"afraide he should be punished for it, [and] Said thus, with a certaine rude repentance,

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"I hope I fhall be hanged to-morrow,

"for [I feare me] I fhall be hanged; whereat the king laughed a good, not only to fee the Tanner's vaine feare, but also to heare his illhapen terme; and gave "him for recompence of his good Sport, the inheritance of Plumpton-parke. I AM AFRAID," concludes this fagaci

66

66

The

ous writer, THE POETS OF OUR TIME, THAT SPEAKE
MORE FINELY AND CORRECTEDLY, WILL COME
TOO SHORT OF SUCH A REWARD," p. 214.
phrafe, here referred to, is not found in this ballad at pre-
fent, but occurs with fome variation in an older poem, in-
titled JOHN THE REEVE, defcribed in the following volume,
(fee the Preface to THE KING AND THE MILLER), viz.
Nay, Jayd John, by Gods grace,

66

"And Edward wer in this place,

"Hee fhold not touch this tonne :
"He wold be wroth with John I HOPE,
"Therefore I befbrew the joupe,

"A mer

"That in his mouth bold come." Pt. 2. ft. 24. The following text is felected from two copies in black etter. The one in the Bodleyan library, intitled, "rie, pleasant, and delectable hiftorie betweene K. Edward "the Fourth, and a Tanner of Tamworth, &c. printed "at London, by John Danter, 1596." This copy, ancient as it now is, appears to have been modernized and altered at the time it was published; but many veftiges of the more ancient readings were recovered from another copy, (though more recently printed,) in one sheet folio, without date, in the Pepys collection.

IN

N fummer time, when leaves grow greene,
And bloffoms bedecke the tree,
King Edward wolde a hunting ryde,

Some paftime for to see.

* Vid. Glofs.

With

King

from

But these are bott inferior in in posit of antiquity to the old Ballad of The King & the Barker, reprinted with other Pixels of cencient depular Postry authenti Manuscripts & Printed Copies. Qt. Lond. 1791. 80s. which the wrion Hender will consult that very comp kes As that very antique Porm had never occured to the Editor of the Reliques, tell he saw it in the above Colisction; he now refers the curious Readin as an imperfect & sp corout Copy of the Ne, Orignal.

to it

85

5

ANCIENT POEM S.

With hawke and hounde he made him bowne,
With horne, and eke with bowe;
To Drayton Baffet he tooke his waye,
With all his lordes a rowe.

Nowe ftand you ftill, my good lordes all,
Under the grene wood spraye;

And I will wend to yonder fellowe,

To weet what he will faye.

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20

In the reign of Edward IV. Dame Cecill, lady of Torboke, in her will dated March 7. A. D. 1466; among many other bequests has this, "Alfo I will that my fonne Thomas of Torboke bave 13s. 4d. to buy him an borfe." Vid. Harleian Catalog. 2176. 27. -Now if 135. 4d. would purchase a freed fit for a perfon of quality, a tanner's borse might reasonably be valued at four or five fillings.

8

God speede, God fpeede thee, faid our king.
Thou art welcome, fir, fayd hee.
"The readyeft waye to Drayton Baffet.
I praye thee to fhewe to mee."

"To Drayton Baffet woldit thou goe,

Fro the place where thou doft fland ?

The next payre of gallowes thou comeft unto,
Turne in upon thy right hand."

That is an unreadye waye, fayd our king,

Thou doest but jest I see :

Nowe fhewe me out the nearest waye,

And I pray thee wend with mee.

Awaye with a vengeance! quoth the tanner:
I hold thee out of thy witt:

All daye have I rydden on Brocke my mare,

And I am fafting yett.

"Go with me downe to Drayton Baffet,

No daynties we will spare;

All daye fhalt thou eate and drinke of the beft,
And I will paye thy fare."

Gramercye for nothing, the tanner replyde,

Thou payeft no fare of mine:

I trowe I've more nobles in my purse,

Than thou haft pence in thine.

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30

35

40

God