To his auter he did it bere, There his chapell stode.

A knave child there he ffond, There was closud in his hond 1955 A gold ryng riche and good.

He bare it to the Cite grett, There the kyng his fader {s}ett As a lord of jentill blood, For he wold saue it ffro dede; 1960 A grype flew a-bove his hede [2061]

And cryed, as he were wood.

[Linenotes: 1951. _thare_ MS.

1954. _ffound_ MS.

1958. _sett_] _lett_ MS.]

(170)

[Sidenote: The King sees his son Antony,]

This holy man~ hied hym~ tyte To a Cite w{i}t{h} touris white, As fast as he may. 1965 The kyng at the yate stode And other knyght{es} and lordys good To se the squiers play.

The kyng said: 'Be Mary myld, Yonder comyth Antony, my child, 1970 With a gryffon~ gay. [2071]

Som~ of his byrdus take hath he, And bryngith hem~ heder to me!'

Gret ferly had thaye.

[Headnote: HE (ANTONY FITZ-GRIFFIN) IS ADOPTED BY THE KING OF GREECE.]

(171)

[Sidenote: who asks him to adopt Desonell's boy as his heir.]

The kyng there of toke good hede, f. 108b. 1975 And a-geyn~ his sonne he yede And said: 'Welcom~ ye be!'

'Fader,' he said, 'G.o.d you saue!

A knave child ffound I haue, Loke, that it be dere to the! 1980 Frome a greffon~ he was refte, [2081]

Of what lond that he is lefte, Of gentill blood was he: Thou hast none heyre, thy lond to take, For I{es}u love thy sonne hym~ make, 1985 As in the stede of me!'

(172)

[Sidenote: The King of Greece agrees, and has the Boy baptized. The Boy is christend Antony Fitzgriffin.]

The kyng said: 'Yf I may lyve, Helpe and hold I shall hym yeve And receyve hym as my son~.

Sith thou hast this lond forsake, 1990 My riche londys I shall hym~ take, [2091]

Whan he kepe them~ c{o}n~.'

To a ffont they hym yaue, And crystonyd this yong knave; Fro care he is wonne. 1995 The holy man yaue hym~ name, That I{es}u shild hym~ ffrome shame: Antony fice greffoun~.

[Linenote: 1992. _can_ MS.]

[Headnote: DESONELL BEWAILS HER LOST CHILDREN.]

(173)

[Sidenote: Desonell laments,]

'Fader, than~ haue thou this ryng, I ffound it on~ this swete thing, 2000 Kepe it, yf thou may: [2101]

It is good in euery {f}ight, Yf G.o.d yeve grace, that he be knyght, Be nyght {and} be day.'

Let we now this children~ dwell, 2005 And speke we more of Desonell: Her song was welaway. f. 109a.

G.o.d, that died vppon~ the Rode, Yff grace, that she mete w{i}t{h} good!

Thus dispar{p}lid are thay. 2010

[Linenotes: 2002. _fight_] _sight_ MS.?

2004. _Other be_ MS.

_and_] _or forme of_ (!) MS.

2010. _disparlid_ MS.]

(174)

[Sidenote: wanders among wild beasts,]

This lady walkyd all alone [2111]

Amonge wyld bestis meny one, Ne wanted she no Woo; Anon~ the day be-gan to spryng, And the ffoules gan to syng, 2015 With blis on euery bow?e . . . . . . .

(175)

[Sidenote: and bewails her lost children. Desonell flees from some hunters]

'Byrdus and bestis, aye woo ye be!

Alone ye haue lefte me, My children~ ye {have} slo{ne}.'

As she walkid than~ a-lone, 2020 She sye lordis on~ huntyng gone, [2121]

Nere hem~ she yede full sone.

This carfull lady cried faste, Than she herd this hornes blaste By the yatis gone, 2025 But {ran} in to a wildernes, Amongist beests that wyld w{e}s, For drede, she shold be slone.

[Linenotes: 2018. _haue_] _a_ corrected out of _e_ MS.

2019. _have sl._] _slough_ MS.

2026. _ran_] om. MS.

2027. _was_ MS.]

[Headnote: DESONELL FLEES TO THE LAND OF NAZARETH.]

(176)

[Sidenote: into the land of Nazareth.]

Till it were vnder of the Day, She went {fro} that wilsom~ way, 2030 In to a lond playn~. [2131]

The kyng of Na?areth huntid there, Among the hert{es}, that gentill were; There of she was full ffayn~ . . . . . . . . .

[Linenote: 2030. _fro_] _in_ MS.]

(177)

[Sidenote: She sees the King,]

They had ferly, kyng and knyght, 2035 Whens she come, that lady bryght, Dwelli{n}g here a-lone.

She said to a squier, that there stode: 'Who is lord of most jentill blood?'

And he answerid her anon~: f. 109b. 2040 'This ys the lond of Na?areth, [2141]

Se, where the kyng gethe, Of speche he is ffull bone; All in gold couerid is he.'

'Gramercy, s{ir},' said she, 2045 And nere hym~ gan~ she gone.