical with those of the French, though often so, enough so to make the origin of the poem unmistakable though it is much condensed and the order of events somewhat transposed.\nI.19 Fleck’s work is a paraphrase. The details are identical but are amplified to 8006 verses.\nI.20 This same consideration, as we have seen, probably explains in part the difference between the English King Horn and the Norman French Horn et Rigmenil.\nI.21 That the Cambr. scribe was from the South is very apparent from: (1) the pres. indic. plur. endings in eþ, e.g. comeþ 282, etc., (2) the above rimes of OE. call : ell, (3) axede 576, 602, etc., (4) rede : hadde 453-4, (5) hi for ‘they’ 284, etc., heo for ‘she’ 303, etc., (6) ifere 502 C, in fere 827, 280 T, (7) vaire 16, wuder 114, etc.\nAlso hide notes\nTrentham MS., fol. 98 a; vellum, c. 1440: beginning lost. Headlines ‘Florence and Blanchefloure.’\nNe thurst menFB1 neuer in londe\nÞe Cristen woman fedde hem þoo,\n4 Ful wel she louyd hem boþ twoo.\nSo longe sche fedde hem in feere\nþat þey were of elde of seuen ȝere.\nÞe kyng behelde his sone dere,\n8 And seyde to him on this manere,\nÞat harme it were muche more\nBut his sone were sette to lore\nOn þe book+ letters to know,\n12 As men done, both hye and lowe.\n“Feire sone,” she seide, “þou shalt lerne,\nLo þat þou do ful ȝerne.”\n16 As he stood byfore þe kyng+;\nAl wepyng+ seide he,\nFB.1 first ‘mey,’ then alterd\nFloris says that he cannot learn unless Blauncheflur is with him.\n“Ne schal not Blancheflour lerne with me?\nNe can y noȝt to scole goone\n20 With-out Blanchefloure,” he seide þane.\n“Ne can y in no scole syng+ ne rede\nWith-out Blancheflour,” he seide.\nÞe king+ seide to his soone,\n24 “She shal lerne for þy loue.”\nThe two are put to school together, and make good progress.\nTo scole þey were put;\nBoþ þey were good of+ wytte.\nWonder it was of+ hur lore,\n28 And of+ her loue wel þe more.\nÞe Children louyd to-geder soo,\nÞey myȝt neuer parte a twoo.\nWhen þey had .v. ȝere to scoole goone\n32 So wel þey had lerned þoo,\nInowȝ þey couþ of latyne,\nAnd wel wryte on parchemyne.\nÞe kyng+ vnderstod þe grete Amoure\n36 Bytwene his sone and Blanchefloure,\nAnd þouȝt when þey were of Age\nÞat her loue wolde noȝt swage;\nNor he myȝt noȝt her loue withdrawe\n40 When Florys shuld+ wyfe after þe lawe.\nÞe king+ to þe Queene seide þoo,\nAnd tolde hur of+ his woo,\nOff+ his þouȝt and of his care,\n44 How it wolde of+ Floreys fare.\nThe king begins to devise to separate the two, and proposes to put the maiden to death.\n“Dame,” he seide, “y tel þe my reede,\nI wyl þat Blaunchefloure be do to deede.\nWhen þat maide is y-slawe,\n48 And brouȝt of her lyf+ dawe,\nAs sone as Florys may it vnder ȝete,\nRathe he wylle hur forȝete.\nÞan may he wyfe after reede.”\n52 Þe Queene answerde þen and seide,\nAnd þouȝt with hur reede\nSaue þe mayde fro þe deede.\n“Sir,” she seide, “we auȝt to fonde\n56 Þat Florens lyf+ wit menske in londe,\nAnd þat he lese not his honour\nFor þe mayden Blauncheflour.\nWho so myȝt þat mayde clene,\n60 Þat she were brouȝt to deþ bydene,\nÞan slee þat mayde Blancheflour.”\nVnneþes þe king+ g[ra]unt þat it be soo.\n64 “Dame, rede vs what is to doo.”\nFloris is sent to Mountargis to school.\nThe queen suggests that Floris be sent away.\n“Sir, we shul oure soone Florys\nSende into þe londe of Mountargis.\nBlythe wyl my suster be\n68 Þat is lady of+ þat Contree.\nAnd when she woot for whoom)\nÞat we have sent him vs froom),\nShe wyl doo al hur myȝt,\n72 Boþ by day and by nyȝt,\nTo make hur loue so vndoo\nAs it had neuer ben soo.\nAnd, sir,” she seide, “y rede eke\n76 Þat þe maydens moder make hur seek+.\nÞat may be þat other resoun)\nFor þat ylk+ enchesoun,\nÞat she may not fro hur moder goo.”\n80 Now ben þese Children swyþ woo,\nNow þey may not goo in fere\nDrewryer þinges neuer noone were.\nFlorys wept byfore þe kyng+,\n84 And seide, “Sir, with-out lesyng+,\nFor my harme out ȝe me sende,\nNow she ne myȝt with me wende.\nNow we ne mot to-geder goo,\n88 Al my wele is turned to woo.”\nÞe king+ seide to his soone aplyȝt,\n“Sone, withynne þis fourtenyȝt,\nBe her moder quykke or deede,”\n92 “Sekerly,” he him seide,\n“Þat mayde shal come þe too.”\nFloris is sent to his aunt at Mountargis, with the promise that Blauncheflur shall follow within fourteen days.\n“Ȝe, sir,” he seid, “y pray ȝow it be soo.\nȜif þat ȝe me hur sende,\n96 I rekke neuer wheder y wende.”\nÞat þe Child+ graunted þe kyng+ was fayne,\nAnd him betauȝt his Chamburlayne.\nWith muche honoure þey þeder coome,\n100 As fel to a ryche kynges soone.\nWel feire him receyuyd þe Duke Orgas,\nÞat king+ of þat Castel was,\nAnd his Aunt wiþ muche honour;\n104 But euer he þouȝt on Blanchefloure.\nGlad and blythe þey ben him withe;\nBut for no ioy þat he seith,\nNe myȝt him glade game ne gle,\n108 For he myȝt not his lyf+ see.\nÞere as other Children wore,\nBoþ maydons and grome;\n112 To lerne mony þeder coome.\nInowȝ he sykes, but noȝt he lernes;\nFor Blauncheflour euer he mornes.\nYf+ enyman to him speke\n116 Loue is on his hert steke.\nLoue is at his hert roote\nÞat no þing+ is so soote:\n120 Is not so soote as hur loue is,\nNe nothing+ ne none other.\nSo much he þenkeþ on Blancheflour,\nOf+ oo day him þynkeþ þre,\n124 For he ne may his loue see.\nThe King proposes to put Blauncheflur to death.\nHe grieves until the fourteen days are past.\nÞus he abydeth with muche woo\nTyl þe fourtenyȝt were goo.\nWhen he saw she was nouȝt ycoome,\n128 So muche sorow he haþ noome,\nÞat he loueth mete ne drynke,\nNe may noone in his body synke.\nThe chamberlain reports Floris’s sorrow to the king.\nÞe Chamberleyne sent þe king+ to wete,\n132 His sones state al y-wrete.\nThe king is very angry, and again proposes to put Blauncheflur to death.\nÞe king+ ful sone þe waxe to-brake,\nFor to wete what it spake:\nHe begynneth to chaunge his moode,\n136 And wel sone he vnderstode,\nAnd with wreth he cleped þe Queene,\nAnd with wraþ spake and sayde,\n140 “Let do bryng+ forþ þat mayde!\nFro þe body þe heued shal goo.”\nÞenne was þe Quene ful woo.\nÞan spake þe Quene, þat good lady,\nThe queen proposes, instead, to sell the maiden.\n144 “For goddes love, sir, mercy.\nAt þe next hauen þat here is,\nÞer ben chapmen ryche y-wys,\nMarchaundes of+ babyloyne ful ryche,\n148 Þat wol hur bye blethelyche.\nThan may ȝe for þat louely foode\nHaue muche Catełł and goode.\nAnd soo she may fro vs be brouȝt,\n152 Soo þat we slee hur nouȝt.”\nVnneþes þe king+ graunted þis;\nBut forsoþ so it is,\nÞe king+ let sende after þe burgeise,\n156 Þat was hende and Curtayse,\nThis is done, and for the maiden they receive among other things a magnificent cup with a romantic history.\nWel sone þat mayde was him betauȝt;\n160 An to þe hauene was she brouȝt.\nÞer haue þey for þat maide ȝolde\nxx. Mark+ of reed golde,\n164 In al þe world+ was none it lyche.\nÞer was neuer noone so wel graue;\nHe þat it made was no knave.\nÞer was purtrayd on, y weene,\n168 How Paryse ledde awey þe Queene;\nAnd on þe Couercle a-boue\nPurtrayde was þer both her love;\nAnd in þe Pomel þerone\n172 Stood a Charbuncle stoone.\nIn þe world+ was not so depe soler,\nÞat it nold+ lyȝt þe Botelere,\nTo fylle boþ ale and wyne,\n176 Of syluer and golde boþ good and fyne.\nEnneas þe king+, þat nobel man,\nAnd brouȝt it in-to Lumbardy,\n180 And gaf+ it his lemman, his Amy.\nÞe Coupe was stoole fro king+ Cesar;\nA þeef+ out of his tresour hous it bar.\nAnd sethe þat ilke same þeef+\n184 For Blaunchefloure he it ȝeef+.\nFor he wyst to wynne suche þree,\nMyȝt he hur bryng+ to his contree.\nNow þese Marchaundes saylen ouer þe see,\n188 With þis mayde, to her contree.\nSo longe þey han vndernome,\nBlauncheflur is sold and carried to Babylon.\nBlauncheflur is taken to Babylon and sold to the Admiral.\nÞat to Babyloyne þey ben coome.\nTo þe Amyral of+ Babyloyne\n192 Þey solde þat mayde swythe soone;\nRath and soone þey were at oone.\nÞe Amyral hur bouȝt Anoone,\nAnd gafe for hur, as she stood vpryȝt,\nMS. Cott. Vitell. D. III., 6 a, col. 1.\nThe 3 leaves of this MS. are burnt and shrunk, and are hardly legible.\n196 Seuyne sythes of+ golde her wyȝt,\nFor he þouȝt without+ weene\nÞat faire mayde haue to Queene;\nAmong+ his maydons in his bour\n200 He hur dide with muche honour.\n. . . . . FB2so dere\n. . . . wiþ þoute wene.\n. . þat maide to his quene.\n4 . his maidenes vp in is tur,\n. hire wiþ muchel honur\nFB.2 MS. note. See Introduction; also Floris et Blanch., Paris 1856, p. 28, l. 673.\nNow þese merchaundes þat may belete,\nAnd ben glad of+ hur byȝete.\nn Ow let we of Blauncheflour be,\n204 And speke of Florys in his contree.\nNow is þe Bu[r]gays to þe king+ coome\nWith þe golde and his garysone,\nAnd haþ take þe king+ to wolde,\n208 Þe seluer and þe Coupe of golde.\n. . marchans þis maide forlete,\n. . . bliþe mid here by-ȝete.\n8 . . . . we blancheflur be.\n. . floires in his cuntre.\n. burgeys to þe king icome.\n. . . gold and þisse garisome.\n12 . . . þan king i ȝolde.\n. . þo cupe of golde.\nThe king and queen cause to be made a supposititious tomb for Blauncheflur.\nAs swithe feire graue wyrche.\nAnd lete ley þer-vppone\n212 A new feire peynted stone,\nWith ful muche worshippe.\nWho-so couth þe letters rede,\n216 Þus þey spoken, and þus þey seide:\n“Here lyth swete Blaunchefloure\nÞat Florys louyd Paramoure.”\nNow Florys haþ vndernome,\n. . . let at one chiriche.\n. . . . les wereche,\n16 . . . [þ]at anouen . .\n. . pointe stonde\n. . . . bi write.\n. . . . . hele worþsipe\n20 . . . þe letters rede.\n24 . . [h]aueþ vnder-nome\nFloris returns and inquires for Blauncheflur. ‘She is dead.’\nFloris returns, and asks his father and mother for Blauncheflur in vain.\n220 And to his Fader he is coome.\nIn his Fader halle he is lyȝt,\nHis Fader him grette anoone ryȝt,\nAnd his moder, þe Queene, also,\n224 But vnneþes myȝt he þat doo,\nÞat he ne asked where his Lemman bee;\nNonskyns answere chargeþ hee.\nSo longe he is forth noome,\n228 In to Chamber he is coome.\n. . faderlonde he is icome\n. . . halle he is alyȝt\n. . . . he grette anonryȝt\n28 . . þe quene he grette also\n. . . haueþ his gretinge ido,\n. . . askeþ war þat maide beo\n. . . were nou targeþ heo.\n32 . . . res hit haueþ vnder nome\n. . boure & a is icome\nHe then asks the girl’s mother.\nÞe maydenys moder he asked ryȝt,\n“Where is Blauncheflour, my swete wyȝt?”\n“Sir,” she seide, “forsothe ywys,\n232 I ne woot where she is.”\nShe beþouȝt hur on þat lesyng+\nÞat was ordeyned byfoore þe king+.\n“Þou gabbest me,” he seyde þoo,\n236 “Þy gabbyng+ doþ me muche woo.\nTel me where my leman be.”\nAl wepyng+ seide þenne shee,\n. . . to hire anonriȝt\n. [bl]ancheflur mi suete wiȝt\n36 . . . . . . ful iwis\n. . . . . war heo is\n[leaf 6, col. 2]\nÞine gabbinge deþ me wo;\nTel me war my lemmon beo.\n40 Al wepinge onsuerede heo,\nThe mother at length tells Floris that Blauncheflur is dead.\n“Sir,” shee seide, “deede.” “deed!” seide he.\n240 “Sir,” sche seide, “for sothe, ȝee.”\n“Allas, when died þat swete wyȝt?”