The shepherd and the King, and of Gillian the shepherds Wife, with her churlish answer.
Being full of mirth and pastime. To the Tune of Flying Fame.
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IN Elder time there as of Yore,
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when guides of churlish glee,
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Were us'd among our Country Carls,
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though no such thing now be:
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The which King Alfred liking well,
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forsook his stately Court,
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And in disguise unknown went forth,
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to see that jovial sport,
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How Dick and Tom in clouted shoon,
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and coats of Russet gray,
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Esteem'd themselves more brave then them,
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that went in Golden Ray;
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In garments fit for such a life,
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the good King Alfred went,
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All rag'd and torn as from his back
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the beggar his cloaths had rent.
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A sword and bucler good and strong,
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to give Jack Sauce a wray,
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And on his head instead of a Crown,
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he wore a Monmouth Cap.
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Thus coasting thorow Somersetshire,
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near Newton Court he met,
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A Shepherd Swain of lusty limb,
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that up and down did jet:
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He wore a bonnet of good gray,
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close buttoned to his chin,
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And at his back a Leather scrip,
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with much good meat therein.
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God speed good Shepherd, quoth the King
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I come to be thy Guest,
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To taste of they good victuals here,
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and drink that's of the best:
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Thy scrip I know hath cheer good store,
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what then the Sherherd said?
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Thou seem'st to be some sturdy thief,
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and mak'st me sore afraid.
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Yet if thou wilt thy dinner win
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the Sword and Buckler take,
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And if thou canst into my scrip
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therewith an entrance make,
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I tell the roister it hath store,
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of Beef and Bacon fat,
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With shieves of barly bread to make
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[th]y chaps to water at:
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Here stands my bottle, here my bag,
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if thou canst win them Roister,
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Against the sword and buckler here
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my sheephook is my ma[st]er.
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Benedicite now, quoth our good King
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it never shall be said,
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That Alfred of the shepherds hook
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will stand a whit afraid:
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So Soundly thus they both fell to't,
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and giving bang for bang,
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At every blow the shepherd gave
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King Alfreds sword cry'd twang.
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His buckler prov'd his chiefest fence
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for still the shepherds hook,
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Was that the which King Alfred could
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in no good manner brook:
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At last when they had fought 4 hours,
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and it grew just mid-day,
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And wearied both with right good will
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desired each others stay.
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King, truce I cry quoth Alfred then,
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good shepherd hold thy hand,
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A sturdier fellow then thy self
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lives not within this land.
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Nor a lustier Roister then thou art,
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the churlish shepherd said,
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To tell thee plain thy thievish looks,
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now makes my heart afraid;
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Else sure thou are some prodigal
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which hast consum'd thy store
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And now camst wandring in this place
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to rob and steal for more:
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Deem not of me then quoth our King
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good shepherd in this sort,
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A Gentleman well known I am
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in good King Alfreds Court.
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The Devil thou art, the shepherd said
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thou goest in raggs all torn,
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Thou rather seem'st I think to be
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some beggar basely born;
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But if thou wilt mend thy estate,
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and here a shepherd be,
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At night to Gillian my sweet wife
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thou shalt go home with me.
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For she's as good a toothless dame
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as mumbleth on brown bread,
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Where thou shalt lie in hurden sheets,
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upon a frest straw bed.
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Of whig and whey we have good store,
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and keep good pease straw fires.
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And now and then good barly Cakes
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as better days requires.
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But for my master which is chief,
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and Lord of Newton Court,
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He keeps I say, his shepherds swains
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in far more braver sort;
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We there have curds & clouted cream
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of red Cows morning milk,
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And now and then fine buttered cakes
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as soft as any silk.
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Of Beef and reised Bacon store
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that is most fat and greasie,
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We have likewise to feed our chaps,
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and make them glib and easie.
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Thus if thou wilt my man become,
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this usage thou shalt have,
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If not adieu go hang thy self
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and so farewel Sir Knave.
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King Alfred hearing of this glee,
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the churlish shepherd said,
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Was well content to be his man,
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so they a bargain made.
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A penny round the shepherd gave,
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in earnest of this match,
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To keep his sheep in field and fold
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as shepherds use to watch.
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His wages shall be full ten groats
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for service of a year,
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Yet was it not his use old Lad
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to hire a man so dear.
