Gilbert Banester

Gilbert Banester Poems

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The Tale Of Guiscardo And Ghismonda - First Version

Incipit Legenda Sismond

Qhylom ther was ane hygh and myghty prince,
In Salern tawker þei clepyd hys name,
Which that honorably gydyd hys province,
That through the worlde sprang hys grete fame.
Bocase in kent witnesith the same,
That he seyth hys cowrte wes off such prowes,
All people drugh þider to seike honour with nobles.

Hys regioune so full was of haboundance,
Off wertue, welth, goode rule and prosperite,
The people, the lond, wer sette in such gouernance,
Thei neuer wndirstoode off none aduersite.
Tawker thys noble knyght off dignite
So witty was and wyse in all hys demene,
That from fylthy vice he kept all hys londe clene.

And kept hys people euer wndyr such awe,
They neuer dorst rebell ayeynest hys highnes,
For treuely he executyd so hys lawe,
Iustyfying the treuth by rightwysnes;
Euery mater so wele he koude redresse,
Discretly retorne the wronge in to right,
Both [to] god and to man he was a trewe knyght

Off flessh and bone a semely creature,
Full lyke a prince, so manly was hys porte,
Bolde and hardy in eueryche aduenture,
To any batayle when he shulde resorte,
Hys people he koude so wele chere and comforte;
Thus for the manhode that he hadde,
All natyons hym lowyd and dradde.

Weddyd was thys prince vnto a lady,
Born off blode ryale and stoke off gentylnesse;
I kan nat seye off what kyn or auncetrye,
It berith in myn autor no witnesse,
But thys I wote, she was to hym prynces,
Which was full goode, right plesaunte and feyre;
By hyr he bygat a doughter, which was hys eyre,

Named Sismond, and when she was off perfyte age,
In all the worlde sprange hyr grete beaute,
That many a knight and squier off hygh corage
Come to the princes place with grete ryalte,
Who as myght beste atteyne in hyr grace to be,
Many a fresshe knight and many a blysfull rowte
On horse and foote mustringe in the cowrte aboute.

Hyr to honoure they dyd all there entente,
The syght off hyr there hertys kan so enbrace,
Gode hath hyr such beaute and wertue sent,
Fulfilled off all wertue and off all grace,
Passing Penolepe and lucres off face,
Ypolita and Emyles hyr yonge suster withall,
No more lyke to theme then gete to cristall.

She was white, ruddy, fressh and lowely hewyde,
In all hyr body wes nat o wikkyd syng,
And euery day hyr fayrnes anewyd,
For it wes sadde, demwre and benynge;
But, forsoth, I am to rude in endytinge
The beaute off so fayre a lady to dewyse;
She hadde more then in my witte may suffice.

Off womanly porte and right comly stature,
Full graciouse was hyr angelike visage;
There was neuer none yit formyd by nature
More treue and stedfast in hyr langage;
Excellent, [stedfast], stable and right sage,
In all hyr werkys soft and debonare;
Hardly hyr tonge shulde none hurt nor enpayre.

Hyr eloquens was spokyn with so mylde speche,
With sad contenance, thus may I expresse,
That, forsoth, she was a werreye lywys leche
To all people stondinge in any hewynesse;
Thus off all wertue she wes lady and mastres,
And shortely to reporte the beaute that she hadde,
For sothe, she myght be no fayrer nor better made.

Grete lordys and that off euery naciowne,
Fast labowringe to haue thys yonge lady,
Dukys, erlys, lordys off grete reputacyoune,
But the prince hyr fader lowyd hyr so enterely,
Lothe he was with any off them to marry;
At the last he assentyd with right grete payne
To marry hyr with the erle off champayne.

Long it was or euer he wolde accorde
Vnto the lordys off hys covnsayle;
Notwithstondinge spowsed she wes vnto thys lorde
And within shorte tyme deth kan hym assayle;
Dede was this erle, it ys withouten fayle;
Such was hyr fortune in the begynnyng,
Allace! full hewy also was hyr endinge.

