He hadde ilad his lif ful wide; Þis child he sette next his side. 92 Glad { and} bliþe hi weren alle, So fele so were in þe halle. [_No gap in MS._] Ac floriz net ne dronk noȝt; Of blau{ n}cheflur was al his þoȝt. 96
Þan spake þe Burgays Þat was hende and Curtays: “Ow, child~, me þynkeþ welle Þ{ a}t muche þ{ o}u þynkest on my catell{ e}.” 460 “Nay, s{ ir}, on Catel þenke y nouȝt,” (On Blauncheflo{ ur} was al his þouȝt,) “But y þynke on al wyse For to fynde my marchaundise; 464 And ȝit it is þe most woo, When y it fynd, y shal it forgoo.”
Þe lord of þ{ er}inne vnderȝat Þ{ a}t þis child m{ ur}ninge sat. “Floriz,” he sede, “what mai þe beo, Þus m{ ur}ni{ n}ge þ{ a}t ihc þe seo? 100
Þan spak~ þe lord of~ þ{ a}t ynne, “Þis sender day, þ{ er} sate hereyn{ e} 468 Þat faire Maide Blauncheflo{ ur}, boþ in halle and in boure. Eu{ er} she made mornyng chere, And bement Florys, her lyf~ fere; 472 Ioye ne blis made she noon~, But for Florys she made her moon~.”
[Þ]us heri{ n}ne þis oþ{ er} day [S]at blau{ n}cheflur þ{ a}t faire may. [I]n halle ne in bur ne at bord, [O]f hire ne herde we neure a word. 104 [B]ute of floriz was hire mone; [Heo] nadde in herte ioie none.”
Florys toke a Coupe of~ syluer clere, A mantyl of~ Scarlet w{ i}t{ h} menyuere: 476 “Houe þis, s{ ir}, to þyn~ hono{ ur}; Þ{ o}u may þonke it Blauncheflo{ ur}. He myȝt make myn~ hert glade, Þ{ a}t couþ me tel wheder she is ladde.” 480
[Whanne] herde he ne{ m}pnen his le{ m}man, [Bliþe] he was iwis for þan. 108 [He lat] bringe a cupe of seluer [And eke] a pane of menuuer. [Þanne] he sede, “haue þis to þin honur, [So þ]u speke of blau{ n}cheflur. 112 [Þu mi]ȝtest make min heorte ful glad; [Þu tel]le me wuder heo were ilad.” [Þanne] sede þe burgeis, [Þat was] wel hende { and} c{ ur}tais, 116
[Headnote: _The innkeeper tells Floris how the Admiral bought Blauncheflur._]
[Sidenote: The host tells him that Blauncheflur has been sold to the Admiral at Babylon.]
“Child~, to Babyloyne she is brouȝt; Þe Amyral hur haþ bouȝt: [Sidenote: [104 _a_]] He gaf~ for hur, as she stood vpryȝt, Seuen sithes of~ gold hur wyȝt; 484 For he þenkeþ w{ i}t{ h}-out weene, Þat faire may haue to Queene. Among~ his maydons in his toure He hur dide, w{ i}t{ h} much honoure.” 488
[“To Babi]lloigne he was ibroȝt; [Þe adm]iral hire haȝ iboȝt.”