This hindir yeir I hard be tald, Thair was a worthy king; Dukis, erlis, and barronis bald, He had at his bidding. The lord was anceane and ald, 5 And sexty yeiris cowth ring; He had a dochter, fair to fald, A lusty lady ying. Off all fairheid scho bur the flour, And eik hir faderis air; 10 Off lusty laitis and he honour; Meik, bot and debonair. Scho wynnit in a bigly bour; On fold wes none so fair; Princes luvit hir, paramour, 15 In cuntries our all quhair. Thair dwelt a lyt besyde the king A fowll gyane of ane; Stollin he hes the lady ying, Away with hir is gane; 20 And kest hir in his dungering, Quhair licht scho micht se nane; Hungir and cauld and grit thristing Scho fand in to hir wame. He wes the laithliest on to luk 25 That on the grund mycht gang; His nailis wes lyk ane hellis cruk, Thairwith fyve quarteris lang. Thair wes nane that he ourtuk, In rycht or yit in wrang, 30 But all in schondir he thame schuke, The gyane wes so strang. He held the lady day and nycht Within his deip dungeoun; He wald nocht gif of hir a sicht 35 For gold nor yit ransoun, Bot gife the king mycht get a knycht To fecht with his persoun, To fecht with him, both day and nycht, Quhill ane wer dungin doun. 40 The king gart seik baith fer and neir, Beth be se and land, Off any knycht gife he micht heir, Wald fecht with that gyand. A worthy prince, that had no peir, 45 Hes tane the deid on hand, For the luve of the lady cleir, And held full trewe cunnand. That prince come prowdly to the toun, Of that gyane to heir, 50 And fawcht with him, his awin persoun, And tuke him presonier, And kest him in his awin dungeoun, Allane withouttin feir, With hungir, cawld, and confusioun, 55 As full weill worthy weir; Syne brak the bour, had hame the bricht, Vnto hir fadir he;[L58] Sa evil wondit was the knycht, That he behuvit to de. 60 Unlusum was his likame dicht, His sark was all bludy; In all the warld was thair a wicht So petyouse for to se!