But home then went Glasgerion, A woe man, Lord, was he; Sayes, ‘Come hither, thou Jack, my boy, Come thou hither to me. XX ‘For if I had kill’d a man to-night, Jack, I would tell it thee, But if I have not kill’d a man to-night, Jack, thou hast killéd three!’ XXI And he pull’d out his bright brown sword, And dried it on his sleeve, And he smote off that lither lad’s head And ask’d no man no leave. XXII He set the sword’s point till his breast, The pommel till a stone; Through the falseness of that lither lad These three lives wern all gone. FOOTNOTES: [286] wood = crazy, wild with delight. [287] blin = stint, cease. [288] lither = rascally, vile. [289] tirl’d = rattled. [290] yode = went. _41. King Estmere_ I Hearken to me, gentlemen, Come and you shall heare; Ile tell you of two of the boldest brether That ever bornè were. II The tone of them was Adler Younge, The tother was Kyng Estmere; They were as bolde men in their deeds As any were, farr and neare. III As they were drinking ale and wine Within his brother’s hall, ‘When will ye marry a wyfe, brother, A wyfe to glad us all?’ IV Then bespake him Kyng Estmere, And answered him hartilye: ‘I know not that ladye in any land, That’s able to marrye with mee.’-- V ‘Kyng Adland hath a daughter, brother, Men call her bright and sheene; If I were kyng here in your stead, That ladye shold be my queene.’-- VI Saies, ‘Reade me, reade me, deare brother, Throughout merry England, Where we might find a messenger Betwixt us towe to sende.’-- VII Saies, ‘You shal ryde yourselfe, brother, Ile beare you companye; Many a man throughe fals messengers is deceived, And I feare lest soe shold wee.’ VIII Thus they renisht[291] them to ryde, Of twoe good renisht steeds, And when they came to Kyng Adland’s halle, Of redd gold shone their weeds[292]. IX And when they came to Kyng Adland’s halle, Before the goodlye gate, There they found good Kyng Adland Rearing[293] himselfe theratt. X ‘Now Christ thee save, good Kyng Adland; Now Christ you save and see.’-- Sayd, ‘You be welcome, Kyng Estmere, Right hartilye to mee.’ XI ‘You have a daughter,’ said Adler Younge, ‘Men call her bright and sheene; My brother wold marrye her to his wiffe, Of Englande to be queene.’-- XII ‘Yesterday was att my deere daughter Kyng Bremor his sonne of Spayn, And then she nickèd[294] him of naye, And I doubt sheele do you the same.’-- XIII ‘The Kyng of Spayne is a foule paynim, And ’lieveth on Mahound, And pitye it were that fayre ladye Shold marry a heathen hound. XIV