The King & Northern-man.
Shewing how a poor Northumberland-Man (Tennant to the King) being wronged by a
Lawyer (his Neighbour) went to the King himself to make known his grievance.
To the Tune of, Slut.
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TO drive away the weary day,
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a book I chanced to take in hand,
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And therein I read assuredly,
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a story as you shall understand:
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Perusing many a History over,
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amongst the Leaves I chanc'd to view:
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The Books name and Title is this,
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The second Lesson, too good to be true.
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There read I of a Northumberland-man,
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that was born & brought up in the Kings land,
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He paid twenty shillings Rent a year,
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to the King, as I do understand:
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By him there dwelt a Lawyer false,
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that with his Farm was not content,
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But over the poor man still hang'd his nose,
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because he did gather the Kings Rent.
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He told him he his Lease had forfeit,
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and that he must there no longer abide:
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The King by such Lownes hath mickle wrong done
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and for you the world is broad and wide.
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The poor man pray'd him for to cease,
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and content himself if he would be willing,
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And pick no vantage in my Lease,
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and I shall give thee forty shilling:
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It's neither forty Shilling, nor forty pound,
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ile warrant thee, so can agree thee and me,
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Unless thou yield me thy farm so round,
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and stand unto my courtesie.
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The Poor man said he might not do so,
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his wife and his Barns will make ill wark,
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If thou with my Farm wilt let me go,
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thou seem'st a gude fellow ise give thee 5 mark.
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The Lawyer would not be so content,
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but further i' th matter he means to smell:
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The neighbors had the poor man provide his rent,
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and make a submission to the King himsel.
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He sat a humble staff on his back,
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a jerkin I wot that was of grey:
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With a good blew Bonnet he thought it no lack
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to the King he is ganging as fast as he may:
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He had not gone a mile out o' th town,
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but one of his Neighbors he did espy:
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How far is 't to 'th King, for thither i'm boun,
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as fast as ever I can hye.
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I am sorry for you neighbour he said,
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for your simplicity I make moan,
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Ice warrant you, you may ask for the King,
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when nine or ten days journey you have gone.
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Had I wist the King had wond so far,
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ise never a sought him a mile out o' th town,
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He's either had sought me, or we'd nere a come near,
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at home I had rather ha spent a Crown.
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But when he came to the City of London,
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of every man he for the King did call:
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They told him, that him he need not to fear,
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for the King he lies now at the White-Hall,
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And with spying of Farlies in the City,
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because he had never been there beforn,
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He lee so long a bed the next day,
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the Court was remov'd to Winsor that morn.
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You ha lay too long, then said his Host,
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you ha lay too long by a great while:
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The King is now to Winsor gone,
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he's further gone by twenty mile.
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I think I was curst, then said the poor man,
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if I had been wise I might ha consider,
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Belike the King of me has gotten some weet,
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he had ne'r gone away, had not I come hither.
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He fled not for you, then said his Host,
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but hye you to Winsor as fast as you may:
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Be sure it will requite your cost,
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for look what is past the King will pay?
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But when he came to Winsor Castle,
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with his humble staff on his back,
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Although the Gates wide open stood,
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he laid on them till he made 'um crack.
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Why stay, pray friend, art mad quod the Porter,
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what makes thee keep this stir today?
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Why, I am a Tennant of the Kings,
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who have a Message to him to say:
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The King hath men enough, said the Porter,
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your Message well that they can say:
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Why, ther's ne'r a Knave the King doth keep,
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shall ken my secret mind today.
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I were told e're I came from home,
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e're I got hither it would be dear bought,
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Let me in, ise give thee a single Penny,
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I see thou wilt ha small, e're thou do it for nought.
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Gramercy, said the Porter then,
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thy reward is so great I cannot say nay:
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Yonders a Noble Man within the Court,
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i'le first hear what he doth say.
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When the Porter came to the Noble man,
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he said he would shew him pretty sport,
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There's sike a Clown come to the gate,
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as came not these seven years to the Court.
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He calls all Knaves the King doth keep,
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he raps at the Gates, and makes great din;
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He's passing liberal of reward,
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he'd give a good single Penny to be let in.
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Let him in, then said the Noble man,
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come in Fellow, the Porter gan say:
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If thou come within thyself, he said,
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thy staff behind the Gate must stay.
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And this Cuckolds Cur must lig behind,
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what a Deel what a Cur hast got with thee?
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The King will take him up for his own sell,
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Ise warrant when as he doth him see.
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Beshrew thy Limbs, then said the poor man,
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then maist thou count me, a fool or worse,
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I wot not what Bankrupt lies by the King,
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for want of Money he may pick my purse.
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Let him in with his Staff and Dog said the Lord
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he gave a nod with's head, & a beck with's knee
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If you be Sir King, then said the poor man,
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as I can very well think ye be:
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For as I was told e're I came from home,
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you'r goodliest man that e're I saw beforn,
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With so many jingles jangles about one neck,
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as is about yours, I never saw none.
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I am not the King, said the Nobleman,
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fellow, though I have a proud Coat:
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If you be not the King, help me to the speech of him.
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you seem a gude fellow, ise give you a Groat.
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Gramercy said the No[b]le man,
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thy reward is so great, I cannot say nay;
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Ile go know the Kings pleasure, if I can,
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till I come again be sure you stay.
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Here's sike a staying, then said the poor man,
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belike the kings better than any in our country
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I might agane to the farthest Nuke I' th house,
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neither Lad nor Lown to trouble me.
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When the Noble man came to the King,
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he said he could shew his Grace good sport,
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Here's such a Clown come to the gate,
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as came not this seven years to the Court.
