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<div style="background:#fff;border:#bbb dashed 1px;padding:5px"><a href="http://en.citatepedia.ro/comments.php?id=345941" style="color:#000;text-decoration:none"><div style="margin:10px 0"><strong>A Pleasant Ballad Of King Henry II. And The Miller Of Mansfield</strong></div><div style="margin:10px 0">Part the First.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Henry, our royall kind, would ride a hunting<br>To the greene forest so pleasant and faire;<br>To see the harts skipping, and dainty does tripping,<br>Unto merry Sherwood his nobles repaire:<br>Hawke and hound were unbound, all things prepar'd<br>For the game, in the same, with good regard.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">All a long summers day rode the king pleasantlye,<br>With all his princes and nobles eche one;<br>Chasing the hart and hind, and the bucke gallantlye,<br>Till the dark evening forc'd all to turne home.<br>Then at last, riding fast, he had lost quite<br>All his lords in the wood, late in the night.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Wandering thus wearilye, all alone, up and downe,<br>With a rude miller he mett at the last;<br>Asking the ready way unto faire Nottingham,<br>'Sir,' quoth the miller, 'I meane not to jest,<br>Yet I thinke, what I thinke, sooth for to say;<br>You doe not lightlye ride out of your way.'</div><div style="margin:10px 0">'Why, what dost thou tihnk of me,' quoth our king merrily,<br>'Passing thy judgement upon me so briefe?'<br>'Good faith,' sayd the miller, 'I meane not to flatter thee,<br>I guess thee to bee but some gentleman thiefe;<br>Stand thee backe, in the darke; light not adowne,<br>Lest that I presently crack thy knaves crowne.'</div><div style="margin:10px 0">'Thou dost abuse me much,' quoth the king, 'saying thus;<br>I am a gentleman; lodging I lacke.'<br>'Thou hast not,' quoth th' miller, 'one groat in thy purse;<br>All thy inheritance hanges on thy backe.'<br>'I have gold to discharge all that I call;<br>If it be forty pence, I will pay all.'</div><div style="margin:10px 0">'If thou beest a true man,' then quoth the miller,<br>'I sweare by my toll-dish, I'll lodge thee all night.'<br>'Here's my hand,' quoth the king, 'that was I ever.'<br>'Nay, soft,' quoth the miller, 'thou may'st be a sprite.<br>Better I'll know thee, ere hands we will shake;<br>With none but honest men hands will I take.'</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Thus they went all along unto the millers house,<br>Where they were seething of puddings and souse;<br>The miller first enter'd in, after him went the king;<br>Never came hee in soe smoakye a house.<br>'Now,' quoth hee, 'let me see here what you are.'<br>Quoth our king, 'Looke your fill, and do not spare.'</div><div style="margin:10px 0">'I like well thy countenance, thou hast an honest face:<br>With my son Richard this night thou shalt lye.'<br>Quoth his wife, 'By my troth, it is a handsome youth,<br>Yet it's best, husband, to deal warilye.<br>Art thou no run-away, prythee, youth, tell?<br>Shew me thy passport, and all shal be well.'</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Then our king presentlye, making lowe courtesye,<br>WIth his hatt in his hand, thus he did say;<br>'I have no passport, nor never was servitor,<br>But a poor courtyer rode out of my way:<br>And for your kindness here offered to mee,<br>I will requite you in everye degree.'</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Then to the miller his wife whisper'd secretlye,<br>Saying, 'It seemeth, this youth's of good kin,<br>Both by his apparel, and eke by his manners;<br>To turne him out, certainlye were a great sin.'<br>'Yea,' quoth hee, 'you may see he hath some grace,<br>When he doth speake to his betters in place.'</div><div style="margin:10px 0">'Well,' quo' the millers wife, 'young man, ye're welcome here;<br>And, though I say it, well lodged shall be:<br>Fresh straw will I have, laid on thy bed so brave<br>And good brown hempen sheets likewise,' quoth shee.<br>'Aye,' quoth the good man; 'and when that is done,<br>Thou shalt lye with no worse than our own sonne.'</div><div style="margin:10px 0">'Nay, first,' quoth Richard, 'good-fellowe, tell me true,<br>Hast thou noe creepers within thy gay hose?<br>Or art thou not troubled with the scabbado?'<br>'I pray,' quoth the king, 'what creatures are those?'<br>'Art thou not lowsy, nor scabby?' quoth he:<br>'If you beest, surely thou lyest not with mee.'</div><div style="margin:10px 0">This caus'd the king, suddenlye, to laugh most hartilye,<br>Till the teares trickled fast downe from his eyes.<br>Then to their supper were they set orderlye,<br>With hot bag-puddings, and good apple-pyes;<br>Nappy ale, good and stale, in a browne bowle,<br>Which did about the board merrilye trowle.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">'Here,' quoth the miller, 'good fellowe, I drinke to thee,<br>And to all 'cuckholds, wherever they bee.''