The shepherd and the king and of Gillian the shepherds wife, with her churlish answer. Being full of mirth and patime. To the tune of Flying fame.

The shepherd and the king and of Gillian the shepherds wife, with her churlish answer. Being full of mirth and patime. To the tune of Flying fame.

Table of contents

The Shepherd and the King, and of Gillian the Shepherds Wife, with her churliſh Anſwer. Being full of Mirth and Paſtime.

1

2

§

The Shepherd and the King, and of Gillian the Shepherds Wife, with her churliſh Anſwer. Being full of Mirth and Paſtime.

[Page]

To the Tune of Flying Fame.

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1

IN Elder time there as of Yore,

when guides of churliſh glee,

Were us'd among our Country Carls,

though no ſuch thing now be;

The which King Alfred liking well,

forſook his ſtately Court,

And in diſguiſe unknown went forth,

to ſee that jovial ſport,

Now Dick and Tom in clouted ſhoon,

and Coats of Ruſſet gray,

Eſteem'd themſelves more b [...]ave than them

that went in Golden Ray;

In garments fit for ſuch a life,

the good King Alfred went,

All raggd and torn as from his back

the begger his Coaths had wrent.

the Sword and Buckler good and ſtrong,

to give Iack Sauce a wrap,

And on his head inſtead of a Crown,

he wore a Monmouth Cap,

Thus coaſting thorow Somerſetſhire,

near Newton Court he met,

A Shepherd Swain of luſty limb.

that up and down did jet:

He wore Bonnet of good gray,

cloſe button'd to his chin,

And at his back a leather Scrip,

with much good Meat therein.

God ſpeed good to Shepherd, quoth the King

I come to be thy Guest,

To taſte of thy good Victuals here,

And drink that's of the beſt:

Thy Scrip I know hath cheer good ſtore.

what then the Shepherd ſaid?

Thou ſeemeſt to be ſome ſturdy thief,

and mak'ſt me ſore afraid.

Yet if thou wilt thy Dinner win

the Sword and Buckler take,

And if thou canſt into my Scrip

therewith an entrance make,

I tell thee Roiſter it hath ſtore

of Beef and Bacon fat,

With ſhieves of barly bread to make

thy Chaps to water at:

Here ſtands my bottle, here my bag,

if thou canſt win them Roiſter,

Againſt the Sword and Buckler here

my Sheephook is my maſter.

Benedicite now quoth our good King,

it never ſhall be ſaid,

That Alfred of the Shephereds hook

will ſtand a whit afraid:

So ſoundly thus they both fell to't,

and giving bang for bang,

At every blow the Shepherd gave

King Alfreds Sword cry'd twang.

His Buckler prov'd his chiefeſt fence

for ſtill the Shepherds hook,

Was that the which King Alfred could

in no good manner brook:

At laſt when they had fought four hours,

and it grew juſt mid-day,

And wearied, both with right good will

deſired each others ſtay.

King, truce I cry, quoth Alfred then,

good Shepherd hold thy hand,

A ſturdier fellow than thy ſelf

lives not within the land.

Nor a luſtier Roiſter than thou art,

the churliſh Shepherd ſaid,

To tell thee plain thy thieviſh looks,

now makes my heart afraid;

Elſe ſure thou art ſome Prodigal

which haſt conſum'd thy ſtore,

And now comeſt wandring in this place

to Rob and Steal for more:

Deem not of me then quoth our King

good Shepherd in this ſort,

A Gentleman well known I am

in good King Alfreds Court,

The Devil thou art, the Shepherd ſaid,

thou goeſt in Rags all torn,

Thou rather ſeemſt I think to be

ſome beggar baſely born;

But if thou wilt mend thy eſtate,

and here a Shepherd be,

At night to Gillian my ſweet wife

thou ſhalt go home with me.

For ſhe's as good a toothleſs dame

as mumbleth on brown bread,

Where thou ſhalt lie in hurden ſheets,

upon a freſh ſtraw bed.

Of whig and whey we have good ſtore

and keep good Peaſe-ſtraw fires,

And now and then good Barly Cakes

as better Days requires.

But for my maſter which is chief,

and Lord of Newton Court,

He keeps I ſay, his Shepherd Swains

in far more braver ſort;

We there have curds & clouted cream

of red Cows morning milk,

And now and then fine butter [...]d cakes

as ſoft as any Silk.

Of Beef and reiſed Bacon ſtore

that is moſt fat and greaſie,

We have likewiſe to feed our chaps,

and make them glib and eaſie.

Thus if thou will my man become,

this uſage thou ſhalt have,

If not adieu go hang thy ſelf,

and ſo farewel Sir Knave.

King Alfred hearing of this glee,

the churliſh Shepherd ſaid,

Was well content to be his man,

ſo they a bargain made.

A Penny round the ſhepherd gave,

in earneſt of this match,

To keep his Sheep in field and fold

as Shepherds uſe to watch.

His wages ſhall be full ten groats

for ſervice of a Year,

Yet was it not his uſe old Lad

to hire a man ſo dear.

For did the King himſelf, quoth he,

unto my Cottage come,

He ſhould not for a 12 months pay

receive a greater ſum.

Hereat the bonny King grew blith

to hear the Clowniſh jeſt,

How ſilly Sots, as Cuſtom is,

do diſcant at the beſt.

but not to ſpoil the fooliſh ſport

he was content good King,

To fit the Shepherds humour right

in every kind of thing,

A Sheep hook then, with Patch his dog,

and Tar-box by his ſide.

