Kyng Estmere tooke that fayre ladye,
And marryed her to his wiffe,
And brought her home to merry England,
With her to leade his life.
#BevisTheStoryOfABoy #RichardJefferies #Percy'sReliques #ChildBallads #Bevis #Estmere
And aye their swordes soe sore can byte,
Throughe helpe of gramarye,
That soone they have slayne the kempery men,
Or forst them forth to flee.
#BevisTheStoryOfABoy #RichardJefferies #Percy'sReliques #ChildBallads #Bevis #Estmere
Kyng Estmere threwe the harp asyde,
And swith he drew his brand,
And Estmere he and Adler Yonge,
Right stiffe in stour can stand.
#BevisTheStoryOfABoy #RichardJefferies #Percy'sReliques #ChildBallads #Bevis #Estmere
Up then rose the kemperye men,
And loud they gan to crye:
"Ah traytors, yee have slayne our kyng,
And therefore yee shall dye."
#BevisTheStoryOfABoy #RichardJefferies #Percy'sReliques #ChildBallads #Bevis #Estmere
The ladye looked, the ladye blushte,
And blushte and lookt agayne,
While Adler he had drawne his brande,
And hath the sowdan slayne.
#BevisTheStoryOfABoy #RichardJefferies #Percy'sReliques #ChildBallads #Bevis #Estmere
"O ladye this is thy owne true love,
As playnlye thou mayest see,
And Ile rid thee of that foule paynim
Who partes thy love and thee."
#BevisTheStoryOfABoy #RichardJefferies #Percy'sReliques #ChildBallads #Bevis #Estmere
Hee played agayne both loud and shrille,
And Adler he did syng,
"O ladye, this is thy owne true love,
Noe harper, but a kyng.
#BevisTheStoryOfABoy #RichardJefferies #Percy'sReliques #ChildBallads #Bevis #Estmere
"And what wold ye doe with my bryde soe gay,
Iff I did sell her thee?
More seemelye it is for her fayre bodye
To lye by mee then thee."
#BevisTheStoryOfABoy #RichardJefferies #Percy'sReliques #ChildBallads #Bevis #Estmere
"Now sell me," quoth hee, "thy bryde soe gay,
As shee sitts by thy knee;
And as many gold nobles I will give
As leaves been on a tree."
#BevisTheStoryOfABoy #RichardJefferies #Percy'sReliques #ChildBallads #Bevis #Estmere
"What wold ye doe with my harpe," he sayd,
"If I did sell itt yee?"
"To playe my wiffe and me a fitt,
When abed together wee bee."
#BevisTheStoryOfABoy #RichardJefferies #Percy'sReliques #ChildBallads #Bevis #Estmere
Saies, Sell me thy harpe, thou proud harper,
And thy stringos all;
For as many gold nobles thou shalt have
As heere bee ringes in the hall."
#BevisTheStoryOfABoy #RichardJefferies #Percy'sReliques #ChildBallads #Bevis #Estmere
He stroake upon his harpe againe,
And playd a pretty thinge;
The ladye lough a loud laughter,
As shee sate by the king.
#BevisTheStoryOfABoy #RichardJefferies #Percy'sReliques #ChildBallads #Bevis #Estmere
"Stay thy harpe, thou proud harper,
For Gods love I pray thee;
For and thou playes as thou beginns,
Thou'lt till my bryde from mee."
#BevisTheStoryOfABoy #RichardJefferies #Percy'sReliques #ChildBallads #Bevis #Estmere
Then Kyng Estmere pulld forth his harpe;
And plaid a pretty thinge;
The ladye upstart from the borde,
And wold have gone from the king.
#BevisTheStoryOfABoy #RichardJefferies #Percy'sReliques #ChildBallads #Bevis #Estmere
Downe then came the kemperye man,
And looked him in the eare;
For all the gold that was under heaven
He durst not neigh him neare.