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For did the King himself (quoth he)
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unto my cottage come,
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He should not for a 12 months pay
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receive a greater summ.
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Hereat the bonny King grew blith
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to hear the clownish jest,
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How silly sots as custome is
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do discant at the best.
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But not to spoil the foolish sport
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he was content good King,
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To sit the shepherds humour right
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in every kind of thing,
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A sheep-hook then with patch his dog
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and Tar-box by his side,
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The second Part, To the same Tune.
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HE with his Master jig by jowl,
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unto old Gillian hy'd,
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Into whose sight no sooner came,
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whom have you here (quoth she)
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A fellow I doubt will cut our throats,
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so like a knave looks he.
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Not so old Dame quod Alfred straight,
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of me you need not fear,
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My Master hired me for ten Groats
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to serve you one whole year:
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So good dame Gillian grant me leave
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within your house to stay,
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For by Saint Ann do what you can,
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I will not yet away.
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Her churlish usage pleas'd him still,
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put him to such proof,
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That he at night almost choakt,
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within that smoaky Roof:
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But as he sat with smilling cheer,
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the event of all to see,
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His dame brought forth a piece of dow
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which in the fire throws she;
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Where lying on the Harth to bake,
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by chance the Cake did burn,
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What canst thou not, thou lout (quod she)
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take pains the same to turn:
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Thou art more quick to take it out
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and eat it up half Dow,
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Then thus to stay til't be enough,
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and so thy manners show.
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But serve me such another trick
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I'le thwack thee on the snout.
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Which made the patient King good man
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of her to stand in doubt,
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But to be brief to bed they went
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the good Old Man and his Wife,
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But never such a Lodging had,
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King Alfred in his life:
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For he was laid in white sheeps wooll
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new pull'd from tanned fells,
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And ore his head hang'd spiders webs
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as if they had been bells.
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Is this the Country guise thought he,
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then here I will not stay,
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But hence be gone as soon as breaks,
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the peeping of next day.
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The cacklin Hens & Geese kept roost
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and pearched at his side,
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Where at the last the watchful Cock,
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made known the morning tide;
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Then up got Alfred with his horn,
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and blew so long a blast,
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That made Gillian and his Groom,
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in bed fust sore agast.
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Arise, quoth she we are undone,
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this night we lodged have.
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At unawares within our house,
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a false dissembling knave;
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Rise husband, rise, he'l cut our throats
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he calleth for his Mates,
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Ide give old Will our good Cade lamb,
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he would depart our gates.
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But still King Alfred blew his horn,
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before them more and more,
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Till that a hundred Lords and Knights,
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all lighted at the door:
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Which cry'd all hail, all hail, good King
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long have we look'd your Grace,
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And here you find (my merry men all)
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your Soveraign in this place.
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We shall surely by hang'd up both,
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old Gillian I much fear,
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The shepherd said for using thus,
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our good King Alfred here:
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O pardon my Liege, quod Gillian then
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for my Husband and for me,
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By these ten bones I never thought,
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the same that now I see;
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And by my book the Shepherd said,
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an Oath both good and true,
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Before this time O Noble King,
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I never your Highness knew:
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Then pardon me and my old Wife,
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that we may after say,
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When first you came into our house,
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it was a happy day.
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It shall be done said Alfred straight,
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and Gillian my Old Dame,
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For this thy churlish using me,
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deserveth not much blame;
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For this thy Countrey guise I see,
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to be thus bluntish still,
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And where the plainest meaning is,
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remains the smallest ill.
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And Master lo I tell thee now,
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for thy low manhood shown
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A thousand Weathers i'le bestow,
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upon thee for thy own.
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And pasture ground as much as will,
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suffice to feed them all,
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And this thy Cottage I will change,
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into a stately Hall.
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As for the same as duty binds,
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the Shepherd said good King,
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A milk-white Lambe once every year,
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i'le to your Highness bring.
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And Gillian my wife likewise,
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of Wooll to make you Coats,
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Will give you as much at New-years tide
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as shall be worth ten groats.
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And in your priase my Bagpipe shall
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sound sweetly once a year,
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How Alfred our renowned King
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most kindly hath been here,
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Thanks shepherd, thanks, quod he again,
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the next time I come hither,
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My Lords with me here in this house
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will all be merry together.
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FINIS.
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