\n“Sir, withynne þis Fourtenyȝt\nÞe erth was leide hur aboute,\n244 And deed she was for thy loue.”\n“Sire,” heo seyde, “ded.” “ded!” quad he.\n“Sire,” heo seyde, “for soþe ȝe,\nAlas, wenne deide my suete wyȝt?”\n44 “Sire,” heo seyde, “wiþ inne þis seueniȝt\nÞat vrþe hire was leyd aboue,\nAnd ded heo is for þine loue.\nFlores, þat was so feire and gent,\nSownyd þere verament.\nÞe cristen woman began to crye\n248 To ihesu crist and seynt Marye.\nÞe king+ and þe queene herde þat crye;\nIn to þe Chamber þey ronne on hye.\nAnd þe Queene herde her byforne\n252 On sowne þe Childe þat she had borne.\nFloyres þat was so fayr and gent,\n48 He fel iswoue vp on þe pauement.\nAnd þe cristene wimmon gon to crie\nTo crist and to seyntemarie.\nÞe king & þe quene iherdde þat cri;\n52 In to þe bure þo vrne hy.\nAnd þe quene ate frome\nBy wepeþ hire dere sone.\nÞe kinges hert was al in care,\nÞat sawe his sone for loue so fare.\nWhen he a-wooke and speke moȝt,\n256 Sore he wept and sore he syȝt,\nAnd seide to his moder ywys,\n“Lede me þere þat mayde is.”\nAnd þe kinges herte is ful of care\n56 Þat he sikþ is sone vor loue so fare.\nAnon he of swoninge awok and speke miste.\nSore he wep and sore he syȝte,\nAnd on his moder he by siþt.\n60 “Dame,” he sayde, “led me þar þat mayde lyþ.”\nHis mother comes to him, and conducts him to the supposititious tomb.\nÞeder þey him brouȝt on hyȝe;\n260 For care and sorow he wolde dyȝe.\nAs sone as he to þe graue com,\nSone þere behelde he þen,\nÞider heo hine broute wel suþe,\nVor care a[n]d sorwe of hire deþe.\nAnon þat he to þe burles com,\n64 Wel ȝerne he bi-hul þer-on,\nFloris reads the inscription on the monument, and swoons.\nFloris reads the inscription, and then swoons three times.\nAnd þe letters began to rede,\n264 Þat þus speke and þus seide:\n“Here lytħ swete Blauncheflour,\nÞre sithes Florys sownydde nouth;\n268 Ne speke he myȝt not with mouth.\nAs sone as he awoke and speke myȝt,\nSore he wept and sore he syȝt+.\nAnd letteres bigon to rede.\nÞus spek and þus sede\nÞat þar lay suete blancheflur.\n68 [Þat] floyres louede par amur.\nÞ . . . . swouneþ nouþe\nAnd asone ase he speke myȝte.\n72 And gon blancheflur bi mene\nWit teres riue ase a scur of r[e]ne.\nFloris weeps and sighs, and laments Blauncheflur’s death.\n“Blauncheflour!” he seide, “Blauncheflour!”\n272 So swete a þing was neuer in boure.\nOf Blauncheflour is þat y meene,\nFor she was come of+ good kyne.\n“Blancheflur,” he seide, “blancheflur,\nSo sute þing nas ner in bur,\n[leaf 6, back]\n76 Vor þou were ibore of gode cunne,\nVor in worle nes nere non\nÞine imake of no wimmon.\nInouȝ þou cuþest of clergie\n80 And of alle curteysie.\nLytel and muche loueden þe\n276 For þy goodnesse and þy beaute.\nȜif deþ were dalt aryȝt,\nWe shuld be deed boþ on oo nyȝt.\nOn oo day borne we were;\n280 We shul be ded boþ in feere.”\n& muchel and litel hit louede þe\nVor þi fayr hede and þi bunte.\nȜif þat deþ were ideld ariȝt,\n84 We scholden habbe idiȝed boþe in ar niȝt.\nVor in one deye ibore we were;\nMid riȝte we scholden deie ifere.”\nHe apostrophizes death.\n“Deeþ,” he seide, “ful of+ enuye,\nRefte þou hast me my lemman.”\n284 “For soth,” he seide, “þou art to blame.\nShe wolde haue leuyd, and þu noldest,\nAnd fayne wolde y dye, and þu woldest.\n“Deþ,” he seyde, “vol of enuie,\n88 and vol of alle tricherie,\nMid traisun þou me hast mi lef binome.\nTo bi-traie þat folk hit is þi wone;\nHeo wolde libbe and þu noldest.\n92 Þou nelt me slen and ihc wolde;\n[No gap in MS.]\nWiþ þere me wolde þat þou were.\nNul tu no wiȝt come þere,\nand þer me wolde þat þou . . ne come,\n96 Þer þou wolt come Ilome.\nÞilke þat buste best to libbe,\nHem þou stikest under þe ribbe.\nand ȝif þer is eni forliued wrecche,\n100 Þat of is liue nouȝt ne recche,\nÞat fawe wolde deie for sorewe & elde,\nOn hem neltou nouȝht bi helde.\nNo lengore ich nelle mi lef bileue,\n104 I chulle be mid hyre ere eue.\nAfter deeþ clepe nomore y nylle,\n288 But slee my self+ now y wille.”\nNou after deþ clepie ich þe nulle,\nAc mi sulue aslen ich wille.”\nHe tries to stab himself, but is prevented by his mother.\nHe attempts to stab himself with a knife, but is prevented by his mother.\nHis knyf+ he braide out of his sheth;\nHim self he wolde haue doo to deth.\nAnd to hert he had it smetene\n292 Ne had his moder it vnder ȝetene.\nÞen þe Queene fel him vppone,\nAnd þe knyf+ fro him noome.\nShe reft+ him of+ his lytel knyf+,\n296 And sauyd þere þe Childes lyf+.\nForþ þe Queene ranne, al wepyng+,\nTyl she come to þe kyng+.\nAse a mon þat draȝh him sulue to þe deþe,\n108 His knif he draȝh out of his scheþe,\nand to his herte hit wolde habbe ismite,\nNadde his moder hit vnder gete.\nAc þe quene his moder . . fel vpon,\n112 & þis knif heo him binom.\nHeo bi nom him his atel knif.\n[leaf 6, back, col. 2]\nÞat heo com bi . . . . . . .\nThe queen discloses to Floris the deception.\nThe queen persuades the king to reveal the truth.\nÞan seide þe good lady,\n300 “For goddes loue, sir, mercy!\nOf .xii. children haue we noone\nOn lyue now but þis oone.\nAnd better it were she were his make,\n304 Þan he were deed for hur sake.”\nÞanne spac þe quene þe . .\n116 and seyde to þe kinge, “sire, mercy,\nSire, of þis children nabbe we non,\nNon aliue bote þis on,\nand bote hit were þat hit wer . .\n120 Þane eyþer deȝede vor oþer . . .\n“Dame, þou seist soþ,” seide he;\n“Sen it may noone other be,\nLeuer me were she were his wyf+,\n308 Þan y lost my sonnes lyf+.”\nOf+ þis word þe Quene was fayne,\nAnd to her soone she ran agayne.\n“Dame, þou seist soþ,” þo seyde he,\n“Nu hit nele non oþer bee.\nLeuere me were þat heo were\n124 Þane ihc for lore mine sone l[yf].”\nOf þisse wordes þe quene w . .\nTo floyres, hire sone, . . .\nThey tell him the facts, and together open the grave and find it empty.\n“Floryes, soone, glad make the,\n312 Þy lef þou schalt on lyue see.\nFlorys, sone, þrouȝ engynne\nOf+ þy Faders reed and myne,\nÞis graue let we make,\n316 Leue sone, for þy sake.\nȜif+ þou þat maide forgete woldest,\nAfter oure reed wyf+ þou sholdest.”\n“Floyres, sone, glad make þe .\n128 For ut þou schalt þi lef . .\nLeue sone . . . . . . .\n. . . . fader rede and . .\n. . . . . wo . . .\n132 Leue sone so . . . . . .\nVor [two lines illegible here]\n. . . . . vre rede . . .\nNow euery worde she haþ him tolde,\n320 How þat þey þat mayden solde.\n“Is þis soth, my moder dere?”\n“For soth,” she seide, “she is not here.”\nÞe rowȝ stoone adoune þey leyde,\n324 And sawe þat was not þe mayde.\n. . . word and ende him .\n136 Hou hei habbeþ þat mayde,\n“and is þis soþ, mi moder dere?”\n“Ȝe, for soþe,” heo nis not .\nÞane stond hii panne . . . .\n140 He isay þat þere nas . . . .\nFloris declares his resolve to find Blauncheflur.\n“Now, moder, y þink þat y leue may.\nNe shal y rest nyȝt ne day,\nNyȝt ne day ne no stounde,\n328 Tyl y haue my lemmon founde.\nNu me þencheþ . . . . .\n. . . ne schal ihc . . . .\nNiȝt ne da . . . . . .\n144 . . . ich . . . . . .\n[Some folios lost here. Continued at bottom of page 84.]\nHur to seken y wołł wende,\nÞauȝ it were to þe worldes ende.”\nTo þe king+ he goþ to take his leue,\n332 And his Fader bade him byleue.\n“Sir, y wyl let for no wynne;\nMe to bydden it it were grete synne.”\nÞan seid þe king+, “seth it is soo,\n336 Seþ þou wylt noone other doo,\nAl þat þe nedeþ we shul þe fynde;\nIhesu þe of+ care vnbynde.”\nFloris equips a company with which to search for Blauncheflur.\nHe describes to the king the retinue that he would like.\n“Leue Fader,” he seide, “y telle þe\n340 Al þat þou shalt fynde me.\nÞou mast me fynde, at my deuyse,\nSeuen horses al of+ prys,\nAnd twoo y-charged vppon) þe molde\n344 Boþ with seluer and wyþ golde,\nAnd two ycharged with monay\nFor to spenden by þe way,\nAnd þree with clothes ryche,\n348 Þe best of+ al þe kyngryche,\nSeuen horses and seuyn) men,\nAnd þre knaues without hem,\nAnd þyne owne Chamburlayne,\n352 Þat is a wel nobel swayne.\nHe can vs wyssħ and reede,\nAs marchaundes we shułł vs lede.”\nHis Fader was an hynde king+,\nThe king gives him also the marvellous cup, and an elegantly caparisoned ‘palfray.’\n356 Þe Coupe of golde he dide him bryng+,\nÞat ilke self+ Coupe of golde\nÞat was Blauncheflour for ȝolde.\n“Haue þis, soone,” seide þe king+,\n360 “Herewith þou may þat swete þing+,\n“Wynne so may betyde,\nBlauncheflour with þe white syde,\nBlauncheflour, þat faire may.”\n364 Þe king let sadel a Palfray,\nÞe oone half so white so mylke,\nAnd þat other reed so sylk+.\nI ne can telle nouȝt\n368 How rychely þat sadel was wrouȝt.\nÞe Arson) was of golde fyne,\nStones of vertu stode þeryne,\nBygone aboute wit orfreys.\nThe queen gives him a magic ring.\n372 Þe Queene was kynde and curtays,\nCast hur toward þe kyng+\nAnd of+ hur fynger she brayde a ryng+:\nCambridge MS. Gg. 4. 27. 2.\nHeo tok forþ a wel fair þing,\nOf hire finger a riche Ryng.\n“Haue now þis ylke ryng+:\n376 While is it þyne, douȝt no þyng+\nOf+ fire brennyng+ ne water in þe See;\nNe yren) ne steele shal dere thee.”\n“Mi sone,” heo sede, “haue þis ring.\n4 “Whil he is þin, ne dute noþing,\nÞat fur þe brenne ne adrenche se,\nNe ire ne steil ne mai þe sle.\nAnd to þi wil þu schalt habbe grace,\n8 Late and rathe in eche place.”\nFloris and his company arrive at the haven.\nFloris takes leave and comes to the haven,\nHe took+ his leue for to goo;\n380 Þer was ful muche woo;\nFloris nimeþ nu his leue;\nNo longer nolde he bileue.\nHe custe hem wiþ softe muþe;\n12 Al wepinge hi departeþ nuþe.\nand lodges at the same house where Blauncheflur had been.\nÞey made him noon) other chere\nÞan her soon) were leide in bere.\nNe makede his Moder non oþer chere,\nBute also he were ileid on bere.\nFor him ne wende hi neuere mo\n16 Eft to sen; ne dude hi no.\nFurþ he went with al his mayn);\n384 With him went þe Chamberlayn).\nSo haue þey her hauyn) nome\nÞat þey ben to þe hauyn) come\nÞere Blaunchefloure was alnyȝt,\n388 Wel rychely þey ben dyȝt;\nForþ he wende wiþ al his mein,\nAnd wiþ him his fader chaumberlein.\nFort to þe hauene hi beoþ icume,\n20 And þer habbeþ here in inome.\nAt þe selue huse hi buþ aliȝt\nÞat blauncheflur was þat oþer niȝt.\nRiche soper þer was idiȝt,\nThey find there good entertainment. All make good cheer except Floris,\nÞe lord of+ þe ynne was welle hende;\nÞe Child+ he sette next þe ende,\nIn al þe feirest seete\n392 Alle þey dronken and al þey ȝete:\n24 And murie hi verden þer aniȝt.\nFloriz ne let for ne feo\nTo finden al þat neod beo,\nOf fless, of fiss, of tendre bred,\n28 Of whit win, and eke red.\nGlad and bliþe hi weren alle\nÞat weren wiþ hem in þe halle,\nAnd pleide and gamenede ehc wiþ oþer.\nwho thinks ever on Blauncheflur.\nEte ne drynke myȝt he nouȝt;\nOn blauncheflour was al his þouȝt.\n32 Ac floriȝ þencheþ al on oþer,\nFor he net ne dronk riȝt noȝt.\nOn blauncheflur was al his þoȝt.\nFloris mourns. He hears of Blauncheflur, and is glad.\nThe hostess observes his ‘mourning,’ and tells him that she is reminded of the mourning of Blauncheflur.