Transcript Lines: 58-100

Mony hundrid hende men highid þider sone;

Burgeys boghit þerto, bedels and othire,

And mony a mesters mon of maners diverse;

Laddes laften hor werke and lepen þiderwardes,

Ronnen radly in route with ryngand noyce;

Þer comen þider of all kynnes so keenly mony

Þat as all þe worlde were þider walon within a honde-quile.

Quen þe maire with his meyne þat mervaile aspied,

By assent of þe sextene þe sayntuaré þai kepten,

Bede unlouke þe lidde and lay hit byside;

Þai wold loke on þat lome quat lengyd withinne.

Wy3t werkemen with þat wenten þertill,

Putten prises þerto, pinched one-under,

Kaghten by þe corners with crowes of yrne,

And were þe lydde never so large þai laide hit by sone.

Bot þen wos wonder to wale on wehes þat stoden

That my3t not come to to knowe a quontyse strange,

So was þe glode within gay, al with golde payntyd,

And a blisfull body opon þe bothum lyggid,

Araide on a riche wise in riall wedes.

Al with glisnande golde his gowne wos hemmyd,

With mony a precious perle picchit þeron,

And a gurdill of golde bigripid his mydell;

A meche mantel on lofte with menyver furrit,

Þe clothe of camelyn ful clene with cumly bordures;

And on his coyfe wos kest a coron ful riche

And a semly septure sett in his honde.

Als wemles were his wedes withouten any tecche

Oþir of moulyng oþir of motes oþir moght-freten,

And als bry3t of hor blee in blysnande hewes

As þai had 3epely in Þat 3orde bene 3isturday shapen;

And als freshe hym þe face and the flesh nakyd

Bi his eres and bi his hondes þat openly shewid

With ronke rode as þe rose and two rede lippes,

As he in sounde sodanly were slippid opon slepe.

Þer was spedeles space to spyr uschon oþir

Quat body hit my3t be þat buried wos ther,

How long had he þer layne, his lere so unchaungit,

And al his wede unwemmyd? Þus ylka weghe askyd.

“Hit my3t not be bot such a mon in mynde stode long.

He has ben kyng of þis kith, as couthely hit semes,

He lyes dolven þus depe; hit is a derfe wonder

Bot summe segge couthe say þat he hym sene hade.”