THE KING OF HUNGARY.
I findè upon surquedrie
How that whilome of Hungary
By oldè dayès was a King,
Wise and honest in [every] thing.
And so befell upon a day,
And that was in the month of May,
As [at that] time it was usànce,
This King with noble purveyànce
Hath for himself his car array'd,
Wherein he wouldè ride amay'd
Out of the city for to play
With lords and [noble company]
Of lusty folk that weren young :
Where some play'd and some sung,
And some [walk] and some ride,
And some prick their horse aside,
And bridle them, now in, now out.
The King his eye cast about
Till he was at the last aware,
And saw coming against his car
Two pilgrims of so great [an] age
That like unto a drie imàge
[They] weren, pale and fadè-hued;
And as a bush which is besnow'd
Their beardès weren hoar and white :
There was of kindè but a lite
That they [should] not seem fully dead.
They came unto the King, and bade
Some of his good, for charity.
And he, with great humility,
Out of his car to ground [he] leapt,
And them in both his arms he kept
And kissed them, both foot and hand,
Before the lordès of his land;
And gave them of his good thereto.
And when he hath this deedè do,
He goeth into his car again.
Then was murmùr, then was disdain,
Then was complaint on every side;
They said [out] of their ownè pride,
Each one to other : "What is this?
Our King hath done this thing amiss,
So to abase his royalty
That every man it mightè see,
And humble him in such a wise
To them that were of none emprise."
Thus was it spoken to and fro
Of them that were with him, although
All privily behind his back;
But to himself [there] no man spake.
The Kingès brother in presènce
Was at that time, and great offence
He took thereof, and was the same
Above all other which most blame
Upon his liège lord hath laid;
And hath unto the lordès said
Anon as he [the] time may find,
There shall nothing be left behind
That he will speak unto the King.
Now list what fell upon this thing!
The weather was merry and fair enough;
Each one with other play'd and laugh,
And fell [they] into [stories] new,
How that the freshè flowers grew,
And how the greenè leavès sprung,
And how that love among the young
Began their heartès then awake,
And every bird hath chose his make :
And thus the May's day to the end
They lead, and home again they wend.
The King was nought so soonè come,
That when he had his chamber nome,
His brother he was ready there
And brought a tale unto his ear
Of that he [had done] such a shame
In hindering of his own name
When he himselfè wouldè dreche,
That to so vile, [so] poor a wretch
Him deigneth show such simpleness
Against the state of his noblesse ;
And 'faith, he shall it no more use;
And that he must himself excuse
Toward his lordès every one.
The King stood still as any stone,
And to his tale an ear he laid.
And thought [of it] more than he said.
But ne'ertheless to that he heard
Well courteously the King answer'd,
And told [that] it should be amended.
And thus, when that their tale is ended,
And ready was the board and cloth,
The King unto his supper goeth
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 thilkè 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 thilkè timè so:
This trumpet was of such sentènce
That there against no rèsistance
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,
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