#BevisTheStoryOfABoy #RichardJefferies #Bevis #Percy'sReliques #ChildBallads #Estmere
"O let that man come downe," he said,
"A sight of him wold I see;
And when hee hath beaten well my ladd,
Then he shall beate of mee."
#BevisTheStoryOfABoy #RichardJefferies #Bevis #Percy'sReliques #ChildBallads #Estmere
"Thour speakst proud words," sayes the king of Spaine,
"Thou harper, here to mee;
There is a man within this halle
Will beate thy ladd and thee!"
#BevisTheStoryOfABoy #RichardJefferies #Bevis #Percy'sReliques #ChildBallads #Estmere
"My ladde he is so lither," he said,
"He will doe nought that's meete;
And is there any man in this hall
Were able him to beate?"
#BevisTheStoryOfABoy #RichardJefferies #Bevis #Percy'sReliques #ChildBallads #Estmere
Saies, Stable thy steed, thou proud harper,
Saies, Stable him in the stalle;
It doth not beseeme a proud harper
To stable his steed in a kyngs halle.
#BevisTheStoryOfABoy #RichardJefferies #Bevis #Percy'sReliques #ChildBallads #Estmere
Kyng Estmere he stabled his steede
Soe fayre att the hall-bord;
The froth that came from his brydle bitte
Light in Kyng Bremors beard.
#BevisTheStoryOfABoy #RichardJefferies #Bevis #Percy'sReliques #ChildBallads #Estmere
Sore he looked on Kyng Estmere,
And sore he handled the ryng,
Then opened to them the fayre hall-yates,
He lett for no kind of thyng.
#BevisTheStoryOfABoy #RichardJefferies #Bevis #Percy'sReliques #ChildBallads #Estmere
Then they pulled out a ryng of gold,
Layd itt on the porters arme;
"And ever we will thee, proud porter,
Thow wilt saye us no harme."
#BevisTheStoryOfABoy #RichardJefferies #Bevis #Percy'sReliques #ChildBallads #Estmere
Sayd, And your color were white and redd,
As it is blacke and browne,
I wold saye King Estmere and his brother
Were comen untill this towne.
#BevisTheStoryOfABoy #RichardJefferies #Bevis #Percy'sReliques #ChildBallads #Estmere
"Wee beene harpers," sayd Adler Younge,
"Come out of the northe countrye;
Wee beene come hither untill this place
This proud weddinge for to see."
#BevisTheStoryOfABoy #RichardJefferies #Bevis #Percy'sReliques #ChildBallads #Estmere
Sayes, Christ thee save, thou proud porter,
Sayes, Christ thee save and see:
"Nowe you be welcome," sayd the porter,
"Of what land soever ye bee."
#BevisTheStoryOfABoy #RichardJefferies #Bevis #Percy'sReliques #ChildBallads #Estmere
And whan the came to King Adland's hall
Untill the fayre hall-yate,
There they found a proud porter,
Rearing himselfe thereatt.
#BevisTheStoryOfABoy #RichardJefferies #Bevis #Percy'sReliques #ChildBallads #Estmere
And thus they renisht them to ryde,
Of tow good renisht steedes,
And when they came to King Adland's hall,
Of redd gold shone their weedes.
#BevisTheStoryOfABoy #RichardJefferies #Bevis #Percy'sReliques #ChildBallads #Estmere
"Itt shal be written in our forheads
All and in grammarye,
That we towe are the boldest men
That are in all Christentye.
#BevisTheStoryOfABoy #RichardJefferies #Bevis #Percy'sReliques #ChildBallads #Estmere
"And you shal be the best harper
That ever tooke harpe in hand,
And I wil be the best singer
That ever sung in this lande.
#BevisTheStoryOfABoy #RichardJefferies #Bevis #Percy'sReliques #ChildBallads #Estmere
"And you shal be a harper, brother,
Out of the north countrye,
And Ile be your boy, soe faine of fighte,
And beare your harpe by your knee.
#BevisTheStoryOfABoy #RichardJefferies #Bevis #Percy'sReliques #ChildBallads #Estmere