\nÞe lady of þat vnderȝat\n396 Þat þe Childe mornyng+ sat,\nAnd seide to her lord with styl dreme,\n“Sir, nyme now goode ȝeme\nHow þe Child+ mournyng syttes:\n400 Mete and drynke he forȝetes:\nLytel he eteþ, and lasse he drynkeþ;\nHe is a marchaund, as me þynkeþ.”\nÞe lefdi of þer inne vnderȝat\n36 Þat he murninge sat.\nTo hire louerd heo sede wiþ stille dreme,\n“Sire, nimestu no ȝeme\nHu þis child murninge sit?\n40 Mete ne drinke he nabit.\nHe net mete ne he ne drinkeþ;\nNis he no marchaunt, ase me þinkeþ.”\nTo Flores þen seide she,\n404 “Al ful of+ mournyng+ y the see.\nÞer sate þer þis sender day,\nBlauncheflour, þat swete may.\nHeder was þat mayde brouȝt\n408 With Marchaundes þat hur had bouȝt;\nHeder þey brouȝt þat mayde swete;\nÞey wold haue solde hur for byȝete;\nTo Babyloyne þey wylle hur brynge,\n412 Boþ of semblant & of+ mornynge.”\n“Floriz,” heo sede, “what mai þe beo,\n44 Þus murninge as ich þe seo?\nÞus her inne þis oþer day\nSat blauncheflur, þat faire may.”\nOrd and ende he haþ him told,\n48 Hu blauncheflur was þarinne isold.\n“Þu art hire ilich of alle þinge,\nBoþe of semblaunt and of murninge,\nOf fairnesse and of muchelhede,\n52 Bute þu ert a man and heo a maide.”\nFloris rejoices at the mention of the name. He gives the hostess a silver cup, etc., and inquires further about Blauncheflur.\nWhen Florys herd speke of+ his lemman,\nWas he neuer so glad a man,\nAnd in his hert bygan to lyȝt;\n416 Þe Coupe he let fulle anoon) ryȝt:\nÞo floriz iherde his lemman nempne,\nSo blisful him þuȝte þilke steuene,\nHe let fulle a cupe of win.\n“Dame,” he seide, “þe fessel is þyne,\nBoþ þe Coupe and þe wyne,\nÞe wyne and þe gold eke,\n420 For þou of my leman speke:\nOn hur y þouȝt, for hur y syȝt;\nI ne wyst where I hur fynde myȝt;\nWynde ne weder shal me assoyne,\n424 Þat y ne shal seche hur in Babyloyne.”\n56 “Dame,” he sede, “þis hail is þin,\nÞat win and þat gold eke,\nFor þu of mi lemman speke.\nFor hire iþoȝte, for hire isiȝte,\n60 For inot wher hire seche miȝte.\nHire to seche ihc wille i wende,\nÞeȝ heo beo at þe wordles ende.”\nNow Florys resteþ him al a nyȝt.\nFloriz geȝ to his rest;\n64 On blauncheflur he þoȝte mest.\nAc rest ne miȝte he nabbe none,\nFort þe dide slep him nome.\nFloris sets sail once more.\nAt morne, when it was day lyȝt,\nHe dide him in-to þe wylde flood+.\n428 Wynde and weder with him stood;\nSone so Florys come to londe,\nÞere he þanked goddes sonde\nA moreȝe so sone so hit was day\n68 He tok his leue and wente his way,\nAnd dude him into þe salte flod;\nHe hadde wind and weder ful god.\nÞe Mariner he ȝaf largeliche,\n72 Þat broȝte him ouer bluþeliche.\nFloris reaches the land where his Leman is.\nHe arrives in the country where his leman is.\nTo þe londe þer his lyf+ ynne is:\n432 Him þouȝt he was in paradyse.\nÞer hi wolden hem self alonde,\nFor hi funden hem so hende,\nTo þe lond þer his lemman is;\n76 Him þuȝte he was in parais.\nSone to Florys tydyng men tolde\nÞat þe Amyral wold+ Fest holde;\nHis Erls, Barons, comyn) sholde,\n436 And al þat wold+ of him lond holde,\nFor to herkyn) his hest\nAnd for to honoure his Feest.\nAnon me him tiþinge tolde\nÞat þe admiral wolde feste h[olde].\nErles, baruns þer come sch[olde],\n80 And þat wolden of him h[olde].\nGlad was Florys of þat tydyng+;\n440 He hoped to come to þat gestyng+,\nȜif+ he myȝt, in þat halle,\nHis lemman see among hem alle.\nBliþe was floriz of þe tiþinge;\nHe hopede come to þat gesninge.\nWel he hopede among hem alle\n84 His lemman sen in þe halle.\nn OW to þat Citee Florys is come;\n444 Feire he hath his ynne y-noome\nAt a palaise; was none it lyche;\nÞe lord of þat ynne was fulle ryche;\nHe hadde ben ferre and wyde.\nTo a riche Cite hi buþ icume;\nVaire hi habbeþ here in inome,\nAt one paleis suþe riche;\n88 Þe lord of þer inne nas non his liche.\nHim feol gold inoȝ to honde,\nBoþe in water and in londe.\nAt the inn there is good cheer, and Floris enters into conversation with the host.\n448 Þe Childe he set next his syde,\nIn al þe feirest seete.\nAlle þey dronken and ete,\nAl þat þerynne were,\n452 Al þey made good chere,\nÞey ete and dronke echoon) with other;\nBut Florys þouȝt al another,\nEte ne drynke he myȝt noȝt,\n456 On Blauncheflour was al his þouȝt.\nHe hadde ilad his lif ful wide;\n92 Þis child he sette next his side.\nGlad and bliþe hi weren alle,\nSo fele so were in þe halle.\nAc floriz net ne dronk noȝt;\n96 Of blauncheflur was al his þoȝt.\nÞan spake þe Burgays\nÞat was hende and Curtays:\n“Ow, child+, me þynkeþ welle\n460 Þat muche þou þynkest on my catelle.”\n“Nay, sir, on Catel þenke y nouȝt,”\n(On Blauncheflour was al his þouȝt,)\n“But y þynke on al wyse\n464 For to fynde my marchaundise;\nAnd ȝit it is þe most woo,\nWhen y it fynd, y shal it forgoo.”\nÞe lord of þerinne vnderȝat\nÞat þis child murninge sat.\n“Floriz,” he sede, “what mai þe beo,\n100 Þus murninge þat ihc þe seo?\nÞan spak+ þe lord of+ þat ynne,\n468 “Þis sender day, þer sate hereyne\nÞat faire Maide Blauncheflour,\nboþ in halle and in boure.\nEuer she made mornyng chere,\n472 And bement Florys, her lyf+ fere;\nIoye ne blis made she noon),\nBut for Florys she made her moon).”\n[Þ]us herinne þis oþer day\n[S]at blauncheflur þat faire may.\n[I]n halle ne in bur ne at bord,\n104 [O]f hire ne herde we neure a word.\n[B]ute of floriz was hire mone;\n[Heo] nadde in herte ioie none.”\nFlorys toke a Coupe of+ syluer clere,\n476 A mantyl of+ Scarlet with menyuere:\n“Houe þis, sir, to þyn) honour;\nÞou may þonke it Blauncheflour.\nHe myȝt make myn) hert glade,\n480 Þat couþ me tel wheder she is ladde.”\n[Whanne] herde he nempnen his lemman,\n108 [Bliþe] he was iwis for þan.\n[He lat] bringe a cupe of seluer\n[And eke] a pane of menuuer.\n[Þanne] he sede, “haue þis to þin honur,\n112 [So þ]u speke of blauncheflur.\n[Þu mi]ȝtest make min heorte ful glad;\n[Þu tel]le me wuder heo were ilad.”\n[Þanne] sede þe burgeis,\n116 [Þat was] wel hende and curtais,\nThe innkeeper tells Floris how the Admiral bought Blauncheflur.\nThe host tells him that Blauncheflur has been sold to the Admiral at Babylon.\n“Child+, to Babyloyne she is brouȝt;\nÞe Amyral hur haþ bouȝt:\nHe gaf+ for hur, as she stood vpryȝt,\n484 Seuen sithes of+ gold hur wyȝt;\nFor he þenkeþ with-out weene,\nÞat faire may haue to Queene.\nAmong+ his maydons in his toure\n488 He hur dide, with much honoure.”\n[“To Babi]lloigne he was ibroȝt;\n[Þe adm]iral hire haȝ iboȝt.”\nNow Flores resteþ him þere al nyȝt,\nTyl on þe morrow þe day was lyȝt;\nHe roos on þe morownyng+,\n492 He gaf+ his Ost an hundryd shelyng+,\nAc reste ne miȝte he habbe none;\nAmoreȝe so sone so hit was day,\n124 He nem his liue, and wende his way.\nFloris gives the host a hundred shillings, and asks his assistance.\nTo his ost and to his Ostesse,\nAnd toke his leue, and feire dide kysse;\nAnd for his niȝtes gestinge\nHe ȝaf his oste an hundred schillinge.\nAnd ȝerne his ost he besouȝt,\n496 Þat he him help, ȝif he myȝt ouȝt,\nȜif+ he myȝt+, with any gynne,\nÞat feire may to him wynne.\nAnd ȝerne he haþ his oste bisoȝt\n128 Þat he him helpe wiþ al his þoȝt,\nIn Babilloine, oþer wher a beo,\nÞat he miȝte hire iseo,\nHu he miȝte mid sume ginne,\n132 His lemman blauncheflur awinne.\nÞanne sede þe burgeis,\nÞat was hende and curtais,\nMS. Cott. Vitell. D. III.\n. . . . . . . by souht\n. . . . . mid al his mauht\n. . frend in babiloyne hadde\n. . wisede and wel radde\n. . . he mihte mid eni ginne\n. . . blancheflour iwinne\nThe innkeeper gives Floris instructions.\n“Childe,” he seide, “to a brygge þou shalt come,\n500 The Senpere fynde at hoome:\nHe woneth at þe brygges ende;\nCurtays man he is, and hende;\nWe arn) bretheren, and trouthes plyȝt:\n504 He can þe wyssh and rede a-ryȝt;\nAt babilloine atte frume,\n136 To one brigge þu schalt cume.\nWhane þu comest to þe ȝate,\nÞe porter þu schalt find þarate.\nWel hende man and fair he is;\n140 He is icluped sire daris.\nMi felaȝe he is þureȝ truþe ipliȝt,\nAnd he kan rede þe ariȝt.\n. . one longe brugge þou schalt come\n. . . ngere finde þer ate frome.\n. . . c is ate brugge ende\n. . . mon he is and hende\n. . . breþeren and treweþe ipliht\n. . . wisi and reden wel riht.\nThe innkeeper sends him with a ring of introduction to the bridge porter at Babylon.\nÞou shalt bere him a rynge\nFro my-self+ to tokenynge,\nÞat he help þe in boure and halle\n508 As it were my self+ befalle.”\nHaue and ber him þis ring,\n144 On mine halue to tokning,\nÞat he þe helpe in alle halue,\nAse he wolde me selue.”\n. . . bere him nesenoFB3 ring\n. . . . . . to toking\n. . . . . elpe on eche halue\nFlorys takeþ þe ryng+, and nemeþ leue,\nFor long+ wold+ he nouȝt beleue.\nFloriz herof was wel bliþe,\n148 And þonkede his oste wel suiþe.\nFeire of him he nimeþ leue;\nNo lengur nolde he bileue.\n. . . . . and takeþ is leue\n. . . . . . þer by sene\nFloris takes leave, and by midday reaches the bridge and finds the porter.\nBy þat it was vndern) hyȝe,\n512 Þe Brygge come he swyth nye.\nÞe Senperes name was Darys.\nFlorys gret him wel feire ywys,\nAnd he him þe ryng+ arauȝt,\n516 And ful feire it him betauȝt.\nBiþat hit was middai hiȝ,\n152 Floriz was þe brigge niȝ.\nÞe he com to þe gate\nÞe porter he fond anon þerate,\nSittinde one a marbelston,\n156 Suþe fair and hende mon,\nAnd so him sede child floriz,\n“Rest þe murie, sire daris,”\n. . . . . . ondarne heyȝ\n. . . . . [bru]gge suiþe neyȝ\n. . . . . þane brugge icome\n. . . . . bruggere ate frome\n. . . . . . . a Marbreston\n. . . . . mon he was on\n. . . . . was of Muchel pris\n. . . . . . him sulf iwis\n. . . . . ys was i hote doyre\n. . . . . s him grette wel fayre\n. . . . . him þane ring arauht\n. . . [d] ayre hine him bi tauht\nFloris presents his ring of introduction to Daris.\nFloris presents the ring, and is hospitably received.\nÞrouȝ þe token of þat ilk+ ryng+\nFlorys had ful faire gestnyng+\nOff+ Fyssħ and flessh and tender breed+,\n520 Of+ wyn), both white and reed+:\nAnd tok him to tokne þis ring;\n160 And þerfore he hauede wel fair gestning.\nGlade and bliþe hi weren alle,\nSo fele so weren in þe halle,\n. . . . þe tockne of þe ringe\n. hadde þer aniht wel gode gistinge\n. . . . b of fles of tendre bred\n. . . . t win and eke of red\nFloris sits mourning.\nAnd euer Florys sate ful colde,\nAnd Dares bygan þe Childe beholde:\n164 On blauncheflur was al his þoȝt\nSire daris vnderȝet\nÞat floriz murninge set.\n. . . . re floyres sike and colde\n. . . . gon þat chil by holde\nDaris asks if he is not pleased with his entertainment.\n“Leue Child, what may þis be,\n524 Þus þouȝtful as y the see?\nAnd þou nouȝt al in feere,\nÞat þou makist þus sory chere,\nOr þou lykkest noȝt þis yn)?”\n168 So þoȝtful ase ihc þe seo?\nMe þincheþ bi þine chire,\nÞu nert noȝt glad of þi sopere,\nOþer þe ne likeþ noȝt þis in.”\n. . . . wat may þe be\n. . . . . þe i see\n. . . . . . . uoice al fere\n. . . . . . . . ele chere.\n[leaf 7, col. 2]\n. . . . . . . . þin in.”\n528 Þan Floreys answered him):\n“Ȝis, sir, by goddes ore,\nSo good ne had y mony day ȝore:\nGod let me abyde þat daye\n532 Þat y þe quyte wel may:\n172 Þo floriz ansuerede him:\n“Sire,” he sede, “bi godes ore,\nSo god in nauede ihc wel ȝore,\nVre louerd me lete ibide þe day\n176 Þat ihc hit þe ȝulde may.