Then she wept and wayled, swonynge to þe grovnde,
Was there newyr so wofull a creature,
Syghing, sobyng, with sorow was she bounde;
Merwaile it was that euer she myght endure;
Hyr fader, seynge thys sodeyne auenture,
So son wyffe and so sodeynly wedow;
Wherfor with hewy hert he made a wow

And seyd, wepyng: `I wys, doughtyr sismond,
Yhe shall newyr marry by my wyll ayeyne;
Accordyng to a lady yhe shall be fownde;
Loke what plesure els in this worlde doth reyne,
Yhe shall it haffe and also be certeyne
Off all the goode I haffe aftyr my lywe,
So tyll I lywe yhe shall be no wyffe.

`For yhe be my lywis ioy and worldys comfort,
There ys no welth to me may be equipollent,
Nor there ys wyght þat me [can] cheyre with dysporte,
When so euer yhe be frome me absent;
Myne affyaunce so holly ys to you lent,
That iff ought come to you other then goode,
Dry vp it wolde and consume myne hertys blode.'

Sismond on knes downe to the grounde she goth
And seyde vnfenyngly with hert enteyre:
`Lorde fader, it shall nat neyde to make none oth,
Nor so depely youre doughter to requere;
I am youre awne, yhe shall hafe youre desyre;
To that yhe say I shall neuer say nay,
But with hert diligent euer you plese and pay.'

So ferforth she kan þe prince hyr fader ensure
That she wolde neuyr to emperoure nor kynge,
Nor to none estate nor erthly creature
Be maryed whils he was lyffinge,
But fulfyll hys entent in euery thinge,
And shortly withoute any more delays
So forth they endured ers and days.

Thys yonge lady, which was fosterede so softly,
In the floure off hyr youth and beste lyffynge,
Which knew the wyll off hyr fader trewly,
That for to mary hyr he wes nat wyllinge,
Amonges all hyr fadyrs servauntys avysinge,
Wheras wer foysoune of knyghts and squiers withall,
One she thoght most perfyte in especyall.

To be lowyd she thoght hym moste able and worthy,
Wherfor she purposith in hyr remenbraunce
For to passe hyr youth the more ioyusly
And in hym only to take hyr plesaunce,
Dayly beholdinge þe maners and contenance,
The condyciouns in all hys behawoure,
Hys curtace langage and clenlynesse of vesture.

Euery day, as she sat at hyr fadyrs boorde,
Hath she merkyd thys squier named Guystarde,
Whom she thought feythfull in dede and worde,
All oþer to hym no thinge lyke in regarde;
Mars god off battayle so kept hyr hert in warde,
Venus thought also to haue hyr desyre
With lowe to set thys yonge ladyes hert afyre.

Guystard of thys mater beynge full innocent,
He vndrestoode by no manere off perseuerance,
Nor knew no thing hyr desyrowse entent,
That she to hymward had suche affyaunce,
For as by hyr spech, looke, or contenaunce,
He koude nat disserne, as fer as he myght se,
But alle sche fawoured euery man ylyke fre.

Also ther was men off gretare alyaunce
Daly waytinge on the prynce at hys table,
Euyr redy doynge there besy vtteraunce
To plese thys yonge lady full honorable;
But Guystard thought hym selff full vnable.
Whi! he was in comparyson one off the lest;
Natwithstondinge, forsoth, she lowyd hym best.

For hys demenyng, softe, right gentile and meyke,
Both whyte and rede, wele fawoured off vysage;
Nortur and honesty, hardely, wor nat to seyke;
Goodely behafyng hym in hys langage,
By temperaunce mesuring hys corage;
From all vnclen[n]es he wold hys tonge refreyne;
Aftyr hys byrth hys lyffing dyd he maynteyne.

Yonge and lusty, and right wele dysposyd,
And what so euyr he hard sey euer where,
Ther was no thing knawen by hym nor dysclosyd;
But lord! so wele he koude hys clothys were;
Hardely, there was nat seyne on hym so moche as one here;
He vsyd all wertue longyng vnto a gentilman;
He was withoute fawte, bettyr then I say kan.

