49 ‘Tell the horse thy tale, thou bonny child, And so thy oath shall savëd be;’ But when he told the horse his tale The lady wept full tenderly. 50 ‘I’le do for thee, my bonny child, In faith I will do more for thee; For I will send thy father word, And he shall come and speak with me. 51 ‘I will do more, my bonny child, In faith I will do more for thee, And for thy sake, my bonny child, I’le put my wedding off months three.’ 52 The lady she did write a letter, Full pittifully with her own hand, She sent it to the Lord of Lorn Whereas he dwelt in fair Scotland. 53 But when the lord had read the letter His lady wept most tenderly: ‘I knew what would become of my child In such a far country.’ 54 The old lord cal’d up his merry men, And all that he gave cloth and fee, With seven lords by his side, And into France rides he. 55 The wind servd, and they did saile So far into France land; They were ware of the Lord of Lorn, With a porter’s staff in his hand. 56 The lords they moved hat and hand, The servingmen fell on their knee; ‘What folks be yonder,’ said the steward, ‘That makes the porter courtesie?’ 57 ‘Thou art a false thief,’ said the L[ord] of Lorn, ‘No longer might I bear with thee; By the law of France thou shalt be ju[d]gd, Whether it be to live or die.’ 58 A quest of lords there chosen was, To bench they came hastily, But when the quest was ended The fals steward must dye. 59 First they did him half hang, And then they took him down anon, And then put him in boyling lead, And then was sodden, brest and bone. 60 And then bespake the Lord of Lorn, With many other lords mo; ‘Sir Duke, if you be as willing as we, We’l have a marriage before we go.’ 61 These children both they did rejoyce To hear the lord his tale so ended; They had rather to day then to morrow, So he would not be offended. 62 But when the wedding ended was There was delicious dainty cheer; I’le tell you how long the wedding did last, Full three quarters of a year. 63 Such a banquet there was wrought, The like was never seen; The king of France brought with him then A hundred tun of good red wine. 64 Five set of musitians were to be seen, That never rested night nor day, Also Italians there did sing, Full pleasantly with great joy. 65 Thus have you heard what troubles great Unto successive joyes did turn, And happy news among the rest Unto the worthy Lord of Lorn. 66 Let rebels therefore warnëd be How mischief once they do pretend; For God may suffer for a time, But will disclose it in the end.