The Shepheard and the King, and of Gillian the Shepheards VVife, with h [...] Churlish answers: being full of mirth and merry pastime.
To the Tune of flying fane.
AN Elder time there was fo yore,
when gybes of Churlish glee,
Were vs'd amongst our countrey Carles,
though no such thing now be.
The which King Alfred liking well,
forsooke his stately Court:
And in disguise vnknowne went forth,
to sée that Iouiall sport.
How Dick and Tom, in clowted shoone,
and coats of russet Gray,
Estéem'd themselues more braue then those
that went in Golden ray.
In Garments fit for such a life,
our good King Alfred went,
All rag'd and torne, as from his backe,
the Begger his clothes had rent.
A Sword and Buckler good and strong
to giue Iacke sawce a rap:
And on his head in stead of a Crowne,
he wore a Munmouth Cap;
Thus coasting thorow Somerset Shire,
néere Newton Court he met
A Shepheard swaine, of lusty limbes,
that vp and downe did iet.
He wore a Bounet of good gray,
close button'd to his chin:
And at his backe a leather Scrip,
with much good meate therein.
God spéed good Shepheard (qd. our King)
I come to be thy Guest,
To taste of thy good victuall here,
and drinke that's of the best.
Thy Scrip I know hath cheere good store,
What then, (the Shepheard said)
Thou séem'st to be some scuruy Théefe,
and mak'st me sore afraid.
Yet if thou wilt thy dinner winne,
thy Sword and buckler take:
And if thou canst, into my Scrip
therewith an entrance make.
I tell thée Roister it hath store
of Béefe and Bacon fat,
With shiues of Barley bread to make
thy chops to water at.
Here stands my Bottle, here my Bag,
if thou canst win them, Roister,
Against thy Sword and Buckler here
my shéep-hooke is my waster.
Benedicite now (quoth our King)
it neuer shall be said,
That Alfred of thy Shepheards hooke,
will stand a whit afraid.
So roundly thus they both fell too't,
where giuing bang for bang:
At euery blow the Shepheard gaue,
King Alfreds Sword cride twang.
His Buckler proou'd his chiefest fence,
for still the Shepheards hooke
Was that, the which good Alfred could
in no good manner brooke.
At last when they had sought foure houres,
and it grew iust mid-day,
And wearyed both, with right good will,
desired each other stay.
Kings truce I cry, quoth Alfred then,
good Shepheard hold thy hand:
A sturdier fellow then they selfe,
liues not within this Land:
Nor a Rustier Roister then thou art,
the churlish Shepheard said:
To fell thee plaine, thy Théeuish lookes
now make my heart afraid.
Else sure thou art some Prodigall,
that hast consum'd thy store:
And here com'st wa [...]dring to this place,
to rob and steale for more.
Déeme not of me, then quoth our King,
good Shepheard, in such sort:
A Gentleman well knowne I am,
In good Kings Alfreds Court.
The Deuill thou art, the Shepheard said,
that goest in ragges thus torne:
Thou rather séem'st (I thinke) to be
some Begger basely borne:
But if thou wilt mend thy estate,
and here a Shepheard be:
At night to Gillian my old wife,
thou shalt goe home with me.
For she's as good a toothlesse Dame,
as mumblet [...] on browne Bread:
Where thou shalt lye in harden sheetes,
vpon a fresh Straw bed:
Of Whig and Whay, we haue great store,
and keeps good Peas-straw fires:
And now and then good barly cakes,
when better day requires.
But for my Master which is chiefe,
and Lord of Newton Court:
He kéepes (I say) vs Shepheard S [...]
in farre more brauer sort:
We there haue Curds and clouted C [...]
of red Cowes morning milke:
And now and then fine Buttered C [...]
as soft as any silke.
Of Béefe, and rosted Bacon store,
that is most fat and greazie,
We haue likewise to féed our Chops,
to make them glib and easie.
Thus if thou wilt my man become,
this vsage shalt thou haue:
If not, adue, goe hang they selfe,
and so farewell sir knaue.
King Alfred hearing of this glée,
the churlish Shepheard said,
Was well content to be his man,
and so the bargaine made:
A penny round the Shepheard gaue
in earnest of the match:
To keepe his shéepe in Field and Fo [...]
as Shepheards vse to watch.
His wages should be full ten Groat [...]
for seruice of an yeare:
Yet was it not his vse, olde Lad,
to hire a man so deare:
For did the King himselfe (quoth he [...]
vnto my Cottage come:
He should not for his twelue-month [...] [...]
receiue a greater summe.
