Page:The booke of thenseygnementes and techynge that the Knyght of the Towre made to his doughters - 1902.pdf/45



HENNE I wold wel that ye had vnderstonden thensample of the doughters of the kyng of denmarke, whiche j shall acompte to yow. Ther ben foure kynges on this side the see that auncyently maryed for honoure, withoute couetyse of lond, with doughters of kynges and hyghe prynces that were wel born and had good renomme, of good maners, of good mayntene, and stedfast and they shold be sene yf they were wel shapen, and lyke to bere children, and that they had suche thynges as wymmen ought to haue. And these ben the foure kynges; the kyng of Frauce, whiche is the moost grettest and noble; the next is the kyng of Englond; the thyrd is the kyng of spayne; and the fourth is the kyng of hongarye, whiche is by right Marchal of Cristen men in werres ageynst the hethen men and sarasyns. So it happed that the kyng of Englond was for to marye, and he herd saye that the kynge of denmarke had thre fayre doughters and moche wel born. And by cause this kyng was a moche wyse man, and the quene a blessid woman and of good lyf, he sente certayne knyghtes and ladyes of the mooste suffisaunt of his royamme for to see these doughters, and so passed the see and camen in to denmark. When the kyng & the quene saw the messagers they had grete ioye, & honoured & fested them foure dayes, & none knewe the trouthe, whiche of them shold be chosen. And they affayted & arayed the doughters the best wyse they myzt. And ther was in this companye a knyght and a lady right connyng and moche subtyl, whiche took good heede and set their ententes for to see the manere of these thre yong ladyes & their contenaunces, & otherwhyle spaken and had comynycacyon with hem. And them semed that the oldest was the fayrest,