I haue gret wondir/ be þis li3te
hou þat I lyue/ for day ne ny3t
I may not slepe/ welneigh ri3t nou3t
I haue somany/ an Idel þou3t
Purli for defaute of slepe
That be my trouþe I take no kepe
Of þis world hou it comeþ or goþe
Ne me nis noþing lefe ne loþe
Al is iliche/ good to me
Ioye or sorowe where so it be
ffor I haue feling in no þing
But as it were a masid þing
Alway in poynt to falle adoune
ffor s!o!roful ymagynacion'
Is alway / holy in my mynd
And wele 3e wotte agaynns kynd
It were to lyuen/ in þis wise
ffor nature would it not suffise
To noon' erþeli creature
Nat long tyme to endure
Wiþ !ou!te slepe /& be in sorou
And I ne may ne ny3t ne morow
Slepe & þis malencolie
And drede I haue forto deie
Defaute of slepe & heuynes
haþ slain my spirit of quiknes
That I haue lost al lustihed
Such fantasies ben in myn hed
So I not what !is! best to do
But men my3t aske me whi so
I had such pite & such rouþe
To rede hir sorou þat by trouþe
I ferd þe wers al þe morowe
Aftir to þinken on hir soroue
So whan þis ladi koude here no word
That noman my3t fynde hir lord

fful ofte she swonied & seid allas
ffor sorow / ful neigh woode she was
Ne she koude no / rede but oon
But doun on kneis/ she sat anone
And wepte / þat pite was to here
A merci swete ladi dere
Quod she Iuno hir goddes
helpe me oute/ of þis distres
And 3if me grace/ my lord to se
sone/ or wite wherso he be
Or hou he fareþ/ or in what wise
And I shal meke 3ow sacrufise
And holi youres bicome I shal
Wiþ good wi'l'/ bodi/ hert/ & al
And but þou wilt/ þis ladi swete
Send me grace to slepe & mete
In my slepe/ som certein sweuen'
Wherþuru3 þat I mai knowe euen
Wheþir my lord be quik or dede
Wiþ þat woord/ she heng d"on" þe hed
And fel a swowe/ & cold as stone
hir women kau3t her vp anone
And brou3t hir "in" bed al naked
And she forwepid & for wakid
was weri & þus þe dede slepe
ffil on hir/ or she toke kepe
Thuru3 Iuno/ þat hade herd hir bone
That made hir/ þat shepe sone
ffor as she praide ri3t so was !do!ne
In dede for Iuno ri3t anon'
Callid þus hir messagere
To do her erand & he com ner
Whan he was come/ she bade him þus
"G"o bet quod Iuno/ to morpheus
þou knowest him wele þe god of slepe
Nou understond wel & take kepe

Sei þus on my halue þat he
Go fast/ into þe gret se
And bid him þat on all þing
That he take vp/ Seys bodi þe kyng
That liþe ful pale/ & noþing roddi
Bid him crepe into þe bodi
And do it gone/ to Alchione
The queen þer she liþ allone
And shew hir shortli it is no nay
hou it was dreint þis oþer day
And do þe bodi/ speke ri3t so
Ri3t as it was/ woned to do
T!he! whiles þat it was on li!ue!
G!oo! nou fast & hie þe bilyue
This messager/ toke leue & went
upon his way/ & neuer nestynt
Til he com to þe derk ualey
That stant bitwix Roches twey
þere neuir 3it grwe corne ne gres
Ne tre/ ne nou3t þat ou3t was
Beeste ne man/ ne nou3 ellis
Saue þat þere were/ a fewe wellis
kam rennyng from þe clyues adoun'
þat made a dedli sleping soune
And r"on"en don' ri3t bi a caue
That was undir a rok I graue
A myd þe ualey/ wonder depe
þere þis goddis lay & slepe
Morpheus & Eclympasteyre
That was þe god of slep heire
That slepte & did non oþer werk
This kaue was also as derk
As hel pit ouer al aboute
Thei had good leiser forto route
To uie who my3t slepe best
Som heng her chyn opon her brest

And slepte upri3t / her here Ihid
And som lay naked / in her bedde
And slepte / while daies last
þis messager come flyyng fast
And cried O how a wake anon'
It was for nou3t/ þere herd him none
¶ A wake quod he/ who is it þat liþe þere
And blw his horne ri3t in her ere
And cried awakiþ wondir hi3e
This god of slepe with his oon ei3e
{C}ast up/ & axed who clepiþ þere
It am I quod / þis messagere
Iuno bad/ þou shuldest gone
And told him what he shuld done
As I haue told/ 3ou heretofore
It is no nede reherse it more
And went his way whan he hade seide
Anon þis god of slepe abraied
Oute of his slepe/ & gan to gon'
And did as he hade bid him done
Toke up þe !d!reint bodi sone
And bare it forþe to Alchione
his wife þe quene/ þere as she lay
Ri3t euen a quarter bifore day
And stood ri3t at his beddis fete
And callid hir/ ri3t as she hete