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Lay le Freine
We redeþ oft & findeþ [ywri]te {f.261ra}
 & þis clerkes wele it wite
Layes þat ben in harping
Ben yfounde of ferli þing.
5000 Sum beþe of wer & sum of wo
& sum of ioie & mirþe also
& sum of trecherie & of gile,
Of old auentours þat fel while;
& sum of bourdes & ribaudy
1000 & mani þer beþ of fairy.
Of al þinges þat men seþ
Mest o loue for soþe þai beþ.
¶ In Breteyne bi hold time
Þis layes were wrouŠt, so seiþ þis rime.
1500 When kinges miŠt our yhere
Of ani meruailes þat þer were
Þai token an harp in gle & game
& maked a lay & Šaf it name.
Now of þis auentours þat weren yfalle
2000 Y can tel sum ac nouŠt alle,
Ac herkneþ, lordinges, soþe to sain,
Ichil Šou telle Lay le Frayn.
Bifel a cas in Breteyne
Whereof was made Lay le Frain.
2500 In Ingliche for to tellen, ywis,
Of an asche for soþe it is;
On ensaumple fair wiþalle
Þat sum time was bifalle.
In þe west cuntre woned tvay kniŠtes,
3000 & loued hem wele in al riŠtes;
Riche men in her best liif,
& aiþer of hem hadde wedded wiif.
Þat o kniŠt made his leuedi milde {f.261rb}
Þat sche was wonder gret wiþ childe.
3500 & when hir time was comen þo
Sche was deliuerd out of wo.
Þe kniŠt þonked God almiŠt
& cleped his messanger an hiŠt.
‘Go’ he seyd ‘to mi neiŠebour swiþe
4000 & say y gret him fele siþe
& pray him þat he com to me
& say he schal mi gossibbe be.’
Þe messanger goþ & haþ nouŠt forŠete
& fint þe kniŠt at his mete.
4500 & fair he gret in þe halle
Þe lord, þe leuedi, þe meyne alle.
& seþþen on knes doun him sett
& þe lord ful fair he gr[e]t
‘He bad þat þou schust to him te
5000 & for loue his gossibbe be.’
‘Is his leuedi deliuerd wiþ sounde?’
‘Ša, sir, yþonked be God þe stounde.’
‘& wheþer a maidenchild oþer a knaue?’
‘Tvay sones, sir, God hem saue.’
5500 Þe kniŠt þerof was glad & bliþe
& þonked Godes sond swiþe
& graunted his erand in al þing
& Šaf him a palfray for his tiding.
¶ Þan was þe leuedi of þe hous
6000 A proude dame & an envieous,
Hokerfulliche missegging,
Squeymous & eke scorning,
To ich woman sche hadde envie;
Sche spac þis wordes of felonie
6500 ‘Ich haue wonder, þou messanger,
Who was þi lordes conseiler
To teche him about to sende
& telle schame in ich an ende
Þat his wiif haþ to childer ybore.
7000 Wele may ich man w[i]te þerfore
Þat tvay men hir han hadde in bour;
Þat is hir boþe deshonour.’
Þe messanger was sore aschamed,
Þe kniŠt himself was sore agramed
7500 & rebouked his leuedy
To speke ani woman vilaynie.
& ich woman þerof miŠt here {f.261va}
Curssed hir alle yfere
& bisouŠt God in heuen,
8000 For his holy name seuen,
Þat Šif hye euer ani child schuld abide
A wers auentour hir schuld bitide.
¶ Sone þerafter bifel a cas
Þat hirself wiþ child was.
8500 When God wild sche was vnbounde
& deliuerd al wiþ sounde.
To maidenchilder sche hadde ybore.
When hye it wist wo hir was þerfore.
‘Allas,’ sche seyd ‘þat þis hap come!
9000 Ich haue yŠouen mi nowen dome.
Forboden bite ich woman
To speken ani oþer harm opon.
Falsliche anoþer y gan deme,
Þe selue happe is on me sene.
9500 Allas,’ sche seyd ‘þat y was born!
Wiþouten ende icham forlorn.
Or ich mot siggen sikerly
Þat tvay men han yly me by,
Or ich mot sigge in al mi liif
1000 Þat y bileiŠe mi neŠbours wiif,
Or ich mot – þat God it schilde -
Help to sle min owhen child.
On of þis þre þinges ich mot nede
Sigge oþer don in dede.
1050 ¶ Šif ich say ich hadde a bi-leman,
Þan ich leiŠe meselue opon;
And eke þai wil þat me se
Held me wers þan comoun be.
