{"collection":"Northern European Mythology","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/browse/neu/eng/child/ch060.htm","path":"neu/eng/child/ch060.htm","source_url":"https://sacred-texts.com/neu/eng/child/ch060.htm","text":"Sacred Texts\u00a0\n Legends & Sagas\u00a0\n England\u00a0\n Index\u00a0\n Previous\u00a0\n Next\u00a0\n \n \n \n 60: King Estmere\n \n \n a. Percy\u2019s Reliques, edition of 1794, I, 64. b. Reliques, edition of 1765, I, 58.\n \n 60.1\tHEARKEN to me, gentlemen,\n Come and you shall heare;\n Ile tell you of two of the boldest brether\n That ever borne were.\n 60.2\tThe tone of them was Adler Younge,\n The tother was Kyng Estmere;\n The were as bolde men in their deeds\n As any were, farr and neare.\n 60.3\tAs they were drinking ale and wine\n Within his brother\u2019s hall,\n \u2018When will ye marry a wyfe, brother,\n A wyfe to glad us all?\u2019\n 60.4\tThen bespake him Kyng Estmere,\n And answered him hartilye:\n \u2018I know not that ladye in any land,\n That\u2019s able to marrye with mee.\u2019\n 60.5\t\u2018Kyng Adland hath a daughter, brother,\n Men call her bright and sheene;\n If I were kyng here in your stead,\n That ladye shold be my queene.\u2019\n 60.6\tSaies, Reade me, reade me, deare brother,\n Throughout merry England,\n Where we might find a messenger\n Betwixt us towe to sende.\n 60.7\tSaies, You shal ryde yourselfe, brother,\n Ile beare you companye;\n Many a man throughe fals messengers is deceived,\n And I feare lest soe shold wee.\n 60.8\tThus the renisht them to ryde,\n Of twoe good renisht steeds,\n And when the came to King Adlands halle,\n Of redd gold shone their weeds.\n 60.9\tAnd when the came to Kyng Adlands hall,\n Before the goodlye gate,\n There they found good Kyng Adland\n Rearing himselfe theratt.\n 60.10\t\u2018Now Christ thee save, good Kyng Adland;\n Now Christ you save and see:\u2019\n Sayd, You be welcome, King Estmere,\n Right hartilye to mee.\n 60.11\t\u2018You have a daughter,\u2019 said Adler Younge,\n \u2018Men call her bright and sheene;\n My brother wold marrye her to his wiffe,\n Of Englande to be queene.\u2019\n 60.12\t\u2018Yesterday was att my deere daughter\n The king his sonne of Spayn,\n And then she nicked him of naye,\n And I doubt sheele do you the same.\u2019\n 60.13\t\u2018The kyng of Spayne is a foule paynim,\n And \u2019leeveth on Mahound,\n And pitye it were that fayre ladye\n Shold marrye a heathen hound.\u2019\n 60.14\t\u2018But grant to me,\u2019 sayes Kyng Estmere,\n \u2018For my love I you praye,\n That I may see your daughter deere\n Before I goe hence awaye.\u2019\n 60.15\t\u2018Although itt is seven yeers and more\n Since my daughter was in halle,\n She shall come once downe for your sake,\n To glad my guest?es alle.\u2019\n 60.16\tDowne then came that mayden fayre,\n With ladyes laced in pall,\n And halfe a hundred of bold knightes,\n To bring her [from] bowre to hall,\n And as many gentle squiers,\n To tend upon them all.\n 60.17\tThe talents of golde were on her head sette\n Hanged low downe to her knee,\n And everye ring on her small finger\n Shone of the chrystall free.\n 60.18\tSaies, God you save, my deere madam, Saies,\n God you save and see:\n Said, You be welcome, Kyng Estmere,\n Right welcome unto mee.\n 60.19\t\u2018And, if you love me, as you saye,\n Soe well and hartilee,\n All that ever you are comen about\n Soone sped now itt shal bee.\u2019\n 60.20\tThen bespake her father deare:\n My daughter, I saye naye;\n Remember well the kyng of Spayne,\n What he sayd yesterdaye.\n 60.21\t\u2018He wold pull downe my halles and castles,\n And reave me of my lyfe;\n I cannot blame him if he doe,\n If I reave him of his wyfe.\n 60.22\t\u2018Your castles and your towres, father,\n Are stronglye built aboute,\n And therefore of the king his sonne of Spaine\n Wee neede not stande in doubt.