\nBot floyres onswerede him,\n“Nay, sire, bi godes ore,\nSo god nadde [I] wel ȝore.\nGod lete me abide þane day\nÞat ich hit þe ȝelde May.\nFloris tells him, in veiled words, his real trouble.\nBut y þenke on al wyse\nMost vppon) my marchaundyse;\nAnd ȝit it is most woo,\n536 When y hit Fynde, y shal it forgoo.”\nIhc þenche, sire, on fele wise\nNu vpon mi marchaundise,\nLast ine finde noȝt atte frume\n180 Þat þing for whi ihc am hider icume.\nAnd þeȝ ihc hit finde hit is mi wo\nLest ihc schulle hit forgo.”\nAc ich þenche on alle wise\nVppon mine Marchaundise\nWare vore ich am hider icome,\nLest ich ne feynde hit ate frome,\nand þat is ȝet mi meste wo,\nȜif ich hit finde and hit forgo.\nDaris bids him speak plainly, and Floris speaks out.\n“Childe, woldest þou telle me my gryf+,\nTo hele þe, me were ful lyf+.”\nÞo sede daris, þe freo burgeis,\n184 Þat was wel hende and curteis,\n“Fain ihc wolde þe rede and lere,\nÞat þu muche þe betere were,\nȜef þu toldest me þi gref,\n188 To rede þe me were lef.”\nChild, woldest þou telle me of þi gref\nTo helpe þe me were lef.\nFloris tells his story to Daris.\nEuery word he haþ him tolde,\n540 How þe mayde was fro him solde,\nAnd how he was of+ Spayn) a kynges sone,\nFor grete loue þider y-come,\nTo fonde, with quantyse and with gyn),\n544 Blauncheflour for to wynne.\nÞo floriz bigan his consail schewe,\nAnd to daris beon iknewe.\n192 Hu blauncheflur was isold,\nAnd hu he was a kinges sune,\nFor hire luue þider icume,\nTo fonde þureȝ sume cunnes ginne\n196 His lemman blauncheflur biwinne.\nAnd now floyres him haueþ itold\nHou þat mayd from him wa sold,\nand hou he was of spayne one kinges sone,\nVor hire loue þider icome.\nDaris begins to tell of the Admiral and the city.\nDaris takes him to be a fool, and proceeds to tell the strength of the Admiral and the size of the city.\n“Now,” seith Dares, “þou art a Folt,”—\nAnd For a Foole þe Childe he halt,—\n“Now y woot how it gooth,\n548 Þou desirest þyn) own) death.\nÞe Amyral haþ to his Iustinges\nOþer half+ hundred of ryche kinges;\nAnd þe Alder-rychest king+\n552 Durst not begynne suche a þing+.\nDaris þanne floriz bihalt,\nAnd for more þane fol him halt.\n“Floriz,” he sede, “iseo hu hit geþ;\n200 Þu ert abute þinoȝe deþ.\nÞe Admiral haueþ to his gestninge\nOþer half hundred of riche kinges.\nNe þer nis non so riche king\n204 Þat dorste entermeten of eni such þing,\nÞilke maide to awinne,\nNoþer wiþ strengþe ne wiþ ginne,\nNou doyres þat chil[d] by halt,\nand for a fol he hine halt.\n“Child, nou ich wot al hou hit geþ;\nIwis þou welnest þin owene deþ.\nÞe amirel haueþ to his iustninge\nOþer half hondert of riche kinge,\nÞe alre richeste kinge\nNe dorste bi ginne swch a þing.\nȜif+ Amyral myȝt it vnderstonde,\nHe shulde be drawe in his owne londe,\nA-bout Babyloyne, y wene,\n556 Six longe myle and tene;\nAt euery myle is a walle þerate,\nSeuen sithes twenty ȝate;\nAnd .xx. toures þer ben ynne,\n560 Þat euery day chepyng is ynne;\nAnd þe Admiral hit miȝte iwite,\n208 Þat he nere of his lif aquite.\nAnd Babilloine, ihc vnderstonde,\nDureþ abute furtenniȝt gonde.\nAbute þe walle þer buþ ate,\n212 Seuesiþe tuenti ȝates.\nAnd ine þe bureȝ amidde riȝt\nBeoþ twe tures ipiȝt.\nAnd mihste þe amirayl hit vnder ȝete,\nSone of his liue he were quite.\nAboute babiloyne beþ to ȝonge wiþoute wene,\nSixti longe Mile and tene,\nand ate walle þer beþ ate,\nSeuesiþe tuenti ȝate.\nAnd tueye toures þer beþ inne,\nÞat þe chepinge is eche day inne.\nEuery day and nyȝt þrouȝ-out þe ȝere\nÞe Chepyng+ is y-lyche plenere;\nAnd þauȝ al þe men þat ben bore,\n564 Had on hur lyf+ swore\nTo wynne þat maide feire and free,\nAl shul þey die, so moot y the.\nEche day in al þe ȝere\n216 Þe feire is þer iliche plenere.\nSeue hundred tures and two\nBeoþ in þe burȝ, biþute mo.\nNis þer day þoruh out þan ȝer,\nÞat þe chepinge is iliche plener.\nSeue hundred tures, wit outen þan tuo,\nÞ[er] beþ in þan boruh and somdel mo.\nÞe alre febleste tour\nNolde nouht duti þe amperur.\nDescription of the maidens’ ‘tower.’\nDaris tells of the ‘towers,’ the spring, the wonderful carbuncle,\nIn þat bour, in mydward pyȝt,\n568 Stondeþ a toure, y the plyȝt,\nAn hundryd fathum) it is hye,—\nWho-soo beholdeþ hit, fer or nere,\nAn hundred fathum it is y-fere;—\n572 It is made with-out[en] pere,\nAnd ine þe burȝ amidde riȝt,\n220 Beoþ twe tures ipiȝt,\nVor to come þer wiþ inne,\nNo þer wid stregþe ne wid ginne.\n[leaf 7, back]\n. . . . . . . aȝen woo\n. schal to iwinne þat Mayd al so sone\n. . . . . þe sonne and mone.\n. . . þe bor . . mid rift\n. . . . . . . . aplyft\n. . hondred teyse þe tour is heie\n. . . . by halt fur and nei.\nand an hundret teyse hit is wid,\nand imaked wiþ muchel pruid.\nOf lyme and of Marbulstone;\nIn al þis world+ is suche noone.\nNow is þe morter made so wele,\n576 Ne may it breke, iren ne steele.\nÞe Pomel þat aboue is leide,\nIt is made with muche pride;\nOf lym and of marbelston;\nIn þe world nis swich tur non.\nIn þe tur þer is a welle,\n224 Suþe cler hit is wiþ alle.\nHe vrneþ in o pipe of bras,\nWhider so hit ned was.\nFram flore in to flore\n228 Þe strimes vrneþ store,\nFram bure in to halle\nÞe strimes of þis welle.\nIn þe tur is o kernel\n232 Of seluer and of crestel.\nOn þe tur anouenon\nIs a charbugleston\nÞat ȝiueþ leme day and niȝt,\n236 Ne bi hit neure so derk niȝt.\nOf lym and of marbel ston;\nIn cristiante nis swich non.\nÞat morter is i maked se wel,\nNe May hit breke ire ne stel.\nAnd þe pomel about þe lede\nIs i wrouht mit so . . . . .\nÞat man ne þar in þe Tour berne\n580 Nouther torcherFB4 ne lanterne;\nSuche a pomel was þer bygone,\nHit shyned a nyȝt so doþ þe soone.\nFB.4 MS. torther\nIn þe bureȝ ne darf me berne\nLampe ne torche ne lanterne,\nÞat he ne ȝiueþ liȝt and leme\n240 As doþ a day þe sunne beme.\nNe þarf me aniht . . . . .\nNouþer torche . . . . . .\n. . . . . a pomel . . .\nHow the maidens are guarded.\nthe porter on guard,\nÞe porter is prud wiþalle;\nEche day he goþ on þe walle.\nAnd ef þer comeþ eniman\n244 Biþinne þilke barbecan,\nBute he him ȝeue leue,\nHe wule him boþe bete and reue.\nÞe porter is culuart and felun;\n248 He wule him sette areisun.\nand the forty-four maidens kept in the ‘high tower.’\nNow arn) in þat ilk+ Tour\n584 Twoo and fourty nobełł boure;\nWel were þat ilke man\nÞat myȝt woone in þat oon)!\nNe durst him neuer more ywys\n588 Couete after more blysse.\n“Þer buþ in þe hiȝe tur\nForti Maidenes and four.\nWel were þat ilke mon\n252 Þat miȝte winne wiþ þat on.\nNe þorte he neure ful iwis\nWilne more of paradis.\n. . . . . beþ in þan . .\nFoure and fourti . . . . .\n[Þ]at wel were þat ilke . . .\n. . Mihte wonie . . . . .\n[About twenty lines illegible here.]\nNaw arn) þer Seriauntes in þat stage\nÞat seruen þe maydons of hyȝe parage;\nBut no serieaunt may serue þerynne\n592 Þat bereþ in his breche þat gynne\nTo serue hem day and nyȝt,\nBut he be as a Capoun dyȝt.\nAt þe gate is a ȝateward+;\n596 He is not a Coward+;\nHe is wonder proude with alle;\nEuery day he goþ in ryche palle.\nÞer buþ seriauns in þe stage\n256 Þat serueþ þe maidenes of parage.\nAc ne mot þer non ben inne\nÞat one þe breche bereþ þe ginne,\nNoþer bi daie ne biniȝt,\n260 Bute he also capun beo idiȝt.\nThe Admiral takes a new wife each year.\nAnd þe Amyral haþ a wonder woon),\n600 Þat he þat is come of cristendome,\nEuery ȝere to haue a new wyf+,\nÞen he loueþ his Queene as his lyf+.\nAnd þe Admiral is such a gume,\nIn al þe world nis such a sune.\nNe bu his wife neure so schene,\n264 Bute o ȝer ne schal heo beon his quene.\nÞeȝ heo luue him ase hire lif,\nÞat he nele habbe anoþer wif.\nAnd, floriz, imai þe telle fore,\n268 Heo schal beon his quene icore.\n[leaf 7, back, col. 2]\nNeuer . .\nTo chesen hire . . . . . .\nÞeyȝ he louede is quene . . .\nDescription of the wonderful orchard.\nThe maidens are brought down into a beautiful orchard in which is a marvellous spring and a wonderful tree.\nThen shul men brynge doun) of þe Toure\n604 Al þe Maidens of grete honour,\nAnd brynge hem into an Orchard+,\nÞe feirest of al mydlerd+:\nÞeryn is mony fowles song+;\n608 Men myȝt leue þeryn ful long+:\nAbout þe Orchard is a walle,—\nÞe fowlest stone is Cristalle,—\nAlle þe maidenes of parage\nMe schal bringe adun of þe stage,\nAnd leden hem in to on orchard,\n272 Þe faireste of al þe Middellerd.\nAbute þe orchard is a wal;\nÞe eþelikeste ston is cristal.\nHo so wonede a moneþ in þat spray,\n276 Nolde him neure longen away.\nSo merie is þerinne þe foȝeles song,\nÞat ioie and blisse is eure among.\nMe schul fecche adoun of þe . .\nAlle þe maydenes of parage.\nand bringe hem in on orcharde\nÞe fayreste of þe middel[erd].\nÞer is fowelene song\nNe mihte wel libbe hem a[mong]\nAbute þan orchard is a wa[l] .\nSumme of þe stones be . . .\nÞer me may ise uppon a . . .\nI write muchel of þe w . . .\nAnd a wełł spryngeþ þerynne,\n612 Þat is made with muche gynne;\nÞe wel is of+ muche prys,\nÞe stremes com froo Paradyse;\nÞe grauel of+ þe ground is precious stoones,\n616 And al of vertu for þe noones.\nNow is þe wełł of muche auȝt;\nIn þe orchard is a welle\n280 Þat is suþe cler wiþ alle.\nIhc mai seggen iwis,\nÞe strimes comeþ fram paradis.\nFor in þe strimes þe smale stones,\n284 Hi beoþ þer funden eurech one,\nBoþe saphirs and sardoines,\nAnd suþþe riche cassidoines,\nAnd Iacinctes and topaces,\n288 And onicle of muchel grace,\nAnd mani on oþer direwerþe ston\nÞat ich nu nempne ne can.\nAboue þe walle stant atreo\n292 Þat faireste þat miȝte in erþe beo.\nHit is ihote þe treo of luue,\nFor lef and blosme beoþ þer buue.\nSo sone so þe olde beoþ idon,\n296 Þer springeþ niwe riȝt anon.\nAlle þilke þat clene maidenes beo,\nSchulle sitte arewe vnder þat treo;\nAnd which falleþ on þat furste flur\n300 Schal beo quene and fonge þonur.\nAnd a welle þat springeþ . . .\nÞat is i mad mid muchel . . .\nÞis welle is . . Muchel\nÞat grauel bi þe . . . . .\nAnd of v . eu . . . .\nOf safir . . and of . . .\nOf omcie and of . . . . .\nÞe welle is al . . . . . .\nThe marvellous spring and marvellous tree.\nIf any maiden, who is not a virgin, approach the spring, the water boils up as if mad.\nȜif a woman com þat is for-lauȝt,\nAnd she be doo to þe streeme\n620 For to wesshe her honndes clene,\nÞe water wylle ȝelle as it were wood+,\nAnd bycome red as blood+.\nOn what maide þe water fareþ soo,\n624 Sone she shal to deþ be doo.\nÞoo þat ben maidens clene,\nÞey may wesshe þeryn, y wene;\nÞe water wołł stonde feire and clere;\n628 To hem makeþ it no daungere.\nAt þe walles hed stondeþ a tree,\nÞe feirest þat on erthe may be;\nIt is cleped þe tree of loue:\n632 Flowers and blossomes spryngen aboue;\nȜef þer is eni maide forleie,\nÞe wal is of so muchel eie,\nAn heo stepe to þe grunde,\n304 For to wassche hire honde,\nHa bulmeþ vp so he were wod,\nAnd chaungeþ fram water in to blod.\nOn wuche þe welle fareþ so,\n308 Also suiþe he wurþ fordo.\nȜif þer come . . . . . . .