ter, with the warm
blood relieve your fainting spirits: suck on that till I end, and you
be comforted."

With that Adam Spencer was ready to pull out his knife, when Rosader
full of courage (though very faint) rose up, and wished Adam Spencer
to sit there till his return; "for my mind gives me," quoth he, "I
shall bring thee meat." With that, like a madman, he rose up, and
ranged up and down the woods, seeking to encounter some wild beast
with his rapier, that either he might carry his friend Adam food, or
else pledge his life in pawn for his loyalty.

It chanced that day, that Gerismond, the lawful king of France
banished by Torismond, who with a lusty crew of outlaws lived in that
forest, that day in honor of his birth made a feast to all his bold
yeomen, and frolicked it with store of wine and venison, sitting all
at a long table under the shadow of limon trees. To that place by
chance fortune conducted Rosader, who seeing such a crew of brave men,
having store of that for want of which he and Adam perished, he
stepped boldly to the board's end, and saluted the company thus:

"Whatsoever thou be that art master of these lusty squires, I salute
thee as graciously as a man in extreme distress may: know that I and a
fellow-friend of mine are here famished in the forest for want of
food: perish we must, unless relieved by thy favors. Therefore, if
thou be a gentleman, give meat to men, and to such men as are every
way worthy of life. Let the proudest squire that sits at thy table
rise and encounter with me in any honorable point of activity
whatsoever, and if he and thou prove me not a man, send me away
comfortless. If thou refuse this, as a niggard of thy cates, I will
have amongst you with my sword; for rather will I die valiantly, than
perish with so cowardly an extreme."

Gerismond, looking him earnestly in the face, and seeing so proper a
gentleman in so bitter a passion, was moved with so great pity, that
rising from the table, he took him by the hand and bad him welcome,
willing him to sit down in his place, and in his room not only to eat
his fill, but be lord of the feast.

"Gramercy, sir," quoth Rosader, "but I have a feeble friend that lies
hereby famished almost for food, aged and therefore less able to abide
the extremity of hunger than myself, and dishonor it were for me to
taste one crumb, before I made him partner of my fortunes: therefore I
will run and fetch him, and then I will gratefully accept