Than it is femely that the fquyer
To have my doughter by this manere,
And eche man in his degre,
Become a lorde of ryaltye,
By fortune and by other grace,
By herytage and by purchace:
Therfore, stewarde, beware hereby,
Defame hym not for no envy:
It were great reuth he should be spylte,
Or put to death withouten gylte;
And more ruthe of my doughter dere,
For chaungyng of that ladyes chere;
I woulde not, for my crowne fo newe,
That lady chaunge hyde or hewe;
Or for to put thyselfe in drede,
But thou myght take hym with the dede:
For yf it may be founde in thee,
That thou them fame for enmyte,
Thou shalt be taken as a felon,
And put full depe in my pryfon,
And fetered faft unto a stone,
Tyl twelve yere were come and gone,
And drawen wyth hors throughe the cytè,
And foone hanged upon a tre;
And thou may not thyfelfe excufe,
This dede thou shalt no wife refufe;
And therfore, fteward, take good hed,
How thou wilt anfwere to this ded.
The stewarde answered, with great envy,
That i have fayd that i wyll stand therby;
To fuffre death and endleffe wo,
Syr kynge, i wyl never go therfro;
For, yf that ye wyll graunt me here
Strength of men and great power,
I shall hym take, this fame nyght,
In the chambre with your doughter bright;
For i fhall never be gladde of chere,
Tyll i be venged of that fquyer.
Than fayd the kynge, full curteysly,
Unto the ftewarde, that ftode hym by,
Thou fhalte have strength ynough with the,
Men of armes thirty and thre,
To watche that lady, muche of pryce,
And her to kepe fro her enemyes.
For there is no knyght in Chryftentè,
That wold betray that lady fre,
But he should dye under his fhelde
And i myght fe hym in the feldde;
And therfore, stewarde, i the pray,
Take hede what i fhall to the fay;
And if the fquiere come not to-night,
For to speke with that lady bryght,
Let hym fay whatfoever he wyll,
And here and fe and holde you ftyll;
And herken well what he wyll fay,
Or thou with him make any fray;
So he come not her chambre within,
No bate on hym loke thou begyn,
Though that he kyffe that lady fre,
And take his leave ryght curteysly,
Let hym go, both hole and founde,
Without wemme or any wounde;
But yf he wyl her chamber breke,
No worde to hym that thou do speke,
But yf he come with company,
For to betraye that fayre lady.
Loke he be taken foone anone,
And all his meyné everychone,
And brought with strength to my pryfon,
As traytour, thefe, and falfe felon ;
And yf he make any defence,
Loke that he never go thence;
But loke thou hew hym al fo fmall,
As fleffhe whan it to the potte shall:
And yf he yelde hym to thee,
Brynge him both saufe and founde to me.
I fhall borowe for feven yere
He shall not wedde my doughter dere:
And therfore, stewarde, i thee praye,
Thou watche that lady nyght and daye.
The stewarde fayde the kynge untyll,
All your byddyng i shall fulfyll.
The stewarde toke his leave to go,
The fquyer came fro chambre tho,
Downe he went into the hall,
The officers fone can he call,
Both ussher, panter, and butler,
And other that in office were;
There he them warned, fone anone,
To take up the bordes everychone.
Than they dyd his commaundement,
And fythe unto the kyng he went;
Full lowe he fet hym on his kne,
And voyded his borde full gentely;
And whan the fquyre had done so,
Anone he fayde the kynge unto,
As ye are lorde of chyvalry,
Geve me leve to paffe the fea,
To prove my ftrenthe with my ryght hande,
On godes enemyes in uncouth land;
And to be knowe in chyvalry,
In Gafcoyne, Spayne, and Lumbardy;
In eche batayle for to fyght,
To be proved a venterous knyght.
The kyng fayd to the fquyer tho,
Thou shalt have good leve to go;
I shall the gyve both golde and fe,
And ftrength of men to wende with thee;
If thou be true in worde and dede,
I fhall thee helpe in all thy nede.
The fquyer thanked the kyng anone,
And toke his leve and forth can gone;
With joye, and blyffe, and much pryde,
With all his meyny by his fyde.
He had not ryden but a whyle,
Not the mountenaunce of a myle,
Or he was ware of a vyllage,
Anone he fayde unto a page,
Our fouper foone loke it be dyght,
Here wyll we lodge all to-nyght.
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