King Ryence's Challenge Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: ABACDEF GFGFFHH BHBHHBB HIHIIC CHCHCCHH JKJEKII| As it fell out on a Pentecost day | A |
| King Arthur at Camelot kept his court royall | B |
| With his faire queene dame Guenever the gay | A |
| And many bold barons sitting in hall | C |
| With ladies attired in purple and pall | D |
| And heraults in hewkes hooting on high | E |
| Cryed Largesse Largesse Chevaliers tres hardie | F |
| - | |
| A doughty dwarfe to the uppermost deas | G |
| Right pertlye gan pricke kneeling on knee | F |
| With steven fulle stoute amids all the preas | G |
| Say'd Nowe Sir King Arthur God save thee and see | F |
| Sir Ryence of North Gales greeteth well thee | F |
| And bids thee thy beard anon to him send | H |
| Or else from thy jaws hewill it off rend | H |
| - | |
| For his robe of state is a rich scarlet mantle | B |
| With eleven kings beards bordered about | H |
| And there is room lefte yet in a kantle | B |
| For thine to stande to make the twelfth out | H |
| This must be done be thou never so stout | H |
| This must be done I tell thee no fable | B |
| Maugre the teethe of all thy Round Table | B |
| - | |
| When this mortal message from his mouthe past | H |
| Great was the noyse bothe in hall and in bower | I |
| The king fum'd the queene screecht ladies were aghast | H |
| Princes puff'd barons blustred lords began lower | I |
| Knights stormed squires startled like steeds in a stower | I |
| Pages and yeomen yell'd out in the hall | C |
| - | |
| Then in came Sir Kay the king's seneschal | C |
| Silence my soveraignes quoth this courteous knight | H |
| And in that stound the stowre began still | C |
| Then the dwarfe's dinner full deerely was dight | H |
| Of wine and wassel he had his wille | C |
| And when he had eaten and drunken his fill | C |
| An hundred pieces of fine coynd gold | H |
| Were given this dwarf for his message bold | H |
| - | |
| But say to Sir Ryence thou dwarf quoth the king | J |
| That for his bold message I do him defye | K |
| And shortlyewith basins and pans will him ring | J |
| Out of North Gales where he and I | E |
| With swords and not razors quickly shall trye | K |
| Whether he or King Arthur will prove the best barbor | I |
| And therewith he shook his good sword Escal bor | I |
Thomas Percy
(1)
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