226 NAVESTOCK IN OLDEN DAYS ;
Lord of Ruckwood Hall
Tho the staffe to me com
Als he hoveon for to don
Faire and well iche him underfing
Als iche hoveon for to don
Bailiffe
AU iche thereon challenged
That theron was for to challenge
Nameliche,—this :—and—this :
And all that ther was for to challenge
Lord
Fayer iche him nppdede
Als iche hoveon for to don
Bailiffe
All iche wamyd to the Ward to cum
That therto hoveon for to cum
By Sunne Shining.
Lord
We our roope theder brouhton
A roope beltan14
Als we hoveon for don
And there waren & wakeden
And the Ward soe kept
That the King was harmless
And the country scatheless
Bailiffe
And a morn when itt day was
And the sun arisen was
Faier honour weren to us toke
Als us hoveon for to don
Lord &Tenants
Fayre on the staffe we scorden
Als we hoveon for to don
Fayre we him senden
Theder we hoveon for to sende
Bailiffe
And zif ther is any man
That this wittsiggen can
Iche am here ready for to don
Azens himself, iche one
Other mid him on
Other mid twyn feren
Als we ther weren
Sir byleve take this staffe
This is the Tale of the Wardstafde
The Munday following called Hock Monday the said Staffe shall be presented
yearly unto the Lord and Owner of the Manor of Fiffield for the time being, or
his resient who shall ymediately unfold the clothes it is wrapped in, that it may
appear by the score made thereon how the aforesaid Lord of Ruckwood Hall and
other Tennants which by reason of their Tenures of their lands owe suit and
service to watch the said staffe at Abbass Roothing aforesaid have done their
Watch and Service Royall accordingly the night before. Then shall he clothe it
14 A rope with a bell appended.