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This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1913. Excerpt: ... SIR ORFEO1 Orfeo was a king, In Inglond an heighe lording, A stalworth man and hardi bo, a Large and curteys, he was al so; His fader was comen of king Pluto, And his moder of king Juno, That sum time were as godes y hold, For aventours that thai dede and told. This king sojurned in Traciens, That was a cite of noble defens, For Winchester was cleped 3 tho Traciens, with outen no. The king hadde a quen of priis, That was y cleped dame Herodis. The fairest levedi4 for the nones 5 That might gon on bodi and bones, Ful of love and godenisse Ac no man may telle hir fairnise. Bifel so in the comessing of May, When miri and hot is the day, And oway beth winter schours, And everi feld is ful of flours, And blosme breme 6 on everi bough, Over al wexeth miri anough, This ich7 quen dame Heurodis, 1 See Notes. 8 called. 6 time. same. a both. lady. bright, vigorous. Tok to maidens of priis, And went in an undren tide1 To play bi an orchard side To se the floures sprede and spring, And to here the foules sing: Thai sett hem doun al thre, Under a fair ympe tre, And wel sone this fair quene, Fel on slepe opon the grene. The maidens durst hir nought awake, Bot let hir ligge and rest take, So sche slepe til after none, That under tide was al y done; Ac as sone as sche gan awake, Sche crid and lothli here gan make; Sche froted 3 hir honden and hir fet, And crached her visage, it blede wete, Hir riche robe hye al to rett,4 And was reneyd 6 out of hir witt. The two maidens hir biside No durst with hir no leng abide, But ourn 6 to the palays ful right, And told bothe squier and knight, That her quen awede 7 wold, And bad hem go and hir at hold. Knightes urn,6 and levedis al so, Damisels sexti and mo, In the orchard to the quen hye come, And her up in her armes nome,8 1 for...