<br>'I pledge thee,' quoth our king, 'and thanke thee heartilye<br>For my good welcome in everye degree:<br>And here, in like manner, I drinke to thy sonne.'<br>'Do then,' quoth Richard, 'and quicke let it come.'</div><div style="margin:10px 0">'Wife,' quoth the miller, 'fetch me forth lightfoote,<br>And of his sweetnesse a little we'll taste,'<br>A fair ven'son pastye brought she out presentlye,<br>'Eate,' quoth the miller, 'but, sir, make no waste.<br>Here's dainty lightfoote!' 'In faith,' sayd the king,<br>'I never before eat so daintye a thing.'</div><div style="margin:10px 0">'I-wis,' quoth Richard, 'no daintye at all it is,<br>For we doe eate of it everye day.'<br>'In what place,' sayd our king, 'may be bought like to this?'<br>'We never pay pennye for itt, by my fay:<br>From merry Sherwood we fetch it home here;<br>Now and then we make bold with our kings deer.'</div><div style="margin:10px 0">'Then I thinke,' sayd our king, 'that it is venison.'<br>'Eche foole,' quoth Richard, 'full well may know that;<br>Never are wee without two or three in the roof,<br>Very well fleshed, and excellent fat:<br>But, prythee, say nothing wherever thou goe;<br>We would not, for two pence, the king should it knowe.'</div><div style="margin:10px 0">'Doubt not,' then sayd the king, 'my promist secresye;<br>The king shall never know more on't for mee.'<br>A cupp of lambs-wool they dranke unto him then,<br>And to their bedds they past presentlie.<br>The nobles, next morning, went all up and down,<br>For to seeke out the king in everye towne.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">At last, at the millers 'cott,' soone they espy'd him out, <br>As he was mounting upon his faire steede;<br>To whom they came presently, falling down on their knee;<br>Which made the millers heart wofully bleede;<br>Shaking and quaking, before him he stood,<br>Thinking he should have been hang'd, by the rood.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">The king perceiving him fearfully trembling,<br>Drew forth his sword, but nothing he sed:<br>The miller downe did fall, crying before them all,<br>Doubting the king would have cut off his head.<br>But he his kind courtesye for to requite,<br>Gave him great living, and dubb'd him a knight.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Part the Second.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">When as our royall king came home from Nottingham,<br>And with his nobles at Westminster lay,<br>Recounting the sports and pastimes they had taken,<br>In this late progress along the way,<br>Of them all, great and small, he did protest,<br>The miller of Mansfields sport liked him best.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">'And now, my lords,' quoth the king, 'I am determined<br>Against St. Georges next sumptuous feast,<br>That this old miller, our new confirm'd knight,<br>With his son Richard, shall here be my guest:<br>For, in this merryment, 'tis my desire<br>To Talke with the jolly knight, and the young squire.'</div><div style="margin:10px 0">When as the noble lords saw the kinges pleasantness,<br>They were right joyfull and glad in their hearts:<br>A pursuivant there was sent straighte on the business,<br>The which had often-times been in those parts.<br>When he came to the place where they did dwell,<br>His message orderlye then 'gan he tell.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">'God save your worshippe,' then said the messenger,<br>'And grant your ladye her own hearts desire;<br>And to your sonne Richard good fortune and happiness,<br>That sweet, gentle, and gallant young squire.<br>Our king greets you well, and thus he doth say,<br>You must come to the court on St. George's day.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">'Therefore, in any case, faile not to be in place.'<br>'I-wis,' quoth the miller, 'this is an odd jest:<br>What should we doe there? faith, I am halfe afraid.'<br>'I doubt,' quoth Richard, 'to be hang'd at the least.'<br>'Nay,' quoth the messenger, 'you doe mistake;<br>Our king he provides a great feast for your sake.'</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Then sayd the miller, 'By my troth, messenger,<br>Thou hast contented my worshippe full well:<br>Hold, here are three farthings, to quite thy gentleness,<br>For these happy tydings which thou dost tell.<br>Let me see, hear thou mee; tell to our king,<br>We'll wayt on his mastershipp in everye thing.'</div><div style="margin:10px 0">The pursuivant smiled at their simplicitye,<br>And making many leggs, tooke their reward,<br>And his leave taking with great humilitye,<br>To the kings court againe he repair'd;<br>Shewing unto his grace, merry and free,<br>The knightes most liberall gift and bountie.