& Šif ich knaweleche to ich man
1100 Þat ich leiŠe þe leuedi opon,
Þan ich worþ of old & Šong
Be hold leiŠster & fals of tong.
Šete me is best take mi chaunce
& sle mi childe & do penaunce.’
1150 Hir midwiif hye cleped hir to
‘Anon,’ sche seyd ‘þis child fordo.
& euer say þou wher þou go
Þat ich haue o child & namo.’
Þe midwiif answerd þurthout al
1200 Þat hye nil no hye ne schal.
..................... {f.261vb}
1250 ................... {13 lines missing where miniature cut out}
1300 ..................
May help it for Godes loue.’
1350 Þe leuedi graunted anon þerto
& wold wele þat it were ydo.
Sche toke a riche baudekine
Þat hir lord brouŠt fram Costentine
& lapped þe litel maiden þerin
1400 & toke a ring of gold fin
& on hir riŠt arm it knitt
Wiþ a lace of silke þerin plit;
& whoso hir founde schuld haue in mende
Þat it were comen of riche kende.
1450 ¶ Þe maide toke þe child hir mide
& stale oway in an euentide
& passed ouer a wild heþ,
Þurth feld & þurth wode hye geþ
Al þe winterlong niŠt -
1500 Þe weder was clere, þe mone was liŠt -
So þat hye com bi a forest side;
Sche wax al weri & gan abide.
Sone after sche gan herk
Cokkes crowe & houndes berk.
1550 Sche aros & þider
wold.
Ner & nere sche gan bihold,
Walles & hous fele hye seiŠe,
A chirche wiþ stepel fair & heiŠe.
Þan nas þer noiþer strete no toun,
1600 Bot an hous of religioun,
An order of nonnes wele ydiŠt
To seruy God boþe day & niŠt.
Þe maiden abod no lengore
Bot Šede hir to þe chirche dore
1650 & on knes sche sat adoun
{f.262ra}
& seyd wepeand her orisoun
‘O lord’ he seyd ‘Ihesu Crist
þat sinful man bedes herst,
Vnderfong þis present
1700 & help þis seli innocent
Þat it mot ycristned be,
For Marie loue þi moder fre.’
Hye loked vp & bi hir seiŠe
An asche bi hir fair & heiŠe,
1750 Wele ybowed, of michel priis;
Þe bodi was holow as mani on is.
Þerin sche leyd þe child for cold,
In þe pel as it was bifold,
& blisced it wiþ al hir miŠt.
1800 Wiþ þat it gan to dawe liŠt.
Þe foules vp & song on bouŠ
& acremen Šede to þe plouŠ.
Þe maiden turned oŠain anon
& tok þe waye he hadde er gon.
1850 ¶ Þe porter of þe abbay aros
& dede his ofice in þe clos,
Rong þe belles & taperes liŠt,
Leyd forþ bokes & al redi diŠt.
Þe chirche dore he vndede
1900 & seiŠe anon in þe stede
Þe pel liggen in þe tre
& þouŠt wele þat it miŠt be
Þat þeues hadde yrobbed sumwhare
& gon þer forþ & lete it þare.
1950 Þerto he Šede & it vnwond
& þe maidenchild þerin he fond.
He tok it vp bitven his hond
& þonked Ihesu Cristes sond
& hom to his hous he it brouŠt
2000 & tok it his douhter & hir bisouŠt
Þat hye schuld kepe it as sche can,
For sche was melche & couþe þeran.
Sche bad it souke & it nold
For it was neiŠe ded for cold.
2050 ¶ Anon fer sche aliŠt
& warmed it wele, apliŠt.
Sche Šaf it souke opon hir barm
& seþþen laid it to slepe warm.
And when þe masse was ydon, {f.262rb}
2100 Þe porter to þe abbesse com ful son
‘Madame, what rede Še of þis þing?
Today riŠt in þe morning,
Sone after þe first stounde,
A litel maidenchild ich founde
2150 In þe holwe assche þerout,
& a pel him about.
A ring of gold also was þere.
Hou it com þider y not nere.’
Þe abbesse was awonderd of þis þing,
2200 ‘Go’ hye seyd ‘on heiŠing
& feche it hider y pray þe.
It is welcom to God & to me,
Ichil it help as y can
& sigge it is mi kinswoman.’
2250 Þe porter anon it gan forþ bring
Wiþ þe pal & wiþ þe ring.
Þe abbesse lete clepe a prest anon
& lete it cristin in funston.