Sysmond with grete peyne duryng forth alway,
Hyr lowe wexith euer to hym more fervent,
She myght no lenger endure, but on a day
Pryuely for Guystard hath she sent;
Guystard come to hyr presence reuerentt,
Wheroff Sismond was iocunde and wele payde;
Discouering hyr hert, right thus to hym she seyde:

`Guystard, the feyth that I haue in youre goodnesse
And treuth fereth me to vtter diuerse thinge,
The which tuch me ryght nye in sykyrnesse.
My worship and welfare thereon ys dependinge,
Wherfore yhe shall make me oblysinge
That neuyr by you it shall be discouerd.'
He with grete humblenes anone ansuerd

And seyd: `madame, doute yhe newyr more;
By me ther shall wyt none erthly creature
That yhe sey to me, thogh I shulde dy therfore,
By my treuthe playnly to you I ensure.'
`Wele,' quod Sismond, `wit yhe that my pleasure
Is on a gentilman, the which that I lofe
Best next almyghti god abowe.

`And for by cause that I may nat wele
Speke with hym, nor haue no man to my behoffe
To send hym myne hert and will euery delle,
I will that yhe be the mean off oure loffe.
Behold now iff I trust you moste abofe
All oþer, whan I gyff you such power,
Auenturing in your hondes myne honoure.'

He knelyd downe and seyd with wordes stable:
`Madam, I know welle in you ys such wit,
That yhe woll do no thyng disco[ven]able;
Wheroff I thonk you with right humble spiritt
That it hath plesyd your hyghnesse to putt
In me such a singular feyth and trust;
Wherfore, gode lady, commaunde me what you luste,

`And I shall obbey your ladyship full low,
To my power be seruaunt to hym euer redy,
So that I may wit what he ys and knowe
The which hath the loffe of so fayre a lady,
Off so high worship as yhe be, for treuly
He hath nat fayled of a lowe honorable;
Fortune was frendely that so dyd hym able.'

Whan Sismond had hym wele prewyd in eche thing
And hard hym speke so wittily, then she
Toke hym by the hond, on thise wyse saying:
`Frende guystard, wit yhe wele that yhe ar he
Vhame I haue chosyn for myne oonly felicite,
And here my treuth to lowe you euyr,
Till ferfull deth you and me disseuyr.

`For me semyth the noblenesse of your corage,
Fulfyllyd with so goode condicioune,
Yeldeth you to haue a lady of high parage,
Born to enherit right grete possessioune;
Therfor here by pryve eleccioune,
Chesyng you to my best byloued by name,
Praying to youre lady lat me be the same.'

Thys yong squyer abashed sore and thought,
He so sympyll, and she suche lowe to hym caste;
Hys hert ioyed, causyng hys colours change oft,
As yong men of nature beth euer shamfast;
Neuer the lesse with bolde spirit at the last
Lowly he thonked hyr and, shortely, in grete syn
Long tyme they continued there plesaunce in.

Sysmond remenbring she muste fulfyll than
The counand made to hyr fadyr as blyue;
Vherfor she dorst nat marry thys yong man,
Vhich cawsyd hyr wepe ane hundreth sythe,
Bycause she myght nat hym to hyr husbond kythe;
Not hyr fadyrs, it was hyr will inwardly
To haue lyffid in the law of matermony.

But enuyous fortune of there solace
Woll suffer no longer thise lowers twayne
To lyff in ioye, but turnyd it in allace,
There disporte retorned in to payne.
It befell apon a day in somyr certayne
Sismond with hyr gentill women to take the eyre
Valkyt in a garding right plesand and feyre.

The same tyme hyr fadder, w[hich] that had
None other pleasure but whan he
Saw hyr, then was he ioyfull and glade,
Vent all alone in the chawmyr to se
Iff she in any besynes had be,
But [n]ow the wyndows shyt there he saw
And the curtens of the bed ydraw.

Ther was no body, nor he hard no sowne;
Venyng to hym therfor she had slept;
So he wold nat awake hyr but layd hym downe
By the beddys syde on a fayre paliett,
And was full hard a slepe withouten lett;
Sismond, when she had fynished hyr game,
Come hyr way with hyr gentill women same.

From the gardyn, when they had disportyd at the beste,
Vnto the chawmer full fast she hyit,
And layde hyr downe on hyr bed to take reste;
How be yt hyr fadder yhit was nat espyed,
W[hich] that still slept by the beddys syde;
By non of theime he was nat apersewyd;
Walawey! thus fooule wes she dysseywed.