\n 60.23\t\u2018Plight me your troth, nowe, Kyng Estmere,\n By heaven and your righte hand,\n That you will marrye me to your wyfe,\n And make me queene of your land.\u2019\n 60.24\tThen Kyng Estmere he plight his troth,\n By heaven and his righte hand,\n That he wolde marrye her to his wyfe,\n And make her queene of his land.\n 60.25\tAnd he tooke leave of that ladye fayre,\n To goe to his owne countree,\n To fetche him dukes and lordes and knightes,\n That marryed the might bee.\n 60.26\tThey had not ridden scant a myle,\n A myle forthe of the towne,\n But in did come the kyng of Spayne,\n With kemp?es many one.\n 60.27\tBut in did come the kyng of Spayne,\n With manye a bold barone,\n Tone day to marrye Kyng Adlands daughter,\n Tother daye to carrye her home.\n 60.28\tShee sent one after Kyng Estmere,\n In all the spede might bee,\n That he must either turne againe and fighte,\n Or goe home and loose his ladye.\n 60.29\tOne whyle then the page he went,\n Another while he ranne;\n Till he had oretaken King Estmere,\n I-wis he never blanne.\n 60.30\t\u2018Tydings, tydings, Kyng Estmere!\u2019\n \u2018What tydinges nowe, my boye?\u2019\n \u2018O tydinges I can tell to you,\n That will you sore annoye.\n 60.31\t\u2018You had not ridden scant a mile,\n A mile out of the towne,\n But in did come the kyng of Spayne,\n With kemp?es many a one.\n 60.32\t\u2018But in did come the kyng of Spayne,\n With manye a bold barone,\n Tone daye to marrye King Adlands daughter,\n Tother daye to carry her home.\n 60.33\t\u2018My ladye fayre she greetes you well,\n And ever-more well by mee;\n You must either turne againe and fighte,\n Or goe home and loose your ladye.\u2019\n 60.34\tSaies, Reade me, reade me, deere brother,\n My reade shall ryse at thee,\n Whether it is better to turne and fighte,\n Or goe home and loose my ladye.\n 60.35\t\u2018Now hearken to me,\u2019 sayes Adler Yonge,\n \u2018And your reade must rise at me;\n I quicklye will devise a waye\n To sette thy ladye free.\n 60.36\t\u2018My mother was a westerne woman,\n And learned in gramarye,\n And when I learned at the schole,\n Something shee taught itt mee.\n 60.37\t\u2018There growes an hearbe within this field,\n And iff it were but knowne,\n His color, which is whyte and redd,\n It will make blacke and browne.\n 60.38\t\u2018His color, which is browne and blacke,\n Itt will make redd and whyte;\n That sworde is not in all Englande\n Upon his coate will byte.\n 60.39\t\u2018And you shal be a harper, brother,\n Out of the north countrye,\n And Ile be your boy, soo faine of fighte,\n And beare your harpe by your knee.\n 60.40\t\u2018And you shal be the best harper\n That ever tooke harpe in hand,\n And I wil be the best singer\n That ever sung in this lande.\n 60.41\t\u2018Itt shal be written in our forheads,\n All and in grammarye,\n That we towe are the boldest men\n That are in all Christentye.\u2019\n 60.42\tAnd thus they renisht them to ryde,\n Of tow good renisht steedes,\n And when they came to King Adlands hall,\n Of redd gold shone their weedes.\n 60.43\tAnd whan the came to Kyng Adlands hall\n Untill the fayre hall-yate,\n There they found a proud porter,\n Rearing himselfe thereatt.\n 60.44\tSayes, Christ thee save, thou proud porter,\n Sayes, Christ thee save and see:\n \u2018Nowe you be welcome,\u2019 sayd the porter,\n \u2018Of what land soever ye bee.\u2019\n 60.45\t\u2018Wee beene harpers,\u2019 sayd Adler Younge,\n \u2018Come out of the northe countrye;\n Wee beene come hither untill this place\n This proud weddinge for to see.\u2019\n 60.46\tSayd, And your color were white and redd,\n As it is blacke and browne,\n I wolde saye King Estmere and his brother\n Were comen untill this towne.