'Dame,' he said,' no sixt thou well, that les it is all this:
Ne wo'st thou well I am alive. I will thee say how it is.
Out of the castle stillelich I went all in privity,
That none of mine men it nuste, for to speak with thee.
And when they mist me to-day, and nuste where I was,
They fareden right as giddy men, myd whom no rede n'as,
And foughte with the folk without, and have in this mannere
Ylore the castle and themselve, and well thou wo'st I am here.
And for my castle, that is ylore, sorry I am enow,
And for my men, that the king and his power slew.
And my power is to lute, therefore I dreade sore,
Leste the king us nyme[12] here, and sorrow that we were more.
Therefore I will, how so it be, wend against the king,
And make my peace with him, ere he us to shame bring.'
Forth he went, and het[13] his men if the king come,
That they shoulde him the castle yield, ere he with strength it nome.
So he come toward his men, his own form he nome,
And leaved the earl's form, and the king Uther become.
Sore him of thought the earle's death, and in other half he found
Joy in his heart, for the countess of spousehed was unbound,
When he had that he would, and paysed[14] with his son,
To the countess he went again, me let him in anon.
"What halt[15] it to tale longe? but they were set at one,
In great love long enow, when it n'olde other gon;
And had together this noble son, that in the world his pere n'as,
The king Arthur, and a daughter, Anne her name was.

[1] 'Sond' message.
[2] 'Nome:' took.
[3] 'Ypayed:' satisfied.