The kyng hymfelfe, upon a daye,
Full pryvely he toke the waye,
Unto the pryfon fone he came,
The fquyer fone out he name,
And anone he made hym swere
His counfayl he should never diskere.
The fquyer there helde up his hande,
His byddyng never he should withstande.
The kyng him graunted ther to go
Upon his jorney to and fro,
And brefely to paffe the fea,
That no man wefte but he and he,
And whan he had his jurnay done,
That he wolde come full foone:
"And in my chambre for to be,
The whyles that i do ordayne for thee:
Than fhalt thou wedde my doughter dere,
And have my landes both farre and nere."
The fquyer was full mery tho,
And thanked the kynge, and forth gan go.
The kyng hym gave both lande and fe.
Anone the fquyer passed the se.
In Tuskayne and in Lumbardy,
There he dyd great chyvalry,
In Portyngale, nor yet in Spayne,
There myght no man stand hym agayne;
And where that ever that knyght gan fare,
The worshyp with hym away he bare:
And thus he travayled feven yere,
In many a land both farre and nere;
Tyll on a day he thought hym tho
Unto the fepulture for to go;
And there he made his offeryng foone,
Right as the kinges doughter bad him don.
Than he thought hym on a day
That the kynge to hym dyd faye.
He toke his leve in Lumbardy,
And home he came to Hungry.
Unto the kynge foone he rade,
As he before his covenaunce made,
And to the kyng he tolde full foone
Of batayles bolde that he had done,
And fo he did the chyvalry
That he had fene in Lumbardy.
To the kynge it was good tydande,
Anone he toke him by the hande,
And he made him full royall chere,
And fayd, Welcome, my fonne fo dere.
Let none wete of my meyne
That out of prison thou fhuldeft be,
But in thy chamber holde the ftyll,
And i fhall wete my doughters wyll.
The kynge wente forth hymfelfe alone,
For to here his doughters mone,
Right under the chambre-window,
There he might her counfeyle knowe.
Had fhe wyft, that lady fre,
That her father there had be,
He shulde not, withouten fayle,
Have knowen fo muche of her counfayle,
Nor nothing the knew that he was there
Whan fhe began to carke and care.
Unto that body fhe fayd tho,
Alas, that we should parte in two!
Twyfe or thryfe she kyssed that body,
And fell in fownynge by and by.
Alas! than fayd that lady dere,
I have the kept this seven yere,
And now ye be in powder small,
I may no lenger holde you withall.
My love, to the earth i shall the brynge,
And preeftes for you to reade and fynge.
Yf any man afke me what i have here,
I wyll fay it is my treasure.
Yf any man afke why i do so,
For no theves fhall come therto :
And, fquyer, for the love of the,
Fy on this worldes vanytè!
Farewell golde, pure and fyne;
Farewell velvet, and fatyne;
Farewell castelles, and maners also ;
Farewell huntynge, and hawkynge to;
Farewell revell, myrthe, and play;
Farewell pleasure, and garmentes gay;
Farewell perle, and precyous ftone;
Farewell my juielles everychone;
Farewell mantell, and scarlet reed;
Farewell crowne unto my heed;
Farewell hawkes, and farewell hounde;
Farewell markes, and many a pounde ;
Farewell huntynge at the hare;
Farewell harte and hynde for evermare.
Nowe wyll i take the mantell and the rynge,
And become an ancreffe in my lyvynge:
And yet i am a mayden for thee,
And for all the men in Chrystentè.
To Chryst i shall my prayers make,
Squyer, onely for thy fake;
And i fhall never no maffe heare,
But ye shall have parte in feare:
And every daye whyles i lyve,
Ye shall have your masses fyve,
And i fhall offre pence thre,
In tokenynge of the trynytè.
And whan this lady had this fayde,
In fownyng the fel at a brayde.
The whyle she made this great mornynge,
Under the wall ftode har father the kynge.
Doughter, he fayde, you must not do fo,
For all thofe vowes thou must forgo.
"Alas, father, and weleawaye!
Nowe have ye harde what i dyde faye."
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