A pleasant new Ballad of the Miller of Mansfield in Sherwood, and how he was lodged at a Millers house, and of their pleasant Communication.
To the Tune of, The French Lavalto.
HEnry our Royal King would ride a hunting
to the gréen Forrest most pleasant and fair,
To have the Hart chased, the dainty Does tripping, unto merry Sherwood his Nobles repair;
Hawk & hound was unbound, all things prepair'd,
For the same to the game with good regard.
All a long Summers day, rode the King pleasantly,
with all his Princes and Nobles each one,
Chasing the Hart & Hound, & the Buck gallantly,
till the dark Evening enforc'd them turn home:
Then at last, riding fast, he had lost quite,
All his Lords in the Wood, late in dark night.
Wandring thus warily all along up and down,
with a rude Miller he met at the last,
Asking the ready way unto fair Nottingham,
sir, quoth the Miller your way you have lost,
Yet I think, what I think, troth for to say,
You do not likely ride out of your way.
Why, what dost thou think on me, qd. the K. merrily
passing thy judgement on me so brief?
Good faith, said the Miller, I mean not to flatter thée,
I guess thée to be some Gentleman thief:
Stand the back, in the dark, light thée not down,
Lest that I presently crack thy Knaves Crown.
Thou hast abus'd me much, qd. ye King, saying thus
I am a Gentleman and lodging I lack,
Thou hast not, qd. the Miller, one groat in thy purse
all thy Inheritance hangs on thy back,
I have Gold to discharge all that I call,
If it be forty pence, I will pay all.
If thou béest a true man, then, quoth the Miller,
then I swear by my Tole-dish I'le lodge thée all night,
Here's my hand, qd. the K. that I was ever,
nay soft, qd, the Miller, thou may'st be a spright:
Better I will know thée, e're hand I will take,
With none but honest men, hands will I shake.
Thus they went along unto the Millers house,
where they were séething of Pudding and sowse,
The Miller first entred in, then after him the King
never came he in so smoaky a house:
Now, qd. he, let me sée here what you are,
Quoth our King, look your fill, and do not spare.
I like thy countenance, thou hast an honest face,
with my Son Richard this night shalt thou lye,
Qd. his wife, by my troth, it is a handsom youth,
yet 'tis best, qd. his wife, for to deal warily:
Art not a run-away? prethée me tell,
Shew me thy Pasport, and all shall be well.
Then the King presently, making low courtesie,
with his hat in his hand, thus he did say,
I have no Pasport, nor never was Servitor,
but a poor Courtier rode out of my way;
And for your kindness here offered me,
I will requite it in every degrée.
Then to the Miller his wife whispered secretly,
saying, it seems this youths of good kin,
Both by his Apparel, and eke by his manners,
to turn him out certainly it were a great sin:
Yea, quoth he, you may sée, he hath some grace,
When he doth speak to his betters in place,
Well, qd. the Millers wife, young man welcom here,
and though I say it, well lodg'd thou shalt be,
Fresh straw I will have laid, on your Bed so brave,
good brown hempen Sheets, likewise, quoth she:
I, quoth the good man, and when that is done,
You shall lye with no worse then our own Son.
Nay first, quoth Richard, good fellow tell me true,
hast any Creepers within thy gay hose?
Or art thou troubled with the Scabbado?
I pray, quoth our King, what things are those?
Art thou not lowsie or scabby? quoth he,
If thou be'st surely thou lyest not with me.
This caused the K. suddenly to laugh most heartily,
till the tears trickled down from his eyes;
Then to their supper they set orderly,
with a hot Bag-pudding, and good Apple-pyes:
Nappy Ale, good and stale, in a brown bowl,
Which did about the Board merrily trowl.
Here quoth the Miller, good [...]ellow Ile drink to th [...]
and to all Courteours that courteous be,
I'le pledge you, quoth our K. and thank you heartily
for your good welcom in every degree:
And here in like manner I drink to your son,
Do so, quoth Richard, but quick let it come.
Wife, quoth the Miller; fetch me forth Light-foot,
that we of his swéetness a little may taste:
A fair Venison-pasty then brought she forth presently
eat, qd. the Miller, but sir make no waste:
Here's Light-fort indeed, said our King,
I ne'r before eat so dainty a thing.
I wis said Richard, no dainty at all it is;
for we do eat of it every day,
In what place, said our King, may be bought like to this?
we never pay money for it by my fay:
From Merry Sherwood we setch it home here;
Now and then we make bold with our Kings Déer.
Then I think said our King, that it is Venison;
each fool quoth Richard full well may see that:
Never are we without two or three in the roof,
very well fleshed and excellent fat:
But prethée say nothing where ever thou go,
We would not for two pence the K. should it know.
Doubt not said the King, my promis'd secresie,
the King shall never know more on't for me:
A Cup of Lambs-wool they drank unto him then,
and then to bed they post presently:
The Nobles next morning went all up and down,
For to seek the King in every Town.
At last at the Mill. house soon they espy'd him plain,
as he was mounting upon his fair steed:
To whom they came presently, falling upon their knée,
which made the Millers heart wofully bleed:
Shaking and quaking before them he stood;
Thinking he should have béen hang'd by the rood.
