| |
I
YOU beauteous ladies great and small, | |
| I write unto you, one and all, | |
| Whereby that you may understand | |
| What I have suffer’d in this land. | |
| |
II
I was by birth a lady fair, | 5 |
| My father’s chief and only heir; | |
| But when my good old father died, | |
| Then I was made a young knight’s bride. | |
| |
III
And then my love built me a bower, | |
| Bedeck’d with many a fragrant flower; | 10 |
| A braver bower you ne’er did see | |
| Than my true love did build for me. | |
| |
IV
But there came thieves late in the night, | |
| They robb’d my bower, and slew my knight, | |
| And after that my knight was slain | 15 |
| I could no longer there remain. | |
| |
V
My servants all from me did fly | |
| In the midst of my extremity, | |
| And left me by myself alone | |
| With a heart more cold than any stone. | 20 |
| |
VI
Yet, though my heart was full of care, | |
| Heaven would not suffer me to despair; | |
| Wherefore in haste I changed my name | |
| From fair Elise to Sweet William. | |
| |
VII
And therewithal I cut my hair, | 25 |
| And dress’d myself in man’s attire; | |
| And in my beaver, hose, and band, | |
| I travell’d far through many a land. | |
| |
VIII
With a silver rapier by my side, | |
| So like a gallant I did ride; | 30 |
| The thing that I delighted on, | |
| It was to be a serving-man. | |
| |
IX
Thus in my sumptuous man’s array | |
| I bravely rode along the way; | |
| And at the last it chancèd so | 35 |
| That I to the King’s court did go. | |
| |
X
Then to the King I bow’d full low, | |
| My love and duty for to show; | |
| And so much favour I did crave, | |
| That I a serving-man’s place might have. | 40 |
| |
XI
‘Stand up, brave youth,’ the King replied, | |
| ‘Thy service shall not be denied; | |
| But tell me first what thou canst do; | |
| Thou shalt be fitted thereunto. | |
| |
XII
‘Wilt thou be usher of my hall, | 45 |
| To wait upon my nobles all? | |
| Or wilt thou be taster of my wine, | |
| To wait on me when I do dine? | |
| |
XIII
‘Or wilt thou be my chamberlain, | |
| To make my bed both soft and fine? | 50 |
| Or wilt thou be one of my guard? | |
| And I will give thee thy reward.’ | |
| |
XIV
Sweet William, with a smiling face, | |
| Said to the King, ‘If’t please your Grace | |
| To show such favour unto me, | 55 |
| Your chamberlain I fain would be.’ | |
| |
XV
The King then did the nobles call, | |
| To ask the counsel of them all; | |
| Who gave consent Sweet William he | |
| The King’s own chamberlain should be. | 60 |
| |
XVI
Now mark what strange thing came to pass: | |
| As the King one day a-hunting was, | |
| With all his lords and noble train, | |
| Sweet William did at home remain. | |
| |
XVII
Sweet William had no company then | 65 |
| With him at home, but an old man: | |
| And when he saw the house was clear, | |
| He took a lute which he had there: | |
| |
XVIII
Upon the lute Sweet William play’d, | |
| And to the same he sang and said, | 70 |
| With a sweet and noble voice | |
| Which made the old man to rejoice: | |
| |
XIX
‘My father was as brave a lord | |
| As ever Europe did afford, | |
| My mother was a lady bright, | 75 |
| My husband was a valiant knight: | |
| |
XX
‘And I myself a lady gay, | |
| Bedeck’d with gorgeous rich array; | |
| The bravest lady in the land | |
| Had not more pleasure at command. | 80 |
| |
XXI
‘I had my music every day, | |
| Harmonious lessons for to play; | |
| I had my virgins fair and free | |
| Continually to wait on me. | |
| |
XXII
‘But now, alas! my husband’s dead, | 85 |
| And all my friends are from me fled; | |
| My former joys are pass’d and gone, | |
| For I am now a serving-man.’ | |
| |
XXIII
At last the King from hunting came, | |
| And presently, upon the same, | 90 |
| He callèd for this good old man, | |
| And thus to speak the King began: | |
| |
XXIV
‘What news, what news, old man?’ quoth he; | |
| ‘What news hast thou to tell to me?’— | |
| ‘Brave news,’ the old man he did say, | 95 |
| ‘Sweet William is a lady gay.’— | |
| |
XXV
‘If this be true thou tell’st to me, | |
| I’ll make thee lord of high degree; | |
| But if thy words do prove a lie, | |
| Thou shalt be hang’d up presently.’ | 100 |
| |
XXVI
But when the King the truth had found, | |
| His joys did more and more abound: | |
| According as the old man did say, | |
| Sweet William was a lady gay. | |
| |
XXVII
Therefore the King without delay | 105 |
| Put on her glorious rich array, | |
| And upon her head a crown of gold | |
| Which was most famous to behold. | |
| |
XXVIII
And then, for fear of further strife, | |
| He took Sweet William for his wife: | 110 |
| The like before was never seen, | |
| A serving-man to be a queen. | |
| |
