A Pleasant Ballad of King Henry the second, and the Miller of
Mansfield, and how he was Entertained and Lodged at the Millers House, and of their pleasant Com-
munication. To the tune of the French Levalto, etc.
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HEnry, our Royal King, would ride a Hunting,
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to the green Forrest, so pleasant and fair,
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To have the Hart chased, and dainty Does tripping,
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unto merry Sherwood his Nobles repair;
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Hawk and Hound was unbound, all things prepard
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For the same: To the Game, with good regard,
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All a long Summers Day, rode the King pleasantly,
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with all his Princes, and Nobles; each one
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Chasing the Hart, and Hind, & the Buck gallantly,
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till the dark Evening forcd Him to turn home.
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Then, at last, riding fast, he had lost quite
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All his Lords in the Wood; late, in dark Night,
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Wandring thus, warily, all alone, up and down,
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with a rude Miller he met, at the last:
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Asking the ready way unto fair Nottingham.
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Sir, (quoth the Miller) your way you have lost;
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Yet I think what I think, truth for to say,
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You do not likely ride out of your way.
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Why? what dost thou think of me? quod our King merily,
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passing thy judgment upon me so brief.
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Good faith, (said the Miller) I mean not to flatter thee,
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I guess thee to be but some Gentleman-Thief:
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Stand thee back in the dark, light thee not down,
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Least that I presently crack thy Kaves crown.
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Thou hast abusd me much, (quod the King, saying thus)
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I am a Gentleman, and Lodging I lack.
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Thou hast not (quod the miller) one groat in thy purse,
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all thy Inheritance hangs on thy back.
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I have gold to discharge all that I call,
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If it be Forty Pence I will pay all.
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If thou beest a True-man, (then quoth the Miller)
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I swear by my tole-dish, Ill lodge thee all night.
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Heres my hand, (quoth the King) that was I ever.
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Nay, soft, (quod the Miller) thou mayst be a Spright,
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Better I[]ll know thee eer hands I will take,
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With none but honest men hands will I shake.
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Thus they went all along unto the Millers house,
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where they were seething of Puddings and Souse;
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The Miller first entred in, then after him the King,
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never came he in so smoaky a house:
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Now (quoth he) let me see here what you are.
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Quoth our King, Look your fill, and do not spare.
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I like thy countenance, thou hast an honest face,
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with my Son Richard this night thou shalt lye,
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Quoth his wife, By my troth it is a handsom Youth,
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yet it is best (husband) for to deal warily:
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Art thou not a Run-away, prethee Youth tell?
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Shew me thy Pasport and all shall be well.
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Then our King presently making low courtesie,
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with his Hat in his hand, thus he did say,
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I have no pasport, nor never was Servitor,
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but a poor Courtier rode out of my way:
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And for your kindness here offered me,
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I will requite it in every degree.
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Then to the Miller his wife whispered secretly,
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saying it seems this Youths of good kin,
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Both by his apparel and eke by his manners,
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to turn him out certainly twere a great sin.
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Yea (quoth he) you may see he hath some grace,
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When he doth speak to his betters in place.
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Well, quod the Millers wife, young man welcom here,
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and tho I say it well lodgd thou shalt be,
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Fresh straw I will have laid on thy bed so brave,
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good brown hempon-sheets likewise, quoth she.
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Ay, quoth the good man, and when that is done
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You shalt lye with no worse than my own Son.
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Nay first (quoth Richard) Goodfellow tell me true,
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hast thou no Creepers within thy gay Hose?
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Or art thou not troubled with the Scabbado?
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I pray quoth our King what things are those?
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art thou not lowsie nor scabby? quoth he,
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If thou beest, surely thou lyst not with me.
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This causd the King suddenly to laugh most heartily
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till the tears trickled down from his eyes;
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Then to their supper were they set orderly,
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with a hot bag-pudding and good apple-pies;
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Nappy ale good and stale in a brown bowl,
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Which did about the board merrily trowl.
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Here quod the miller good fellow Ill drink to thee,
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and to all Courtnals where-ever they be.
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Ill pledge you, quoth our King, and thank you heartly
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for your good welcome in every degree;
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And here in like manner Ill drink to your Son.
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Do so, quoth Richard, but quick let it come.
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Wife, quoth the miller, fetch me forth Light-foot
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that we of his sweetness a little may taste;
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A fair venision-pasty then brought she forth presently,
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Eat, quoth the miller, but Sir make no waste:
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Heres dainty Light-foot, in faith, said our King,
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I never before did Eat so dainty a thing.
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I wis, said Richard, no dainty at all it is,
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for we do eat of it every day;
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In what place, said the King may be bought like to this
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We never pay penny for it by fay.
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From merry Sherwood we fetch it home here,
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Now and then we make bold with our Kings deer:
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Then I think, said our King, that it is venision.
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Each fool quoth Richard, full well may see that;
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Never are we without two or three under the roof,
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very well fleshed and excellent fat:
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But prethee say nothing where ever thou go,
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We would not for two-pence the King should it know
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Doubt not, then said the King, my promisd secresie,
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the King shall never know more ont for me.
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A cup of lambs-wool they drank unto him then,
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and to their beds they past presently:
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The Nobles next morning went all up and down
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For to seek out the King in every town.
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At last at the millers house soon they espyd him plai[n]
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as he was mounting upon his fair Steed,
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To whom they came presently falling upon their knee,
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which made the millers heart wofully bleed;
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Shaking and quaking before them he stood,
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Thinking he should have been hangd by the rood:
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The King perceiving him fearful and trembling,
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drew forth his sword and nothing he said.