Here at the bonny King grew blyth [...]
to heare this Clownish iest:
How silly Sots as Customers,
doe descant on the best.
But not to spoyle the following spor [...]
he was content (good King)
To sit the Shepheards humor right
in euery kind of thing.
A Shéep-hooke then, with Patch his [...]
and Tar box by his side:
He with his Master cheeke by iowl [...]
vnto old Gillian hyed:
Vnto whose sight no sooner [...]ome,
whom haue you here (quoth she? [...]
A Fellow (I doubt) to cut [...]ur thr [...]
so like a knaue lookes he.
The second part.
To the same tune.
NOt so, old Dame, quoth Alfred straight,
of me you néed not feare:
[...]y Master hath hired me for ten Groates,
[...]o serue you one whole yeare.
[...] good Dame Gillian, grant me leaue
within your house to stay:
[...]r by Saint Anne doe what you can,
I will not yet away.
[...]er churlish vsage pleas'd him still,
but put him to such proofe:
[...]at he that night was almost choakt
within that smoakie roofe.
[...]ut as he sate with smiling chéere,
the euent of all to sée:
[...]s Dame brought forth a péece of Dowe,
which in the fire throwes she.
[...]here lying on the Harth to bake,
by chance the Cake did burne:
[...]hat canst thou not, thou Lowt, quoth she,
Make paines the same to turne?
[...]hou art more quick to rake it out,
and eate it vp halfe Dowe:
[...]en thus to stay till't be enough,
and so thy manners show.
[...]t serue me such another tricke,
Ile thwack thée on the snout:
[...]hich made the patient King good man,
of her to stand in doubt.
[...]t to be briefe, to bed they went,
the good-man and his Wife:
[...] neuer such a lodging had
[...]ing Alfred in his life.
[...] he was layd on white Sheepes wooll,
[...]w pull'd from tanned Fells:
[...] ore his head hung spiders webs,
[...]s if they had béene Bells:
[...] this the Country guise, thought he?
then here I will not stay:
[...]t hence be gone so soone as breakes
[...]he péeping of next day.
[...]e cackling Géese and Hens kept roost,
[...]nd pearcht by his bed side:
[...]here at the last the watchfull Cocke
[...]ade knowne the mornings tide:
[...]en vp got Alfred, with his horne,
[...]nd blew so long a blast,
[...]at made Gillian and her Groome,
[...]n bed full sore ágast.
Arise, quoth she, we are vndone,
this night we lodged haue,
At vnawares within our house,
a false dissembling Knaue.
Rise, husband, rise, hee'l cut our throats,
he calleth for his Mates,
Ide giue (olde Will) our good Cade-Lambe
he would depart our Gates.
But still King Alfred blew his horne,
before them more and more:
Till that a hundred Lords and Knights
alighted at their doore:
Which cryed all hayle, all hayle good King,
long haue we look't your Grace:
And here you finde (my merry men all)
your Soueraigne in this place.
We shall be surely hang'd vp both,
olde Gillian, I much feare,
Tha Shepheard said, for vsing thus
our good King Alfred héere:
A pardon my Liege (quote Gillian then)
for my Husband and for me;
By these ten bones I neuer thought,
the same that now I sée.
And by my hooke the Shepheard said,
and Oath both good and true,
Before this time, O Noble King,
I neuer your highnesse knew:
Then pardon me, and my olde Wife,
that we may after say:
When first you came into our house,
it was a happy day.
It shall be done, said Alfred straight,
and Gillian my olde Dame,
For this thy churlish vsing me,
deserueth not much blame:
For tis the Countrey guise, I sée,
to be thus bluntish still.
And where the plainest meaning is,
remaines the smallest ill.
And Master, so I tell thée now,
for thy late manhood showne,
A thousand Weathers Ile bestow
vpon thée for thine owne:
With pasture grounds, as much as will
suffice to féed them all:
And this thy Cottage, I will change
into a stately Hall,
And for the same (as dutie bindes)
the Shepheard said, good King:
A milke white Lambe once euery Yeere,
Ile to your Highnesse bring:
And Gillian my old Wife likewise,
of wooll to make your Coates:
Will giue so much at New-yeeres tide,
as shall be worth ten Groates.
And in your praise, my Bag-pipe shall
sound swéetly euery yeere:
How Alfred our renowned King,
most kindly hath béene here.
Thankes, Shepheard, thankes, qd. he again
the next time I come hither,
My Lords with me héere in this house,
will all be merry together.
FIN [...]