\n. . . ho . . . . . . .\nFor . . . . . . . . .\n. . w . . wele . . . .\n. . come al so . . . . .\n. . wlyche w . . . . .\nWel sone . . . . . . .\nAlle þat . . . . . . . .\n. . . wole . . . . . .\n[About nine more lines illegible. Several folios lost here.]\nThe maiden upon whom first falls a blossom from this tree is chosen queen.\nÞen þey þat maydons clene bene,\nÞei shul be brouȝt vnder þe trene,\nAnd whicħ so falleþ þe floure,\n636 Shal be queene with muche honour.\nȜif+ any mayden þer is\nÞat þe Amyral telleþ of+ more pris,\nÞe flour shal be to her sent\n640 Þrouȝ art of+ enchauntement.\nAc ȝef þer eni maiden is,\nÞat þe Admiral luueþ mest of pris,\nOn hire schal beo þat flur i went,\n312 Þureȝ coniureson and chauntement.\nÞe Amyral cheseþ hem by þe flour,\nAnd euer he herkeneþ after Blauncheflour.\nThre sithes Flores sownyd anoon)\n644 Riȝt byfore hem euerychoon):\nWhen he awoke, and speke myȝt+,\nSore he wept, and sore he syȝt,\nÞus he cheoseþ his wif þureȝ þe flur;\nAlle weneþ hit schulle beo blauncheflur.”\nIhc wene ne darf me axi noȝt\n316 If floriz were of dreri þoȝt.\nDaris suggests to Floris a plan.\nFloris implores the aid of Daris.\nAnd seide, “Dares, y worth now deed+,\n648 But þat y hope of þe som reed+.”\n“Leue soon), wyl ȝe see\nÞat þy trust is muche on me;\nÞen is þe best+ reed þat y can)—\n652 Other reed ne can y noon)—\n“Daris,” he sede, “ihc wurthe ded\nBute if þu do me summe red.”\nÞanne se Daris, þe freo burgeis,\n320 Þat was wel hende and curteis,\n“Floriz,” he sede, “leue man,\nÞe beste red þat ihc þe can,\nDaris bids him go, disguised as a mason, to the tower,\nWende to-morn) to þe toure\nAs þou were a good gynoure;\nTake on þy honde squyer and scantlon)\n656 As þou were a free mason);\nBehold+ þe tour vp and doun),\nÞe porter is cruel and Feloun);\nWel sone he wyl come to the,\n660 And aske what maner man þou be,\nAnd bere on þe, Felonye,\nAnd sey þou art come to be a spye.\nWend tomoreȝe to þe Tur,\n324 Also þu were a gud ginnur.\nBer wiþ þe squire and schauntillun,\nAlso þu were a gud Mascun.\nBihold of þe ture þe hiȝhede,\n328 And wiþ þi fot met þe brede.\nÞe porter is culuert and felun;\nForþ he wule setten his resun,\nAnd bere vpon þe felonie,\n332 And segge þat þu art a spie.\nand induce the porter to play at draughts.\nAnd þow shalt+ answere swetlyche,\n664 And sey to him myldelyche,\nSey þou art a gynoure,\nTo beholde þat feire Toure,\nFor to loke and for to fonde\n668 To make suche another in þy londe.\nAnsuare him wel hendeliche,\nAnd spek wiþ him wel sueteliche,\nAnd seie þert icome fram ferren londe,\n336 For to seche and for to fonde,\nWel sone he wyl com þe nere,\nAnd wyl byd þe play at þe chekere.\nWhen þou art at cheker brouȝt,\n672 Without seluer [be] þou nouȝt;\nÞou shalt haue redy with the\nXX. Marke beside þy knee;\nȜif+ þou wynne ouȝt of+ his,\n676 Þow tel þerof+ lytel prys;\nAnd yf+ he wynne ouȝt of+ þyn),\nloke þow leue it with hym);\nSo þou shalt, al with gynne,\n680 Þe porters loue forsoth wynne,\nÞat he þe help on þis day:\nBut he þe helpe, no man may.\nIf mi lif so longe ilast,\nTo makie atur after þis cast,\nIn þine londe ate frume\n340 Whanne þu ert hom icume.\nWhane he þe hireþ speke so hendeliche,\nAnd ansuerie so sueteliche,\nÞenne he wule come þe nier,\n344 And bidde þe pleie at þe escheker.\nWhane þescheker is forþ ibroȝt\nBiþute panes ne plei þu noȝt.\nÞu most habbe redi mitte\n348 Twenti Marc ine þi slitte.\nÞeȝ þu biwinne oȝt of his,\nHold hit of wel litel pris.\nIf he biwinneþ oȝt of þe,\n352 Ȝif him of þine suche þre.\nMuche he wule þonki þe\nAnd of þe suþe iwundred beo,\nFor he is suþe couetus,\n356 And at þescheker enuius.\nManage him so as to secure an invitation for the morrow.\nWel ȝerne he wyl þe bydde and pray\n684 Come anoþer day to playe:\nÞou shalt seye þou wylt soo;\nÞou shalt take with þe suche twoo;\nȜerne he wile þe bidde and preie\nÞat þu come amoreȝe and pleie.\nGrante him þat þu wilt so,\n360 And tak mid amoreȝe suche two.\nÞe þrydde day take an hundred pound+,\nAnd wel þi nedes for to do\nÞat þridde day þu wend him to,\nAnd ber wiþ þe forti pund,\nShow him your cup, and he will be greedy for it.\n688 And þy Coupe hool and sound+:\nȜeue him markes & poundes of þy male;\nOf+ þy tresour tel þou no tale;\n692 To lay þy Coupe, and to play.\nÞou shalt answere alþerfirst,\nLenger to play þe ne lyst.\nFul muche he wylle for þe Coupe bede,\n696 Ȝif+ he myȝt þe better spede;\n364 And þine cupe hol and sund.\nWhanne þu lest lest him þe cupe iseo,\nWel angussus he wile beo.\nHe wile beo wel coveitus,\n368 And hire to bigge suþe fus.\nMuchel he þe wule beode\nIf him miȝte þe betere spede.\nIhc wot he wille þilke day\n372 Honure þe so muche so he may.\nAt length give him the cup.\nÞou shalt it blethly ȝeue him\nȜif it be of+ gold fyne;\nAnd he wol ful moche loue þe,\n700 And to þe bowe also, parde,\nHe wule þe lede to his inne\nÞe cupe of þe to biwinne.\nȜerne he wule þe bidde and preie\n376 Þat þu legge þe cupe to pleie.\nÞu him ansuere atte furste,\nÞat no leng pleie þe ne luste.\nAnsuere him wel hendeliche,\n380 ‘Þin beo þe cupe,’ seie bluþeliche.\nFor his gode compaygnie\nA wunne he haþ þi druerie.\nIhc wot þat he mai alrebest\n384 Of þine neode helpe þe mest.\nÞu miȝt segge, ‘þe ne faileþ non\nGold ne seluer ne riche won.’\nSeie þu wilt parte wiþ him of þan,\n388 Þat he schal eure beo riche man.\nWhanne he hereþ þe speke so richeliche,\nAnd ansuerie so hendeliche,\nÞanne he wile beo wel bliþe,\n392 And biginne to luuie þe suiþe,\nPromise him unlimited gold and silver if he will aid you. He will then fall at your feet and be your man.\nÞat he wyl falle to þy foote,\nAnd become þyn), ȝif+ he moote.\nAnd homage þou shalt fonge,\n704 And þe trouþ of his honde.”\nAnd falle he wile to þi fote,\nAnd bicome þi man, if he mote.\nHis manrede þu schalt fonge,\n396 And his truþe of his honde,\nÞat he þe bere al þe helde\nÞat man schal to his louerd ȝelde.\nAnd þus þureȝ þe cupe and his ginne\n400 Þu miȝt þi lemman best awinne.\nÞanne þu miȝt beon iknewe,\nAnd þi cunsail to him schewe.”\nBy this plan Floris wins over the ‘porter.’\nAs he seide, he dide ywys;\nAnd as he ordeynd, so it is:\nÞe Porter ys Florys man bycome,\n708 For his gold+ and his warysone.\nAnd alþus floris hath iwroȝt,\n404 As daris him haþ itaȝt.\nAc þureþ (sic) þe cupe and þureȝ gersume,\nÞe porter is his man bicume.\nThen reveal to him your wishes.\nFlorys seide, “now art þou my moon),\nAl my trust is þe vppon);\nNow my consel y wyl þe shewe;\n712 Rede me ryȝt, ȝif+ þou be trew.”\n¶ Nu quaþ floriz, “þu art mi man;\n408 Al mi trest is þe vpon.\nÞeruore þu most me helpe nede;\nBiþute þe ne mai me spede.”\nFloris acts as advised, and discloses his identity.\nNow euery word he haþ him tolde,\nHow þe mayde was fro him sholde,\nAnd how he was of+ Spayn) a kynges soon),\n716 For grete loue þeder ycoom)\nTo fonden, with some gynne,\nÞat feire mayde for to wynne.\n412 Hu þat maide was isold,\nAnd hu he was of spaygne a kinges sune,\nFor hire luue he was þider icume,\nTo fonde mid sume kunnes ginne,\n416 Hu he miȝte hire awinne.\nThe porter covers Floris in a basket of flowers.\nThe porter at first reproaches himself, but presently promises his aid.\nÞe Porter þat herde, and sore syȝt,\n720 And seide, “y am betrayde aryȝt;\nÞrouȝ þy Catel, y am dismayde;\nÞerfore y am wel euyl a-payde\nNow y woot how it gooþ;\n724 For þe shal y suffre deth;\nI shal þe faile neuer moo,\nÞe while y may ryde and goo;\nÞy forwardes shal y holde alle,\n728 What-so-euer may befalle.\nWynde now hoom) to þyn)) ynne\nWhile y beþenke me of sum gynne;\nBytwene þis and þe þrydde day.\n732 Fonde y shal, what y do may.\nFlores spake and wept amonge\nAnd þouȝt þe terme al to longe.\nÞo þe porter iherde þis, he siȝte,\n“Ihc am,” he sede, “bitraid wiþ riȝte,\nÞat þureȝ þis cupe and þis gersume\n420 Ihc am nu þi man bicume.\nNu ihc seo hu hit geþ;\nFor þe ihc drede þolien deþ.\nNoȝt for þan while ihc mai go,\n424 I ne schal þe failli neure mo.\nWhat me bitide oþer bifalle,\nIhc schal þe foreward holden alle.\nI-wend nu, floriz, to þin inne,\n428 While i biþenche of sume ginne.\nIhc wulle fonde what ido may\nBituene þis and þe þridde day.”\nFloriz siȝte and weop among\n432 Þulke terme him þuȝte long.\nÞe Porter þouȝt þe best reed,\n736 And let geder floures in a meed+;\nHe wist it was þe maydons wylle.\nTo lepes he lete of floures fylle:\nÞE porter þoȝte what to rede;\nHe let flures gadere on þe mede.\nCupen he let fulle of flures,\n436 To strawen in þe maidenes bures.\nHe covers Floris in a basket of flowers, which is borne above.\nÞat was þe best reed, as him þouȝt þoo,\n740 Floures in þat oon) lep to doo.\nTwoo maydens þe lepe bore;\nSo heuy charged neuer þey wore,\nAnd bade god ȝeue hem euyl fyne;\n744 To mony floures he dide þerynne.\nTo Blaunchefloures Chamber þey shulde tee;\nÞey ȝede to anoþer, and let þat be:\nÞey shuld haue gone to Blauncheflour,\n748 And ȝede to swete Clarys boure,\nÞat was his red to helpe him so;\nHe let floriz on þat on cupe go.\nTuei gegges þe cupe bere,\n440 And for heuie wroþ hi were.\nHi beden God ȝiue him vuel fin,\nÞat so manie flures dude þerin.\nTo þe chaumbre þer hi scholde go,\n444 Ne ȝeden hi ariȝt no.\nTo anoþer chaumbre hi beoþ agon,\nTo blauncheflures chaumbre non.\nFloris mistakes another maiden for Blauncheflur and leaps forth.\nAnd cursed him so fele brouȝt to honde;\nÞey ȝede hoom), and lete hem stonde.\nClarys to þe lepe come wolde,\n752 Þe Flores to hondel and to be-holde;\nFlorys wende it hadde be his swete wyȝt;\nOf+ þe lepe he stert vpryȝt;\nÞe cupe hi sette to þe grunde,\n448 And goþ forþ and leteȝ hire stonde.\nO maiden com and wolde\nÞe flures handlen and biholde.\nFloriz wende hit were his swete wiȝt;\n452 Vt of þe cupe he lep ariȝt;\nThe maiden cries out.\nAnd þe mayde, al for drede,\n756 Bygan to shrelle and to grede.\nAnd þat maide, for þe drede,\nBigan to crie and to grede.\nFloris covers himself again.\nWhen he sawȝ it was not shee,\nIn-to þe lepe aȝen) stert he,\nAnd held+ him betrayde clene;\n760 Of+ his lyf+ tolde he not a beene.\nÞo nuste floriz what to rede,\n456 For þe ferlich þat he hadde.\nInto þe cupe he sterte aȝen,\nAnd wiþ þe flures he hudde him.\nÞis maide þoȝte anon riȝt\n460 Þat hit was floriz, þat suete wiȝt,\nFor here chaumbres niȝ were;\nSelde was þat hi togadere nere;\nAnd ofte blauncheflur hire hadde itold\n464 Hu heo was fram him isold.\nClaris discovers Floris.\nÞer come maydons, and to Clarys lepe\nby ten, by twelf+, on an heepe\nAnd þey asked what hur were,\n764 And why she made suche a bere.\nClarys byþouȝt hur anooneryȝt\nÞat hit was Blauncheflour þe white,\nNu Maidenes comeþ in to hire lepe,\nWei fiftene in on hepe,\nAnd axede hire what hire were,\n468 And whi heo makede suche bere.\nWel heo was biþoȝt and whare,\nTo finden hem ansuare.\nThe maiden conceals the fact by a clever story.\nAnd gaue þe Maydons answere anoon),\n768 Þat to her Chamber were goon),\nÞat to þe lepe come she wolde,\nÞe Flowres to hondel and to beholde;\n“And, or y it ere wyst,\n772 An Otter fleyȝ a-geynst my brest:\nI was so soore a-drad þan,\nÞat y loude crye can.”