Netheles, she awoyded hyr gentilwomen,
Shittyng all the dowres vnto hyr closse;
Then, she beyng by hyr selff allon, and when
She saw hyr tyme, wp from hyr bed arrose;
Thus don, she goth into a lytill parclosse,
Made within hyr wardrap full secrely,
Vherin Guystard wes hyd full preuely.

Forth she broght hym in to hyr chawmer anone,
And within curtens betwene them devysinge,
Venyng there selff to haue bene allone,
The prynce awoke and had werrey vnderstonding
A man wes with hys doghtyr, off which thyng
He had so grete sorow, that with the peyne
He wold haff rone vpon hym and hym haff slayne;

Nor had beyne the goode consyderacioune,
That he sulde dishonoure hys doghter and shame,
Vhich cawsith hym by goode diliberacioune
Humble hys hire and hys spirittys to attame,
But welle he vndrestood what he was by name.
Then full softly owte off the chawmer he gothe,
Vherof thise lowers wyst none off hem bothe.

But when thei had ynough hem dysportyd,
The seyde Guystard departyd in that seasoune.
The prince, w[hich] that made hym be awayted,
Anon dyd take hym and put hym in presoune,
Vhich wes to hym more odyouse then poysoune,
That forsoth it passith my witt to expresse
The sorow he had and infynite dures.

Forthwith the prince come to hys doghter so dysmade,
Wes then wepyng with noyus chere,
Thereas she was allone, and to hyr sayde:
`Sismond, I wend haff had a doghter dere
Off you, off all women moste chaste, withoute pere,
Fayre, goode and wyse, but in somuche that I
Am ouercome that I fynd you contrary.

`All the worlde belewe thys sulde me nat make,
But iff I had it with myne eyne seyne,
That euer yhe wolde eny erthly mane take,
Except he had youre lorde housbonde beyne;
Forsoth, now may I k[n]aw and werrely weyne,
To torment me yhe purpose and shorte myne age
Thrugh the lust off youre wykkyd vsage.

`I am sure it will me bring to deth mortall,
For the preseruyng off my nature ys lorne;
Th[at] which encressith myne anger most of all
Ys that youre noble corage, I dorste haff sworne,
Hadde passed any lyffing woman borne;
I se welle the contrary, because that yhe
Haue takyn one off the leste in myne house, parde.

`For iff such a thing yhe wolde haue done,
Of muche mor worthi and notable yhe myght
Haue founde in my cowrte, men off high renoune,
Thogh in Guystard yhe had nat take youre delyte,
Which yeldeth me thys sorow and dispyte;
Therfor I will that to you for treuth be quemyd,
That for to dye in haste he shall be demyde.

`The same dome shulde yhe suffyr, so god me sawe,
Iff so wor that from myne hert putt away I myght
The grete feruent lowe, which that I to you haue,
Gretter then euer had terrestriall wight
Or fadder to hys doghter; where by off right
I may nat do it, prudens doth me requere,
All thogh I be lyke m[e]llybe as in ire.'

When Sismond knew this thyng wolde be none othere,
That to the deth hyr fader had hym [iustifyed],
Whome so moche she lowyd, aboue all other,
So sorowfull she was, she wold haff dyed;
But sothely hyr wo was but lytill espyed;
Full womanly, with corage right pacient,
Stedfast chere, withoute any abashment,

Paynyng her selff as þogh she had not repentyd,
And yhit she thoght no lenger to lyff that tyme,
Saying: `fadder, s[it]he fortune hath consentyd
To vtter and publysh thys defawte be [me],
Vell ys that creature that neuer dyd cryme;
Notwithstonding yhe know my ioy solitary,
Which I [h]yde, that now ys to danger trybutary,

`I haue no neyde to make you no manere of requeste,
Except yff I myght haffe off you remissioune,
The lyffe off hym that to dye yhe haff made byheste;
Kepe hym, and I giff you my lyffe to guerdoune,
For, how moche þat þogh I aske you pardoune,
Iff that yhe woll do by hym as yhe say,
I desyre no lenger to lyff, but to day.

