ne wine.
Ne sheet-es clean, to lie between,
Ymade of thread and twine;
None other house, but leaves and boughs,
To cover your head and mine;
Lo mine heart sweet, this ill di-ete
Should make you pale and wan:
Wherefore I to the wood will go,
Alone, a banished man."

SHE.
"Among the wild deer, such an archere,
As men say that ye be,
Ne may not fail of good vitayle,
Where is so great plent-y:
And water clear of the rivere
Shall be full sweet to me;
With which in hele I shall right wele
Endure, as ye shall see;
And, ere we go, a bed or two
I can provide anone;
For, in my mind, of all mankind
I love but you alone."

HE.
"Lo yet, before, ye must do more,
If ye will go with me:
As cut your hair up by your ear,
Your kirtle by the knee,
With bow in hand, for to withstand
Your enemies, if need be:
And this same night, before daylight,
To woodward will I flee.
An ye will all this fulfil,
Do it shortly as ye can:
Else will I to the green wood go,
Alone, a banished man."

SHE.
"I shall as now do more for you
Than 'longeth to womanhede;
To short my hair, a bow to bear,
To shoot in time of need.
O my sweet mother! before all other
For you have I most drede!
But now, adieu! I must ensue,
Where fortune doth me lead.
All this make ye. Now let us flee;
The day comes fast upon:
For, in my mind, of all mankind
I love but you alone."

HE.
"Nay, nay, not so; ye shall not go,
And I shall tell you why,--
Your appetite is to be light
Of love, I well espy:
For, right as ye have said to me,
In like wise hardily
Ye would answere whosoever it were,
In way of company,
It is said of old, Soon hot, soon cold;
And so is a wom-an:
Wherefore I to the wood will go,
Alone, a banished man."

SHE.
"If ye take heed, it is no need
Such words to say by me;
For oft ye prayed, and long assayed,
Or I you loved, pard-e;
And though that I of ancestry
A baron's daughter be,
Yet have you proved how I you loved.
A squire of low degree;
And ever shall, whatso befall;
To die therefore anone;