\nÞe Maydons þerof+ hadden glee,\n776 And turned hem, and lete hur be.\n“To þe cupe,” heo sede, “ihc com and wolde\n472 Þis flures handlen and biholde,\nÞer fliste vt a buterfliȝe,\nAre ihc wiste, on min iȝe.\nSo sore ihc was offerd of þan,\n476 Þat ihc crie bigan.”\nÞis oþere loȝen and hadde gleo,\nAnd goþ aȝen and leteþ beo.\nClaris bids Blauncheflur come see a ‘well fair flower.’\nAs sone as þe maydons were gon),\nTo Blauncheflour she ȝede anoon),\nAnd seide boldly to Blauncheflour,\n780 “Felow, come and see a feire Flour!\nSuche a flour þe shal wel lyke,\nHaue þou it sene a lyte.”\nCLarice hatte þat maide hende:\n480 To blauncheflures chaumbre heo gan wende,\nAnd sede, “suete blauncheflur,\nWiltu seo a wel fair flur?\nHit ne greu noȝt on þis londe,\n484 Þat flur þat ihc bringe þe to honde.”\nBlauncheflur bids Claris depart, and reproaches Floris for his inconstancy.\n“Awey, Clarys!” quod Blauncheflour;\n784 “To scorne me, it is none honoure.\nI here, Clarys, without gabbe,\nÞat þe Amyral wyl me to wyf+ habbe;\nBut þat day shal neuer be,\n788 Þat he shal euer haue me,\nÞat y shal be of+ loue so vntrewe,\nNe chaunge my loue for no newe;\nFor no loue, ne for noon) aye,\n792 Forsake Florys in his Contraye.\nNow y shal swete Florys mysse,\nNe shal noon) other of me haue blysse.”\n“Away, Clariz,” quaþ blancheflur;\n“Ho þat luueþ par amur\nAnd haþ þer of ioye, mai luue flures;\n488 Ac ic libbe in soreȝe in þis tures,\nFor ihc wene bithute gabbe,\nÞat þe Admiral me wule habbe.\nAc þilke day ne schal neure be;\n492 Ne schal me neure at-wite me,\nÞat ihc beo of luue vntrewe,\nNe chaunge luue for no newe,\nNe lete þe olde for no newe be,\n496 So doþ floriz on his Contre.\nAc þeȝ floriz forȝe me,\nNe schal ihc neure forȝete þe.”\nClaris brings Blauncheflur to Floris.\nClaris further urges Blauncheflur, who at length comes.\nClarys stood and beheld þat rewth,\n796 And þe trewnesse of+ hur trewth,\nAnd seide, “lady Blaunchefloure,\nGoo we see þat ilk+ floure.”\nClariz iherde þes ille reuþe,\n500 Of trewnesse and of trewþe.\nÞe terres glide of hire lere;\n“Blauncheflur,” he sede, “go we ifere,\nLeue suete blauncheflur,\n504 Cum and se a well fair flur.”\nFloris springs forth, and they embrace one another.\nTo þe lepe þey went both.\n800 Ioyful man was Florys þoo,\nFor he had herde al þis.\nOf+ þat lepe he stert y-wys:\nWel sone Blauncheflour chaunged hewe;\n804 Ayther of+ hem other knewe:\nWithoute speche togeder þey lepe,\nAnd klippt+ and kyst+ wonder swete.\nTo gedere hi goþ nu iwis,\nAnd floriz haþ iherd al þis.\nVt of þe cupe he lep anon,\n508 And to blauncheflur he gan gon.\nEiþer oþer sone ikneu;\nBoþe nuþe hi chaungeþ heu.\nTo gadere wiþute word hi lepen,\n512 Klepte and keste and eke weopen\nHere kessinge ileste a mile;\nAnd þat hem þuȝte litel while.\nJoyful reunion of the lovers.\nClaris asks Blauncheflur if she knows this flower.\nClarys beheld+ al this,\n808 Her countenaunce and her blysse,\nAnd seide þen to Blaunchefloure,\n“Felow, knowist þou auȝt þis flour?\nClarice biheold al þis,\n516 Here cuntenaunce and here blis.\nSeide Clarice to blauncheflur,\n“Knowestu oȝt ȝete þis flur?\nA litel er þu noldest hit se;\n520 Nu ne miȝte hit lete fram þe.\nShe shul konne ful muche of+ Art\n812 Þat þou woldest þerof+ geue part+.”\nHe moste kunne muchel of art\nÞat þu woldest ȝeue þer of part.”\n“Certes,” quaþ blauncheflur to Clariz,\n524 “Þis is min oȝene suete floriz.”\n[MS. lf. 8: Fr. p. 32, l. 522.]\n. . . . wel muchel of art\n. . woldest ȝeue þer of eny part.\n. . . . de blancheflur to clarise\n. . . min owene leue floyres\nBoth beg Claris not to betray them.\nNow Blauncheflour and Florys,\nBoþ þese swete þinges ywys,\nCryen her mercy, al wepyng+,\n816 Þat she ne wrey hem to þe king+.\nNu boþe tuo, þes suete þinges,\nCrieþ hire merci, al wepinge,\nTo þe Admiral þat hem ne wreie,\n528 For þenne were here soreȝe niwe.\n. . . . þis ilke swete þinges\n. . . . clarisse merci . .\nVnto þe amyrayl noȝt ne wreye\n. . . . . . scholden deȝe\nClaris promises silence.\n“Ne douȝt no more of+ me in alle,\nÞan it were myself+ byfalle.\nWete ȝe wel weturly,\n820 Heele y wyl ȝoure drury.”\nClarice hadde of hem pite;\n“Noþing,” heo sede, “ne dute ȝe,\nNe dute ȝe nammore wiþ alle,\n532 Þat hit were to me bifalle.\nHele ihc wulle and noþing wreie,\nOwer beire cumpaignie.”\n. . . . . namore mid alle\n. . . hit were to me by falle\n. . . . . wel wytterli\n. . . . . beyre drewori\nTo a bedde þey ben brouȝt,\nÞat is of palle and of+ sylke wrouȝt;\nAnd þere þey sette hem doun)\n824 And drouȝ hem self+ al a room):\nÞer was no man þat myȝt radde\nÞe ioye þat þey twoo madde.\nClarice hem haþ to bedde ibroȝt,\n536 Þat was of pal and selc iwroȝt.\nIn bedde heo broȝte hem adun,\nAn hure self wende hem fram.\n. . bedde heo hem haueþ ibrouȝt\n. . selk and pal i wrouht\n. . heo sette hem þer adoun\n. . . . . . wende aroum\n. . . more bote cluppe and cusse\n. . . blancheflur hit wiste\nThe two rejoice together greatly.\nFlorys þen to speke bygan),\n828 And seide, “lord þat madest man,\nI it þonke goddes sone\nÞat al my care I haue ouercome;\nNow my leue I haue y-founde,\n832 Of+ al my care y am vnbounde.”\nÞo floriz furst speke bigan.\n540 “Vre louerd,” he sede, “þat makedest man,\nÞe ihc þonki, godes sune,\nÞat ihc am to mi leof icume.\nMi leof, nu ihc habbe þe ifunde,\n544 Of al mi care ihc am vnbunde.”\n. . . . formest speke bigon\n. . . d þat makedest mon\n. . . . nou godes sone\n. . . . he is ouer [c]ome\n. . . . habbe ifounde\n. . . . . am vnbounde\nThe maidens are at mornings to assist at the ‘Admiral’s’ toilet.\nClarys hem seruyd al at wylle,\nBoþ dernlyche and stylle.\nc Larys with þe white syde\n836 Rose vp on morne tyde,\nAnd cleped after Blaunchefloure\nTo wende with him in to þe Toure:\nShe seide “y am commaund+”;\n840 But her answere was slepaund+.\nNu aiþer haþ oþer itold\nOf here soreȝe and care cold,\nÞat hi hadde ifunde bo\n548 Suþþe hi were ideld atuo.\nNu hi cluppeþ and cusseþ\nAnd makeþ togadere muchel blisse.\nIf þer was aȝt bute custe,\n552 Swete blauncheflur hit wiste.\nNon oþer heuene hi ne bede,\nBute eure swich lif to lede.\nAc longe ne miȝte hi hem wite\n556 Þat hi neren vnderȝete.\n. . . . . oþer haueþ told\n. . . . . kare ful cold\n. . . . . me wel stronge\n. . . . . rt so longe\n. . . . . serueþ al to wille\n. . . . [dern]eliche and stille\n. . . . heo noȝh longe wite\n. . . . eren vnder ȝete\nEach morning two maidens went to the Admiral’s tower to comb his hair and wash his hands,—\nÞe Amyral had such a woone,\nÞat euery day shulde come\nTwoo maydons of+ hur bour\n844 Vp to him in to þe Toure,\nWith water and clooth, and basyn),\nFor to wesshe his hondes ynne:\nVor þe Admiral hadde such a wune,\nEhc moretid þer moste cume\nTuo maidenes wiþ muchel honur\n560 Into þe heȝeste Tur,\nÞat were feire and suþe hende,\nÞat on his heued for to kembe,\nÞat [oþer] bringe towaille and bacin,\n564 For to wasse his honden in.\nbut especially often, Claris and Blauncheflur.\nÞat day þey seruyd him feire;\n848 Anoþer day come another peire;\nBut most were wonyd into þe Toure,\nClarys and Blauncheflour.\nSwiche him serueþ a day so faire;\nAmoreȝe moste anoþer peire.\nAc mest were iwuned in to þe tur\n568 Maide Clariz and blauncheflur.\n. . . . wel hire mote bi tide\n. . . . . amorewe tide\n. . . . . ed blanche flur\n. . . . hire in to þan tour\n. . . . ich am cominge\n. . . . . was slepinge\nClaris invents an excuse for Blauncheflur’s absence.\nThe next morning Claris calls Blauncheflur, but she falls asleep again.\nClarys come þenne aloon):\n852 Þe Amyral asked a-noon),\n“Where is Blauncheflour so free?\nWhy comeþ she not heder with þe?”\nClarice, ioie mote hire bitide,\nAros vp in þe moreȝentide,\nAnd haþ icluped blauncheflur\n572 To go wiþ hire in to þe tur.\nQuaþ blauncheflur, “ihc am cominge.”\nAc heo hit sede al slepinge.\nClariz com in to þe Tur;\n576 Þe Admiral axede blauncheflur.\n. . . . . . ane wine\n. . . . . . . . come\n. . . . of herd . . . .\n[leaf 8, col. 2]\nÞe amiral askede blanche[flur]\nClaris invents an ingenious excuse for her.\n“Sir,” she seide anoon) ryȝt,\n856 “She haþ wakyd al þis nyȝt,\nAnd y-cryde and y-loke\nAnd y-redde on hur booke,\nAnd y-bede to god her orysoun\n860 Þat he geue þe his benysoun,\nAnd þat he holde long+ þy lyf+;\nAnd now þe mayde slepeþ swyth;\nShe slepeþ so fast, þat mayde swete,\n864 Þat she may not com ȝete.”\n“Sire, Alniȝt heo set at hire boke,\nAnd haþ þeron irad and loke,\nAnd þeron ibede hire oresun,\n580 Þat god, þat þolede passiun,\nÞe holde, sire, longe aliue;\nAnd nu heo is asleped suiþe,\nÞat heo ne mai come to þe.”\nand clarisse seyde anonriȝht,\n“Sire, he haueþ i waked al niȝht,\nand iwaked and iloked,\nand irad on hire boke,\nand ibede to god hire orison,\nÞat ȝeue þe his beniscun,\nand god þe holde longe aliue.\nand nou þat mayde slepeþ so suiþe,\nHeo slepeþ so faste, þat mayde suete,\nÞat heo ne may nouȝt come ȝete.”\n“Certes,” seide þe kyng+,\n“Now is she a swete þing+:\nWel auȝt me ȝerne her to wyf+,\n868 Þat so preyeth for my lyf+.”\n584 “Is þat soþ?” sede he.\nHeo sede, “ȝe, sire, withute lesing.”\n“Heo is,” he sede, “a suete þing;\nWel aȝte ihc willen hire to wif,\n588 Þat so ȝerne biddeþ mi lif.”\nand þo bi spak him þe king\nIwis heo is a swete þing.\nWel auȝhte ich wilny habbe hire to wiue\nSo ȝerne heo bit for mine liue.\nThe ‘Admiral’ doubts Claris’s second story.\nThe following morning Claris again calls Blauncheflur in vain to go with her.\nAnoþer day Clarys erly Aryst;\nÞat Blauncheflour wełł wyst,\nAnd seide, “y come anoon),”\n872 When Clarys her clepe bygan),\nAnd fel in a slepe newe.\nSone after it made hem to rewe:\nAmoreȝe, þo Clariz arist,\nBlauncheflur heo atwist\nÞat he makede so longe demure.\n592 “Aris,” heo sede, “and go we ifere.”\nQuaþ blauncheflur, “ich come anon.”\nAc floriz cleppen hire bigon,\nAnd he him also vnwise\n596 And feolle aslepe one þis wise.\nClarisse a noþer day arist,\nand haueþ blancheflur at wist\nÞat heo haueþ so longe de mere,\n“Aris vp nou and g[on]e ifere.”\nÞer heo seyde ich come anon\n. . . floyres hire . . . .\nAbode þe children ase don wise.\nVell aslepe on þisse wise\nOn þisse wise hey . . . . .\nSone þer . . . . . . . .\nClarys to þe Pyler cam);\n876 A basyn) of gold+ in hond she nam),\nTo wende with hur in to þe Toure.\nÞo Clarice to þe piler com,\nAnd þe bacin of golde nom,\nTo bere wiþ into þe Tur,\n600 Heo lokede after blauncheflur.\nClarise to þe piler wende anon\nA basin of gold þer heo nom,\nand haueþ ycleped [blanchef]lur\nTo wende . . . . . . .\nHeo ne . . uerede ȝe ne . .\nÞo wende clarisse þat heo were ago.\nThe Admiral again inquires for Blauncheflur, and not content with Claris’s story,\nÞe Amyral asked after Blauncheflour,\n880 “What! is she not come ȝet?\nNow she me douteþ al to lyte.”\nÞo Clarice com into þe tur,\nHe axede after blauncheflur.\n“Sire, ihc wende hire finde here;\n604 He was arise are ihc were.\nNis heo noȝt icume ȝete?”\nQuaþ he, “heo duteþ me to lite.”