Sore he looked on kyng Estmère,
And sore he handled the ryng,
Then opened to them the fayre hall yates,
He lett[456] for no kind of thyng.
Kyng Estmere he stabled his steede195
Soe fayre att the hall bord;
The froth, that came from his brydle bitte,
Light in kyng Bremors beard.
Saies, Stable thy steed, thou proud harpèr,
Saies, Stable him in the stalle;200
It doth not beseeme a proud harpèr
To stable 'him' in a kyngs halle.[457]
My ladde he is so lither,[458] he said,
He will doe nought that's meete;
And is there any man in this hall205
Were able him to beate.
Thou speakst proud words, sayes the king of Spaine,
Thou harper here to mee:
There is a man within this halle,
Will beate thy ladd and thee.210
O let that man come downe, he said,
A sight of him wold I see;
And when hee hath beaten well my ladd,
Then he shall beate of mee.
Downe then came the kemperye man,[459]215
And looked him in the eare;
For all the gold, that was under heaven,
He durst not neigh him neare.[460]
And how nowe, kempe, said the kyng of Spaine,
And how what aileth thee?220
He saies, It is writt in his forhead
All and in gramaryè,
That for all the gold that is under heaven,
I dare not neigh him nye.
Then kyng Estmere pulld forth his harpe,225
And plaid a pretty thinge:
The ladye upstart from the borde,
And wold have gone from the king.
Stay thy harpe, thou proud harpèr,
For Gods love I pray thee230
For and thou playes as thou beginns,
Thou'lt till[461] my bryde from mee.