rto.
Therefore it is I sorroe so."
"What is the cause, alas," quod she,
"My fader, that ye shulden be
Dede and destruied in suche a wise?"
And he began the points devise,
Which as the king tolde him by mouthe,
And said her pleinly, that he couthe
Answeren to no point of this.
And she, that hereth howe it is,
Her counseil yaf[15] and saide tho[16]:--
"My fader, sithen it is so,
That ye can se none other weie,
But that ye must nedes deie,
I wolde pray you of o[17] thinge,--
Let me go with you to the kinge,
And ye shall make him understonde,
How ye, my wittes for to fonde,
Have laid your answere upon me,
And telleth him in such degre
Upon my worde ye wol abide
To life or deth, what so betide.
For yet perchaunce I may purchace
With some good word the kinges grace,
Your life and eke your good to save.
For ofte shall a woman have
Thing, whiche a man may nought areche."
The fader herd his doughters speche,
And thought there was no reson in,
And sigh his owne life to winne
He couthe done himself no cure.[18]
So better him thought in aventure
To put his life and all his good,
Than in the manner as it stood,
His life incertein for to lese.
And thus thenkend he gan to chese
To do the counseil of this maid,
And toke the purpose which she said.
The day was comen, and forth they gone;
Unto the court they come anone,
Where as the kinge in his jugement
Was set and hath this knight assent.
Arraied in her beste wise,
This maiden with her wordes wise
Her fader ledde by the honde
Into the place,[19] where he fonde
The king with other which he wolde;
And to the king knelend he tolde
As he enformed was to-fore,
And praith the king, that he therfore
His doughters wordes wolde take;
And saith, that he woll undertake
Upon her wordes for to stonde.
Tho was ther great merveile on honde,
That he, which was so wise a knight,
His life upon so yonge a wight
Besette wolde in jeopartie,
And many it helden for folie.
But at the laste, netheles,
The king commaundeth ben in pees,
And to this maide he cast his chere,[20]
And saide he wolde her tale here,
And bad her speke; and she began:--
"My lege lord, so as I can,"
Quod she, "the pointes which I herde,
They shull of reson ben answerde.
The first I understonde is this:
What thinge of all the worlde it is,
Which men most helpe an