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 usd 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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Now Dick and Tom in clouted shoon,
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and Coats of Russet gray,
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Estamd themselves more brave than 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 raggd and torn as from his back
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the beggar his Cloaths had wrent.
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A Sword and Buckler good and strong,
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to give Jack Sauce a wrap,
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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 buttond 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 thy good Victuals here,
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and drink thats of the best:
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Thy Scrip I know hath cheer good store.
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what then the Shepherd said?
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Thou seemest to be some sturdy thief,
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and makst 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 thee 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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thy Chaps to water at:
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Here stands my battle, 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 master.
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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 tot,
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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 cryd twang.
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His Buckler provd 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 four 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 than thy self
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lives not within the land.
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Nor a lustier Roister than 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 art some Prodigal
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which hast consumd thy store,
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And now camest 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 Rags all torn,
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Thou rather seemst 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 shes 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 fresh 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 Shepherd 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 butterd 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 thyself,
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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 sum.
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Hereaet the bonny King grew blith
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to hear the Clownish jest,
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Now silly Sots, as Custom 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 fit 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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HE with his Master jig by jowl,
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unto old Gillian hyd,
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into whole 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 St. Anne do what you can,
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I will not yet away.
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Her churlish usage pleasd him still,
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put him to such proof,
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That he at night was almost choakt,
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within that smoaky Roof:
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but as he sat with smiling 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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Than thus to stay tillt 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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ill 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 wool,
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new pulld from tanned fells,
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And oer his head hangd 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 cackling 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 her Groom
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in bed full sore aghast.
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Arise, quod 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, hell cut our throats
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he calleth for his Mates,
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Id 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 t[h]em 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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who cryd, all hail, all hail, good King,
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long have we sought 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 surely must be hangd 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 hook, 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 Country 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 loe I tell thee now,
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for thy low manhood shown,
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A thousand wethers ile 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 Lamb once every year,
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ile to your Highness bring:
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And Gillian my wife likewise,
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of wool 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 praise my bagpipes 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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