& for it was in an asche yfounde
2300 Sche cleped it Frain in þat stounde.
Þe Freyns of þe asche is a freyn
After þe language of Breteyn;
Forþe Le Frein men clepeþ þis lay
More þan asche in ich cuntray.
2350 ¶ Þis Frein þriued fram Šer to Šer,
Þe abbesse nece men wend it were.
Þe abbesse hir gan teche & beld,
Bi þat hye was of .xii. winter eld,
In al Jnglond þer nas non
2400 A fairer maiden þan hye was on.
& when hye couþe ouŠt of manhed,
Hye bad þe abbesse hir wis & rede
Whiche were her kin, on or oþer,
Fader or moder, soster or broþer.
2450 Þe abbesse hir in conseyl toke,
To tellen hir hye nouŠt forsoke
Hou hye was founden in al þing,
& tok hir þe cloþ & þe ring
& bad hir kepe it in þat stede;
2500 & þer whiles sche liued so sche dede.
Þan was þer in þat cuntre
A riche kniŠt of lond & fe,
Proud & Šong & joliue, {f.262va}
& had nouŠt Šete ywedded wiue.
2550 He was stout, of gret renoun,
& was ycleped sir Guroun.
He herd praise þat maiden fre
& seyd he wald hir se.
He diŠt him in þe way anon,
2600 & joliflich þider
he come;
& bad his man sigge verrament
He schuld toward a turnament.
Þe abbesse & þe nonnes alle
Fair him gret in þe gest halle
2650 & damisel Freyn so hende
of mouþe
Gret him faire as hye wele couþe;
& sw[it]he wele he gan deuise
Her semblaunt & her gentrise,
Her louesum eiŠen, her rode so briŠt,
2700 & comced to loue hir anonriŠt
& þouŠt hou he miŠt take on
To haue hir to his leman.
He þouŠt ‘Šif ich com hir to
More þan ichaue ydo,
2750 Þe abbesse wil souchy gile
& voide hir in a litel while.’
He compast anoþer enchesoun,
To be broþer of þat religioun.
‘Madame,’ he seyd to þe abbesse
2800 ‘Y loui wele in al godenisse,
Ichil Šiue on & oþer
Londes & rentes to bicom Šour broþer
Þat Še schul euer fare þe bet
When y com to haue recet.’
2850 At fewe wordes þai ben at on.
He grayþes him & forþ is gon.
Oft he come bi day & niŠt
To speke wiþ þat maiden briŠt,
So þat wiþ his fair bihest
2900 & wiþ his gloseing atte lest
Hye graunted him to don his wille
When he wil, loude & stille.
‘Leman,’ he seyd ‘þou most lat be
Þe abbesse þi nece & go wiþ me.
2950 For icham riche, of swiche pouwere
Þe finde bet þan þou hast here.’
Þe maiden grant & to him trist {f.262vb}
& stale oway þat no man wist.
Wiþ hir tok hye no þing
3000 Bot hir pel & hir ring.
When þe abbesse gan aspie
Þat hye was wiþ þe kniŠt owy,
Sche made morning in hir þouŠt
& hir biment & gained nouŠt.
3050 So long sche was in his castel
Þat al his meyne loued hir wel.
To riche & pouer sche gan hir dresse
Þat al hir loued, more & lesse.
& þus sche lad wiþ him hir liif
3100 RiŠt as sche hadde ben his wedded wiif.
¶ His kniŠtes com & to him speke,
& holy chirche comandeþ eke,
Sum lordes douhter for to take
& his leman al forsake;
3150 & seyd him were wel more feir
In wedlok to geten him an air
Þan lede his liif wiþ swiche on
Of was kin he knewe non.
& seyd ‘her bisides is a kniŠt
3200 Þat haþ a douhter fair & briŠt
Þat schal bere his hiritage;
Takeþ hir in mariage.’
Loþ him was þat dede to do
Ac atte last he graunt þerto.
3250 ¶ Þe forward was ymaked ariŠt,
& were at on & treuþe pliŠt.
Allas, þat he no hadde ywite
Er þe forward were ysmite
Þat hye & his leman also
3300 Sostren were & tvinnes to.
Of o fader biŠeten þai were,
Of o moder born yfere.
Þat hye so ware nist non
For soþe y say bot God alon.
3350 Þe newe bride was grayd wiþalle,
& brouŠt hom to þe lordes halle.
Hir fader com wiþ hir also,
Þe leuedi hir moder & oþer mo.
Þe bischop of þe lond wiþouten fail
3400 Com to do þe spusseayl. . . .
{stub 262ra}
{stub 262va}
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