Chapter III

[Sidenote: His grief abates, and he follows the course of the
stream.]
The dubbeme{n}t dere of dou{n} & daleȝ,
Of wod & wat{er} & wlonk playneȝ,
Bylde in me blys, abated my baleȝ,
For-didden my [dis]tresse, dystryed my payneȝ. 124
Dou{n} after a strem þat dryȝly haleȝ,
I bowed in blys, bred ful my brayneȝ;
Þe fyrre I folȝed þose floty valeȝ,
Þe more strenghþe of ioye myn herte strayneȝ, 128
As fortune fares þ{er} as ho frayneȝ,
Wheþ{er} solace ho sende oþ{er} elleȝ sore,
Þe wyȝ, to wham her wylle ho wayneȝ,
Hytteȝ to haue ay more & more. 132

[Sidenote: No one could describe his great joy. He thought that
Paradise was on the opposite bank. The stream was not fordable.]
More of wele watȝ i{n} þat wyse
Þe{n} I cowþe telle þaȝ I tom hade,
For vrþely herte myȝt not suffyse
To þe tenþe dole of þo gladneȝ glade; 136
For-þy I þoȝt þ{a}t paradyse
Watȝ þer oþ{er} gayn þo bonkeȝ brade;
I hoped þe water were a deuyse
By-twene myrþeȝ by mereȝ made, 140
By-ȝonde þe broke by slente oþ{er} slade,
I hope[de] þ{a}t mote merked wore.
Bot þe water watȝ depe I dorst not wade
& eu{er} me longed a more & more. 144

[Sidenote: [Fol. 41a.]]
[Sidenote: More and more he desires to see what is beyond the
brook. But the way seemed difficult. The dreamer finds new
marvels.]
More & more, & ȝet wel mare,
Me lyste to se þe broke by-ȝonde,
For if hit watȝ fayr þ{er} I con fare,
Wel loueloker watȝ þe fyrre londe. 148
Abowte me con I stote & stare
To fynde a forþe, faste con I fonde,
Bot woþeȝ mo i-wysse þ{er} ware,
Þe fyrre I stalked by þe stronde, 152
& euer me þoȝt I schulde not wonde
For wo, þer weleȝ so wy{n}ne wore.
Þe{n}ne nwe note me com on honde
Þat meued my mynde ay more & more, 156

[Headnote: THE FATHER SEES HIS LOST CHILD DRESSED IN WHITE ROBES.]

[Sidenote: He sees a crystal cliff, at the foot of which, sits
a maiden clothed in glistening white. He knows that he has seen
her before.]
More meruayle con my dom adau{n}t;
I seȝ by-ȝonde þat myry mere,
A crystal clyffe ful relusau{n}t,
Mony ryal ray con fro hit rere; 160
At þe fote þ{er}-of þ{er} sete a fau{n}t,
A mayden of menske, ful debonere;
Blysnande whyt watȝ hyr bleau{n}t,
(I knew hyr wel, I hade sen hyr ere) 164
As glysnande golde þat man con schere,
So schon þat schene an vnder schore;
On lengh{e} I loked to hyr þere,
Þe lenger I knew hyr more & more 168

[Sidenote: He desires to call her but is afraid, at finding her
in such a strange place.]
The more I frayste hyr fayre face.
Her fygure fyn, quen I had fonte,
Suche gladande glory con to me glace,
As lyttel byfore þerto watȝ wonte; 172
To calle hyr lyste con me enchace,
Bot baysme{n}t gef myn hert a bru{n}t,
I seȝ hyr in so strange a place,
Such a burre myȝt make my{n} herte blu{n}t 176
Þe{n}ne vereȝ ho vp her fayre frou{n}t,
Hyr vysayge whyt as playn yuore,
Þat stonge my{n} hert ful stray atou{n}t,
& eu{er} þe lenger, þe more & more. 180