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The miller down did fall, crying before them all,
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doubting the King would have cut off his head;
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But his kind Courtesie for to requite,
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Gave him a living, and made him a knight.
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The Second Part of the King and Miller, shewing how he
came to Court with his wife and son, and what merry Conceits passed between the King and them.
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When as our Royal king came home from Nottingham
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and with his Nobles at Westminster lay,
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Recounting the sports and pastimes they had tane,
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in this late Progress along by the way:
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Of them all great and small, he did protest,
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The miller of Mansfields sport liked him best:
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And now my Lords, quod the king I am determined,
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against St. Georges next a sumptuous feast,
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That this old miller our last confirmed knight
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with his son Richard shall both be my Guess,
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For in this merriment tis my desire,
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To talk with the jolly knight and the young Squire.
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When as the Lords saw the kings pleasantness,
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they were right joyful and glad in their hearts.
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A Pursevant there was sent streight on the business,
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the which had oftentimes been in those parts:
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When he came to the place where he did dwell,
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His message orderly then he did tell:
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God save your worship then said the messenger,
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and grant your Lady her hearts desire;
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And to your Son Richard good fortune & happiness
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that sweet young Gentleman & gallant young squire,
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Our king greets you all, and thus doth say,
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You must come to the Court on St. Georges day.
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Therefore in any case, fail not to be in place.
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I wis quoth the miller this is an odd jest;
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what should we do there he said faith I am half afraid
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I doubt quoth Richard be hangd at the least,
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Nay quoth the messenger you do mistake,
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Our king he provides a great feast for your sake.
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Then said the miller now by my troth messenger,
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thou hast contented my worship full well;
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Hold heres 3 farthings to quit thy great gentleness,
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for these happy tydings which thou dost me tell;
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Let me see heres to thee, tell to our king
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well wait on his mastership in every thing.
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The Pursevant smiled at their simplicity,
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and making many legs took their Reward:
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And taking then his leave with great humility
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to the kings Court again he repaird:
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[s]hewing unto his Grace in each degree
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The knights most liberal gift and bounty.
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When he was gone away thus did the miller say,
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heye comes expences and charges indeed
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Now we must needs be brave though we spend all we have;
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for of new Garments we have great need:
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Of horses and serving-men we must have store,
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With bridles and saddles, and twenty things more.
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Tush Sir John quod his wife never fret nor frown,
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you shall be at no more charges for me.
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For I will turn and trim up my old Russet Gown,
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with every thing as fine as may be:
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and on our mill-horses full swift we will ride.
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With pillows and pannels as we shall provide.
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In this most stately sort Rode they unto the Court,
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their jolly Son Richard foremost of all,
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Who set up by good hap a Cocks Feather in his cap,
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and so they jetted down towards the Kings Hall.
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the merry old miller with his hands on his side,
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His Wife like maid Ma[rrian] did mince at that tide.
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The king and his nobles that heard of his coming,
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meeting this gallant knight with his brave train,
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Welcome Sir knight quod he with this your gay Lady,
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good Sir John Cockle once welcome again;
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And so is this squire of courage so free.
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Quoth Dick, A bots on you do you know me?
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Quoth our king gently, How should I forget thee?
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thou wast my own Bedfellow well that I wot.
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But I think of a trick, tell me that prethee Dick,
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how thou with farting didst make the bed hot?
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Thou whorson happy knave then quoth the knight,
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speak cleanly to our king, or else go shite.
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The king and his Courtiers heartily laughd at this,
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while the king took them both by the hand;
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With Ladies and their Maids, like to the Queen of Spades,
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the Millers wife did so orderly stand,
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A Milk-maids courtesie at every word,
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And down the Folks were set at the side board:
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Where the king royally in Princely majesty,
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sat at his dinner with joy and delight;
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When they had eaten well to jesting then they fell,
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taking a bowl of wine drank to the knight:
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Heres to you both he said in wine ale and beer,
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Thanking you all for your Country Cheer.
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Quoth Sir John Cockle Ill pledge you a pottle,
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were it the best ale in Nottingham-shire.
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But then said the king I do think of a thing,
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some of your Lightfoot I would we had here;
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Ho ho quoth Richard full well I may say it,
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Tis knavery to eat it and then to betray it.
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why art thou angry? quoth our king merrily,
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in faith I take it very unkind,
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I thought thou wouldst pledge me in ale and wine heartily
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Your like to stay quoth Dick till I have dind,
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You feed us with twatling dishes so small,
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Zounds a black Pudding is better than all.
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ay marry quoth our king that were a dainty thing,
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if a man could get one here for to eat.
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with that Dick arose and pluckt one out of his hose,
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which with heat of his breech began for to sweat:
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The king made a proffer to snatch it away,
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Tis meat for your Master good Sir you must stay.
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thus in great merriment was the time wholly spent,
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and then the Ladies prepared to dance,
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Old Sir John Cockle and Richard incont[i]nent,
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unto this p[r]actice the king did advance;
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Here with the Ladies such sport they did make,
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the Nobles with laughing did make their hearts ake,
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Many thanks for their pains did the king give them,
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asking young Richard if he would wed,
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among these Ladies free tell me which liketh thee:
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Quoth he Jug Grumbol with the Red Head;
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Shes my love shes my life she will I wed,
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She hath sworn I shall have her maiden-head.
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then Sir John Cockle the king called unto him,
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and of merry Sherwood made him Over-seer.
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and gave him out of hand three hundred pound yearly.
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and now take heed you steel no more of my Deer:
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and once a quarter lets here have your view
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and thus Sir John Cockle I bid you adieu.
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