`Vherefor I make you full protestacioune
That for hys deth yhe shall distroye me,
Off the which thing yhe haue grete derysioune;
Vnto ws and yhit yhe neyde nat wroth to be,
But for to remenbre youre awne freylte,
For yhe that be a man of flessh and bone withall
Haue gette a doghter of the same mater carnall,

`[Nat] off stone nor yryn, thys may yhe wele trowyn;
But welle yhe wote it ys in youre fers mynde vnkouthe,
As now yhe lyst not to be on it aknowen,
Nor the hard passage consydyr off youthe,
Lyffing in dilitys; allace! for werrey reuthe,
The preking thereoff sore doth assawte,
Attemptyng ryche and pore, be they neuer so hawte.

`And forsothe youre selff wor to blame; for why?
To mary me yhe wor neuyr wylling,
And I felyng my selff yonge and lusty,
In my iolyte thys yonge man lofyng,
Nat withoute cause, nor grete supervysinge,
Concentyd nor accordyt to [the] wyll
Off my hert--now shall yhe know for what skyll.

`Fyrst I wele avysid and werrely knew
He was gentill and good off condicioune,
And at a worde, as twchinge to wertue,
Passinge all other withoute excepcyoune,
All youre cowrte; take thys for a conclusyoune,
Me thinketh to consydre yhe oght
That off a chylde yhe haue hym wp brought.

`And what is noublenesse but vertue, parde?
For off the flessh comyth but fylth by reasoune;
So haue yhe no cause to say I haue take me
Vnto the lest worthy off youre measoune;
Also, I wys, yhe haue none encheasoun
To take so grete wrath, willinge ws spylt,
But remenbre, consyderinge youre awne gylt.

`Nethelese, sen yhe lyst be awroken,
Punyshinge thys dede with vtter malivolence,
Forsoth it ought nat on hym to be tokyn,
For it wor wrong and tyranly wiolence;
To me belongeth better the offence,
That steryd hym thereto and mewyd,
He thinkynge none harme nor none bilewyd.

`And what iff he had bene dawngerous off wyll?
He koude no wey haffe hym excusyd,
But hys hert shuld haffe bene to vngentill,
A lady off so hygh byrth to haue refusyd;
Thus aught yhe off reasoune to be indusyd
Off this mysdede off hym to haue piete,
For in goode feyth the defaute was in me.'

The prince from Sismond then departinge,
But hys cruell hert wolde he newyr refrayne
From Guystard, but on the next mornynge
Made hym full pytuosly to be slayne,
Chargyng the quellers off hym, wndre a payne,
To do hym the most dyspyte off tormente
And owte off hys body hys hert to be rent.

The vhich hert forth brought to the prince it ys,
In a riche cope off golde he kan it dresse,
And by a secrete messinger off hys
He send it hys doghter in grete fersnesse,
Sending hyr worde that a present off noblesse
He hath hyr sent, to make hyr mery and glade,
Thyng off the world wheroff moste ioye she hadde,

Lyke as she had made hyr glade off the thinge
Off thys worlde which she had moste in cherete;
Thys messynger to sysmond thys present delyuerynge,
Saying as was gyffyn hym charge, and then she
Opynned the cope with grete humilite;
Anone she vndrestoode the auenture;
Allace! the hard whille, ther was no cure.

But how that she had sorow inestimable,
Off no thing mewid, but by goode temperaunce
Ansueryng bolde, with chere ameable,
Vithoute changyng off faconde or contenaunce,
And seyde: `my frende, as in perseueraunce
Off some thing the prynce ys wyse and excellent,
As I haff conceywyd by thys present;

`That ys, that he to so nouble ane hert
Hath gyffyn so noble a sepulture,
As it bilongeth hym haff for hys desert;
For other then off golde and off asure
Aught he nat to haue and preciouse stones pure.'
Then she obeyed the cope full lowly
And kyssyd the hert, sayinge full petuously:

`A! right suete hert, off all my pleasure the glory,
Cursed be the cruelte off thys ignoraunce,
Vhich that hath planted in my memory,
Seyng the to ly here in thys myschaunce,
Late ynogh in the syght through my remembraunce;
Now hastow passyd the cours off thy noble lyve,
Such is off wickyd fortune the dome actyfe.

`Thow hast such a sepulture at thyne enimys devyse
As thi treuth and worthinesse hath [gayned];
So it behowith for thy last office,
That thow be washen and also bayned
With the terys off hyr that loffyt the vnfeynid;
So moch vhereoff thou shalt nat fayle and also
With that shall nat thy soule withoute hyrs goo.

