“Nay，myfriend，thouhastnoneedtolooksotroubled；
forthouseestthatIwasnotburned。Thisistheselfsamebodythatwastiedtothestakeinthemarketplaceoftheking’scitymanyayearago。
“Forthefriendsofmylord，youngmenforthemostpart，andmanywhohadbeenfaintobemyfriendsalso，putontheirarmour，andtookmylordoutofthecourteousprisonwhereinhewas，andcametotheGreatSquarewhenasIstoodnakedinmysmockboundamidthefaggots；andIsawthesheriffs’mengiveback，andgreatnoiseandrumourriseuparoundme：andthenallaboutmewasaclearspaceforamomentandIheardthetrampofthemanyhorse-hoofs，andthespacewasfullofweaponedmenshouting，andcryingout，’LifeforourLord’sLady！’Thenaminute，andIwaslooseandinmylord’sarms，andtheybroughtmeahorseandImounted，lesttheworstshouldcomeandwemighthavetoflee。
SoIcouldseemuchofwhatwenton；andIsawthatalltheunarmedfolkandlookers-onweregone，butatourbackswasagreatcrowdoffolkwithstavesandbowswhocriedout，’LifefortheLady！’
Butbeforeuswasnaughtbutthesheriffs’sergeantsandacompanyofknightsandmen-at-arms，aboutasmanyaswewere，andthekinginfrontofthem，fullyarmed，hisfacehiddenbyhishelm，andaroyalsurcoatoverhishauberkbeatenwithhisbearing，towit，asilvertoweronablueskybestarredwithgold。
“AndnowIcouldseethatdespitethebillsandbowsbehindusthekingwasgoingtofallonwithhisfolk；andtosaysoothIfearedbutlittleandmyheartrosehighwithinme，andIwishedIhadaswordinmyhandtostrikeonceforlifeandlove。Butlo！justasthekingwasraisinghissword，andhistrumpetwasliftingthebrasstohislips，cameasoundofsinging，andtherewascometheBishopandtheAbbotofSt。Peter’sandhismonkswithhim，andcrossbearersandreadersandothersofthereligious：
andtheBishopboreinhishandtheBlessedHost(asnowIknowitwas)
underagoldencanopy，andhestoodbetweenthetwocompaniesandfacedtheking，whilehisfolksangloudandsweetabouthim。
“Thenthespearswentupandfromtherest，andswordsweresheathed，andtherewentforththreeancientknightsfromoutoftheking’shostandcameuptohimandspakewithhim。
ThenhegathimawayuntohisHighHouse；andthethreeoldknightscametoourfolk，andspakewiththechiefs；
butnotwithmylord，andIheardnotwhattheysaid。
Butmylordcametomeinallloving-kindnessandbroughtmeintothehouseofoneoftheLineage，andintoafairchamberthere，andkissedme，andmademuchofme；
andbroughtmefairraimentanddiditonmewithhisownhands，evenashiswontwastobeformytire-maiden。
“Theninalittlewhilecamethosechiefsofoursandsaidthattrucehadbeenhanselledthemforthistime，butontheseterms，thatmylordandIandallthosewhohadbeeninarms，andwhosoeverwould，thatfearedtheking’swrath，shouldhaveleavetodepartfromhiscitysothattheywentandabodenonearerthanfiftymilesthereoftilltheyshouldknowhisfurtherpleasure。
Albeitthatwhosoeverwouldgohomepeaceablymightabideinthecitystillandneednotfeartheking’swrathifhestirrednofurther：
butthatinanycasetheSorceressshouldgethergonefromthosewalls。
“Sowerodeoutofthegatesthatverydaybeforesunset；foritwasnowmidsummeragain，anditwasthreehoursbeforenoonthatIwastohavebeenburned；andwewereagallantcompanyofmen-at-armsandknights；
yetdidIbe-thinkmeofthosewhowereslainonthatotherdaywhenweweretaken，andfainhadIbeenthattheywereridingwithus；butatleastthatfairyoungmanwasinourcompany，thoughstillweakwithhishurts：
fortheprisonandtheprocesshadwornawaywellnightwomonths。
TrueitisthatIrejoicedtoseehim，forIhaddeemedhimdead。
“Dearfriend，IpraythypardonifIwearytheewithmakingsolongataleofmyfriendsofthepastdays；butneedsmustI
telltheesomewhatofthem，lestthoulovethatwhichisnot。
SincetrulyitismyselfthatIwouldhavetheetolove，andnoneother。
“Manyfolkgatheredtousaswerodeourwaystoatownwhichwasmylord’sown，andwhereallmenwerehisfriends，sothatwecametherewithagreathostandsatdownthereinnofearofwhatthekingmightdoagainstus。
