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Quoth fir John Cockle, I'll pledge you a pottle,
Were it the best ale in Nottinghamshire :
But, then faid our king, I do think of a thing;

Some of your light-foot I would we had here. Ho, ho, quoth Richard, full well I may say it, "Tis knavery to eat it, and then to bewray it.

Why, art thou angry? quoth our king merrily;
In faith, I take it very unkind :

I thought thou would'st pledge me in ale and wine heartily.
Y'are like to ftay, quoth Dick, till I have din'd:
You feed us with twattling dishes fo fmall;
Zounds, a black-pudding is better than all.

Ay, marry, quoth our king, that were a dainty thing,

If a man could get one here for to eat.

With that Dick ftraight arofe, and pluck'd one out of his

hofe,

Which with heat of his breech began to sweat.

The king made a proffer to fnatch it away :

" 'Tis meat for your mafter: good fir, you must flay."

Thus with great merriment, was the time wholly spent ;
And then the ladies prepared to dance :

Old fir John Cockle, and Richard, incontinent,
Unto this practice the king did advance :
Here with the ladies such sport they did make,
The nobles with laughing did make their hearts ake.

Many

Many thanks for their pains did the king give them then,
Aking young Richard, if he would wed:

"Among thofe ladies free, tell me which liketh thee?"
Quoth he, Jug Grumball, with the red head:
She's my love, fhe's my life, he will I wed;
She hath fworn I fhall have her maidenhead.

Then fir John Cockle the king called unto him,
And of merry Sherwood made him overseer;
And gave him out of hand three hundred pound yearly;
But now take heed you steal no more of my deer:
And once a quarter let's here have your view;
And thus, fir John Cockle, I bid you adieu.

BALLAD XVI.

KING JOHN AND THE ABBOT OF CANTERBURY.

I'll tell you a flory, a fory anon

Of a noble prince, and his name was King John; For he was a prince, and a prince of great might, He held up great wrongs, and he put down great right. Derry down, down, hey derry down.

I'll tell you a ftory, a ftory fo merry,
Concerning the abbot of Canterbury,
And of his houfe keeping and high renown,
Which made him repair to fair London town.

Derry down, &c.

How

How now, brother abbot! 'tis told unto me,
That thou keepest a far better houfe than I;
And for thy houfe keeping and high renown,
I fear thou haft treason against my crown.

Derry down, &c.

I hope, my liege, that you owe me no grudge,
For spending of my true gotten goods.
If thou doft not answer me queftions three,
Thy head shall be taken from thy body.

Derry down, &c.

When I am fet fo high on my fteed,'
With my crown of gold upon my head,
Amongst all my nobility, with joy and much mirth,
Thou must tell me to one penny what I am worth.

Derry down, &c.

And the next question thou' muft not flout,
How long I shall be riding the world about;
And [at] the third question thou must not shrink,
But tell to me truly what I do think.

Derry down, &c.

O these are hard queftions for my fhallow wit,

For I cannot answer your grace as yet,
But if you will give me but three days space,
I'll do my endeavour to answer your grace.

Derry down, &c.

O three

O three days space I will thee give,

For that is the longest day thou haft to live;
And if thou doft not anfwer thefe questions right,
Thy head fhall be taken from thy body quite.

Derry down, &c.

And as the old fhepherd was going to his fold,.
He fpied the old abbot come riding along,
How now, master abbot! you're welcome home :
What news have you brought us from good King John?

Derry down, &c.

Sad news, fad news, I have thee to give,
For I have but three days fpace to live;
If I do not anfwer him queftions three,
My head will be taken from my body.

Derry down, &c.

When he is fet fo high on his steed,'
With his crown of gold upon his head,
Amongst all his nobility, with joy and much mirth,
I must tell him to one penny what he is worth.

And the next queftion I must not flout,

Derry down, &c.

How long he fhall be riding the world about;
And [at] the third queftion I muft not shrink.

But tell him truly what he does think.

Derry down, &c.

O mafter,

O mafter, did you never hear it yet,
That a fool may learn a wife man wit;
Lend me but your horfe and your apparel,
I'll ride to fair London and anfwer the quarrel.

Derry down, &c.

Now I am fet fo high on my fteed,'

With my crown of gold upon my head,

Amongst all my nobility, with joy and much mirth,

Now tell me, to one penny, what I am worth.

Derry down, &c.

For thirty pence our faviour was fold,
Amongst the falfe Jews, as I have been told,
And nine and twenty's the worth of thee,
For I think thou art one penny worser than he.

Derry down, &c.

And the next question thou mayeft not flout,
How long I fhall be riding the world about.
You must rife with the fun and ride with the fame
Until the next morning he rifes again;

And then I am fure, you will make no doubt,
But in twenty-four hours you'll ride it about.

1

Derry down, &c.

And [at] the third question thou must not shrink,

But tell to me truly what I do think.

All that I can do, and 'twill make your grace merry, For you think I'm the abbot of Canterbury;

But

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