12 'Alas! soe well you know, S_i_r k_nigh_t,' . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 . . . . . . . I cannott bee yo_u_r peere: 'Ffor some deeds of armes ffaine wold I doe, To be yo_u_r bacheeleere.' 14 'Vpon Eldrige Hill there growes a thorne, Vpon the mores brodinge; And wold you, s_i_r knight, wake there all night To day of the other morninge? 15 'Ffor the eldrige k_ing_, _tha_t is mickle of might, Will examine you beforne; And there was neuer man _tha_t bare his liffe away Since the day _tha_t I was borne.' 16 'But I will ffor yo_u_r sake, ffaire ladye, Walke on the bents [soe] browne, And Ile either bring you a readye token, Or Ile neuer come to you againe.' 17 But this ladye is gone to her chamber, Her maydens ffollowing bright, And S_i_r Cawlin's gone to the mores soe broad, Ffor to wake there all night. 18 Vnto midnight [that] the moone did rise, He walked vp and downe, And a lightsome bugle then heard he blow. Ouer the bents soe browne; Saies hee, And if cryance come vntill my hart, I am ffarr ffrom any good towne. 19 And he spyed, ene a litle him by, A ffuryous king and a ffell, And a ladye bright his brydle led, _Tha_t seemlye itt was to see. 20 And soe fast hee called vpon S_i_r Cawline, Oh man, I redd the fflye! Ffor if cryance come vntill thy hart, I am a-feard least thou mun dye. 21 He sayes, [No] cryance comes to my hart, Nor ifaith I ffeare not thee; Ffor because thou minged not Christ before, Thee lesse me dreadeth thee. 22 But S_i_r Cawline he shooke a speare; The k_ing_ was bold, and abode; And the timber these two children bore Soe soone in sunder slode; Ffor they tooke and two good swords, And they layden on good loade. 23 But the elridge k_ing_ was mickle of might, And stiffly to the ground did stand; But S_i_r Cawline, with an aukeward stroke, He brought ffrom him his hand, I, and fflying ouer his head soe hye, [It] ffell downe of that lay land. 24 And his lady stood a litle thereby, Ffast ringing her hands: 'For the maydens loue _tha_t you haue most minde, Smyte you my lo_r_d no more. 25 'And hees neu_er_ come vpon Eldrige [Hill], Him to sport, gamon, or play, And to meete noe man of middle-earth And _tha_t liues on Christs his lay.' 26 But he then vp and _tha_t eldryge k_ing_, Sett him in his sadle againe, And _tha_t eldryge k_ing_ and his ladye To their castle are they gone. 27 And hee tooke then vp and _tha_t eldryge sword, As hard as any fflynt, And soe he did those ringes fiue, Harder then ffyer, and brent.