As I lay this undertide (_afternoon_) To sleep under the orchard-side, There came to me two faire knightes Well arrayed allè rightes, And bade me come without lettíng To speakè with their lord the king; And I answér'd with wordès bolde That I ne durstè ne I nolde: Fast again they can (_did_) drive, Then came their kingè all so blive (_quick_) With a thousand knights and mo, And with ladies fifty also, And riden all on snow-white steedes, And also whitè were their weedes. I sey (_saw_) never sith I was borne So fairè knightès me by forne. The kingè had a crown on his head, It was not silver ne gold red; All it was of precious stone, As bright as sun forsooth it shone. All so soon he to me came, Wold I, nold I he me name (_took_), And madè me with him ride On a white palfrey by his side, And brought me in to his palís, Right well ydight over all ywis. He shewed me castels and toures, Meadows, rivers, fields and flowres, And his forests everiche one, And sith he brought me again home.
The fairy-king orders her, under a dreadful penalty, to await him next morning under the ymp tree. Her husband and ten hundred knights stand in arms round the tree to protect her,
And yet amiddès them full right The queenè was away y-twight (_snatched_); With Faëry forth y-nome (_taken_); Men wist never where she was become.
Orfeo in despair abandons his throne, and retires to the wilderness, where he solaces himself with his harp, charming with his melody the wild beasts, the inhabitants of the spot. Often while here,
He mightè see him besides Oft in hot undertides The king of Faëry with his rout Come to hunt him all about, With dim cry and blowíng, And houndes also with him barkíng. Ac (_yet_) no beastè they no nome, Ne never he nist whither they be come; And other while he might them see As a great hostè by him te.[83] Well atourned ten hundred knightes Each well y-armed to his rightes, Of countenancè stout and fierce, With many displayéd bannérs, And each his sword y-drawè hold; Ac never he nistè whither they wold. And otherwhile he seigh (_saw_) other thing, Knightès and levedis (_ladies_) come dauncíng In quaint attirè guisëly, Quiet pace and softëly. Tabours and trumpès gede (_went_) him by, And allè manere minstracy. And on a day he seigh him beside Sixty levedis on horse ride, Gentil and jolif as brid on ris (_bird on branch_), Nought o (_one_) man amonges hem ther nis, And each a faucoun on hond bare, And riden on hauken by o rivér. Of game they found well good haunt, Mallardes, heron, and cormeraunt. The fowlès of the water ariseth, Each faucoun them well deviseth, Each faucoun his preyè slough[84] (_slew_).