It shall be written in our foreheads,

All and,' in gramarye,

That we two are the boldest men

That are in all Christentye."2

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,

Unto 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."

"We be harpers," said Adler young,
"Come out of the North country;
We are come hither unto this place,

This proud wedding for to see."

1 [The old ballad-makers were rather fond of putting in an "and" when the rhythm was in need of a syllable.]

2 [Christendom.]

Said, "And your color were white and red,

As it is black and brown,

I'd say King Estmere and his brother
Were come unto 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 let1 for no kind of thing.

2

King Estmere he light off his steed,

Up at the fair hall board;

The froth that came from his bridle bit

[Stopped.]

Light on King Bremor's beard.

2 [Alighted. But Percy's fourth edition of his book reads, instead of this:

1

Says, "Stable thy steed, thou proud harper,

Go 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,"1 he said,

"He will do nought that's meet;

And aye that I could but find the man,
Were able him to beat."

"Thou speakest proud words," said the paynim king,

"Thou harper here to me:

There is a man within this hall

That 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 2 me."

Down then came the kemperye man,"

3

And looked him in the eare;
For all the gold that was under heaven,
He durst not nigh him near.

[Mischievous.]

2[" Of," put in for rhythm's sake, like the "and" a few stanzas before.] [" Kemperye man," fighting man, man accustomed to war.]

"And how now, kempe," said the King of Spain,

"And how what aileth thee?"

He says,

66

It is written in his forehead

All and in gramarye,

That for all the gold that is under heaven,
I dare not nigh him nigh.'

King Estmere then pulled forth his harp,

And played thereon so sweet:
Upstart the lady from the king,

As he sat at the meat.2

"Now stay thy harp, thou proud harper,
Now stay thy harp, I say ;
For an thou playest as thou begin'st,
Thou'lt till3 my bride away."

He struck upon his harp again,
And played both fair and free;
The lady was so pleased thereat,

She laughed loud laughters three.

1 [Kemp-e, two syllables.]

2 [But instead of this, Percy's other edition reads:

"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."]

3 [Entice.]

Now sell me thy harp," said the King of Spain, "Thy harp and strings each one,

And as many gold nobles thou shalt have,
As there be strings thereon."

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 mayest 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 kemperye men,
And loud they 'gan to cry;

"Ah! traitors, ye have slain our king,

And therefore ye shall die."