Now 'twere a good jest, if I could cosen the old churl of his daughter, and get the wench for myself.

He was very near falling, however; but, bearing on his stirrups, he recovered himself immediately; and when he thought to have revenged himself upon the churl by killing him, he had escaped, dreading the Duke's blow.

" It took Thorn a full minute to comprehend the rascality in which he'd been an unconscious partner, but when he finally got it through his head that Jim had substituted the child of a base-born churl for the Earl's daughter, he fairly raged.

"The Prince of Plassenburg hath churls among his retinue," said I, hotly, "if they be all like you two Jacks, that cannot answer a simple question without singing out like donkeys upon a common where there are no thistles to keep them quiet.

He is a churl with a soft place in his heart, whose speech is a brash of bitter waters, but who loves to help you at a pinch.

England hath enough of Saxon churls without thee, and I shall purvey myself an esquire of youthful grace and noble blood.

But besides the King's faithful neatherd, whose name is not preserved, there are other churls in the forest, who must be Alfred's comrades just now if he will have any.