‘Cornewall King,’ the porter sayes, ‘There is none soe rich as hee; Neither in christendome, nor yet in heathendom, None hath soe much gold as he.’ XVI And then bespake him noble King Arthur, These were the words sayes hee: ‘I have two poore rings of my finger, The better of them I’le give thee, If thou wilt greete him well, Cornewall King, And greete him well from me. XVII ‘Pray him for one night’s lodging and two meales’ meate, For his love that dyed uppon a tree; Of one ghesting[179] and two meales’ meate, For his love that dyed uppon tree. XVIII ‘Of one ghesting, of two meales’ meate, For his love that was of virgin borne, And in the morning that we may scape away, Either without scath or scorne.’ XIX Then forth is gone this proud portèr, As fast as he co’ld hye, And when he came befor Cornewall King, He kneelèd downe on his knee. XX Sayes, ‘I have beene porter-man at thy gate This thirty winter and three, [But there is ffive knights before itt now, The like I never did see.’] King Cornwall questioning the strangers, they happen to speak of a certain shrine of Our Lady, from which he gathers that they have been in Little Britain. This leads him to question them concerning King Arthur. XXI * * * * * Our Lady was borne; then thought Cornewall King ‘These palmers had beene in Brittaine.’ XXII Then bespake him Cornewall King, These were the words he said there: ‘Did you ever know a comely king, His name was King Arthùr?’ XXIII And then bespake him noble King Arthùr, These were the words said hee: ‘I doe not know that comly king, But once my selfe I did him see.’ Then bespake Cornewall King againe, These were the words said he: XXIV Sayes, ‘Seven yeere I was clad and fed, In Litle Brittaine, in a bower; I had a daughter by King Arthur’s wife, That now is called my flower; For King Arthur, that kindly cockward, Hath none such in his bower. XXV ‘For I durst sweare, and save my othe, That same lady soe bright, That a man that were laid on his death bed Wo’ld open his eyes on her to have sight.’-- ‘Now, by my faith,’ sayes noble King Arthur, ‘And that’s a full faire wight!’ XXVI And then bespake Cornewall [King] againe, And these were the words he said: ‘Come hither, five or three of my knights, And feitch me downe my steed; King Arthur, that foule cockeward, Hath none such, if he had need. XXVII ‘For I can ryde him as far on a day As King Arthur can any of his on three; And is it not a pleasure for a king When he shall ryde forth on his journèy? XXVIII