Page:Whole prophecies of Scotland, England, Ireland, France & Denmark.pdf/23

Rh As he in hold would them ſang, firm at his will,

But when he ſaw me with fight, ſoon he them left;

And when he ſhundered away, no more I them ſaw:

Then groaning grimly, he girt to me ſoon,

As Gerrert the great ſhrew had done for the nonce,

He ſtruck faſt with his ſtaff, and ſtoniſht me ore;

But I keeped him by Chriſt, with a keen weapon,

That was my ſword, till I ſwat, ſwinging me about

And a buckler well broad, that keeped me beſt.

So freſhly he forced me meat for to make,

That he ſhundered on the fold, and his feet ſnappered,

The baſtoan on the bent ore braſed him frae,

And I but laid on his breaſt, bowned myſelf;

All griffling on the ground graciouſly held,

Through grace of the great God, that had me warn'd

He yelped, he yalmered, and youled loud,

And ſtruggled ſaft his ſtrength, and ſtruck upon loft,

But I held him by the hair as mine hap was,

And height to hurt him full ſore, but he him ſtill held:

And conjured him by Chriſt, and his mother dear,

That he hould ſhow me to his kith and kin:

But long was it that he lay ere he ſpake might,

And at the laſt he can leave, and lightly he ſaid,

Waldhave, wilt thou, that well hath thee happened;

Thou thought not that thy weird this wrought ſhould be,

But let me riſe of this race, and reſt thee beſide;

And I ſhall readily, without riot, thee marvels tell:

Great grace halt thou gotten, that got me this time.

I shall grieve thee no more, ſo is thy grace turned:

But yet I truſted not his tale, while he his truth gave

By the law and the lead, that he lived on,

That I ſure should be, and ſafe, and none ill betide:

Then let him I riſe, and leaned on his shoulder,

And great marvel of his face, and his form had;

He was formed like a freik all his four quarters:

And then his chin and his face haired ſo thick,

With hair growing ſo grim, fearful to ſee.

I frained at him foremoſt, the fear of himſelf,

Why his figure and his face was ſo fierce made?

If wearie of the world? or what him ailed?

He girmed, he gaſped, and groaned full ore,

Wept with his grey eyes, and ſuddenly he ſaid,

"Good game all the way, is as God will:

For he is grieved through my guilt, and I no grace ſerved,