"I had my music every day,
Harmonious lessons for to play;
I had my virgins fair and free,
Continually to wait on me.
"But now, alas! my husband's dead,85
And all my friends are from me fled;
My former joys are pass'd and gone,
For I am now a serving-man."
At last the king from hunting came,
And presently, upon the same,90
He called for this good old man,
And thus to speak the king began:
"What news, what news, old man?" quoth he;
"What news hast thou to tell to me?"
"Brave news," the old man he did say,95
"Sweet William is a lady gay."
"If this be true thou tell'st to me
I'll make thee lord of high degree;
But if thy words do prove a lie,
Thou shall be hang'd up presently."100
But when the king the truth had found,
His joys did more and more abound:
According as the old man did say,
Sweet William was a lady gay.
Therefore the king without delay105
Put on her glorious rich array,
And upon her head a crown of gold,
Which was most famous to behold.
And then, for fear of further strife,
He took Sweet William for his wife:110
The like before was never seen,—
A serving-man to be a queen.