TherewasIdulyweddedtomylordbyaBishopofHolyChurch，andmadehisLadyandQueen；forevensohewouldhaveit。
“Andnowbeganthesoretroublesofthatland，whichhadbeenoncesopeacefulandhappy；thetalewhereofImayonedaytellthee；
orrathermanytalesofwhatbefellmetherein；butnotnow；
forthedayweareth；andIstillhavecertainthingsthatImustneedstellthee。
“Wewagedwaragainsteachother，mylordandtheking，andwhilesone，andwhilestheotherovercame。Eithersidebelikedeemedthatonebattleortwowouldendthestrife；
butsoitwasnot，butitenduredyearafteryear，tillfightingbecamethechiefbusinessofallintheland。
“Asforme，Ihadmanytribulations。ThriceIfledfromthestrickenfieldwithmylordtohideinsomestrongholdofthemountains。
OncewasItakenofthefoemeninthetownwhereIabodewhenmylordwasawayfromme，andahugeslaughterofinnocentfolkwasmade，andIwascastintoprisonandchains，afterIhadseenmysonthatIhadbornetomylordslainbeforemineeyes。
AtlastweweredrivencleanoutoftheKingdomoftheTower，andabodealongwhile，sometwoyears，inthewilderness，livinglikeoutlawsandwolves’heads，andliftingthespoilforourlivelihood。ForsoothofalltheyearsthatI
abodeabouttheLandofTowerthosewerethehappiest。
Forwerobbednopoorfolkandneedy，butrewardedthemrather，anddravethespoilfromrichmenandlords，andhard-heartedchapmen-folk：weravishednomaidofthetillers，weburnednocot，andtaxednohusbandman’scroftoracre，butdefendedthemfromtheirtyrants。Neverthelesswegatanillnamewideaboutthroughthekingdomsandcities；andweredevilsandwitchestothebootofthievesandrobbersinthemouthsofthesemen；
forwhentherichmanishurthiswailgoethheavenshigh，andnonemaysayhehearethnot。
“NowitwasatthistimethatIfirstfellinwiththeChampionsoftheDryTree；fortheybecameourfellowsandbrothersinarmsinthewildwood：
fortheyhadnotasyetbuildedtheirstrongholdoftheScaur，whereasthouandIshallbeintwodaystime。Manyawilddeeddidourfolkintheircompany，andmanythathadbeenbetterundone。
Whilesindeedtheywentonjourneyswhereinwewerenotpartakers，aswhentheywenttotheNorthandharriedthelandsoftheAbbotofHigham，androdeasfarevenasovertheDownstoBearCastleandfoughtabattletherewiththeCaptainofHigham：
whereaswewentneveroutoftheWoodPeriloustothenorthward；
andliftedlittlesaveinthelandsofourownproperfoemen，thefriendsoftheking。
“NowIsaynotofthemenoftheDryTreethattheyweregoodandpeaceablemen，norwouldmercyholdtheirhandseverywhilethattheywerehardbesteadandthrustintoacorner。
YetIsaynowandonceforallthattheirfiercenesswasandisbutkindnessandpitywhensetagainstthecrueltyoftheBurgoftheFourFriths；menwhohavenofriendtolove，nobrokenfoetoforgive，andcanscarcebekindeventothemselves：
thoughforsooththeybewisemenandcautelousandwelllivingbeforetheworld，andwealthyandholy。”
Shestayedherspeechawhile，andhereyesglitteredinherflushedfaceandshesetherteeth；andshewasasonebesideherselftillRalphkissedherfeet，andcaressedher，andshewentonagain。
“Dearfriend，whenthouknowestwhatthesemenareandhavebeenthouwiltblessthyfriendRogerforleadingtheeforthfromtheBurgbynightandcloud，whateverelsemayhappentothee。
“Well，weabodeinthewildwood，friendsandgoodfellowsfromthefirst；
andthatyoungman，thoughhelovedmeever，wassomewhathealedofthefeveroflove，andwasmyfaithfulfriend，insuchwisethatneitherInormylordhadaughttofindfaultwithinhim。
Meanwhilewebegantogrowstrong，formanyjoinedusthereinwhohadfledfromtheirtyrantsofthegoodtownsandthemanorsofthebaronage，andatlastinthethirdyearnaughtwouldpleasemylordbutwemustenterintotheKingdomoftheTower，andraisehisbannerinthewealthyland，andthefaircities。
“Moreover，hisfather，theKingoftheTower，diedinhisbedinthesedays，andnowordofloveorpeacehadpassedbetweenthemsincethatmorningwhenI
wasledouttobeburnedintheGreatSquare。