`For it wor no reasoune, for in tyme brewe
It shall goo with thyne, mavgre thyne aduersary;
Fortune, that was chefe cause of this [mysc]heue,
Is no[w] so befall vnto ws contrary;
My cruell fadder sendyng me thys mortuary,
To that entent my woo shulde be encresed,
And that I shulde speke to the or I desesyd;

`Vheroff I desyre that my soule shulde be thyne,
For this welle I wote, that thyne esperaunce
Desyreth euer the felyship of myne;
And seth it is so, that thou haste led þe daunce,
I woll folow by processe off dethis traunce;'
That, forsoth, she had so many a dulfull tearme,
It wolde haue made eny maner hert to arme.

And so depely she wept, that it semyd
Lyke two spring wellys, rynnyng as a flode
In hyr hede, the which withoute sesyng stremyd
In to the cop off golde, and also bloode
Mengyd with the[m] aboute the hert stoode;
The sprenting of the salt teris to the bone
Freting the chekys; so woo she was bygone.

Kyssyng the hert tymis mo then I kan nombre,
Withoute crye makyng, but with esy woyce;
Thought dyd hyr hert perse and so encombre
That she no pouste had to make noyse,
But euer aftir deth she can reioyse;
Hyr gentylwomen gretly mervaled,
That wor hyr aboute, what that she ayled.

For they off the auenture no thing knewe
What was the cause of hyr sorow, but belyfe
They wept all for piete and on hyr kan rewe,
Paynynge hem gretely hyr spirittys to revyve,
But anon [in] the porte of dispare to aryve
She purposeth, so they with ioy nor gladnesse
No koude hyr chere, so rype was hyr hewynesse.

Such gentilwomen as wor moste pryve
With hyr axed the cause of hyr deseas,
But she shonnyd ther speche and then can seye:
`I pray you, be peas, gretely yhe me deseas;
Parde, it lyeth nat in you to appeas
My sorow, nor in ioye me to delyte,
For I ne yeue by all the worlde nat a myte.'

And euer she sayde, withoute speche cessaunte:
`O right dereworthy, biloued, suete hert!
Honoure the I shall, vhyl I am vivaunte,
And when the soule from the body doth stert,
To the felyship off thyne it shall awertt;
Vhere euer it become, in wo or welle,
I gyf no fors, so it may the sequele.'

Vhen she this hewy wordes sayde had,
She rose vp and ane almery vntuined
In hyr chawmer, vherein she had made
In a pott herbys to be envenomed.
Allace! thys sorow may nat welle be rymed,
For she afore preuided and kan revolue
Þis poysoune in vater for to dissolue,

To fynd redy, vhat case so euer shulde befall,
Powryng the cope of golde full complete,
Vheras the hert was, water and blode withall;
She drank it of, as it wor hony suete,
Ther was no fere nor drede that she tooke to kepe,
But leyd hyr doune on bed, abyding deth,
Tremelyng and quakyng, fast drawyng after breth.

Vhen the ladyes and the gentilvomen
Right sorowfull saw hyr in hyr vexacioune,
Consewyng the signes off deth right then,
They send hyr fadder worde off hyr tribulacioune,
Vhich that was walked on hys recreacioune,
And when it was tellyd hym of this dede,
He come in grete haste, with hert hewy as lede.

It happynyd ewyn as the we[n]yme
Kan sprede and in all hyr wenys abounde,
The prince with pale, dedely chere that tyme
Come, with sorow that was almoste confounde;
Vhen he saw hys doghter, he fell to þe grounde,
Vepyng as a chylde and wrong hys hondes fast,
So sore repenting hym he thoght hys hert brast.

Then spak he to hyr wordes meke and fayre,
Saying: `suete sismond, be off good chere, for and
[Iff] yhe morne, it woll me bring to dispayre.'
Thus he wende to haue esyd hyr off hyr bande
Vith his comforth, but deth was at the hande,
Crampyshyng hyr lymes, gone was hyr syght;
Yhit she ansuerd hyr fader as she myght,

And sayde: `tawker, be still, iff thou kan,
Thy teris, for they stonde me to none effect;
Thow resemblest as [he whych slowe þe] man,
Aftyrward repenting and hym bywept;
Had it nat bene better for to haff kept
Thy sorowfull doghter in ioye lyffyng,
At hyr pleasure secretly a man lowyng,

`Then for to se by thy cruell execucyoune
Hyr hard deth, to thyne endelesse langoure?
The vhich deth shall be gyde and direccioune,
Causyng opyn knawlege of thys erroure,
The which was secrete and now ys rumoure;
It shall mak thing that hyd was and vnknawyn
Through all the worlde to be owyrsawyn.'

