XXXII.

He is the riallest roy, reuerend, and rike,
Of all the rentaris to ryme, or rekin on raw;
Thare is na leid on life of lordschip hym like,
Na nane fa doughty of deid, induring his daw;

Mony burgh, mony bour, mony big bike,
Mony kynrik to his clame, cumly to knaw;
Maneris full menskfull, with mony deip dike;

Selcouth war the sevint part to say at faw'.

Thare anerdis to our nobill, to note, quhen hym nedis,
Tuelf crovnit kingis in feir,

With all thair strang power,

Worthy in wedis.

And mony wight weryer,

XXXIII.

It has bene tauld hym with tong, trow ye full traift,
Your dedis, your dignite, and your doughtynes ;
Brevit throu bounte for ane of the best,

That now is namyt neir, of all nobilnes,

Sa wyde quhare wourfcip walkis be weft;

Our feymly fouerane hym felf, forfuth, will noght cefe,
Quhill he haue frely fangit your frendfchip to feft;

Gif pament, or praier, mught mak that purchese,

For na largese my lord noght wil he neuer let,

Na for na riches to rigne;

I mak you na lefing,

It war his maist yarnyng,

Your grant for to get."

I faw,
ed.

405

410

415

420

XXXIV.

Than said the fyre of the fail, with fad fembland,
"I thank your gracious grete lord, and his gude wil;
Had neuer leid of this land, that had bene leuand,
Maid ony feute before, freik, to fulfil,

I fuld fickirly myself be confentand,

And feik to your fouerane, feymly on fyll.

Sen hail our doughty elderis has bene endurand,
Thriuandly in this thede, unchargit as thril,

If I, for obeifance or boist, to bondage me bynde,
I war wourthy to be,

Hingit heigh on ane tre,

That ilk creature might se,

430

435

Bot fauand my fenyeoury fra fubiectioun,
And my lordfcip vn-lamyt, withoutin legiance,
All that I can to yone king, cumly with croun,
I fall preif all my pane, to do hym plesance ;
Baith with body and beild, bowsum and boun,
Hym to mensk on mold, withoutin manance.
Bot nowthir for his fenyeoury, nor for his fummoun,
Na for dreid of na dede, na for na distance,

I will noght bow me ane bak, for berne that is borne;
Quhill I may my wit wald,

I think my fredome to hald,
As my eldaris of ald

445

450

Has done me beforne."

XXXVI.

Thai lufly ledis at that lord thair leuis has laught;.
Bounit to the bauld king, and boidword him broght.
Than thai schupe for to affege fegis vnfaught,

Ay the manlyeft on mold, that maist of myght moght;
Thair wes restling, and reling, but rest that raught,
Mony fege our the fey to the cite focht;

Schipmen our the streme thai stithil full straught,
With alkin wappyns, I wys, pt wes for were wroght.
Thai bend bowis of bras, braithly within;

455

460

Thair wes blauing of bemys, braging, and beir;
Bretynit doune braid wod, maid bewis full bair ;
Wrightis welterand doune treis, wit ye but weir,
Ordanit hurdys ful hie, in holtis fa haire,
For to greif thair gomys, gramest that wer;
To gar the gayeft on grund' grayne vndir geir.
Thus thai fchupe for ane falt, ilk sege seir;
Ilka fouerane his enfenye fhewin has thair;
Ferly fayr wes the feild, flekerit and faw
With gold, and goulis in greyne,
Schynand fcheirly & fcheyne;
The fone, as cristall fa cleyne,

gruud, ed.

In fcheildis thai fchaw*.

2 fchair, ed.

470

475

XXXVIII.

Be it wes mydmorne and mare, merkit on the day,
Schir Golagros mery men, menfkful of myght,
In greis and garatouris, grathit full gay,
Seuyne score of scheildis thai schew at ane sicht ;
Ane helme set to ilk scheild, fiker of assay,
With fel lans' on loft, lemand ful light;

Thus flourit thai the fore front, thair fays to fray,
The frekis, that war fundin ferfe, and forffy in fight.
Ilk knyght his cunyfance kithit full cleir;
Thair names wrictin all thare,

Quhat berne that it bare,

Might wit quhat he weir.

That ilk freke quhare he fare,

XXXIX.

"Yone is the warlieft wane," said the wife king,
"That euer I vist in my walk, in all this warld wyde ;
And the straitest of stuf, with richese to ring,

With vnabafit bernys bergane to abide ;

May nane do thame na deir with vndoyng,

Yone house is sa huge hie, fra harme thame to hide.

Yit fal I mak thame vnrufe, foroutin refting,
And reve thame thair rentis, with routis full ride,
Thoght I fuld fynd thame new notis for this ix yeir;

And in his avne presence,

480

485

49.5

500

XL.

Quhat nedis," said Spinagrus, " fic notis to nevin
Or ony termis be turnit, I tell you treuly?

For thair is fegis in yone faill' wil fet vpone fevin,
Or thay be wrangit, I wis, I warne you ilk wy;
Nane hardiar of hertis vndir the hevin,

Or thay be dantit with dreid, erar will thai de;

And thai with men vpone mold be machit full evin,
Thai falbe fundin right ferfe, and full of cheualrie.
Schir, ye ar in your maiefte, your mayne, & your myght,
Yit within thir dais thre,

510

515

And how thai dar fight."

XLI.

As the reuerend roy wes reknand vpone raw,

With the rout of the Round Tabill, that wes richest,

520

The king crounit with gold, cumly to knaw,
With reuerend baronis, and beirnis of the best,

He hard ane bugill blast brym, and ane loud blaw,
As the feymly fone filit to the rest.—
Agane gais to ane garet, glifnand3 to schaw,
Turnit to ane hie toure, that tight wes full treft;
Ane helme of hard fteill in hand has he hynt,
Ane scheld wroght all of weir,
Semyt wele vpone feir;

He grippit to ane grete speir,

And furth his wais wynt.

I faill, ed.

2 filker, ed.

9 glifnand, ed.

525

530