“Sowecameforthfromtheforest，we，andtheChampionsoftheDryTree；andmadethetaleashortone。
Fortheking，themightywarriorandwiseman，wasdead：
andhiscaptainsofwar，someofthemweredead，andsomewearyofstrife；andthosewhohadbeeneagerindebatewerefallingtoaskthemselveswhereforetheyhadfoughtandwhatwastodothattheyshouldstillbefighting；
andlo！whenitcametobelookedinto，itwasallamatterofthelifeanddeathofonewoman，towitmemyself，andwhyshouldshenotlive，whyshouldshenotsituponthethronewiththemanwholovedher？
“ThereforewhenatlastwecameoutfromthetwilightofthewoodsintothesunnyfieldsoftheLandoftheTower，therewasnomantonaysayus；nay，thegatesofthestrongplacesflewopenbeforethewindofourbanners，andtheglitteringofourspearsdrewthefolktogethertowardtheplacesofrejoicing。
WeenteredthemasterCityintriumph，withthehouseshungwithgreenboughsandthemaidenscastingflowersbeforeourfeet，andIsatacrownedQueenuponthethronehighraisedontheveryplacewhereerstIstoodawaitingthecomingofthetorchtothefaggotswhichweretoconsumeme。
“TherethenbeganthereignoftheWomanoftheWaste；forsoitwas，thatmylordlefttomyhandstherealrulingofthekingdom，thoughheworethecrownandsetthesealtoparchments。
AstothemoftheDryTree，thoughsomefewofthemabodeinthekingdom，andbecamegreatthere，themorepartofthemwentbacktothewildwoodandlivedtheoldlifeoftheWood，aswehadfoundthemlivingitaforetime。Butorevertheywent，theleadersofthemcamebeforeme，andkissedmyfeet，andwithtearsandprayersbesoughtme，andbademethatifaughtfellamisstomethere，IshouldcomebacktothemandbetheirLadyandQueen；andwhereasthesewildmenlovedmewell，andIdeemedthatIowedmuchtotheirloveandtheirhelping，IpromisedthemandsworetothembytheWateroftheWellattheWorld’sEndthatIwoulddonolessthantheyprayedme：
albeitIsetnotermoryearforthedaythatIwouldcometothem。
“AndnowmylordandI，wesetourselvestohealthewoundswhichwarhadmadeintheland：andhardwasthework，andlatetheharvest；
sousedhadmenbecometoturmoilandtrouble。Moreover，thereweremany，andchieflythewomenwhohadlosthusband，lover，sonorbrother，wholaidalltheirgriefsonmyback；thoughforsoothhowwasIguiltyoftheoldking’swrathagainstme，whichwasthecauseofall？
AboutthistimemylordhadtheCastleofAbundancebuiltupveryfairlyformeandhimtodwellinatwhiles；andindeedwehadbeforethatdweltatalittlemanorhousethatwasthere，whenwedurstwithdrawalittlefromthestrife；butnowhehaditdoneasfairasyesawit，andhadthosearrasclothsmadewiththestoryofmysojourninthewilderness，evenasyesawthem。Butthedaysandtheyearswore，andwealthcamebacktothemightyoftheland，andfieldsflourishedandtheacresboreincrease，andfairhouseswerebuildedinthetowns；
andthelandwascalledhappyagain。
“ButformeIwasnotsohappy：andllookedbackfondlytothedaysofthegreenwoodandthefellowshipoftheDryTree，andthedaysbeforethat，ofmyflightwithmylord。
Andmoreoverwiththewearingoftheyearsthosemurmursagainstmeandtheblindcauselesshatredbegantogrowagain，andchieflymethinksbecauseIwastheking，andmylordtheking’scloak：
buttherewithtalesconcerningmebegantospringup，howthatIwasnotonlyasorceress，butevenoneforedoomedfromofoldandsentbythelordsofhelltowreckthatfairLandoftheTowerandmakeitunhappyanddesolate。
Andthetalegrewandgatheredform，tillnow，whenthebloomofmybeautywasgone，IheardhardandfiercewordscriedaftermeinthestreetswhenIfaredabroad，andthatstillchieflybythewomen：foryetmostmenlookedonmewithpleasure。
AlsomycounsellorsandlordswarnedmeoftenthatImustbewaryandofgreatforbearanceiftroubleweretobekeptback。
“NowamidstthesethingsasIwaswalkingpensivelyinmygardenonesummerday，itwastoldmethatawomandesiredtoseeme，soIbadethembringher。AndwhenshecameIlookedonher，anddeemedthatIhadseenheraforetime：shewasnotold，butofmiddleage，ofdarkredhair，andbrowneyessomewhatsmall：