In somoch myght sismond no lenger speke,
Þe throwys of deth no lenger wolde delay,
She haldyng the cope still, hyr hert kan breke,
Yheldyng vp the spirytt for euer and ay.
There was but `allace! allas!' and `walaway!'
Some wept, some cryed, and some fell in swone;
It was a petuose syght and a hydows sowne.

The wofull fader so sory in that stounde,
Seyng hys moste ioye off the worlde agone,
He made a grete krygh and fell to grownde,
No mo wordys spak, but dede as stone.
Thus was there sorow and mone vpon mone;
Vherfor it hath be spokyn aforne agoo:
`Ane hasty creature neuer wanteth woo.'

Vpon the prince thys may be verifyed,
Vhich was hasty in fersnes hawtayne,
Vithoute iugemente causyd the man that he dyed,
Vhos deth hath hys awyn doghter slayne,
And off hyr deth he tooke such endelese payne,
He dawed neuer goode day but wes dede;
All the worlde wondred on hys folyhede.

Ensample of this euery wyse man take,
Vhat it is to be cruell in violence,
And off a secrete thing a wondre to make,
Through hasty ire wantyng pr[o]u[i]dence.
Euery man remenbre hys awne neclegence,
And wice in to wertue to plant and roote,
For trewly ayenst love there is no boote.

For, certys, of trew lufarys it is the gyse,
Vhen there trouble and vexacioune is moste sore,
They woll love yche other in more hertily wyse
Ane hundreth fowlde then euer they dyd afore;
Youth will to youth and lofe to lufe euermore;
And, shortly, thys processe for to conclude,
Yche thing drawith vnto hys similitude.

And betuix thes lowers it did apere,
Vhich wer both yong and in fluryshyng age;
For there trouble they lowyd the bettyr in fere
And passid of deth the dredefull passage.
Allace! the letyng of there maryage
Vas cause of this myschefe, withouten faile;
Lo! vhat it is to be ayeyenst spowsail.

Vherfor this prince stondeth in grete peraile,
That to [the] l[a]w of wedlok wolde nat enclyne,
And a tyraunt beynge fers and fell,
Causyng Guystard be putt to mortall fyne;
Off whos soule if I shall determyne,
I truste to god hys feithfull entencioune
Vas the cause off hys endelese saluacioune.

For why? he thought none harme to none erthly wight,
And at the requeste off Sismonde he dyd consent;
Natwithstondyng, I trust to god almyght
It shall be to hyr soule none impedyment,
For to haff be maryed it was hyr entent;
Then rekkyn the sorow that she had withall
And grete contricioune to hyr ende fynall;

That, hardely, she ys in the blysse celestiall,
For off feith and treuth of all lufarys suremountyng
She was, and a m[i]roure to women all,
Ensample of treue and stedfast lowe gyffyng;
Wherfore I beseche hym that off all thyng
Is lorde and gouernoure, comforth ayeyenst baile,
Graunte thise lowers ioye: so endyth my taile.

Go forth, lytill tayle, full bare off eloquens,
Vith humble sprete make thi supplicacioune;
Prey all tho, theras thou comyst in audiens,
To haue piete on thy symple translacione,
Oute off prose by myne vnkonnyng directioune
Made in balade; wherfor myne innocence
Submytting lowly vnto coreccioune
And supportacion of youre benevolence,

Besekyng all the maisters of this science
Me holde excused, for goode ys myne entencion,
Thogh I florysh nat with metyr and cadence,
Off rethoryk and poetry makyng mencioune;
Such clerkly werkys passith my discrecion;
Natwithstonding, if here be fawte or offens,
Speke to Gilbert banester, which at the mocioune
Off Iohn Raynere this made aftir þe sentence.

Explicit legenda Sismond

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