The King perceived him fearful and trembling,
drew forth his Sword, and nothing he said;
The Miller down did fall, crying before them all,
doubting the King would have cut off his head:
But his kind courtesie there to requite,
Gave him a Living, and made him a Knight.
The Second Part of the Miller and the King, shewing how he came to the Court with his wife & son, and what merry conceits passed between the King and him.
WHen as our noble K. came home from Nottingham,
& with his Nobles at Westminster lay,
Recounting the sports and pastimes they had tane,
in this late progress along by the way:
Of them all, great and small, this did he protest,
The Miller of Mansfields sport liked him best.
And now my Lords, qd. the King, I am determined
against St. Georges next sumptuous Feast,
That this old Miller our last confirmed Knight,
with his Son Richard shall both be my guest:
For in this merriment 'tis my desire,
To talk with the jolly Knight, & the young Squire.
When as the Nobles saw the Kings pleasantness,
they were right joyful and glad in their hearts:
A Pursevant there were sent about the business,
the which had many times béen in those parts:
When he came to the place where he did dwell,
His Message orderly then he did tell.
God save your Lordship, then said the Messenger,
and grant your Lady her hearts desire,
And to your Son Richard good fortune & happiness,
yt swéet young Gentleman & gallant young squire
Our King gréets you well, and thus he doth say,
You must come to the Court on St. Georges day.
Therefore in any case, fail not to be in place:
I wis quoth the Miller this is an odd jest:
What should we do there? he said, faith I am half afraid
I doubt, qd. Richard, be hang'd at the least.
Nay, quoth the Messenger, you do mistake,
Our King he provides a great Feast for your [...]
Then said the Miller, now by my troth Messenger:
thou hast contented my Worship full well:
hold, here's 3. farthings to quit thy great gentlenes
for these happy tidings which thou dost me tell:
Let me sée, hear'st thou me, tell to our King;
We'l wait on his Mastership in every thing.
The Pursevant smiling at their simplicity,
and making many Legs took their reward:
And taking then his leave with great humility,
to the Kings Court then he repair'd:
Shewing to his Grace in each degrée,
The Knights most liberal gifts and bounty.
When he was gone away, thus did the Miller say
here comes expences and charges indéed:
Now we must be brave, if we spend all we have,
for of new Garments we have great néed:
Of Horses and Servingmen we must have store,
With bridles, and saddles, and twenty things more
Tush sir John, qd. his wife, never fret nor srown,
you shall be at no more charges for me,
For I will turn and trim up my old Russet Gown,
with every thing as fine as may be:
And on our Mill-horses full swift we will ride,
With Pillow and Pannels as we shall provide.
In this most stately sort came they unto the Court,
their jolly Son Richard the formost of all:
Who set up by good hap a Cocks-feather in his cap
and so they jetted down towards the Kings Hall:
The merry old Miller with his hands on his side,
His wife like Maid Marrian did mince at that tide
The King & the Nobles that heard of their coming
méeting this gallant Knight with his brave train
Welcome Sir Kt. qd. he, with this your gay Lady,
good Sir John Cockle, once welcome again:
And so is the Squire of courage most free:
Quoth Dick, a bots on you, do you know me.
Quoth the King gently, how should I forget thée?
thou wast my Bed-fellow, well that I wot,
But I think of a trick, tell me that prethée Dick,
how thou with Farting didst make the bed hot:
Thou whorson happy knave, then qd. the Knight,
Speak cleanly to our King, or else go Shite.
The King & his Courtiers heartily laught at this,
while the King took them both by the hand,
With Ladies and their Maids, like to the Quéen of spades
the Millers wife did so orderly stand:
A Milk-maids courtesie at every word,
And down the folks were set at the side board.
Where the King Royally, in Princely Majesty,
sat at his dinner with joy and delight:
When they had eaten well, to jesting then they fell
taking a Bowl of Wine drank to the Knight:
Here's to you, qd. the King, in Wine, Ale, and Béer,
Thanking you for all your Country fare.
Quoth, Sir John Cockle, Ile pledge you a Pottle,
were it the best Ale in Nottingham-shire:
Then said our King, now I think on 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 of it, and then to betray 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 & Wine heartily,
y're like to stay, quoth Dick, till I have din'd:
You féed us with twatling dishes so small,
Zounds a black puding is better then all.
I marry, quoth our King, that were a dainty thing,
if a man could get one for to eat;
With that Dick arose, and pul'd one out of his hose,
which with heat of his breech began for to sweat:
The King made a proffer to snatch it away;
'Tis meat for your Master, good sir you must stay.
Thus in merriment was the time wholly spent,
and then the Ladies prepared to dance,
Old Sir John Cockle, and Richard incontinent,
unto this practice the King did advance;
Here with the Ladies such sport they did make,
the Nob. with laughing did make their hearts ake.
Many thanks for their pains did the K. give them,
asking young Richard if he would be wed:
Among those Ladies frée, tell me which liketh thee,
Quoth he, Jug Grumbal with the red head:
She's my love, she's my life, she will I wed,
She hath sworn I shall have her Maiden-head.
Then Sir John Cockle the King cal'd unto him
and of merry Sherwood made him overséer,
And gave him out of hand 3 hundred pound a year,
and now take heed you steal no more of my Déer:
And once a year lets have your view,
And so Sir John Cockle I bid you adiew.