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Gamelyne stood on a day in his brotheres yerde,

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And byganne with his hond to handel his berde.

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He thought on his landes that lay unsowe,

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And his fare okes that doune were ydrawe;

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His parkes were broken and his deer reved;

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Of alle his good stedes noon was hym byleved;

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His hous were unhilled and ful evell dight.

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Tho thought Gamelyne it went not aright.

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Afterward come his brother walking thare,

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And seide to Gamelyne, "Is our mete yare?"

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Tho wrathed him Gamelyne and swore by Goddys boke:

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"Thow schalt go bake thi self. I wil not be thi coke!"

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"What, brother Gamelyne? Howe answerst thou nowe?

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Thou spekest nevere such a worde as thou dost nowe."

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"By feithe," seide Gamelyne, "now me thenketh nede;

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Of al the harmes that I have I toke never yit hede.

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My parkes bene broken and my dere reved;

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Of myn armes ne my stedes nought is byleved;

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Alle that my fader me byquathe al goth to shame,

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And therfor have thou Goddes curs, brother, be thi name!"

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Than spake his brother, that rape was and rees:

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"Stond stille, gadlynge, and holde thi pees.

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Thou shalt be fayn to have thi mete and thi wede.

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What spekest thow, gadelinge, of londe or of lede?"

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Than seide Gamelyne, the child so yinge,

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"Cristes curs mote he have that me clepeth gadelinge!

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I am no wors gadeling ne no wors wight,

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But born of a lady and gete of a knyght."

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Ne dorst he not to Gamelyn never a foot goo,

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But cleped to hym his men and seide to hem thoo,

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"Goth and beteth this boye and reveth hym his witte,

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And lat him lerne another tyme to answere me bette."

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Than seide the childe, yonge Gamelyne,

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"Cristes curs mote thou have, brother art thou myne!

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And if I shal algates be beten anoon,

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Cristes curs mote thou have but thou be that oon!"

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And anon his brother in that grete hete

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Made his men to fette staves Gamelyn to bete.

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Whan every of hem had a staf ynomen,

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Gamelyn was werre whan he segh hem comen.

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Whan Gamelyne segh hem comen, he loked overall,

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And was ware of a pestel stode under the wall.

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Gamelyn was light, and thider gan he lepe,

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And droof alle his brotheres men right sone on an hepe,

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And loked as a wilde lyon, and leide on good wone.

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And whan his brother segh that he byganne to gon,

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He fley up into a loft and shette the door fast.

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Thus Gamelyn with his pestel made hem al agast.

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Some for Gamelyns love, and some for eye,

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Alle they droughen hem to halves whan he gan to pleye.

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"What now!" seyde Gamelyne. "Evel mot ye the!

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Wil ye bygynne contecte and so sone flee?"

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Gamelyn sought his brother whider he was flowe,

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And seghe where he loked out a wyndowe.

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"Brother," sayde Gamelyne "com a litel nere,

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And I wil teche thee a play at the bokelere."

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His brother him answerde and seide, "By Seint Richere,

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The while that pestel is in thine honde I wil come no nere.

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Brother, I will make thi pees, I swer by Cristes oore;

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Cast away the pestel and wrethe the no more."

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"I most nede," seide Gamelyn, "wreth me at onys,

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For thou wold make thi men to breke my bonys.

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Ne had I hadde mayn and myght in myn armes

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To han hem fro me, thei wold have done me harmes."

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"Gamelyn," seide his brother, "be thou not wroth,

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For to sene the han harme me were right loth.

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I ne did it not, brother, but for a fondinge,

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For to loken wher thou art stronge and art so yenge."

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"Come adoune than to me and graunt me my bone.

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Of oon thing I wil the axe and we shal saught sone."

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Doune than come his brother that fikel was and felle,

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And was swith sore afeerd of the pestelle.

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He seide, "Brother Gamelyn, axe me thi bone ,

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And loke thou me blame but I it graunte sone."

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Than seide Gamelyn "Brother, iwys,

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And we shul be at one, thou most graunte me this:

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Alle that my fader me byquath whilst he was alyve,

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Thow most do me it have, if we shul not strive."

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"That shalt thou have, Gamelyn, I swere be Cristes oore,

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Al that thi fadere the byquathe, though thou wolde have more;

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Thy londe that lith ley, wel it shal be sawe,

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And thine houses reised up that bene leide ful lawe."

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Thus seide the knyght to Gamelyn with mouthe,

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And thought on falsnes as he wel couthe.

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The knyght thought on tresoun and Gamelyn on noon,

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And wente and kissed his brother. And whan thei were at oon,

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Alas, yonge Gamelyne no thinge he ne wist

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With such false tresoun his brother him kist!