23 'If she be with bairn,' he said,
'As I doubt not nor she be,
I will make it heir oer all my land,
And hir my gay lady.'
24 The king he swore a solemn oath,
And a solemn oath swore he,
'The morn, before I eat or drink,
High hanged he shall be!'
* * * * *
25 The king and his nobles all
Went out into the plain,
And the quen and hir marys all,
To see Love Johny slain.
26 They fought up, and they fought down,
With swords of temperd steel,
But not a drop of Johny's blood
In that day he did spill.
27 Out they brought the Itilian,
And a greecy ghost was he,
But by the edge o Love Johny's sword
That Itilian did die.
28 Johny's taen his neat drawn sword,
And stript it to the stran:
'Is there any more of your English dogs
That wants for to be slain?'
29 'A clerck, a clerck,' now says the king,
'To sign her tocher free;'
'A priest, a priest,' said Love Johny,
'To mary my dear and me.
30 'I fought not for your goold, your goold,
I fought not for your gear,
But I fought for my rose Mary,
And vow! I've bought hir dear.'