The boye pulld forth a well good sworde,
So gilt it dazzled the ee;
The first stroke stricken at Aldingar
Smote off his leggs by the knee.180
"Stand up, stand up, thou false traitor,
And fighte upon thy feete,
For, and thou thrive as thou beginst,
Of height wee shall be meete."
"A priest, a priest," sayes Aldingar,185
"While I am a man alive;
"A priest, a priest," sayes Aldingar,
"Me for to houzle and shrive.
"I wolde have laine by our comlie queene,
But shee wolde never consent;190
Then I thought to betraye her unto our kinge,
In a fyer to have her brent.
"There came a lazar to the kings gates,
A lazar both blind and lame;
I tooke the lazar upon my backe,195
And on her bedd had him layne.
"Then ranne I to our comlye king,
These tidings sore to tell:
But ever alacke!" sayes Aldingar,
"Forgive, forgive me, queene, madame,
The short time I must live:"
"Nowe Christ forgive thee, Aldingar,
As freely I forgive."
"Here take thy queene, our King Harrye,205
And love her as thy life,
For never had a king in Christentye
A truer and fairer wife."
King Harrye ran to claspe his queene,
And loosed her full sone;210
Then turnd to look for the tinye boye:—
The boye was vanisht and gone.