.

Here I wille obaie[39] untylle Dethe doe 'pere,
Here lyche a foule empoysoned leathel[40] tree,
Whyche sleaeth[41] everichone that commeth nere,
Soe wille I fyxed unto thys place gre[42].
I to bement[43] haveth moe cause than thee; 45
Sleene in the warre mie boolie[44] fadre lies;
Oh! joieous I hys mortherer would slea,
And bie hys syde for aie enclose myne eies.
Calked[45] from everych joie, heere wylle I blede;
Fell ys the Cullys-yatte[46] of mie hartes castle stede. 50

ROBERTE.

Oure woes alyche, alyche our dome[47] shal bee.
Mie sonne, mie sonne alleyn[48], ystorven[49] ys;
Here wylle I staie, and end mie lyff with thee;
A lyff lyche myn a borden ys ywis.
Now from een logges[50] fledden is selyness[51], 55
Mynsterres[52] alleyn[53] can boaste the hallie[54] Seyncte,
Now doeth Englonde weare a bloudie dresse
And wyth her champyonnes gore her face depeyncte;
Peace fledde, disorder sheweth her dark rode[55],
And thorow ayre doth flie, yn garments steyned with bloude. 60

[Footnote 1: _Smething_, smoking; in some copies _bletheynge_, but in
the original as above.]

[Footnote 2: deadly.]

[Footnote 3: pluck or pull.]

[Footnote 4: _Surcote_, a cloke, or mantel, which hid all the other
dress.]

[Footnote 5: shepherds.]

[Footnote 6: abruptly, so Chaucer, Syke he abredden dyd attourne.]

[Footnote 7: affright.]

[Footnote 8: Added.]

[Footnote 9: sad.]

[Footnote 10: woeful, lamentable.]

[Footnote 11: the Devil.]

[Footnote 12: might.]

[Footnote 13: sweet.]

[Footnote 14: good, neat, genteel.]

[Footnote 15: groves, sometimes used for a coppice.]

[Footnote 16: far-seen.]

[Footnote 17: Hermit.]

[Footnote 18: violin.]

[Footnote 19: sounding.]

[Footnote 20: inn, or public-house.]

[Footnote 21: also.]

[Footnote 22: pleasure.]

[Footnote 23: annoying.]

[Footnote 24: to keep off.]

[Footnote 25: ever, always.]

[Footnote 26: meadows.]

[Footnote 27: grafted trees.]

[Footnote 28: thick, stout.]

[Footnote 29: liberty of pasture given to the Parker.]

[Footnote 30: tender.]

[Footnote 31: cows.]

[Footnote 32: strong.]

[Footnote 33: garden.]

[Footnote 34: whitened.]

[Footnote 35: cumfrey, a favourite dish at that time.]

[Footnote 36: marygold.]

[Footnote 37: hardened.]

[Footnote 38: accustomed