King Estmere he stabled his steed

So fair at the hall-board;

The froth that came from his bridle-bit
Light in King Bremor's beard.

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?"

200

"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 of me."

Down then came the kempery-man
And looked him in the ear;

For all the gold that was under heaven
He durst not nigh him near.

"And how now, kemp?" said the King of Spa

"And how, what aileth thee?"

He says, "It is writ in his forehead,

All and in gramary,

That for all the gold that is under heaven

I dare not nigh him nigh."

210

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

The lady upstart 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 plays as thou begins
Thou'lt till my bride from me."

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

Says, "Sell me thy harp, thou proud harper,
And thy stringès all,

For as many gold nobles thou shalt have
As here be rings in the hall."

66

What would ye do with my harp,” he said, "If I did sell it ye?"

"To play my wife and me a fit

When married we had be."

"Now sell me," quoth he, "thy bride so gay,

As she sits by thy knee,

And as many gold nobles I will give

As leaves ben on a tree."

230

240

"And what would ye do with my bride so gay

If I did sell her thee?

More seemly it is for that lady fair

To wed with me than thee."

250

He played again both loud and shrill,
And Adler he did sing-

"O lady, this is thy own true love;

No harper, but a king.

"O lady, this is thy own true love,

As plainly thou mayst see,

And I'll rid thee of that foul paynim
Who parts thy love and thee."

The lady looked, the lady blushed,
And blushed and looked again,
While Adler he hath drawn his brand
And hath the Sowdan slain.

Up then rose the kempery-men
And loud they 'gan to cry :
"Ah, traitors, ye have slain our king,
And therefore ye shall die."

King Estmere threw the harp aside,
And swithe he drew his brand,
And Estmere, he, and Adler young
Right stiff in stour did stand.

And aye their swords so sore can bite
Through help of gramary,

That soon they have slain the kempery-men

Or forced them forth to flee.

King Estmere took that fair lady

And married her to his wife,

And brought her home to merry England,
With her to lead his life.

260

270

THE HEIR OF LINNE

Of all the lords in fair Scotland
A song I will begin;

Amongst them all there dwelt a lord,

Which was the unthrifty lord of Linne.

His father and mother were dead him fro,
And so was the head of all his kin;
To the cards and dice that he did run
He did neither cease nor blin.

To drink the wine that was so clear,

With every man he would make merry; And then bespake him John of the Scales, Unto the heir of Linne said he:

Says, "How dost thou, lord of Linne?
Dost either want gold or fee?
Wilt thou not sell thy lands so broad
To such a good fellow as me?"

"For all my gold is gone," he said,
"My land, take it unto thee."
"I draw you to record, my lordës all."
With that he cast him a God's penny.

He told him the gold upon the board,
It wanted never a bare penny.
That gold is thine, the land is mine;
The heir of Linne I will be."

ΙΟ

20

"Here's gold enough," saith the heir of Linne, "Both for me and my company."

He drunk the wine that was so clear,
And with every man he made 'merry.

Within three quarters of a year

His gold and fee it waxed thin, His merry men were from him gone, And left him himself all alone.

He had never a penny left in his purse,
Never a penny left but three,

And one was brass, and another was lead,
And another was white money.

"Now welladay!" said the heir of Linne,
"Now welladay, and woe is me!

For when I was the lord of Linne,
I neither wanted gold nor fee.

"For I have sold my lands so broad,

And have not left me one penny;
I must go now and take some rede
Unto Edinburgh, and beg my bread."

He had not been in Edinburgh

Not three quarters of a year,

But some did give him, and some said nay,
And some bid "To the deil gang ye!

"For if we should hang any landless fere,
The first we would begin with thee."
"Now welladay!" said the heir of Linne,
"Now welladay, and woe is me!

30

40

50