A pleasant new Ballad of the Miller of Mansfield, in Sherwood and of King Henry the second,
and how he was lodged in the Millers house, and of their pleasant communication.
To the Tune of, The French Lavolia.
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HEnry our royall King would ride a hunting,
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To the greene forrest so pleasant and faire,
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To have the hart chased and daintie Does tripping,
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Unto merry Sherwood his Nobles repaire:
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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, rod the King plesantly,
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With all his Princes and Nobles each one,
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Chasing the Hart and Hinde, and the Buck gallantly,
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Till the darke evening enforcst them turne 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 darke night.
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Wandring thus wearily all alone up and downe,
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With a rude Miller he met at the last,
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Asking the ready way unto faire Nottingham,
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Sir (quoth the Miller) your way you have lost,
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yet I thinke, what I thinke, truth for to say,
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you doe not likely ride out of your way,
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Why what dost thou think of me, quod our King merrily
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Passing thy judgement upon me so briefe?
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Good faith (quoth the Miller) I mean not to flatter thee,
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I ghesse thee to be but some Gentleman thiefe:
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stand thee backe in the dark light thee not downe,
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lest that I presently cracke thy knaves crowne.
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Thou dost abuse me much (quoth our King) saying thus
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I am a Gentleman, and lodging I lacke:
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Thou hast not (quoth the Miller) one groat in thy purse,
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All thy inheritance hangs on thy backe:
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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 (said the Miller)
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I sweare by my tole-dish Ile lodge thee all night,
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Heres my hand (quoth our King) that was I ever,
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Nay soft (quoth the Miller) thou maist be a spright:
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better Ile know thee ere hands I doe shake,
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with none but honest men hands will I take.
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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 looke your fill and doe not spare.
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I like well thy countenance, thou hast an honest face,
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With my sonne Richard this night thou shalt lye,
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Quoth his wife, by my troth, it is a handsome youth,
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Yet it is best (quoth his wife) for to deale warily,
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art not a run away I pray thee 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 servitour,
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But a poore Courtier rode out of my way.
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and for your kindnesse here offered to 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 seemeth this youths of good kin,
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Both by his apparell, and eke by his manners,
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To turne him out certainely it were a great sinne:
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ye (quoth he) you may see he hath some grace,
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when he doth speake to his betters in place.
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Well (quod the Millers wife) young man welcome here,
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And though I say it, well lodgd thou shalt be
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Fresh straw I will have laid on your bed so brave,
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Good browne hempen sheetes likewise (quoth she)
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I (quoth the goodman) and when that is done,
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you shall lye with no worse than our owne sonne.
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Nay first (quoth Richard) good fellow tell me true,
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Hast any creepers within thy gay hose?
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Or art thou not troubled with the Scabado?
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I pray you (quoth the 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 liest not with me.
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This causd the King suddenly to laugh most heartily
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Till the teares trickled downe 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 browne bowle:
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which did about the boord merrily trowle.
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Here (quoth the Miller) good fellow I drinke to thee,
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And to all the Courtnols that courteous be,
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I pledge (quoth our King) and thanke you heartily,
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For your good welcome in every degree:
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and here in like manner Ile drinke to your sonne,
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doe so (quoth Richard) but quicke let it come.
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Wife (quoth the Miller) fetch me forth light-foot,
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That we of his sweetnesse a little may taste,
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A faire Venison pasty then brought she forth presently,
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Eate (quoth the Miller) but sir make no waste:
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heres dainty Light-foot in faith then said our King,
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I never before eate so dainty a thing.
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I wis (said Richard) no dainty at all it is,
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For wee doe eat of it every day,
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In what place (said our King) may be bought like this,
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We never pay penny for it by my fay:
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from merry Sherwood we set it home here,
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now and then we make bold with our Kings Deere.
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Then I thinke (said our King) that it is Venison,
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Each foole, said Richard, full well may see that,
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Never are we without two or three in the roose,
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Very well fleshed and excellent fat:
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but pray thee say nothing, where ere thou dost goe,
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we would not for two pence the King should it know,
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Doubt not then, said our King, my promised secrecy,
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The King shall never know more on[]t for me,
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A cup of Lambs wooll, they dranke unto him then,
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And then to bed they passed presently:
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the Nobles next morning went all up and downe,
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for to seeke out the King in every Towne.
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At last at the Millers house soone they espyd him plain
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As he was mounting upon his faire steed,
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To whom they came presently, falling downe on their knees
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Which made the Millers heart wofully bleed:
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shaking and quaking before him he stood,
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thinking he should have him hangd by the rood.
