[A pleasant] new Ballad of the mery Miller of Mansfield in Sherwoo[d, 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 Lavato
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HEnry our roiall King would goe on hunting,
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To the greene forrest most pleasant and faire:
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[T]o have the Hart chaced, the dainty Does tripping,
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[U]nto merry Sherwood his nobles repaire.
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Hauke and hound, was unbound, all things prepard,
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for the same, to the game with good regard.
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[A]ll along Summers day, rode the King pleasantly,
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With all his princes and nobles each one:
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[C]hasing the Hart and Hind, and the Bucke gallantly,
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[Ti]ll the darke evening inforst 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 woods, 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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[A]sking the ready way unto faire Nottingham.
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[Si]r 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 lightly goe but of your way.
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Why what dost thou thinke of me quoth our king merily
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[P]assing thy judgement upon me so breefe:
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[G]ood faith quoth the Miller I meane not to flatter,
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[I] gesse thee to be but a gentleman theefe.
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stand thee backe in the darke light not a downe,
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[l]east 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, lodging I lacke:
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[T]hou hast quoth the miller not a grote in thy purse,
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[A]ll 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 fortie pence I wil pay all.
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[I]f thou beest a true man then answered the miller,
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[I] swear by my tole dish ile lodge thee all night,
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[H]eres my hand quoth our King that I was ever:
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Nay soft quoth the miller thou mayst be a sprite.
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better ile know thee ere hands I will shake,
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with none but with honest men hands I will take.
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Thus they went al along unto the millers house
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Where they were seething of Puddings and souse:
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[T]he miller first entred in, after him went the king:
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[N]ever came he in so smokie a house.
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now quoth he let me see, heere 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 tis a good hansome youth,
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Yet is it best husband to deale warily
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art thou not run away, pray thee youth tel,
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shew us thy pasport and al shal be wel.
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Then our king presently making low curtesie,
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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 serviture,
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[B]ut a poore courtier rode out of my way.
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and for your kindnes now proffered 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 kinne:
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Both by his apparel and eke by his manners,
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to turne him out certainly were a great sinne.
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[y]ea quoth he, you may see, he hath some grace,
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[w]hen he speakes unto his betters in place.
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Wel quoth the millers wife, yong man welcome h[ere]
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And though I say it, wel lodged shalt thou be:
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Fresh strawe I wil have, laide in your bed so brave
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Good browne hempen sheets, 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 then with mine owne [sonne.]
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Nay first quoth Richard, good fellow tell me true,
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Hast thou no creepers in thy gay hose,
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Or art thou not troubled with the scrubado?
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I pray you quoth our King what things be those?
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Art thou not lousie, or scabbed quoth he?
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If thou beest, surely thou lyest not with me.
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This causde our King sodainely laugh out most ha[rtily]
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til the teares trickled downe from his face:
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then unto supper were they set orderly,
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With hot bagpudding, and good apple pies.
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Nappy ale good and stale in a blacke boule,
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which did about all the boorde merily troule.
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Here quoth the Miller, good fellow I drinke to t[hee,]
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and to all courtnoles that curteous be,
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I pledge thee quoth our King, and thanke thee har[tily]
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For my good welcome in every degree.
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and here in like manner I drinke to thy son,
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do so quoth Richard and quicke let it come.
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Wife quoth the miller now fetch me foorth lightf[oot,]
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that we of his sweetnes a little may taste:
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A faire Venson pastie then brought she foorth pres[ently,]
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Eate quoth the miller, but sir make no waste.
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Here is good lightfoot, in faith quoth our King,
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I never eate so daintie a thing.
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Ywis said Richard no dainty at all it is.
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For we do eate of it everie daie,
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In what place said our king maie be bought like t[his,]
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We never pay pennie for it by my faye:
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from merie Sherwood we fetch it home here,
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now and then we make bolde with the Kings de[er.]
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Then I thinke quoth our King that it is venison,
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Each foole quoth Richard ful well may see that
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Never are we without two or three in the ruffe,
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Very wel fleshed and excelent fat.
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but pre thee say nothing where ever thou goe,
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we would not for two pence the King should it k[now.]
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Doubt not quoth our King my promised secrecie,
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the King shall never know more ont for me,
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a cup then of lamps wool they drunke strait unto [him then,]
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and so to their beds they past presently:
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the nobles next morning went al up and downe
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for to seeke out the King in every towne.
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at last at this millers house some did espy him pl[ain]
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as he was mounting upon his faire steed:
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to whom they ran presently falling downe on th[eir 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 been hangd by the rood
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The King perceiving him fearful and trembling
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Drew out his sword, but nothing he sed:
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The miller down did fall crying before them all
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Doubting the King would have cut of his head.
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but he his kinde curtesie strait to requite,
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gave him great living, and dubbd him a Knigh[t.]
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