Auchinleck Manuscript (A), fol. 99v

Corresponding lines in this edition: 2755–2770

line1 A moneþ þai kept hit Ase we findeȝ in þe writ Whan hit com to þe moneȝ ende Þai ne miȝt hit no lenger defende line5 But ase þai dede afair queintise Herkneȝ now in what wise A man þer was so seiȝ þe rime Þat hit gemes In þat time He was on of þe seuen wise line10 Þer he dede afair queintise He let him make a garnement Ase blak ase ani arnement And heng þer on squirel tail A þousand and mo wiȝ outen fail line15 A viser ȝit he made more Two faces bihinde & two bifore

[Gathering missing in the manuscript after this point. Around 1,200 lines lost, from the end of The Seven Sages of Rome and the start of the next text, Floris and Blauncheflour.]

Egerton Manuscript (E), fol. 43r

Corresponding lines in this edition: 2755–E2805

line1 And alle a monythe they kepte hyt/ As we fynde in boke Iwrytte / Whenne hit come to the monythe ys ende Noo longer myght they hyt defende / line5 ffor as I you telle samfayle / Them faylyd bothe store and vytayle And as the geste tellythe vs / Thare was a man that hyet Iunyus / And he was one of the wyse / line10 And he wrought aftyr quentyse / He lete make hym agarnement / As blacke as any arnement / And hyng ther on squyrelle talys taylys A Ml and mo samfaylys / line15 And a veser he made hym more / Too facys be hynde a nother by fore / And ij. nosys in ether halfe / More horrybeler thenne any calfe / And the tonge also there on rede / line20 As euyr was ii brennynge lede He sent to the Soudans samfayle / He shulde be redy to byde batayle / And they answeryd alle in haste / They shulde ben redy leste and moste / line25 A morowe come thys Iunyus And stode in a toure that het crassus / The hyeste toure that was ouyr the walle / That men myghte see hym ouyr alle / Than hadde he made a woundyr merrovre / line30 And bare wt hym in to the toure / And vppon hys hede dede that vysoure / And lokyd a pon the merroure clere / And ij. swerdys he ganne owte brayde / And skyrmyde faste and on layde / line35 And made more noyse and boste Thenne wolde akyng and hys hoste /