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The King perceiving him fearefull and trembling,
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Drew forth his sword but nothing he said,
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The Miller downe 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 kinde courtesie there to requite,
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gave him a great living and made him a Knight.
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The second part of the Miller and the King: Shewing how he came to the Court with his
wife and Sonne: and what merry conceits passed betweene the King and him.
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WHen as our Noble King came home from Notting-ham,
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And with his Nobles in Westminster lay,
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Recounting the sports and pastimes they had tane,
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In this late progres[s]e along by the way:
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of them all, great and small, this did he protest,
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the Miller of Mansfields sport liked him best.
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And now my Lords quoth the King I am determined
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Against Saint Geoges next sumptuous feast,
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That this old Miller our last confirmed knight,
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With his sonne Richard shall both be my guest,
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for in this merriment tis my desire,
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to taike with the jolly Knight and the brave Squire.
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When as the Noblemen saw the Kings pleasantnes,
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They were right joyfull and glad in their hearts,
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A Pursevant their was sent straight on the businesse,
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The which had many times beene 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 Richhrd good fortune and happinesse,
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That sweet yong Gentleman and gallant yong Squire
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our King greets you all and thus he doth say,
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you must come to the Court on S. Georges day.
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Therefore in any case, faile not to be in place,
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I wis (quoth the Miller) this is one odde jest,
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What should he doe there he said, faith I am halfe a-fraid,
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I doubt quoth Richard be hangd at the least:
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nay quoth the Messenger you doe mistake,
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our King prepares 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 contentev my worshipfull well,
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Hold heres three farthings to quit thy great gentlenes
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For these happy tydings which thou dost me tell:
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let me see hearst thou me, tell to our King,
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weel 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 tooke their reward,
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And taking then his leave with great humility,
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To the Kings Court, againe he repaird,
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shewing unto his Grace in each degree,
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the Knights most liberall gift and bounty.
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When as he was gone away, thus did the Miller say,
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Here 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 servingmen 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) neither do fret nor frowne
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You shall be at no more charges for me:
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For I will turne and trim up my old Russet gowne,
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With every thing as fine as may be:
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and on our Mil horses full swift we will ride,
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with pillowes 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 lusty sonne Richard formost 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 downe towards the Kings Hall,
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the merry old Miller with his hand on his side,
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his wife like Maid marrian did mince at that tide,
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The King and his Nobles, that heard of their comming
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Meeting this gallant Knight with his brave traine,
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Welcome sir Knight (quod he) with this your gay Lady,
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Good sir John Cockle, once welcome againe:
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and so is this Squire of courage so free,
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quoth Dicke abots on you, doe you know me?
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Quoth our King gently, how should I forget thee,
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Thou wast mine owne bedfellow well that I wot,
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But I doe thinke on a tricke tell me that prethe Dicke
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How we with farting did make the bed hot,
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thou whorson happy knave, then quoth the Knight,
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speake cleanely to our King, or else goe shite.
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The King and his Counsellors heartily laught at this,
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While the King tooke them both by the hand,
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With Ladies & their maids, like to the Queen of spades,
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The Millers wife did so orderly stand,
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a milke-maids courtesie at every word,
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and downe the folks were set at the side boord,
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Where the King Royally, in princely Majesty,
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Sate at his dinner with joy and delight:
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When he had eaten well, to jesting then they fell,
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Taking a bowle of wine dranke to the Knight,
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heres to you both he said, in wine ale, and beere,
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thanking you all for your Countrey cheere.
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Quoth sir John Cockle Ile pledge you a pottle,
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Were it the best ale in Nottingham-shire,
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But then said our King, I thinke of a thing,
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Some of your Light-foot 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 bewray 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 pledg me in ale & wine heartily
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Yare like to stay, quoth Dicke, till I have dinde:
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you feed us with twatling dishes so small,
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Zounds a blacke pudding is better than all.
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I marry, quoth our King, that were a daintie thing,
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If a man could get one here for to eate.
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With that Dicke, straight arose, & pluckt one out of his hose
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Which with heat of his breech began to sweat:
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the King made proffer to snatch it away,
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tis meat for your Master, good sir you must stay.
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Thus with great merriment, was the time wholy spent
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And then the Ladies prepared to dance,
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Old sir John Cockle and Richard incontinent,
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Unto this practice 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 then,
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Asking young Richard if he would wed,
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Amongst these Ladies free, tell me wich liketh thee,
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Quoth he, Jugge Grumball with the red head:
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shes my Love, shes my life, she will I wed,
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she hath sworne 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 makemade him Overseer,
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And gave him out of hand, three hundred pound yeerely,
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But now take heed you steele no more of my Deere,
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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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