VII. 7
[Desonell bears twins. All are sent out to sea. They reach land.]
Thus the lady dwelled there, 1807
Desonell is delivered of 2 male children
Tyll that she delyuered were
Of men chyldren two. 1809
Of all poyntes were they gent,
like Torrent.
Lyke were they to Sir Torent,
For his loue suffred they wo. 1812
The kynge sayd, ‘so mote I the,
Her Father says she shall be sent out to sea.
Thou shalt into the se
Without wordes mo. 1815
Every kynges doughter fer and nere
At the they shall lere,
Agaynst right to do!’ 1818
She is led from his land.
Great ruthe it was to se,
Whan they led that lady fre
Out of hir faders lande. 1821
The Queen bewails her daughter’s fate.
The quene, hir moder, was nere wode
For hir doughter, that gentyll fode,
Knyghtes stode wepynge.8 1824
A clothe of sylke toke they tho,
And departed it bytwene the chyldren two,
Therin they were wonde. 1827
Desonell is sent to sea.
Whan they had shypped that gentyll thynge,
Anone she fell in swownynge
At Peron on the sonde. 1830
Whan that lady was downe fall,
On Iesu Cryste dyd she call.
To defende hir with his honde: 1833
She prays to Christ for her children.
‘Rightfull God, ye me sende
Some good londe on to lende,
That my chyldren may crystened be[n].’ 1836
She sayd, ‘ladyes fayre and gent,
Great well my lorde Sir Torent,
Yf euer ye hym se[n]!’ 1839
The wynde arose on the myght,
Fro the londe it blewe that lady bryght
Into the se so grene. 1842
FRAG. 7. DESONELL AND HER TWINS REACH LAND.
Wyndes and weders hathe hir dryuen,
That in a forest she is aryuen,
Where wylde bestys were. 1845
Desonell and her twin babes reach land.
The se was ebbe and went hem fro
And left hir and hir chyldren two
[Alo]ne without any fere. 1848
Hir one chylde began to wepe,
The lady awoke out of hir slepe
She stills her crying child,
And sayde, ‘be styll, my dere, 1851
Ihesu Cryste hathe sent vs lande,
Yf there be any Crysten man at hande,
We shall haue socoure here.’ 1854
The carefull lady then was blythe,
To the londe she went full swythe,
As fast as she myght. 1857
Tyll the day began to sprynge,
Foules on trees merely gan synge
Delicyous notes on hyght. 1860
goes up a mountain,
To a hyll went that lady fre,
Where she was ware of a cyte
With toures fayre and bryght. 1863
Therof I-wys she was fayne,
and sits down.
She set hir downe, as I herd sayne,
Hir chyldren for to dyght. 1866