Thus unknown he matcht
With the king's fair daughter;
Children seven he had,
Ere she to him was known.
But when he understood165
She was a royal princess,
By this means at last
He shewèd forth her fame:
[He cloath'd his children then]
[Not like other men,]170
[In party colours strange to see;]
[The right side cloth of gold,]
[The left side to behold]
[Of woollen cloth still framèd he.]
Men thereat did wonder,175
Golden fame did thunder
This strange deed in every place;
[The king of France came thither]
Being pleasant weather,
In the woods the hart to chase.180
The children there did stand,
As their mother willèd,
Where the royal king
Must of force come by;
Their mother richly clad185
In fair crimson velvet,
Their father all in gray,
Most comely to the eye.
When this famous king,
Noting every thing,190
Did ask him how he durst be so bold,
To let his wife to wear,
And deck his children there,
In costly robes of pearl and gold,—
The forester bold replièd,195
And the cause descrièd,
And to the king he thus did say:
"Well may they by their mother
Wear rich gold like other,
Being by birth a princess gay."200
The king upon these words
More heedfully beheld them,
Till a crimson blush
His conceit did cross.
"The more I look," quoth he,205
"Upon thy wife and children,
The more I call to mind
My daughter whom I lost."
"I am that Child," quoth she,
Falling on her knee;210
"Pardon me my soveraign liege!"
The king perceiving this
His daughter dear did kiss,
Till joyful tears did stop his speech.
With his train he turnèd,215
And with her sojournèd;
Straight he dubb'd her husband knight;
He made him Earl of Flanders,
One of his chief commanders;—
Thus was their sorrow put to flight.220
[12], Took.
[30], to court.
[109], from Old Ballads, 1723.
[169-174]. "This will remind the reader of the livery and device of Charles Brandon, a private gentleman, who married the Queen Dowager of France, sister of Henry VIII. At a tournament which he held at his wedding, the trappings of his horse were half cloth of gold, and half frieze, with the following motto:
'Cloth of Gold, do not despise,
Tho' thou art matcht with Cloth of Frize;
Cloth of Frize, be not too bold,
Tho' thou art matcht with Cloth of Gold.'