Forthe then stood Sir Aldingar,
But when he saw the chylde,
He laughed, and scoffed, and turned his backe,
And weened he had been beguylde.
"Now turne, now turne thee, Aldingar,
And eyther fighte or flee;
I trust that I shall avenge the wronge,
Thoughe I am so small to see."
The boy pulld forth a well good sworde
So gilt it dazzled the ee;
The first stroke stricken at Aldingar,
Smote off his leggs by the knee.
"Stand up, stand up, thou false traitòr,
And fight upon thy feete,
For and thou thrive, as thou begin'st,
Of height wee shall be meete."
"A priest, a priest", sayes Aldingar,
"While I am a man alive.
A priest, a priest," sayes Aldingar,
"Me for to houzle and shrive.
"I wolde have laine by our comlie queene,
Bot shee wolde never consent;
Then I thought to betraye her unto our kinge
In a fyer to have her brent.
"There came a lazar to the kings gates,
A lazar both blind and lame:
I tooke the lazar upon my backe,
And on her bedd had him layne.
"Then ranne I to our comlye king,
These tidings sore to tell.
But ever alacke! sayes Aldingar,
Falsing never doth well.
"Forgive, forgive me, queene, madame,
The short time I must live."
"Nowe Christ forgive thee, Aldingar,
As freely I forgive."
"Here take thy queene, our king Harrye,
And love her as thy life,
For never had a king in Christentye,
A truer and fairer wife."
King Henrye ran to claspe his queene,
And loosed her full sone:
Then turnd to look for the tinye boye;
--The boye was vanisht and gone.