\nÞo clarisse com in to þe tur,\nÞe amiral askede blanchefl[ur],\nand askede whi heo ne come,\nAlso heo was woned to done.\n“Heo was arise are ich were,\nIch wende hire habbe ifunde þere.\nWhat nis heo . . icome . .\nWod heo . . . me to . .\nThe ‘Admiral’ finds the children in bed together.\nsends his chamberlain, who finds the two children in bed together.\nForþ he cleped his Chamburlayn),\nAnd bade him wende with his mayn)\n884 To wete why she wyl not come\nAs she was wonyd to doon).\nÞe Chamburlayn) is forth noom);\nIn to Chambre he is coom),\nHe clupede to him his chaumberlayn,\n608 And het him go wiþ alle mayn,\nFor to wite whi heo ne come\nTo his heste suthe sone.\nForþ he wende sone anon\n612 To hire chaumbre þat he com.\n. . . . . . . chaumberlen\n. . . . . . . his . .\nSo heo was . . . . . . .\n888 And stondeþ byfore hur bedde,\nAnd fyndeþ þere, nebbe to nebbe,\nNebbe to nebbe, and mouþ to mouþ.\nTo þe Amyral it was sone couþ;\n892 Vp in to þe Toure he steyȝ,\nAnd told his lord al þat he seyȝ.\nIn hire bedde he fond tuo,\nWel faste iclupt, aslepe bo,\nNeb to neb and muþ to muþ;\n616 Sone were here soreȝeren cuþ.\n[T]o þe Admiral sone he teȝ\n[A]nd tolde him what he iseȝ.\n[leaf 8, back]\n. . . . . a ȝe . . . .\n. . his louerd wat he i aȝheþ\nand ȝet he þouhte, are he hem quelle,\nWat he were hui scholden telle.\nand seþþe he þoute hem to deþe don.\nThe Admiral then goes with drawn sword and finds the children.\nÞe Amyral late him his swerd brynge,\nFor wete he wolde of+ þat tydynge:\n896 He went to hem þere þey lay:\nȜit was she a-slepe þere ay.\n[Þe] Admiral het his suerd bringe;\n620 [Iw]ite he wolde of þus þinge.\n[Fo]rþ he wende wiþ al his mayn,\n[He] and his chaumberlayn.\n[In] þe bed heo fond tueie;\n624 [Ȝit] was þe slep in here eie.\nÞe amirayl bed his swerd him bringe\nW[i]te he wolde of þisse tiþinge.\nVorþ he wende mid al his mayn,\nÞat he com þer hei boþe leie.\nÞe ȝet was þe slep in here eȝe.\nThe Amyral lete þe clothes doun) cast\nA lytel by-nethe hur brest,\n900 And sone he knew anoon)\nÞat oon) was woman, & þat oþer groom).\nHe quaked for tene þere he stood;\nHem to sloon) was in his mood+;\n904 Ȝit he þouȝt, or he hem quelde,\nWhat þey were, þey shuld him telle,\nAnd seth he wyl with dome hem done.\n[He] let Adun þe cloþes caste\n[Bin]eþen here breste.\nBi here breste he kneu anon\n628 Þat on was maide and þat oþer a mon.\nÞe amiral het here cloþes adoun caste\nA lutel bi neþe here breste.\nÞo iseih he wel anon\nÞon was may and þoþer mon.\nÞe amirayl quakede, for angys þe astod,\nHem to quelle, hit was on his mod.\nThey awake and cry for mercy.\nÞe Children wakyd swyth soone,\n908 And saw þe swerde ouer hem drawe;\nÞey ben adrad, and in awȝe.\nÞan seide Florys to Blauncheflour,\n“Of+ oure lyf+ is no socour.”\n912 But þey cryde him mercy swyth,\nFor to length her lyue.\nÞe children awoke þo anon\nAnd seȝe þe Admiral biuore hem gon,\nWiþ his suerd al adraȝe;\n632 Sore hi beoþ offerd and wel maȝe.\n“Seie,” quaþ þe Admiral, “belamy,\nHo makede þe so hardy,\nFor to come in to mi Tur\n636 And to ligge bi blauncheflur?”\nHi crieȝ him “merci,” boþe suiþe,\nÞat he ȝiue hem furst of liue.\nÞe children a woken vnder soon (?)\nAnd seȝen þat swerd ouer hem a drawe,\nHij weren agr . . and eþe hui mawe.\n. . . . . . . . belami\nWho makede þe so hardi\n. . . . . . . in my tour\n. . . . . . . blancheflur.\n. . . . þe . . . . fore.\nÞo seyde floyres to blancheflur,\n“Of vre liue nis no socur.”\nAk hei crieþ him merci so suiþe\nÞat he ȝaf hem furst of here liue.\nVp he bade hem sytte booth,\nAnd do on boþ her cloþ;\n916 Seþ he dide hem bynde fast,\nAnd in prison) lete hem be cast.\nVp he bad hem sitte boþe,\nand don on here beyre cloþe,\nand þo he bad hem binde faste,\nand in to one prisun he het hem cast.\nThe ‘Admiral’ summons his counsellors.\nThe Admiral summons his counsellors and tells them the case.\nNow haþ he after his Barons sent,\nTo wreke him after Iugement,\n920 Now han þe Barons vndernome,\nAnd to þe Amyral þey ben coome.\nAfter his barnage he haþ isend,\n640 To awreke him wiþ iugement.\nAnd let hem þe while binde faste,\nAnd in to prison ben icaste.\nHis palais þat was so faire ibuld,\n644 Of Erles and barons hit was ifuld.\n. . . he . . after his barenage\n. . . . he him . . . .\n. . . barenage . . . . .\nÞat to nan amyrayl abeþ nome .\n. . . . . . . . . ibuld\n. . . . . . . . was ifuld.\nHe stood vp a-monge hem al,\nWith semblant wroþ withalle,\n924 And seide: “Lordynges, with much honour,\nȜe herde speke of Blauncheflour,\nÞat y bouȝt hur dere a plyȝt\nFor seuen sithes of golde hur wyȝt;\n928 For y wende with-out wene\nÞat feire mayde to haue had to Quene.\nVp he stod among hem alle,\nBi semblaunt wel wroþ wiþ alle.\n“Lordinges,” he sede, “wiþ muchel honur,\n648 Ȝe habbeþ iherd of blauncheflur,\nHu ihc hire boȝte apliȝt,\nFor seuesiþe of gold hire wiȝt.\nTo hire was mi meste wene,\n652 For to habbe to mi quene.\nÞe amiral stod up among hem alle\n. . . . . . wreþ mid [alle]\n[leaf 8, back, col. 2]\n. . . . . . wiþoute w[ene]\nTo habben hire to mi quene\nThe trial of the children.\nAmong+ my maydons in my Toure\nI hur dide, with muche honoure;\n932 Byfore her bedde my self+ y coom);\nI fonde þeryn a naked man.\nÞan were þey to me so looþ,\nI þouȝt to haue sleyn) hem booþ,\n936 I was so wroþ and so wood+.\nNis noȝt ȝore þat i ne com\nAnd fond hire wiþ hordom,\nMe to schame and deshonur,\n656 In hire bedde on mi Tur.\n. . . hire bedde miself ich co[me]\n. . . hire ane naked grome\n. . . . . . . me wel loþe\n. . . . . . . hem boþe.\nand ich was so wroþ and wod\nȜit y withdrowȝ myn) hoot blood+\nTyl y haue sende after ȝow, by assent,\nTo wreke me with Iugement.\n940 Now ȝit ȝe woot how it is goon),\nWreke me soon) of+ my foon).”\nIhc habbe ȝou told hu hit is went;\nA wrekeþ me wiþ Jugement.”\nand ȝet ihc wiþ drou . . . .\nÞat ich hadde after . . . .\nTo wreke me þoruh iugem[ent].\nNou ȝe habbeþ iherd hou it is.\nAwrekeþ me of mine fon.”\nOne suggests that the children be heard before being judged.\nÞan spake a kyng+ of þat londe,\n“We haue herd al þis shame and shonde;\n944 But, or we hem to deth deme,\nLat vs hem see, ȝif it þe Queeme,\nWhat þey wolde speke or sygge,\nȜif+ þey wyl auȝt ageyn) vs legge:\n948 Hit were nouȝt ryȝt iugement,\nWithout answere make acoupement.\nÞanne spak a freo burgeis,\n660 Þat was hende and curt[eis],\n“Sire, are hi beo to diþe awreke,\nWe mote ihere þe children speke.\nHit nere noȝt elles rist iugement,\n664 Biþuten ansuare to acupement.”\n¶ Þo spak a king of þulk . .\n“Ȝe habbeþ iherd þis . . . .\nAk are we hem to deþe . . .\nWe schullen i heren þe . . .\nWhat huy wolleþ speke . . .\nand ȝif huy wolleþ ou . . .\nHit nis no riȝht iugem[ent].”\nWiþ oute onsuere . . . . .\nThe king of Nubia advises that they be instantly burned.\nTil þis is herde of+ more and lasse,\nWhat myster is, to bere wytnesse?”\nÞe king of Nubie sede þo,\n“For soþ, ne schal hit noȝt go so.\nHit is riȝt þureȝ alle þing\n668 Felons inome hond habbing,\nFor to suffre Jugement\nBiþute ansuere oþer acupement.”\n¶ Þe king of nubie . . . .\n“Sire, so ne schal hit . . . .\nTraitour þat is nome hond . .\nHit is riȝht þoru alle þ . . .\nTo beo for don oþer i sch . .\nWiþ outen oni here of . . .\nAl þis ihe . . and lag . .\nand bereþ him þer of w . . .\n952 After þe Children haue þey sent,—\nTo brenne hem was his entent;—\nTwo serieauntes hem gan brynge\nToward+ hur al wepynge.\n956 Drery booþ þese children goo;\nAyther bemeneþ oþeris woo.\nAfter þe children nu me sendeþ;\n672 Hem to berne fir me tendeþ.\nAfter þes childeren . . . .\nHem to for berne þer . . . .\nTwene seriauns hem forþ bringe\nTo fonge here dom sore wepin[ge]\nDreri weren þo chyldren . .\nHer eyþer by wepeþ oþer . .\nFloris reproaches himself to Blauncheflur.\n“Of+ oure lyf+ is no socour:\nSeide floriz to blauncheflur,\n“Of vre lif nis no sucur;\nAc min is þe guld and þe vnmeþ,\n676 Þat þu for me schalt þolie deþ.\n¶ Þo seyde floyres to blanche[flur]\nOf vre liue nis no soc[ur].\n960 Yf+ kinde of+ man it þole myȝt,\nTwyes y shuld dye with ryȝt,\nOones for my self+, anoþer for the,\nFor, þy deeþ þou hast for me.”\n964 Blauncheflour seyde þoo,\n“Þe gylt is myn), of oure woo.”\nAc if cunde hit þolie miȝte,\nIhc oȝte deie tuye wiþ riȝte.\nO deþ for þe, on oþer for me;\n680 For þis þu þolest nu for me.\nFor if i nere in to þis tur icume,\nWiþ mireȝþe þu miȝtest her inne wune.”\nHe gives her the ring, telling her of its properties.\nFlorys drouȝ forþ þat ryng\nÞat his moder him gaff at her partyng+:\n968 “Haue þis ryng+, lemman myne;\nÞou shalt not dye while it is þyne.”\nBlaunchefloure seide þoo,\n“So ne shal it neuer goo,\n972 Þat þis ryng+ shal help me,\nAnd þe deed on þe see.”\nHe droȝ forþ a riche ring,\n684 His moder him ȝaf at his parting.\n“Haue þis ring, lemman min,\nÞu ne miȝt noȝt deie þe while he is þin.”\nÞe ring he haueþ forþ araȝt\n688 And to blauncheflur bitaȝt.\n“Þe ring ne schal neure aredde me;\nFor deþ ne mai ihc se on þe.”\nShe attempts to force the ring back on him; it falls to the ground and is picked up by an earl.\nFlorys þat ryng+ hur rauȝt,\nAnd she it him agayn) betauȝt,\n976 Nouther ne wyl other deed seene;\nÞey let it falle hem bytwene;\nA king+ com) after; a ryng+ he fonde,\nAnd brouȝt it forth in his honde.\nÞe ring heo wolde aȝe reche,\n692 And to floriz him biteche.\nAc for al þat heo miȝte do,\nHe him nolde aȝen ifo.\nAnd þe ring bi one stunde,\n696 Fel adun to þe grunde.\nA duc stupede and him vp nom,\nAnd was þer of wel bliþe mon.\n980 Þus þe Children wepyng+ com)\nTo þe fire and hur doom).\nByfore þe folk+ þey were brouȝt;\nDrery was her bothes þouȝt;\nNu þes childre forþ me bringeþ\n700 To here dom, al wepinge.\nThe ‘fairness’ of the children excites compassion.\n984 Þere was noon) so sterne man\nÞat þe Children loked oon),\nÞat þey ne wolde, al wel fawe,\nHer iugement haue withdrawe,\n988 And with grete Catel hem bygge,\nȜif+ þey durst speke or sygge;\nFor Flores was so feire a ȝonglyng+,\nAnd Blaunchefloure so swete a þing+,\n992 Þer wyst no man whor hem were woo,\nFor no semblaunt þat þey made þoo.\nAc þer nas non so sturne mon,\nÞat hem lokede vpon,\nÞat nolde þo suþe saȝe\n704 Þat iugement were wiþdraȝe.\nFor floriz was so fair ȝongling,\nAnd blauncheflur so suete þing,\nOf men and wimmen þat buþ nuþe,\n708 Þat goþ and seoþ and spekeþ wiþ muþe,\nNe buþ so faire in here gladnesse,\nSo hi were in here sorinesse.\nBut the Admiral is very wroth.\nÞe Admyral was so wood+,\nNe myȝt he nouȝt kele his hoot blood+;\n996 He bade þe Children fast be bound+,\nAnd in to þe fire slong+.\nAc þe admiral was so wroþ and wod,\n712 He quakede for grame þer he stod.\nAnd het hem binde wel faste\nAnd in to þe fire caste.\nThe earl with the ring steps forward and speaks in behalf of the children.\nÞat ilke king+ þat þe ryng+ fond+,\nTo Amyral he spake and round+,\n1000 And wolde hem saue to þe lyf+,\nAnd told+ how for þe ryng+ þey gon) stryf+.