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And therefor now, in railing fort,

She thruft him out of door : Which is the juft reward they get, That spend upon a whore.

Oh! do me not this foul disgrace,
In this my need, quoth he.
She call'd him thief and murderer,
With all defpite might be.

And to the conftable fhe went,
To have him apprehended;
And fhew'd in each degree how far
He had the law offended.

When Barnwel faw her drift,

To fea he got straightway;

Where fear, and dread, and confcience fting,
Upon himself doth stay.

Unto the mayor of London then,

He did a letter write;

Wherein his own and Sarahs faults

He did at large recite.

Whereby fhe apprehended was,

And then to Ludlow fent :

Where he was judg'd, condemn'd, and hang'd,
For murder, incontinent.

And

And there this gallant quean did die,

This was her greatest gains :
For murder, in Polonia

Was Barnwel hang'd in chains.

Lo! here's the end of wilful youth,
That after harlots haunt ;
Who, in the fpoil of other men,
About the streets do flaunt.

BALLAD XV.

KING HENRY THE SECOND AND THE MILLER OF

HE

MANSFIELD.

ENRY our royal king, would ride a hunting,
To the green forest, so pleasant and fair;
To have the hart chafed, and dainty does tripping;
Unto merry Sherwood his nobles repair:

Hawk and hound was unbound, all things prepar'd
For the fame, to the game, with good regard.

All a long fummers day rode the king pleasantly,
With all his princes and nobles each one;
Chafing the hart and hind, and the buck gallantly,
Till the dark evening enforc'd them turn home.
Then at laft, riding falt, he had loft quite
All his lords in the wood, late in dark night.

Wand'ring

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Wand'ring thus wearily, all alone, up and down,
With a rude miller he met at the last;
Asking the ready way unto fair Nottingham,

Sir, quoth the miller, your way you have loft:
Yet I think, what I think, truth for to say,
You do not likely ride out of your way.

Why, what doft thou think of me? quoth our king merrily, Paffing thy judgement upon me fo brief:

Good faith, quoth the miller, I mean not to flatter thee;
I guess thee to be but fome gentleman thief:

Stand thee back, in the dark; light thee not down,
Left that I presently crack thy knaves crown.

Thou doft abuse me much, quoth our king, faying thus: ›

I am a gentleman, and lodging I lack.

Thou haft not, quoth the miller, one groat in thy purfe; All thy inheritance hangs on thy back.

"I have gold to discharge all that I call ; If it be forty pence, I will pay all."

If thou beeft a true man, then faid the miller,

I fwear by my toll-dish, I'll lodge thee all night. Here's my hand, quoth the king, that was I ever. Nay, foft, quoth the miller, thou may'st be a sprite : Better I'll know thee, ere hands I do take;

With none but honeft men hands will I shake.

VOL. II.

T

Thus

Thus they went all along unto the millers house,

Where they were feething of puddings and foufe:
The miller first enter'd in, then after him the king;
Never came he in so smoky a house.

Now, quoth he, let me fee here what you are.
Quoth our king, Look your fill, and do not spare,

́" I like well thy countenance, thou haft an honest face ;
With my fon Richard this night thou shalt lie.”
Quoth his wife, By my troth, it is a handsome youth;
Yet it is best, husband, for to deal warily :

Art thou not a run-away, I pray thee, youth, tell?
Show me thy pafsport, and all shall be well.

Then our king presently, making low courtesy,
With his hat in his hand, thus he did say :

I have no passport, nor never was fervitor ;
But a poor courtier, rode out of my way:
And for your kindness here offered to me,
I will requite it in every degree.

Then to the miller his wife whisper'd fecretly,
Saying, It seems, this youth's of good kin,
Both by his apparel, and eke by his manners;

To turn him out, certainly 'twere a great fin.
Yea, quoth he, you may see, he hath fome grace,
When he doth speak to his betters in place.

Well,

Well, quoth the millers wife, young man, welcome here,
And, though I fay it, well lodg'd thou shalt be:
Fresh ftraw I will have laid on thy bed fo brave,

Good brown hempen sheets likewife, quoth the.
Ay, quoth the good man; and when that is done,
You fhall lie with no worse than our own fon.

Nay, firft, quoth Richard, good fellow, tell me true;
Haft any creepers within thy gay hofe?

Or art thou not troubled with the scabado ?

I

pray you, quoth the king, what things are those ? Art thou not loufy, nor fcabby? quoth he;

If thou be'ft, furely thou lieft not with me.

This caus'd the king fuddenly to laugh moft heartily,
Till the tears trickled down from his eyes.
Then to their fupper were they fet orderly,
With a hot bag-pudding, and good apple-pies;
Nappy ale, ftout and ftale, in a brown bowl,
Which did about the board merrily troul.

Here, quoth the miller, good fellow, I drink to thee,
And to all courtnols that courteous be.

I'll pledge you, quoth our king, and thank you heartily,
For your good welcome in every degree :

And here, in like manner, I'll drink to your fon.

Do fo, quoth Richard; but quick let it come.

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