2

HE with his Maſter jig by jowl,

unto old Gillian hy'd,

into whoſe ſight no ſooner came,

whom have you here, quoth ſhe,

A fellow I doubt will cut our throats,

ſo like Knave looks he.

Not ſo, old dame, qd Alfred ſtraight,

of me you need not fear,

My Maſter hired me for ten groats

to ſerve you one whole Year:

So good dame Gillian grant me leave

within your houſe to ſtay,

For by St: Anne do what you can,

I will not yet away.

Her churliſh uſage pleas'd him ſtill,

put him to ſuch proof,

That he at night was almoſt choakt,

within that ſmoaky Roof:

But as he ſat with ſmiling cheer,

the event of all to ſee,

His Dame brought forthe piece of dow

which in the Fire throws ſhe;

Where lying on the Harth to bake,

by chance the Cake did burn,

What canſt thon not, thou lout, (qd. ſhe)

take pains the ſame to turn:

Thou art more quick to take it out,

and eat it up half dow,

Than thus to ſtay till 't be enough,

and ſo thy manners ſhow.

But ſerve me ſuch another trick,

i'll thwack thee on the ſnout,

Which made the patient King, good man

of her to ſtand in doubt.

But to be brief to bed they went,

the good old man and his wife,

But never ſuch a Lodging had

King Alfred in his life:

For he was laid in white Sheeps wool,

new pull'd from tanned fells,

And o'er his head hang'd ſpiders webs

as if they had been bells,

Is this the Country guiſe, thought he,

then here I will not ſtay,

But hence be gone, as ſoon as breaks

the peeping of next day.

The cackling Hens & Geeſe kept rooſt,

and pearched at his ſide,

where at the laſt the watchful Cock,

made known the morning tide;

Then up got Alfred with his horn,

and blew ſo long a blaſt,

That made Gillian and her Groom

in bed full ſore aghaſt.

Ariſe, qd. ſhe, we are undone,

this night we lodged have;

At unawares within our houſe,

a falſe diſſembling Knave;

Riſe Husband, riſe, he'll cut our throats

he calleth for his Mates,

I'd give, old will, our good Cade Lamb,

he would depart our gates.

but ſtill King Alfred blew his born

before t [...]em more and more,

Till that a hundred Lords and Knights,

all lighted at the door:

who cry'd, all hail, all hail, good King,

long have we ſought your Grace.

And here you find (my merry men all)

your Soveraign in this place.

We ſurely in this place.

old Gillian I much fear,

The Shepherd ſaid for uſing thus

our good King Alfred here

O pardon, my Liege, qd. Gillian then,

for my Husband and for me,

by theſe ten bones I never thought

the ſame that now I ſee;

And by my hook, the Shepherd ſaid,

an Oath both good and true,

before this time, O noble King,

I never your Highneſs knew.

Then pardon me, and my old wife,

that we may after ſay,

VVhen firſt you came into our houſe,

it was a happy day.

it ſhall be done, ſaid Alfred ſtraight.

and Gillian my Old Dame,

For this thy churliſh uſing me,

deſerveth not much blame;

For this thy Country guiſe I ſee

to be thus bluntiſh ſtill,

And where the plaineſt meaning is,

remains the ſmalleſt ill.

And Maſter loe I tell thee now,

for thy low manhood ſhown,

A thouſand wethers ile beſtow

upon thee for thy own.

And paſture ground as much as will

ſuffice to feed them all.

And this thy Cottage I will change

into a ſtately Hall.

As for the ſame as duty binds,

the Shepherd ſaid, good King,

A milk white Lamb once every year

ile to your Highneſs bring:

And Gillian my wife likewiſe,

of wool to make you Coats,

will give you as much at New-years-tide,

as ſhall be worth ten groats,

And in your praiſe my bagpipes ſhall

ſound ſweetly once a year,

Now Alfred our renowned King

moſt kindly hath been here.

Thanks ſhepherd, thanks, qd. he again,

the next time I come hither,

My Lords with me here in this houſe

will all be merry together.

§

Printed by and for A. M. and ſold by the Bookſellers of London.

Information about this book

Title statement

The shepherd and the king and of Gillian the shepherds wife, with her churlish answer. Being full of mirth and patime. To the tune of Flying fame.

Edition statement

1695

Publication

Publisher

Text Creation Partnership,

Place of publication

Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) :

Date

2009-03 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1).

ID [DLPS]

A59697

ID [STC]

Wing S3151A

ID [STC]

ESTC R220258

ID [EEBO-CITATION]

99831680

ID [PROQUEST]

99831680

ID [VID]

36145

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Early English books online.

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(EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A59697)

Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 36145)

Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1641-1700 ; 2097:17)

Source

— The shepherd and the king and of Gillian the shepherds wife, with her churlish answer. Being full of mirth and patime. To the tune of Flying fame.,

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1 sheet ([1] p.) : ill. (woodcuts)

Printed by and for A.M. and sold by the booksellers of London,. [London] :: [1695?]. (Verse - "In elder time there as [sic] of yore".) (Place and date of publication suggested by Wing.) (Printed in five columns, in black letter, with woodcuts at head of first three columns.) (Copy trimmed at head.) (Reproduction of the original in the Glasgow University Library.)

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