\nÞe Amyral lete hem ageyn) clepe,\nFor he wolde here hem speke,\n1004 And asked Florys what he heete:\nAnd he tolde him ful skeete:\nÞe duc þat þe ring funde,\n716 Com to þe Admiral and runde,\nAnd al to gadere he gan him schewe;\nOf þat þe children were biknewe.\nÞe Admiral let hem aȝen clepe,\n720 For he wolde wiþ floriz speke.\nThe ‘Admiral’ is touched with pity.\nFloris asks clemency for the maiden, and the maiden prays for him.\n“Sir,” he seide, “yf+ it were þy wylle,\nÞou ne getest not þat maide to spylle;\n1008 But, good sir, quel þou me,\nAnd lete þat maide on lyue be.”\nBlauncheflour seide byne,\n“Þe gilt of+ oure dedes is moyne.”\n“Sire,” quaþ floriz, “forsoþ ihc telle,\nÞu noȝtest noȝt þat maide quelle.\nOf al þis gilt ihc am to wite;\n724 Ihc oȝte deie and he go quite.”\nQuaþ blauncheflur, “aquel þu me,\nAnd let floriz aliue be.\nȜef hit nere for mi luue,\n728 He nere noȝt fram his londe icome.”\n1012 Þe Admyral seide þoo\n“I-wys ȝe shul dye boo.”\nHis swerd he breide out of his sheeth,\nÞe Children to haue done to deeth.\n1016 Blaunchefloure put forþ hur swire,\nAnd Florys dide her agayn) to tyre,\nAnd seide, “I am man; I shal byfore,\nWith wrong hast þou þy lyf loore.”\n1020 Florys forth his swerd putte,\nAnd Blauncheflour agayn) him tytte.\nQuaþ þe Admiral, “so ihc mote go,\nȜe schulle deie togadere bo.\nMiself ihc wulle me awreke;\n732 Ne schulle ȝe neure go ne speke.”\nFloriz forþ his nekke bed,\nAnd blauncheflur wiþdraȝe him ȝet.\nBlauncheflur bid forþ hire suere,\n736 And floriz aȝen hire gan tire.\nNeiþer ne miȝte þere þole\nÞat oþer deide bifore.\nThe Admiral is at length touched with pity.\nÞe king+ seide, “dredry mot ȝe be,\nÞis rouþ by þis Children to see.”\n1024 Þe king+ þat þe ryng+ hadde,\nFor routh of+ hem sone he radde,\nAnd at þe Amyral wyl he spede,\nÞe Children fro þe deþ to lede.\nÞo þe Admiral, þeȝ he wroþ were,\n740 Þer he chaungede his chere.\nFor he seȝ þat eyþer wolde for oþer deie,\nAnd for he seȝ mani wepinde eie,\nAnd for he luuede so muche þat mai,\n744 Al wepinge he turnde away.\nHis swerd fel of his hond to grunde;\nNe miȝte he hit holde þulke stunde.\nThe earl with the ring speaks for the children.\n1028 “Sir,” he seide, “it is lytel prys,\nÞese Children for to slee y-wys;\nAnd it is wel more worship,\nFlorys counsel þat ȝe weete,\n1032 Who him tauȝt þat ilke gynne,\nÞy toure for to come ynne,\nAnd who him brouȝt þare,\nAnd other, þat ȝe may be ware.”\nÞe duc þat here ring hadde,\n748 For hem to speke wille he hadde.\n“Sire Admiral,” he sede, “iwis\nHit is þe wel litel pris\nÞis feire children for to quelle.\n752 Ac betere hit is þat hi þe telle\nHu he com in to þi tur,\nTo ligge þer bi blauncheflur.\nHis engin whan þu hit wite,\n756 Þe betere wiþ oþere þu miȝt þe wite.”\n1036 Þan seide þe Amyral, “as god me saue,\nFlorys shal his lyf+ haue,\nȜif+ he me telle who him tauȝt þerto,\nOf Florys, þat shal y neuer doo.”\nAlle þat herde wordes his,\nBisecheþ þat he granti þis.\nHe het him telle his engin,\n760 Hu he to blauncheflur com in,\nAnd to him radde and help þarto.\nFloris tells his story.\nFloris refuses to tell how he gained entry to the tower until pardon has been promised the porter.\n1040 Now þey bydden al y-wys\nÞat þe Admyral graunted þis,\nTo forȝeue þat trespas\nȜif+ Florys told how it was.\n“Þat,” quaþ he, “nelle ihc neure do,\nFor þing þat me mai me do,\n764 Bute hit hem beo forȝiue also.”\nAlle þoþere bisecheþ þis,\nAnd of þe Admiral igranted is.\nHe then tells his story.\n1044 Now euery word+ he haþ him tolde,\nHow þat maide was for him solde,\nFor grete loue þeder y-come,\n1048 For to fonde, with sum gynne,\nÞat feire maide for to wynne,\nAnd how þe porter was his man by-come,\nFor his gold and for his warysoun),\n1052 And how he was in þe Florys borne.\nAlle þe lordinges lowȝ þerforne:\nNu ord and ende he haþ hem itold,\n768 Hu bla[un]cheflur was fram him isold,\nAnd hu he was of spaygne a kinges sone,\nFor hire luue þuder icume,\nTo fonden wiþ sume gīnne,\n772 Hu he miȝte hure awinne,\nAnd hu þureȝ þe cupe and þureȝ þe gersume,\nÞe porter was his man bicume,\nAnd hu he was in a cupe ibore;\n776 Alle þes oþere lowe þeruore.\nScene of reconciliation.\nThe Admiral lifts them up, dubs Floris knight, and causes them to be married in church with a ring.\nNow þe Admyral wol him tyde;\nFlorys setteþ next his syde,\n1056 And efte he made him stonde vpryȝt,\nAnd dubbed him þere knyȝt,\nAnd bade he shulde with him be,\nÞe furthermost of his meyne.\nÞe Admiral þo, wel him bitide,\nÞat Child he sette bi his side,\nAnd haþ forȝiue his wraþþe bo,\n780 Floriz and blauncheflur also.\nAnd sede wiþ him hi scholde be,\nÞe beste of al his maine.\n1060 Florys falleþ doun) to his feet,\nAnd prayeþ geue him his sweet.\nÞe Amyral gaf+ him his lemman):\nAl þat þere were, þankyd him þanne.\n1064 To a Chirche he let hem brynge,\nAnd dede let wed hem with a rynge.\nBoþ þese twoo swete þinges y-wys\nFel his feet for to kysse;\nAnd floriz he makeþ stonde vpriȝt,\n784 And þer he dubbede him to kniȝt.\nNu boþe togadere þes childre for blisse\nFalleþ to his fet hem to kisse.\nHe let hem to one Chirche bringe,\n788 And spusen hem wiþ one gold ringe.\nThe Admiral takes Claris to be his queen.\n1068 And þrouȝ consel of Blauncheflour,\nClarys was fet doun) of þe Toure,\nAnd Amyral wedded hur to queene.\nÞere was fest swythe breeme;\n1072 I can not telle al þe sonde,\nBut rycher fest was neuer in londe.\nÞureȝ þe red of blauncheflur,\nMe fette Clariz adun of þe Tur.\nÞe Admiral hire nam to quene.\n792 Þilke feste was wel breme,\nFor þer was alle kunnes gleo,\nÞat miȝte at eni briddale beo.\nMessengers come to Floris announcing his father’s death.\nWas it nouȝt longe after þan),\nÞat to Florys tydyng+ cam),\n1076 Þat þe king+ his Fader was deed+.\nHit nas þer after noþing longe\n796 Þat þer com floriz writ and sonde,\nÞat þe king his fader was ded,\nThe Admiral tries in vain to induce him to remain.\nÞe Baronage gaf+ him reed\nÞat he shuld wende hoom),\nAnd fonge his feire kyngdoom).\n1080 At þe Amyral þey toke leue,\nAnd he byddeþ þem byleue.\nAnd þat he scholde nimen his red.\nÞanne seide þe Admiral,\n800 “If þu dost bi mi consail,\nBilef wiþ me; ne wend naȝt hom,\nIhc wulle ȝeue þe a kinedom\nAlso long and also brod,\n804 Also eure ȝet þi fader ibod.”\nFloris makes rich presents in parting,\nHome he went with royal array,\nAnd was crownyd with-in a short day.\n(Follows. The batełł of Troye,\nsithe þat god þis world+ wrouȝt+\nHeuen and erthe made of+ nouȝt+\nleaves 111-134. Then Amys and Amylion, leaves 134-147. MS. ends with one leaf of Sir Eglamour.)\nAc floriz nolde for no winne;\nLeuere him were wiþ his kinne.\nÞe Admiral he bid god day,\n808 And þonkede Clariz þat faire may,\nAnd to hire he haþ iȝolde\nTwenti pond of ride golde.\nAnd to Daris þat him so taȝte,\n812 Twenti pund he araȝte.\nAnd alle þat for him duden eidel,\nHe ȝeld here while suþe wel.\nFloris and Blauncheflur depart for their native land.\nand comes home, where he and Blauncheflur reign as king and queen.\nHe bitaȝte hem alle godalmiȝte\n816 And com hom whane he miȝte.\nHe was king wiþ Muchel honur,\nAnd heo his quene blauncheflur.\nNu ȝe habbeþ iherd þane ende\n820 Of floriz and his lemman hende,\nHu after bale comeþ bote;\nGod leue þat vs so mote,\nÞat we him mote louie so,\n824 Þat we mote to heuene go. AMEN.\nLinks generally lead to the next lower multiple of 4, corresponding to visible line numbers.\n2, T. þe cristen woman, the captive mother of Blauncheflur.\n28, T. louyd togeder, a French idiom, s’entr’amoient.\n72, T. Boþ by day and by nyȝt. Cf. ‘K. Horn,’ 275 Note.\n77, T. þat oþer, preservation of the OE. definite inflected form, þæt, source of modern English dialect ‘tother.’\n80, T. ben ... wo. Cf. 142 T, and ‘K. Horn,’ 121 Note.\n100, T. fel to, was due. Cf. Bradl.-Stratm. fallen.\n110, T. wore : lore. Cf. were : fere, 82.\n113-14, T. sykes, lernes, mornes. These forms seem due to Northern influence on MS. T.\n140, T. Let do bring forth. A curious combination. ‘Let’ is beginning to usurp the place of ‘do’ in the sense of ‘cause to.’ Cf. 155 T, 211 T, 434 C, etc.\n168, T ff. In these allusions to other romances are to be found the most certain clues as to the time of composition of ‘Fl. and Bl.’\n193, T. at oone. Cf. ‘K. Horn,’ 997 Note.\n194, T. Amyral, emir, saracen ruler.\n210, T. wyrche. Cf. ‘K. Horn,’ 1481.\n226, T. chargeþ. Error for targeþ. Cf. MS. Cott.\n227, T. noome, gone. Cf. vndernome, 152, 219 T.\n250, T. ronne on hye, ran to the chamber above.\n270, T. wept. Cott. has the older form wep. Cf., however, Aryst (: atwist), 869 T and 589 C, and Cott.\n272, T. So swete a þing. Cf. v. 525, also ‘K. Horn,’ 473 C, Note.\n338, T. care vnbynde. Cf. ‘K. Horn,’ 572.\n341-2, T. devyse : prys. These words have a meaning somewhat different from the modern meaning. Deuyse means direction, supervision; prys means value. Like charged 343, and monay 345, they are French words with French meanings.\n343, T. charged, loaded. Fr. influence.\n345, T. monay, small money. Fr. influence.\n376, T. douȝt. This use of ȝ where it has no right etymologically shows that it was no longer pronounced. Cf. anooneryȝt : white 766 T.\n40, C. nabit. Cf. ‘K. Horn,’ 1211 L., H.\n67, C. Fort he dide slep him nome. ‘Until the dead sleep seized him.’ Fort he comes from for to he (Hausknecht).\n76, C. parais. A French form. The -d- shaded out in French about 1110.\n110, C. pane of meniuier. Cf. Hausknecht’s Note. Hausknecht reads: I paned al wiþ meniver, supplied with panes of meniver. Meniuier (menu + vair) means a kind of fur, probably of squirrel.\n145, C. in alle halue. Cf. Map, 338, on alle halve (Bradl.-Stratm.).\n173, C. furtenniȝt, a journey of a fortnight. (?)\n176, C. amidde riȝt, right in the middle of. Cf. also 182.\n231, C. kernel (kanel), canal (Hausknecht).\n275, C. spray. Cf. Bradl.-Stratm.\n300, C. þonur (þe + honur).\n304, C. bulmeþ, error for welmeþ. (?)\n308, C. for do, old force of for-. Cf. Germ. ver-.\n448, C. hire stonde. Trace of gram. gender. Cf. Hausknecht, 854 Note.\n465, C. lepe. Cf. Hausknecht, 875 Note.\n486, C. Ho, who so. Early instance of loss of w-.\n497, C. forȝe me (forȝete me).\n513, C. ileste a mile, time to go a mile. Cf. ‘K. Horn,’ 631-2 Note.\n536, C. pal. Cf. Hausknecht, 952 Note.\n589, C. arist (: atwist). Early instance of a strong verb become weak.\n597, C. piler, the pillar in the tower, the one in which the water-pipe runs. Cf. 223-232 C.\n937, T. withdrowȝ, restrained. Rare in this sense.\n941, T. soord. Hausknecht reads soon.\n960, T. kinde of man. Fr. nature. Kind is felt to be no longer an exact equivalent of nature; hence in T, of man is added.\n692, 697, C. him. Further traces of grammatical gender. Cf. 448, C Note.\n988, T. lygge. Read bygge. French racatassent.\n718, C. biknewe. Cf. Glossary.\n1007, T. ne getest not. Scribal error. Cf. C and A.\n1009, T. on lyue. Mod. Engl. alive. Cf. adown, a-fishing, etc.\n1011-12, T. byne : moyne. byne not clear; moyne error for myne. (?)\n1017, T. tyre (tear), did struggle toward her.\n814, C. ȝeld here while, paid for their pains. Cf. ‘worth while.’