“What news, what news, old man?” quod he;
“What news hast thou to tell to me?”
“Brave news,” the old man he did say;
“Sweet William is a lady gay.”
“If this be true thou tellest me
I ’le make thee a lord of high degree;
But if thy words do prove a lye,
Thou shalt be hanged up presently.”
But when the king the truth had found,
His joys did more and more abound;