And therefore of the King of Spain
We need not stand in doubt.

Plight me your troth, now King Estmere,
By heaven and your right hand!
That you will marry me to your wife,
And make me queen of your land.

Then King Estmere he plight his troth,
By heaven and his right hand,
That he would marry her to his wife,
And make her queen of his land.

And he took leave of that lady fair,
To go to his own country,

To fetch him dukes and lords and knights,
That married they might be.

They had not ridden scant a mile,
A mile forth of the town,

But in did come the King of Spain

*

With Kempes many a one.

But in did come the King of Spain
With many a bold baron,

One day to marry King Adland's daughter,

T'other day to carry her home.

She sent one after King Estmere,

In all the speed might be,

That he must either turn again and fight,

Or go home and lose his lady.

One while the page he went,

Another while he ran,

Till he had overtaken King Estmere,

I wis he never blanne.

* A man of war. Kemperye, the same,-from the German, according to Dr. Percy.

Tidings! tidings! King Estmere!
What tidings now my boy?

O tidings I can tell to you

That will you sore annoy.

You had not ridden scant a mile,
A mile out of the towne,

But in did come the King of Spain,
With Kempes many a one.

But in did come the King of Spain,

With many a bold baron,

The one day to marry King Adland's daughter,
T'other day to carry her home.

My lady fair she greets you well,

And ever more well by me;

You must either turn again and fight,
Or go home and lose your lady.

Says, read

me, read me, dear brother,

My rede shall ryde * at thee,

Whether it is better to turn and fight,

Or go home and loose my lady.

Now hearken to me, says Adler young,
And your rede must rise, at me,

I quickly will devise a way,
To set thy lady free.

My mother was a western woman,
And learned in gramarye, †
And when I learned at the school,
Something she taught it me.

*My counsel shall come from thee.

+ The old word for magic of all kinds. Dr. Percy derives it from the French word grimoire, which signifies a book of spells. The Editor would almost have ventured to derive it from grammaire (i. e. learning), as most persons of unusual knowledge were then thought to have supernatural powers.

There grows an herb within this field,

And if it were but known,

His colour which is white and red,

It will make black and brown.

His colour which is brown and black,
It will make red and white,
That sword is not in all England
Upon his coat will light.

And you shall be a harper, brother,
Out of the North country,

And I'll be your boy so fain of sight,
And bear your harp by your knee.

And shall be the best harper
you

That ever took harp in hand,
And I will be the best singer
That ever sung in this land.

It shall be written in our foreheads
All and in gramarye,

That we two are the boldest men
That are in all Christenty.

And thus they renisht them to ride

On two good renisht steeds,

And when they came to King Adland's hall,

Of red gold shone their weeds.

And when they came to King Adland's hall,

Untill the fair hall gate,

There they found a proud porter

Rearing himself thereat.

Says, Christ thee save! thou proud porter;
Says, Christ thee save and see!

Now

you be welcome, said the porter, Of what land soever ye be.

31

* Are.

*

We been harpers, said Adler young,

Come out of the North country;

We been come hither until this place,
This proud wedding for to see.

Said, and your colour were white and red,
As it is black and brown,

I would say, King Estmere and his brother
Were coming untill this town.

Then they pulled out a ring of gold,
Laid it on the porter's arm,

And ever we will thee, proud porter,
Thou wilt say us no harm.

Sore he looked on King Estmere,
And sore he handled the ring;
Then opened to them the fair hall-gates,
He let for no kind of thing.

King Estmere he stabled his steed

So fair at the hall board;

The froth that came from his bridle bit,
Light on King Bremor's beard. f

Says, stable thy steed, thou proud harper,
Says, stable him in the stall;

It doth not beseem a proud harper,
To stable him in a king's hall.

My lad he is so lither, he said,

He will do nought that's meet!
And is there any man in this hall

Were able him to beat.

Strange as this passage may seem, it is not inconsistent with the manners of that age, a relic of which Dr. Percy says, is preserved in the King's champion riding into Westminster Hall at the coronation. The spacious halls of Eltham Palace, Caernarvon Castle, &c., with many others remaining, afforded ample scope for the entry of a body of equestrians.

Thou speakest proud words, says the King of Spain,

Thou harper here, to me;

There is a man within this hall

Will beat thy lad and thee.

O, let that man come down, he said,
A sight of him would I see :

And when he hath beaten well my lad,
Then he shall beat me.

Down then came the Kemperye man,

And looked him in the ear:

For all the gold that was under heaven,

He durst not nye him near.

And how now, Kempe, said the King of Spain,

And now, what aileth thee?

He says, it is writ in his forehead,

All and in gramarye,

That for all the gold that is under heaven,

I dare not nye him nigh.

Then King Estmere pulled forth his harp,
And played a pretty thing:

The lady upstarted from the board,

And would have gone from the king.

Stay thy harp, thou proud harper,
For God's love, I pray thee;
For and thou playest as thou began,

*

Thou'lt till my bride from me.

He struck upon his harp again,
And played a pretty thing;
The lady laughed a loud laughter,
As she sat by the king.

* Draw till, or to you,-entice away.