Among the lordès to the hall;

And when [that] they had supped all
They took [their] leave and forth they go.

The King bethought [he] himself tho,
How he his brother may chastie
That he through his surquedrie
Took upon hand [so] to dispraise
Humility, which is to praise,

And thereupon gave such counsèl
Toward his King, that was nought heil;
Whereof to be the better lear'd

He thinketh to make him afear'd.
It fell so, that in thilke dawe
There was ordained by the law
A trumpet with a sternè breath,
Which was clepèd the trump of death.
And in the Court, where the King was,
A certain man this trump of brass
Hath in keeping and thereof serveth,
That when a lord his death deserveth
He shall this dreadful trumpet blow
Before his gate and make [him] know
How that the judgment [has been] given
Of death, which shall nought be forgiven.
The King, when it was night, anon
This man has sent, and bade him gone
To trumpet at his brother's gate;
And he which must so do algate,
Goeth forth and doth the King's behest.
This lord, which heard of this tempest
That he before his gate [so] blew,
Then wist he by the law and knew

That he was [of a surety] dead.
And as of help, he wist no rede
But send [out] for his friendès all
And told them how it is befall.

And they him ask [the reason] why,
But he the [reason] nought forthy
Wist not, and there was sorrow tho.
For it stood thilke timè so:
This trumpet was of such sentènce
That there against no rèsistànce
They could ordainè by no way
That he might not algatè die
But if so that he may purchase
To get his liegè lordès grace.
Their wittès thereupon they cast
And been appointed at the last.
This lord a worthy lady had
Unto his wife, which also drad
Her lordès death, and children five
Between them two they had alive,
That weren young and tender of age,
And of stature and of visage
Right fair and lusty ones to see.

Then casten they [that] he and she

Forth with their children on the morrow,
As they that weren full of sorrow,
All naked but of smock and shirt,
To tender with the Kingès heart,
His grace they shoulden go to seche
And pardon of the death beseech.
Thus passen they that woeful night.
And early, when they saw it light,
They've gone them forth in such a wise
As thou to-fore hast heard devise,-

All naked but their shirtès on.

They wept and [they] made much of moan,
Their hair hanging about their ears,
With sobbing and with sorry tears.
This lord goeth then an humble pace
That whilome proud and noble was,

Whereof the city sore a-flight

Of them that sawen thilkè sight.
And ne'ertheless all openly

With such weeping, and with such cry,
Forth with his children and his wife
He goeth to pray for his life.
Unto the Court when they be come
And men therein have hedè nome,
There was no wight if he them see
From water might he keep his eye
For sorrow which they made [them] tho.
The King supposeth of this woe,
And feigneth as he nothing wist;
But ne'ertheless, at his uprist
Men told to him how [that] it fared.
And when that he this wonder heard,
In haste he goeth into the hall,
And all at one [time] down they fall,
If any pity may be found.

The King, which seeth them go to ground,

Hath asked them what is the fear,

Why they be so despoiled there.

His brother said-" Ha, Lord! mercy!
I wot none other [reason] why

But only that this night full late
The trump of death was at my gate,
In token that I shouldè die :

Thus we be come [now] for to pray

That ye my worldès death respite! "Ha, fool! how thou art for to write,"

The King unto his brother saith,"That thou art of so little faith

That only for a trumpet's sound

Hath gone despoiled through the town,
Thou and thy wife in such manner
Forth with thy children that be here

In sight of [every man] about,

For that, thou sayest, thou art in doubt
Of death which standeth under the law
Of man, and man may it withdraw,
So that it may perchance [to] fail!
Now shalt thou nought therefore marvaile
That I down from my car alight
When I behold to-fore my sight
In them that were of so great age
Mine own death, thorough their image,
Which God hath set by law of kind,
Whereof I may no [respite] find.
For well I wot, such as they be,
Right such am I in my degree
Of flesh and blood, and so shall die.
And thus, though I that law obey
Of which that Kingès been put under,
It ought be well the less a wonder
Than thou, which art, withouten need,
For law of land in such a dread,-
Which for to account is but a jape,
As thing which thou might overscape.
Wherefore, my brother! after this,
I rede [thee], that since it so is
That thou canst dread a man so sore,
Dread God with all thy heartè more!
For all shall die and all shall pass,
As well a lion as an ass,

As well a beggar as a lord;

Toward [this] death, in one accord
They shoulden stand." And in this wise
The King he with his wordès wise
His brother taught, and all forgave.

ROBERT HENRYSON.

1425 ?-1480?

THE BLUIDY SARK.

This hinder year I heard be told,
There was a worthy King:
Dukès, earlès, and barons bold,
He had at his bidding.

The Lord was anciènt, and old,
And sixty years could ring;
He had a daughter, fair to fold
A lusty Lady ying.

Of all fairhead she bore the flower,
And eke her father's heir,
Of lusty laitis and high honoùr,
Meek, but and debonair.
She wynnit in a bigly bower,
On fold was none so fair;
Princes loved her par amour,
In countries everywhere.

There dwelt a little beside the King

A foul Giant of ane;

Stolen he has the Lady ying,

Away with her is gane;

And kept her in his dungeoning,

Where light she might see nane : Hunger and cold, and great thirsting, She found into her waine.

He was the loathliest on the look
That on the ground might gang:
His nails was like an hellis-cruik,
Therewith five quarters lang.
There was nane that he o'ertook,
In right or yet in wrang,