The honour of a London prentice

1. Of a wȯrthȳ* London prentice
 my purpose is to spe͟ak,
And tell his brave advenṯures
 done for his countrȳ sake;
‖: Seek all the wȯrld about,
 and you shall hardlȳ find
A man in valour to exceed
 a prentice gallant mind. :‖

2. He was born in Cheshire,
 the chief of men was he;
From thence brought up to London
 a prentice for to be;
‖: A mėrchant on the bridge
 did like his sėrvice, so
That for three years his factor
 to Turke͞y he should go. :‖

3. And in that famous countrȳ
 ōne year he had not been,
E’er he by tilt maintainèd
 the honour of his Queen;
‖: Elizabeth the princess
 he noblȳ did make known
To be the phoenix of the wȯrld,
 and none but she alone. :‖

4. In armour richlȳ guilded,
 well mounted on a steed,
Ōne score of knights most hardȳ
 ōne day he made to bleed;
‖: And brought them all to ground
 who proudlȳ did deny
Elizabeth to be the pearl
 of princelȳ majestȳ. :‖

5. The King of that same countrȳ
 thereat began to frown,
And willed his son there present
 to pull this yọungster down;
‖: Who at his father’s wȯrds
 these boasting speeches sa͞id:
‘Thou art a traitor, English boy,
 and hast the traitor played.’ :‖

6. ‘I am no boy nor traitor,
 thy speeches I defy,
For which I’ll be revengèd
 upon thee by and by;
‖: A London prentice still
 shall prọve as good a man
As anȳ of your Turkish knights:
 do all the best you can.’ :‖

7. And there withal he gave him
 a box upon the ear,
Which broke his neck asunder,
 as plainlȳ doth appear;
‖: ‘Now know, proud Turk,’ quoth he,
 ‘I am no English boy
That can with ōne small box o’th ear
 the prince of Turks destroy.’ :‖

8. When as the King perceivèd
 his son so strangelȳ slain,
His soul was sore afflicted
 with more than mortal pain,
‖: And in revenge thereof,
 he swore that he should die
The cruelest death that ever man
 beheld with mortal eye. :‖

9. Two lions were preparèd
 this prentice to devo͞u͞r;
Near famished up with hunger,
 ten days within the tow’r
‖: To make them more fierce,
 and eager of their prey
To glut themselves with human gore
 upon this dreadful day. :‖

10. Th’ appointed time of torment
 at length grew near at hand,
Where all the noble ladies
 and barons of the land
‖: Attended on the King
 to see this prentice slain,
And buried in the hungrȳ maws
 of these fierce lions twain. :‖

11. Then in his shirt of cambric
 with silk most richlȳ wrought,
This wȯrthȳ London prentice
 was from the prison brought,
‖: And to the lions giv’n
 to stanch their hunger gre͞at,
Which had not eat in ten days space
 not ōne small bit of meat. :‖

12. But God that knows all secrets
 the matter so contrived
That by this yọung man’s valour
 they were of life deprived;
‖: For being faint for food,
 they scarcelȳ could withstand
The noble force and fortitude
 and courage of his hand. :‖

13. For when the hungrȳ lions
 had cast on him their eyes,
The elements did thunder
 with th’ echo of their cries;
‖: And running all amain
 his bodȳ to devo͞u͞r,
Into their throats he thrust his arms
 with all his might and pow’r. :‖

14. From thence by manlȳ valour,
 their hearts he tore in sunder,
And at the King he threw them,
 to all the peoples wonder.
‖: ‘This have I done’, quoth he,
 ‘for lovelȳ England’s sake,
And for my countrȳ’s maiden Queen
 much more will undertake.’ :‖

15. But when the King perceivèd
 his wrathful lions hearts
Afflicted with gre͞at terror,
 his rigor soon revėrts;
‖: And turnèd all his hate
 into remorse and love,
And sa͞id, ‘It is some angel
 sent down from heav’n above.’ :‖

16. ‘No, no, I am no angel,’
 the courteous yọung man sa͞id,
‘But born in famous England,
 where God’s wȯrd is obeyed;
‖: Assisted by the heav’ns,
 who did me thus befriend,
Or else they had most cruellȳ
 brought here my life to end.’ :‖

17. The King in heart amazèd
 lift up his eyes to heav’n,
And for his foul offences
 did crave to be forgiv’n,
‖: Believing that no land
 like England may be seen;
No people better governed
 by virtue of a Queen. :‖

18. So taking up this yọung man,
 he pardoned him his life,
And gave his daughter to him
 to be his wedded wife;
‖: Where then they did remain,
 and live in quiet peace
In spending of their happȳ days
 in joy and love’s increase. :‖