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He calls all knaves your Highness keeps,
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and more than that, he terms them worse,
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He'l not come in without his Staff and Dog
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for fear some Bankrupt will pick his purse.
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Let him in with his staff, then said our King,
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that of his sport we may see some:
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We'l see how he'l handle everything,
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as soon as our match of Bowls is done.
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The Noble man led him through many a room,
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and through many a Galleray gay,
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What a deel doth the King with so many houses
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that he gets them not fill'd with Corn & Hay?
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At last they spied the King in a Garden,
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yet from his game he did not start,
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The day was so hot, he cast off his Doublet,
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he had nothing from the wast but his shirt.
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Lo yonder's the King, said the Noble-man,
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behold follow, lo where he goes:
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Believ't he's some unthrift, says the poor man,
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that has lost his money, and pawn'd his cloths.
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But when he came before the King,
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the Noble-man did his courtesie:
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The poor man followed after him,
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And gave a nod with's head, and a beck with's knee.
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And if you be Sir King then said the poor man,
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as I can hardly think ye be:
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Here is a gude fellow that brought me hither,
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is liker to be the king than ye.
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I am the king his Grace now said,
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fellow let me thy case understand:
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If you be Sir king i'me a Tenant of yours,
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that was born & up brought in your own land.
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There dwells a Lawyer hard by me.
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and a fault in my Lease he saith he hath found,
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And all was for selling five poor Ashes,
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to build an house upon your own ground.
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Hast thou a Lease here, said our king?
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or canst thou she to me the Deed?
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He gave it into the kings own hand,
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and said, Sir, here 'tis if that you can read.
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Let's see thy Lease, then said the king:
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then from his Black Box he pull'd it out,
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He gave it into the kings own hand,
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with four or five knots ty'd fast in a clout.
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We'st never unlose these knots, said the king,
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he gave it to one that behind him did stay.
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It is a proud Horse then said the poor man,
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will not carry's own Provinder along the high way
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Pay me forty shillings as ise pay you,
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I will not think much to unloose a knot;
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I would I were so occupied every day,
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i'd unloose a score on 'um for a groat.
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When the king had gotten these Letters read,
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and found the truth wak very so,
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I warrent thee, thou hast not forf[eit thy L]ease,
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if thou hadst seld five Ashes mo.
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I, everyone can warrant me,
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but all your warrants are not worth a flee,
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For he that troubles me and will not let me go,
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neither cares for warrant of you nor me.
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Thou'st have an Injunction, said our king,
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from troubling of thee he will cease,
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He'l either shew thee good cause why,
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or else he'l let thee live in peace.
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What's that Injunction, said the poor man?
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good Sir to me I pray you say,
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Why, it is a Letter i'le cause to be written,
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but art thou so simple as thou showst today?
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Why if 't be a Letter i'me never the better,
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keep it to thy self and trouble not me,
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I could ha had a letter written cheaper at home,
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and nere a come out of my own country.
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Thoust have an Atachment, said our King,
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charge all that thou seest take thy part,
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Till he pay thee an hundred pound,
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be sure thou never let him start:
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If any seem against thee to stand
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be sure thou come hither straightway,
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I marry, is that all ise get for my labour,
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then I may come trotting every day.
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Thou art hard of belief, then said our King,
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to please him with Letters he was willing,
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I see you have taken great pains in writing,
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with all my heart ise give a Shilling
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I'le have none of thy shilling said our King,
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man with thy money God give theee win,
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He threw it into the Kings bosome,
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the money lay cold next to his skin.
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Beshrew thy heart, then said our King,
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thou art an Earl something too bold:
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Dost thou not see I am hot with Bowling,
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and the money next to my skin lies cold.
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I never wist that before said the poor man,
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before sike time as I came hither.
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If the Lawers in our Country thought 'twas cold,
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they would not heap up so much together,
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The King called up his Treasurer,
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and bad him fetch him twenty Pound;
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If ever thy Errand lye here away,
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i'le bear thy Charges up and down.
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When the poor man saw the Gold down tendred
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for to receive it he was willing:
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If I had thought the King had had so mickle gold,
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beshrew my heart i'de ha kept my shilling,
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The poor man got home the next Sunday,
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the Lawer soon did him espy;
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O Sir, you have been a stranger long,
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I think from me you have kept you by.
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It was for you indeed, said the poor man,
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the matter to the King, as I have tell:
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I did as my neighbour put into my head,
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and made a submission to him my sell.
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What a deel didst thou with the King quod the lawye[r]
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could not neighbors and friends agree thee & me
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The deel a neighbor or friend that I had,
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that would ha been such a days man as he:
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He has gin me a Letter, but I know not what they call
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but if the kings words be true to me
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When you have read and perused it over,
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I hope you'l leave and let me be.
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He has gin me another, but I know not what
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but I charge you all to hold him fast,
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Till he pay me an hundred pound,
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I will go tye him fast tull a Post.
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Marry God forbid, the Lawyer said,
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then the Tachment was red before them th[ere]
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Thou must needs something credit me,
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till I go home and fetch some mear.
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Credit, nay that's it the king forbad,
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he bade it I got thee I should thee slay,
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The Lawyer paid him an hundred pound
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in ready money e're he went away.
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Would every Lawyer were served thus,
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from troubiing poor men they would cease:
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They'd either shew him good cause why,
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or else they'd let him live in peace.
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And thus I end my merry song,
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which shews the plain mens simpleness,
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And the kings great mercy in Righting wro[ngs]
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and the Lawyers fraud and wickedness.
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