\n 60.47\tThen they pulled out a ryng of gold,\n Layd itt on the porters arme:\n \u2018And ever we will thee, proud porter,\n Thow wilt saye us no harme.\u2019\n 60.48\tSore he looked on Kyng Estmere,\n And sore he handled the ryng,\n Then opened to them the fayre hall-yates,\n He lett for no kind of thyng.\n 60.49\tKyng Estmere he stabled his steede\n Soe fayre att the hall-bord;\n The froth that came from his brydle bitte\n Light in Kyng Bremors beard.\n 60.50\tSaies, Stable thy steed, thou proud harper,\n Saies, Stable him in the stalle;\n It doth not beseeme a proud harper\n To stable his steed in a kyngs halle.\n 60.51\t\u2018My ladde he is so lither,\u2019 he said,\n \u2018He will doe nought that\u2019s meete;\n And is there any man in this hall\n Were able him to beate?\u2019\n 60.52\t\u2018Thou speakst proud words,\u2019 sayes the king of Spaine,\n \u2018Thou harper, here to mee;\n There is a man within this halle\n Will beate thy ladd and thee.\u2019\n 60.53\t\u2018O let that man come downe,\u2019 he said,\n \u2018A sight of him wold I see;\n And when hee hath beaten well my ladd,\n Then he shall beate of mee.\u2019\n 60.54\tDowne then came the kemperye man,\n And looked him in the eare;\n For all the gold that was under heaven,\n He durst not neigh him neare.\n 60.55\t\u2018And how nowe, kempe,\u2019 said the kyng of Spaine,\n \u2018And how, what aileth thee?\u2019\n He saies, It is writt in his forhead,\n All and in grammarye,\n That for all the gold that is under heaven,\n I dare not neigh him nye.\n 60.56\tThen Kyng Estmere pulld forth his harpe,\n And plaid a pretty thinge;\n The ladye upstart from the borde,\n And wold have gone from the king.\n 60.57\t\u2018Stay thy harpe, thou proud harper,\n For Gods love I pray thee;\n For and thou playes as thou beginns,\n Thou\u2019lt till my bryde from mee.\u2019\n 60.58\tHe stroake upon his harpe againe,\n And playd a pretty thinge;\n The ladye lough a loud laughter,\n As shee sate by the king.\n 60.59\tSaies, Sell me thy harpe, thou proud harper,\n And thy string?es all;\n For as many gold nobles thou shalt have\n As heere bee ringes in the hall.\u2019\n 60.60\t\u2018What wold ye doe with my harpe,\u2019 he sayd,\n \u2018If I did sell itt yee?\u2019\n \u2018To playe my wiffe and me a fitt,\n When abed together wee bee.\u2019\n 60.61\t\u2018Now sell me,\u2019 quoth hee, \u2018thy bryde soe gay,\n As shee sitts by thy knee;\n And as many gold nobles I will give\n As leaves been on a tree.\u2019\n 60.62\t\u2018And what wold ye doe with my bryde soe gay,\n Iff I did sell her thee?\n More seemelye it is for her fayre bodye\n To lye by mee then thee.\u2019\n 60.63\tHee played agayne both loud and shrille,\n And Adler he did syng,\n \u2018O ladye, this is thy owne true love,\n Noe harper, but a kyng.\n 60.64\t\u2018O ladye, this is thy owne true love,\n As playnlye thou mayest see,\n And Ile rid thee of that foule paynim\n Who partes thy love and thee.\u2019\n 60.65\tThe ladye looked, the ladye blushte,\n And blushte and lookt agayne,\n While Adler he hath drawne his brande,\n And hath the sowdan slayne.\n 60.66\tUp then rose the kemperye men,\n And loud they gan to crye:\n \u2018Ah! traytors, yee have slayne our kyng,\n And therefore yee shall dye.\u2019\n 60.67\tKyng Estmere threwe the harpe asyde,\n And swith he drew his brand,\n And Estmere he and Adler Yonge\n Right stiffe in stour can stand.\n 60.68\tAnd aye their swordes soe sore can byte,\n Throughe help of gramarye,\n That soone they have slayne the kempery men,\n Or forst them forth to flee.\n 60.69\tKyng Estmere tooke that fayre ladye,\n And marryed her to his wiffe,\n And brought her home to merry England,\n With her to leade his life.\n \n \n \n \n \n Next: 61. Sir Cawline","title":"The Child Ballads: 60. King Estmere","type":"page"}