Sayes, Chrift thee save, thou proud portèr : We been harpers, fayd Adler yonge, Come out of the northe countrèe; We beene come hither untill this place, This proud weddinge for to fee. Sayd, And your color were white and redd, As it is blacke and browne, Ild faye king Eftmere and his brother Were comen untill this towne. Then they pulled out a ryng of gold, • Sore he looked on kyng Eftmère, And fore he handled the ryng, Then opened to them the fayre hall yates, He lett for no kind of thyng. Kyng Eftmere he light off his fteede Up att the fayre hall board; The frothe, that came from his brydle bitte, Light on kyng Bremors beard. 175 180 185 190 195 Sayes, Sayes, Stable thou fteede, thou proud harpèr, Goe ftable him in the stalle; Itt doth not befeeme a proud harpèr 200 To stable him in a kyngs halle. My ladd he is fo lither, he fayd, And aye that I cold but find the man, Were able him to beate. 205 Thou speakft proud wordes, fayd the Paynim kyng, Thou harper here to mee; There is a man within this halle, That will beate thy lad and thee. 210 O lett that man come downe, he fayd, And whan hee hath beaten well my ladd, Downe then came the kemperye man, 215 And looked him in the eare; For all the golde, that was under heaven, He durft not neigh him neare. And how nowe, kempe, fayd the kyng of Spayne, And how what aileth thee? He fayes, Itt is written in his forhead 220 All and in gramaryè, F 2 That That for all the gold that is under heaven, Kyng Eftmere then pulled forth his harpe, 225 Upstarte the ladye from the kynge, As hee fate at the meate. Nowe stay thy harpe, thou proud harper, Now ftay thy harpe, I fay; For an thou playeft as thou beginneft, Thou'lt till my bride awaye. He ftrucke upon his harpe agayne, And playd both fayre and free; The ladye was fo pleafde theratt, She laught loud laughters three. 230 235 Nowe fell me thy harpe, fayd the kyng of Spayne, Thy harpe and ftryngs eche one, And as many gold nobles thou fhalt have, As there be ftryngs thereon. And what wold ye doe with my harpe, he fayd, Iff I did fell it yee ? To playe my wiffe and me a FITT, When abed together we bee. 240 Now Now fell me, fyr kyng, thy bryde foe gay, As fhee fitts laced in pall, And as many gold nobles I will give, As there be rings in the hall. 245 "O ladye, this is thy owne true love; 255 "Noe harper but a kyng. "O ladye, this is thy owne true love, "As playnlye thou mayest see; "And Ile rid thee of that foule paynìm, "Who partes thy love and thee." 260 The ladye louked, the ladye blushte, And blushte and lookt agayne, While Adler he hath drawne his brande, And hath fir Bremor flayne. Up then rofe the kemperye men, And loud they gan to crye: Ah! traytors, yee have flayne our kyng, fhall dye. F 3 265 Kyng Kyng Eftmere threwe the harpe afyde, And aye their fwordes foe fore can byte, Throughe help of gramaryè, 270 That foone they have flayne the kempery men, 275. Or forft them forth to flee. Kyng Eftmere tooke that fayre ladye, And marryed her to his wyfe, And brought her home to merrye Englànd 280 * The word GRAMARYE occurs feveral times in the foregoing poem, and every where feems to fignify Magic or Some kind of fupernatural Science. I know not whence to derive it, unless it be from the word GRAMMAR: in those dark and ignorant ages when it was thought a high degree of learning to be able to read and write; he who had made a little farther progrefs in literature might well pass for a conjurer or magician. ††† TERMAGAUNT (p. 56.) is the name given in the old Romances to the God of the Saracens. Thus in the Legend of SYR GUY the Soudan (Sultan) fwears, "So helpe me Mahowne of might, Sign. P. iij. b. This word is derived by the very learned Editor of Junius, from the Anglo-Saxon Týn Very, and Magan Mighty. After the times of the Crufades, both MAHOUND and TERMAGAUNT made their conflant appearance in the Pageants and |