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">When he was gone away, thus gan the miller say:<br>'Here comes expenses and charges indeed;<br>Now must we needs be brave, tho' we spend all we have, <br>For of new garments we have great need.<br>Of horses and serving-men we must have store,<br>With bridles and saddles, and twentye things more.'</div><div style="margin:10px 0">'Tushe, Sir John,' quoth his wife, 'why should you frett or frowne?<br>You shall ne'er be att no charges for mee;<br>For I will turne and trim up my old russet gowne,<br>With everye thing else as fine as may bee;<br>And on our mill-horses swift we will ride,<br>With pillowes and pannells, as we shall provide.'</div><div style="margin:10px 0">In this most statelye sort, rode they unto the court;<br>Their jolly sonne Richard rode foremost of all,<br>Who set up, for good hap, a cocks feather in his cap,<br>And so they jetted downe to the kings hall;<br>The merry old miller with hands on his side;<br>His wife like maid Merian did mince at that tide.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">The king and his nobles, that heard of their coming,<br>Meeting this gallant knight with his brave traine,<br>'Welcome, sir knight,' quoth he, 'with your gay lady;<br>Good Sir John Cockle, once welcome againe;<br>And so is the squire of courage soe free.'<br>Quoth Dicke, 'A bots on you! do you know mee?'</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Quoth our king gentlye, 'How should I forget thee?<br>Thou wast my owne bed-fellowe, well it I wot.'<br>'Yea, sir,' quoth Richard, 'and by the same token,<br>Thou with thy farting didst make the bed hot.'<br>'Thou whore-son unhappy knave,' then quoth the knight,<br>'Speake cleanly to our king, or else go sh***.'</div><div style="margin:10px 0">The king and his courtiers laugh at this heartily,<br>While the king taketh them both by the hand;<br>With the court-dames and maids, like to the queen of spades,<br>The millers wife did soe orderly stand,<br>A milk-maids courtesye at every word;<br>And downe all the folkes were set to the board.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">There the king royally, in princelye majestye,<br>Sate at his dinner with joy and delight;<br>When they had eaten well, then he to jesting fell,<br>And in a bowle of wine dranke to the knight.<br>'Here's to you both, in wine, ale, and beer;<br>Thanking you heartilye for my good cheer.'</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Quoth Sir John Cockle, 'I'll pledge you a pottle,<br>Were it the best ale in Nottinghamshire;'<br>But then sayd our king, 'Now I think of a thing;<br>Some of your lightfoote I would we had here.'<br>'Ho! ho!' quoth Richard, 'full well I may say it,<br>'Tis knavery to eate it, and then to betray it.'</div><div style="margin:10px 0">'Why art thou angry?' quoth our king merrilye;<br>'In faith, I take it now very unkind:<br>I thought thou wouldst pledge me in ale and wine heartily.'<br>Quoth Dicke, 'You are like to stay till I have din'd:<br>You feed us with twatling dishes to small;<br>Zounds, a blacke-pudding is better than all.'</div><div style="margin:10px 0">'Aye, marry,' quoth our king, 'that were a daintye thing,<br>Could a man get but one here for to eate:'<br>With that Dicke straite arose, and pluckt one from his hose,<br>Which with heat of his breech gan to sweate.<br>The king made a proffer to snatch it away:-<br>''Tis meat for your master: good sir, you must stay.'</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Thus in great merriment was the time wholly spent,<br>And then the ladyes prepared to dance.<br>Old Sir John Cockle, and Richard, incontinent<br>Unto their places the king did advance.<br>Here with the ladyes such sport they did make,<br>The nobles with laughing did make their sides ake.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Many thankes for their paines did the king give them,<br>Asking young Richard then, if he would wed;<br>'Among these ladyes free, tell me which liketh thee?'<br>Quoth he, 'Jugg Grumball, Sir, with the red head,<br>She's my love, she's my life, her will I wed;<br>She hath sworn I shall have her maidenhead.'</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Then Sir John Cockle the king call'd unto him,<br>And of merry Sherwood made him o'er seer,<br>And gave him out of hand three hundred pound yearlye:<br>'Take heed now you steale no more of my deer;<br>And once a quarter let's here have your view;<br>And now, Sir John Cockle, I bid you adieu.'</div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br /></a><br />poem by <a href="http://en.citatepedia.ro/by.php?a=Anonymous+Olde+English">Anonymous Olde English</a><div class=q>
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Henry, our royall kind, would ride a hunting
To the greene forest so pleasant and faire;
To see the harts skipping, and dainty does tripping,
Unto merry Sherwood his nobles repaire:
Hawke and hound were unbound, all things prepar'..."></div>
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