The Book of Brave Old Ballads Part 11

G.o.d save our king, and bless this land In plenty, joy, and peace; And grant henceforth, that foul debate 'Twixt n.o.blemen may cease.

FOOTNOTES:

[82] Field.

[83] Wild.

[84] The curfew.

KING EDWARD THE FOURTH AND THE TANNER OF TAMWORTH.

In summer time, when leaves grow green, And blossoms bedeck the tree, King Edward would a hunting ride, Some pastime for to see.

With hawk and hound he made him bowne,[85]

With horn, and eke with bow; To Drayton Ba.s.set he took his way, With all his lords in a row.

And he had ridden o'er dale and down By eight of clock in the day, When he was 'ware of a bold tanner, Come riding along the way.

A fair russet coat the tanner had on Fast b.u.t.toned under his chin, And under him a good cow-hide, And a mare of four shilling.[86]

Now stand you still, my good lords all, Under the greenwood spray; And I will wend to yonder fellow, To weet[87] what he will say.

G.o.d speed, G.o.d speed thee, said our king.

Thou art welcome, sir, said he.

The readiest way to Drayton Ba.s.set I pray thee to show to me.

To Drayton Ba.s.set wouldst thou go, Fro' the place where thou dost stand?

The next pair of gallows thou comest unto, Turn in upon thy right hand.

That is an unready way, said our king, Thou dost but jest I see; Now show me out the nearest way, And I pray thee wend with me.

Away with a vengeance! quoth the tanner: I hold thee out of thy wit: All day have I ridden on Brock my mare, And I am fasting yet.

Go with me down to Drayton Ba.s.set, No dainties we will spare; All day shalt thou eat and drink of the best, And I will pay thy fare.

Gramercy for nothing, the tanner replied, Thou payest no fare of mine: I trow I've more n.o.bles in my purse, Than thou hast pence in thine.

G.o.d give thee joy of them, said the king, And send them well to priefe.[88]

The tanner would fain have been away, For he weened he had been a thief.

Who art thou, he said, thou fine fellw, Of thee I am in great fear, For the clothes thou wearest upon thy back, Might beseem a lord to wear.

I never stole them, quoth our king, I tell you, sir, by the rood, Then thou playest, as many an unthrift doth And standest in midst of thy good.[89]

What tidings hear you, said the king, As you ride far and near?

I hear no tidings, sir, by the ma.s.s, But that cow-hides are dear.

Cow-hides! cow-hides! what things are those?

I marvel what they be!

What art thou a fool? the tanner replied; I carry one under me.

What craftsman art thou? said the king, I pray thee tell me true.

I am a barker,[90] sir, by my trade; Now tell me what art thou?

I am a poor courtier, sir, quoth he, That am forth of service worn; And fain I would thy prentice be, Thy cunning for to learn.

Marry heaven forfend, the tanner replied, That thou my prentice were: Thou wouldst spend more good than I should win By forty shilling a year.

Yet one thing would I, said our king, If thou wilt not seem strange: Though my horse be better than thy mare, Yet with thee I fain would change.

Why if with me thou fain wilt change, As change full well may we, By the faith of my body, thou proud fellw, I will have some boot of thee.

That were against reason, said the king, I swear, so mote I thee:[91]

My horse is better than thy mare, And that thou well mayst see.

Yea, sir, but Brock is gentle and mild, And softly she will fare: Thy horse is unruly and wild, I wiss; Aye skipping here and there.

What boot wilt thou have? our king replied, Now tell me in this stound.

No pence, nor half-pence, by my faith, But a n.o.ble in gold so round.

Here's twenty groats of white money, Sith thou will have it of me.

I would have sworn now, quoth the tanner, Thou hadst not had one penny.

But since we two have made a change, A change we must abide, Although thou hast gotten Brock my mare, Thou gettest not my cow-hide.

I will not have it, said the king, I swear, so mote I thee; Thy foul cow-hide I would not bear, If thou wouldst give it to me.

The tanner he took his good cow-hide, That of the cow was hilt;[92]

And threw it upon the king's saddle, That was so fairly gilt.

Now help me up, thou fine fellow, 'Tis time that I were gone; When I come home to Gyllian my wife, She'll say I am a gentleman.

When the tanner he was in the king's saddle, And his foot in the stirrup was; He marvelled greatly in his mind, Whether it were gold or bra.s.s.

But when his steed saw the cow's tail wag, And eke the black cow-horn; He stamped, and stared, and away he ran, As the devil had him borne.

The tanner he pulled, the tanner he sweat, And held by the pummel fast, At length the tanner came tumbling down; His neck he had well-nigh brast.[93]

Take thy horse again with a vengeance, he said, With me he shall not bide.

My horse would have borne thee well enough, But he knew not of thy cow-hide.

Yet if again thou fain wouldst change, As change full well may we, By the faith of my body, thou jolly tanner, I will have some boot of thee.